Project Woman

Sometimes it happens I feel more decisive and mannish than men around me.
'Gender is an illusion.' - is it?

I was wondering if strong character takes away part of my femininity, and I think it does.

So is it that to keep my womanhood alive I need to implement everyday
woman - mission?

It became sort of habit so I don't notice it so often but it's there. 

My project 'me - woman' is quite visible and aggressive, sometimes. It's getting stronger when I'm irritated and gentle when I'm feeling good. 

But when I realized that I have to enrich it everyday otherwise it's fading, 

I feel more like I steer my day.

Vintage Fashion

1951/1952

1952/1953/1954

1954 / 1955

1955 / 1956

Ceil Chapman

I had a serious bad luck week.
I damaged my dress while ironing - 12cm hole.
I damaged my brand new shoe Gino Rossi - suede heel.
Flat tire.
Minus balance on my tax statement.
...and my cat instead of eating his food nowadays he's eating my cables.

But somewhere there is a girl Lacey Whyte on Vintage Network who just got as a present -
Ceil Chapman dress !!!

These dresses cost a fortune. And as Dita von Teese reminded...

...Marilyn Monroe's favourite designer.

Unfortunately most fo them are in USA, hard to get it in Europe.
Ceil Chapman born in Staten Island always have been a designer.
She created in 1940s - 1970s.

MM dress sold on auction.

So I could also get this kind of present.

Dress inspiration

I am always jealous of my cats. They love everyone except me.

One used to bring dead trophies to my neighbour. Second one enjoys anybody's company but mine. And they absolutely adore my boyfriend.  

So now, when he's travelling we are all alone. I have their whole attention. I should be happy. But...

One of them, Wiktor, is stalking me. In my own flat.

He's constantly with me. Walking after me. Sleeping in the same time. Eating. 

I started to suffocate.

Fortunately water scares him off...and I can always go out.

Today I was driving around in search of the cheapest dry cleaner's.

To find out if my goldenish ruined eBay dress can go out clean. 

It's discouraging. But I Just can not stop buying vintage and precious seconds.

...and I love to watch these for a little bit of inspiration.

I've never seen this film but early sixties should be OK.

That touch of Mink 1962

I am definitively going to watch it!

Jail Bait 1954

So decadent. I read that Dita von Teese in her young days used to get out in "this look" just in flats and cardigan.

I'm thinking of white simple knee length slip.

Butterfield 8 1960

...well, this skirt length is this what I want...

Kim Novak trying on shoes Vertigo 1958

The dress doesn't matter. I like the idea of having breakfast in the early early morning on the street in front of f.ex. Tiffany's window shop.

The dress doesn't matter but the idea of This Kind of Look does.

Breakfast at Tiffany's opening scene 1961

Wiggle dress!! it's just that you can not bike to the city.

costume test Something's Got to Give 1962

I have no idea what's that! but it is on youtub and I'm going to watch it.

Vicious Lady 1937

I really like Bettie Page Clothing but most of the time it's tragic polyester.

Anyway I just have a pencil skirt and sailor pencil dress 100% polyester. I have no idea how did it happen and why my plastic fabric knowledge came so late...

...but here I am stuck with couple of plastic bags as dresses.

However Bettie Page clothing can be innovative!

And here it is Gil Elvgreen inspired dresses.

I love Gil Elvgreen. I can not imagine my year without his Taschen calendar!

And that's my favourite:

Who knows what's that?

Nylon, polyester, another plastic bag... but I really admire his fantasy.

glamorous men?

It was such a nice day. Even here, when sun is shining the world is beautiful.

Postman woke me up and handed to me Monsoon dress I just won on eBay.

100% silk for 17 GBP.

After brief inspection it appeared it's quite good. Just like described... it's just that... 

I'm even too embarrassed to know what I really think.

I found some small tiny dry pieces of something similar to food stuck to this glorious silk fabric on the bottom of the dress. And huge -in my point of view- brownish stains.

It's not so so so visible because this layer is transparent. But it's there!

...and now, I don't know what to do...

I informed seller that it's slightly disgusting and I really have no idea what's next.

As I began imagining where she was, what she did, terrible thought came to my head...

is it ... vomit?

I had to leave and get my thoughts together. So I went jogging. 

Accidentally I've found in the library Things I wish my mother had told me

by Lucia Van Der Post.

And as I was thinking about this book and people with their sense of glamour I promised myself I will never get lost on my way. 

f.ex. I will never sell or give away any of my clothes with suspicious secretion on it.

I believe it's not only about looks:

There are no ugly women, only lazy ones.

H. Rubinstein

So what about Men? ...those who weren't born with It. 

Already happened to me that:
- acquaintance of mine asked me to launder his underwear,
torn in million places similar to my floor rag which I simply throw out in this condition,
by giving me this to my hand
- working only with men I've found many times Jackson Pollock in the toilet
(in case you're not familiar Jackson Pollock Gallery)
- I had to pour extra perfume portion on me to survive a hot summer day at work surrounded by my male colleagues
- some of my Charleston partners insist on eating garlic bread and onion salad just before dancing lesson ...and look sentence up
- in a small group one of my male companions had a habit to take off his outer clothes and stay only in his underwear to feel comfortable
- men invited to my place for a dinner used to walk around with their own wine bottle like with the best friend and take care only of their own glass

I heard couple of times women saying that a man can be ugly like a pig and saute, just the way Mother Nature created them, as long as they're interested.

Well...handling only Two Major sides: Inner side and Outer side Can not be so difficult !!

But neither have I ever understood Why you can't combine Glamour with Brains.

Lucia van der Post

So let's be Jackson Pollock HERE, but never in real life !!!

collecting the fifties

It's the best book about 50s. I just had to make some photos to read it some time again!

You should know what to get and for how much...however prices went up, again :)

It's just to know what to hunt.

Miller's Collecting the 50's:

Lingerie

Casual

Bags and shoes

accessories