1940s Little Black Dress

I've been searching high and low for a great 1940s Little Black Dress, and I have finally found it!  I found this baby in a store in St. Louis, and when it fit perfectly I knew it was meant to be.  I didn't even have to hem it!

It has elements that are so 40s like squared shoulders, bust details, a ruching design below the waist, and it's made of a wonderful rayon crepe.  It's an easy dress to accessorize for everyday, and I imagine it won't be too hard to dress up, either!

Do you have a vintage LBD you adore?  Why is it perfect for you?

Outfit Details
hat: flea market
earrings and purse: gifted
dress: Retro 101/Cherry Bomb Vintage (St. Louis)
shoes: estate sale
lipstick: Rubellite by Estee Lauder
belt: um...?
seamed stockings: FB selling page

Controversial Post: Can You Trust a Vintage Blogger?

WWII poster, source

This post is short and sweet, but I hope you guys will share your thoughts with me! I've seen a couple posts floating about on how blogging is changing, and I would like to hear your thoughts on it.

One article I read exhorts bloggers to remain true to blogging roots, by sharing our opinions freely and honestly, compensated or not.  Another--which I can't seem to find, so sorry--talks about how blogging is more and more becoming money-driven.  The idea in these posts is that bloggers are expected to monetize to be considered "real bloggers," and the use of affiliate links, sponsored posts, etc. is "watering down" the authenticity of blogging and hurting the trust between bloggers and their readers.

Personally, this came as a bit of a shock to me.  Plenty of bloggers I know have monetized, but it doesn't mean they've sold out and accept any sponsor that comes their way, whether or not it's good for their readers.  In fact, every blogger I've talked to is very careful in accepting sponsorships that are appropriate for their audience.

However, I know this isn't the case with all bloggers.  Some don't disclose their affiliation with sponsors.  Some jump at anyone who will give them money to post.  Others don't curate their post content and come off as "sponsor-spammy."  In fact, now that I think of it, there are some blogs I don't really "trust" when it comes to product reviews.  Not even necessarily because they're unethical, but usually because the blogger just has a different style than me.

So what do you think?  Do you feel you can trust bloggers, specifically vintage bloggers?  Do you find the use of sponsored posts, affiliate links, etc. to be breeches of trust or useful to you?  How do you determine which bloggers' opinions you can accept as honest and authentic?

1940s Sweetheart Jewelry (and a Chronically Vintage Coupon!)

1940s flowered sweetheart bracelet, available here

As the wife of an Air Force veteran and possibly having military aspirations for the future myself, World War II sweetheart jewelry has a very special place in my heart.

Imagine it.  You're a senior in high school when the war breaks out, and the boy you've been going steady with takes you to a quiet place one evening, holds your hand, and tells you that he's enlisted in the military.  He's going to war in just a couple weeks.  Then he pulls out a bracelet.  It's a special bracelet, a locket, and it has his picture in it.  He asks if you'll wait for him.

Back then, there were no computers.  There was no email, no Skype, no easy inter-continental communication.  There were phones on the front line, but they were not used to call your family.  They were carried on the back of a man that had to shout over the whistling of bombs to give and receive orders the men on the front needed to know.

You had mail, sometimes.  It came slow, it came sporadically, it came with huge chunks censored out.  You tried to be brave, upbeat, and positive in your letters to your loved ones, your boyfriend, fiancé, brother, father, uncle, friend.  You were brave for the boys on the front.

You couldn't hear from your man every day, but you prayed and thought of him all the time.  You knitted socks to send to him and his friends, and you opened up the locket he gave you a few times a day just to see his face again.  It was hard, but you stayed true and brave, holding things down at home until he could return.

This is why I love sweetheart jewelry.

It represents strong women- mothers, sisters, wives, and friends- who stood by the men at war.  They supported the war effort at home and equipped the boys at the front.  These women took the worry, anxiety, and fear they had and turned it into hopeful productivity.  They ran their homes and businesses alone until the men came back.  Sweetheart jewelry helped keep them going.  Sweetheart jewelry reminded each of these women that she was loved by a man far away that couldn't wait to get back to her, and that was worth the hardship of the moment.  {Tweet this}

1940s sweetheart locket bracelet, available here

If you, like me, love sweetheart jewelry, the bracelets highlighted above are available at the Chronically Vintage Etsy Shop now!  Jessica's shop is full of fantastic vintage pieces, and you're sure to find one you adore!

She has also made a coupon code just for you, awesome readers!  This coupon will give you 25% off any purchase until November 23rd: Flashback25

Do you have any sweetheart jewelry that has a great story and/or is near and dear to your heart?  Please share it with me; I'd love to hear about it!

Dot Robinson: First Lady of Motorcycling

source

I have a thing for motorcycles.  If nearly all the important people in my life did not exhort me to NOT ride a motorcycle because they "like me alive," I would probably be on one this moment.  Preferably looking like the amazing Dot Robinson above!

Dot Robinson is known as the "First Lady of Motorcycling" and was instrumental in the acceptance of women as motorcycle drivers, not just passengers.  Born in Australia in 1912, she was influenced by her motorcycle-loving father as she grew up.  Her father was a sidecar racer, mechanic and motorcycle designer, and dealership owner.  After her family move to the U.S. in 1918, Dot helped her father around the dealership as she grew up.  It was here that her love for and skills with motorcycles grew, along with meeting her future husband, a frequent customer named Earl Robinson, while she was in high school.

Earl and Dot married in 1931, bought their father's dealership and moved it to Detroit.  Throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, 5'2" Dot competed in lots of races, particularly endurance races, on her own motorcycle.  Although she encountered stiff resistance at times, she persevered and won several tough endurance runs.

Dot and Earl

In a time where it wasn't considered proper for a woman to ride a motorcycle, much less drive one, Dot set out to change the perceptions of women motorcyclists, showing that one can still be an upright lady and drive a motorcycle.  She won endurance runs, worked as a motorcycle courier during WWII, and assisted in the creation of the Motor Maids group.  The Motor Maids traveled and encouraged women to own and ride their own motorcycles.  

female motorcyclists

One of the things Dot wanted to show America was that one can ride a motorcycle and still be a lady. She made efforts to look nice when she was out, even stopping to clean up and get presentable after races before meeting the other racers at the bar.  The Motor Maids site recounts this story:

One favorite story told by "Hap," the Honda dealer in Sarasota, FL, is a story I never tire of hearing. He tells of how he "chased that woman for two days, through mud and trees" and never caught her. At the end of the race, all the guys tramped into the local bar, but not Dot. She went to her room and got cleaned up first. "I'll never forget the picture: Dot walking into the bar in a black sheath dress and a pill box hat." Dot was always a lady.

She was also known for her pink riding outfits.  Although opinions vary on why she chose to wear pink instead of the black embraced by most males in the sport, a couple options may be her wish to avoid connotations with black leather-clad motorcycle outlaws shown in movies or to make the sport of motorcycling less intimidating to "civilians."  This was a time when very little motorcycle equipment or clothing was made for women, and her styles have set a precedent in women's motorcycle gear that continues today.  In her later years she even rode a pink Harley with a built in lipstick holder!  How fantastic is that?!

Dot passed away in 1999 at the age of 87.

Dot on her pink Harley

Dot Robinson helped break down walls for women while still maintaining her femininity.  She didn't become a man to win the approval and acceptance of men.  She didn't become a she-woman man-hater or set out to prove that women are better than men.  She simply showed society that women can compete with men equally in motorcycling.  

A woman can still be a woman and do the daring, the adventurous, and the dangerous with talent and flair.  

{Tweet this quote}

To learn more:
Dot Robinson: First Lady of Motorcycling
Harley-Davidson: Dorothy "Dot" Robinson
Motor Maids: Dot Robinson
Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Dot Robinson

Tea Latte Recipe and the Importance of Hot Beverages in Life

Perhaps some of you are not quite as passionate about tea as Mr. Suzuki up there (why don't I have a room specifically devoted to drinking tea?!), but I think as the cold weather comes around even the most Larry the Cable Guy-esque of Americans could concede that hot beverages have a place in everyone's heart.

Since living in Egypt and Sudan where tea is had more often than water, I have learned the power of a hot beverage in bringing people together to enjoy life.  Tea requires preparation (if you'd like to do it right!) in getting the tea ready, warming the water, etc.  It isn't something you can do fast.  If you've ever tried to drink hot tea quickly, you know that the result is unhappiness and a burnt tongue.  Drinking tea forces you to take a pause and enjoy life slowly.

And what better time to pause and enjoy life but in fall?  The leaves change colors so quickly, and if you don't take the time to enjoy them, you'll miss them altogether!  Perhaps you can take time this week to make a tea latte with the recipe below, sit outside in a scarf and mittens, and sip and chat with a loved one and just enjoy how pretty the world is right now.

Tea Latte Recipe
I credit my discovery of the drink to Eurasia Cafe, the company whose delicious tea I am also using for this recipe!  This fantastic company not only produces amazing tea and coffee products, but the box explains the good they're doing with their products: "Handpicked quality teas are sourced directly from gardens that guarantee livable wages and better opportunities for farmers and their families."  As well, the company gives their profits back to social justice causes in 44 countries and territories.  These causes include sex trafficking prevention and rehabilitation, education, addressing poverty & spiritual emptiness, helping refugees, and healthcare for those with HIV/AIDS.  Check out their site to learn more and take part in their awesome business!

Ingredients:
1 tea bag (I recommend a berry or floral tea.  I'm using Eurasia Cafe's Jasmine Green tea.)
vanilla flavor syrup
hot milk
hot water

Directions: 
- Put the tea bag in the mug, and add just enough hot water to give the tea something to steep in.
- As the tea steeps, heat up the milk.  (If you're doing this on the stove, the secret is to never stop stirring so the milk won't burn!)
- Add 2-3 pumps of vanilla flavor syrup to the tea-steeping water (for a 12 oz cup).
- Lastly, add the hot milk, stir, and enjoy!

You can also use an espresso machine to heat and froth the milk!

Eurasia Cafe has not collaborated with me on this, and I spent my own money for their tea.  I truly love the company and all they do, so I wanted to share about this company with you guys!

6 Reasons Vintage Suits Trump Modern Suits (and Giveaway Winners!)

Lately I've been on a major suit kick.  I just swapped for my first vintage suit at a vintage store a couple weekends ago, I'm in the process of making one, and I love drooling over pictures of them on pattern envelopes and fashion ads.  It is my belief that in the area of women's suits, vintage completely kicks modern-day options in the face.

Just what is it that makes vintage suits so fantastic?  I will tell you, using vintage patterns as illustrations.  You know what's even better?!  All of the vintage patterns are available for purchase now at Midvale Cottage Etsy Shop, so you could actually have a vintage suit for your very own!

1.  Vintage suits accentuate the waist.  {1950s Suit}

Modern suits sort of do this, but not to the same effect as a good 1950s or 1960s suit.  Even without foundation garments, the cut, styling, seam designs, and fabric of vintage suits accentuate the waist in a way very few modern suits do.

2.  Vintage suits can be extremely fabric-efficient.  {1940s Suit}

Especially suits from the 30s and 40s!  The suit I made for my wedding (which is actually an entire sundress underneath, not just a skirt!) took only a little over TWO YARDS of fabric!  Try THAT with a modern suit pattern!

3.  Vintage suits give you options.  {1950s Suit}

They often include lots of separates, different ways to wear a collar or cuffs, or other easy-to-change features.  Vintage designers realized suits need to be versatile, and what lady doesn't like having more options when it comes to a clothing item?

4.  Vintage suit silhouettes have stood the test of time.  {1960s Suit}

If a suit design still seems good to your modern eye, it's probably a good design.  We've had decades to look back and decide which suit designs are truly timeless, and the shape of vintage suits (especially those of the 50s and 60s) continue to reappear in modern designs.

5.  Vintage suits are higher quality.  {1960s Suit}

Whether following a vintage pattern or buying a vintage suit, they include tailoring details and techniques not often found in modern suits, such as bound buttonholes.  Vintage suits that have survived until today are their own testament to quality!

6. Vintage suits have unique details.  {1930s Suit}

Modern suits can't even compete with vintage ones in the details department.  Whether utilizing buttons, creative seams, pleats, drapes, fabric, or color, vintage suits take the cake on unique details!

What are some of your favorite things about vintage suits?  Do you own any suits you especially love?

Lastly, here are the winners of the Giant Two Year Anniversary Giveaway!

Shopping Prize: Lee Cate

Blogger Prize: Sam

Seller Prize: Tanith

Hair Prize: Amanda

Accessories Prize: Alecia

Tinkering & Ties Prize: Angie

Winners should have an email from me in their inbox at the email address they used for the giveaway!  All the info you need to claim your prize is there!

Midvale Cottage is a sponsor of Flashback Summer for the month of October, and this is a sponsored post.