Inspiration - Vivien Leigh

Last night {msL} and I caught a late showing of Gone with the Wind on TMC.  There was a Vivien Leigh film festival yesterday, since she would have been 100.  Vivien's full name was Vivien Mary Hartley. She is most recognized for her roles as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. She was born in Darjeeling India on November 5, 1913. She lived most of her life in England and passed away on July 7, 1967 from Tuberculosis. She was married twice, most notably to Laurence Olivier (for 20 years). Her style and beauty are timelss.

Inspiration - The Great Gatsby

One of my favorite classic novels is The Great Gatsby.  I can't wait for the stylized movie version coming out May 10.  Maybe it's the portrayal of the decadent 20's or the fantastic fashion or maybe it's both.

I'm betting there will be an Oscar coming for the costume designers.  Period pieces always get a nod and this one is fantastic.  Custom Brooks Brothers suits, Tiffany diamonds, and Prada dresses. WOW!

Here is the trailer for the movie.  Did I mention that I can't wait?



In case you need to brush up on the characters and their relationship, this character map is like the Cliffs Notes version. I highly recommend reading the book. 

 

The Great Gatsby character map

I'm definitely going to have to do a bit of research on 20's fashion.  I've seen some real life photos from that time period.  The grandmother of an ex was an honest to goodness flapper and a fantastic lady.  She was definitely ahead of her time.  The photo I saw was her standing next to her first car (bought with her own money) wearing a beaded shift dress and a cloche hat.  Fantastic! She resigned from her job at the newspaper (she was a journalist) when they refused to allow her to write anything but the society column. She wanted to write hard news stories. So cool to meet and know groundbreaking women like her.

Here is a link to the Vintage Fashion Guild's page on 1920's fashion.

All Dressed Up In Love

Hi Real Girls! Please pardon my lack of posting. I'm getting married this Saturday!  Things are just a bit busy.  On Tuesday, {msL} and I went to DC to get a legal marriage license.  It won't be legal here in Virginia, where we live but we wanted to have a legal license.  We got dressed up for our little civil ceremony.  Saturday will be the date we consider our real wedding day. We'll be having a ceremony and reception with our family and friends.  Tuesday was great.  I started to cry when saying my vows.  I hope I can hold it together on Saturday. 

Dress - Asos, Shoes - Talbots (no longer available), Belt - DIY, Necklace - gift, ring - vintage (my grandmother's), Bracelet - Stella and Dot c/o Kristin Biggs, Earrings - Stella & Dot c/o Kristin Biggs

Inspirartion - Vintage VOGUE

Maybe it's my decision to use a vintage pattern for my wedding dress or maybe it's my eternal love of Grace Kelly but I've been really inspired by vintage fashion lately.  Specifically, vintage Vogue magazine photos. At the end of the movie, The September Issue, Anna Wintour says, "Fashion's not about looking back. It's always about looking forward."  I don't agree with her at all.  I think that learning from fashion's past is a great way to make updates for the future. Fashion is always influenced by the past. Great vintage style inspires me constantly.

Sweeping black liner and a red lip are always in fashion.

Classic Audrey Hepburn

Grace Kelly's Elegance

photo credit:  All photos are copyright Conde Nast via VOGUE

In Your Easter Bonnet

Over the weekend, we went to visit my Mom. She lives in a rural area of Virginia. She and my Dad moved back to the area where they grew up, when they retired. It's a beautiful part of the state and since they sold my childhood home, this area is home to me. Many of my relatives live close and I went to college near by.

Jacket - Target (no longer available), Dress - Donna Rico via alight (no longer available), Bag - vintage, Shoes - Ferragamo via Goodwill, Necklace - Target (no longer available), Earrings - JewelMint. Bracelets - F21 and gift, Watch - Relic via Kohl's, Nails - Wet n' Wlld Spoiled Lox-y Lady, Lips - Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter Sweet Tart

When I visit Mom, I dress pretty casual. We are usually helping her with repairs and things around the house and on her property. We also go walking and hiking on trails close to her house. There isn't much call for stilettos and sequin skirts. On Sunday we went to Easter service at Mom's church and I took the opportunity to dress up a little. We watched the kids hunt for eggs before church and then attended the lovely service. After service, we went home and had a yummy lunch prepared by my Mom.  The weather was perfect and it was a great day (and weekend) with family.



I also tried out a new hairstyle. The fun of having long hair is the ability to change up my style. I get tired of the same old ponies and up dos.  This faux bob was a fun and easy option.  I curled my fine hair to give it some volume and waves and sprayed it with a small amount of hair spray.  I love L'Oreal Elnett hairspray because it gives great hold without being sticky or crazy stiff and brushes out easily. I took sections about two inches wide and rolled them under with my fingers. I left a few pieces around the front hanging to give it some interest.  Then I spritzed it with hairspray one last time.

Several years ago I stopped at a little antique shop, on the way to my parent's house.  Small town antique shops have some of the best items I've found when it comes to accessories.  I think this is because many people go to these shops looking for furniture and dishes. This little bag is one of my favorite finds.  It has a tiny bit of wear on the inside of the handle but otherwise it's perfect. It also holds a bit more than just your lipstick and some money.

I snagged this necklace a couple of years ago at Target, prior to an event. I usually wear it as a bracelet (here). . 

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend.  Happy Monday!

I'm Obsessed Thank You Very Much - Vintage Inspired Glasses

Luckily for most of my life I've had good eyesight. It wasn't until I started working on computers daily that I began wearing glasses often.  Then as I got older, I've had to have glasses for reading. Growing up, I always wanted to be cool or what I thought at the time was cool.  I wouldn't have thought that the glasses I'm obesessed with and loving today were cool (back then).  You know the ones, the black wayfarer style synonymous with guys wearing pocket protectors. My dad had a pair back in the 50's and 60's, when he was an engineering major.  I can't help it, I love them. I'm obsessed! I found a great pair of reading glasses at Loehmann's but I need a pair in my own prescription.

Even celebs have gotten on the the bandwagon.




I'm sure I can find any number of frames at a local optician. In the interest of doing good with my purchases, I'm planning to try Warby Parker.  Their glasses are affordable, at only $95 per pair. They will even send five pairs to try on at home for free!  The best part of Warby Parket is that for each pair of glasses purchased, they donate a pair to someone in need. Their vintage inspired frames are fantastic! 

Here are a few of my favorites...


Crosby

 

Fillmore

Winston

Once I get my prescription, I'm headed right over to the Warby Parker website to order my glasses to try on at home.  What do you think? Would you wear this style or pass?



Note: I wasn't compensated by Warby Parker. I just love their glasses and their mission.

Your Personal Style At Work

Recently a friend told me that she has to abandon her personal style when she goes to work. She said that she either dresses down or wears blah basics. Her personal style is kind of bohemian. She lives near the beach and likes simple dresses and flip flops. I cringe when I see flip flops at the office. I promised her that I could show her how to wear her favorite bohemian pieces but make them office appropriate. It also made me think about other styles that a woman might feel that she has to abandon for the sake of being office appropriate. The others that I instantly thought of were, rocker chick, and vintage.

I'm of the opinion that you don't have to be boring to be office appropriate. You can express your style without going overboard. You can love what you wear to work, be true to your style and still be taken seriously.

The challenge with bohemian style for the office is to keep from looking sloppy.  Many offices are much more casual than they used to be but it's my opinion that beach wear and super casual wear (like logo tees and cut offs) isn't office appropriate.  Taking the key elements of boho style, looser silhouettes, interesting colors and patterns, ethnic jewelry, and footwear that is on the casual side you can create a look that works for the office.

Rocker is personally one of my favorites when it comes to style. The key is to create an outfit that has the best elements without looking like you are going to a show or a night out. Using basic tailored pieces, skinny pants, a jacket with a strong shoulder, and a tank or shell, you can build a great outfit. Add the rocker elements with your accessories. The bold jewelry gives the rocker vibe and the studs on the shoes are unexpected. The jacket isn't flashy but the strong shoulders gives it a bold touch.

Vintage style is classic but if you aren't careful it can look like a costume. Joan Holloway on Mad Men looks amazing but she's a character on a period drama. Wearing a super tight sweater could send the wrong message in the office. A sleek pencil skirt, a bow tie blouse, and a traditional cardigan give those classic vintage elements. Adding accessories like a scarf clip, pearl bracelet, and peep toe heels with an ankle strap add to the vintage vibe in a modern way.

You don't have to abandon your personal style to be work appropriate.  Take the basic elements of what you love and modify them a bit to suit the environment. Accessories are key. They can take the basics and turn them up a notch without being over the top. Your unique personality can stand out.

 

 

 

 

Easy Vintage

Inspired by my new shoes and the fedora I wore much of the week during my vacation, I created this modern vintage look. It's easy for anyone to create. You can use any vintage look or floral dress. Then just add some masculine touches, oxfords, a fedora, and a men's look watch. Top it off with some pearls or a long necklace, like the Opera Pearl Necklace from JewelMint.

The oxfords I got on vacation, have recently been reduced to $76 on the Bass website.  These are the Bass Loves Rachel Antonoff Odette oxford in cream.

The bodice on the dress I found on asos.com is fantastic. The print is very vintage. This dress is available in plus sizes but they also have some great options in other sizes. I've also found some adorable floral print dresses at Old Navy.

The fedora from Hot Topic is only $9.98! The classic Timex was found on Amazon.com for just $25.

Other than being a quick, easy outfit, the beauty of this look is that it's also modern and doesn't look like a costume. Do you love vintage? What's your favorite look?

Easy Vintage by Real Girl Runway featuring empire waist dresses

Thrifty Vintage Weekends

Over the last couple of weekends I've done some thrift and vintage shopping. On our Memorial Day weekend trip, we hit up a great thrift store in Winchester, VA and an incredible antique shop called GNC Antiques & Collectibles.  Last weekend, on a whim, we visted my favorite Goodwill store in Alexandria, VA and spent the gift certificate that I won in the DC Goodwill Fashionista DIY contest.  I always find something great at that store.

I found so many amazing pieces at GNC Antiques. I had to narrow down my choices based on my budget. I could have gone nuts and bought jewelry, acessories and even furniture. I fell in love with this vintage ostritch fan from the 40's but the price was a bit more than I wanted to pay.


Vintage Ostritch Fan

 Here's the loot I snagged on my shopping trips!

I really love vintage bags but many times they are too small to make them practical for my daily life.  I like big bags and to be honest, tiny bags only work with my curvy girl frame, for a night out.  Otherwise, they can look like I'm carrying a little girl's bag. This one is big.  It fits all of my daily needs and still has that ladies that lunch look.

Vintage jewelry is so much fun. You know that you won't see your jewelry on anyone else. When I'm hunting for costume pieces, I always reach for those that are unique and even a bit quirky. These earrings and pin fit that bill. The earrings are big but they have a clip back.  I love the sparkle. The pin is like nothing I've ever seen. It's funky and the cascading beads make it a statement piece.

Recently the preppy look has returned with a vengeance. For me, preppy always included my Pappagallo (Bermuda) bag. When I was younger, I didn't exactly care for my bags like I should have. My original Pappagallo bit the dust long ago. I found this one at the thrift store in Winchester for only $5 and it included 3 additional covers. In case you aren't familiar with this type of bag, the covers can be attached and removed via the buttons to change up your bag. One of the covers is a rust colored suede. Such a steal! My Honey bought the bag, covers and a great scarf for me.


Barely there sandals are a staple of my summer wardrobe. I love the braided straps of this pair. I'll style these with a sundress or some slim summer pants. I'm even thinking of creating DIY options to change up the look. I'll get back to you.




My scarf collection is ridiculously large but I can't help myself. Silk scarves are truly the best buy at thrift stores, but I've told you that before. They can totally change your outfit and give a basic dress a whole new look. I scored all of the scarves below for $3 or less. The striped one is actually a long belt sash.

Looking beyond an item's original intention is something I do often when thrifting.  I found this watch band. It's stainless steel and I plan to wear it as a funky bracelet instead of a watch band. The buckle on top will look great stacked with some of my other bracelets. It's different and unexpected. I got it for only $1!

Earth Day Eco Fashion

A NOTE ABOUT THIS ENTRY: This post was intended to go up on Earth Day. Due to computer issue or user malfunction, whatever you prefer, it's going up today.

Years ago when I thought of ecological fashion, visions of hemp shirts came to mind.  The idea of eco fashion has changed dramatically over the years.  Vintage has become more popular and people want to save money.  It doesn't mean tattered clothes that no one wants to buy. It means carefully sought gems that have been restyled or upcycled into something new. As a thrift store and vintage shopper and clothing swap attendee, I wear eco fashion constantly.  The items you are reusing aren't ending up in a landfill. They are being recycled, upcycled and reused by you. 

Earlier this week I told you about the fashion show I attended and a local design team that designs and makes upcycled items.  The ladies of Ginger Root Design embody eco fashion.  Their pieces are one of kind designs that have been created from damaged items, vintage clothes or vintage fabric. They create these amazing necklace tie creations fashioned from vintage neckties and in some cases vintage buttons. See a before and after picture below:

You can see more of their items on their facebook page.

I've refashioned a few items. Here are the ones I've shown in previous posts...




DIY Collar
Before                                                                  After                                                                   Outift     



Men's Tie as a Belt

The items I upcycled were picked up at Goodwill for a steal.  I took their basic idea and changed them to make them better, for me.