Hello holiday season! Let’s get things going with a big sale – 25% off the entire shop. It starts today and ends next Sunday night, December 7. Had your eye on something? Visit the shop now!
Giving Thanks, Giveaway!
I am so thankful for you. Yeah, you. If you’re reading this blog, if you’ve visited the shop, even if you’ve never ever bought anything. I’m feeling a lot of gratitude these days. Having Dronning Vintage in my life for the past three years has been so fantastic, and things get better all the time. It’s not all rainbows and roses, it can definitely be stressful sometimes, but overall, things are good. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, which is this Thursday, I’m having a giveaway for the first time ever on this blog. And it’s all about saying thank you. One person will win a six-piece gift box filled with everything in the photo above.
Interested? There are so many ways you can enter. You can leave a comment on this blog post. You can tweet about it and use the tag #dronninggivesthanks. You can ‘like’ Dronning Vintage on Facebook. Each time you do one of those things, that’s a notch next to your name. This giveaway contest will run until midnight PST on Wednesday, November 27th. The winner will be announced on Thanksgiving Day. Oh, and anyone can enter, no matter where you live in the world.
Here’s a closer look at the prizes. Trust me, everything is your size.
1940s/50s beaded formal bag.
red felt wool beret with rosette detail
Ceil Chapman brooch (signed)
1940s black velvet evening bag
1950s sweater clip
mid-century soft beret with tiny metal detailing
Good luck, everyone!
Twinsies!
Recently, while browsing FIDM’s archives (via a well and worn rabbit hole known as Pinterest) I saw a dress that made me gasp. The reason being is that it is alarmingly similar to a dress I have in the shop. I’ve lined them up side by side for you to see. On the left we have the evening dress from FIDM’s womenswear collection, and on the right is the dress from my shop. Obviously it’s not the exact same, but there’s no doubt one was influenced by the other. Another interesting thing to note is that the label on the FIDM dress reads ‘Junior Guild Originals’ and the dress in my shop’s label says ‘Johana Junior.’ Both are juniors dresses, too! I think I have some twin sisters on my hands here, although let’s say they’re fraternal, not identical.
Costuming in Far from Heaven
I remember seeing ‘Far from Heaven’ in the theater. I was living in Portland at the time, and the air was buzzing with hype, partially because Todd Haynes, the director, was from there, and also because it’s an absolutely excellent movie.
If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend that you do. Released in 2002, the film takes place in 1957, and takes expert care to mimic the camera angles, lighting, dialogue, and other filming techniques utilized in melodramatic films and TV shows of that era. For example, during some driving scenes, a fake backdrop is used through the car’s back window, instead of actually filming as the car is moving down a real street.
There are a lot of plot twists in this film, so I won’t say too much about it. Julianne Moore plays Cathy Whitaker, an upper middle class Connecticut housewife, and Patricia Clarkson plays her best friend, Elle. Although the story takes place over the course of several months, there are a lot of great scenes that employ the beauty of fall in New England. The foliage is bright and vibrant, and the female characters are all dressed up in swooshy fabrics, luxe textures, and classic 1950′s silhouettes.
I read somewhere (it was a long time ago and the source escapes me) that Julianne Moore was pregnant at the time of filming, and eventually started to show. The costumer made sure that her already full skirts sat a little higher on her waist than how a woman would have actually worn them, to make sure her bump was hidden.
There are so many reasons to watch and enjoy this film, but it especially puts me in the mood for fall and classic feminine 1950′s silhouettes.
Peach for Fall: A Shop Preview
I’ve always liked working in peach and certain shades of pink into my fall wardrobe’s color palette. I realized over the weekend that there are quite a few peach (and complementary brown) pieces that are mere moments away from being listed in the shop. Watch for them as the week progresses, and if you have any specific questions, email me at catie { at} dronningvintage { dot} com.
