Vintage green velvet smoking jacket with satin collar
Cutest game ever! Jessica over at one of my favorite blogs, Chronically Vintage, posted her answers to these 21 questions. Apparently the tag was posted way back last summer by Stephanie of The Girl with the Star Spangled Heart . Stephanie posted a video, but, like Jessica, I’m more of a pen-and-paper type (or, more accurately, keyboard-and-pixel). Here goes!
- Who are your style icons? The ladies of Downton Abbey
- What is your favorite way to get inspired? Vintage magazines, old movies, costume dramas
- What’s your most-used hair tool? A simple flat hair brush.
- What’s your favorite hair tool? Barrettes large enough to hold my thick wavy hair. Runner-up is a headband.
- Updo, down, or half-and-half? Half-and-half, but I’d like to get skilled at updos. I’ve never been very handy at styling my own hair.
- Is vintage something you do every day, on weekends, or for special occasions? Once in a blue moon. I think about it a lot more than I do it.
- What’s your favorite blush & lipstick? Blush: Don’t wear any. I’m naturally ruddy. Lipstick: Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm in Sunny Berry.
- Dress, skirt, or pants? Heels or flats? Ideally, dress with heels. Practically, dress with flats. Pants in winter, but even then I prefer skirts and tights.
- Off the rack or homemade? Off the rack. Would like to learn to sew, but there are only so many hours in the day.
- Do you swing dance? Love it! But only with my dad; my husband’s not a dancer.
- Extreme vintage or subtle touches? I’d love to go all out on occasion, but mostly stick to subtle . . . a string of pearls here, a cameo there.
- Favorite perfume? For day: Chantilly. For evening: L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain.
- Favorite skincare product? Eucerin Redness Relief for my rosacea.
- What does your family think of your style? My husband likes it.
- Favorite accessory? Pearl necklace. Maybe a little boring to some, but my favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla, so there you have it.
- Do you find the vintage community welcoming or snobby? Warm and welcoming.
- What drew you to vintage style? Dismay at most modern clothes, even as I wear them to “fit in.” An appreciation for grace, elegance, and just plain prettiness not easy to find in most contemporary styles.
- Favorite places to shop vintage? Very limited choices in my rural community. A few thrift shops, but mostly online.
- What vintage eras are your favorite? Early 20th century, Edwardian through WWII.
- Most glamorous film stars? Grace Kelly, Gene Tierney, Vivien Leigh
- Favorite vintage object that you own? A green velvet jacket with a satin collar, pictured above. The label says “Esders & Dyckhoff Berlin.” I think it was originally a man’s smoking jacket, as (from what I can tell in my research) Esders & Dyckhoff was a men’s clothing company, but I can’t imagine any man I know wearing it. I seldom put it on except maybe at Christmastime. Not very many places to wear such a thing in my rural community.
What’s your personal take on vintage style? Pass it on!