Beekman Place, Pt. V

photos by Tom b.

- 50s cotton dress
- 30s wool coat
- AA tights
- Topshop heels

And here we are at the end.  The end of this series.  The end of the year.   It has been a good one, full of fun adventures;  a trip to California, my first attempt at a vegetable garden, trips to Alabama and New York, my first try at styling a photoshoot, finally (I think) being happy with the way my Etsy photos look, a snow covered Halloween and so much more.  I'm looking forward to lots of new adventures in the upcoming year.  Bring it on 2012!  Happy New Year! Thank you so, so much for visiting me here!

Beekman Place, Pt. IV

photos by Tom b.

- 30s blouse
- 50s cashmere skirt
- H&M tights
- Fletcher for Lyell heels

The Pleasure of Christmas Books

 
A fine tradition was revived this year when three fashion history books were found under the tree. A second tradition was also revived - that of my nose buried in a book on Christmas Day.  All three texts are speedy reading but great fun, and photo heavy.
 Let's take a look.
Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations , Elizabeth Walker.  All photos. All the time. But a treasure trove of inspiring

Beekman Place, Pt. III

photos by Tom b.

- 60s wool shorts
- H&M sweater
- 60s leather boots
- vintage wool beret

When presented with the opportunity to do a photoshoot in the Beekman Place building, I was faced with the inevitable question... what to wear?!  I knew whatever I took with me, I was going to have to carry it several blocks through the city as we walked our way to the building so that limited what I was going to take.  I thought about coming up with some sort of theme or specific inspiration but in the end, just went with outfits that I thought I would normally wear and that represented my own personal style.  Each one incorporates pieces of vintage from my own closet with modern pieces in ways that I would wear them in everyday life.   

Beekman Place, Pt. II

photos by Tom b. 

- vintage Navy sailor pants
- Fletcher for Lyell sweater
- 70s leather boots
- vintage wool beret

A few fun facts about Beekman Place:

• It was built in 1882 and used to be known as Temple Court. 
• It is one of the earliest surviving fire-proof buildings built in New York City. 
• It was the third building in the city to have an elevator installed (they still work and we rode in them!). 
• You can see the Woolworth Building, built in 1913, through the atrium skylights. 
• It has been sitting abandoned in the middle of the city for more than a decade. 
• The building is rumored to be sold to Andre Balazs and being renovated into a luxury hotel.  

Beekman Place, Pt. I

photos by Tom b.

- 30s wool coat
- ASOS dress
- Rachel Comey boots
- H&M tights
- vintage belt

Merry Christmas everyone!  I know it's a bit belated but it's better late than never, right? Or at this point, I guess I should go ahead and say Happy Boxing Day!  I hope everyone had a lovely holiday spent with friends and family.  We had a very quiet weekend, mostly spent at home watching football (Tom) and old movies (me) and eating treats.  Last night I cooked a Christmas dinner of vegan Field Roast, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes that were grown on my parents' farm.  Yum!  

So... I've successfully avoided doing any outfit posts for the entire month of December and I have to admit I did enjoy the break.  I'm sure I'll get back into the routine after the beginning of the year, but for now I'm still reveling in not taking any photos.  Instead, I thought I would wrap up the end of the year featuring the photographs Tom took during one of our favorite projects of the year; our trip to Beekman Place in NYC.  If you looked through the flip book when I posted it, you've seen some but not all of these shots.  Each day this week, I'll spotlight a different set of photos from the project here on the blog. I hope you enjoy!

A Forest Picnic

Seeing these outtake photos posted on the Frolic blog made me want to go on a wintery picnic.  Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? It also got me on a search for a Hudson Bay wool blanket.  I've always wanted one but never found a vintage one in good condition that I wanted to bring home.  Perhaps a new one is the way to go.  They seem so sturdy and warm like they'd last a lifetime.  

Photography: Lisa Warninger. Wardrobe styling: Lauren Hartmann. Prop styling: Chelsea Fuss. Model: Jennifer Sullins. Hair and Makeup: Lyndsey Strand at Amore Salon.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 1940s or 50s Stewart's Christmas season gift boxes,courtesy As Time Goes By
A Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy Hanukkah to all!We will be back after Christmas, stuffed with turkey  and dressing. 

Now Let's Look at Some 20s and 30s

 
I promised a post on our new 1920s and 30s  dresses two posts ago. I have been remiss and I apologize. I am behind enough that three of the December additions have already sold. But do not be sad - there are more to come in January. But today, let's look at one of the prettiest and most complex 1920s/30s chiffon dresses yet.    Glorious 1920s Print Silk Chiffon Dress in Pink, Black and Ivory 

Etsy Update: Black & Blue

ebony holiday dress ... after midnight pointelle dress ... noir crepe holiday dress

polka dot contrast dress ... constellation rayon dress ... indigo knit sweater dress

boardwalk wool sweater coat ... trellis floral vines dress ... muted tones plaid dress

jewel tone floral dress ... jonathan logan dress & jacket ... sapphire floral dress 

Etsy Update: Rustic Sweaters

fair isle boatneck sweater ... bold moves striped sweater ... rust striped sweater

cocoa pointelle scallops sweater ... leaf motif wool cardigan ... cream in your coffee cardigan

rocky mountain cardigan ... grand canyon wrap cardigan ... appalachian wrap cardigan

bohemian striped knit sweater ... paris deco sweater vest ... rustic striped vest sweater

Every Day's a Holiday Hats

 
We have been remiss in blogging this December. Time spent with family, on vacation and general holiday activities will do that. Plus dinner preparations yet to come! But I couldn't let the month slip away with out a feature on the hats we added to Past Perfect Vintage this December.  The first up is a wonderful late 20s to early 30s sequin evening cloche. How do I date it? The crown isn't deep

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

Here's yet another blog post that I have thanks to a link sent to me by Tom.  What can I say, the boy knows me.  This one concerns the novel The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston.  It's actually an illustrated book, or graphic novel of sorts, presented as a scrapbook.  The novel concerns a 1920s college girl who moves to Greenwich Village to pursue a career as writer.  I'd love to get my hands on a copy.  I imagine it would inspire me to start my very own scrapbook. 

House Industries for Hermes

I often tease Tom for being a “type-nerd”.  It’s not unusual to hear things like, “I can’t believe they used (insert font here) on that billboard” or “The kerning on that poster is ridiculous" on a daily basis.  Actually, it's rubbed off on me a bit and now I find myself noticing things like that more and more.  So I wasn't surprised when he sent me a link to the House Industries designed windows for Hermes Tokyo.  It's the perfect combination of font-meets-fashion. 

Every year he takes his design students on a field trip to House Industries since their headquarters are located in not-too-far-away Delaware.  If you're a designer and haven't checked out their fonts then drop what you're doing and check them out right now.  It's enough to turn me into a bit of a type-nerd myself.  

The Artist

Have you guys seen The Artist yet?  I haven't, but I really want to!  If you're not familiar with it, it's a new silent movie that getting loads of attention as awards season rolls around.  It's set in Hollywood, 1927, and centers around George Valentin, a silent movie star, and Peppy Miller, a young dancer just getting her big break as "talkies" gain popularity.  It seems to star unknown actors in the lead rolls, but I spy John Goodman, Malcolm McDowell and Penelope Ann Miller in these stills.  I love the real thing when it comes to silent movies, but I'm really curious to see what this modern day version is like.

Vintage Christmas Cards

I found these last January. In Harmans' one room antique store  in Bardstown, Ky. It's absolutey crammed with interesting and even odd things. Not all are terribly old, but all are interesting. The kind of small shop where it takes hours in to see everything thing, and yet it's all beautifully organized. Glass stirrer sticks, postcards, magazines, photos, glass bottles, old pharmacy labels,

Make Love Not War

photos by Darshana Borah 

Back in the spring I had the pleasure of working with Sarah on the very first photoshoot I'd ever styled.  It was a cold and blustery day and I kept putting her in shorts and sheer dresses and she was such a trooper about standing around in the cold all day.  I still don't know how she managed to not look like she was freezing in the photos.

When she contacted me last week to let me know she started her own clothing line, I was happy to help spread the word.  These photos reflect the MLNW mini holiday collection.  You can check out Make Love Not War here and buy things in the Etsy shop here.  Everything in the Etsy shop is 15% off for the month of December with the code "HOLIDAY" at checkout. 

ba&sh

The brainchild of two designers, Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief, ba&sh's  Autumn/Winter collection is a nice mixture of structured classic pieces and light floral ones.  That's pretty much the perfect duffle coat as far as I can tell and I also love the loose fit on the floral mini dress.  Of course, styling everything with a simple pair of oxfords doesn't hurt either. 

Etsy Update: A Little Greenery

jade velvet mini dress ... olive shift dress ... forest mod mini dress

winter sunset wool sweater ... whipstitch belted cardigan ... marled knit cardigan

 houndstooth pencil skirt ... coffee pleated wool skirt ... spruce marled knit skirt

london fog short trench coat ... fireside quilted coat ... parchment wool riding jacket

mod striped blouse ... geology stripe sweater ... rugby team sweater

evergreen pleated skirt ... candied apple plaid skirt ... moss button skirt

stacked heel fringe boots ... cole haan leather buckle oxfords ... ginger lace up ankle boots

oxblood braided leather boots ... caramel leather boots ... chestnut stacked heel boots 

Willard Suitcases

This is one of the more amazing things I've stumbled across lately (via Foxtail + Fern).  What you see here is a collection of suitcases that were discovered in 1995 at The Willard Psychiatric Center.  They had been stored away in the attic of the pathology lab for decades like time capsules for their former owners.  They are now in the hands of the New York State Museum and are being carefully archived and preserved.  Read more here. 

Secrets from a Stylist

Last week I caught a rerun of the show Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV, hosted by Emily Henderson (serious girl crush alert).  Since it's the season of holiday decorating I was excited to watch as she transformed a family's space into a holiday party wonderland.  While the color scheme for this family's home does not match my own, I still came away with tons of ideas for decorating. There were lots of DIY projects for making your own decorations and tips for picking up pieces at flea markets and putting them together in creative ways that make a space feel personal and unique.  I've already taken on the yarn-ball-as-tree-ornament project and plan on tackling the old-book-pages-turned-mini-trees next (you'll have to watch the show to see that one).  And can we talk about the vintage-globe-snowman-family?  So cute.  If you don't have a moment to watch the show, you can check out the Holiday Guide magazine that includes not only a lot of photographs from the episode, but also lots of other crafty ideas and gift guides that have led me to many new and fun places on the internet. 

Street Style Favorites

Stockholm Street Style, Vanessa Jackman, Sartorialist, Fancy Fine, Shop Lawrence, Hummingbird Girls, Stockhom Street Style, Sartorialist

You may have noticed a lack of outfit photos on the blog lately.  I just haven't felt much like stepping in front of the camera.  I'm sure it's a phase and it will pass but until then, rest assured that I'm still getting dressed on a daily basis.  Ha, ha.  When I'm feeling a bit stuck and I'm not quite sure what to wear, I often consult the "outfit favorites" folder on my computer for inspiration.  These are some of my favorite favorites right now: lots of neutral colors, layering, longer length skirts and ankle boots.  That pretty much sums up what I've been wearing. 

As soon as I saw these scans from Elle Decor France on Moodboard, I saved them to my "home inspiration" file.  So good!  A few things I'm taking note of;  must get kilim pillows to throw on the couch, be on the lookout for more vintage etched mirrors to brighten up dark spaces, a random assortment of baskets collected on a shelf makes great storage and fresh cut flowers on the table are lovely any time of year.

Etsy Update: A Touch of the Holidays

winter solstice dress ... merlot lace holiday dress... silent night chiffon dress

audrey lace dress ... ruby wool wiggle dress ... sheer noir lace dress

silver fox stole ... scarlet cape coat ... persian wool coat

crossing lines cardigan ... peppermint knit cardigan ... ahoy sailor sweater

hidden secrets skirt ...brick corduroy skirt ... ebony knit skirt

bonnie tweed vest & skirt ... british isle cape & skirt ... queens plaid vest & skirt 

wool ski cardigan ... geometry sweater ... snowflake sweater

elegance velvet skirt ... charcoal notched skirt ... holiday velvet skirt

netted party dress ... garnet velvet dress ... metallic wiggle dress

cranberry wool coat ...first snow plaid coat ... macintosh red wool coat 

appleseed belted dress ... folk music dress ... half and half dress