A Salute to Red, White and Blue: Vicky, Dorothy and Me

On Friday, I shared some scenes from the 1948 film, "The Red Shoes" - and told you that it was my new favorite film. 

Well, maybe I spoke a bit too hastily during a moment of enthusiasm.  The "Wizard of Oz" has been #1 on my vintage film list for years, and I guess I'm not quite ready to boot it out of that position.

So for now, Vicky Page from the "The Red Shoes"...and Dorothy Gale from "The Wizard of Oz"...

...will have to share my top spot.

Did you notice that the women in my two favorite films have something in common? 

Their signature dresses...

...are White and Blue!

Plus, they both have blue bows in their hair...

and of course - RED Shoes!

I think both would be great costumes for Halloween.  Of course, the Wizard of Oz's Dorothy dress is already a standard.  But a Vicky Page costume could be really wonderful, especially if you replicate the dramatic ballet makeup used in the film...and smear the white tights with a bit of blood....

But I'm cheap.  So I really don't want to spend a lot of money on a costume store ballerina dress or a blue-and-white checked Dorothy dress - and I'm not talented enough to be able to sew them.

But...

I am savvy enough
to find great deals
at estate sales!


So, for just a
few dollars
I managed
to find
my own
red, white and blue
combo.

                                                                          

                  This is a vintage American Red Cross Volunteer dress.  Do you think that it suits me?

Yeah, I know - these aren't exactly ruby slippers, but they'll do.

Aren't these patches fun?  American Red Cross & local Ramsey County (St. Paul) patches on one sleeve...and Minnesota's Centennial 1858-1958 patch on the other.

 

So this dress was probably worn shortly after Minnesota's 1958 centennial...

Instead of a Blue Ribbon in my hair, I've got the little Blue Hat that came with the dress. 

I love it - it's got that vintage airline stewardess look.

So, now all I need to complete the Halloween costume is a First Aid Kit that can double as my purse.  I found this vintage kit in Good Buy Annie's Etsy shop that would have been perfect. But unfortunately it's been snatched up already.

I may have to resort to using my daughter's old Fisher Price medical bag.  It's a little silly, but that might add to the fun.

I'll also need some great makeup...  Maybe I could attempt to do up my eyes like Vicky Page's?

And last but not least...

I think it would make perfect sense for a Red Cross Volunteer to be a vampiress in disguise. 

So I might want to invest in some sexy fangs.

Oh, I forgot.  One small problem...

I haven't yet been invited to a Halloween Party.  Better work on that!

Costume Jewelry Is This Girl's Best Friend

Marilyn Monroe may have needed diamonds to make her happy...

photo courtesy of Top 100 Female Celebrities

But girl-next-door types like me love costume jewelry!

I don't see too much talk about jewelry in the vintage blogs I've been reading, but I want to sing its praises!

There is an endless variety out there...

It can be casual and fun!  like this 1960's jewelry.

Or you can add a touch of glamour with 1950's rhinestones and pearls...



And best of all, it's often very reasonably priced (50 cents - $12) at estate sales.  And that suits me just fine because I'm Ms. Frugal.

As an example, this group of red clip-on and screw-back earrings came in a little bag at an estate sale for $1.50 on half-price day.

I also love costume jewelry's versatility.

Compared to many of my very fashionable blogging friends, I really don't own very many vintage clothes (that fit me).  Plus, I work in a rather conservative environment (fundraising at a college) and have gotten odd looks the few times I've been brave enough to show up at the office in a dress or jacket that was obviously vintage 40's or 50's.

But I can get away with wearing vintage jewelry.  In fact, it's brought me lots of compliments.  It's a great way to spice up ordinary office attire, like this turquoise top and black sweater combo - and give it a bit of a 60's flair.



Most of the jewelry I find is unmarked, but occasionally I stumble across a well-known name. This gorgeous blue set (below) had the Coro tag still attached to the bracelet.

I had to pass up the matching necklace - the most expensive piece of the three ($5.00) - because I didn't have enough cash with me that day.  Drat!

Don't forget to bring a magnifying glass to those Saturday sales!  I almost stepped away from these intriguing lilac and irridescent pearl earrings because they cost more than I usually like to pay (a whopping $4). But my trusty magnifier revealed that they were marked Germany on the back - a sign that they were likely made before 1949 when Germany split into East and West Germany.  I decided the little Germany mark made them well worth the $4 bucks. 

These are unmarked, but very intriguing - don't you think?

And here's a sampling of silver costume jewelry that I've collected in the past few years.  One can never have enough silver!  It goes with almost everything...

My favorite in the group - one that I wear quite often - is the chunky expandable bracelet. It's vintage, but has a contemporary look to it - and is a great accessory for dressing up a pair of jeans when going out on the town.

Most of you probably have pierced ears, and may have been hesitant to wear clip-on earrings.  I was hesitant too.  I remember playing dress-up with my mother's clip-ons as a kid - and my ears got so sore! 

Actually, that still happens to me sometimes when I wear them, and then I'll have to take them off after a few hours.  But it really depends on the earrings.  Some are so comfy I hardly know I'm wearing them.  I find that the screw-back type of earrings (see sample above, in the "reds" photo) are often more comfortable than clip-ons. But screw-backs are a little harder to find because once clip-ons were invented in the 1930's, they rapidly became the earring of choice over the next 20 years for most women. 

In case you were wondering where I keep all this jewelry that I've accumulated...

Well, as with most things in my life - I make do with what I already have.

Most of my vintage necklaces, bracelets & pins are in this old tin Louis Sherry candy box.

 

And I decided that this antique sewing cabinet that I've got on my dining room buffet would work perfectly to store all my earrings - grouped by color and style in little bags.  (Believe me, I'm not usually this organized .)  

Perhaps the dining room is an odd place to keep jewelry, but it works well for me because I'm usually putting on earrings as I'm racing out the door for work in the mornings - so this is very convenient!

* * * * * * * *

Oh my! - I just noticed that it's 3:30 pm!  Where did the afternoon go?  Sometimes time just speeds by when I'm happily blogging.  I guess that's a good thing.

One final note, and then I'll let you go.  While digging through my jewelry boxes today, I spotted my diamond wedding ring - which I (sadly) took off about 10 years ago, and planned to give to my daughter when she got older.

You know, I kinda liked wearing a diamond ring.  And if a man comes along someday and wants to give me another one...well, let's just say that I'd happily exchange all of my costume jewelry for one pretty little  diamond.  And yes - a small one would suit me just fine.

The song "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" famously performed by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film, "Gentleman Prefer Blondes."  Video courtesy of YouTube's Chiswick2

Pajama Games and Pillow Talk: Doris Day Inspired Lingerie

Doris Day was the quintessential "Girl Next Door" movie star - sweet and spunky, sexy but wholesome - and absolutely adorable...

Photo from squallyshowers

I've always loved Doris Day, so I didn't hesitate to nab this album when I spotted it for $1.00 at Half Price Books a few months back.  The record is a bit scratched, but I bought it mainly for the record jacket which features Miss Day in a little heart print night shirt from her 1957 film, The Pajama Game.

What is it about Doris and pajama-themed movies?  Here she is again in the 1959 film Pillow Talk with co-star Rock Hudson.

Photo from Hooked on Houses, a blog that features movie and television homes.

Doris in a sweet little baby blue peignoir set.  Is that a Bloody Mary next to the phone on her pink countertop?  See what I mean - sweet but spunky!

Contributed by YouTube's FloridaFilmFestival

This Pillow Talk trailer captures some of the fun from the movie.

Best line from a favorite scene: "Are you getting out of that bed, or am I coming in after you!"

Like Doris Day, I've also been stuck on a pajama theme lately.   During the past several months, I can't seem to get my hands on any quality vintage dresses, suits or blouses at reasonable prices. But I've hit the jackpot with lingerie! 

 For a single girl who currently only shares her bed with musty stacks of vintage magazines and catalogs - I've certainly got quite the stash of sheer and sexy vintage nighties and robes hanging in my closet.

And if I looked as sexy in them as Doris Day, I'd be happy to model them for you! But I think it's best if I pass off the modeling to my faithful dress form, Donna...

Short pink nylon peignoir set.  This could have come right out of the 1959 Pillow Talk movie!

 

A mid- 1950's nylon slip

It has a gorgeous bodice of lacy embroidered netting.

And a pretty blue bow and nylon tricot pleating at the bottom, with a sheer lacy overlay.  Gorgeous!

Here's one of my favorites, a sheer nylon robe, probably from the mid 1950's.  Label: "Dressmaker Designed by Radcliffe" 

I love the big bow at the neck...

All that lace!  So pretty and feminine...

I love bed jackets!  This sweet little lilac number has a "Van Roalte" label.

Look at this 5-inch wide band of lace on the sleeves.  

There's no such thing as too much lace on vintage lingerie!

The sun washed out the soft pink color in this photo.  But isn't it pretty? This very sheer 1950's nylon gown is by "Colura."

Here's a view from the back, showing off the pretty pink bow.

We move from soft pink to baby blue, and from the 50's to (I think) the 60's with this vintage Olga gown.

This is from their "Sleeping Pretty" line of lingerie.  The label: "Behind every Olga, there really is an Olga."

It has a softly padded built-in bra, and fits like a dream!

And now we're suddenly in the Mod world of the mid-1960's with this colorful pastel sleeveless nightie.

Underneath the sheer diagonal panels of pink, green and blue is another layer of pink nylon. This gown has a "Deena" label.

Here's a view from the back.  Simple design, perfect for the 60's.

And finally, let's move back in time about 20 years, to the mid 1940's.

"Gay printed Rayon Crepe Ensemble in floral print. Gown has soft flattering fullness over bust and pointed midriff. Bias cut skirt follows body contours to hip line, then flows out into graceful folds."

Montgomery Ward catalog - Spring and Summer 1943.

And here's my very own rayon crepe floral gown, purchased from an estate sale a few weeks ago.

 

I've never had a bias cut gown before. Even I look glamorous in it. :-)

Aren't these shoulder straps interesting?

Can you see why this one's my favorite?

So, as you can see, I've got quite the movie star wardrobe for a girl-next-door type like me.  Now my next step is to find something a bit cozier than magazines to curl up next to at night. 

Oh well...at least I'm sleeping pretty.
G'night...