It Takes Courage

Courage is defined as having a quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain without fear and with bravery.
I'm sure that most people would agree that they have had times in their life when they needed to find that courage in themselves to face something or try something.
Now Courage may seem as an over exaggeration in terms of what I am talking about but I believe that it does. To be a Pinup and to wear pinup I see takes courage and takes a step of bravery.
Society as a norm prefers people to wear clothes that are seen as fashionable or 'in' and to wear something that is away from that can be a step of courage and face many things.
I think that is why I took a bit longer to really decide that this was the style that I wanted to wear and  actually commit myself to it.
Some of the obstacles that I felt was that I was too old. Now it can be said that you should wear what you like at any age but there was a voice in my head, that I suspect that was from my Grandma that says - 'Don't be mutton dressed up as lamb'. That took a while to face and see that it was my choice and if I wore it with confidence that any style could be my own.
Another obstacle was of course not knowing where to start. Who do Iask? What do I do? Joining Instagram and some Facebook groups was a godsend. I again drew on Courage and wrote to ladies and asked. I followed them on social media, looked up brands of Pinup clothing and jumped in. I started purchasing a few things and then that gave me more Courage and I then I too felt that I could post some photos of myself and wear Pinup more often.
The last obstacle was cost. Now its not usually the 'done' thing to discuss money but it is a reality and it is something that we all face in some form of another. The Courage I used here was to not always purchase new. Buying a pre loved item is ok, its is no problem and it is quite often the only way that you can actually get some items that are not produced or now considered Vintage. There is a thought that buying something that is not new to yourslef is tacky, ill considered and a touch common. I disagree with all these thoughts. I have purchsed some beautiful things and non of them have had issues. An item that I purcashed pre loved is gloves. I have gathered vintage gloves from many sources such as Ebay, Gumtree, Garage Sales and Pre loved shops. All the gloves I feel are a part of histroy and a sign of times gone past. I wear them with pride.
Did you need Courage to wear Pinup. Have you needed it another part of your life?

Nautical for Pinups

I've always loved Red, White and Navy together. The lines of navy stripes, the crispness of red, it brings feelings of style and clean lines.

Nautical is no stretch for Pinup wear as so many styles and outfits can be achieved by wearing the 3 colour combination. 

The Pinup look of Red Lipstick, Red hair flowers and Navy Frocks are always a winner. Silk scarves in this combination are easy to find and combined with pearl jewellery you can pull together an outfit with ease. This scarf was my Grandma's. 

Red shoes are also part of the style that can wear in casual flats or heels to dress up your look. 

Two of my favourite pieces are my Pinup Couture Navy Sailor Frock and my Red Ione Bait shoes. You can't go wrong with either piece. 

Pop on some Red Lipstick, grab a scarf and you are set to enjoy the Nautical Pinup Look. 

💋💋💋

Collecting Love

Who doesn't love collecting.

I sure do.

I started collecting Sunbeam Mixmasters after my Grandma passed away and I was given hers.

Oh what a blessing. Such vintage love.

I have so many memories of Grandma cooking with the mixmaster whirring in the background. The smell and getting a chance to lick the beaters. Ahhh.

After that I found a Mixmaster at a Church Fete, friends found me several and my collection had begun.

Every one of them have names and they are washed and looked after.

The Yellow girls are Lemon and Chiffon, befitting names I think and the Green girls are Apple and Olive. I have one of each model in the White.

I have also tried to gather ( sounds better than hoarding, lol. ) some other vintage kitchen pieces to my home.

Do you collect anything? Do you have a Mixmaster?

💋💋💋

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handicraft

Handicraft

One of my favourite pastimes is creating things with my hands. I find it so relaxing, well after I gain the skill, lol. My Grandma taught me so many of them and the one that stuck we me the most was crochet. I don't know if I was the best student but I did try. I'm so so thankful that I gained this skill, firstly as it came from my Grandma but also as it is such a beautiful craft and something I am very proud of. Handicrafts appear to belong to a bygone era but I do believe that many people are taking them up as a way to relax, to get away from a busy life and to have something that they produced with their own hands. One of my other favourite handicrafts is embroidery. What you make is up to you. You can follow a pattern or do anything your hearts desire. It's also not particularly hard to master. Another bonus is that the threads and needles and fabric don't take up much space and you can pick them up any times.

What handicrafts do you do? How did you learn them? I'd love to hear what you do.

💋💋💋

Where it all started

Obviously from a very early age I took a interest in frocks, lol. This number I'm presuming was satin with embroidery and matching baby shoes. Who doesn't admire a baby pinup who knows how to dress.

That year was 1967 and all those years later and in between I've loved frocks, shoes, and overall vintage styles. The 1960's were certainly known for their mini's and flamboyant designs but all I can think is that somewhere in that decade a love was born in me of vintage.

My Grandma is responsible for the majority of that love and her love and support is what made me the woman I am today. Grandma sewed her clothes for many years, was an accomplished milliner and had so so much style, sometimes on a shoestring budget. 

💋💋💋