J'adore Dior

Recently a lovely friend gave me a book on one of my favourite designers, Christian Dior and its has taught me a lot that i didn't know; not only about the man behind the clothes but about the real and lasting influence he has had on the fashion world.

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Now Dior is responsible for (in my opinion) the single most influential fashion collection after the war; the New Look line. Us vintage ladies who are interested in the 40's and 50's are very taken with the silhouette of a tiny waist and huge flared skirt that Dior's line created and the complete contrast that posed to the sensible and streamlined garments of the war years.

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It was images of these dresses that made my love of vintage fashion what it is and i would love nothing more than to be able to own a piece like these but alas i haven't won the lottery yet or magically dropped a fair few inches on my waistline to be able to actually wear something like this but a girl can dream right?
In fact, Dior himself called his models mannequins so you know i shan't feel too bad about it haha

Dior himself was a plain and elegant man who shied away from the attention his New Look line gave him. The line launched in 1947 and he became an immediate celebrity and struggled to cope with his new found fame; so much so that he would take leave and travel abroad to gain inspiration for his new collections; away from the hustle and bustle of Paris and the media. Dior was in his 40's when he made his entrance into the fashion world and unfortunately had only 10 years to make his mark until his death.

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There are certain designers that i cherish and look to for inspiration in my own designs and Christian Dior is and will always remain one of those designers. His use of structure and detailing can still be seen today not only in the modern Dior collections but throughout the fashion world. It's interesting to learn about the life of this man and how he managed to change the face of fashion and reinstate Paris as the fashion capital.

Let me know if you enjoyed this little venture into the New Look line and if you guys would be interested in a series looking at his other legendary designs.

Hugs and Kisses

Ana

xxx

Have you heard?

Ladies have i got news for you! I have discovered a wonderful company that sells vintage reproduction patterns based in the UK and i wanted to share it with you my dear friends.

I am a lover of vintage patterns, in fact i am a bit of an addict and love nothing more than traipsing through online sites looking for bargain patterns. Although i love vintage patterns, they can be hard work to adjust and due to our shapes changing over the years, they can be a little difficult to handle. That's why i get super excited when i discover a company like Eliza M Vintage Sewing that sell wonderful vintage reproduction patterns.

Eliza offers a wonderful selection of patterns on her site from dresses that the stars of the silver screen old would be happy to wear to Swing trousers that the hardest of jivers would dance in to their hearts content. 

I was interested to learn a bit more about Eliza and her company and she was kind enough to answer everything i wanted to know.

Where has your love of Vintage sparked from?

I have been intrigued with vintage style since I was a young girl.My grandma used

to take me jiving and my uncle used to always wear his hair in a quiff 

and dress like a rockabilly and drive us all around in his vintage bench 

seat fifties car! So my interest in the forties and fifties really 

stemmed from their early influence.

Is vintage dress something you do yourself and if so do you do it on a daily basis or just for special occasions?





Obviously I make the majority of my own clothes using my dress patterns 

so I wear vintage style all the time,I don't wear genuine vintage as I 






have









way too many of my own design clothes in my wardrobe to ever go out and 

buy anymore!

What, in your opinion are 3 things a vintage girl cannot be without?

hairpins,

red lipstick

a full swing dress










        

What is your favorite old movie?

This is a difficult one for me as I love so many of them but anything 

at all with Doris Day, though Barbara Streisand in the Way We Were is a 

favourite too.

I tend to rewind and rewind to study the costumes in old movies, oh I 

love the Prince and the Showgirl too!






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Who is your style icon and why?

My style icons are varied, but really how can you not be impressed with 

Jackie Onassis and Greta Garbo!



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 How did Eliza M sewing company get started?

I started sewing relatively late in life as I was fed up with never 

finding anything I liked or anything that really fitted me and flattered 

me in places I wanted to be flattered! I started with vintage sewing 

patterns but found them too difficult as i am self taught and the 

beginning phases were challenging to say the least. I absolutely knew I 

wanted to sew vintage though so I found a pattern cutter who cut me a 

simple pattern in vintage style that was easy for me to make. After that 

there was no stopping me! I thought that maybe there were other women 

who might benefit from the patterns I had had made for my own use, and 

so Eliza M was born!

Where do you get your inspiration for your patterns from?

This comes from style icons,for example the Jackie suit pattern was 

inspired by the beautiful Jackie Onassis



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 and 

the Grace dress was inspired by another stunning style icon Grace Kelly.



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Which are your Favorite patterns you have made and why?

My favourite pattern is the Betty pattern, she is so flattering and 

fun, and so easy to make and you can really think about using different 

fabric combinations for the collar and bodice. I have made her a few 

times now and still have so many ideas for her.I don't think I will ever 

get bored of her.

 Do you have any tips for the budding vintage entrepreneur on getting yourself and your business out there?

Do something you love. Do your homework and research. Work with only 

the best people you can find. Be patient. Work hard. Get a good website!

My favourite patterns on the site include of course the Betty dress as pictured above,

The Peggy Dress

And don't even get me started on the patterns for this blouse and swing trousers. They are a must have!

Needless to say i am more than delighted that i came across these patterns and i will be adding several of these patterns into my collection! Her patterns are very reasonably priced and as little bonus for all you Ladies and Gents outside the UK, she ships internationally!!

My experience talking to Eliza was a delight so please check out her site by clicking here and you can also find her on Twitter and give her a like on Facebook  too.

Hugs and Kisses

Ana

xxx

New beginnings!

Lovelies! How i have missed you all. With Christmas and New Year i have been super busy and have hardly had time to sit and have a cuppa let alone do anything else. But as everything settles down to the norm, there is more time for the fun things in life.

So how did you all enjoy the festivities? I for one had a great time and i have come up with so many wonderful ideas for the old blog i just cant wait to share them with you all!

Lets start with the exciting business of Christmas. Where to begin i received such amazing and thoughtful gifts. To be honest with you all, i didn't really expect to get any vintage prezzies as i know that if you are not interested in that kind of thing it can be hard to know what someone might like never mind where to get it from but...How about this then ladies:

A vintage fur stole! When i opened this i was gobsmacked. My mum is such a love she really knows me through and through. I think it's so stylish and a little more subtle than say a fox stole, it's right up my street. I will surely be doing an outfit post featuring this beauty soon.

I received this great retro 40's radio that will look super in my sewing room and will certainly come in  handy with all the new sewing projects i have up my sleeve for this coming year (hint, hint)

My fellas lovely mum included in my present this pattern that i have been lusting over since it came out. It is this pattern by Butterick in collaboration with the gorgeous Gertie. I have to save a little more money for the right wool for my coat as it takes quiet a bit but its going to be one of those pieces that will be timeless.

Last but not least the love of my life who, despite my constant chatter of vintage this and vintage that picked up on my love for this particular magazine and bought me a subscription which i couldn't be happier with! You can find Vintage Life Magazine online at www.vintagelifemagazine.com If you haven't checked it out yet Go Do It!! I love it!

Not only that but he came home with these awesome shoes by irregular choice! He thought they were "so me" (Isn't he a love haha) and you know what... he was spot on. I have been wanting a pair of irregular choice shoes for a while and i have no doubt these will be the first of a fair few.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and new year and i would love to hear what Santa bought you.

Hugs and Kisses 

Ana

xxx