A little thrift lift.

Well, if you read my last post (and why wouldn't you, hmmm, HMMMM?) then you will know I have been suffering with horrible flueyness for the past few days.  Well today I actually left the house.

Spurred on by the need for stronger drugs and the cats yowling for biscuits I bravely removed my pyjamas, donned some outdoors wear and ventured out into the wilds of Hackney.

I did have a bit of a wobble on the way, I hadn't realised how hot it was today and had to spend a good five minutes leaning over the freezers in Marks and Sparks, but after that I was fine, and managed to buy the items I needed and make a little foray into the local charity shop.

It seems the universe decided to reward me for such a valiant act and placed this little beauty in the shop:

Mmmmm, lates 50s/60s Del Boy-esque mirrory loveliness:

It is hard to see, you will have to click it, but it has a sort of willow tree thing etched on it.  Also, in this photo there is some sort of limpid pool into another world thing going on.  I haven't tried travelling through it yet, but when I have I'll be certain to report back.

I also picked up a very pretty silk (or silk-alike) scarf in the perfect colours to match a 30's knit I'm just stitching up.  You'll hopefully see more of that in the coming days, unless I get trapped in the mirror world without my laptop.

I'm off to take more flu tablets.

Old Movie Madness: Carmen Jones (1954)

An interesting and strange film this, one of Otto Preminger's (Laura, Whirlpool) and typically controversial. The film is an adaptation of the 1845 novella "Carmen" and uses songs from Bizet's opera with rewritten lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.  

The film is set in WWII, where Carmen (Dorothy Dandridge) is working on an army base sewing parachutes.  Carmen is lusted after by all the men on the base, with the exception of Joe (Harry Belafonte), a young man due to take his pilots training, and this just serves to enflame her interest in him.  Being so popular with the men on camp has made her very unpopular with the other women and Carmen soon gets into trouble for fighting with coworker and is sent to jail.  Poor Joe is given the task of transporting her to prison, meaning he cannot marry his sweetheart Cindy Lou as planned.

Carmen takes this as an opportunity to seduce Joe, and he valiantly fights off her advances.  Deciding she cannot charm him into letting her go, she bolts, and after he chases her they end up at her grandmothers house where he finally succumbs to her advances, only to wake in the morning to find she has done a moonlight flit, leaving a letter saying that although she loves him she had to leave as she cannot bear to go to jail.

Joe is locked up for letting his prisoner escape and faithful Cindy Lou visits him there only to arrive just as a parcel from Carmen arrives.  Realising he still has feelings for her rival she leaves devastated.

While Joe is locked up Carmen finds a job in a nightclub and waits for him to be released.  Whilst working she catches the eye of Husky Miller, a prizefighter, who demands that his Manager gets her to join him in Chicago. Carmen refuses, she does not want to miss Joe, and that night he does indeed return.  They are thrilled to see each other but when Joe tells her he has to go back to base that night she tells him that if he really was passionate about her he would go AWOL to be with her, he refuses and Carmen threatens to leave with his Sergeant, prompting a fight and Joe knocks out his adversary and he and Carmen go on the run to Chicago.

They rent a room but their money soon runs out and Carmen hunts down Husky and his entourage who have some of her nightclub singer friends with them.  When she returns to the apartment with a new dress and groceries Joe knows something is up, they argues when she will not tell him where the money came from and she returns to her friends.  Her cards are read and she draws the death card and this starts a spiral of hedonistic behaviour as she decides to live her life faster as she approaches her death.

Joe tracks her down at one of Husky's boxing bouts and pushes her into a store cupboard and pressurises her to return to him, she refuses, with tragic results.

The film is interesting on many counts - it has an all black cast, something unheard of for a major studio production in 1954 and in order to make the movie Preminger had to finance it himself, being unable to find sponsorship.  Also unusual for its time is the obvious pre marital sex and the sight of an actress in her underwear, without a slip.  This is no twee Doris Day flick, with levels of realism and grit unusual in a 50's musical.  The movie also sparked a romance between Dandridge and Preminger - which shocked the public on two counts - him being married as well as this being a mixed race romance.

There are a lot of things wrong with this movie, the music really doesn't fit the film and frankly I think this would have been a stronger piece without, but I've never been a fan of musicals anyway.  There is also a fair amount of cultural stereotyping, with the song lyrics written in what Hammerstein assumes to be an African-American accent:

"Love's a baby dat grows up wild,
An' he don' do what you want him to;
Love ain' nobody's angel child,
An' he won' pay any mind to you.
One man gives me his diamon' stud,
An' I won' give him a cigarette.
One man treats me like I was mud~
An' what I got dat man c'n get."

Which is especially pronounced given that in their speaking sections the cast do not use a similar accent at all.

The film has also been criticised for portraying African-Americans as using black magic and being amoral in 

regard to sexual matters, most especially that there is no moral voice in the film to condemn Carmen's actions

(you'd think the ending itself does that but hey, some people are never happy).

All in all a very strange movie - yet somehow compelling.  Dandridge is beautiful, sexual and plays her role

perfectly, Carmen's battle between greed and love being played out sensitively.  Belafonte is the weak link,

his wooden and emotionless performance making Joe a two-dimensional character.

Worth watching as a piece of American cinema history if nothing else. 

Old Movie Madness: Monkey Business (1952)

Another knitting movie - starring Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers as a married couple of long time standing.  Cary plays Dr Barnaby Fulton, a scientist working to great a youth drug.  He thinks he has cracked it with his latest potion but really Esther, one of the monkeys they are testing the formula on, has slipped her own concoction in the drinking water.

After taking the potion, he has a drink of water to take away the taste and Esther's potion takes control, he starts acting like a 20 year old, having a youthful short hair cut and buying a loud jacket and a sports car and whisking his bosses secretary, played by the very lovely Marilyn Monroe, off on a day of adventure.

When he wakes up the effects of the potion have worn off and intending to try again he prepares a second dose.  His loving wife Edwina, concerned that he might repeat his behaviour and get into more trouble quickly take the dose herself, and also horrified by its bitter taste, quickly takes a draught from the water fountain.  Edwina is then affected in much the same way, playing practical jokes on those all around her, whisking her husband off dancing and then getting dramatically over emotional when he disgrees with her.

Again the potion wears off after a sleep and the two head to the lab to decide what to do.  Tired from their long night and the aftermath of their wild behaviour they drink a lot of coffee to face the day - using the water from the founctain.  This time they regress to the age of 10 and leave the office, having an argument on the way.  Edwina falls asleep and the Dr befriends a group of young boys who help him take revenge on his wife's former boyfriend who she called when angry with him the night before.

When Edwina wakes up to find a baby beside her (a neighbours child who has crawled in) she believes it is her husband and runs to the lab to beg his boss to find the antidote.  the boss and the other scientists all need a strong drink, but mix it with the water and all regress to childhood. 

Eventually everyone realises that the Doctor isn't a baby and the water has the formula and everyone lives happily ever after.

The film is daft, let me get that out of the way.  Really, incredibly, silly - but hey, what was I expecting huh?  It really doesn't make any sense and the monkeys do creep me out just a little - especially the very long close up of a monkeys face flipping its lips up and down.  That is probably just me though.

There are a lot of wonderful things about it.  Cary Grant just being, well, deliciously Cary.  Ginger Rogers fantastic acting both as an exceptionally devoted wife and a stroppy 10 year old girl is fabulous to behold, and Marilyn...oh she just looks divine in this film.  Especially in the pompom fringed dress.  Lust.

The costumes were by Travilla, Marilyn's favourite designer, the influence most evident in Marilyn's pleated dress (below) and make up was by Ben Nye.  It is no wonder everyone looks fabulous.

It is a bit of fluff, but fluff with a good heart and with some very wonderful moments.  Definitely worth watching.

A little day trip - victory rolls and thrift shopping

Well, I have to say I am feeling much better already.  After yesterdays post I decided to force myself to set my hair.  I knew I was meeting a friend today and there is nothing like and occasion to get one in the mood to make the effort.

Inspired by the adorable Miss Amethyst I decided to give victory rolls a try, after all, it had to be something that would withstand the foul snowy damp weather we are having, and set my hair for the night in pink perm rods at the nape and upward facing pincurls at the side to help with rolling.

These are the tools:

After brushing out my curls in the morning I followed Miss Amethyst's instructions and backcombed my hair.  I usually shy away from teasing it as my mother who was a 60's hippy chick, always told me it was terribly damaging.  I realise now that this is a load of old rubbish however.  :-)

I then rolled the hair.  I am rubbish  to doing this with my hands though and relied upon my trusty old YSL metallic mascara tube for rolling the hair around.  I then pinned the rolls at each end and put the curls up into a snood (made by me) as I just knew my lovely curls would wilt in the damp air.

I smoothed any flyaways with my rat tail comb and some heavy duty hairspray and then I was good to go (well after putting my make upon...and some clothing.)

I was very pleased with the results - still not as perfect as as Miss Amethyst but then again she is a professional!  I cannot believe the difference the teasing made and am surprised more tutorials don't mention this step.

Here is my hair:

And my outfit - casual but warm:

Snood - crocheted by me
Jumper - knit by me
Jeans - 50's Freddies of Pinewood (the 40's ones trail on the floor and get wet in this weather)
Shoes - spectator / saddles from Anne Klein (eBay)

I then swaddled myself up in my warm coat (not the parka!) a big scarf, popped by knitting in my bag for the journey and headed to High Wycombe to meet my friend.

We has a lovely day.  I ate the world's greasiest panini and raided the local charity shops.  I brought home quite a haul:

Hobbs yellow, white and black sailor top £3.50:

70's apple design jug and 5 glasses £3.50:

Hardy Amies silk scarf £1 (have seen on the Internet for around £55-60 - booyah :-P), the cat was already here:

50's / 60's silk scarf £1:

Beatrix Potter knitting book - so cute £1.50:

 Hobbs almost ankle length red and black chevron tweed skirt £4.50:

All in all a fantastic day. It was so good to get out of London even for just a few hours.  Thank you Judith!

Another finished knit! I'm on a roll...

Woot!  I'm on a seaming roll (yes, it is procrastination and preferable to ironing) and just finished my 1950's cardigan.

I actually wasn't sure about this baby until it was buttoned up and tried on and it looks so much better on than off.

The wool is a heathery blue worsted, really nice to knit up, and the pattern available free here, was quick and easy.  I do need to buy one more button though!

I think this, though not glamorous, will be great for winter, it is very cosy.

Nailed it! Vintage manicures - history and a little bit of technique

So, as some of you will have seen, I recently posted a picture of a vintage manicure as done by the wonderful Kay at The Chapel.  I decided to have my nails done as a treat and also in an attempt to spur me on into taking more care of my talons, as I do tend to neglect them and I'd like to look more polished...pardon the pun.  Anyway, I think they turned out great!

It has traditionally been pretty difficult to get a good vintage manicure at a salon, as the modern (and in my honest opinion, ugly) trend for squared off nails has meant that most manicurists look at you with bafflement when you request almond or, heaven forbid, pointy nails!  Personally I aspire to razor sharp talons a la Joan Crawford!

Thankfully though, following the popularisation of the vintage manicure (otherwise known as the moonicure, half moon manicure or reverse French manicure) by celebrities such as the impeccably groomed Dita von Teese, it is now becoming much easier to get the vintage nails you want from a salon. 

 

So, lets have a little look at this history of nail prettification.

A brief history of nail decoration:

It seems that, as with most things, those wonderful Ancient Egyptians invented nail art; using henna in various shades to denote social standing; the darker and redder your talons the higher your caste, it is surmised.  It seems nail colour was also an indicator of social standing in China (around 600BC) with silver and gold nails being used to denote Royalty.  I cannot imagine how this was done - gold leaf perhaps?

While different methods of keeping the nails tidy were used throughout history it wasn’t really until the 1900’s that we started taking our manicuring seriously – the early part of the century apparently saw both the invention of the emery board and cuticle remover, with nails being polished with either cake, paste or powder formulations and a chamois leather to add shine and a little rosy colour.

However, the real invention of nail varnish, as we would recognise it now, came with the start of the automobile age.  The product was based on car paint! It didn’t take off however, it was seen as something tacky and  there was a strong belief that people who used it were trying to hide something - for example dirty fingernails from manual work.

Following serious promotion in salons, magazines and on the cinema screen in the 30's, this look finally started to filter down from Hollywood into everyday use, and after Revlon released the first easily available nail paint into salons and department stores across America in 1932  it wasn't long until many other cosmetics companies such as Cutex had followed suit.

Magazines held wonderful ads for these innovative products showing the wide range of colours available  – there were far more options than just red, though of course that is the vintage classic.

In fact, by the end of the 30’s a landmark film for us vintage girls showed just how important the manicure and the beauty salon had become, at least to society women.  The Women (1939) centres around salon gossip – where a woman discovers her husbands infidelity whilst having a manicure with the latest colour “Jungle Red.”

By the 1940’s it became fairly commonplace to paint the nails and nail polish was used to give a bit of much longed for glamour to our wartime sisters.

So, here endeth the history lesson – now for a little on style and colour.

Styles and colours:  

most info blatantly gleaned from Return2Style (links included below) - the site is so fabulous that there is no point me reinventing the wheel, so to speak!

30’s:

Long and pointy in shape, as in the pic of Joan Crawford, above.  The moons and a sliver of the tip kept clear of polish.

Colours - red, black, silver, gold, emerald green, coral

Pictures and more info at Return2Style

40s:Nails not as long and the point slightly less vicious looking, more almond in shape.  Similar polish style with moons kept free, polish more likely to go to tips with some ladies painting the whole nail (less likely for manual workers who risked their polish chipping more easily)

Colours - every red you can imagine, navy, dark green, plum,

 Pictures and more info at Return2Style

 

50s:Nails more almond to oval in shape - the entire nail being painted.  

Colours - More pinks, corals and pastels with pearl finish polishes beginning to appear.

My polish recommendations:

Barry M - a great bright red, a beautiful navy, a very rich black and a very 30's looking grey can all be found at Barry M.  In my experience (and the recommendation of my manicurist) the Barry M range is the best budget range out there.  Applied properly it really doesn't chip as quickly as many other brands.

Leighton Denny - Glamour Puss, and Pillow Talk are great 50's pinks, there is also a range of classic reds.

Revlon - Still make some classic reds, corals and pinks and a great colour - Emerald City - yes it has sparkle but I love it, so there!  ;-)

Basic vintage manicure steps.

It is possible to do this freehand but I personally can't do it that way, so this is my own method...

• File your nails into an oval or almond shape (or a vicious point if you so wish - mwahahaha).  I would strongly recommend the glass nail file from Leighton Denny for this – available on the internet
  
• Soak the nails for around 5 mins in a warm bowl of water and then remove cuticles in any way you see fit (I personally don’t do this bit as I don’t think I have cuticles really, I certainly have never noticed any difference between when they have been done and when they haven’t...)
  
• Ensure you remove any dust or traces of product on the nails by wiping with nail polish remover
  
• If you wish, cover the whole nail with with a base coat, I’d go for something matte as it helps the polish cling to your nail later.  Allow it to dry completely.
  
•  Then apply....wait or it....hole reinforcers like you used at school!  You know, the things you put over the holes in whole punched document so the pages didn't fall out of your folder.  No?  These I mean.
  I find the paper ones best.  Make sure they are stuck HARD!
  
• Apply two coats of your favourite colour, slightly overlapping the strips
  
• Peel off the strips just before the final coat is completely dry, I use tweezers for this.
  
• Once dry either remove the varnish at the tip with a cotton bud soaked in polish remover VERY carefully or say to hell with it and leave it, topping it all off with a coat of clear polish.
  
•  I then like to use Leighton Denny miracle drops to set the polish – this stuff dramatically reduces drying time!

Tada – lovely vintage nails

Useful tutorials:

Blogger is being a pain in the buttocks and won't let me imbed a video so -clicky here.

There are plenty of great tutorials out there on YouTube but I had trouble finding any I really liked as they almost all had contrasting base coats and the whole point of this look is that the tips and moons are without colour - this look was designed to make a manicure last longer as the moon and tip are prime chipping areas.  Anyway - that's my personal bugbear, so if you like that two colour look there are loads of  tutorials on there for you!

That's all folks - let me know if you have any comments or questions!

Caruso Steam curlers - thoughts so far

Well hello there my dearios,

Yesterday my Caruso Molecular Steam curlers arrived, these curlers have great reviews all over the interwebz and after a personal recommendation from a very glamorous vintage loving friend I decided to take the plunge and just grab myself some.

The company making them are US based but also have a factory in Germany, so I managed to snag some German ones from UK eBay from this seller.  They arrived very quickly, were well packaged and, as the instructions were in German, the seller had gone to the trouble of writing their own guide on how to use them.  (Though I'm trying to get hold of a proper set of instructions anyway, I'm a stickler or stuff like that.)

This set comes with the base, and 6 each of the following roller sizes - mini, small, medium, large and extra large, as well as a selection of other clips and bits that I have no idea how to use yet!

Its a nifty little idea this, the curlers are made of a dense sponge with a plastic core and a plastic case holds the hair to the roller.  To set them up you fill the tub with water or a water / setting lotion combo and just plug it in - it heats in about 5 seconds!  You then place the curlers over the steamer to heat.

You can only heat one curler at a time, but as they only take 3-5 seconds to heat that isn't a problem.  You then roll your hair and secure the curler with the plastic case/grip (which you can also heat if so inclined - I've tried with and without and it hasn't made any difference so far.)

Once you have rolled the whole head you are recommended to leave the curlers in for around 15 minutes - though the instructions state that you can speed this up by blasting your head with a hairdryer.  You then take the rollers out and style as normal.

The idea is that as the rollers do not get very hot, then damage to your hair is limited.  Always a good thing when you put your hair through as much stress as I do.

So, my first set.

I added a little setting lotion the the water and plugged the set in, it really was a matter of seconds before it started chugging out steam and I had to evict two intensely curious cats from the vicinity for fear they would burn their noses!

I curled my hair in the mini, small and medium rollers, heating each roller for 4 seconds:

I then left the curlers in for 15 minutes before taking them out and giving my head a good shake:

Attractive huh?


I then brushed the curls out very gently to achieve the below.

I'm not 100% sold on it, its a much softer look than I'm used to and I keep seeing the late 1950's, but perhaps I should have combed it out more gently for my preferred, slightly stronger, 40's look.

I'm definitely going to keep using it and might try to get hold of more of the smaller sized rollers for a tighter curl.

All in all I'm happy with the product so far, its certainly more effective than normal hot rollers or curling irons on my stubborn hair.  It will definitely be useful for those days when I haven't set my hair the night before.

Have you tried these?  Do you have any hints and tips?