A red lipstick

Thank you and goodbye

2011-07-19T21:06:00.000+02:00

For a little more than 3 years I've had this blog where I daydream and share with you the things that inspire me.

It's been lovely to create my own little world here on the internet, but now, instead of continuing with this blog I want to focus on building the real world around me - hopefully with elegance and style - but also with love and so much more.

Thank you all for reading, for commenting, for sharing your own thoughts and inspiration, for being yourselves.

xxx
A red lipstick

Textile

2011-07-17T23:32:00.000+02:00

I'm longing to create something, make a life-less piece of fabric into a garment, play with colours, give things a new shape, focus on details, use a needle and a thread for something else than just sewing on a button. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have fun with the sewing machine...

In the photo: my grandmother (to the far right) and other young women learning to sew in a German refugee camp in the 1950s (?).

Recollection

2011-07-02T23:11:00.000+02:00

Found this lovely brand Recollection through Colette Patterns where you also can read an interview with the designer.

Hair inspiration

2011-06-23T13:03:00.000+02:00

Recently I cut my hair and now I'm having fun experimenting with different hair do's.

Image from Chronically Vintage Blog

On self-image, self esteem and outer vs innter beauty

2011-06-03T18:12:00.000+02:00

Our body is only a small part of who we are and much more important are the good deeds that we do, the way we behave towards our fellow human-beings, the changes we make in the world, our attitude in life. Isn't that what we would like to be seen as and not just as a pretty face and body?

So why is the amount of time and energy we use to improve our looks often much higher than the time and energy we use to work on our character traits?

Unfortunately the media with its TV shows, commercials, fashion magazines, music videos and blogs tells us how important it is to have a nice body and even though we actually would like to be seen as clever, creative, kind and strong women to be taken seriously and treated with respect we often create an image of ourselves that focuses mostly on our body.

If we would see female professors, politicians, doctors, royalties or other respected people dressing like pop idols wearing only underwear or clothing that looks like underwear we would easily loose the respect for them. So why do so many young girls aspire to look like pop idols when they at the same time hope to be treated with respect and dignity? Isn't that a contradiction?

Short shorts, strapless dresses, tight tops, even red lips which I so much love are saying: 'Hey! Look at my body/face/outer beauty!' Once we send out these signals it becomes hard for other people to look past the physical and see who a person is on the inside. There is nothing wrong with wearing clothes that are pretty, but when our clothes reveal most of our body instead of covering it we do indeed draw the attention away from our personality.

Maybe we could ask: 'What does it matter that other people see only my outside as long as I know who I am on the inside?' But one of the problems with dressing in a way that show us as sex objects rather than spiritual, thinking being is that other people's view actually affect the way we look at ourselves and it becomes easy to lower oneself into just a body instead of seeing oneself as a person with dignity, great spiritual strength and amazing abilities to change the world.

Comments, thoughts and answers the questions underneath would be much appreciated.

Have you had experiences where you felt more or less respected based on what you wore or didn't wear?
Is your self esteem more connected to your body and looks or your personality and what you do for others?
Is it possible to communicate the importance of a good personality in a blog that mainly focuses on old fashion glamour and beauty or is that a contradiction?
Does this blog undermine the importance of a good personality?

In front of the mirror

2011-05-31T17:38:00.000+02:00

I don't wear make-up on a daily basis so when I do put on make-up I enjoy taking my time, going through the ritual starting with foundation powder and ending with a splash of perfume.

Skirt for the summer

2011-05-19T09:10:00.000+02:00

As well as the colours and the pattern what I I love about this skirt is the feeling of light fabric flowing around my legs and the fact that I can walk and move so freely when wearing it.

Blouses

2011-04-27T10:45:00.000+02:00

I have a lot of t-shirts and simple, quite boring tops that I normally wear together with a skirt. But shirts and blouses would look much more stylish so I hope I'll find something nice in the shops soon. Maybe something like this...

Dear Hamas, can you stop shooting at us please?

2011-04-10T00:37:00.001+02:00

"Run, fast!" were the words that woke me up in the middle of the night. Still half asleep I grabbed the blanket from my bed as I ran after the family, who was so kind to host me this weekend, out of the house to the nearest shelter. When the alarm stopped after a few minutes everyone went back to their beds but I had a hard time falling asleep again.

This is the first time I hear the bomb alarm, the first time I run to a shelter and the first time I hear the explosions from rockets. More than 50 rockets have been fired on Israel from Gaza since yesterday, a few days ago a school bus was hit, a few weeks ago a bomb exploded at a bus station in Jerusalem and the before that two parents and three of their six children were killed by terrorists in their own home while sleeping, the youngest child being only a few months old.

How is it even possible to hope for peace?

Up in the Air by Marco Trunz

2011-04-07T18:56:00.000+02:00

Source

Red dress

2011-04-05T15:26:00.000+02:00

Spring is here

2011-03-20T12:42:00.000+01:00

Sources: 1, 3 David Hamilton, 2 private, 4 unknown

Oscar de la Renta

2011-03-05T19:28:00.000+01:00

Silent moments of beauty

2011-03-04T11:18:00.004+01:00

The smell of fresh flowers, a good book, paintings in a gallery...

Images: 1 Marguerite Kelsey painted by Meredith Frampton, 1928, 2 Picture of Clara bow, 3 Photo by John Rrawlings

Hawaii, 1940s

2011-02-21T20:25:00.000+01:00

Dior, and the beauty of accessories

2011-02-03T01:14:00.000+01:00

Here are a few images from Dior's latest collection that show the beauty of accessories which was the theme of my last post. Of course the dresses in the show are overwhelming, but I think that it's the accessories that adds the personality to the outfits. And the accessories we see in the collection are truly are pieces of art, whether it's a fancy hat or a more simple glove covering the arm.

Source: style.com

The beauty of accesories

2011-01-29T21:33:00.000+01:00

Illustrations by René Gruau. Source

Fendi

2011-01-20T15:47:00.000+01:00

London nostalgia

2011-01-08T20:55:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I miss wandering around in the streets with my friends, going to vintage and charity shops for new clothes and inspiration, looking at books and at people, checking out museums with art or history, listening to people playing gigs in a pub.

Photos: private

Shoe shopping in 1945

2010-12-17T00:07:00.000+01:00

Source: myvintagevogue

A perfect dress

2010-12-08T22:33:00.000+01:00

I love everything about this dress; the colour, the length and style, the fitted waist and the neckline. I can't afford to buy it, but maybe one day I'll make myself a similar one...

Dress by Jason Wu, picture from style.com

Birthday wishes

2010-11-30T23:13:00.000+01:00

The days in Israel are still warm but this embroidered jumper would be perfect for the chilly nights, and a pretty notebook for all the Hebrew words I'm learning would also be nice.

Photos: unknown

Dita

2010-11-24T22:58:00.000+01:00

This is one of the more simple outfits I've seen on Dita von Teese, but nonetheless beautiful. I like the classical combination of black with gold details and red lips.

1952

2010-11-18T22:16:00.000+01:00

Source

Stockings and lingerie :)

2010-11-10T17:13:00.000+01:00

If you like stockings and lingerie then take a look at these links!

Vintage Stockings (pictures, films, history)
19 Rules for Your Lingerie

Suzy Parker, 1950s

2010-10-31T20:18:00.000+01:00

Source

Glamour on a Friday

2010-10-08T15:56:00.000+02:00

To those who commented on my last posts, thank you very much! It has been interesting to read what you think.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Shabbat shalom!

Drawing by Caitlin Shearer, photos unknown

Short or long skirts

2010-09-27T00:52:00.000+02:00

The first picture is from the 1950s, the second one from 2004 and one of the few differences is the length of the skirts.

Being in Jerusalem for a few weeks, surrounded by a lot of religious people dressing in a much more modest way that I am used to, has made me think about the way I and a lot of other people from a western culture expose our bodies to get attention.
I must admit that I like the attention from men, or even other girls, when I wear something that I look sexy in. But do those clothes stop people from seeing who I really am on the inside?

What do you think?

Going away

2010-08-29T23:59:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday I'm leaving for Israel where I'll be staying the next ten months. I honestly don't know how often I'll be blogging as I'll be quite busy and will have other things to think about than pretty black & white photos from the 50s, lovely rockabilly dresses, red lipsticks and these things that you know I love. Hopefully I might still do a post every now and then when I see something that inspires me and when I'm in the mood for it.

Now I have to go and pack my stuff! :)

Image from Millie Motts

Roxie and Velma

2010-08-27T17:22:00.000+02:00

Pictures from the film Chicago

Summer dresses

2010-08-27T14:12:00.000+02:00

These young ladies look so lovely!

Red

2010-08-24T19:07:00.000+02:00

The perfect colour for getting attention and for getting in a good mood when it's raining. Red shoes or red lipstick is not a bad idea, or you can go for a whole red outfit like the lady in the last picture. (I normally stick to the lipstick but I wish I owned some more red clothes as this is my favourite colour.)

Photos: 1 and 3 from Fashion Gone Rouge and 2 from Frou Frou Fashionista

Lena Hoschek

2010-08-11T19:17:00.000+02:00

I love the mix of pin-up, vintage and rock n' roll in Lena Hoschek's designs!

PS. I'm taking a break from blogging the next two weeks.

Black and white inspiration

2010-08-05T20:47:00.000+02:00

Here are some of my favourite black and white photos that inspire me to be glamorous, happy and to challenge myself (I'm not going to pose with a lion or shoot at someone like in two of the pictures though).

Black and peach

2010-08-03T21:45:00.000+02:00

Vintage-inspired lingerie and nightwear dreams from Topshop.

Far from Heaven

2010-08-02T23:57:00.000+02:00

Such a touching film.

Skirt with dots

2010-08-01T15:20:00.000+02:00

The skirt is just one of my (almost) thousand clothes with dots.

Music

2010-07-30T21:12:00.000+02:00

Photos: unknown

Umbrellas and rain coats

2010-07-29T23:47:00.000+02:00

Can you guess what the weather is like outside my window right now?

Images from NewVintageLady

Today's find: typewriter

2010-07-25T19:08:00.000+02:00

Say hello to my Continental typewriter from 1910! I bought it at a market for 300 kr (£30). After cleaning it I will spend the evening writing letters.

Glamour on a Friday and a few links

2010-07-23T13:19:00.000+02:00

This morning before work I had an orange juice in a cafe whilst enjoying the sun. Having time for such things gives me a wonderful feeling of glamour and peace. Today I'll share with you some inspiration and the links to some articles that might be of interest. Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!

Airplane Etiquette in Mien Magazine
Building a Vintage Wardrobe: Blouses on Va-Voom Vintage
Quick tips for dating vintage on Vintage Fashion Guild
The Problem with Praising Modesty on Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing

Images: 1 Caitlin Shearer, 2 The Freelancer's Fashionblog, 3 unknown, 4 and 5 from the film 'An Education'

The Philadelphia Story

2010-07-20T21:50:00.000+02:00

Everyday-wear

2010-07-18T14:33:00.000+02:00

A long party dress is not the most practical thing to wear but I'm sure that wearing one and looking beautiful can make any activity more fun! If I owned the two dresses in the picture below I definitely would wear them a lot!

Modess ad, 1950. Source

Rare antique rings, 1870-1910

2010-07-18T06:50:00.000+02:00

Images from Tadema Gallery

Cycle outfits

2010-07-14T23:08:00.000+02:00

I'm cycling quite a lot now that it's summer and not only is it a good way to get around quickly but it's also great exercise (at least when getting home from town takes half an hours and the whole way is uphills!). Cycling is no reason not to look nice though, here is some proof:

'She Once Was Mine' by Andoni & Arantxa

2010-07-12T21:29:00.000+02:00

Source

A very beautiful dress.

2010-07-10T18:00:00.000+02:00

I much prefer a dress with an open back to one with a low neckline that reveals a lot of cleavage. And this dress is one of the most beautiful ones I've seen. I love the draping in the back and the way the light falls onto it.
Oh, how I would love to be wearing it!

Photo source

Knickers and bras...

2010-07-07T21:47:00.000+02:00

Hair flowers

2010-07-07T00:31:00.000+02:00

I just made these hair flowers that will add some colour and summer to any outfit. I used a glue gun to fasten the fake flowers to a bobby pin, so it only took me a minute to make them!

Hawaii, 1950s

2010-07-06T18:39:00.000+02:00

Back from Roskilde

2010-07-06T11:40:00.000+02:00

I'm home again after a lovely week at Roskilde festival with lots of nice people, partying and running back and forth between concerts. My feet hurt after all the dancing but I've had such a great time!

Photos by me. The Icelandic metal band Solstafir in the first picture and Patti Smith in the third one.

Glamour on a Friday - and goodbye for a little while

2010-06-25T16:14:00.000+02:00

I'm packing for Roskilde festival in Denmark, but before those ten unglamorous days where I'll stay in a tent and only have a minimum of clean clothes I've spoiled myself with a foot bath and I've been drinking tea at a friend's house.

I'm going to be busy listening to good music, meeting people I haven't seen for a long time and having fun so I wont be blogging until I'm back. I hope you all enjoy yourself in the meantime!

Photos: 1 and 4 private, 2 (and 3?) from Calivintage's tumblr blog.

Shirt

2010-06-23T11:00:00.000+02:00

Here is my darling vintage shirt that I don't wear much though it is very lovely. I got it in a charity shop for 50 pence one and a half year ago and it's one of my favourite finds.

Pretty pretty lingerie

2010-06-19T19:31:00.000+02:00

I have a passion for lingerie, especially lingerie from the 1940s and 50s. So how can I not love these pictures? I hope you do too!

Source

Two dresses I wish were mine

2010-06-19T12:03:00.001+02:00

Dresses from Vivien of Holloway

Today's accesories

2010-06-14T11:58:00.000+02:00

Brooch, silk scarf and purse - all secondhand.

Guns, money and great style

2010-06-13T12:26:00.000+02:00

Even though we all know that to rob banks and kill people is wrong there is something appealing about criminals. As well as being feared and hated they are idolised, and several films have been made about famous criminals (such as Bonnie and Clyde).

I've just watched Public Enemies, a film about the legend John Dillinger who robbed banks during the great depression, and I liked it a lot. In the film John Dillinger is played by Johnny Depp and he certainly has class and a great style, and lots of guns and money.. His girlfriend Billie Frechette is played by Marion Cotillard who looks really lovely.

Here are the real John Dillinger and Billie Frechette:

More colours...

2010-06-11T01:32:00.000+02:00

This summer I'll try to wear more colours and patterns instead of the black/grey/dark blue clothes that normally tend to wear.
I want to wear colourful dresses, circle skirts, lovely blouses and flowers in my hair. I want to look happy, like these ladies really do!

New York, 1946

2010-06-07T18:09:00.000+02:00

The elegance of this girl is breathtaking, I have no words to describe how pretty I think her outfit is.

Source

Glamour on a Friday

2010-06-04T19:05:00.001+02:00

Paper doll outfit

2010-06-04T15:10:00.000+02:00

Today I stopped by a charity shop and found some paper dolls and different outfits that are a copy of some from the 1940's. This is my favourite outfit of them all; it looks so great with the hat and the sunglasses!

I'm testing out how it looks with larger images on the blog, please let me know what size you prefer!

Sun

2010-06-01T22:53:00.000+02:00

I have to admit that my mood is ruled by the weather much more than I thought. Luckily it's really lovely now; sunny and warm. The air smells of flowers and I can hear children's laughter the whole day. In Oslo we're not too spoiled with good weather; I don't think it's more than three weeks since last time it snowed but now it's suddenly warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts/skirt. I just have to take advantage of it as long as it last, so this afternoon I went cycling with a friend and the morning I spent outside on the grass, reading. Here are some pictures that inspire me with their cute summer look, aren't they nice?

Photos by Marlene Marino

Slip

2010-05-30T19:24:00.000+02:00

I've been looking for vintage slips for a while but today I found this one at a market. The colour is beautiful and I only paid 40 kr (£4) which is not bad at all compared to Norwegian prices on second-hand. It belonged to the seller's grandma and I'm so happy that I'm its new owner!

Did you know Marilyn loved to read?

2010-05-27T20:40:00.000+02:00

Source

Paris 36

2010-05-26T17:43:00.000+02:00

Pretty

2010-05-25T14:19:00.000+02:00

Vintage-inspired

2010-05-25T13:34:00.000+02:00

Lately I've felt quite inspired - probably because of the warmer weather, but I have to say that seeing lovely photos like these also helps :)
The pictures are all found on fashiongonerogue, just click on the links below the photos if you would like to know more about them or see more pictures from the shoots.

Badass

2010-05-21T15:49:00.000+02:00

These are two of my favourite photos from The Sartorialist's vintage photo contest. The girl in the first picture and the one to the left in the second picture do not only look very stylish but also quite badass. I love that!

Granny skirt worn as dress

2010-05-20T08:29:00.000+02:00

This is what I'm wearing today:

Liliroze

2010-05-16T14:45:00.000+02:00

Photography: Liliroze

(Finally) spring

2010-05-15T21:51:00.000+02:00

Knitted tops

2010-05-15T21:46:00.000+02:00

'Far From Heaven' by Javier Vallhonrat for Vogue UK

2010-05-07T16:07:00.000+02:00

Love the 60's look and the colours!

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

I've always wished I had curly hair.

2010-05-05T17:52:00.000+02:00

Pin-up postcards

2010-05-02T19:11:00.001+02:00

Weekend

2010-05-01T14:05:00.000+02:00

Today I'm going out for a lunch and I think I will spend the night sewing if I'm in a creative mood then. Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

Photos: 1, 2 and 4 unknown and 3 from here

Vintage lingerie

2010-04-28T18:10:00.000+02:00

Not all 1940's and 50's lingerie looks comfortable. For example the bra in the fourth picture must be almost painful to wear and perhaps I'd hate the lingerie if I had to wear it everyday! But I think that might be one of the reasons why I like it so much; a girdle and vintage stockings are things I don't wear often at all, and it therefore gives me a feel of luxury, and make me feel more special.
And then of course a vintage girdle doesn't only make women look sexy with most of our clothes off, but it gives us a nice silhouette that makes us look better with clothes on as well!

Matt Irwin for Vogue Russia

2010-04-25T10:33:00.000+02:00

Photos found here

Beauty night

2010-04-24T20:07:00.000+02:00

After flicking through a beauty book from the 1950s and a "women encyclopaedia" from 1961 that I got from a flea market I've decided to do this tonight:

Wash my hair and brush it,

Take a foot bath, scrub my feet and give myself a pedicure,

Scrub my elbows and dip them in oil for moisture,

And paint my nails red.

All the above images are from those two books I mentioned

Keeping Well Dressed

2010-04-20T19:22:00.000+02:00

This 1940's film clip gives us some great tips on how to be well dressed by taking good care of our clothes, putting them away neatly and and always making sure that the hemline is even, the slip where it belongs and the stocking seams straight. I truly agree with this lady who says that "No matter how much you spend, if you don't take good care of what you have you wont be well dressed." I hope you enjoy the clip!

Video from Glamour Daze

Lipstick inspiration for the weekend

2010-04-16T20:25:00.000+02:00

Drawing by Caitlin Shearer, photo by Stefania Paparelli

Some links to click on... And two more awards :)

2010-04-15T19:21:00.000+02:00

Girl of my dreams is a tumblr blog with old and new scans from my favourite magazine Lula. Pretty pretty pretty!

An informative article on women's hairstyles during the war on Glamour Daze.

For those of you who live in Norway and love flea markets this web page gives you updated information about where and when to find them: loppemarked.info

'Fashion Through the Decades' - a great article with wonderful illustrations at Ana Lee.

Thank you so much Sea Doll for this lovely Breakfast at Tiffany's award, which "represents the feeling that Miss Go Lightly gets when she visits Tiffany's". There aren't any 'real' rules, just pass it on to as many blog writers who make you feel like you are at Tiffany's. I'd like to give this award to Miriam from Kafferepet!

Thank you very much Bree for this Sunshine Award!

Miss America 1924

2010-04-09T19:37:00.000+02:00

Pictures from The Cat's Pajamas

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-04-09T19:01:00.000+02:00

I've been tagged by Hila from le project d'amour to list seven facts about myself and I've been given the Beautiful Blogger Award by Francy from Pixie Drive-In. As a part of this award I'm also supposed to write seven things about myself, but please excuse me for writing seven facts only once. Thank you very much Hila and Francy for tagging me!

- I drink a lot of tea
- I'm quite structured and organised
- Red is my favourite colour but I rarely wear anything red (except from lipstick)
- I have to sisters and I'm the oldest one
- When I was a child I wanted to become a detective
- Now I have a dream about starting a lingerie shop sometime in the future
- I started this blog to gather all the pictures that inspire me in one place

I pass the award on to Fröken Lila, Benedicte (snegourotchka), Little Rascal, Treacle (Lingerie Addict), Betty Lou, Greetz from Tiz and Jessica (Chronically Vintage)

Please list seven facts about yourself and pass the award on to seven other bloggers! :)

Cardigan

2010-04-03T16:47:00.000+02:00

A while ago I bought a boring, rather baggy cardigan in a charity shop and after shortening the length and the sleeves and making the waist nipped-in it's actually wearable! I'm quite happy with the result and will probably wear it a lot this summer :)

Glamour on a Friday

2010-04-02T18:52:00.000+02:00

Kiss Me Deadly

2010-04-02T17:32:00.000+02:00

Treacle from The Lingerie Addict is celebrating her 2 year blogging anniversary with a giveaway (ending 14th April) where you can win the most lovely lingerie from Kiss Me Deadly. And seriously, check out all the collections from Kiss Me Deadly, everything is to die for!

Blog inspiration

2010-03-26T23:35:00.003+01:00

I often get inspired by these ladies' blogs; by their vintage or homemade outfits, lovely hairdos and impeccable makeup. (click on the images to get to their blogs)

Natalia Vodianova by Steven Meisel

2010-03-24T08:56:00.000+01:00

Pastels colours and such pretty clothes - these pictures are wonderful!

Walk the Line

2010-03-21T12:56:00.000+01:00

I saw this film a few days ago and loved it! And I loved June's cute 50's dresses and little cardigans as well, just have a look at these pictures:

Most pictures from Screencap Paradise.

Bettie Page

2010-03-16T18:42:00.000+01:00

Teens, late 1950's

2010-03-09T19:32:00.000+01:00

The two last pictures are from the film Rebel Without a Cause, the first one unknown.

Dolce and Gabbana fall 2010

2010-03-09T19:20:00.000+01:00

In Grande Stile

2010-03-07T22:12:00.000+01:00

These picture are pieces of art. A guy resting his head on a girl's lap, a girl looking at herself in the mirror - such little moments have been captured so beautifully and dramatic in these pictures. And the 1920's inspired styling is wonderful, don't you think?

Spring dreams

2010-03-04T00:54:00.000+01:00

Everyone is talking about the spring, but it's really not here in Oslo yet, and let's face it - it's not gonna come quite yet either. I did see the sun today, but as it's still several minus degrees and tons of snow outside spring clothes are only to find inside the closet, in shops and of course in people's dreams. It would be lovely to wear a pair of ballerina flats instead of two pairs of wool socks and some thick leather boots on my feet, and I'd feel wonderful in a dress and bare legs instead of.. well a dress and legs covered in black wool tights. And I've started to miss wearing my leather jacket instead of a winter coat. It's not actually the winter I'm complaining about, but I just feel so uninspired by the winter clothes now and have started to dream about a spring wardrobe inspired by the 40s, 50s and rock.

Hopeless Lingerie

2010-03-02T22:42:00.000+01:00

Below are some pictures of my favourite Hopeless Lingerie pieces. Aren't they lovely? If you think so, or if you like the other things from Hopeless I just wanna let you know that you can win a gift voucher at Spokes 'n' Daggers (which is the designer's blog). The giveaway is open until Thursday.

Put on some lipstick and a smile

2010-02-23T16:52:00.000+01:00

Oscar de la Renta

2010-02-18T17:35:00.000+01:00

Couldn't you imagine a 1940's Hollywood star wearing these dresses? I'd definitely wear them if I could!

Rock n roll

2010-02-14T21:23:00.001+01:00

Photo by Paul Almasy, 1950's

Lovely lingerie photos

2010-02-08T01:53:00.000+01:00

Photos by Bob Wolfenson for Vogue Brazil via Frou Frou Fashionista