Kleenex and the death of hankerchiefs

As a child, I learnt to iron when mum let me do the hankies and the tea towels.  I loved the large checked hankies for Dad, the smaller hankies for Mum that I folded into rectangle, and the tiny hankies for my sister and I that went into neat little squares.  I still use tea towels every day, and now my own children are learning to iron on them, but hankies have sort of fallen by the wayside.

My family love their aloe-vera softened, eucalyptus oil enriched tissues - recycled tissues are 'too scratchy" and hankies are too much effort....until they leave a tissue in a pocket in the wash!

A pretty vintage hankie

Vintage Pattern - Knit a Coat, 1962

I have just listed this November 1962 Stitchcraft Magazine on Etsy, but I thought I would share this fabulous pattern.

I love it. And her hair is stunning as well!

Vintage Fashion - Mod Men, 1960s style in England

The mod fashion of the 1960s, which I touched on recently here, was not just for women.

With WWI and WWII men's fashion, especially in England, had taken even more of a back seat than women's fashion in the first half the last century.  The wealth and relative peace of the 1960s was an opportunity for change and optimism  - a revolution was coming! The rock and roll of the 50s evolved into "Rock"  and of course "Pop", and these rock stars wanted to look good, getting rid of their working class image of frayed shirts, cloth caps and dirty fingernails.

The Beatles, 1963

The Beatles were epitome of the mod look.  Four working class lads from Liverpool in stylish suits were an inspiration for a generation.  Adolescents followed their style lavishly, and for a while it was dismissed as purely a teen fad.  Working class Englishmen, who had always had a fear of anyone who dressed too well, followed the trend, and soon every man could be part of the 'peacock strain' that had run through the aristocracy for years.

Spike Milligan gets fitted for a suit

Even comedian Spike Milligan, who once called himself, "the worst dressed man in Britain" got him self fitted out for a suit at Blade's, a hot  London salon started in 1963.

Blades' began with (James) Bond style clothing - Blade's was the name of Bonds club, and also the name given to Victorian Dandies - but soon began their own look "trying to lead fashion, not follow it."  Blade's designer Eric Joy began as a tea boy and apprentice in Saville Row in 1947, and in the early 60s he set up on his own, with backing from one of his younger, wealthier client's Rupert Lycett Greene, who also became a designer in the business. In 1965 photographer Cecil Beaton, a regular customer of Blades, stated "it's a marvellous combination of Carnaby Street Pizazz and Saville Row".

Carolyn Charles was another designer with a hot fashion house.  She left art school after two years and worked as an apprentice to a London courtier, a sales girl for Mary Quant and an assistant to a fashion photographer before setting up on her own at only 22.  Her big break came when buyers for Macy's in New York loved her designs and launched her in the US.  It would seem she had no more world's to conquer, until Ringo Starr came along.  Ringo loved his girlfriend's swinging dresses and asked Ms Charles to make him six swinging suits.  He soon married his girlfriend, hairdresser Maureen Cox, in one of those suits.

If you've designed for Ringo, word gets around, and Ms Charles, used to designing for women, including Cilla Black and Hayley Mills, then found herself making an Edwardian style midnight blue suit for Aussie Actor Peter Finch, "and he looks marvellous in it," said the designer.  Dancer Rudolph Nureyev then ordered a seal skin coat, and rolling Stones bad boy Mick Jagger a few corduroy suits.

Mick Jagger and Aussie actor Peter Finch getting fitted for suits at Carolyn Charles’ London salon, 1965

Another hot London designer, and one himself who wanted to get away for the working man image, was Glaswegian John Stephen.  He had a chain of shops stretching down Carnaby Street, off Piccadilly - 15 shops in central London by 1967 - landing him the title "The King Of Carnaby Street" and  "The £1m Mod" in the media. Stephen worked on a formula - including short runs of colored jeans and Tees, simple three button jackets and collarless shirts, loud music, attractive staff with a free- and easy approach, and bright bold exteriors - to sell men's clothes that were right in fashion, and appealing to men from teenagers wanting a cool tee to the man who wanted a fashionable suit for the races.

Pop singer Mick Rowley in red leather waistcoat

Musician Peter Martin in a cord Norfolk Jacket by John Stephen, 1965

John Michael, often called "the Mary Quant of menswear" was the other major London designer in the mid 60s. I quite like the leather jacket and hat combo, but not sure about the blue knit jacket.....

Leather coat with Prussian collar and cord hat

White reefer jacket and navy fisherman's knit jacket

Caramel double breasted reefer jacket & beige jacket with prussian collar

I don't know about you, but I would love to see more young men in suits today!

Feeling blue? Put on your trench coat...

I love these blue suits from 1965, and in particular, the pale blue trench coat.  I don't have much use for coats here in North Queensland, but I think a pale blue cotton trench would see some use....

Vintage Pattern - Cute Crochet Cap

Today a little crochet pattern for a winter beanie from May 1965 (Australian Women's Weekly).

I am pretty sure dc is double crochet, and there is a good tutorial here (which I may actually follow one day...)

Vintage Fashion - Mod Fashions still Rockin'

Sixty five years ago, straight from London, the look was MOD.

It's hard to believe it was half a century ago, as Mod fashion are still as MODern looking today.  Just take a look at Christian Dior Spring 2015 Couture Collection -

Vintage Fashion - The year of the mini, 1965

Yesterday I watched the rather wonderful "We'll take Manhattan", a 2012 movie which looked at the love affair between 1960s supermodel Jean Shrimpton and photographer David Bailey, played beautifully by Karen Gillan and Aneurin Barnard. Set in 1962, before the Beatles, the fashions were interesting, some fabulous (including a green Mary Quant dress) some horrible, but the movie was fabulous. I watched it with my teenage daughter and we both loved it - here's the trailer. 

1962 was before the mini-skirt took over the world.  By 1968 it was everywhere, and according to this article (3 February 1965, Australian Women's Weekly), it really began in 1964 - just like the Beatles. Mary Quant said she "only put one or two short skirts in my last collection, as I thought knee length just right...what happended? The girls hitched them up?" By 1965 minis were taking off....

Obviously the trend didn't really take hold in Melbourne, or with any one over 30, quite so soon. Later that year Jean Shrimpton caused a stir when she wore a mini to Derby Day, the major horse race before the Melbourne Cup.

Jean Shrimpton, 1965

The mini has been in and out of fashion ever since, and is set to be big again, fifty years after it's big break. Louis Vuitton's Spring/summer collection for 2015 has a 60s retro-futuristic look to it -

Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2015 collection

Mary Quant is turning 81 next week, I wonder what she thinks of this latest collection?

Mary Quant in her lab in Chelsea, London, measuring the length of a mini skirt, 1965

Japan's biggest heist - The 300 million yen robbery, Tokyo 1968

On December 10, 1968 – Japan's biggest heist, the still-unsolved "300 million yen robbery", is carried out in Tokyo.

ON A rainy morning in December 1968, what seemed to be a police motor cycle screeched to a halt in front of a Tokoyo Bank car, just outside Japan's biggest prison.  The rider of the Yamaha motorbike wearing a police uniform, told the men there had been an explosion at a branch manager's

Vintage Pattern - Crochet a Cheeky Monkey!

I found this cute monkey pattern in the December 1960 issue of the Women's Weekly and had to share! I have tried to enlarge it to make it readable.

My crochet is not fantastic, but I would love to give it a go.....If you do, please let me know!

 

Apparently Demi Moore loves toy monkeys.... I wonder if she crochets?

Give Something Different....Christmas gifts 1960 style

Yes, yes, I know I said I have moved....but this blog is so much more user friendly, and I sort of miss it!

Anyway, today just a little advice on choosing Christmas gifts, from 1960....great if you have vintage loving friends, or are stuck for ideas! Maybe white cotton gloves and a pretty hankie?!

1960s manicure set on Etsy, only $11!

These 60s gloves from ruby lane

And here is a little warning of how not to shop for Christmas gifts!

If you're interested in what records were popular for Christmas 1960, here's the list.....good to see Nat King Cole is on it.

 Happy Shopping....Deb xx

Vintage Beauty - 60s Hair

Here in North Queensland it's hot. Most of the time. Now that my hair is longer, I tend to wear it up every day - it takes me about two minutes to do a French roll with bobby pins, and I don't have to worry about 'the frizz' caused by the humidity.

I do dream about short hair though.  In reality, however, it takes much more work than long hair - mine always needs wetting and re-drying in the morning - and you have to get it cut more often to keep the style. And is short hair vintage?  Well it can be - think Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy (these shots from 1962).

  

Of course these lovely ladies have very natural colored hair, but along with short hair came the desire for interesting colours.

1962 ad

I actually quite like this style - but I know the fringe would never sit like that for me, and she probably had to use gallons of hairspray!

Short hair was very popular in the 60s, but you didn't just get it cut short, you had it styled - you could get 'the Jackie' or 'the Audrey', or even 'The Cabbage' or "the Chou.'

They look like quite a bit of work!  but of course in the 60s help with styling at home was at hand - with the hair-dryer!

1964

I remember my mum using one of these when I was little....I must try and find a photo......

Now of course we have straighteners, curlers, instylers etc, but why is it (most of ) us women feel the need to change our hair style and color so often?  Seriously - I have only one friend in her 40s who has never coloured her hair - and she's had the same long straight style since her 20s.  I in the meantime have been straight and long, curly and bobbed, pixie cut, many shades of blond, brunette, black, red and even purple.  I think now I am naturally grey, but I'll give it a few more years before I let it take over.  

What about you? Natural, short, long or none?

Too busy to blog.....

Busy, busy busy!

You may have noticed my slackness in posting lately. In between work, School commitments with the P& C, family time and setting up my new website and market stall, there hasn't been much time for reading and research, let alone blogging!

You can keep up with me via instagram, and my new blog on my website, and of course my tumblr blog.  And I even have a webstore now - with more things to come.

When I can find a phone cord, I will try and download more photos from the Classic Car Show and Shine we went to on the weekend.....

And I am still trying to find some of these Acapulco style outdoor chairs for my front verandah...

Australian House & Garden,  August 1961

This magazine is for sale here!

Deb xx

RIP Sir Jack Brabham, Aussie Motor Racing Legend

1961

I can't say that I know much about motor sports, but I did admire Sir Jack Brabham, a three-time Formula One world drivers' champion and icon of world motorsport, who has died today at the age of 88.

A skilled engineer with the RAAF during WWII, Jack was bitten by the racing bug when he saw his first speedway event in Brisbane in 1946. So he did what any obsessed guy would do - he built his own car. At first he was just going to be the mechanic for his friend Jonny Schonberg, but he ended up driving himself and within 12 months was Australian midget-car speedway driving champion.  He moved onto 'real' cars in 1953, and was soon winning Grand Prix events in Australia.

In 1955 Jack went to England for the season. He ended up staying, and sent for wife Betty and son Geoffrey to join him. He became the number one driver and team manager for Cooper cars, and he and the family rented a house just down the road from the Cooper factory.

Jack Brabham wins the trophy race at Silverstone, UK, in a Cooper, 1959

Betty never failed to miss a race, and would watch calmly as jack was on the track, as she had great faith in his driving ability.  Her main worry was that he would catch cold."He's always forgetting to wear a sweater" she said.

Jack Brabham and wife Betty, 1959

He began community between England, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In May 1959 he won the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, becoming the first Australian to make it into the top ten, let alone lead them.  He then went on to win  the Formula One in 1959, 1960 and 1966.  He was the only driver ever to win a championship in a car of his own construction.

At the 1959 American Grand Prix in Florida, Jack ran out of fuel and pushed his car the last 200m or so. Although he lost the race to New Zealand's Brice McLaren, jack's point score of 31 earned him the World Title, putting Australia on top of the world championships for the first time.

Jack Brabham, world champion, 1959

He also won the Grand Prix 14 times, and in in 1966 was made Australian of the Year. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1967, and become Sir Jack in 1979, for his services to motorsport.

The Brabhams lived in Surrey for most of the 1960s - hence why even I know of him - my Australian parents lived in Surrey when I was born in 1969.

Betty Brabham with sons Geoff 14, David 1, and Gary 5 at home in Surrey 1966

Jack and Betty were married in 1951, and had three sons, Geoff, Gary and David who all launched into high profile racing careers. “People always assume that we got all our talent from our father (Sir Jack) but we really got it all from our mother. No-one used to beat her off at the lights," said Geoff of his mother. My sort of girl!

Sir Jack and Betty divorced in 1994 after 43 years of marriage, and he married  Margaret in 1995. Betty died in September 2013.

RIP Jack, and Betty

Vintage Pattern - Winter White Shift and Cap to Knit

From 1964 comes this shift dress and matching peaked cap to knit.

1964 Style

Five for Friday - Crazy Nuclear Holocost Movies

A little while back I did a post about that great mid-century concern - Survival in Nuclear Attack. There are some wonderful and crazy movies around on this topic, and here are five of my favourites - all with vintage appeal of course!


1. This is my all time favourite - 'Blast from the Past'.  It's child friendly (mostly) with a little romance, has great actors (including Christopher Walken Sissy Spacek and Brendan Fraser) , wonderful fashion and a fully fitted out 1950s bomb shelter.  Planning to live underground from the time the bombs (Cuban Missle Crisis and Cold War) go off until its safe to emerge - 35 years later - Walken as nuclear physicist  Calvin Webber secretly builds enormous self-sustaining fallout shelter beneath his suburban home.  made in 1999, it is the ultimate prepping movie in my book!

2. For a completely different style of movie, there is the 1964 British-American black comedy film 'Dr. Strangelove' or 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb', which satirizes the nuclear scare. It was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick and stars, among others, the brilliant Peter Sellers, who plays several roles. When a crazy United States Air Force general orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union the President and his advisers, as well as a Royal Air Force officer try to recall the bombers to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. Crazy but interesting!

3. The classic made in Australia 'On the Beach' is a 1959 post-apocalyptic movie based on the novel written by British-Australian author Nevil Shute after he immigrated to Australia. It stars (not Australian) Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire, and looks the experiences of a group of people in Melbourne as they await the arrival of deadly radiation spreading towards them from the northern hemisphere following a nuclear war a year previously - in 1964 no less! Not cheery, and they don't survive, but a great movie. Here's the final scene.

4. 1955's 'Day the World Ended' stars Richard Denning as Rick, a heroic scientist who, among others, must face off against a mutant monster, and protect the beautiful women (Lori Nelson as Louise Maddison and Adele Jergens as Ruby) after an atomic war destroys human civilization.  Shot in just ten days, it is a typical 50s horror flick - not a great movie, but some of the outfits are to die for!

5. Another satirical black comedy is 'The Bed-Sitting Room' from 1969, based on the play of the same name by Spike Milligan. The film is set in London on the third or fourth anniversary of the Third World War - a nuclear war which lasted two minutes and twenty-eight seconds, including signing the peace treaty. Three (or possibly four) years after the nuclear holocaust, the survivors wander amidst the debris mutating into household objects.  It is a very bizarre film, but the acting is wonderful.  Ralph Richardson plays Lord Fortnum, who is fearful that he will mutate into the "bed sitting room" of the title, and eventually does. Watch here with a glass or two of alcohol!

Have a wonderful weekend, Deb xx

Survival in Nuclear Attack (or other emergency)

If you have read my 'Wartime Woman' blog, you will know that I am getting into 'prepping', or getting ready for any emergency - be it a cyclone, flood, financial crisis, or even war. I have been finding some great resources online, as well as a list of books I want to read, including 'One Second After.'  

via

Back in the 1950s and 60s (and even upto the 1980s) the threat of nuclear attack was at the forefront of many people's minds, and government agencies put out simple tips to help people prepare for the impending crisis. simple, but not altogether effective, perhaps.....the hiding under the desk or 'duck and cover' advice always seems a bit crazy, don't you think? 

This advice is from the Civil Defence Organisation of NSW, 1961.

Hopefully Nuclear attack is something we won't have to face - but storms, flooding, fire and cyclones have been hitting everywhere around the world lately.  Not to mention the GFC, and now there is also the possibility of Electric magnetic pulse knocking out the world as we know it. Wonderful!  

Maybe we should all just build one of these? 

A nuclear family enjoying their 1950s prefab shelter

For some more interesting reading and viewing, try these free downloads -

 Health guides for when there is no doctor - Hesperian Health guides

Beyond Collapse – a 400+ page book that can be downloaded here

Read online - Life Magazine Sept 1961

Latter Day Saints Preparedness Manual –  download here

Atomic Cafe, the 1982 movie on youtube

Deb xx