* A quick update on Danny. We had some good news on the nut allergy front. Although his scratch tests were positive, his blood workup came back negative-completely negative. That can happen where people get false-positives to scratch tests but turn out to be non allergic. We scheduled a food challenge for next week where they feed you small bits of nut butter to see if there is a reaction. We've had to take Danny off his antihistamines for a few weeks for all these tests and predictably, he's had a bout of allergy induced asthma. Our crazy warm weather isn't helping with all the moulds floating about. I'll call the allergist tomorrow to see if we should forge ahead, or put him back on the meds and hope for freezing cold and snow to try again later. Still, having the negative bloodwork is very good news. It isn't so much a matter of being able to eat nuts, but rather knowing he won't die if he gets one accidentally. Thank you all for your well wishes, and I'll keep you posted if and when we finally find out.
I'm back with more vintage velvet.
Every year I unpack this two piece Act III vintage beauty, and then re-pack it having only worn the jacket, or neither piece. I find it puzzling because there are so many ways to style a velvet suit, particularly in December, but still it rarely sees the light beyond the cupboard. this year, I made a point of wearing it early, and I'm really glad I did. I'd forgotten just how different real velvet is compared to the synthetic stuff for sale today. Yes, it is heavy, and can't be washed and tumbled dry, but the way it drapes and the warmth it provides is worth any bother in the upkeep.I'd also forgotten how great a white satin Fez looks with this outfit! White isn't obvious for December, but I love the way satin works with velvet.
Outfit Particulars:
Vintage Act III velvet jacket and skirt-Goodwill (I think)
80's satin and lace blouse-Goodwill
1980's belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Bracelet-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage hat by Patrice NY-Hand-Me-Ups
Boots- K Mart
Fragrance-Patou Sublime
Chanukah is still in full swing. I made potato pancakes for the first night. The boys enjoyed them.
Not everything we eat is homemade. I'm willing to cut corners where appropriate. This is for Christmas when I need a really fancy custard out of a tinšI can't be bothered stirring powdered custard.
It isn't all that full of "dairy goodness." By the label it is only about 73%. Trust me, by the time this gets served in a trifle no one will notice it came from a tin.
You might be thinking I own quite a few floor length black skirts, and it is true. They're all slightly different but I like the way they work with short jackets. The skirts need to be floor length to work for me. Ankle or slightly shorter skirts just make me look shorter. It doesn't make sense, but I've worked out over the years what lengths look best on me. This skirt is silk with velvet trim.
The velvet, wool, and embroidery jacket is vintage from the 80's and it never quite fit me correctly in the shoulders. Still, I wanted to give it one more try before sending it along to someone taller. The decorative back is quite lovely.
It reminds me a bit of Mexican tourist jackets, but as I already have three of the genuine jackets, I don't feel bad about moving this one along. The fit is infuriatingly awkward.
Outfit Particulars:
Vintage silk skirt-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Cambridge Dry Goods jacket-Goodwill
Vintage hat-Thrift World
Polo neck- K Mart
Brooch-K Mart
Fragrance-L 'Heure Attendue, Patou
Finally, I wrapped up the workweek with some satin and sequins. I bought this crazy animal print disco jumpsuit because it was a bargain and I thought it could be fun. It was fun! Now that I wore it though, I'm going to chop it into a shorts jumpsuit for summer. It could be one hell of a pool cover-up.
The jacket is white and silver sequins from god-knows-when (80's? 70's? ) and also very difficult to wear. Still, when the thrifting gods give you sequins, you're obligated to at least try. But not too hard, because that's not cool.
Outfit Particulars:
Vintage jumpsuit-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage jacket-Goodwill
Shoes-Hand-Me-Ups
Scarf-Goodwill
Fragrance-Patou Sublime
By the weekend though, the glamour was replaced with what I like to call the "Three hours of sleep look."
You do not want to fuck with me today. I promise you.
And that was my vintage week. The Pistols shirt is vintage early 80's (maybe '80 or '81 I can't remember) and has miraculously survived all this time. I have a few other treasured tees I'll dig out and share on the blog eventually. The skirt is polyester 70's Donkenny. The flannel shirt was purchased at Shop Ko when I was pregnant . The problem with flannel shirts is of course they only get comfortable when they are old and tattered.
It reads: Postman, orange is et (sic) up. Please return to Florida. Thanks.
I wouldn't let him send itš
Hope you had a great weekend.
Danny's negative results are the best news I've heard this Xmas- Hoo-ray!
ReplyDeleteFrom full-on glamour to unf*ckuppable- Yeehaw!
So pleased to hear that Danny's doing okay.
ReplyDeleteAct III! My Grandma used to love their stuff - their velvet was fantastic quality.
Both black outfits, Punk and Disco Queen are all a wonderful feast for my eyes on this dark dank and foggy morning.
Before we moved in together and when Jon's Mum was still alive, she'd do him food parcels which always included tins of Ambrosia custard and rice pudding - far too sweet and sickly for me, he loves it! xxx
very good news about danny! yay!
ReplyDeleteand you do opera, folk costume, disco glamour and punk in one post and totally fabulous! applause!!
of cause do floor length skirts lengthen the lines - because you have only ONE horizontal line build by skirt hem and floor together - instead of the many lines an ankle length creates with shoes and floor......
your potato pancakes look like our "kartoffelpuffer" or in dialect: "grĆ¼ne klitscher".....
xxxx
All of Danny's ETB aunties are smiling with great relief at the good news! The sooner the fences around this young man are lowered the better, and that concern about a life-threatening reaction to nuts is a high fence indeed. Drat the warm weather!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Mum is going for glamour shots on the staircase and shining like a vintage film star. Even reading "vintage velvet" and "satin and sequins" prompts my humming Cole Porter. Don't give up on the lovely lounge outfits, Goody: Chicago's dinner theatres are still there, never mind Omaha.
I don't wear floor length skirts lest I look like a mobile tea cozy. However, during my co-ed years (explain "co-ed to Danny, please) I knew a grande dame who was amused by my interest in her heirloom wardrobe. She showed me the buckram panel that she tacked up inside the back hem of her walking suit "...to catch the dust one kicked up walking on unpaved roads." And we really got the giggles when she explained that "...the best approach to using the 'loo in a long gown is to seat oneself facing the wall, so there's someplace to put one's train."
Pleased to hear about Danny's test results, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed on the food challenge. What a magnificent piece your velvet suit is! Just wow! You can see that it's quite heavy and warm. The satin and lace blouse is fabulous too. I love the crazy disco jumpsuit and oh, my: I used to have that Sex Pistols tee-shirt too. I wonder what happened to mine? xxx
ReplyDeleteGreat news on the Danny front! He just gets tougher by the day.
ReplyDeleteIf I were only tall enough for that embroidered jacket, I’d say send it my way. But I think I’m even shorter than you are (I’m not quite 5’1”). Bleah.
Glad to read about the test results. Loved the envelope!! Jx
ReplyDeleteI love all your floor-length black skirts. As far as I'm concerned, one can't really have too many black skirts - I daren't count how many I have!
ReplyDelete@Bibi
ReplyDeleteThank you. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
@Vix
Thank you for the well wishes-he's doing much better.
I hope I'm the sort of mum that sends my son food parcels, but I have a terrible feeling he's never going to move out!
@Beate
Kartoffelpuffer sounds so much better than "Potato pancake."
@Beth
Thank you. I know it means a great deal to Danny having so many people sending him good thoughts.
If I ever need to use the toilet wearing a bustle this is going to be very helpful!
No joke about dusty unpaved roads though. Sometimes I find Victorian and Edwardian pieces that have century-old (or more) dirt embedded in them. I just treat it like patina on silver-if it survived that long who am I to remove it?
@Ann
Thank you. We're pretty excited for him finally knowing where he stands.
I had the God Save the Queen poster in my room at home just to annoy my parents. Still have it packed away somewhere.
@Propagatrix
You're just barely shorter (I have now shrunk to 5'1 and 1/2). I used to be 5'3...what the hell happened?! The jacket has very long sleeves and strange shoulderpads. With a bit of tailoring they could probably be shortened and the shoulders adjusted, but it would still be boxy and strange across the back. I have a curved spine, but even with good posture it would still be strange across the back. I'll send it to you if you want it, but I think it would be more work than an 80's jacket is worth. Might be good as a waistcoat if you cut off the sleeves.
@Jan
I laughed so hard when I saw the envelope!
@Radostin
I try to wear less black than I used to, but skirts just seem so practical.
Good news on the blood work, fingers crossed they continue to come back negative.
ReplyDeleteHoorah for Danny's results! And while your velvet suit is stunning, what really impressed me is your perfume choices. Patou is such an overlooked house nowadays!
ReplyDelete@Mim
ReplyDeleteI'll admit, it isn't my favourite house, but the fragrances are easy to wear, and the old ones are simple enough to find online.