Monroe Monday

My Fifties StyleI

A few of my readers have asked about my fifties style - if I always wear fifties style clothes and how I find it. And yes, I almost always wear clothes either from the fifties or inspired by the era, and it is not difficult. Even H&M has some things matching the style. I love circle and pencil skirts, nice blouses, cardigans (I have about 20,000!), dresses with tight top and circle skirt - and with a petticoat underneath. I love colours: red, pink, plum purple, and green are found in my wardrobe. I never wear black, I only have a few basic things in black, like skirts. Grey is my basic colour. It is not as dark and easy to wear with other colours. I love old-fashioned lingerie and always wear real stockings when I want to feel really pretty (stay-ups for daily use). Yes, I am really old-fashioned - one moment, I have to turn the record ... ;)

A few weeks ago DH took a day off with me and asked what I wanted to do? I wanted to visit Mondo Kaos, who sells new produced fifties styled clothes, because I needed a black pencil skirt with a length below the knees. I'm glad we visited the shop, because their sizes were really weird - I tried on everything from size small to XL, sigh, and I'm a normal size medium. The pencil skirt is a classic so it was a must have, and although I hardly ever wear black, I thought it should be black:

I chose this from Bettie Page Clothing, named Catwalk Skirt. It is so nice with the double pleats above each knee and the little row of buttons. And it is really tight! I have to suck in my tummy!

I was in the seventh, or rather the fiftieth, heaven in Mondo Kaos, because EVERYTHING was my style. And while I stood in the change room DH whispered that I could buy dresses for what equals to 530 dollars!!! After having jumped up and down from happiness and stopped kissing him, I started looking at all the dresses. There were many party and evening dresses, and if I cannot use it at a daily basis, then it is not a good investement. I fell for this grey dress that looks much better on me than on the model in this photo:

It is in fact not grey, but has grey and black micro-houndtooth check pattern, it is really nice. It is from Collectif and is named Simone Dress.

I only spend about 315 dollars as the kind and sensible wife I am! My other choice was this very nice summer dress, which was on sale:

It is also from Bettie Page Clothing and is named Rosanne Dress. I have three other dresses of the same style, but none with purple roses.

And not  very long ago I bought a nice skirt and blouse from Charlotte from Tuppence Ha'penny:

Now I only need a red belt to be a complete copy, hmm. I really needed a nice white blouse with short sleeves, since my old (possible from the fifties) blouse has almost given up.

And I've just bought this beautiful blue brocade dress from Trunk of Dresses, at Etsy:

And this lovely fifties woolen dress from Living Vintage Shop, at Etsy:

Both are bought after having studied the measurements, so I was really anxious to know if they fitted - they both did! And both as if they were made for me, so I am very happy. And the yellow checkered woolen dress is a winter dress, which I really need in my collection. The grey Simone Dress above is also a winter dress to me, I will wear it with a cardigan. And since I hadn't any yellow in my collection it opened up for new shopping possibilities, because I simply HAD to have matching pin and earrings for it:

And no, you will not see me in any of them, since I hate myself in photos. I stay behind the camera, you know.

Monroe Monday

Strange Vintage Things

I love to browse around Etsy.com and sometimes I find really strange things. I have collected them to show you, because they are really funny. And I promise you there is something for everybody and for all occassions. I have linked to all the lovely things, if you feel tempted to buy. I cannot guarantee that it has not been sold when this post is published.

Let's start in the kitchen, here is a fantastic salt and pepper set - a pair of cut feet, and even with red nails:

If you invest in the cut feet, you also have to have the matching candle holder:

And I can promise you - duck's feet made of wrought iron NEVER goes out of style.

And I'm sure a peanut mug with Jimmy Carter's broad smile and nice small feet also finds a place in the collection:

I have no idea what this naughty little thing is used for:

It is suggested you use it for drinking sake at fertility parties - which makes it a must have!

Well, who doesn't want new knobs for the kitchen drawers, here I suggest these four nice finger knobs:

If you're good with your fingers, ha ha!

Last thing for the kitchen, or the bathroom, is this very nice little embroidered towel with a naughty little lady:

Notice that her breasts are stuffed! It's all in the details.

For the living room I suggest these charming decorative things:

Who wouldn't be glad to have him in their sofa:

I don't know who he is, perhaps he is even famous.

And on the shelf, these green Moon Girls will look great:

I don't know them, but they look like a green summer edition of the vintage Christmas elves I have known since my childhood.

The perfect gift for mum is of course this incredible nice pincushion:

I don't know if the pincushion also is a kind of combined voodoo-doll with that strange animal you can stick your needles into.

If the walls of the living room need some decoration, this nice vintage add for waste baskets will be a great investment:

Yes, the waste baskets are nice, and yes she looks truly lovely, but it is the setup on the stairs, that makes it all look a bit strange.

Here is another great suggestion for your frame - a post card with a photo of a two headed deer:

I know what you are thinking now - that it cannot be more strange! But it can! :)

Just look at this - loose teeths:

I wonder if the Tooth Fairy has retired!? 

If she has, she has forgotten her toothpaste charms:

They are so nice I have considered making myself a bracelet with them.

The perfect gift for Father's Day cufflinks, to put photos into:

Brilliant idea I never have seen before and perfect if the man in your life is "father of four".

Of course I have saved the best for last - a lipstick applicator, direct from Hollywood:

You just apply lipstick to the bows of the applicator and then press it to your lips, making a perfect imprint.
Who on earth has ever thought this to be a brilliant idea!?!

I hope you found this as funny as I did collecting all the goodies for you. :)

Monroe Monday

ALT for Damerne, April 1958

I have scanned another round of ALT for Damerne (ALL for the Ladies) from April 1958 for you. It was a thick magazine, so you'll only get the first half. Remember you can click the photos to enlarge. The text is unfortunately in Danish, but I think you might enjoy the photos.

Let's start with hat fashion. Hats had to be soft and bendable:

The one with the flower prints are really nice and I love her necklace with the great knot:

If you had problems dressing for your shape, here is some advice:

If you lived in the middle of a city I suppose the dream house must have been a farm house like this in the country:

But who wouldn't be "content" with a fantastic element kitchen like this:

I understand she looks so happy, because it is really nice.

And if you need inspiration for your knitting needles, I give you this mustard yellow and furry cardigan:

Because We have to have it - as the subject says.

Here is the pattern, if any of you understand Danish:

Beauty interests all ladies:

Because we can all get prettier - as the subject says:

Nice to know that there's hope!

Moving on to the commercials, which I love, and here is also advice for your beauty problems. Here it is Vitaline with the the glaring cosmetic formulas:

And finally a mascara add. These are rare and this one can remind us all how easy it is to apply mascara in our modern world:

There is always a lot of shampoo adds, because back in the fifties washing your hair was truly an excuse:

Elida takes care that he is proud of his wife - and I suppose that's what all wives wants?

The most beautiful hair in the world, is what Lustre-Creme Shampoo promises:

The bottle itself would make me buy the product. I wish they made them like this today.

While some hair should shine and make the husband proud, other hair should be removed a.s.a.p.:

Veet takes care of that in just three minutes.

And an add for something I don't think many modern women knows what is today:

Starch that smells fresh.Makes the clothes look like new and takes care the skirts look full as fashion dictated.

Monroe Monday

Marilyn Monroe for Beginners

I pay a tribute to my idol, Marilyn Monroe (MM) in my Monroe Mondays, where I post a photo that is not so common every Monday. Several has commented that they liked it, and therefore I thought about writing a post about "MM for Beginners". There are a  lot of books about MM on sale, but what to choose? I have many, not all of them of course, but I can say that not all of them are equally good, many of them is waste of money. So here are my suggestions if you also think MM is wonderful.

MM The Complete Biography, is really good to read if you want to know about her life. I have no idea if all of it is really true, but the author has investigated a lot and also interviewed many and most of it sounds true:

The second book I want to recommend is Metamorphosis. It is a photo book and it is fabulous! The photos are of the best quality and they are listed cronologically, which I think is brilliant - buy it! I bought mine at Amazon UK:

My third recommendation is Fragments. It is Marilyn's own scriblings, notes, poems, lists, etc. It really takes you to her world and tells a lot about what she thought about and her problems. I read it a little at a time, since I got a bit depressed reading it:

One of the more expensive and rare books, but an absolute must have for your collection is The Personal Property of MM:

It is big boy, the same size as an ordinary garden flagstone, that lists all her private belongings as Christie's put for auction in 1999. It also gives a unique insight into her personality, when you flip through it and see her few and very unflashy things. But it is not easy to find, now you're warned.

The last I want to recommend for your collection of MM books is of course My Story, that is her own story told to a journalist and it was intended to be published in a magazine in several chapters. It never happened and now the heirs of Milton Greene have published it as a book with Milton's lovely photos of her:

But please don't believe all of it. It was well known that MM often told a lie or exaggerated about her awful childhood and other things she thought should be more interesting.

Well, that was books - but how about movies? Which ones can I recommend? I have several MM movies I love, but my absolute favourite is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I've seen it many times and I never go stale on it. I love both MM and Jane Russel (she is really wonderful in her role) and I love the clothes, the costumes, the dancing, and the songs - watch it:

Another MM classic is Some Like It Hot, where the boys, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, are absolutely fabulous:

Do listen carefully, because there are some really great remarks and a brilliant humour.

And lastly I will recommend to see My Week with Marilyn:

Michelle Williams is doing a fantastic job making a portrait of of MM.

If you have any recommendations for me, do write me a comment.