1950's style.

via retrogasm.

nice bag lady.

i have a thing for cute, even though it doesn't quite work on me: i think i'm too serious.

from all the pretty birds.

anyway, remember that old 90's show telly fun quiz? kind of looks like that duck right? so funny. i remember we even had the stuffed toy duck from the show. it had huge legs but no wings, and that used to bother me no end, because its just not natural.

passing afternoon.

marc jacobs fall/winter 2010, via studded hearts.

socks and shorts.

via glamcanyon.

why i love vintage, part 2.

sensible shoes.

or, missing the days before scary victoria beckham monster shoes.

or rather, i am turning into my mother before my very own eyes.

i suppose this post is inspired in a way by the current orthopedic shoe trend (worishofers anyone?), which i approve of. i have had a soft spot for our local greencross shop since they brought out those beautiful leather brogues a few years ago with the cushiony arch support and the heel that won't kill you, and i love finding a pretty vintage shoe with a heel of an only inch or so that are both lady-like and your granny would approve of.

here are a few of my favourite dorky-comfy vintage specimens:

- i found these orthopedic klinik two tone pumps at the hospice shop on louis botha. they kind of make me think of a WWII nurse's shoes. which is good.

- these nude leather slingbacks belonged to my norwegian granny, so they are priceless to me. my gran was a shoe fiend like myself - she had a whole flippen closet just for her shoes. so its in the genes.

- i got these black cut out peep toes from bellbottoms in pretoria, my absolute favourite shop ever. they've got a bit of a 40's structural look about them, which i like, but in reality they're probably much younger than that. i'm not good at guessing though, so i won't.

- my mom had a pair of brown tasseled pumps similar to these when i was a kid, which probably explains why i was drawn to this pair when i saw them in deerhunter in greenside.

- these lace ups are also from deerhunter, and although they are not heels, they are strange little dorky platform orthopedic shoes, so they count.

- and lastly, these are not vintage, but i just had to include them. i bought them at an old lady shoe shop in portugal, and my friend leslie called them 'the unsexiest shoes ever'. well, i thought they were pretty cute...

x

closet case vintage.

oh. my. goodness.

these are so gorgeous i feel a little faint.

behold this 1930's lace wedding dress.

also, this ivory and blue 1930's capelet.

from closet case vintage, via q's daydream.

sophie friday.

my beautiful little horse. she is a little horse now - we measured her the other day and she was just over 15hh. but she's not three yet, so perhaps she'll become a medium horse someday.

photo by ross.

ps. his company, injozi's new website is epic and awesome.

woman power.

life in the wartime factories in the US 1940's in vivid colour.

i love the strange african mask brooch in this picture. i just want to go out to a craft market now and find one. rosebank, lunchtime.

yes i know i overblog with the pictures. but i struggle to choose my favourites.

these beautiful photographs are from the library of congress's collection on flickr. its truly amazing.

hallo gabby.

the sweetest photograph ever.

via dear golden vintage: 1920's girls.

like a summer thursday.

its been pretty cold this week, but warmer weather is on its way. then we'll all be minus tights and plus shorts.

from the sartorialist.

all that jazz.

i'm on a roll today. yes i am.

another beautiful 1920's inspired look from citizen couture. i love the nautical details.

the perfect shade of nude.

reminds me of this dress in a way. i'm loving feminine dresses in soft blush pink. and also how this girl contrasts it with masculine leather lace-ups.

from the sartorialist.

i just have to add this too. the long flowing dress with an angular leather jacket strike that modern balance just right. i also have a thing with dark slips worn under sheer dresses. its just so much more interesting.

from all the pretty birds.

one more. i love this 1920's inspired outfit. especially the dress. especially the glasses. also the shoes.

from citizen couture.

she collects postcards.

just a few pretty pictures from street style aesthetic.

do it yourself then.

i'm mad about sewing, but until i can show you some of my own projects, i want to show you a few other ladies who are really inspiring with their making do and mending skills.

one at a time though, because i'm lazy that way. so this will be part #1.

here's the first... jessica from vintage portalen.

i reference this lady a lot because she's just so talented.

what i particularly love about her work is her attention to detail - she sews faithfully fifties-style, down to stitching by hand in places where these days we would just roll a sewing machine all over it. this makes her garments as true to an original fifties hand-made garment as possible.