Shop News...This Just In!

Newly listed in my vintage shop, Femme Fatale Vintage, this week (click on image to see listing):

And don't forget...you can get great vintage deals and help Haiti! 100% of the proceeds from my CLEARANCE section will be donated to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund!

My handmade shop, The Sparkling Cocktail, is still open. New items will be listed again as soon as my hand is fully healed. Instead of sewing I've been going to physical therapy and doing my hand exercises. I miss sewing and blogging about my projects so I am working my hardest to get my skills and hand back in working order!

Be sure to follow me on twitter @BobbinBombshell or @femmefatalevtg for instant updates!

Weekend Reading: Links a la Mode

A Touch of Frivolity

Edited by Retro Chick

It’s been a long time since pay day and this weeks Links à la Mode brings a touch of much needed frivolity as we crawl into the second month of a new decade. Idiosyncratic Style takes Scooby Doo’s Velma as her style inspiration, Dirty Hems is inspired by dolls houses and Ode to Awe shows off her leopard print nails. Want something for nothing? A few Goody Gumdrops has an Aspinall of London bag to giveaway and Retro Chick (that’s me!) has 2 Valentine goodie bags to giveaway worth over £100 each. We’ve also got some great designer interviews and some practical advice.

On a more sober note there’s some timely tips from Sway, Sway, Sway! on how you can continue to donate to Haiti without getting scammed, Shoe Daydreams discusses Tanya Golds “Why I hate Fashion” article and Ventures of Jenn shares her opinions on the body image debate.

Bring on February!

Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence

Links à la Mode: January 28th

• 39th and broadway – 5 Questions To Ask Before Beginning a Career in Fashion


• A Few Goody GumDrops – A Few Goody Gumdrops and Aspinal of London are Giving away an ever-so chic and sophisticated beige patterned skin clutch!


• Analogue Chic – Looking good while doing stuff – braving the weather and the commute with a sense of style.


• Bonne Vie – Invest in Quality Denim; featuring How-To Tips from Denim Debutante


• Cafe Fashionista – Style Secrets: Cowboy Boots Made Classy


• Cindy Whitehead – The Modern Snow Bunny


• Denim Debutante – Aeropostale Gives Back with Teens for Jeans Campaign


• dirty hems. – In the Dollhouse – Miniature inspiration and a teeny resulting DIY


• Dramatis Personae – a feature & interview with the designer behind i am dorkas


• Fasshonaburu – I challenge myself to follow my own dress code regulations in order to wow up my day to day ensembles.


• fête à fête – Clarins debuts first certified organic beauty soap


• Idiosyncratic Style – Inspired by the sartorially underrated Velma Dinkley.


• Independent Fashion Bloggers – IFB Presents : Evolving Influence Conference NYFW 2010


• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS – Interview with Janeane Marie Ceccanti


• Ode to Awe – I review Minx Nails, plus my glamourous Russian Garnet cocktail ring


• Oranges and Apples – Vintage teenage hair inspiration


• Retro Chick – Valentines Day is on it’s way and Retro Chick has 2 goodie bags worth over £100 each to give away to help you celebrate!


• Shoe Daydreams – Fashion Influences (?)


• Style Eyes Fashion Blog – I have avoided eco and ethical fashion in the past because of the price but I have just discovered it is affordable and stylish.


• Style Symmetry – How to Choose Items at a Clothing Swap Party


• Sway Sway Away! – A passionate plea from a member of the global community to her fashionable brothers and sister: help Haiti!


• THE COVETED – Suzy Menkes, Facehunter, LeMads & The Coveted talk about fashion blogs


• ventures of jenn – on body issues

Mid-Week Inspiration: Beauty Sleep

Oh how I wish I slept as silently still and as beautifully as screen legend Ann Sothern in this photo. And as you can guess, I want that tufted headboard!

Please forgive me, I never took notes on where I found this image. If you know from what film it's taken from please let me know. Thanks!

Vintage Finds of the Week: Tufted Furniture

As much as I love to sell vintage on Etsy I also love to shop! Every week I feature a theme of vintage finds I have discovered that I wish I could buy, wish was my size, or just may go ahead and treat myself to. Who knows! The point is there are great vintage items to be found! This week I have found vintage tufted furniture. I wish I had more space in my apartment!

French 1940s Tufted Silk Side Chairs-$500-thevintagelaundry

Vintage Pink Velvet Tufted Headboard-$750-rustyrosepetals

Loire Valley Settee -$650- ReclaimTheThrone

Retro Looks In The Modern World: Metropolis

Aren't these amazing?

Vogue Germany February 2010

Photographer-Karl Lagerfeld

Model-Toni Garrn

Source-Fashion Gone Rogue

Newly Listed This Week!

There are lots of newly listed vintage goodies in stock in my Etsy shop, Femme Fatale Vintage!

Have a look at what's new:

I listed 9 vintage patterns! A few have already sold!

These shoes are fabulous! Dark chocolate brown 1940/50s Jerro New York suede and leather peeptoe slingbacks! Size 8N. $110

Sweet and sexy! 1950s black sheer mesh pumps by Red Cross Shoes with bows and rhinestones. Size 7AAA. $75


True Italian style! 1960s Rosina Ferragamo Schiavone black leather and butter snakeskin pumps. Size 7. $92

Perfect for the office! 1960s Nordstrom's brown lizard pumps. Size 10AA.
$46.

And don't forget to shop my CLEARANCE SECTION for amazing vintage deals with all of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund!

Weekend Reading: Links a la Mode

The Heavyweights

Edited by Dramatis Personae

Fashion’s getting heavier– and I’m not just talking about the rise of supermodels like Crystal Renn. This week we’ve got meaty posts covering ethical topics like the sustainability of bamboo at Awakened Aesthetic while Bonne-Vie covers the the implications of buying items made in China. We’ve got not 1–not 2, but 3 AMAZING Interviews this week at Alice in Stilettos, kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS, and White Rabbit. Even Gala Darling’s post on her 2010 Style Direction could serve as a paperweight, it’s so chock full of inspiring images, details, and notations.

As usual, there’s a fabulous collection of links in the forums for your continued reading pleasure!

Links à la Mode: January 21st

• Alice in Stilettos: – Interviewed brilliant 18 year old designer, Nathan Gerard!


• Awakened Aesthetic: – How Green is Your Bamboo?


• Bonne Vie: – At Bonne Vie, we talked about the impact of conscious spending on your wardrobe (and one girl’s journey to not buy “Made In China”)


• Cafe Fashionista: – Style Secrets: Stormy Sophistication. A comprehensive guide for the girl who wants to remain fashionable even in the midst of a monsoon!


• DailyDivaDish: – Vintage Broaches: 8 Unique ways to wear these treasures & more — includes many pics of different broaches & a DIY idea for reusing those with broken clasps.


• dramatis personae: – Following Your Instincts…When Meeting New People, When Shopping, When at Work, and When in Love


• Fashion Pulse Daily: – Ponders the significance of the C. Finley Wallpapered Dumpster Project


• For Those About to Shop: – nternational runway sensation Stacey McKenzie inspires aspiring models to be themselves.


• Gala Darling: – 2010 Style Direction: Psychadelic Ladies Who Lunch


• girl friday : – DIY Ribbon Necklace & Bracelet. tutoirial on how to make your own ribbon necklace.


• hello beauty! – In my post on Hello Beauty, I wrote about the new Bobbi Brown campaign. She’s using friends – not models.


• Idee Fixe: – Fashion and the arts charities supporting Haitian Relief on Idee Fixe


• In Life & In Fashion: – Make a “Most Coveted List” to avoid silly impulse spending! Includes tip on how to create your own list and what is currently on mine!


• Independent Fashion Bloggers: – How to Create Your Media Kit


• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS: – My exclusive interview with Inbar Spector, an Israeli London-based designer whose renowned avant garde Bjork-inspired designs have been worn by celebrities such as Rihanna.


• Model Max: – A special report on the history of male modeling – from the 1980s to the present time, with short profiles of selected male models who remain successful even after modeling.


• Oranges and Apples: – Top tips for organising your wardrobe


• Retro Chick – The 4 things I’ve always wanted but never owned


• THE COVETED – Marion Cotillard and Franz Ferdinand team up for Dior


• the fashionate traveller: – the rock/burlesque/voodoo vibe that is alternative Sydney label Baroque & Roll.


• White Rabbit: – Introducing Sorcha Gillet, the Irish born textile designer and blogger.

Mid-Week Inspiration: Glamour Girls in Glasses

I wear glasses from time to time. At the movies, while driving, etc. I am lucky that I don't have to wear them all of the time but that may change as I get older. Here is some inspiration of glamorous ladies like Marilyn Monroe and Rosario Dawson sporting specs. Why glasses aren't used more often in fashion I'll never know.

Vintage Finds of the Week: Eyeglass Frames

As much as I love to sell vintage on Etsy I also love to shop! Every week I feature a theme of vintage finds I have discovered that I wish I could buy, wish was my size, or just may go ahead and treat myself to. Who knows! The point is there are great vintage items to be found! This week I have found vintage eyeglasses. I am near sighted which is great for my sewing projects but can lead me to miss out on details at the movies, in architecture, and so on. My prescription is mild so I don't wear my glasses very often but it's always fun to look for more styles. Here are some stylish vintage specs:

Beautiful Women's Tortoise Rhinestone France Cat Eye Eyeglass Frames 50s 60s-$85-Vintage 50s Eyewear

Ornate Leaves 50s 60s Gold Tura Cat Eye Spectacles-$87-VintageDove


Lamy Elice Eye Glasses Vintage Wire Rim-$48.50-Groovintuesday

1950s Vintage Swank Eyeglasses with Rhinestones-$95-listitcafe

Retro Looks In The Modern World: Unica Romania January 2010

From Unica Romania- January 2010

Model-Catrinel Menghia

source-foto_decadent

The "Chic" Blogger Award

I was recently awarded The "Chic" Blogger Award from the lovely Christina at Fabulous Finds Gal!! Since I recently had a blog award blow-out giving out awards to 17 fabulous blogs, I am not going to give this one out until I discover some new and noteworthy blogs.

Thank you Christina for the award!!

Newly Listed This Week!

It's been a busy week filled with physical therapy for my hand (very tiring!) and Birthday celebrations!! I did manage to list three vintage patterns in my shop Femme Fatale Vintage this week. One has already sold so here are the two that are still available. Click on the photo to go to the listing.

I also want to announce that 100% of the proceeds from items sold in my Vintage Clearance Section will be donated to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund!! All items are under $40, so pick up an item for yourself or a friend and help out!!

Mid-Week Inspiration: My New Haircut!

I am a little hesitant about this post as I don't write about myself that often on this blog. I am also hesitant about posting pictures of myself up without wearing a trace of make-up. Since I have injured my right hand, I haven't been able to use my normal staples of liquid eyeliner and mascara. It's been 2 months now and I still can't open my favorite lip gloss! Not only has make-up become a chore, but so did taking care of my waist length hair. (You can see a before photo in this older post, taken a week and a half before my accident.) Unable to tame the developing rat's nest I took the plunge and had cut off about 10"-12" of my hair! The photo above, from January Vogue, was my inspiration. Of course my hair is not platinum blonde. It is not stripped of all it's pigment and therefore does not have the texture of the photo I brought to my stylist. So I have a silkier version of that cut, and I like it! Have a look!
My long locks shown here were donated to Locks of Love!

So there it is and I have to tell you it is so much easier for me to deal with, with my one hand. I am looking forward to this spring so when my right hand is back in use I can play with it more-please pray! Pin-curls? That will be fun!

Vintage Finds of the Week: Lingerie

As much as I love to sell vintage on Etsy I also love to shop! Every week I feature a theme of vintage finds I have discovered that I wish I could buy, wish was my size, or just may go ahead and treat myself to. Who knows! The point is there are great vintage items to be found! This week I'm in a lingerie mood, so here are my finds of the week:

Vintage Black Bombshell Bullet Bra by Hollywood Vassarette-$49-FeistyBroadDesigns

Sweet and Sexy-Vintage Corset Girdle-$75-WearingHistory

1950s Vintage Bra no.1-$45-swaneegrace

Vintage Vanity Fair Black Lace Corset Bustier-32-StelmaDesigns

Retro Looks In The Modern World: Lingerie

When it comes to lingerie, retro inspired is truly sexy. Instead of focusing on a retro themed editorial, for this edition of Retro Looks in the Modern World I am showcasing 4 companies that do retro lingerie right. In other words, I want it all!

Lucy B. out of Los Angeles, has a great variety of affordable camisoles, bras, panties etc. Some designed in collaboration with pin-up model Bernie Dexter.

oooh, Rigby & Peller from London. High end deliciousness. Their 70th anniversary collection, Platinum, pulled from their archives is amazing! Look at that cone bra!

What can I say about What Katie Did, other than I wish they were stateside! The best looking bullet bras I've seen plus a fantastic selection of seamed stockings.

Dirty Dolls Lingerie has a romantic approach to their retro line. This one is pretty enough to wear on the outside!

Newly Listed This Week!

Yay! I am back to listing new items in my Etsy shop, Femme Fatale Vintage! My hand is still in recovery so I am still not sewing any new items for my handmade shop, The Sparkling Cocktail. But I am able to list some great vintage items I have aquired over the last few months and this already feels like an accomplishment as the camera is getting easier to use!
This past week I listed several vintage patterns. I am showing five here as a highlight, click on the image to go directly to the listing. I have also given the shop a new look and created a CLEARANCE section with last chance items at 50% off! You don't want to miss that!