GPOY ~ with turban

 I only just this very minute learnt what "GPOY" means.

 I'm such a bad Gen Y. I think I would have been cool in the 60s/70s though, but now I'm just out of touch mannnn.

Anyway I thought I'd name this post after my new found vocabulary (haha) since it is - gratuitous pictures of myself with the added addition of a turban and stuff.

I got home today and was feeling a bit grey so I thought wearing this bright pink turban would cheer me up a bit - and it did! I guess this outfit is channelling 40s 50s and 60s. All of it is thrifted.

Speaking of stripes and jeans, I also love these guys from the 70s! Stripes are, apparently, timeless.

The Ramones

Hope you're having a nice week.

A century (almost) in shoes

I've come to realise what my guilty pleasure in life is:

I really, really enjoy browsing through vintage shoes, whether it's in a market or online I don't really mind.

I think I've always been enchanted by shoes from a very young age, particularly high heels (somewhat ironically since I can't really walk in high heels due to a foot ailment I had as a child). I used to love trying on grown-ups high heels when I was a kid. Then there was the love affair with those little pink plastic princess shoes (you know the ones with the little feathers on the toes that click click around when you walk) that seem to be essential to every four year old girl's life.

I think it's obvious to most people who know me well...or read my blog!...that I love all vintage fashion, but there is something about the design qualities of shoes (their sleekness, shininess, glamour) that seems - when it's done well - to mimic perfection.

A couple of years ago I was browsing through a book shop and I came across a book called Vintage Shoes by Caroline Cox that was basically a pictorial history of shoes, and wow, I fell in love with it. Every decade of shoe history was covered with big colour photographs and biographies of the shoe designers. I suppose everyone who is interested in the elements of design must have one particular object that they favour like houses, or cars, or chairs? Mine I think, must be shoes.

The funny thing is though that despite this visual love for shoes, I don't own many pairs of shoes myself. I think this is because I am very very fussy when it comes to the shoes I wear, I like them to be sleek, easy to walk in and flattering on my feet, and because vintage shoes are often so pricey and hard to come by in large shoe sizes.

The good thing is, I still find pleasure in looking at shoes, even if I can't own them.

Here are some amazing women's shoes (perhaps I will do a post of men's shoes in another post one day) from different decades that I have fallen in love with via etsy.

Just click on the era to go to the source.

Victorian

I am a big fan of Victorian lace-ups. Always thought they looked comfy (but I doubt anyone could fit into them now because their feet were so small!)

1900s

Aren't these just beautiful?

1920s

1930s

1940s-50s

To me, 40s shoes are just the most glamorous...and the 70s tend to mimic the 40s when it comes to shoes so I love them both of course!

1960s

1970s

These are BIBA!! :O

1980s

Love these! Very Molly Ringwald in Pretty In Pink!

1990s...

Well most of us were there weren't we? And to be honest I'm not a huge fan of those chunky Spice Girl platforms....(I'm sure there were some decent shoes in the 90s?) but I'll leave it to your imagination.

What is your favourite shoe era?

1960s eye make-up

The other night I was feeling really bored so I decided to try doing some Penelope Tree style eye make-up to pass the time.

Pamela Des Barres, Penelope Tree, Shelly Duvall & Twiggy
via: sandy says

This is how it turned out (the images are bad quality phone photos sorry!) I have tried doing 60s make-up before and hadn't been entirely happy with the turn out, but this time I think I figured it out. You have to space the liquid eyeliner bottom lash strokes quite far apart for it to show up from a distance...and because my eyes are deep set I have to make the strokes quite long.

Psychedelic Moves: Edie Sedgwick Dancing

Beautiful compilation footage of Edie Sedgwick dancing by Miapink on youtube - dubbed to the haunting psychedelic sounds of the Crystal Stilts.

Just entrancing to watch. What beautiful moves she had.

~ Happy Friday ~

70s skirt 60s shirt

This is what I wore on Tuesday - Melbourne's big Cup Day horse racing holiday. However, because I dislike horse racing - as I do any other kind of animal abuse - I decided to dress in bright colours to stop myself getting too depressed about all the fuss.

It sort of worked.

I love this skirt because it sits really nice on, and I love love this shirt because it is an ascot tie and because it is orange and brown!

In other news:

• I saw George Harrison: Living In A Material World and I loved it and it did not feel like 3+ hours to me.
• I also finally started up a writing blog. I wrote an article about Vintage Shop Assistants and put it up there (I am slightly embarrassed about how angst ridden my writing is) but it's good to write to get stuff out of my system.

Hope you're doing well too.

60s & 70s School Style Summer Inspiration

Today it was a wonderful 30 degrees in Melbourne. It feels as through Summer has hit early, and I'm excited. Bring on the t-shirts and summer dresses. This summer I will be channeling the sunny colours, patterns and shapes of the two decades of Groovy.

Vintage Barbie clothing - she's not exactly Miss Natural, but you have to admit Barbie did have style

I wouls love to get, or possibly make a legitimate 60s  jumpsuit to wear this summer!

Michelle Williams and Kirsten Dunst in 'Dick'

The Runaways

Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith

Images via: http://superseventies.tumblr.com/, http://areyoupassionate.tumblr.com/, http://retrogoddess.tumblr.com/, http://plasticbats.tumblr.com/, stylerookie and rookie mag

Carnaby Street 1968

A time warp, back to the fashions of Carnaby Street in 1968.

Thinking Out Loud

Todays post is really just my mind in pictures, kind of inspiration and what not.

Firstly, I haven't posted about how much I love George in a while, but I still heart George and love this photo. He has a beautiful smile. Men (and women!) who have beautiful smiles are beautiful.

 

I also bought The Beatles Number 1's last week and am loving it. Love these boys. I love seeing pictures of people when they look genuinely happy, which is why I like this picture below. I like the Beatles because they're a happy band (well in the early years) and when I listen to them they make me happy too.

 I just came across this picture on tumblr, and have decided that I need this room to be my bathroom haha I love how kitschy 60s home decor is!

 It's also been a while since I had my hair cut, and it's slowly starting to grow out...contemplating whether or not to cut it again. On Monday my friend suggested over coffee that I should cut my hair in a little 20s bob and gel two little curls around my cheeks. My first response was, this dosen't really work with my 70s tomboy styling, but now it is churning around the back of my head like a growing possibility. Still pondering...

 I also watched Ghost World for the first time this week and really liked it. I like the fact that Enid has this thing for nerdy guys and how cynical she is. I can really relate to that. Feeling like an outsider sometimes. I also just think it's hilarious, and love movies that can make you laugh out loud in a non artificial/trying-too-hard way.

 Finally I've been doing alot of cooking the past week, and need to listen to music while I cook otherwise it's too boring! I've been listening to Led Zepplin a lot and really love Babe I'm Gonna Leave You. It has great riffs.

Anyway thanks for your comments on my previous posts. I always love reading them.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Sunday 60s Juke-box

Thankyou for all the lovely birthday wishes!

Just a few favourite hits for this Sunday evening.

Happy Sunday!

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane

As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithfull

You Can't Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones

Blonde on Blonde memories

I'm listening to this record again.

It is probably my favourite Dylan album that I have listened to, and it is also the first Dylan I ever listened to. So the album has alot of distinct memories attached to it for me. I find with music that you really connect with, you always have memories of when you first listened to it. In this case Blonde on Blonde brings back memories of being in first year uni. Listening to this made me feel very grown up haha but I was still very shy and naive. So now that I'm a little older and a little wiser it's still nice to listen to it, it makes me feel younger. I get this feeling of hopefulness and excitement that you feel when you start growing up...

Anyway, I may have mentioned this before, I can't remember, but the title of this blog is from the song Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands at the end of the album. I pretty much love all the songs on this record and find it really hard to choose favourites, but here is a 'romantic' favourite:

*Also, to all my friendly followers, I am sorry if I haven't commented back much lately, I seem to be having trouble commenting on some blogs and not others?? But know that I am still reading!*



Style Crush: The Brady Girls

The is something so artificially sweet about the Brady Bunch that it becomes addictive (well it does for me anyway) I like to watch it on tv most days and get my slice of 'pretend perfect world of the past.'...plus I love everything about the styling. I want to live in their house and steal their wardrobes!

MARSHA

Marsha "sure is groovy" and she has such pretty outfits though sometimes she really is a bit of a 'goody two shoes'...

I really have my eyes on her long ruffled nighties!

JAN

I love Jan. She's my favourite Brady! She's so cute what with her glasses and her wig fiasco!

CINDY

And Cindy is just all sweet little ringlets Cindy...

Who's your favourite Brady?