Sometimes you get a certain appetite that just hits the spot. And so it is with today’s inspirations.  When I first came across these sorts of books as a ten year old girl, I knew there was something extraordinary about them.  I didn’t necessarily read them all, I had more of a penchant for mystery, murder and intrigue than men at that age, but I used to stare at the covers for hours.

Feast your eyes and let your imaginations run wild….

I’d wear each and every one of these looks in a heartbeat!

BIG NEWS!

Yep, that big! This time next week, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week will be getting it’s first dose of serious vintage glamour!  As part of the lunch time series at City Square, I’ve been asked to present a couple of workshops on The Vintage Glamour Look.

It is going to be some fun in the afternoon, that’s for sure. We’ve made this a free event so as many of you as are able to come can – all inclusive! Bring your mother, bring your daughter, bring your friends and even bring your man. There’ll be tips, tricks, models and beautiful clothes. You can find out more about the MSFW lunch series here.  I’ll be presenting as part of the Slumber in the City and Beauty and the Beach theme days, so just click on through to find all the details and see what else is on stage that day.

Remember, I’ll also be appearing as a special guest for Celebrity Stylist Philip Boon at The Stylist Says Workshop on Saturday 4th September. You can book tickets for that one here or you have one more day to leave me a comment on this post to WIN one!

So bring out your vintage best this MSFW and work the week in style!

I have a new hat. I put it on a took a photo. Then I realised who I reminded myself of…

Lauren Bacall!

Yes, she’s a blonde and I’m a brunette, but there was something in the mood of this photo ( in which I was attempting to capture good detail of the hat for you) that begged for black and white. So I worked a little Photoshop magic lighting and got the feeling I’d seen this before.  Okay, so perhaps not exactly the same, but I’m sure you get the same feeling I do with this.  Anyway, I digress…

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I have a new hat. One of the greater thing about living in Melbourne as opposed to let’s say Sydney, (I speak from experience so don’t lampoon me), is that you can wear a hat here and people just think you are ‘arty’ as opposed to ‘completely crackers’!  Either way, I’d still wear mine, but living in Melbourne does make me feel like I have license to wear them more often without being compelled to answer a barrage of questions each time I make an outing.

This lovely number is a black felt, 1940′s afternoon hat.  I’m always a sucker for the asymetrical, but the fact that is an “afternoon hat” as different to a “morning hat” wins me over!  And I totally love it.  Some people tell me they can’t wear hats, which is actually complete rubbish; you just need to know what suits your face shapes and how to create hat hair.  This is not the kind of hair that is flatened after wearing a hat, but hair that is created around that hat so that it look stunning both on and off.  Today, I went with pin curls and a feature side sweep.

And what did this look like all put together for my afternoon meeting?

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Pretty darn swanky for a $150 outfit!

(yes I fixed my seams after taking the photo – thank goodness for outfit shots to get a better rear view!)

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Outfit Details

Blouse – retro 1980′s  does 1940′s styling, Gabrielle label – found at Poppet

Skirt – Friends of Couture

1940′s Afternoon hat – Vintage found at Clara Fox

Stockings – Voodoo

Shoes – Luca & Marc

Fan – Wooden fretwork red fan found in an antique store

Lisptick – MAC Russian RED

I know Mother’s Day is still a little way off, but I was doing some rummaging around today and wanted to share this with you.  When I came across this photo I almost cried. Miss Two now looks almost exactly the way I do in this photo and that makes me fell a thousand things.  Not least is that I am so grateful to have had a well dressed mother who lead by example and taught me about style – not fashion. Who let me explore dress up boxes and wear what I wanted (mostly, although there were a few dodgy teen years there). Who taught me to see the value in a well cut suit, a second hand knit and to create with a needle what my mind would dream.

This photo is the beginning. It is the foundation of a lifetime of joy through style, of understanding balance, colour and harmony. It is one of the best gifts I was ever given.

xxx

Often on these pages you’ll find I am inspired by the beautiful actresses of the Golden Years of Hollywood. However, my true style inspirations required a little more substance than simply looking great in a killer gown.  Which is why when I came across the stunningly beautiful and pioneering Aleshia Brevard, I was quite bowled over.

Aleshia Brevard was born in Tennessee in 1937… as Alfred Brevard Crenshaw. With an artistic talent, Alfred dreamed of growing up to become just like his idol Veronica Lake.  He would drape his head in a white towel, emulating her familiar peak-a-boo hair style. All this little boy wanted was to blossom into a stunning Hollywood bombshell…. in the 1940′s.  Later, working as a female impersonator at Finnochio’s, Alfred played and partied with the likes of Lana Turner and Betty Davis, yet he still  sought not just to  impersonate, but to truly become a woman.

So strong was his commitment to becoming his true self, that in the absence of a willing surgeon, Alfred performed his own castration before subsequently undergoing gender re-assignment surgery in 1962. Now the Aleshia had finally released her true self, she continued making her mark of the entertainment world with vigor. Studying acting, appearing on film and television, even going on to become a Playboy Bunny. What a woman!

The strength of character and will it takes to become a success in Hollywood is one thing.  To do it against all odds, and traditional gender roles, is quite another.  While I have no real understanding of what life must have been like for Aleshia, I do understand her level of commitment.  She new what she wanted and fought hard to achieve her goals, going on to be come on of the most remarkable women in entertainment history.  There is so much to Aleshia’s story that fascinates me. You may not agree with her choices, but you have to admire  her courage and strength of conviction. The point that stays with my most is her understanding of glamour’s power to transform, to make of you the YOU you truly are.

Here is some of Aleshia’s story for you. Amazing!