Vintage Beach Lovin' Summer Style

As you all know I live in a quiet little beach hamlet on the Mornington Peninsula - well it's normally quiet!!! Yesterday - Boxing Day to be exact - the tourists arrived!!!  My little town of Rye triples in size at this time and becomes a thriving metropolis!!!

People in our town are divided regarding the tourists - love or hate 'em - we have to have them every year, so that we can enjoy the amenities our little town has to offer!!  And anyway we can't be selfish we need to share this little piece of heaven don't you think?

So  in celebration of beach culture I have found some images of vintage bathing costumes that would have been seen on my little beach at some time or another.....

I love my little beach town .......

LITA ROZA - HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW. No1 U.K.

When I was a little girl, my Dad used to sing to me while I sat on his knee... it was one of my favourite times, and I squealed with delight everytime  he would sit me up there!!

So imagine my squeals when I found this book while out thrifting the other day and saw that the original singer was no other than Lita Roza - a 50's singer I am ashamed to say I had never heard of!!!

I always thought it was a song from my Father's childhood that he just sang to me - a Number 1 hit - get outta town!!!

Apparently Lita thought it was a "rubbish song" and didn't rate it amongst her best - but I certainly loved it and have been humming it all week!!! (I know, I know!! No I don't have a life!!)

Looking at the lovely Lita, she looks to have been a sexy siren and very beautiful!!

This is one of the many reasons why I love vintage it brings back so many great memories!!!

So watch this and sing along and remember - sometimes things you think are rubbish a real treasures to others!!!

Revelation Luggage

I have always thought that one's luggage tells a lot about you.  Whenever I am at the airport I admire ladies with matching sets of luggage - it looks so chic and stylish. In past decades luggage was very important and made to last much longer than most that is available today.  

When I cam across this gorgeous piece of Revelation Luggage called a Rev-Robe I was so excited!! I had never seen such a wonderful piece of luggage here in Australia.  I have since found out that it was the luggage favoured by James Bond in the 60's films of the same name, and that Revelation Luggage was quite upmarket in it's day, and is still around today under another name.

This bag is silk lined (in an utterly gorgeous salmon pink).  The lid comes completely off and the bag itself can hang on the wall so that you can use it as a "wardrobe"!!!  Oh the joy of finding such a piece! (Please excuse me if this is old news to some of you)

Then I got to wondering.... what kind of clothes this gem held, who was the lady who travelled from England to Hong Kong and Australia with this bag, and why did it end up here on the Mornington Peninsula?  I guess I'll never know, but I'm sure glad it did - it is a wonderful part of our travelling history - a real "ladies" piece of luggage, something to cherish forever.....

Aunty Claire

My Aunty Claire passed away last week.  She was a very warm and caring person, who loved beautiful things - her china cabinet was the envy of many.  She was remembered at her funeral this week by her sons for her fabulous culinary skills (she was an amazing cook), but I remembered her best for her love of pretty feminine things (my Mother had no time for such frippery, she was a beautiful "no nonsense" woman).

I found this magazine my Grandmother gave me many years ago because I loved the dresses in it.  It belonged to my Aunty Claire, and I got to thinking - which dress would she have liked - did she make one (you could send away for the patterns for these dresses).

I guess I'll never know, but I do know how beautiful she was then, and how full of the expectation of life she was - she was just married and building her own home.....


I also know that she was one of those women on our life's journey who teaches us a little bit of how to "be" a woman, how to appreciate beautiful things and pretty dresses, how to sashay when we walk, how to take care of our best assets,and most of all how to love our femininity...

The Knees Have It!

Jean Shrimpton, a photo by the coveted on Flickr

I was reading an old magazine from New Zealand the other day (I have a fascination with them - some would say bordering on an addiction!) and discovered that in January 1966 the knee was "in".

I myself have always disliked my knees - far too knobbly to be of any aesthetic beauty, but what would I know?  The NZ Woman magazine is far more superior of all things chic than me.

I quote"The moment is now.  The place is everywhere.  The knee is "in", to be shown to be appreciated.  A well-rounded knee beneath a short, pleated or slightly flared skirt need not be presented by only the teenage group.  Provided the thigh is shapely, the calf neatly turned, short skirts can be worn at any age."

According to this article even the Duchess of Windsor wears them ( and she would wouldn't she - a gay divorcee who married a Prince - how scandalous!)

I quote further "For the greatest impact these short skirted clothes need to be worn with complete assurance, with Jean Shrimpton swagger and elan.  The wearer must strut and stamp, her posture should be aggressive, defiant.  She must have a long legged swing from the hips"

So there you have it  - Jean Shrimpton  swagger, forget your knobbly knees just think "strut"!

Lusting after all things "Kayser"

I went on a road trip last weekend to Bendigo, Victoria to a big Swap Meet they have there.  It is mostly for vintage car parts ( my husband Kingsley and I love vintage cars, and own two), but there is amongst the car parts some gorgeous vintage finds for we girls and this is where I came upon these fabulous 1940's Kayser 15 denier nylon stockings sitting unobtrusively in their little box, needing a home.... Could I resist?

Of course not!! They are just amazing - stockings of such quality, 15 denier if you please, where only used for very special occasions and obviously these stockings haven't found one yet....

Maybe you have one - so check them out in my EBay store  here

Kayser are and were such a great Company for the stylish girl.  I also found some fantastic old magazines at the Meet, purchased from some very macho men, once again in the midst of their car parts, dating from 1929 to 1941 and here are some of the ads I found for Kayser in them.

 This one is taken from "The Australian Woman's Mirror of Sept 2, 1941  - a nightgown and bolero - so beautiful and elegant!

 This ad is taken from the The Australian Woman's Mirror of Sept 10, 1940 - even in Wartime one could look FABULOUS!!!!!!

And finally from The Australian Woman's Mirror of October 22, 1929, the above ad for Kayser Pure Silk hose...

I'm a "Change Daily Girl"!

1930's Crepe knickers

I was looking through some of my vintage knitting patterns the other day, of which I have many, (they are but one of my many addictions), and I came across this advertisement in a 1938 Lux Book of Knitting Designs.  I just love the line, "......and of course you know the golden rule for daintiness?  Never to wear undies twice without a Lux wash in between!"  And here was I thinking that everyone was a "change daily girl" - apparently not in 1938!  And aren't their slippers adorable - I would LOVE to own a pair of those babies!

So anyway, after reading this lesson in daintiness, I thought I would share with you two pieces of the 1930's underwear I have from my own collection, that have been handmade by some genius, with infinitely better sewing skills than my good self (which I have to admit are close to zero!).

I found these two pieces quite by chance whilst opportunity shopping and I absolutely adore both of them! The knickers have the most divine embroidered circles on the sides and are made of the softest crepe with satin binding.  The chemise is likewise hand embroidered and is in the softest shade of green I have ever seen, similarly made of crepe and satin bound.  Isn't the black embroidery on the chemise just beautiful?

I would never part with either of these items - they will not be up for sale - they are a exquisite part of a bygone era - a time when many women had the time and knowledge to create such stunning creations!