Happy Chinese New Year!

Today my Auntie and Uncle held a Chinese New Year party, with an abundance of food, people, and yummy tea. I actually ate an absurd amount of noodles, they were so good!
I love this dress, I got it a few years ago and was so glad it fit, since authentic mandarin dresses usually don't so I buy the 50s american made ones whatever change I get.

1930s accessories giveaway!

Thank you everyone for all your support, interest, and comments, I wish I could give each and every one of you a little gift to show my appreciation, but I think the closest I can get to is a few giveaways, so you have a better chance of winning something!


The first is a set of 1930s accessories, with a little black straw topper, tiny purse, and rhinestone brooch (I don't think the brooch is from the 30s, but it completed the look). The 1930s suit is for sale here, but all you have to do to win the accessories is leave a comment on this post! The giveaway will last for 24 hours, then there will be a 1940s set giveaway, and then a 1950s giveaway. So if these things don't strike your fancy stay tuned! This giveaway will be open until about 6:30 pacific time on Wednesday the 17th. Good Luck!

1950s accessories giveaway!

Last but not least this week is a set of 1950s accessories, with a robins egg blue purse, white flower pin, and straw hat with pink satin ribbon. If you like the dress you can buy it here. All you need to do to enter is comment on this post, open to international readers! The giveaway will close around 8:00 tomorrow, Friday the 19th, pacific time. 

Up next is a 1940s set, with hat, flowers, and little clutch. If you like the dress you can buy it here. All you need to do to enter is comment on this post, it is open to international readers, and will close around 7:30 pacific time tomorrow the 18th. Don't worry if you think you're too late to enter, I'll close comments when time comes to pick a winner ;)

Spring topper.

I've been waiting for a nice day to wear this hat, it's on of my favorites, but then again, all my 30s toppers are. Rain is back on it's way so I figured I'd better wear it before it's too late. The structure is very simple, but what makes this hat is the dripping flowers and veil. It's dramatic in the softest and most feminine of ways :)

Snow White and Rose Red

"There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose trees, one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like the two rose trees and one was called Snow-White, and the other Rose-Red."

"Snow-White was more quiet and gentle than Rose-Red. Rose-Red liked better to run about in the meadows and fields; but Snow-White stayed more at home..."

"They often ran about the forest alone and gathered red berries, and no beasts did them any harm"

The above excerpts were taken from "Snow-White and Rose-Red" by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm (The brothers Grimm.) I have had a longheld fascination with fairytales, from childhood. I was read countless tales by my parents, before graduating to reading them myself and listening to taped versions. I have a feeling they have influenced me in countless ways, such as my love of literature and also as a rich source of inspiration. This tale was one I knew, of two young girls and their kindness to a talking bear who turns up at their house.. who then turns out to be a prince. (Obviously! What else do you expect from a fairytale?) The idea of the two polar opposite sisters inspired an idea for a shoot about six months ago. I already had a white dress, but needed to find a red one to contrast it with. Luckily I did, and here is the shoot!

The red dress was fortuitously found hanging in a charity shop. It is Laura Ashley, and I'm assuming it was a bridesmaid's dress in the eighties. Although slightly unnapealing to look at on a hanger, it has that perfect, slightly over the top fairytale/ princess feel- right down to the puffed sleeves and V shaped waistline. It reminds me of the kind of dresses I would draw when I was little! I added a little black vintage belt and red silk shoes from ebay. The pendant is from a vintage market stall.

The white vintage dress was given to me by a friend of a friend. So thanks Clara! I love it.. The detail of the fabric is beautiful, and I love the 'sixties vibe' that it exudes. I have a white top on underneath- though more for warmth. As you can probably tell from the contrast between the white dress and my red hands, it was completely freezing! The shoes are sixties too- thrifted. Slightly too small, but very loved. The ankle socks and tights throughout were christmas presents.

The first and last shots were taken in the remains of a ruined stone cottage that we found. Reminds me of the cottage mentioned in the story!

It was quite a relief to have access to the internet again today. After a web free week on holiday, I was having what seemed to be blog-withdrawal-symptoms! So it was really lovely to log on and find all your thoughtful comments on my last post, I really appreciate it.

Thanks to dad again for taking the photos (& to my family for patience in the cold while the photos were taken!)

Spring Hats and Shoes 1944

Spring 1944 was a particularly lean time for British shoppers. The preparations for D-Day meant that most manufacturing and imports were destined for the armed forces not civilians.


Picture Post Article March 1944 Page 1. Click for bigger picture.

Picture Post Article March 1944 Page 2. Click for bigger picture.

Hats, while not rationed had become very expensive and many were price-capped (sorry) to prevent exhorbitant profits.

Jacoll Stitched Beret with maximum price stamp.


Shoes were simply very hard to come by and Ursula Bloom the Agony Aunt of several middle class womens magazines quotes a story that shoppers had to have a ticket merely to join the queue at the shoe shop!


Low wedge by Lotus with golfing fringe. March 1944. Click for bigger picture.

Rayne Courts for Marshall & Snelgrove. March 1944. Click for bigger picture.

Wooden soled shoes were promoted throughout 1943 and 1944 but were not very popular.
In the north of the country wooden soled clogs were the garb of mill girls and were a marker of social class. Mill girls wanted leather soled shoes as a signifier of betterment and the middle classes would not wear them for similar social reasons. Others said the hinged sole let in the rain and that they were difficult to wear. Some magazines had tips on how to walk in them.


Clarks shoes with hinged wooden sole and fleece lining. February 1944. Click for bigger picture.

To Die For: 30s Evening Gowns

Norman Hartnell Winter 1937


Maggy Rouff Winter 1937


Jean Desses Late 1930s


Spectator Sports Winter 1938


Victor Stiebel Winter 1938


Nina Ricci Spring 1939


Chanel Summer 1939


Mnguin Summer 1939


Frederick Starke Autumn 1939

The Best Dressed Woman in Town: Mrs. Harrison Williams

"What do I care if Mrs. Harrison Williams

is the best-dressed woman in town?”
-Cole Porter, “Ridin’ High,” from Red, Hot & Blue (1936)

Cole Porter sang about her; Beaton photographed her; rich men made a habit of wanting to marry her, and she spent most of the 1930s at the top, or close to it, of any “best dressed woman” list. Who was Mrs. Harrison Williams?

Mrs. Williams, née Strader – Mona to her friends – was born in Lexington, Kentucky, around 1899-ish. The two-time divorcé married Harrison Williams, a somewhat mysterious figure usually referred to as a “utilities magnate,” in 1926. In 1933, and again in 1934, Mrs. H. W., topped the Paris dressmakers’ annual list of the “World’s Best Dressed Women.” Famous for her furs and jewels and somewhat eccentric fashion sense, “her selection in best-dressed lists is not due to the quantities of clothes she buys – although her purchases are enormous – but due to the authentic individuality she lends to the garments she acquires.”

The electing dressmakers of 1934 estimated that the best-dressed ladies spent an average of $50,000 a year to maintain their smartness. But, “not only were wealth, charm, and beauty. . . essential to placing on the list, but vivacity, poise, personality, brains, and ‘it’ (in addition to the $50,000).” Ernest Dryden, a “noted Viennese designer” who numbered Mrs. H.W. among his clients, asserted that in her case, the $50,000 was not necessary. "Mrs. Williams is the best-dressed woman because she has a- a what you call ‘knack’ for wearing them, She has inherent good taste. She is educated in their selection and their appropriateness. If she spent only $1000 a year for clothes, she would still be one of the world’s best dressed women.”

Mrs. Williams, however, never had to put this theory to the test, as she had the perfect accessory to go with the "world's best-dressed woman" label - a husband who was one of the world’s richest men. The 1937 best-dressed list, in which Mona Williams was toppled from her #1 posish by two duchesses (Windsor and Kent) and a princess, the estimated expenditure ranged from $20,000 to $100,000!! But, before you choke, note this includes every article of wearing apparel – furs, underwear, accessories, and small jewelry purchases, as well as the large expense of beauty treatments, hairdressing, and massage. Still choking? So are we. Golly, sitting here in our $2.98 Hooverettes, we’re staggered today by Dryden’s $1000 figure, nevermind $100,000!

Dorothy Dale wrote a series of profiles on the American women on Paris’ best-dressed list in 1938. Mona later acquired the title of Countess Bismarck when she married Count Edward Bismarck after the death of Harrison Williams in 1954. She herself died in 1983. More about her can be found in this history from the Mona Bismarck Foundation (which she founded) in Paris.

In June 1936, a horrifying incident occurred: Mrs. Harrison Williams, Mrs. Harry Cray, and Mrs. Raymond Guest appeared at the wedding of steel heiress Barbara Phipps and Stuart Janney, Jr. – one of THE social events of the season – wearing identical white and blue print frocks!!

So, how can the rest of us mere mortals be well-dressed without spending a fortune (or rather, several fortunes) on clothes? Mr. Dryden offered these suggestions in 1935, which he called the "10 Commandments of Fashion":

1. Avoid fripperies
2. Invest only in fabrics of good quality
3. Dress to suit yourself, not your best friend
4. Shun “noisy” clothes
5. Don’t be a slave to fashion edicts
6. Don’t worry about the price tag
7. Don’t try to be “the last word.” It is better to wear a good model labeled “yesterday” than a poor one labeled “tomorrow.”
8. Don’t strive for a large wardrobe. Correct, not frequent, changes are important.
9. Avoid cheap looking accessories. If you must add something to your costume, add a touch of color.
10. Don’t try to be different.

A number of gowns once owned by Mrs. Williams and others of her “best-dressed” set from 1935-1940 were exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 2002-03. Some images of them can be seen here.

Sources included:
Dorothy Dale. “Untitled She Lives Better Than Any Princess,” April 10, 1938.
United Press. "Mrs. Harrison Williams Re-elected As World’s Best Dressed Woman,” December 12, 1934.
United Press.“Wallis Windsor ‘Best Dressed’ Stylists Aver,” June 30, 1934.
United Press. “Mrs. Harrison Williams Heads Paris List of Best Dressed Women,” December 12, 1934.
Ursula Petrie.“Oh! Dear, Dear! What a Shock for International Society’s Best-Dressed Woman,” Salt Lake City Tribune, August 23, 1936.