Living Doll - August 2011

How delightful it is to bring you our beautiful Miss August - Esz Molnar, one of the most beautiful gal's - inside and out - that I know !  

What does 'vintage' mean to you?

Anything from the late 60’s and earlier. I don’t really have much interest in anything later than that!

What was it that first prompted your interest in vintage culture?

I can’t really remember - My first foray into the vintage look was a Vivien of Holloway dress. I don’t mind a bit of repro but I soon discovered that *real* vintage was not only cheaper but way more unique. It’s only been a couple of years since I’ve been wearing vintage but I remember it being quite a revelation that I don’t need to fit into what’s “trendy” - instead picking a silhouette that suited me. The rest soon followed!

What is your favourite era, and do you 'live it' every day? In what ways?

I love the 50’s the most but have a great fondness for the 40’s and the early 60’s. The 40’s I wish I had more of but I’ve found great solace in the plethora of 40’s sewing patterns available! Which reminds me, I really should complete that 40’s dress I’ve been making. :-D

My favourite styles are slim, wiggle dresses and also the 50’s New Look. Quite a contrast I know but I wake up most mornings either craving a wiggle dress or a ridiculous puffy skirt. Unfortunately the puffy skirts are probably more suitable for the weekend!

I would think that I am living a vintage lifestyle to an extent. I don’t like to consume rampantly and am always very disillusioned when I go shopping in regular stores. Everything is just so poorly made. However, I’ve never really been very good at styling my hair in the vintage way.

Tell us about your favourite item of vintage clothing, kitchenalia, music, furniture or whatever !

Oh gee this one is tough! I have a few showstopper dresses which don’t get worn very often but I love them just because I have them. These include the blue linen big collared dress in one of my pics. It has white embroidered grapes all over it and little mother of pearl embellishments on the collar. Also, my most recent purchase of a spectacular 50’s Nat Tuman fine silk taffeta dress which will be debuted at a friends wedding in Fiji. It is bright blue with pink roses, a big gathered section at the hip and structured neckline. (so hard to describe - must get pics!) It might be entirely overdressed for an island wedding but overdressing is a habit of mine! I bought both these dresses from Etsy. I LOVE Etsy!

Oh and I could go on and tell you all about my collection of dresses. They have their own special rack outside of my wardrobe and are ordered by colour (of course).

Can you share with us why vintage culture continues to hold such appeal for you?

The attention to detail and quality in craftsmanship. I think it’s incredible that I can find a dress that is almost 70 years old, in perfect condition and ready to wear and know it will last for many decades to come (with care of course). I thoroughly doubt that most of the clothes manufactured today will ever have such a good innings!

I love that back then, no one would dare walk out the door without a carefully considered ensemble. These days, people don’t even wear PANTS anymore!! (yes it’s all about the clothes for me)

Do you have any tips for anyone starting out in the vintage scene?

Research! Vintage goes through phases where it’s trendy to mainstream fashion and it’s all too easy to pay too much for something that you’ve been told is a “Mad Men Wiggle Dress” when it’s neither from the 50s/60’s nor is it even a wiggle cut! A good all round starting point is Nicole Jenkin’s book Love Vintage which goes through the eras and tells you what to look for in each particular decade. I don’t think you need to be a purist, but it helps everyone if you know what you’re buying. And if you’re unsure and just want the look, start with Repro - Vivien of Holloway, Trashy Diva and Tara Starlet are good places to begin!

Now is your chance to provide us with an overview of who you are and what you do.

Gosh I don’t know where to start! I’ve really found myself within the vintage scene. It’s great to meet with like-minded souls. The people I’ve met are conscientious, generous, considered and gracious which encourages me to bring out those same characteristics within myself. The care that they take into dressing carries through to every aspect of their life and I find that a very noble way to live.

Hmm. Now if you’ve been reading my blog - which isn’t a fashion blog but a drawing one, you will note that I have really jumped into sewing. It’s been quite a revelation AND a learning curve. Oh boy! Still such a long way to go! But it’s very satisfying making my own things. The only problem is, I go into shops and think “I could make that!”, yet I need to find the TIME somewhere. If only I had that time-turner spell Hermione uses in the Harry Potter books (I am such a geek) ;-)

Oh and I draw stuff too ;-)

Finally, what or who inspires you and why?

I’m inspired by all the sewing and vintage bloggers out there (yourself included Sen!). For art, where I always struggle to find inspiration, I usually go to ConceptArt.org and look at all the awesome work people are drawing out there which inspires me to get off my ass and DRAW. Which is what I’m about to do right now :-D