I'm in Love: Original 1940s Burlesque Showgirl Costume

Pic: Fab Gabs

My jaw dropped and my heart skipped a beat when I saw this original 1940s costume from Fab Gabs on Etsy.  If I had a smaller waist and £100 in my pocket, I would have snapped it up. If you do buy it, please be sure to send me a pic!

You can find the listing here.

Desert Orchid Corsets - SALE!

I do get a bit excited when I stumble upon corset sales! I haven't worn one for about a year, and because of the hefty price-tags they come with I've been trying not to look at them or encourage myself to buy more in any way.

But these at Desert Orchid Corsets are worth a look because not only is it a company based here in lovely Wales, but they are pretty spectacular and certainly reasonable. I love the one pictured above, so feminine and not at all S&M, which some corsets can be!

Don't ever be fooled by companies offering cheap cheap corsets. They may well have steel boning, but that alone is not enough to pull you in and give you that waspish waist! The effectiveness of a corset in waist-reducing also depends on the shaping and cut of the corset, and the fabric itself. There should be a minimum of 3 layers of fabric (unless it's a "summer weight" corset), and that fabric needs to be of a certain weight. Lightweight fabrics will not pull you in unless there's a sturdier fabric layer underneath to take the strain! This means that genuine high quality corsets are quite heavy - a good couple of kilograms. So if a corset is featherlight, it's probably only for show and not for practical body sculpting.

If it's a quality corset, you can expect between 2 and 4 inches waist reduction, and a lovely smooth shape. An instant posture improver also! I love my hot pink satin underbust corset from Kitty's Corsets, pictured below, with the lovely Violet Noir modelling the black version.

Dita for Cointreau - The Sidecar

Here's the final web episode I could find, and we're back to the 1920s for this one...



I've never tried a sidecar, but I have an evening of cocktails ahead tonight and anything could happen!

Dita for Cointreau - The Margarita

As promised, here's the second web video featuring Ms Teese for Cointreau. I have to say, it's my favourite of the three, after all it's set in 1948. Love her shoes.



A Margarita, for me, is the ultimate summer cocktail, but my beloved has a rule that you have to stop drinking them once the sun has set. So always start drinking Margaritas in the early evening!

Dita for Cointreau - The Cosmopolitan

My my, Dita's becoming quite the poster girl of late for a number of different beverages! After her residence in the Perrier Mansion it seems that Ms Von Teese is now the feature character in a number of stories on the birth of various cocktails, all including Cointreau liqueur as a vital ingredient.

I think she became the 'face' of Cointreau some years ago, but these seem to be new adverts that have appeared on Youtube. There's a different story for each cocktail, I'm starting you off with a Cosmopolitan, set in 1980s New York. Acapulco in the 40s and Paris in the 20s to come so watch this page!



It may have become a little cliched through over-use in Sex and the City, but a Cosmopolitan remains one of my favourites and I can sink a few with no ill effects.

Dita for Perrier

As it's Friday tomorrow I'm sharing a little treat for Dita Von Teese fans (grown ups only!) at www.perrierbydita.com.

Drive up to the Perrier Mansion in the interactive video and explore the various rooms where Dita will tease you in a manner of different ways, all inevitably including a bottle of Perrier!

This Weekend in Cardiff: Vintage and Burlesque Events at Oxfam Boutique

If you're at a loose end in Cardiff this weekend then pop along to some of these events - I think I'll be popping in to get some vintage hair styling tips! Originally they planned to have vintage make-up experts too but that is no longer happening. There's even some burlesque tomorrow, including a performance from my dear friend Miss Violet Noir.

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Oxfam Boutique
34 St Mary St, Cardiff

Saturday 26/06

10.30 – 12.30 – Learn to Crochet Flower Brooches (Materials provided)
1 – 2.45 – Live music and models
3 – 6 – Vintage hair

Planning a night out on Saturday night in that fab vintage outfit you bought from Oxfam? Why not pop in from 3-6 to get your hair done for the night? £5 suggested donation.


Sunday 27/06

12 – 1.30 - Learn to knit (Materials provided)
1.45- 2.45 – Music and models
3- Afternoon tea party – cup cakes and tea.
Followed by
4.15 – Afternoon Delight. £5.
Burlesque performance by Burlesque Cardiff
Miss FooFoo La Belle
Miss Sandy Sure
Miss Betty Blue Eyes
Miss Violet Noir
With tea party, cup cakes and tea coffee refreshments.

So invite your friends, come along, have a fabulous weekend and help us raise lots of money for Oxfam!
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Burlesque Prop Wish List

On the weekend however I went to the local antiques emporium and burlesque came to mind when I spotted this giant hand! Can you imagine sitting on the palm of this giant hand blowing kisses to the crowd and peeling off stockings? (Taken at the local antiques centre, The Pumping Station, Cardiff)


There are giant props for hire out there across the UK but you'll need a few hundred pounds to spare. From Event Prop Hire you could get a giant teacup, a giant vintage suitcase, or copy Dita and get a giant compact.

I wonder how much papier mache and chicken wire you'd need to recreate these on a budget?!

This Weekend in Cardiff: Vintage & Burlesque Events

A quick update for y'all on exciting things happening this weekend. I have been quite sucked into work this past week and nearly let this slip!

Friday 12th March - Shake It For Good!
The Follie Dollies and friends are entertaining for a good cause, raising money for Velindre Cancer Centre at CMC Sports and Social Club, Cardiff, 8pm

Saturday 13th March - Serendipity Vintage Fair
This fair promises homeware, jewellery and a small selection of vintage clothing, at the United Reformed Church on Windsor Place, Cardiff, 10am-4pm

Sunday 14th March - High Tea with The Siren Sisters, £10
1940's style trio will entertain you as you eat cake, at The Big Sleep Hotel, Cardiff, 2:30pm.

I'll definitely be popping to the vintage fair on Saturday, I hope there will be more realistic prices in Cardiff after the experience I recently had in Brighton, where there seemed to be either cheap and cheerful 60's-80's clothing or exceedingly high-end 30's-50's clothing, with nothing in between. Even the simplest dress seemed to have an extra '0' on the end! If I purchase anything delightful I'll be sure to upload a pic or two...

This Weekend in Wales: Burlesque and Vintage Events

There are quite a few events happening this weekend to cheer us up here in Wales after our defeat at the hands of the French last night in the Rugby! Today I popped into Buffalo Bar to the Vintage Pretty fair, a new monthly event where a select handful of stallholders offer an assortment of hand-made gifts. On offer were crocheted brooches, pin-up hair flowers, some cute bags (one with a teapot and cup design that nearly tempted me for £10) the odd bric-a-brac item and a fair selection of jewellery, but not much in the way of vintage items. I'll save myself until tomorrow for that fix as I'll be heading to the Vintage Fashion Fair being held in Cardiff City Hall. The last one through Blind Lemon Events I attended was very good, concentrating on items from the 1950s and earlier, so I'm hoping tomorrow's won't have too much of the later stuff. I'm really after a 1940s or 1950s day dress as most of my vintage and vintage-inspired wardrobe is a little dressy for the daytime.

As far as burlesque entertainment goes, tonight is The Mad Hatters Burlesque Tea Party in Carmarthen, and tomorrow evening here in Cardiff the troupe from Burlesque Cardiff will be presenting Cymru Am Byth (Wales Forever). I'm not able to attend either of these events so will just have to settle for staying in and watching a bit of Dita on DVD to make up for it!