Along with the warm weather, comes the time to wear summer hats, starting with the Easter bonnet, of course. While I did wear a hat for Easter this year, it’s been featured on the blog before, so I didn’t post it again. Instead, how about we take a look at some of the hats and hair accessories I have saved in my fashion scrapbook? Many of these are from wedding magazines, but could be easily worn for other occasions. I was so inspired when looking through these: now I want to go and make some flower hats! In the past I have made flowers and headbands, but they’ve always been a bit smaller…I really think it’s time to make some large statement flowers!
Above- one of my favourite hats featured in a UK wedding magazine, wouldn’t this be so perfect for an outdoor wedding?
Speaking of oversized flowers, here are two lovely ones. I think these would be fairly straightforward to make. I should try…
These pink hats, below, were probably the first pictures to start me on my vintage fashion journey. I think they were by Lilliput Hats from about 15 years ago. I’ve always been so in love with the colour and shape of them. So perfect for Spring!
I love these polka dots flowers; these images were from about 12 years ago. That shape of hat was super popular back then, wasn’t it? I think one of the first hats I ever bought was a tan wool hat very similar to this.
Here are a few wedding hats and accessories, that could definitely be worn elsewhere. Again, with the oversized flowers, the left one above is so fun! And on the right, I love the exaggerated tilt shape.
I really like the tilt on this one, above right, too.
Here is a fabulous hair accessory/hat/fascinator worn by Oprah in Vogue 1998, featuring flowers and feathers for an amazing theatrical look!
And finally, no round up of hats is complete without the classic, but nevertheless fabulous, oversized straw hat.
What kinds of hats do you like to wear in the Spring and Summer? Which one of these is your favourite? Are you inspired to try creating some large flowers to dress up some hats and headbands?
There is danger when you scroll through the Poshmark “vintage” tag with the intent to not purchase anything, because you very well might just find something to purchase. And when you’re looking at vintage items (especially when you find one for a good price) you know you might never find anything like it ever again. I’m not usually an impulse buyer, but when I saw this little vintage fur fellow in excellent condition, I decided he had to come and live with me.
I know that feelings run high when it comes to fur, and some people might find wearing a fox fur stole macabre, but I quite like this little guy. Fur collars and stoles with the head and tails were very popular through the first half of the 20th century, and in my vintage Sears catalogue books they have quite a few available in the 1920’s and 30’s. In a world of PVC and polyester, where fur, and even leather, has started to become taboo, it is strange to see advertisements for furs that can’t be mistaken as anything but dead animals.
I haven’t had an occasion to wear him out, so I had to create my own occasion for his debut. I actually don’t know whether I will ever wear him; I think he would need a very particular occasion, and he is kind of hard to wear because of where the clasp goes. I’m also a little concerned that despite the fact he is in great vintage condition, furs do become fragile with age and I don’t want damage him through pulling and strain.
Anyway, the moral of this story is: don’t browse through vintage clothing unless you are fully prepared to bring some pieces into your collection!
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
The leaves are going quickly. Only days ago this row of trees in our backyard were covered in bright golden colours and by today they are mostly gone. Bare branches are left in stark contrast to the pale azure autumn skies. The bright yellow leaves are slowly deepening in colour, and the days are cool and crisp. I love this time of year and, like Anne, I am glad I live in a place where I get to fully enjoy Octobers.
I am also happy that my sister was able to get these photos for me when she did, since I think this is the last time I’ll be pulling out this linen wrap skirt for this year. It’s time to reach for the tights and woollens and scarves!
This is the patchwork purse I mentioned that I was making. It took quite a while to finish, since I decided to hand stitch it to give more control over some of the very tiny pieces of fabric. I’m not a skilled quilter, and since I didn’t follow any pattern (each piece was fitted in place as I sewed) it ended up quite quirky! I think it gives it a rather authentic 1970’s feel though, don’t you?
After I finished the quilt, I then appliquéd it onto a canvas backing and then lined the entire thing to give it some strength, especially since the last one I made came apart. I was able to use so many unique pieces of fabric that I’ve saved over the years- you can even see in the picture above that I used a piece of the fabric from this skirt! Well, at least I know that this bag will coordinate with almost everything in my wardrobe…
Friendship necklaces used to be such a “thing” when I was a kid, but they kind of went out of favour, didn’t they? A few years ago I found this friendship necklace; the heart cut out of the centre of this piece forms the other necklace! I like that it’s so delicate and minimal.
Why is it so hard to find brown shoes? Have you ever noticed that? Since deciding that brown is my “neutral” I have had the hardest time finding nice shoes that aren’t black. I was so glad to be able to find these from Vionic. I think it’s about time to put them away for the season, though. They are perforated, which is lovely for warm days, but a bit chilly for autumn!
I hope you are faring well and enjoying your October, whatever it’s looking like for you!
We’ve had our fair share of sun and heat this summer, which is too bad for me, since I’m not a fan of hot days! However, I’ve actually been spending a decent amount of time outside this summer despite the drought…which is kind of strange since I usually spend my summers indoors hiding from the sun.
I bought this giant straw hat back in May, though, and it is perfect for hot summer days. Since it has such a wide brim and a tall crown, it creates a nice bit of shade from the sun. If there isn’t any shade, bring your own! There is also a hat band inside, and I added a tie for slightly breezy days. There’s nothing worse than wearing a large brimmed hat and having it fly off your head with a gust of wind…not that that has ever happened before. Originally the hat also had a cream grosgrain ribbon hatband, but not a very nice one, so I replaced it with a silk scarf which is much prettier in my opinion.
I originally planned to get photos of this hat and outfit back in June, but then we had a huge heat wave…then smoke from the wildfires in BC…then more heat again…and here we are now already in August. (With another heat wave, but just tiny one this time…maybe a heat splash).
I’ve been wearing an iteration of this outfit, switching out with different tops or accessories quite a lot this summer too. It’s a very easy formula: wrap skirt + t-shirt + accessories. When you’ve got a variety of tops and skirts (or pants) in coordinating colours that can be mixed and matched, then it makes choosing what to wear very easy.
I’ve also realized over the past couple of years that I really like wearing t-shirts for everyday wear. They might not be as fancy and “vintage” but I find them to be the most comfortable for working etc. on an everyday basis. I do still like to wear dresses and blouses, but I now tend to save them for occasions.
And it’s not as though t-shirts need to be sporty- this one with lace cuffs is a nice example of a dressier version and I also recently got a navy blue one with a v-neck. The neckline can make a huge difference in how a top looks, and how dressy it is, don’t you think?
Well, there is my summer “uniform” in a nutshell. I used to hate the idea of a capsule wardrobe, but I’ve kind of accidentally fallen into creating one for myself. And strangely enough, rather than feeling limited, I actually feel like I have more variety in what I wear through the different combinations.
Do you find yourself gravitating towards a certain “uniform”, whether with colours or styles, or do you have a seasonal capsule wardrobe? What have you been enjoying wearing this summer?
I am definitely a minimalist when it comes to makeup. Back when I started wearing vintage, I experimented with vintage makeup looks- black cat eyeliner and red lipstick etc. It was fun to try out different styles but, over time and through much trial and error, I have come to the conclusion that for an everyday makeup look, it’s just not for me.
With my Soft season colouring, high contrast makeup isn’t my best look. If I wear too bold of a colour of eyeliner and lipstick, I have discovered you see the makeup first, and the rest of my features kind of fade. My sister, with her higher contrast colouring can wear very bold makeup and it looks great- but when I wear the exact same amount, it looks like way too much.
However, that suits me just fine, because I am far too lazy to put in the time for precise eyeliner and lipstick everyday! I’ve realized that I like to wear just a hint of makeup, so I’ve settled into this routine. I change up the colours a bit from time to time, but keep mostly to this formula. It isn’t anything super special and makeup aficionados are probably shuddering to see it, but here is my quick 5 minute everyday makeup routine!
First, I always put on face lotion and lip balm. I like this one by Andalou Naturals because it smells like roses. I also like to use as many natural products as possible.
Next up is concealer. I use a Maybelline green colour corrector stick to cover up my red spots and blemishes. Sometimes I’ll use a makeup sponge, but usually I blend it in with my fingers. I don’t have a regular concealer at the moment, since mine expired and I haven’t been wearing it enough to buy a new one. Come winter I will probably get a new concealer, but for summer I go pretty light on coverage anyway.
I like to let my summer freckles show through, so I use Zuii Organic pressed foundation. It mostly just evens my skin tone out, without completely full coverage. I love this pressed powder, but I cannot find it anywhere anymore- the shop I got it from last time has stopped carrying it! I just hate it when that happens, don’t you? I am going to be sad when this one runs out…
Next, after the foundation, is my eye makeup. I usually use a darker shade, either the plum, pink or cinnamon colour on my lid.
Once that is blended, I take a lighter shade, either this green/taupe colour, or a cream shade I have in a loose powder.
My eyeshadows are from Pure Anada, and my palette is one that I made myself. I put a magnet on the bottom since their shadows are loose, so I can easily pop a new one in to replace the empties! Also, I noticed when I took these photos, that the gold has rubbed off the wallpaper that I used to cover the palette; that probably isn’t healthy…
After the lighter shade is evenly blended, it’s time for eyeliner. I like to use a small wet brush and dip it in both the brown and charcoal coloured powders to make an eyeliner. I also will sometimes use a pencil, but usually I do this since I already have my palette out and it saves some time!
I alternate between doing a smudgy smoky line, or doing it a bit neater with a little wing. Since this is a “hint of vintage style” tutorial, today I will do a tiny flair for a soft cat eye look. I like to do this, since it doesn’t have to be as precise as black liquid liner has to be! But it still gives a subtle vintage style, and the powder actually lasts pretty well throughout the day.
Once I’ve finished the eyeliner, I will either use a pencil or the same dark powder to fill in my brows a bit. I never used to do my brows, as they are already so dark, but I’ve recently started and it gives them a nice look I think. I don’t draw outside my natural brow shape, I just fill in the centre a bit.
I really should do my eye makeup first and then my foundation, but I never remember to do that, so I need to do a quick brush over with the powder brush to pick up stray eyeshadow fallout!
Next up is mascara. I use Maybelline Colossal because it’s not too bad on the “toxic” ingredients and it’s very affordable too. I’ve tried some other natural mascaras, but they either end up falling onto my cheeks over the course of the day, or give me itchy eyes! So, now I stick to this one.
Finally, time to finish up with lipstick; I usually use lighter shades of pinks, tawny and brick. Since they aren’t too bold, I don’t have to line them and if they rub off it’s not a big deal. This shade is Mary Kay’s Sweet Nectar… I just realized that I’ve had it for 10 years now so I really should probably chuck it…but I probably won’t. After blotting my lipstick, I’m done.
And there is my very quick everyday makeup look! I say this is “everyday”, but in reality I pretty much do this look for special occasions and evening too… The only thing I change is perhaps adding in some gold eyeshadow or a darker lipstick, but other than that this is pretty standard for me. While I do like to experiment every once in a while, this is pretty much what I wear, whenever I wear makeup.
When I was a teenager, I never cared about makeup, and went barefaced all the time. Then, like many others do, I went through a stage where I wore a lot of makeup (still minimalist by Beauty Influencer standards), but as I’ve gotten older I’ve settled into a routine that suits me. I don’t feel the need to cover up all of my blemishes, which is good, because I don’t have perfect skin. While I do like to add a bit of eyeliner and mascara, I don’t feel self conscious anymore if someone sees me without my “face”, which is a nice place to be I think.
How about you- do you have a specific everyday makeup routine? Or do you like to switch it up each time? What is favourite makeup look?
