Monday, May 15, 2017

Not Vintage...Yet (The dress, not the blogger)

This dress isn't vintage, though it certainly looks it. I bought it over fifteen years ago at Target, of all places, If I keep it a few more years, it will be vintage. I have no idea when 20 years time became a marker of vintage-in my day that was just, "Old clothes." There you go. 
The dress ties in the back, which does create an effect of looking like a maternity dress, but at my age I'm unlikely to be mistaken for expectant. I was already elderly when Danny was born. I know this because they put a bright orange sticker on my chart that read, "Advanced maternal age" in bold print. Sheesh.

 See all that grey? The dress might not be vintage, but I certainly am. That's okay, I'm enjoying getting older-I've stopped giving a toss what anyone thinks and I just live my life. I'm rather good at doing my own thing at this point.

Outfit Particulars:
Merona dress-Target, years ago
Thermoset necklace-New Life Thrift
Clip earrings-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Naturalizer shoes-Thrift World
Vintage handbag-Goodwill
Brooch-Thrift World
Vintage milkglass bracelets-both Hand-Me-Ups
White bangle-Goodwill
Vintage beaded white ring-Goodwill
Fragrance-Vintage Houbigant Chantilly (gosh it was nice before Dana ruined it)
 Nana shoes need nana tights.
 Yeah, the Garmin is clashing with the vintage look. If someone could figure out a way
 hide a fitness tracker in a Bakelite bangle, I'd buy it.


The Apricot Olympiad went well this year. We made 16 half-pints of jam (with and without pectin-one is more of a fresh fruit spread), 10 pints of apricot chutney, an apricot cobbler (we had that tonight-it was perfect) and tomorrow we will finish off with a small batch of apricot/cherry jam, and possibly some fruit leather with any leftovers. Unlike previous years, we didn't peel the apricots as the skins were thin, and in beautiful condition. Why do extra work? I honestly can't see much difference between jam with peeled or unpeeled apricots-throw enough sugar at something and you'll notice little else. Anyway, I'm glad that's finishing up so we can rest before the strawberries! We will get some rest before the strawberries...I hope!






11 comments:

Bibi Maizoon said...

Peering at my roots beneath their platinum facade I'd guess my previously chestnut brown locks are as salt & pepper as yours. It's just too much fun to dye my hair & try out all the new shades & products so I'll probably never know for sure.

Looking prim, slim & proper in all that navy & ivory!

I miss apricots. I can get decent apricot jam but fresh apricots here are these miserable green sour things. Blech!

Radostin said...

This dress is a classic, could be from almost any point since the 40s really (at least, if one isn't examining the fabric or construction up close) I love your shoes! BTW, with the big sleeves I twist them up around my arms and tuck them in to themselves if cooking or washing up - or else I take the kids out for supper ;)

Vix said...

That dress looks great, what a lovely fit, no maternity like in the slightest! The wrist baubles are fab, I didn't notice that gadget until you pointed it out.
How many pints of jam? Wow! xxx

Polyester Princess said...

Vintage or not, the dress looks lovely on you, and as usual you have accessorized it well. There's nothing wrong with a good nana shoe either. The bag looks divine! Oh, and so far I love growing older too. Wouldn't want to be in my twenties again! Hiding a fitness tracker inside a Bakelite brooch, now that's an idea ... xxx

Perdita Tinsel said...

I've always been sceptical of 'x years = vintage' simply because I've been into vintage since before it was called vintage (it would be called the decade it came from, for example "50s clothes" or a genre for example "original Mod/60s"). So if the term is new, it can't have all these hard and fast rules people put on it... generally to add a few quid onto the price (if they're saying newer stuff is vintage) or massage their ego (if they're claiming only very, very old stuff is vintage).

Melanie Folly Bird said...

Lovely outfit! Very elegant.

I too am boggled by what is considered vintage these days! I still wear a skirt I had aged fourteen, as it fits and I consider that my Aged Fourteen Skirt, not vintage, that's just odd to me!

Glad the Apricot Olympiad went well. I have never had much luck with apricots, they've always seemed too dry for my liking as fruit, though I wonder if that's because it isn't ripe? I really want to like them though.

Propagatrix said...

Look on Etsy for Garmin and Fitbit covers. I looked up "Garmin style" and "Fitbit style" and found some sweet item, including this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/266703403/bright-silver-turquoise-opalescent?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=garmin%20style&ref=sr_gallery_9

Of course, these might just inspire you to make your own.

Miss Magpie said...

Well done on the Apricot marathon, I'd love to try an apricot cobbler MMmmmm.

I love the dress and the bag fabulous.

Goody said...

@Bibi
I'm tempted sometimes but my grey is so far along now I might as well see how it ends. I can always do pastel rinses.

@Radostin
Thanks-that's a good tip. I wish we could go out to dinner-with Danny's allergies it is impossible. We haven't dined out in over ten years. I told him when he moves out I'm ordering takeaway for the rest of my life1

@Vix
We don't consume all of that ourselves. Some goes to the fair, some gets given out at Christmas, and many jars end up as Thank You gifts through the year. It is a lot of work, but it is satisfying to see all the jars lined up on the shelves.

@Ann
I do have a weak spot for comfort shoes ;)

@Perdita
Agreed. Lately I'm seeing high prices on "Vintage" that should have been binned years ago.

@Melanie
It can't very well be vintage if you remember buying it yourself when it was new ;)

Apricots tend to be on the dry side until they are so overripe they're only good for baking or jam. We were lucky this year with two cases of perfect fruit-but that almost never happens.

@Propagatrix
Oooh, I bookmarked the page-those are perfect. It isn't clear to me how they fit on the tracker, but ten bucks is no big investment to find out. I like my Garmin, and I wear it pretty much all the time (it tracks sleep as well) because of the data it provides about my wonky heart-rate. Eventually, it will break and I'll be like one of those people that can't function without a phone.

@Miss Magpie
If you decide to make one, place the filling in the oven for fifteen minutes before you add the topping. Apricots being sort of dry need that extra baking to soften. Extra lemon juice doesn't hurt either.


Vronni's Style Meanderings said...


The outfit is fab and I love the nana tights and shoes.

So much jam and chutney; I am amazed.

Mim said...

That's a lovely outfit. It feels really fresh. I've no idea where the '20 years is vintage' thing came from either, but it puts me in the weird position of having vintage clothes I've owned from new. Very weird.

That's a LOT of apricot jam! Well done to Danny for getting it all done.