Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Dutch Connection 2017

dutch connection george eastman museum

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember this post from last year, where I visited the George Eastman Museum during their Dutch Connection event. It's an annual tradition that honors one of Rochester's most important figures and provides a welcome respite from our long winters. I was actually asked to write a guest post for the museum's own blog about the event, which you can find here. Because of that post, I was able to get into this year's event for free, so of course, I jumped at the chance to go and see some pretty blooms.

dutch connection rochester ny
dutch connection
flowers rochester ny
pink tulip
hyacinth rochester ny
george eastman museum dutch connection

I won't go into too many details about the event's history (you can read more about that in my Dutch Connection post from last year or my post on the George Eastman Museum blog), but I do think it's pretty amazing that it's been happening for more than 100 years. My favorite offerings are probably the hyacinths and the daffodils (did you know their real name is narcissus?), but I love the tulips, too. Although we had a fairly mild February, March has been especially brutal, so it's really nice to look back on these photos and remember that spring will arrive... eventually.

dutch connection GEM
george eastman museum
pink hyacinth

I didn't take outfit photos for this, but my mom did capture this quick snap of my outfit (which was themed, of course!). I really want to get this dress hemmed; it's too long for me right now, but the print is so gorgeous that I can never part with it. 

The Soubrette Brunette: Dutch Connection 2017
Outfit Details
Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing (similar)
Cropped cardigan: available here
Flats: Aerosoles (similar)

george eastman museum dutch connection rochester ny

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Monday, March 27, 2017

Candy Store

unique vintage candy shop skirt

I've now styled several of Unique Vintage's novelty skirts (you can find some here: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5), but out of all of the other ones I own, this print might be my favorite: it's a pastel, retro-kitsch fantasy filled with sweets! That combination cannot possibly be wrong.  :)  I'm trying to start eating better again, so I'll have to be content with wearing candy instead of eating it. 

candy shop novelty print skirt
unique vintage novelty skirt
femme de bloom brooch disney

I wish I could've found a location to compliment this skirt a bit better. Instead, here I am in the snow... again. Most of it's melted by now (and I have my fingers and toes crossed that this is the last we'll have for the year), but everything's looking pretty drab. Nothing's in bloom yet, and with every day that passes, I feel a little more impatient for spring to arrive.

novelty retro skirt
candy skirt
candy shop skirt
Outfit Details
Candy Shop Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage
Leotard: similar  ||  Bolero: similar
Lollipop Mickey brooch: c/o Femme De Bloom
Belt: similar  ||  Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

mickey disney brooch

I was lazy as could be this weekend (other than watching the RuPaul's Drag Race season premiere with my best friend), but I forgot to mention that I saw Beauty and the Beast with my boyfriend, his sister, and his niece the weekend before! I enjoyed it a lot, though I did have some issues with it, musically and otherwise. I've been trying to motivate myself to get out of the house in the evening and on the weekends because most of the time, all I feel like doing is being a couch potato. But I think as the weather starts to warm up, I'll have much more motivation to get moving. Until then, I'd love to hear from you: how do you motivate yourself to stay active? 

Have a great start to your week!

Monday, March 20, 2017

Polka Dots + Bows

ouges dress

It's still very snowy in Rochester, so I'm glad I had a chance to take these photos a few weeks back (during an unseasonably warm spell). This is the other dress I received from OUGES (you can find my review of another piece from them here), and it's so comfy and cute. Plus, it's much more versatile than a lot of the other dresses in my closet. I'm sure I'll be styling it in lots of other ways in the future, but for this post, I decided to go with a classic red.

polka dot dress
vintage polka dot dress
black and white dress
Outfit Details
Sleeveless Patchwork Dress: c/o OUGES
Belt: similar  ||  Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear
Bow brooch: c/o Match Accessories

ouges amazon dress

I'm so impatient for spring to arrive (and for the snow to melt). I want to wear all the florals and spend time outside! Is it already springy where you are? Living vicariously may be my only option for now. 

polka dot dress
Have a great start to your week!

Friday, March 17, 2017

Luck of the Irish

green polka dot dress

Happy St. Paddy's Day! I may not be Irish (at least, I don't think I am... I have to send in my Ancestry DNA test soon to see for sure!), but I'll use any holiday as an excuse to dress thematically. Plus, my boyfriend is very into his Irish heritage, so maybe I can consider myself Irish by association. I'm hoping that I actually get to try corned beef and cabbage for the first time this year! Do you have any St. Patrick's Day traditions?

four leaf clover necklace
polka dot dress
four leaf clover luck necklace
tortie calico cat

Last week, we had a horrible windstorm that left 100,000+ people without power... and then this week, we were hit with around two feet of snow! Needless to say, it's been a bit crazy outside and conditions haven't exactly been conducive for taking blog photos. But I really wanted to take some St. Patrick's Day photos in this cute little polka dot dress and four-leaf clover necklace. I know the shamrock is actually the Irish symbol (not the four-leaf clover), but it's sort of fitting: I may not be Irish, but I sure am lucky.

polka dot dress vintage
Outfit Details
Polka Dot Swing Dress: Amazon
Four Leaf Clover Necklace: Trashy Diva
Belt: similar  ||  Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear

st. patrick's day dress
Have a great weekend!

Monday, March 13, 2017

Vintage Secrets: Hollywood Beauty

vintage beauty blog

I'm long overdue for a book review post! I used to do them fairly regularly, but between work and other obligations, the idea of reading for pleasure has definitely fallen by the wayside. That's why I couldn't be more thrilled to finally review this absolutely enchanting book – Vintage Secrets: Hollywood Beauty.

vintage secrets hollywood beauty book

Vintage Secrets: Hollywood Beauty is a true delight. It's filled with photographs of sirens of the silver screen, as well as vintage makeup ads and even some contemporary references. It's the kind of text you can leaf through at your leisure or study with intent. The book's gorgeous layout alone would be enough for me to thoroughly enjoy it, but it's filled with tons of helpful tips from famous movie icons and beauty experts, too. Some of them might be a bit too dated even for the most dedicated of pinups to embrace, but surprisingly, many of mirror today's trends (i.e., contouring, using products you'd find in your cupboard for beauty treatments, etc.).

marilyn monroe book
vintage hair book

One of the passages I love most is actually in the introductory section:

Today, of course, 'vintage' has become the most wonderfully eclectic kind of umbrella term – to be embraced in whichever manner you chose. We can even mix styles and eras – why not? Vintage style is all about cherry-picking looks and techniques from the past and incorporating them into your own life. How you wear them is entirely up to you – it's your style, after all. 

This really speaks to me, as I've never liked the idea of feeling restricted when it comes to fashion or beauty. I love taking a little bit from all different kinds of styles to come up with something that's uniquely mine. Above all else, I think fashion and beauty should be fun, and while there are some "rules" that I like to follow because I think they make me feel my best, by no means do I think those are always going to be right for other people. And while I think vintage beauty regimens might have been a bit more strict than what we have today (maybe simply due to the sheer variety and the increased access we now have to find it), there are definitely parallels between those guidelines and the ones we tend to follow now.

vintage beauty book
vintage beauty
sophia loren book

Vintage Secrets: Hollywood Beauty also proves that everything is cyclical. The ultra-thin eyebrows that women sported in the 1920s came back into fashion at the beginning of the new millennium. Highlighting and contouring were practices favored by Marlene Dietrich and Sophia Loren, and we all know how popular those have once again become. And while I think there was too much emphasis on correcting one's features that might be outside the "accepted standards" of beauty at that time, Instagram and YouTube beauty vloggers are forever astounding us with the transformative nature of makeup.

dita von teese book

Personally, I'm not good with retro hairdos, and although I'm decent at doing vintage-inspired makeup, I know there's always something to learn. Of all the retro beauty books I own, this was definitely one of the most enjoyable (and least daunting) to read. If you want to start including some of these tips into your beauty routine – or if you simply want to be dazzled by some lovely photos – you can find Vintage Secrets: Hollywood Beauty here!

vintage beauty tips book

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. To read some of my previous book review posts, click here!

Do you have a favorite vintage beauty trick? Or are there any beauty or vintage style books you think I should check out? Let me know in the comments!

Monday, March 6, 2017

Stray Cats

sourpuss clothing stray cats lolita top

This year, I've been challenging myself to embrace new fashion elements and remix items I've showed on my blog in the past. I initially styled this Stray Cats blouse with cute leggings-style pants, but I really hated how it looked in photos. So instead, I decided to style my lavender Jenny dress as a skirt and pair it with this top! It's a really easy way to remix pieces and a layered blouse can be a great alternative to a cardigan. I just tied the bottom of the shirt to make it a bit more cropped and rolled it under and up to my waist before hiding the bulky portions with a wide black belt. I do this all the time and it instantly doubles my wardrobe!

stray cats top
stray cats
pinup girl clothing lavender jenny dress

I tend to have trouble with button-down shirts (fellow well-endowed girls will understand), but I ended up really liking this top from Sourpuss Clothing. I sized up to the XL to accommodate my chest, and I found the fit to be nice overall. The design is super cute (I have a thing for puff sleeves), and of course, I enjoy the fact that it's Stray Cat-themed. I wouldn't say I'm an extremely knowledgeable of the Stray Cats, but I like their stuff a lot. I also just realized that they were in one of my favorite childhood movies (a really obscure film called Mother Goose Rock 'n Rhyme)! I have a very eclectic taste in music – thanks, Mom and Dad! – but I definitely have a connection with rockabilly. I have this fantasy of being in a rockabilly-style band someday... maybe it'll happen down the line.

stray cats band shirt
stray cats top sourpuss clothing
sourpuss clothing
Outfit Details
Stray Cats Lolita Top: c/o Sourpuss Clothing
Lavender Jenny Dress (worn as skirt): Pinup Girl Clothing
Belt: from another dress (similar)

pinup girl clothing dress

I was so hopeful that spring was here, but this weekend was SO cold! We had a crazy wind storm last week, and now there's fresh snow on the ground. I know that's typical for March here in Rochester, but I'm sick of staying indoors. On the bright side, it gave me the chance to list a bunch of stuff in my Shop My Closet store (there's still a bunch of great stuff up for grabs – don't forget, you can use the code SOUBRETTE10 for 10% off!). I think it's supposed to warm up a bit this week, so I'm hoping I can spend at least a little time outside. Have a great start to your week!

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