'60s in a jiffy

“But you started something, or can’t you see…” Music from the 1960s makes me so happy. I was putting on my mascara and singing along to Dusty Springfield as I prepped for a '60s party. 

My husband and I joked that we might be the only ones dressing up. We take costume parties seriously...and strive for accuracy. Must be nostalgia for our sorority and fraternity days. 

 Listening to my Dusty Springfield radio station on Pandora was the perfect thing. The Supremes, Rosemary Clooney, Sam Cooke and other heavy hitters sang as I ratted my hair, Tracy Turnblatt (Hairspray) style.

 Bridgette Bardot I am not, but I wanted that signature bump. Lots of dry shampoo, teasing and many bobby pins later and I achieved my style in less than 10 minutes! I was thrilled!

 

I was trying to achieve that Betty Draper, prim and proper style of a married woman..not the Whiskey A-go-go or Austin Powers look. What would Jackie Kennedy do? She would wear her shift dress, paired with white gloves and some jewelery, right? 

 My dress' tag says it's made of Crimpoline…a wrinkle resistant polyester made in Britain in the 1950s.

According to http://vintagefashionguild.org/, Crimpeline reached its heyday in the 1960s and was mostly used for the A-line dresses like mine.

 

It's a tad scratchy, but kept its shape after hours of sitting and standing on a Saturday night. Thank goodness it was a chilly evening, or else I know I would be uncomfortable.

 The dress set me back $8, and the coat about $10 at a garage sale. It's where I explored the “1950s house," as I called it because everything was preserved. It’s where I’ve purchased handbags, wrapping paper, stockings, hats gloves and more..I did have fun blogging about that one!

 

http://vintagebellestyle.blogspot.com/2015/08/back-to-the.html

 

When I tried on the coat at the garage sale, I automatically put my hands in the pocket. But I quickly recoiled when I felt something cool. Thinking it was a 40-year-old tissue, I was scared to check. My cousin thrust her hand in, and pulled out a white glove..But was there a match? Kept in the other pocket for who knows how many years, the glove’s mate was found. I wore the whole ensemble tonight..and wondered what the first owner looked like.

 

What beautiful buttons this coat has! It went perfectly with the pink cocktail ring my grandmother wore. 

I paired it with clip-ons from the DeLand Antique and Vintage show. Looks like something Ariel from the Little Mermaid might wear…Or Bette Midler when she did her mermaid bit. 

 

 

 

My husband also looked the ‘60s part. We discovered the movie Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf together, and loved the gritty, rapid-fire dialogue. I love Elizabeth Taylor, and have seen nearly all of her movies. Ben is a fan of Richard Burton in his Shakespearean roles, but really enjoyed the professorial snark of the character George. We hope we did Liz and Dick proud.

 

DeLand Antiques and Vintage Show

The DeLand Antiques and Vintage Show was a bright spot in a chilly weekend. Marilyn Monroe crooned through the sound system as we looked over jewelry, books, coins, postcards and more at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. 

I fell in love with a brass airplane brooch and a turn of the century emerald ring with delicate filigree. The dealer says it was a Columbian emerald... So the $500 price tag was not in my price rang. I feel like there was more jewelry than anything, so I did find some earrings. They now join my family of clip-on collectibles. Snagged both for $15 total.

Neither are stamped, but I love the shape and colors of both. Can't wait to wear them.

Charmed, I'm sure.

If I can't figure out which vintage brooch or ring to wear, I always reach for my Mother's charm bracelet. There's something about the pleasing jingling sound it makes.

 I talk with my hands, so the bracelet announces my arrival. Engraved discs memorialize Mom's schooling, internships and zodiac sign. Of course her alma mater has some coveted space, a pennant, a miniature class ring and a gift from a high-school boyfriend.

A little alien adds a cool space-age vibe,  reminiscent of the time when Mom was sporting this bracelet the most.

My favorite is the orange crate, fitting as Mom lives on a former Minute Maid orange grove and is a Floridian. I just don't understand how people can sell their charm bracelets online to strangers. They are like selling your scrapbooks! No!

I fell hard for the Pandora craze. I liked the idea of telling your story with charms. 

A tea pot for my honeymoon in Boston, fish for a wedding in Key West. I needed an apple for becoming a teacher, a house when we closed. A pink bead for my God-daughter, an owl to represent a visit to my wise bestie.

Tiffany &Co. and Louis Vuitton offer high end charm bracelets, while Origami Owl targets the soccer- Mom crowd.

For Origami Owl, you choose tiny little charms to fill a glass locket. You change them out based on holiday or whim. Of course, Alex and Ani is a huge hit with the college crowd. Inspirational messages and symbolic charms are stacked to the hilt on trendy arms everywhere. 

While Mom's charm bracelet was trending in the '50s and '60s, it is one of my favorite pieces now. Jewelry is meant to be passed down and enjoyed. Not sold on eBay.

Retro shoes for the modern pinup

I just found shoes worthy of a modern day pin-up! I have always drooled over BAIT shoes online, but was finally able to try them on at Tatyana Boutique in Nashville. Bait, standing for But another innocent tale, has some of the cutest retro-inspired shoes in a rainbow of colors. Here are my beauties:

My hubby confessed he almost bought these for me in mint and white... Swoon! Now that I know my size, I can easily add to my collection from their online store. Maybe one day I could visit the store in California, where all the fun pinup stores seem to be...Wearing these out to dinner with a black top and my trench! Fancy!