Happy Independence Day!

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014 annaintechnicolor12 Comments

For my US readers, Happy Independence Day! I whipped up some patriotic dessert (blueberry pound cake with strawberries, yum!) and introduced British Boyfriend (TM) to Pop-Its, something he’d never heard of nor used before (he also referred to America as “The Colonies” throughout the day, which was quite amusing).

I always try to dress vintage on 4th of July, and this year, decided to go for a 1930s casual vibe, as I’m working on a pair of reproduction beach pajamas for a vintage beach party I’m having next weekend (gah, so excited!!!). All of the clothing in this ensemble is modern, including the new red wedges I got from Modcloth (which, sadly, are no longer on their website).

I did a faux 1930s bob for my hair, which took a bit of time (it’s the same style I did for the 1930s murder mystery party I attended. Tutorial coming soon, I promise!), although the head scarf really helped with keeping it in place.

Hope everyone else had a fabulous 4th!

Outfit · The Vintage Closet · Vintage

The Ava Bergman Swirl

May 17, 2014 annaintechnicolor4 Comments

Although Swirl is a vintage brand most known for their wrap-around dresses from the 40s and 50s, the company was still manufacturing these ingenious pieces of clothing well into the 1970s and 1980s. Enter the Ava Bergman Swirl, my latest vintage clothing purchase and second Swirl dress (you can see my first one here). While I don’t tend to buy vintage from later decades, this dress was just too perfect to pass up (polka dots AND floral appliques that also include a snail!?).

Designed by Ava Bergmans, this Swirl incorporates a number of similar design features to its predecessors, including pockets (earlier Swirls have patch-pockets, whereas this Swirl has pockets sewn into the side seams of the skirt) and a very forgiving shape. Though this dress isn’t a wrap dress, it is essentially one big tube of fabric that is cinched in at the waist with a belt to fit the wearer.

While I absolutely adore this dress, there is one design feature that I would change – I would prefer to have the darker polka dot fabric extend all the way around the bottom of the skirt, and not just in the front. I definitely plan on taking a rub-off of this dress at some point and reproducing it, so that should be an easy fix.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find much (if anything) on Ava Bergmans, although there is a ton of information about Swirl dresses out on the web if you are interested (this article provides a great overview). That being said, I did think it was a nice homage to the designer that her first name is embroidered on one of the leaves of the applique flower.

1940s · 1950s · Outfit · Vintage · Vintage Saturday

Vintage Saturday: Summer is here!

June 29, 2013 annaintechnicolor2 Comments

Happy Saturday, and Happy Summer, readers!

It seems as if the heat has finally hit us here in the Pacific Northwest, with forecasts in the 80s and 90s predicted over the next couple of days. Of course, being pale (and Polish) this doesn’t always bode well with me, as I burn very easily. That being said, one must look fabulous is all kinds of weather, so I decided to bust out my reproduction high-waisted shorts I got from Stop Staring! (I must admit that I didn’t buy directly from them, but from a gal that was getting rid of these, so the price was *much* lower), as I love casual vintage summer looks, especially since I’ll be headed down to Portland today, and these will be super comfy for the long drive.

I’ve paired these with a plaid shirt that ties in front (I definitely plan on taking a pattern off of this and making my own version in just plain white), and my new (to me) vintage red sunglasses that I picked up at a local antique store for like 10 bucks. Definitely a steal, considering that all of the vintage sunglasses I’m finding on Etsy are at least 50.

As for the hairstyle, it’s one that I’ve been sporting a lot lately, a sort of 1940s-inspired side pony. My hair is getting really long, and I know that I will inevitably cut it at some point within the next month or so, as I always do. 😉

Anyways, I’ll be cohosting a fabulous Breakfast at Tiffany’s tea party tomorrow with my lovely friend Kady. Really looking forward to wearing my cute 60s LBD, and the tiara I just bought, cuz, ya know, it was the only accessory I was missing from my wardrobe. 😉

And if you’re not a fan of the FB page, I’ve promised to hold a spectacular giveaway once I reach 100 followers here on the blog. As of right now, we’re at 98. So, motivation right there. 😉

Alright, hope everyone else has a fabulous weekend!

1950s · Outfit · Vintage

Bowties, Bakelite, & the Vintage Photoshoot

May 21, 2013 annaintechnicolor10 Comments

The fabulousness of this weekend did not end with Saturday’s stint in the 1850s, readers. I spent a lovely day down in Portland on Sunday dressed in vintage (which is a lot less layers than 19th century stuff, let me tell ya!)

First up was the Bowties & Bakelite Brunch at Gracie’s. There were some very dapper gents and fabulous ladies (including Julie and Jesse of Fab Gabs, Janey of Atomic Redhead, and Solanah of Vixen Vintage) in attendance.

I went all 1950s for this one. I wore my Swirl Dress from AlexSandra’s Vintage Emporium, and also did my hair a bit differently with a scarf (Kristen Behlings’ workshop has definitely inspired me to try some new things!).

I really like this style and am thinking about doing a Youtube tutorial on it (and its been ages since I’ve done a video). Thoughts?

Afterwards, some of us headed out for a nice little drive to do a quick vintage photoshoot. I’ve included some of my favorite pics that I managed to have snapped with my iPhone down below, but if you’re interested, you can see the more professional ones (including my impromptu Charleston!) here.

Outfit · Vintage

Outfit: Swing Dance Tuesday

May 15, 2013 annaintechnicolor6 Comments

Yesterday evening, I got dolled up to go to swing dancing! I had my swing dance partner take some quick pics of my outfit before we headed into the dance hall.

The dress is a new one I got along with the polka dot skirt from Heartbreaker. It’s repro vintage and fits very well, if I do say so myself! 😉

I do have a black hair flower in my hair, but being a brunette isn’t really conducive to showing that, lol.

Oh! And I finally got a proper pair of dance shoes! They are these ones from Capezio, and I have to say that I ordered the tan, and I’m sorry, but this is not tan, it’s more olive. I’m thinking about exchanging them for a black pair, this is a very odd color. Thoughts?

1950s · Outfit · Vintage

Polka dot skirt on a Tuesday

May 7, 2013 annaintechnicolor11 Comments

So, I go swing dancing downtown on Tuesday nights and like to dress vintage-esque. Well, we’re also battling the heat here in the Pacific Northwest, so this seems like the perfect outfit for work and then Tuesday night swing dancing – white t-shirt, red pumps (love these!) and black and white polka dot skirt.

The skirt is actually this one from Heartbreaker Fashion (although I did get many inquiries about whether or not I had sewn it myself!), and now that I’m linking to it, I’m realizing how much I look like the model. Totally not intentional! Red, white, and black just happens to be one of my favorite color combos (despite the awful sun-burned zebra and newspaper jokes).

I have to say that I’m really starting to embrace vintage repro. I really don’t feel like I’m wearing my vintage clothing particularily hard, but it seems to disintegrate a little bit each time I wear it. That being said, vintage repro (and vintage) can be quite spendy, so I think I’m going to start sewing more of my own. 😉

Also, I just wanna say that all the pics here were taken on my iPhone (silly me forgot to charge her camera batteries), and I am super impressed with the quality. Why I waited so long to get this handy little device, I don’t know, but I’m glad I have it now. 😉

1940s · Outfit · Vintage · Vintage Saturday

Vintage Saturday: Flying in Style

April 27, 2013 annaintechnicolor12 Comments

Departing a luxury vintage Pan Am plane. Ya know, just a typical Saturday for me.

I spent a lovely afternoon today with my WWII peeps at the Historic Flight Foundation for their event, “The Art of the Flight Jacket.” I have to say that I am really loving this era, and I think in large part it’s because a lot of this stuff is all new to me, in addition to the fact that I now have an outlet to dress vintage. I mean, it’s nice to dress vintage about town, but having historic planes as a back-drop is way more fun. 😉

After the presentation about flight jackets (which was heavily focused on WWII), there was a vintage fashion show (and I am aware of what a lucky duck I am, going to 2 vintage fashion shows in the same week!)

And after that, we headed outstide to get some quick photos in this really neat luxury Pan Am DC-3 from the early 1950s. Luckily, I wore my late 50s/early 60s camel wool coat, because it was perfect for this.

Anyways, I can’t wait to go back, as there are plans to do a photoshoot in this plane with vintage luggage, with yours truly possibly being a stewardess. I’ve always loved those little hats. 😉