Grace & Manners

Vogue Pattern Book

In a weak moment, I did a bit of pre-Christmas browsing on etsy (very dangerous in terms of sticking to my Christmas gift budget...) and snapped up two vintage Vogue Pattern Books from For The Bettys.

I love everything about vintage women's magazines: from the slightly musty smell, to the advertisments, model's poses and, of course, the fashion. Below are a few of my favourite pages from the October/November 1959 isssue.

Beautiful jacket, I particularly like the collar - perfect frame for the multi-strand pearl necklace.

I adore this chic jersey dress, so stylish! It looks comfortable, elegant and could easily be adapted from day wear to a night out. This goes straight onto my (ever growing) sewing list.

My favourite, collar bone grazing neckline style, ending in a plunging low back (unfortunately unseen).

It's always nice to find sketches of different styles or silhouettes in vintage magazines as they are great for inspiration and reference purposes.

Restlessness

 
 
'...that then I longed for a power of vision which might overpass that limit; which might reach the busy world, towns, regions full of life I had heard of but never seen; that then I desired more of practical experience than I possessed; more of intercourse with my kind, of acquaintance with variety of character, than was here within my reach. ... I believed in the existence of other and more vivid kind of goodness, and what I believed in I wished to behold.

Who blames me? Many, no doubt; and I shall be called discontented. I could not help it; the restlessness was in my nature; it agitated me to pain sometimes..."

Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre, Chapter 12

Are You Reading Yet?

Reading is one of the great pleasures in life. Simple letters magic-ed into dramas, comedies, satires, essays, fairytales, memoirs, poetry and more, by the genius of a creative mind. It has the power to transport you to places you have never been, to fall in love with someone you have never met, to make you tab into emotions you never knew existed, to cry over a loss you never experienced, to clear your mind or muddle your thoughts...Pure escapism!

Sure, there are periods when I don't read but they are rare and it always feels like missing out on something, a lost day. And, as with so many things, my reading choices are influenced by my mood and sudden bursts of specific interests; for a month I might be burried in, say, titles on Victorian London, Dickens novels and Godey's Fashion Plates, the next, I might enjoy the wit, humour and verbal virtuosity of Stephen Fry (I adore him!).

Right now, I am delighting in Jorge Bucay's Komm, ich erzähl dir eine Geschichte, a truly wonderful book. His way to address the bewilderments and troubles of life through a collection of stories is touching, enchanting and thought-provoking. It makes you sit up and say 'Hang on...maybe...'. My mind goes into thinking-overdrive sometimes - although this book also puts me into pensive mode it helps to focus the rush of thoughts into a coherent stream.

If you are truly fortunate, someone - who's delicious voice seeps right into your heart and bones - will read these stories aloud to you. Lucky me.

Private Dancer

My posts have been a bit editorial heavy lately but there are just so many fantastic ones around at the moment. 'Private Dancer' from the April issue of Vogue UK certainly belongs in that category.

Guinevere van Seenus is such a wonderful, unusual beauty. I can't quite put my finger on what makes her stand out; the combination of pale skin, watery-blue eyes and dark hair has something almost surreal and otherwordly about it.

Beautiful corset and the gloves, oh!....

     

 I think we all need a pair of striped, high-waisted hotpants in our wardrobes!
 

Man's Best Friend

Scottish Terrier

  

Afghan Hound; Poodle
  

Great Dane

For me, the dogs are the stars of this editorial. Such charachters! I'd love to see this done with different cat breeds.

Happy Monday!

Pictures scanned from Vogue Germany March issue

Lace Doll

Here is another Material Girl editorial to inspire your weekend. The corsets and lace tops are amazing; I like the costumy-ness of it all and Polina, the model, has that doll-like quality about her, which is always appealing to my eyes.

Have a wonderful, happy weekend!

  
    

 

 

China White

I send you into the weekend with my favourite editorial of the month, which was featured in the Vogue UK March issue.

Tim Walker's photographic language and vision never fails to enthral me; together with the incredible set design by Shona Heath, this shoot is pure fashion magic. It takes me right back to my days of playing dress-up and 'devouring' fairy tale and picture books. Mmmh, on reflection, it seems nothing has changed much...

Incidentally, the set design reminds me of one of my favourite picture books, How To Live Forever by Colin Thompson:  

Anyway, here is the visual feast featuring the beautiful Sasha Pivovarova.

 

 

Have a happy weekend!

More Material Girl

As promised, a few more scanns from Material Girl magazine. I love the setting of this editorial; it looks like it was shot in an abandoned amusement park. There is something eerie yet sad about those overgrown roller coasters.

Material Girl

Quite a few boxes need to be ticked before I become a loyal reader or even a subscriber of a magazine. However, once that has happened, my obsessive nature kicks in and I get quite restless if an issue gets delayed or can't be found at the newsagent. Sad but true... I keep most magazines I buy for inspiration purposes, certainly the ones I subscribe to. Currently filling my shelves are: British Vogue (the best of all the Vogues, in my opinion),Lula , Love and Rubbish.

 

My newest discovery is the Austrian published Material Girl, which is right up my alley with its beautifully styled and shot editorals, typographie and general aesthetics. The issue I bought, No. 8, had some wonderful fashion stories but this one is my favourite - with the Twentie's inspired hair and make-up and playful, theatrical clothes, what is not to love? I will post some more scanns later in the week.

All pictures scanned from Material Girl issue 08

Rubbish Mag

I found a copy of this quirky magazine/book in an Oxfam shop and scooped it up for £2.99. Oxfam's dedicated bookshops are great for hidden treasures; check out the branch in Turnham Green, they have a great selection of Victorian and Edwardian childrens books.

 

When I first saw the above photographs, I immediately thought of Dorian Gray. I don't mean that in a bad way; there is just something about his style and his beauty that reminded me of Oscar Wilde's novel.

 

There are some fantastic photographic stories in this book. Another great find to put on my inspiration shelf!

 

Pictures scanned from Rubbish Volume Two