Welcome to Brigadoon

I ordered a fabulous pattern from 1947 from The Fifth House on ETSY and went to work the first minute I had free. Boston surprisingly has very few options in the way of fabric shops and so I opted for a tartan fabric from Joanne's Fabrics as they seem to be having a "British Invasion" theme to their better fibers. Choosing a brown plaid I set to work and a few hours and a few cocktails later I had a fabulous new dress which will be worn with pride on Monday to the office.

Dress design 101

When searching for quality vintage you often run into the issue of finding the perfect dress that isn't in your size. I had such an experience the other day and after I wiped away the tears I sadly left the shop only to have spent the entire weekend thinking about the possibility of duplicating the dress in my size. Well I quickly returned to the shop and having found that no one else fit the dress picked it up and took it home only to tear every seam apart and study the construction.

There was a greater issue aside from the small size, it was a summer dress and was designed with a halter top and Fall is quickly descending upon New England. So I laid out some newsprint, set down the dress pieces and traced out the shape and increased the size accordingly and then designed the upper portion to hold onto the detail of the original dress, but to include 3/4 length sleeves. and at 2:30 am that next morning I had a new, one of a kind dress that fit like I wish the original dress had.





I have already bought fabric for a second dress.

Who knew the Victorian's knew lingerie?

So I found a Victorian night dress at my favorite vintage haunt in Brookline called Cafe Society. Seriously, I love this place, but above all else, if you can find a nightgown like this, you will not be disappointed. I have never slept in anything more comfortable and roomy (not to mention sexy as per the E.B.F.) than this.

A 1950's wedding

We went to a rooftop "shotgun" wedding this weekend overlooking all of Boston and I got to wear my 1950's pencil dress with matching topper. Oh, how I love special dress-up events.

War time dress

I came across this gem at a partial vintage/costume shop in Harvard Square for something like $14.00 and what a steal it was! I have worn it all of twice, today being the second, the first being the day I was nearly fired so I think I associated that memory with this dress. I chose this dress since it is 3 days straight of rain and in the low 60's here in the North East and I needed sleeves and I have gained a dress size as I stopped running due to the heat of summer. What a hit it was! Either I look better with a bit more weight or this dress needs to come out more often.



And I really wanted to test out my new photo border... bees knees or flat tire?

Another great ad campaign from the 20's

Marketing must have been tough in the 20's and 30's if they are shilling tapeworm eggs as a way to loose weight, did the miss the Luck Strike ad campaign?

Marketing for smokers

It's obvious nowadays that smoking is not good for ones health and smells bad and stains you fingers etc., but after looking at these advertisements from the 30's & 40's it is clear why so many people did smoke. With crackerjack medical science on your side, even tapeworms can be a good idea!



And my favorite:

Kestos, my bossom thanks you

It wasn't until the 1930's when that bras began to "lift and separate". Before this point a brassiere was either a corset or a bandeau. But Rosaline Kiln of the Kestos Corset Company revolutionized the bra creating the structure we see today. A simple concept, the design was an experiment in which Rosaline took handkerchiefs and added darts for shape and elastic banding that wrapped around the body and connected and Voila! Sweater puppies! In addition to the Bra being transformed into the modern marvel that it is today, the advertisements for the Kesto Bras are elegant art deco works of art, Seriously, Victoria's Secret should take some notes.

She wore an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny...

Ah, the bathing suit. Immediately you can envision yourself relaxing on the sand with the sound of the surf drowning out your thoughts while you bake under the hot sun. The bathing suit has gone through a drastic metamorphosis since the 19th century when they were basically gowns that covered all appendages and included a long skirt with weights. Thinking about this swim wear makes me feel claustrophobic, but at the turn of the century everything about the bathing suit began to shrink. Unfortunately by the time the 70's hit, the bathing suit shrank well past the point of being classy and made a bee-line for trashy. It was the window between 1930-1950 when the bathing suit was both functional and sexy. They modestly revealed the best parts of the female figure while disguising the "problem areas". Portrayed on the side of bomber planes in WWII and modeled by some of Hollywood's elite of the day, the bathing suit worked it's way into our hearts and onto our shores.

The Rose Cocktail

Aptly named for it's rose-like colour and created in the early 1920's, the Rose Cocktail is a sweet summer mix made out of far too many ingredients if you ask me, but it was easy to drink and worthy of a second.

1 oz gin

1/2 oz dry vermouth

1/2 oz apricot brandy

1/4 oz lemon juice

1/4 oz grenadine

Combine the ample amount of ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and mix well. Serve in a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Hepburn Style

No one could wear a pair of high waisted slacks like the icon of all icons, Katherine Hepburn. I fell in love with her glamour and moxie the moment I watched Bringing up Baby with the man of my dreams, Cary Grant. After extensive internet searching, I finally found a pattern of her iconic trousers, I only hope I can do them and her justice.

Images in Colour from 1939-1943

First off, I had no idea that colour photography existed pre-1950 but with this link forwarded to me by a friend that was found from Denver Post. These photos bring a sense of tangibility with the past and made them so real to me.


Chopping cotton on rented land near White Plains. White Plains, Greene County, Georgia, June 1941. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.


Barker at the grounds at the state fair. Rutland, Vermont, September 1941. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. Who hasn't seen Freaks and didn't become obsessed with the carnival?


Backstage at the "girlie" show at the state fair. Rutland, Vermont, September 1941. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. I LOVE the victory rolls.


Distributing surplus commodities. St. Johns, Arizona, October 1940. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Russell Lee. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. It's the stare of that woman that makes it hard for me to tear myself away.


Boy building a model airplane as girl watches. Robstown, Texas, January 1942. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.


Boys fishing in a bayou. Schriever, Louisiana, June 1940. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. First thought, Huck Fin.


Women workers employed as wipers in the roundhouse having lunch in their rest room, Chicago and Northwest Railway Company. Clinton, Iowa, April 1943. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.


Woman is working on a "Vengeance" dive bomber Tennessee, February 1943. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Alfred T. Palmer. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. The REAL Rosie the riveters.
To see all of the entire collection click here

Goat's Delight

Looking for a cocktail with five ingredients? Look no further, here is the Goat's Delight named for no one knows what but for a drink with this many liquors, you would think the taste would be more complicated. In fact it is a smooth and subtle concoction that leaves you a bit lightheaded in the end.
3/4 oz brandy
3/4 oz kirsch
1 oz cream
1/4 oz orgeat
1/4 oz pastis
Combine everything into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously to prevent the cream and orgeat from collecting at the bottom of the glass.

A day at the beach

Today our friends invited me and E.B.F. to a beach North of Boston called Crane Beach. The air didn't have a hint of humidity and allowed me to bust out my 1940's bathing suit.


unfortunately this suit leaves really awkward tan lines and needs to be completely unbuttoned (including the straps) for a trip to the little girls room.

It's my party and I'll dress how I want to..

It's my birthday today, the big whatever-whatever and to celebrate E.B.F. took me out to a fine French Restaurant in Boston after my eye appointment. Yes, in less than one week I will be able to see without glasses! Oh, the post-op joy!

So for a fine dining experience one needs to of course wear their best gown, and mine is from the 1920's. No lie. When in Fort Collins Colorado I found a fabulous vintage shop called Wear It Again Sam that specialized in vintage hats and clothing from the Edwardian period to the 1930's *swoon*. So I curled my hair, donned my vintage 1920's ball gown and hit the town.


Much to my utter joy, the moment I reached the hostess counter she gushed about my dress and how she too adored the vintage purchase in ones wardrobe. Various stares and multiple compliments accompanied by the awkward smile came my way during my dining experience. Once finished with my fabulous meal, I notified the girls in the hostess both of the shop and web site I found this ensemble and left the establishment to enjoy a Negroni mixed in my birthday honor.

I LOVE my birthday.

Classy Coasters

The company to which I am employed has gone through some renovations and many people have been playing musical office so when our Prepress director moved I noticed he forgot a few things, one which is this set of coasters from AGFA. Noticing the quirky jazz era themed beer coasters had been abandoned, I quickly snatched them up knowing full well that I will never use them for the purpose they were intended.

Corpse Reviver #1

I love the fact that there are cocktails that have been created specifically for the effects of drinking to much the night before. The Corpse Reviver actually has 3 iterations and they are all numbered for convenience, which is nice when you need the hair of the dog that bit you and you want zombie themed choices.

Looking up this recipe on the internet lead me to some interesting mixes but I'm going to direct you to the below measurements which are from a reputable cocktail book from the 1930's when the drink was actually created.
2 oz Brandy
1 oz Apple Brandy
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine and shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Yum.

The Kamikaze

This is NOT the Bro/Ho version of this classic drink, if that is what you want, find a bar full of popped polo collars. If you are looking for a sour summer sipper I would suggest you try the Kamikaze this way:
1 1/2 oz Vodka
2 teaspoons Cointreau
1/2 oz lime juice
Combine ingredients, Shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

The Gimlet

I was craving one all day, so the first thing I do after I take off my shoes is to mix my first Gimlet. Great for a summer day. Unless you like tart drinks, if you don't have Rose's and are going to use fresh limes, don't forget to add a bit of simple syrup or you might find your face puckered.

2 oz dry gin
2/3 oz lime juice(fresh or Rose's)
Combine Gin, Lime juice and cracked ice into a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass. Now you are puckered for life.