The most recent movie we’ve seen is Black Orpheus (or Orfeu Negro in Portuguese) put on, for FREE!, by the U of T Cinema Studies Students Union (CINSSU). CINSSU plays movies (often foreign but not always) for free so if you live in Toronto and are broke it’s a great night out. Anyway, to get back on topic, Black Orpheus is directed by Marcel Camus and is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. The movie takes place in Rio during Carnival, which is as spectacular as you might imagine. The film relies heavily on visual story telling to great effect. As it takes place during Carnival there is a constant back drop of revelry audible in every scene whether an intense love scene, fight scene, or a bout of slap stick fun. The combination of spectacular visuals and a constant stream of sound really makes the movie a physical experience as you become engrossed in the drama and embraced by the Carnival spirit. Other incentives to see this movie include a stunning leading man and woman, Rio de Janerio as the back drop, amazing late 1950’s fashion, and a killer Bossa Nova soundtrack. I enjoyed the movie so much that I thought I’d share some screen caps with you in the hopes that you’ll see it too. I will be posting these and other screen caps on the Tumblr blog so check them out too!

As a little bit of bonus trivia, the two leads in Black Orpheus died just 42 days apart in the Summer of 2008- eerie huh?

Let me start by saying that the one thing I find so fascinating and liberating about vintage is having the ability to mix and match, to take something old and use it in a way its never been used before. To show how different one piece can be when accessorized differently I’ve included three ways of wearing a great plaid 1970′s dress. Please note that I have been “reading” Fudge magazine a lot lately- hence the weird pseudo-Japanese naming of the outfits.

Now on with the question!

How can I dress vintage without looking like a costume?

There are several ways to look at this. The first being that by simply wearing a cohesive vintage look, you are making a costume. Keep in mind that some people want that I- just-walked-out-of-1949-total-package-perfect look. My only problem with this approach is that if you do not have the mannerisms, manners, and general “old world” charm-school personality to go along with the look, it kills it. All to many times I’ve seen a beautifully perfect time-specific look ruined by a ladies’ rough, truck driver walk or manners. If you’re going for the whole package, it all needs to match and that includes how you act. I feel even, then it is technically a costume, at least in my mind.

The second approach is to mix and match different eras to make a unique and modern interpretation of vintage. I personally prefer this as it is not as constricting as the decade perfect look. I also like to include menswear pieces and repurposed items.

In the end I feel it is important to care how you look and what your looks says about you. By simply putting in the effort to think about How can I dress vintage without looking like a costume? is so much more effort than the average person already puts in.

By caring you’ve set yourself ahead but trying is how you set yourself apart.

Hello Everyone,

I am back from the black hole that is university and I officially have time to devote to my blog again. To get things rolling for the summer I have created a step by step, printable pdf of how to patch denim jeans. Please feel free to download, link, share, or reblog my tutorial and don’t forget to leave me feedback on how I can improve for the next one. Speaking of which, what would you like to see as my next mending tutorial? Leave a message with suggestions.

mending jeans tutorial

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If you like the trailer check out some screen shots and buy the movie while you’re at it!

I’ve been much more inspired by finding images and sharing them then creating blog posts soooooooo I got a tumblr account! Follow me if you really like awesome vintage pictures that make amazing desktop backgrounds!

TUMBLR!