mom jeans + puff sleeves – est. 2008
i was doing a little desktop cleanup today and came across this snapshot from a weekend trip earlier this year. reading grace coddington’s memoirs in my simply fabulous frames, reminding me that i need to give my poor eyes a break from contact lenses more often. and for that matter, perhaps i need to give myself a break and head out on another weekend getaway…
i don’t know if i’ve ever written about this on my blog before, but i have a bit of an obsession with anything that has a hand motif (exhibit a: my hands pinterest board, exhibit b: my new hand brooches, exhibit c. my vivetta hand collar blouse). the first time i saw one of these images floating around the web, i assumed that it was a vintage photograph and filed it away into one of my many inspiration folders. but lo and behold, these stunning images are of modern scarves created by the design duo julia vergara and javier gutierrez of suturno, a madrid-based label specializing in print design. they make very limited runs of their stunning designs, like this blondell scarf, inspired by the glamour of the 1930s depression era as reflection of our own current economic times. named blondell after an american actress who often took the role of a gold-digger in films of that era, they certainly incorporated a sense of humor that i can appreciate. now if only i could get my hands on one!
images courtesy of suturno.
just wanted to pop in and tell you about an awesome event happening this friday in oakland! you may remember a few months back, i hosted a pop-up shop at pretty penny vintage. well, it was such a success, that they’ve invited me back to offer up yet another selection of vintage and vintage-inspired wares as part of their big seven-year anniversary party!
in addition to my little calivintage pop-up, there will be a live performance by local band bam bam, a true photo booth, and tarot card readings, in addition to the usual snacks, boozy drinks, and other awesome freebies. so come celebrate with me and let’s all go out for drinks after! more details and rsvp here.
friday, april 19
5 – 10pm
pretty penny vintage
5488 college ave
oakland, ca
keeping in tune with the 1950s theme, today i thought i’d share photos from the tata naka fall 2013 presentation. you know i’m a sucker for a creative presentation, so of course, this high-school themed show caught my eye right away. i love the cool 80s does 50s rockabilly vibes with impeccable styling and amazing colors. the color-blocked cheerleader-inspired dresses are the coolest grown up iteration of those uniforms i remember from my pre-teen days, and those retro bouffants are making me wish i had a live-in hairdresser so i could walk around with a perfectly coiffed do like that every day.
photos courtesy of tata naka.
after sharing the lookbook yesterday, i am excited to announce my latest giveaway courtesy of mrs. pomeranz! and if you’re a 1950s aficionado, then you’re going to love this collection. each piece is hand-made with incredible attention to detail and construction in ladylike silhouettes and classic designs. i know i’ve been all about 1960s styles these days, but i can never resist a classic 50s shape. the designer was kind enough to send me the summer meadow dress (illustrated by masha karpushina), and the moment i slipped it on, i felt as though i was being transported into one of my favorite vintage films. i know i don’t compare in the least, but i will sheepishly admit that i was trying to conjure up my best audrey hepburn vibes in my heidi braids and ballet flats. i just felt so proper and elegant, yet still youthful and carefree in this ladylike design. and today we’d like to offer you the chance to win your own ready-to-wear dress from the spring collection!
to enter: simply visit mrs. pomeranz and tell us which dress is your absolute favorite.
the fine print: this giveaway is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. only one entry per person. the winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email after tuesday, april 23.
mrs. pomeranz would also like to offer you 10% off any ready-to-wear dress in her dawanda shop and 7% off any custom-made design in her etsy shop using code “calivintage” now through april 23!
UPDATE: THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER, JAMIE ROSE!
there’s just something so perfect about a 1950s silhouette that will never go out of style. i might dabble in all sorts of vintage-inspired wares spanning the decades, but i’ll always have a soft spot for those classic 50s shapes. which is why the mrs. pomeranz spring 2013 collection has captured my attention. titled, “in the mood for love,” this collection of 1950s-inspired styles is constructed with cotton and silk printed fabrics created by the talented artists masha karpushina, ira kikina and genevieve godbout (with a few prints by liberty of london, too). the result is a bright and cheerful spring collection in ladylike silhouettes that would make a welcome addition to any vintage aficionado’s wardrobe.
if you hadn’t heard of the line before, mrs. pomeranz was launched in 2009 by designer dasha pomeranz, based out of the uk and moscow. after years of running her own vintage shop, she discovered that the demand for great vintage dresses outstripped the amount of vintage gems available, and decided to create her own 50s-inspired pieces with attention to quality construction and a modern fit. in fact, each piece is custom made-to-order so you can have a dress constructed to exactly your measurements. and i know i certainly wouldn’t mind having one of these pieces in my wardrobe!
photos courtesy of mrs. pomeranz.
there’s been plenty of talk about coachella and the season of summer music festivals lately. while i don’t have plans to attend anything besides our local outside lands fest in san francisco this august, i still enjoy searching through photo archives trying to get a glimpse at what those first festivals in the 1960’s must have been like. there were no street style photographers lurking about looking for fashionable ladies in cut off shorts and flower headbands, but there certainly was some pretty impeccable style worn by the popular musicians of the time. this is only a small selection and i know i’m leaving out a ton of people, but i thought i’d share some of the inspiration i collected while pulling together my first regular column for polyvore. each month, i’ll be finding a vintage photograph and recreating the look with modern pieces, so head on over to polyvore and check it out!
above: joan baez with her sisters pauline and mimi photographed by jim marshall.
leonard cohen and joni mitchell at newport folk festival, 1965.
marianne faithfull.
bob dylan, donovan, and mary travers at the newport folk festival, july 1965.
grace slick and spencer dryden, 1967.
if you ask me, the world just doesn’t have enough hats. which is why i’m always delighted when yestadt millinery releases a new lookbook. for spring 2013, they created a perfect range of styles from classic pagalina straw fedoras to cute printed baseball caps to some very special vintage-inspired toppers like that darling straw beret above! of the inspiration behind the collection, molly yestadt says,
“the spring collection started with the color palette- like chalky sherbert- we were looking at the warhol cat illustrations for color and also [one of his] illustrations of hardboiled eggs. so strange, but so lovely. kind of taking that kitschy grandmas-kitchen-artwork vibe and mixing it in with the yestadt millinery ‘downtown’ aesthetic.”
with that kind of inspiration, you sort of can’t go wrong. and lucky for me, yestadt is currently building an online shop, but if you can’t wait, they’ve also let me know that a selection of hats are currently available at opening ceremony, dagny+barstow, and anthropolgie.
photography by samantha sest with illustrations by lindsay mound for yestadt millinery.
i am obsessed with this dress. i think i first came across it while (you guessed it) scrolling through pinterest, and crossed my fingers as i clicked the link waiting to see if it was 1. available and 2. in my price range. and i was delighted to see that it was from the tba spring 2013 collection. i remember last spring, they came out with a slightly similar sheer white dress with scallops in a mini length. i was always kinda bummed that i never got it, but this pretty thing is definitely making me feel better about that. and for that matter, i’m pretty delighted by much of their spring offerings over at tba. the sheer skirts are definitely my favorites, but they have a lovely assortment of prints and textures in very easy shapes that are perfect for wearing while lazing about on a hot summer day.
photos courtesy of tba.
today i am pleased to announce my latest giveaway courtesy of good night, day. if you’re not familiar with this fine shop, then you should definitely check it out. the entire operation is overseen by the canadian-based tara-lynn morrison, who hand knits every item in the shop with fair-trade sourced wool in modern and minimalist designs. but what you might not know, is that in addition to selling these very special accessories, she also has a wonderful selection of knitting kits and her own knitting booklet so you can diy any of the styles in her shop! so this week, we’d like to offer all of you crafty ladies (and gentleman!) a chance to win your choice of one extra special diy knitting kit and a copy of the booklet, modern and minimalist knitting patterns.
to enter: simply visit good night, day and then leave a comment in the section below letting us know which item in the shop you’d like to diy!
the fine print: this contest is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. only one entry per person. winner will be randomly selected and contacted by email after tuesday, april 16.
good night, day would also like to offer you 15% off all purchases with code “cali” now through april 30!
EDIT: THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. congratulations to our winner, mallory!