Quizz Time

What a  great Quizz for a wintery Thursday ! Take it multiple times - especially if you are an eclectic fashionista - for even more fun!

The back country Bridget Bardot....

Out in remote rural Victoria, Australia you will find many treasures.

 

Quaint country towns. 

Gorgeous scenery.

Amazing wildlife.

 

And beautiful women.

 

Pretty, genuine, warm hearted women. Infact, I know more lovely single women in the country than I do single men - which is an interesting fact considering the media hype surrounding farmers needing wives (an aside thought which has nothing to do with todays post !!)

 

Because there are so many adorable women, I have no trouble finding stunning gals to model for me as I dabble in a bit of fashion shoot fun, and my Bridget Bardot shoot with the beautiful Chanice is no exception.

 

Thankyou to Ros Dwyer for the loan of these lovely 1960's nightdresses.

 

Thankyou to Chanice for being such fun! 

 

 

The Telephone Girl

 

 

 

 



 

 

Vintage Living Fashion No. 2 - Lingerie Dreaming

Vintage lingerie is so very pretty. Silky fabrics, laces and frills. Nothing is more feminine than a sexy petticoat or baby doll nightdress. Think Elizabeth Taylor in 'Cat on a hot tin roof', or Scarlett O'Hara having her corset laced up for the Wilkes barbeque. Heck, even the fembots in pink short and sheer nighties with matching fluffy springolators from Austin Powers!

 

And so, without further ado, allow me to share Alice Jean's take on just how sexy classic lingerie can be in this, our second fashion photo shoot with Brooke Orchard Photography.

 

Enjoy and be inspired to look vintage classy & sexy in your night attire!



 

Photographer: Brooke Orchard Photography

Stylist: Alice Jean's - Vintage Living in a Modern World

 

Petticoats: Alice Jean's own
'Shorty' nighty: Brooke Orchard Photography
1960's Baby Doll Nighty: on loan from Ros Dwyer

 

Location: Alice Jean's unused historic family homestead
  

Models: Bree Laughlin

Sonia Wright

Somayeh Katebiyan

Danielle Marko-Parsons 

 

 

 

Use of these images will require approval from Brooke Orchard Photography or Alice Jean's. Please contact us if you wish to re-use these images anywhere else in cyber space or otherwise.



Vintage Living Fashion - Swimwear Sirens!

Alice Jean's is all about living with a vintage aesthetic in a modern world. It's about leaving behind the need to want and have the latest and greatest in exchange for classic, timeless, holistic living. No where is this more visually evident than in the clothes I wear - home made from classic patterns, bequeathed to me or purchased from thrifting shops, my increasingly bulging wardrobe is full of outfits and a certain style that I hope will endure through the changing tides of the fashion ocean.

 

I wanted to share my belief that a vintage look can work timelessly today in our modern world, and so I have embarked upon a series of fashion shoots using my beautiful friends, my beautiful clothes and my beautiful home country. I do hope you enjoy these fashion posts as much as I have enjoyed bringing them to you - infact I have found it quite addictive, I think there will be many more to come!

 

 

Swimwear Sirens

 

Photographer: Brooke Orchard Photography

Stylist: Alice Jean's - Vintage Living in a Modern World

 

Bathers from: Bettie Sue Boutique, Sugar Doll and Vintage Jantzen

 

Location: 1.Koondrook Goods Shed with milkshakes from
Long Paddock Food Store.
2.Cohuna Island Road.
3.Koondrook River Front with lookout tower from
Sambrooks Building.
 

 

Models: Bree Laughlin

Sonia Wright

Somayeh Katebiyan

Danielle Marko-Parsons

 

Special thanks: I cherished hopes that my friend, up and coming male model Rees Grima, may have been available to 'lifeguard' for this shoot, but as he was not free, I wish to thank Claude for stepping in to brilliantly fill the void at VERY last minute notice.
 

 

 

 

 (The image below has been edited by Alice Jean's - not Brooke Orchard Photography)

 

 

 

 

 

Use of these images will require approval from Brooke Orchard Photography or Alice Jean's. Please contact us if you wish to re-use these images anywhere else in cyber space or otherwise.



Top Five Vintage blogs

Trawling the net for tid bits about your favourite category of interest? Hopefully Alice Jean's can make your search time more profitable - provided you are into mid century culture of course !! Here are my five all time favourite blogs on a mid century theme.....enjoy! (Click on each banner to be taken to the blog page....)

 

Number Five - The Beauty Blog
 

Lindy Charm School for Girls is run by my wonderful friend Miss Chrissy, and if its hair and makeup info you are after, then you wont go wrong here. Miss Chrissy is all about sharing the vintage love and creating a connected vintage community Australia wide - so get on it beauty lovers.....release that inner glamour puss !!!

 

 

Number Four - The Décor Blog

I wasn't really sure if I could include this site as a blog - its just so much more than that! However, I couldn't leave it out....if you are after décor or retro renovation information, there is no better site to turn to. You will be inspired by the authentic houses, and the renovation work of others where keeping a historic aesthetic is paramount. And if you love pastel bathrooms (as I do) this is the site for you!!!

Number Three - The Fashion History Blog

 

If there was an award for the most inspiring clothing blog, this would win hands down. Wearing History is the work of an amazingly dedicated (and downright lovely) woman - her authenticly historic creations will leave you gobsmacked......from Victorian Scarlett O'Hara dresses to 1940's wartime outfits, Wearing History is a stunning example of what human beings achieve when they follow their heart and their passions. Thankyou for sharing your incredible ability with the world !

Number Two - The Stylist Blog

 

If its fashion you love, there is simply no better personification of classic beauty and style in a modern woman than Esme and the Laneway. This treasure of a blog is full of inspirational images - such an artistic stylist and photographer is 'Esme'...... There are also fashion and hair tutorials, and the written word is compelling. The other reason I adore this blog is that it is as far from jumping on the bandwagon vintage trending as you can get. It is authentic and beautiful, and obviously a passion and love of the author - not just the 'vintage washing', make it hip blog of the moment. Such a breath of fresh air in that way. Thankyou for your contribution to a beautiful world my friend ! OXOX

 

 

 

 

Number One - The Music Blog

If I am feeling blue, all I have to do is ....... tune into this digital radio station and I suddenly find myself compelled to dance around the house - no matter if I'm cooking porridge in the mornings or mopping the floors or tapping away at the keyboard, WFMU puts a song in my heart and a spring in my step. They also have the most fantastic blog, full of the quirky, the eccentric, the wild and crazy, and - like every good blog should - the informative. There is no better mid century pop culture blog - or digital music station for that matter ! Love you WFMU!!!

 

 

Capri Pants and my winter outfits.........

 

I know they are not really a winter clothing item, but so far the season here in darling little old Cohuna has been so mild, I have been able to get away with capri pants and jumpers/cardi's in real 60's style. I love capri pants - they can be casual or dressed up, they can be made of all sorts of great fabrics, they are warmer than summer dresses, and more comfortable than scratchy tights. What a winning idea European Fashion Designer Sonja de Lennart was on when she created them in 1948. They were worn initially in Italy, particularly the Isle of Capri from where they got their name, and where Grace Kelly was one of the first film stars to be spotted wearing them. (Below is Audrey Hepburn looking cute as pie in her gingham capri's)

 

 

By the 1960's capri pant popularity was in full force, coaxed on in America particularly by the television series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and the character of Laura Petrie, a young housewife played by Mary Tyler More who "caused a fashion sensation - and some mild controversy - by wearing snug fitting capri pants" throughout the series.

 

 

I don't know quite why, but people often ask me to put up outfit posts on my blog, maybe its a touch of voyeurism, but I don't mind. Here are two of my recent capri pant outfits (I made the pink ones) and my favourite skirt for good measure. One thing that is terrific about 50's skirts is that in winter time you can team them with modern leggings and stretch out their wearability further into the year !

 

What are you wearing this wonderfully rainy winter season?

 

 

(Ha ha! Trying to fit all of myself in the frame of the mirror with high heels on !!)

 

 

 

 

 

(One day, when I teach my babies how to take great photographs, we will get some quality clothing shots instead of these photograph in a mirror attempts !!)

Summer Sewing

Well, the Christmas and summer holidays have been and gone, and Super Mummy had a pretty relaxing time all up - lolling on the banks of Lake Merran and taking an occasional refreshing plunge, dinners at said lake with great friends, coffees at Long Paddock with said friends, hanging at home with lots of great kids flicks, crafts and activities under the air con. Yes indeedy, Super Mummy also had a holiday this summer and feels much better for it. Somewhere in all that recreational relaxation time, Super Mummy also found time to crank out a few new dresses on the sewing machine.....and here they are, ready to be frocked up and hit the town in..... (OK, maybe given my circumstances, hit the coffee shop occasionally is all I can manage, but it's still so much fun to dress up and feel pretty just the same.)

 

 

One shoulder, groovy 60's circle motif in cotton

 

Light and airy peasant dress in embroidered cotton - looks lopsided in this picture but its not in reality

 

Return to Happiness dress - I chose this fabric for that statement written all over it with lilies of the valley emblems in my favourite colour of green.....

 

Heavy weight blue evening fabric with black velvet ribbon and black daisy's spotted all over the bodice  I NOTE: Edith Head used alot of blue and black combo's in her costume design......

 

So - which one grabs your eye? And what have you been sewing lately yourself? Hope your Christmas New Year break was equally productive in whatever tickles your fancy!

 

Catch a Thief Glasses........

 

 

Whats not to love about vintage sunnies - especially cats eyes, studded with dimontees in all sorts of colours? And mens wayfareres or clubmasters are the ultimate in old school cool, dont you agree? (You have probably read before how a pair of classic mens wayfarer style reading glasses makes me go weak at the knees !!) But if you are like me, once you have paid a premium for a great vintage pair on ebay, the last thing you want to do is leave them sitting in your car on a 45 degree northern Victorian summers day, or shove them in your handbag amongst all the other gear in there to get scratched and damaged. And if you are lucky enough to have have a retro sunglasses case for your vintage frames, very ofton I find the case just doesn't fit in my dainty and oh so cute vintage hand bag. Well, to me the obvious solution is to purchase a replica pair of vintage frames for every day use, and save the real deal for special occasion dressing. So with that in mind, take a peek at these lovely numbers, available from Catch A Thief Sunglasses (and photography by the beautiful Brooke at Brooke Orchard Photography) Simply classic style !

 

 

Beautiful Readers, I occasionally get asked to host guest posts, or link to other blogs etc for promotional purposes, and I dont always buy into this because a) very often there is no incentive for me to do so, b) the product endorsements have little or no association with the historic theme of my blog or c) I want to steer away from insulting the intellegence of my readership by promoting gimiky crap. If you do see me promoting a service or product on here, you can be sure that I believe in the product, it fits the theme of my blog and I am most likely not receiving any cut from doing so.

Country Races - a great destination for vintage and contemporary fashion....

 

Last Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity of being a Fashions on the field judge at the Moulemein Country Races.....and despite the heat it really was such fun. Emily Wood from Local Mag and I sojourned together the hour or so up country from home to partake in the happy, relaxed and downright delightful carnival atmosphere. To my joy, there was a wonderful mix of innovative and stunning fashions, country characters, excellent music and deliciously gourmet fare...... I wanted to linger on enjoying the day for as long as I could.

 

As so many of my lovely readers are fashion lovers, I have included photographs of the winners of fashions on the field - at extreme top, lady of the day in her deliciously vintage-tinged outfit of beige and maroon - elegance personified. I should add at this juncture that the decision was not mine alone so there really was no favouritism for anyone in vintage adornment ! The vibrant lady in pink above was runner up for lady of the day - I adored the contrast of purple hydrangeas in her hat with the hot pink of her dress.

Runner up and winner of best hat shown above - lots of colour blocking to be seen at this years races and it was all good !

 



 

Emily and I braving the heat for some race day fun !

 

My outfit was a darling vintage hat purchased for $30 on ebay with a chiffon dress I made inspired by Elizabeth Taylor in 'Cat on a hot tin roof' and, of course, that famous dress of Marilyns ! (The majority of my concept did actually come from Elizabeth though!!!) You cant see in any of the photographs, but my shoes were grey snake skin pumps, purchased for $20 off Emily at a market 3 weeks earlier !!!

 

Just some happy snaps of the race meet.......

 

Coming up soon in this season for country racing, is the Boxing Day Kerang meet....something I would encourage everyone who can to get along to....... on offer, simply for attending, is a trip to Europe - who wouldnt want to be in on that? Besides, it is the perfect opportunity for we gals to frock up and enjoy being glamorous yet again......and gentlemen, every glamorous lady enjoys a handsome man to bring her a glass or two of champagne !!! Looking forward to seeing you all there !