On the Wild Side of Mid Century Home Decor

I love mid century design, the sleek lines, rad colors and overall mix of modern and creative ideas. These mid century designs are just a bit ove the top in bold colors, but for the time, they were what was trending, modern and new. I really like certain element in each design as an onging student of design and style. These bold room lend themselves to create your own style.  A as lover of vintage and fashion I can take what I like in each room and create a new fashion garment or use for my own home decor ideas. Inspiration is found everywhere even in old mid centruy home decor magazines.

This is one bright yellow room, a bit to much yellow for my taste, although I do like the yellow panel curtains and yellow shag rug. A nice idea they used in this room was the panels on the wall, I love large graphics for wall decor it adds a great focal point. The fabric on the sofa and tablecloth would be awesome for a summer dress, maybe with a yellow cummerbund.

A very blue room with some silver and white and a touch of orange. Okay children would love the mirrors, but this is not a child proof room, that coffee table alone is a recipe for very bad hurts and owies, although I love the coffee table and if I lived lone would love to have it. The blinds look aluminum and are very cool and would look great in a industrial style home. Love the print on the wall, how it picks up the blue and orange in the room. These colors being on the opposite side of the color wheel really compliment each other. And, once again the fabric on the sofa and chairs would make for the cutest dress, maybe a maxi and use those daisies for a hair wreath.

Hmmm....looks like 50s hasn't yet caught up with the 60s, except maybe with the rug. I do like this coffee table too and always love bright sunny windows, so the sheers for this window tratment really work for me. That small sofa might look better in a bedroom sitting area. I think for fashion a plain polka dotted fabric with only a few large flowers strategically placed on a shift dress would be cool, maybe as a border print.

What are your thoughts on these designs, anything stand out for you, a redesign somewhere? Just leave a comment, it is always wonderful to hear what others think, let's connect ♥ ♥ ♥

Vintage Dresses from Harper Bazaar 1936

I love getting to the Southern Oregon University library and scanning these vintage magazine photos. Here are some lovely dresses from Harper's Bazaar 1936, starting with this beautiful brocade.

Harper Bazaar Sept 1st 1936, beautiful and so classy! Would love to see it in color, but most of the magazines really didn't do a lot of color until the 50s and 60s.

A great pair of lounging pants, love the painted Koi, Harper Bazaar July 1939.

Coat has hand blocked brillant fish on natural pongee, Hawaii. Harper Bazaar July 1939 from Gumps.

Love the draping and details on these dresses, Haper Bazaar July 1939.

And a few more lovey draping with very petty detail on these dresses, Haper Bazaar July 1939.

Haper Bazaar July 1939, I so do not want summer to be over. and would love to wear this dress not only for summer but for other days too, unfortuanally I can't with winter coming.

The caption on this photo shoot reads, 'Mrs. John C. Wilson wears striped tie silk, red and white for the dress, green and white for the full little jacket.' Harper Bazaar July 1939

Almost all white print splashed with bright red cherries and bright green leaves, Harper Bazaar 1939. dress at Bergdorf Goodman.

Schiaparelli dess from Harper Bazaar July 1939, bleeding hearts on black with fuchsia hearts and yellow wings.

Coming up are some photos from Mademoiselle May and June 1952. If you want a sneak peek, they have been posted on my Facebook at Oso Victoria Vintage go to photos to see them, lots of great vintage photos there. Until then....

Vintage Litho Prints from 1913 and 1914 Fashion

I collected these Litho prints back in the 70s when I was studying fashion design. What I found interesting in these, beside that they were vintage was the odd shape shapes and designs of some of the dress, especially the yellow one and the blue-green one with the floral over skirt.

Love this print of this 1913 swimsuit, I would certainly wear this swimsuit. Translation "Bathing suit"

This vintage 1914 sailor outfit is so adorable, the jacket and hat are just too cute. "Yacht suit: jacket cloth linen skirt, leather hat"

A very sweet 1914 dress, cute boots, hat and jacket, I'll take them all and the umbrella too! "Dress facings" not sure what that means exactly.

This is one of my favorites. The skirt looks like a deep purple velvet. I would wear this 1913 outfit too! "Dress for the afternoon"

This dress confused me with that wide peplum like thing, although the over all look is rather pretty. I really like the lacing up the sleeves and the hat is perfect. "Petite Taffeta for lazy afternoon"

I love the draping and sleeves on this dress, the collar not so much, but  that sheer skirt is lovely. This was actually another one that confused me on the look with that top skirt part, but still a very nice style. "Taffeta and Chiffon painted silk"

Any favorites here? What do you think of these designs? Do you think any of these are over the top?  Let me know in the comments, that helps me when I am working on my own designs and how far I can push the envelope, thanks.

Silver Fashion from Vintage, Designers, and 2013 Runway Show

Lately I have been fascinated with fashion in silver fabrics. From the Art Deco period to this Spring and Summer 2013 runway look. So where did it all start? Doing a little bit of research I found these bits of interesting information. 

In the 14th century China cloth of gold was called Marramas and a very similar cloth was made of silver. And, to this day the silver cloth similar to Marramas is made in India and Europe. 

Throughout history metallic fabric has been very common among the nobility and those of wealth. Charlotte, Queen Victoria's cousin was married in a wedding gown made of metallic cloth.

Princess Charlotte's 1816 wedding dress, this dress has been altered, the 'apron' is not original

Dresses from the 1920s often showed flare and style in gold and silver. Although, the gold and silver in these dresses were usually accomplished by bead and sequin work.

A lovely beaded flapper 1920's dress

1920's cream and gold lame evening dress

1920's sequin dress

Today's modern metallic fabrics made in the west are known

as lamé. 

Lanvin Silver Lame Evening Ensemble 1930

Vionnet Dress - Fall/Winter 1938-39

Moving on to the 60's and 70's starting with this silk jersey, the dress below is made of silk jersey and absolutely stunning

Dior 1960 Evening ensemble, silk jersey

The lovely Françoise Hardy in a metal-link jumpsuit by Paco Rabanne, 1968

Thierry Mugler, 1979

As we go forward in time to current fashion we have more stunning silver gowns with beautiful draping and bead and sequin work.

Versace Fall 2011

Marchesa Pre-Spring 2012

Georges Hobeika Spring Summer 2013 Ready to Wear

And, one final pretty one ~ no designer's name or date came with this one.

Hope you liked my current obsession with silver (and a touch of gold) gown, dresses and jumpsuits...

And, I would love it if you joined this blog and get the next color obsession, it is rather bold and wild, but that will come after the next free PDF knitting or crocheting instructions, until then, love fashion, love vintage!

Vintage 1970s White Crochet Tops

Love these white summery vintage crochet patterns from McCall's Needlework and Crafts Spring 1977 magazine. 

Free PDF download Rose Camisole

...and these two

Download PDF for Tassel Tie Vest on left and

PDF for Romantic Sweater on right

These tops would be so fun to layer up, which one sparks your fancy?

Vogue Fashion 1965

There was a little bit of everything in this April edition of Vogue 1965. I start with this image featuring Italian designers. what caught my eye in this shot was the fabric of this dress. I have some muslin fabric that has different size eyelets, kind of reminded me of Swiss cheese, not this dress, but my muslin fabric. I was always at a loss as to what to make with it, haha, still am. I find this dress interesting but really not me, although I do like the fabric.

Black and white eyelet curves back into Watteau's century - clasped with black roses over over rose-tosses white. by Forquet, in Abraham linen.

This spread is called Vogues's Eye View: The Body Bulletin

...The line of soft fabric flowing against a clean, taut line of body is the line of today...the strength of the body showing through transparent clothes is the strength of fashion. For this moment...for this era. The era's seductive herald.

Black lace stretched over a look of naked strength, swirled in chiffon - Heim diablerie on a skin of Warner's Body Stocking.

(I can see wearing the above with a tunic or mini dress and boots, I do believe that is the current style)

This dress comes from the photo shoot called Romantic Evenings in the American Custom by American designers

The mistiest elusive blue, a vaporous dress of chiffon, and the luminous bolero of beads that covers a softly wrapped strapless top. by Sophie.

This 12 page spread is called The Brisk Sweet Look of Linen which included this evening dress.

An evening dress of forget-me-not blue linen with a beautiful bare little top embroidered in a lacy design of white beads. The skirt: gathered, long,rippling. by Malcolm Starr $160

And then there is this one, a bit different than the rest in an article called Beauty Bulletin, how beauty travels...and what it takes ...word from the beauties who go, go, go

Slit sungoggles - one of the greatest looks we've seen since we discovered the Arctic and interviewed the smartest Eskimos cutting any ice there. Sea &Ski invented them and here they mingle with a chiffon-hooded coat created for Elizabeth Arden by Oscar de la Renta

I remember these, they were to hard to see out through.

I did want to save the best for last, Bardot - Bardot an article by Marguerite Duras

In Mexico, Brigitte Bardot filming Viva Maria

There was a lot of fashion, articles, and ads in this edition of Vogue, I hope you enjoyed the little snippets. Be sure to follow my blog by email for much more to come, thanks!

Vintage Vogue Fashion 1965

Here are a few fashion picks I liked the best from Vogue's February 1965 23 page spread called  'A Selective Eye on the Best of Everything in American Fashion'. 

The article states, ... Everyone's opportunity: not simply to be well-dressed - in this land of fashion-plenty, that could be accomplished blindfold with a checkbook - but every woman's chance to search the richness and variety of American fashion with a truly selective eye, and find her own uniquely personal image.

The transference: pompon lace cage

Cagey black point d'esprit, reembroidered in chiffon ribbon pompons: the flirt of the season, flinging coquetry at every turn of the black crepe shimmy beneath. By Townley in Whelan lace of Du Pont nylon over silk crepe

Tiers - and the clear charm of white crepe

Tiered white silk, one of the prettiest dresses in years - a slender cascade of deliciously scalloped flounces. Immaculate, enchanting. By John Moore

New evening life for the sailor suit - deeply bared

Sailor suit of the moment - a sexy little romp in crinkly acid-green wool, bared to the midriff. The overblouse pours to the hips above bell-bottom trousers, ties in a loose sailor's knot. By Jacques Tiffeau, $250

Peacock blue bared two ways

One shoulder slashed, one leg bared - a deliciously seductive evening dress in crinkly peacock-blue wool with a close little Empire bodice, softly gathered skirt, By Jacques Tiffeau, $250

I think my favorite is that little pompon number, what about you, would wear any of these? Let me know in the comment, would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!