Vintage Diet Update....

Okay so since writing the vintage diet post I have found out that I am Dairy Intolerant so I didn't get very far as I was discovering a whole host of foods that I now can't eat and making a list of the ones that I can and substituting different things in my diet. I didn't realise quite so many things had milk in them. Since cutting out dairy from my diet, I have lost quite a bit of weight.
     But now that I have got that sorted out, I thought I would jump back on the Vintage Diet Wagon with you all and start trying some recipes from Wartime Britain.
     My go to website for vintage recipes is:

www.1940sexperiment.wordpress.com/

There are soooo many recipes on here for you to tuck into.

In the meantime I have a picnic/barbeque tomorrow and I need to think of some vintage recipes I can rustle up to take along with me. Do you have any ideas?

How does this sound for a wartime picnic menu:

Sausages and home made Burgers for the bbq
A Potato Salad with Vinaigrette Sauce
Carrot Cookies (I'm sure they taste better than they sound)
and finally some home made Lemonade

I think it will turn out quite a tasty dinner.

I found these wonderful photos of picnics in the 1930s and 40s

So romantic...
If only we all dressed that way to go on a picnic nowadays. That's got me thinking what should I wear? Hmmmmm I will get raiding my wardrobe and see what I can rustle up. Maybe I will post the results tomorrow......

The Classic Pencil Skirt

I recently made a 1940s inspired pencil skirt and it got me thinking about how pencil skirts have changed over time. Lets have a look at the vintage pencil skirt and the pencil skirts of today.

So here is the one I made....

The two things I like most is 1) the fit is not figure hugging but simply skims the hips and therefore it is not only flattering but also comfortable and 2) the length is to mid calf. It is modest and again flattering. It also feels very feminine to wear. I took my inspiration from the 1940's. It is a classic pencil skirt that can be worn with anything and to anywhere.

The 1940's Pencil Skirt

• Christian Dior invented the first pencil skirt in 1940. It was a shortened adaption of the 1910 hobble skirt.
• After the shapeless style clothes of the 20's women wanted to embrace the curves of the pencil skirt.
• Earlier versions of the pencil skirt were initially part of a women's suit.
• The pencil skirt made the corset popular again. Women wanted to accentuate their curves.

For me though I love the elegance of the 1940s pencil skirt. It skims the hips, is a modest but flattering length, makes you look slim and moves gracefully with the figure instead of restricting it.

 

So what about pencil skirts today...

 

The Modern Pencil Skirt

I love Fashion and how creative it can be. Pencil skirts have changed so much. To think that they started with a bit of rope tied round the skirt of the first woman to fly in a plane and now they are made in all shapes, materials, designs, lengths and for those who have that killer figure it looks great.

 

In my experience, however, I find that pencil skirts today don't fit properly. I have brought a few pencil skirts from shops and I have to squeeze in them, they don't compliment my figure and they are difficult to walk in. On the other hand the ones I have from vintage shops fit perfectly.

 

Have any of you had this experience? Share your thoughts about pencil skirts. Do you prefer vintage or modern?

 

This....

 

 

 

or this....



Taking Care of Your Garments

Hey Guys and Gals,

In one of my earlier posts I promised to do a post about taking care of our garments. So today I think I might just do that. I am always dropping things down me and staining my clothes, so if I were to replace a garment every time I got a stain, my purse would be empty. Here are a few frugal tips and a few vintage ideas that still hold up today...

Daily Care
Caring a little for your clothes every day will save you caring for them when it is too late and when the task has piled up.
Watch this video about how to be well dressed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKOiIK6eEOU

Simple things like ironing, mending things like buttons and small tears and putting clothes away properly so that they hang properly on a hanger. By taking care of the small jobs you prevent them from becoming big jobs later on and you prevent possibly ruining the garment altogether.

Frugal tips
My Grandmother, my Mother and now I also swear by 'Astonish Carpet Cleaner'. Not only is it great for the carpet but it does wonders for stains in your clothes. All you do is squirt a little onto the stain, then gently rub it in. Work the cleanser into the fabric until the stain is gone then rinse under cold water.

When attempting to get stains out, never use hot water. All you are doing is baking the stain.

For those really delicate garments that are not colour fast, get a large bowl of luke-warm to cool water and pour in lots and lots of salt. I mean a lot! Dip the garment in and let it drip dry. The salt will lock the colour in so that it does not run. It is also probably best to do this on a day when the weather is nice.

Try using vinegar. I am yet to try this but apparently it makes you whites whiter, your colours brighter, eliminates static cling, prevents dye from running, softens your laundry and actually eliminates odours. I will give this a go and let you know how it works out.

Here are a few extra tips for you to try out...

So there are a few tips and tricks to keeping your clothes clean the vintage way.
I hope you have a go at some of these.

Speak soon