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I Will Answer You
5 days ago
Monday, August 24, 2009
Happy Mid-century Monday, a day when we look back at the glorious era of ultra-flattering, super-feminine style. Since it's still summer, I thought I'd feature a summery set, so this is Mid-century monday: Swimsuit Edition!
This gorgeous set embodies the feel of the 50's without entering costume territory. This has a fabulous Grace Kelly thing going on. The subtle shade of pink throughout, the simple bows strategically placed to add perfect balance and the general aura of roses and gentle summer breezes makes this set stand out.
The cut is in all ways classic, from the halter neck to the modest low-cut legs. The look itself is modern, but it draws its inspiration from the greatest decade in female fashion (and male fashion, for that matter) to create a sexy, modern, feminine look that will and SHOULD appeal to all ages. Well done, nadi!
Monday, May 19, 2008
I say underknown instead of underrated because truth be told, Dorothy Malone is a terrible actress; but in that definitive '50s way; the rolling eyes of desperation, the awkward hand gestures to "emote" sadness, or surprise, or anger, the dreamy "stars in her eyes" gooey glances at some inevitably gay hunk. Dorothy Malone is all about that, and really, nobody did it better...she was utterly unreserved. And it paid off at the time. Besides that, she was beautiful, a quintessential screen goddess, akin to Lauren Bacall, Ava Gardner, and Lana Turner. Here's to you, Dorothy Malone!
The clothes are reminiscent rather than genuinely 50s. I believe the bag is vintage, and the ring and the eyeglasses also, but the shirt is from Forever21 (someday, I'm going to post a blog about why I hate the name of that store...you can probably guess) and the skirt I believe is from net-a-porter. I thought is was evocative of the poodle skirt, with the white socks and pink flats...that's what I was going for, at least.
Dorothy Malone says
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday, May 05, 2008
Happy Mid-Century Monday, kittens! And with the new Fashion Central '50s Pin-up Contest in full swing, I think we ought to celebrate that fabulous '50s Icon...the Pin-Up!
I did this one a long long LONG time ago, so it's a little simpler than I generally like but...people seemed to like it and I believe this is the only true pin up still in my collection.
Monday, April 28, 2008
What she had to say:
The Beach Boys! Gotta love them! They are a perfect example of how times could be innocent and free! With their songs about surfs, cars and innocent love! Who can resist them I ask you!
So OF COURSE I HAD to go with a set based on the BEACH! DUH! The guy in the center of the picture was the inspiration of the color I used, and I used subtle 50's items like the high-waist shorts, maybe the sunglasses, and I guess you could throw in that vest. Dont you wanna dance on the beach with your ... boyfriend to that music? Huh? Dont ya? :)
What I have to say:
I LOVE the Beach Boys. Seriously, it's so easy to take them lightly because they're music is so happy and simple sounding, but if you read the lyrics, they're just PERFECT...I mean, so straight-forward, no unusual phrasing, easily understood, but still poetic and full of message. Brian Wilson didn't screw around with what he had to say. It fell within rhythm and it rhymed, but it also sounded like...like you could quote it in an everyday conversation and nobody would realize you were quoting a song. For example (my favorite BB song)...
"Caroline, No"
Where did your long hair go?
Where is the girl I used to know ?
How could you lose that happy glow?
Oh, Caroline no
Who took that look away ?
I remember how you used to say
You'd never change, but that's not true.
Oh, Caroline you
Break my heart
I want to go and cry.
It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die.
Oh, Caroline why ?
Could I ever find in you again
Things that made me love you so much then ?
Could we ever bring 'em back once they have gone ?
Oh, Caroline no ...
so, okay, that's the 60's and I'm totally cheating, but I think of the 50's when I think of the Beach Boys, sue me :-P.
Once I had a secret love
That lived within the heart of me
All too soon my secret love
Became impatient to be free
So I told a friendly star
the way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are
And why I'm so in love with you
Now I shout it from the highest hills
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my heart's an open door
And my secret love is no secret anymore.
Now I shout it from the highest hills
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my heart's an open door
And my ... secret love is no secret anymore.
--Doris Day
Happy Mid-Century Mondays, Kittens!
Monday, April 21, 2008
I really like this set, but I have some issues with the dress. Am I seeing it from the back or the front. Common sense tells me, that if one takes a picture of a dress, they will take it from the front, but looking at it...of course the hands could be either way, either her hand is in front of her, or it's behind her back...and angle-wise, it could go either way. Also, the model is either in the high fashion couture pose, which is the image of having a bad tummy ache, or she's got her chest puffed out and her back is arched...and I can't really see any sign of breasts, not that they aren't camoflauged by the pattern. At any rate, either way, I'd like this dress. Happy Mid-century Monday!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sorry for the delay! I had computer issues.
So this is Mid-Century Mondays, Kittens, but for me, it's just a really typical "MONDAY", in the most threatening, dangerous, deep-voiced delivery you can imagine. I had to practically drag myself to the office, and traffic was miserably annoying...people cutting me off the entire way...ugh.
Not to set women's lib back 60 years but...oh, how I long for the days when men and women got married and one's husband went off to work while the wife/mother stayed home and kept house. There's a few advantages to working at home and not making a salary...
1. You don't have to sit in traffic.
2. You don't have to argue with payroll every other week because they didn't get your time sheet even though that's bull because you sent it in.
3. I could totally get into the whole cooking and cleaning thing...over time. I don't like grocery shopping, but that's mostly because I'm spending my own money.
4.You're sleeping with your boss...so you get "special treatment" and it's legal in the eyes of the lord (I know, this is the most sickeningly submissive thing you've ever heard, but I want the man to be in charge, sue me.)
And frankly, I don't think current society DEMANDS that both parents work. They could downsize...buy a smaller house, trade in the SUV for a Prius...Let me put it this way...the mantra for most parents is "I want my child to have everything I didn't have growing up".But modern parents...they were spoiled rotten with their own room and private bathroom, tv, videogames etc... So now the mantra is probably closer to "I want my child to have everything I had" and since that was everything...that's a lot of pressure for new parents with financial struggles. And the irony is, while the parents are out making money to give their children everything they could ever want, they're NOT giving them the one thing they NEED...which is parental attention. I could write a book on the common sense of family life in the 1950's but...not here. Happy Mid-Century Mondays!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Our visit to the mid-century continues with a totally different facet of the era...rock-a-billy. I think I'm more inspired by John Waters than the actual 50's but that's okay, because I know somewhere, somewhere in that great big 1950's world, there was a chick who rocked this look...sans the high tops because high tops didn't exist. This is, like steampunk, a retro look that flashes back to something that didn't actually exist except in the warped history of pop culture. It's taking an inspiring thing, like Rock-a-billy, and running with it. It's a filthy/gorgeous look. Colorful and trashy and over-done and not at all chic...and totally fabulous.
Happy Monday, Kittens! I know, I know, it's rough, first day off the weekend and it's hit the ground running. But let us take a moment to reminisce of better days, days of cocktail parties, full skirts, dapper men and curly haired women with full figures, days when a size 14 was considered voluptuous and sexy, not obese and embarrassing.
When I think about the 50's, my brain shoots off in various incongruant directions. There's the James Dean bad boy image, there's the sex-pots like Marilyn and Mamie Van Doren, and then there's the icon to beat all 50's icons...Donna Reed. Sure, she was fake and set a standard of feminine perfection that no woman in real life could possibly hope to live up to, but hey, that's the American way, right kittens?
Monday, March 31, 2008
What to say about the 50's? I'll be honest, I don't know that much about it. My parents were only children in the 50's so they don't have much to say about it. I do know that my mom woke up nights as a child in sheer panic because she heard a plane fly overhead. It was the Cold War, kittens. It messed with people's minds.
Anyway, every monday I'm going to do a set that was inspired by the 50's. We can all learn a little bit more about this mysterious decade.
;;
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