Daily deal site zulily.com is offering Bettie Page by Ellie Shoes for up to 70% off. These shoes are the perfect way to add some fun, retro style into your wardrobe.
We’re calling it! With the release of The Great Gatsby this weekend, we predict an onslaught of stylish, 1920s-inspired fashion hitting stores this summer. One of the first things we’re seeing are charming and face-flattering cloche hats.
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| Target $12.99 |
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| Target $12.99 |
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Lulu by Lulu Guinness at JC Penney $20
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| Nordstrom $54.00 |
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| Ralph by Ralph Lauren $58 |
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| BCBGMAXAZRIA at Nordstrom $58 |
The merchandising and marketing machine is working at full speed in anticipation of Baz Luhrmann’s film The Great Gatsby, opening Friday, May 10th. Here’s some fun products inspired by the film and the 1920s Jazz Age.
Our favorite vintage cosmetics line has gotten in on the act with their new Art Deco Collection. Channel the elegance and beauty of Daisy Buchanan with Noir Red Lipstick and Black Liquorice Lip Glaze.
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| Striped Regatta Jacket |
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| Real men wear pink linen |
PBS has brought us another engaging period drama from the UK with Call the Midwife. Now in season two it follows the lives of the young midwives and the nuns of Nonnatus House, located in the East End of London in the late 1950s. Based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth it is a touching and charming look into a way of life that really isn’t that far in our past.
Season 2 Episode 3 – Plot Summary
Jenny is seconded to a short staffed London Hospital to work on the male surgical ward and finds herself working under an intimidating surgeon, Mr. Tracey. Back in Poplar the midwives have a new addition to the household, Jane, who lends a hand in Jenny’s absence. In one of their most unusual cases, the nuns and midwives are introduced to a forthright pair of twins Meg and Mave Carter. The two women are identical in every way; they even share a husband; except one of them is now pregnant.
I enjoyed the plot lines of this episode and found the relationship of the twin sisters to be very touching and sad at the same time. But what was really great about this episode was the outfit Jenny wears while filling in at the London Hospital. As the hospital matron tells Jenny, “They were designed by Norman Hartnell, they’re practically couture.”
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| Jenny & Jimmy at the London Hospital |
These puffed sleeves are out of control! They are the sleeves Anne Shirley pined for in Anne of Green Gables. The lilac color is lovely especially with the crisp white of her apron and hat. It’s funny to imagine this as a uniform in the surgical department of any major hospital these days but that’s what makes period shows fun. I love the glimpse into the past.
We also get a brief look at a fifties wedding at the end of the episode. The screenshots aren’t great but the wedding gown is a pretty lace tea length dress with a lace veil. Beautiful!
What do you think of Call the Midwife?
Apologies for the long absence. It seems like life went into hyper-drive in December and still hasn’t slowed down. For instance, my wonderful big sister is getting married this month so it’s been a whirlwind of wedding planning and bridesmaid duties recently. However planning weddings is one of my dream jobs and when they involve vintage touches so much the better.
My sister chose a stunning vintage ivory brocade dress from the 1950s for her wedding dress. With that in mind I had been scouring the internet for 50s style dresses that would be bridesmaid appropriate. Thought I’d share some of the options and websites that stood out.
This is a really cool site to check out if you haven’t already. In addition to having sizes up to 36W they allow you to customize various elements of most of their dresses. So if you prefer a cap sleeve or a shorter hem you can get that. Perfect for a wedding with a diverse group of bridesmaids.
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| Fifties Colorblock Dress |
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| Havana Dress in Spring Green |
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| Virginia Dress |
Great selection of vintage inspired clothes and accessories. They even have some true vintage pieces if you can snag them.
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| Lady Love Song dress |
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| Reception to Follow Dress |
This was a big week for fans of the 1920s. A new trailer was released for Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” and Project Runway: All Stars challenge of the week was 1920s inspired. Vintage fans rejoice!
“Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!” Really looking forward to this adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” coming out in May 2013. Baz Luhrmann has proven he can do literary adaptations in an amazing way with 1996s “Romeo + Juliet“, also starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Then there is “Moulin Rouge!“, the heart breaking musical set in turn of the century Paris. Just those two films make me confident that this will be a great movie and respectful movie adaptation of what has been called “the great American novel.”
Make it work!This week’s challenge on Project Runway: All Stars was to create a 1920s inspired look for the modern woman. The remaining six designers were paired off and given an event to design for in a fashion face-off. Overall I think they did a good job of capturing the spirit of 1920s fashion and it was fun to see them celebrating the decade that kicked off the modern fashion era.
What did you all think of the designer’s looks? Would you wear any of these 1920s inspired outfits?
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| Emilio’s 1920s Look: Tea length dress with lace detail |
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| Joshua’s 1920s look: Purple and grey drop waist dress |
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| Laura Kathleen’s 1920s look: Pant suit with beaded top & fur vest |
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| Uli’s 1920s look: Beaded and fringed white dress with wrap |
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| Ivy’s 1920s look: Beaded chevron pattern dress with feathers |
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| Anthony Ryan’s 1920’s look: Fringe dress with feather capelet |
We’ve shown some great Downton Abbey style clothing for those who want to live in the dream world of the Crawley family. Those who prefer a more modern take on the Dowton Abbey look will be happy to see the line of dresses discovered at Target. These lacy confections come in a variety of colors and would be perfect for a romantic date, cocktail party or girl’s night out. Pair them with some vintage inspired jewelry and a slick pair of pumps for a fun party look.
The guests for your dinner party arrive and as you all shuffle into the richly appointed dining hall, the entire crowd is a shifting mass of fine wool tuxedos and silk, velvet, and beaded lace dresses… Kiss, kiss… Oh! Pardon me. Did my diamond and feather hairpiece muss your created-by-a-personal-maid-in-2-and-a-half-hours chignon? Let me get you a crystal flute of champagne…
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| Black by Komarov V-Neck Tiered Gown |
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| JS Boutique Draped Jersey Gown |
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| J Kara Embellished Chiffon Gown |
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| Velvet Gown from Talbots |
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| Lace Tabby Blouse |
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| Velvet Sharon Skirt |
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| Cara Accessories ‘Beautifully Amazing’ Head Wrap |
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| Tasha ‘Poison Feather’ Hair Clip |
If dressing likethe Downton girls is just too much, but you just love it all too much not to take part in some way… This may be the solution. The collective genius at a catalog called Signals has the best collection of Abbey Addict t-shirts seen so far.
We here at Pink Champagne & Pearls are big fans of Downton Abbey and are eagerly anticipating season three. In honor of that we will present our “Countdown to Downton” series in the weeks leading up to the January 6th premier.
I’ve been pining away these past months, suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawals. Imagine my joy then to receive my Downton Abbey inspired cookbook and pretend I was living the life of a Crawley sister, complete with my own Carson and a full retinue of servants catering to all my needs. Well, okay, the cookbook didn’t come with all that. A girl can dream though.
The book is cleverly divided into two sections, the first part being “Dining with the Crawleys” and the second being “Sustenance for the staff”. For the wealthy class at this time meals were an important part of their society and daily rituals. Meals were a work of art steeped in tradition. As you would imagine the recipes featured in the upstairs portion are decadent and fancy, the type of meals you would expect to be served by liveried servants with white gloves. The downstairs section by contrast is full of hearty and traditional English dishes. Meals that would give you energy for a full day of honest work.
In either case the food is delicious and it’s entertaining to try out some new dishes, many of which are not the normal fare for the average American. Below is a sample of the recipes you’ll find within this cookbook.
