Sunday 27 February 2011

Hair Experiment: A Wet Set

On my day off on Friday, I finally got around to trying out a wet set!
Here's what equipment I used:
  • 21 'medium' curl rollers and pins (I bought mine from Superdrug, £1.40ish for a pack of 7).
  • A space-silver hairdryer hood (Ebay, £7ish including delivery)
  • Setting lotion (Superdrug, only a few quid)
  • Spray bottle to decant the setting lotion into (Superdrug)
  • Boar bristle brush (TK Maxx for a £12 bargain, looks just like a Mason Pearson and is of the same quality, from some Italian brush company since 1890)
With my hair wet from the shower I started rolling up the hair, spritzing each section with setting lotion and combing through before hand. It was very, very tricky. I did a line going back from my temple to my back hairline, as advised in the 'Marilyn' set in the Belinda Hay book, 'Style Me Vintage'. Normally I can't manage this and go down the sides instead. It took ages, and was very fiddly!

I couldn't leave my hair to dry naturally - I've tried before leaving rollers in overnight, and the hair is still wet in the morning, 12 hours later! So I tried the space hood! (Someone mentioned they'd bought one on their blog recently, forgive me as I can't remember who). The trouble is, my hairdryer is too powerful, so I could only do it in 10-20 second bursts as I otherwise would have burnt my head. I must find an old, less powerful hairdryer. I left the rollers in for about an hour and a half, intermittently using the hood.

The curls were very tight when I took the rollers out.


After much brushing out with the boar-bristle brush I had some BIG hair. The curls were well-defined and not too frizzy, the setting lotion really does help smooth and tame. I ended up putting in a scarf to keep it off my face a little.


All in all, I think this would work great if my hair was shorter and had more layers. For the moment, because I have so much hair and it's quite long, I will stick to using the hot rollers and brushing it out to get a much softer, Veronica Lake type wave. Next time I get my hair cut I'll get more layers put back in and try out the wet-set again.
Many hours and a few G&Ts later, the hair still had a lot of curl and body, despite being crushed under the hood of my rainmac also! (I got to wear the new Peacock's dress too)

My hair was still quite curly the next day, even after having slept on it.
I think the main thing to bear in mind when experimenting with vintage hairstyling is that everyone's hair reacts differently to various methods. I have learnt that I can't use mousse (hair tangles), that I can't do a wet-set overnight (hair doesn't dry by morning), and that I can't use Velcro or sponge rollers or those foam bendy ones (they slip out of my hair). I also can't do rollers in a 'halo' keeping the top part smooth, because then the weight of my hair causes the curl to drop out too much. I can roll right up to the scalp, and when I brush it out I will still get a smooth top section like vintage styles require, as my hair is heavy.

Trial and error, ladies.

Saturday 26 February 2011

Friday 25 February 2011

Vintage Inspired: Picks from Peacocks

Peacocks? Yes, really! It's cheap, cheerful, and great for vintage inspired items you can wear on days when you don't want to put your best frocks on.


All items below are £22 or under.

First up, footwear - these brogues are a tad cheap looking in the picture but aren't that bad in real life, and for only £20 they're a good buy.


Knitwear next - I adore this sailboat cardigan!And I tried on this cherry jumper. It's quite thin, so not a winter wardrobe item, but the cherries are embroidered and are very sweet!


Well, this isn't vintage inspired but it's Kate Middleton inspired! It's Peacocks' version of the Issa dress she wore to announce her engagement. I'd heard that Peacocks were doing one, and voila, here it is! Only £14 too.


I bought this little dress. It's really short on my long legs so I envisage wearing it with dark tights and a long cardi, but I loved the print. I am not a floral person, but because it's on a black and white polkadot background it makes it much more me! Mine also comes with a different belt, much prettier than the one pictured, its got tiny white flowers on the clasp.

Who doesn't love a Peter Pan collar? I tried this dress on also, but found that the material was so light that it clung in all the wrong places. Oh well.

And finally a couple of shifts for the office. I like the graphic lines on the first, and of course there's another Peter Pan collar on the camel one.


Let me know if you purchase anything...

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Scarlet Street (1945) - Watch Online Free!

Joan Bennett starring as 'Kitty', out for all she can take from cashier Edward G. Robinson's 'Chris Cross', who's having a mid-life crisis. I enjoyed the film, and while it was obvious it was never going to end well, I didn't quite expect...well, ssh, I'm saying no more so that you can enjoy it too! Some nice wardrobe moments, including not one, but two, black satin dresses.

Yes, you can watch it online for free, here! The copyright has expired. There are lots of old films you can watch over the internet, such as Blue Angel with Marlene Dietrich. Some have country restrictions but the link I've shared allows you to watch in the UK.
I'll let you know when I find more worth watching!

Monday 21 February 2011

Review: Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair


Well, did I buy anything?

No!

Was I tempted?

Not really.

It was a very, very mixed affair. Lots and lots of jewellery and accessories, if that's your kind of thing. No stockings, just 1960's tights. Nice re-worked vintage pieces (old watch faces turned into necklaces etc.) Lots and lots of 1980s and 1970s items - knitwear, crazy shirts. Awful leather jackets.

In general, it wasn't for me - I'm not really into jewellery and I really had to hunt to find older items. I was also shocked that some bandanas/head scarves (the cheap cotton ones you can get on ebay or down the charity shop for 50p) were retailing for £3 each. Shocker.

In my hunt for sellers with items from the 1950s or earlier, here's what I found:

Maggies Dress - had a couple of 1950's items, including coats, capes. Nothing much old, mainly later eras.

Some other stalls...OVERPRICED!!! They had some nice 1950s and early 1960s dresses, summer ones, but they were £65 each and they weren't in great condition. I found a Swirl dress, beautiful print, but badly repaired underarms and a big yellow stain on the front. £65?!! They also had a lovely 1930's crepe black and white dress and jacket set, £98 though. Ouch. I also found on their rails a 1920s/1930s peach tennis dress that used to belong to me!!! I sold it on ebay ages ago for about a tenner, they were re-selling it for £38.
Me and the overpriced, poor condition 'Swirl' dress. Lovely print though!
Curious Cleo - by far the best quality and best prices in the entire fair. They had a sign, saying they only deal in 'REAL' vintage, and they were true to their word. They had a beautiful 1950s navy blue oriental style jacket and shift dress for £40, and a black shirt dress (late '40s/early '50s) also for £40. Neither with any condition issues. That's more like it!

I'm not sure if I would go to another one. Only £2 entry, but unless you're into later eras and jewellery (truck loads of it!) I wouldn't bother.

Sunday 20 February 2011

Outfit Post

A quick hair and outfit post to show you the results of my experiments with hot rollers on Friday.



Saturday 19 February 2011

Imelda May in a Get Cutie Dress

I love rockabilly singer Imelda May and am pleased that she's getting a lot of press and deserved attention at the moment. I saw her last year in Cardiff's Coal Exchange and she was fantastic, the band was amazing, and she had a great sense of style.

Here's a clip of her on Graham Norton's show, and I spotted that she's wearing an Elvis print dress from Brighton based Get Cutie.



They specialise in simple style dresses in outlandish prints. I have a friend who has a couple of their dresses, in this beautiful bird print:


Other fabrics they have available include the following, but these are just a sample so go to their site and have a look at the range!



Friday 18 February 2011

My New Etsy Shop!

I've finally got around to creating my Etsy shop, Porcelina's Precious Things, and listing a few items! It's taken me most of the morning (I'm still in my pyjamas and it's half-past twelve, scanadalous!) but I'm pleased to be able to tick this off my to-do list.

I'm not intending to become a vintage dealer (I don't have the time), but quite often when I'm rummaging around car-boot sales and charity shops I find some lovely vintage things that I wouldn't wear or use myself, and it seems a shame to just let them sit there or be bought by somebody who doesn't appreciate 'vintage'. I also buy things and then don't wear them, which is also a crime, and so I need to get those items back into circulation.

I've also been watching Belle Starr (1941) on Film Four, with Gene Tierney. It's a bit of a Gone With the Wind (1939) copy, but not as good I'm afraid. Randolph Scott is handsome, Gene is beautiful and would have made a fabulous Scarlett O'Hara in place of Vivien Leigh come to think of it. Maybe that's why they cast her, because she looks a bit like her?

Anyway, do pop by my shop, and I should really go and get dressed!

Thursday 17 February 2011

Cardiff Event: Affordable Vintage Fair

This Sunday at Cardiff University Students' Union sees the arrival of Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair. It promises discounts of up to 75% off vintage prices elsewhere. But will the quality be up to scratch? I'll find out and let you know.

It's running from 12 to 5pm on Sunday, with a £2 admission charge. Got to be worth a browse, surely?

I've found vintage fairs a bit hit or miss in the past. I've been to quite a few Blind Lemon fairs; the huge ones held in City Hall in Cardiff have been worth going to, but they held a smaller one in the Coal Exchange and it was disappointing. On the other hand, the fair they held in Cheltenham was really, really good in terms of quality of pre 1960s items, but the prices were rather high.

Do you recommend any particular vintage fairs? Let me know!

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Poirot Fashion Special: Triangle At Rhodes

This is a real treat! One of the first episodes that made me go "oo!" at the clothes, it showcases some fantastic 'resort wear', as Poirot goes on his hols to the Greek isle of Rhodes.

There's no Miss Lemon, but there's a strong contender for her title of reigning fashion-icon, in the form of a red-headed lady that takes a shine to Mr Poirot.

First of all, let's have a look at the clothes of Valentina - she's got money, so her wardrobe should be the most fashionable and enviable. See what you think.



Here come the girls...

Valentina takes the lead as the ladies join their gentlemen in the bar.



I was quite surprised at the dress Valentina wears in this scene - it's incredibly low cut at the front, as well as having an open back. Would that have been considered scandalous at the time?!

Now it's Marjorie's turn. Less money, less style, she's supposed to be a bit more 'dowdy', and even the red-head comments on how her bathing dress is a "mistake". (I think she means the beach pyjamas, it's not a bathing dress, see last pic below of her arriving at the beach laden with stuff).



Right, it's the red-head's turn! She has some wonderful items in her wardrobe. In this first pic, also take notice of 'Tony' on the left, I like his safari style jacket and neck scarf. Looks dapper!





I thought this was a blouse at first, but it's actually a dress with an adorable belt and bow tie detail.


Look at this evening dress and jacket - simply stunning, I would definitely wear it! Even though it's a floral, it's a little more abstract looking on first glance, much more my style.



And finally, the red-head wears my favourite outfit in the entire episode, I think it looks fabulous with her colouring.


And last, for my own amusement, some men in trunks!

Hope you enjoyed!
xx
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