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"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing...kissing a lot. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn


Saturday, June 28, 2014

The Stylish Seventies- Yes, That's What I Said...

Recently, the cosmetics department at my place of work held an event celebrating the 'Fabulous Seventies', in honor of the brand Fashion Fair. All of us were required to dress in the style of the decade, which initially made me cringe, but I quickly got over that. After all, this ad featuring Judy Pace easily proves that the 1970s were not completely devoid of style and taste.


Newly inspired, I went on a mission to research fashion photos of the decade again, this time with ideas for our event in mind, and militantly determined to think outside of the 'Groovy' bell-bottomed, polyester encased box that has become synonymous with that era.

Although I didnt have a chance to film or photograph my final outfit choice for our Seventies event, I will say that this venture has reawakened my interest and a tutorial or two will likely be in the works that reflects that.

Right off the bat, let's just say this: There are some terrible terrible things that were released from Mother Fashion's bowels during this time. The late 70's were particulaly bad, culminating in what I feel to be the worst fashion years in history, 1980 and '81. (See my blog post here for more on that.)

Case in point:

Watch a few episodes of One Day at a Time or Three's Company and you'll see further evidence of this fact.

But that being said, even the late Seventies had an 'upside' or two. Annie Hall brought us a refreshing trend of oversized menswear which, although not physically flattering perhaps, was decidedly chic and adorable on many a young lady. Even Diane Keaton still sports it on a regular basis.


In addition, every decade seems to revisit the Golden Age of fashion and the 1970s were no exception. While the 1980s failed miserably when it came to the '80's does 50's' trend, for the most part, the Seventies brought back the 20's and 30's with great success. The earlier part of the decade saw a return to large floppy hats, slim-through-the-hip high waisted trousers, cropped sweaters, peter pan collars, and turbans.



There is something decidedly Hepburn about the following sporty fashions:

And I have to admit to being a big fan of the following midriff baring choices, on the right girl:

When researching hair and makeup, the former was usually neither here nor there, with the exception of a few stunning 1920's/1930's inspired bobs and some fabulous afros.


One of the best parts of the decade though, is the makeup, which was by turns painstakingly natural or colorfully indicative of silent film. In both cases, the lashes are the star, either because they are defined and detailed to distraction or because they are almost nonexistent!


If necessity calls upon you to visit this decade of fashion and like me, you are a different kind of vintage gal, blissfully stocked up on all that you thought were the antithesis of such things, this blog will hopefully help you reexamine that. I learned that my 1940's trousers could double as Annie Hall-wear really easily, when paired with a wide tie and a man's shirt. My Audrey-esque sun hat looked very Dunaway when I bent the brim differently. A few carefully applied individual bottom lashes, a subtle and slick lip gloss, and some bronzer went a long way in creating a very accurate 70's makeup. Even fighting the urge to set my hair and embracing it's stringy natural texture proved oddly liberating.

And I didnt even have to break out a lava lamp.

XXOO,

Ashley






Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Fashion Feature: Red Dolly Swimwear

I'm hoping to keep the ball rolling and continue to post to this blog weekly. Once a month, I'll be doing a fashion feature, like the Queen of Heartz feature I did last month.

June heralds the return of warmer weather and our re-entrance into summer activities. So a swimwear feature seemed 'suitable', if you'll pardon the pun.

Last year, I reviewed a few retro style suits on my Youtube channel and the video was well-received. Since my Red Dolly suit was one of the most popular suits in that video, and my personal favorite, I made it a point to order a two-piece option from Heather's company as well. This blog post will focus on that particular suit, but feel free to check out the custom one piece suit in the following video:



For Viva this year,my girlfriends and I decided to sport a 'nautical' theme at the Sunday Pool Party. In anticipation of that, I searched Heather's site for nautical option and immediately fell in love with the following suit:


Now mind you, I have not worn a two piece suit in well over 15 years, before I had children, so I was worried about that. But Heather assured me that the suit was cut to hide and flatter the tummy. Also, she advised me to get the cover-up skirt, so that I'd feel more confident by the pool, if I was still concerned.

I've also always loved those darling hooded beach jackets the ladies wore in the golden age, Clambake-style. So I commissioned one made from a 1950s pattern by my friend Belle, of Delinquente Clothing, that would flatter the navy and white Red Dolly pieces. I couldnt have been happier with the overall look!

The jacket and skirt provided ample protection from the sun, the wind, and my confidence issues.

I loved the deep, wide pockets of the cover-up and the hood was a great little 'plus'.

Needless to say, a skirt like this is a great way to ease oneself back into the two-piece pool, so to speak. The waistband is nice and wide, not constricting, and the skirt also adds a little more femininity to the look, since it is floaty and of a flirty length, unlike other swim skirts I've seen. Oh, and yes, the skirt is completely fine to wear into the water!

However, I was surprised to note that even without the skirt, I felt just fine in the supportive fabric and construction of the bottom half of the suit!


The most important aspect, I felt, was the fact that my tummy was sucked in Spanx-style, but the waistband didnt cause any excess 'spillage' over the top. You guys all KNOW how big a deal that is!

The Verdict:
Heather's suits are one-of-a-kind. They have a similar look to other retro suits,but I just think they're a little more thoughtful than most. I'm happy she is out there! And hey, she makes swimwear for little girls too...so there's also that cuteness to consider.


XXOO,
Ashley

(photos by Dustin Haverstick)








Friday, June 6, 2014

Product Review: Suavecita Pomade

A few months ago, the fellas from Suavecito contacted me, probably based on my reviews for similar products on Youtube and here. I suspect that they wanted to get their feminine pomade in the hands of as many bloggers as possible, which I respect.

So for the duration of this review, let's forget for a moment that I am a die-hard advocate of Layrite, for both males and females. Let's forget I ever sold it, reviewed it, or formed a friendship with the creator and his crew.

A product that is promoted as being specifically for a female stylist should stand on its own and not need to be compared to anything else and I'm sure that's why they gave this to me to try.

So let's start with the packaging:
The signature skull-faced logo with the cute victory rolls is eye-catching, for sure. But in my mind, it seems very targeted. Uncomfortably so. I can't imagine a conservative vintage lover in her 50's, with no knowledge of the west coast rockabilly scene, sitting at her antique dressing table and reaching for this container, or leaving it out on display to accompany her heirloom lady-head vases and sterling brush set. I personally prefer a more subtle packaging with a classic feel, even in a disposable product. For ladies, I prefer a neat,clean design and ageless appeal. This doesn't really have that, in my opinion.

The fragrance: At first sniff, I was puzzled by how strong the fragrance hit me. It calls to mind a hairspray, not a pomade, and there is a hint of alcohol there that is hard for me to ignore. After application, the odor lingers and I found that even my wonderfully scented (in my opinion) Vintage Hair products (from Sally Beauty)could not overpower it. This is a big negative for me, because I love the scent of my shampoo and current styling products, so I don't want my pomade to cancel them out. :(

The product: This is advertised as a light-hold item and makes the following claims:
____________
Suavecita is designed to be versatile in achieving any number of the following tasks:

Texturize Hair
Eliminate Fly Aways or Frizziness
Add Shine
Polish Curls & Waves
Sculpt & Hold Form
_____________

My thoughts:

I didn't find it beneficial for texturizing since its slick texture dries quickly and makes the hair difficult to work afterwards. It leaves a bit more 'crunch' than I'm used to, and I did see some flaking after a few hours of wear, so very light application was necessary to combat that. This is true of most water soluble pomades however, so keep that in mind when working with them.

It does eliminate fly-aways and frizz, but for thick or textured hair, I would probably suggest a more emollient product, something perhaps with an oil base that will condition as it tames. This will dry over time and stray pieces or hairs will likely begin to stray a bit. The same is true of the shine, which is lovely to start, but tends to dull as the product dries. For those of us with thin, fine hair, this is a great product for shine, to start, but I would always suggest topping it off with a dry oil spray as well, so the shine lasts.

It's a decent option for polishing curls and waves, but again, use a light hand because the product can pull out the waves on us straight-haired ladies if you overdo it.

For sculpting and holding more elaborate rolls, I do like the result. The only thing I'd recommend is that you not try to brush through straight or fine hair after application, using it instead to mold and shape existing rolls with your hands. Attempting to re-style hair after applying this pomade could cause problems.

That's about it. It's not awful, but the scent and the dryness are pretty big drawbacks. All in all, I'd suggest getting a sample before you splurge.

Let me know if you have any questions about this product...I'm happy to chat with you about it.

Til then, So long Dearies!


Ashley