Princess 31/8/19 Princess 31/8/19

Winter Takes a Bow

Hooray! It’s the last day of winter! I farewell the cold season with this charming 1930s black wool felt calot – a cap that sits on the back of the head – featuring a bow on the front, and decorative top stitching in gold thread on each side. It is simple, but stylish and versatile since it goes with multiple outfits. I found this hat last year in an op shop (thrift store) for only $5! Hat bargain of the year.

Goodbye Old Man Winter, we won’t miss you.

Photo: June 2019

Princess 28/8/19 Princess 28/8/19

Marvellous Mauve

A couple of years ago I wrote a story about different shades of purple, and I touched on the discovery of the first aniline dye in 1856 that became known as mauve, the French word for mallow flower after which the colour is named. Originally it was probably a darker shade than contemporary notions of it, as it was first likened to Tyrian purple which is much darker. The first mauve dye was replaced with other synthetic dyes in 1873: a lighter, less-saturated shade that we are familiar with today. As Wikipedia succinctly describes it, ‘mauve contains more grey and more blue than a pale tint of magenta’.

Three shades of mallow flowersHowever, while it was a synthetic dye, in the 1850s it was still quite expensive to process, and if not for Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, taking a liking to it because it supposedly exactly matched her ‘violet’ eyes, the colour might have disappeared. Queen Victoria subsequently gave it the thumbs-up, and for a time it was all the rage, reaching its heights of popularity in the 1890s.

… for a time it was all the rage, reaching its heights of popularity in the 1890s

As with many trends, however, it soon reached over-saturation in the market and eventually it became passé, synonymous with ladies of a certain age. Even in the twentieth century, it was associated with aging, as it was one of the shades white-haired ladies chose to rinse their hair with to remove unlikable yellowish tones. Today of course that trend has been turned on its head and grey hair tinted with pastel shades is all the rage with young people!

Empress Eugenie, 1854, by Franz Xaver Winterhalter – Franz clearly thought, "Pfft, purple eyes, MY EYE!"

Wait, what about the purple eyes?

I was interested in this notion of the Empress’s supposed violet eyes, and some research lead me to learn that Elizabeth Taylor was another celebrity famed for her violet eyes. Paintings are not necessarily true to life, and photographic evidence is obviously unreliable as it is too easy to digitally enhance hues or use colour filters in-camera.

Elizabeth Taylor in 1960 (ph unknown) and 1985 (ph Helmut Newton); she definitely seems to have naturally blue eyes that have been enhanced by the colour processing in the first photoAfter a lot of reading, I can state definitely that the human eye does not naturally come in shades of purple; ie people cannot be born with it. Put simply, the colour of an iris changes depending on how much light reaches it, and can be enhanced by coloured clothing or makeup surrounding the eyes; both Empress Eugénie and Elizabeth Taylor had blue eyes: one wore purple garments, the other purple eyeshadow. [See Further Reading below]

Back to fashion …

Since my original story, I have since found new mauve items in differing shades all from thrift stores: a merino wool jumper, a prettily hand-knitted vintage wool cape, and a vintage angora, pearl-beaded beret. The jumper is modern, but I am not sure of the age of the latter two; the beret was missing pearls when I bought it, but the cape is pristine and could be a modern knit made using a vintage pattern. My printed velvet pants are modern, by the Australian label Charlie Brown.

Scroll down and check out some more mauve outfits from the Victorian era to the present.

What I Actually Wore #0155

Serial #: 0155
Date: 30/10/2013
Weather: 20°C / 68°F
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

Right on theme is this outfit out of the archives: it is very graphic with the stripes and stars, and I still like it. Stripes are one of my outfit go-tos – a default, if-in-doubt wardrobe staple. I still own all these items in fact, except the starry tights ran off and have been replaced, and the shoes are in storage as they are actually quite uncomfortable because of the inflexible glitter fabric of the uppers. I still love the idea of the glittery Dorothy-inspired shoes so I can’t bring myself to sell them online, as was my original plan – nor do I want to inflict them on some unsuspecting buyer!

I happen to be wearing a few souvenirs from my trip to Spain: the skirt is by a Catalonian designer, and the ceramic earrings and ring were both bought in Barcelona; the ring always seemed to me to be a suitable memento of Gaudí’s famed and fabulous sculptural architecture in that city. The herringbone skirt looks wintry, but it is made of a linen and rayon blend. (The skirt looks like it has a rosy tint on one side, but that is actually the reflection of the sunset.)

According to my notes for this outfit, I also wore my vintage 60s black velvet and fur trim coat, and a matching vintage hat, a soft velvet cap with fur trim that pulls down over the head like a turban, which I think may be even older – possibly even 1910s or 20s. I also carried a favourite white leather tote from a now sadly-defunct Melbourne designer label. I don’t know why I omitted to photograph them!

Items:

Top: Meredith
Skirt: Celia Vela
Hat: vintage 1920s
Coat: Fashion Gems of Melbourne, vintage 60s
Earrings: souvenir
Ring: souvenir
Stockings: Leg Avenue
Bag: Elise Caarels
Shoes: Wittner

Photos: January 2014

Princess 26/8/19 Princess 26/8/19

Shoe Tales Time Tells

Quite a while ago I took these photos of new shoes (new to me that is, they were both bought secondhand), and for some reason I did not get round to writing a story about them while they were still actually new, and now they are old.

This shoe story became so old it transmogrified into a different story: that of shopping habits, knowing one’s own style, and listening to gut instincts.

Time tells its own tale, for in fact, only one pair had time to get old. I can’t recall where I found the shiny black high-heeled oxfords, but it was instant love. They were a perfect fit, looked hardly worn, and were quite inexpensive. I bought them and never regretted it, wearing them countless times since as a good, sturdy winter shoe that fit in perfectly with my favourite 1930s aesthetic.

The other pair tell a different tale, however. I spotted them inside a cabinet in an op shop, and was attracted by the soft blue colour. Upon request to look at them, I discovered first off that they were expensive (for thrift store shoes) at $20, and there was no indication of what material they were made of (they didn’t smell of leather). I don’t like to wear synthetic shoes: they don’t breathe and do not soften with time, so if they don’t fit perfectly, they can rub painfully. An uncomfortable shoe is a pain in the … foot. The soles of these were also quite thin. But, I reasoned, I run through walking shoes quickly because I wear them so much, so it’s always good to have plenty on hand, so against my better judgment, I bought them. That transpired to be a mistake; I had too many misgivings about them, and I ended up wearing them only (ahem) a handful of times before I returned them whence they came.

The lesson: don’t buy shoes that don’t perfectly fit either your notions of quality or personal style, or your physical proportions: unlike garments, shoes cannot be much altered to fit you better. A bargain is not a bargain if you don’t wear it, after all.

Photos: July 2016

Princess 19/8/19 Princess 19/8/19

When Wearing Stripes Becomes Optical Art

If any of my readers want proof of my devotion to stripes, behold this dramatic dress of striped jersey!

The dress, by Olivaceous (a brand I’ve never heard of) has a halter neckline formed by two extremely long ties that lift to create the bodice, cross my back, wind around waist a once or twice and then tie in a huge bow at the base of my back – and the ends still dangle to my knees! In addition, the maxi skirt is so wide and long that I have to carry it like ladies of yore so that I don’t trip and fall on my face. I like to think it evokes 1930s style a little.

Maximum drama makes it the perfect dress to wear to an Opening Night at the theatre last January, and making doubly-sure I turn heads, I pair with it a 1940s black and white satin veiled pillbox hat. The fabric is made of viscose, so it has flows beautifully; almost mesmerisingly. I feel like a piece of Op Art wearing it!

Photo: April 2019