~ emancipation day ~

Today, throughout Florida, people celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation being read, and it was beautiful.  I attended a ceremony and reenactment of the reading downtown at the Knott House, the exact location where it was read 150 years ago.  On every face in the crowd of people was a look of true understanding and appreciation - something that I'm glad to have seen first-hand.

It was so wonderful to run into old friends and make new acquaintances, all under a canopy of oak trees and a mellow blue sky.

I wore my favorite hat (although, as one might point out, I call every hat my favorite), partially because I love it to death, but mostly to keep the sun out of my face, since the afternoon sun turns me into a tomato.

And it's now officially the time of year where jeans are just out of the question (unless you like to have sweaty thighs), so a skirt was my only option.

I spoke to many people today, which not only restored my often-dwindling hope for the human race, but reinforced my strong belief that vintage clothing and vintage accessories can truly start conversations.  It was so heart-warming to have half a dozen people come up to me to ask about my hat and talk about their experiences with (and love for) clothing.  I met people whose kind words will follow me for years and lift me up when I have a bad case of the Blahs.

What a beautiful day.

xoxo,
Eliza

~ chicka chicka boom boom ~

If you're one of the poor souls who didn't grow up on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers movies and think that music from the 40s is boring and outdated, then let me catch you up on a bit of history and introduce you to the coolest lady who ever walked this earth in platform shoes and a headdress made out of fruit.

Meet Carmen Miranda.  Now go to google images and drool over all of her amazing costumes.

Carmen Miranda (Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha) was born in 1909 in Portugal and moved to Rio de Jeneiro when she was only a baby.  Her father was abusive towards her mother and highly disapproved of Carmen's love for performing, but her mother supported her passionately.  When her sister got sick and was sent away, Carmen started working in a hat shop to help pay for her medical bills - she later opened her own hat shop, which continued until she was discovered in 1929 and by the next year she was the most popular singer in Brazil.  She is widely considered to be the first Brazilian pop star and recorded nearly 300 songs in her career.

If you know her at all, you probably recognize her for her iconic style (fruit headdress, platform shoes, colorful beads, etc.) but she did not adopt this style until 1939.  If you haven't seen her first American film, Down Argentina Way, go watch it now.  Seriously.

She was in 14 American films in total, but also stared in many Brazilian films, however towards the end of her career, many Brazilians felt she was becoming too "Americanized."  But being the strong woman she was, she responded by recording a song called "Disseram que Voltei Americanizada" (or "They Say I've Come Back Americanized").  After WWII, her career began to dim, as the American peoples' tastes slowly changed.

Her personal life was wrought was sadness - from an abusive marriage, to a miscarriage, to years of depression and drug use.  When she died after suffering from a heart attack, the Brazilian government declared a national period of mourning. 

My deep love for Carmen Miranda has been festering since I was 8.  I have a clear memory of cleaning my room (which from the years 2000-2006 was a lost cause) and singing to her music at the top of my lungs.  That was the same year I discovered high heels and Revlon lipstick, and all three (as you can clearly see) had a huge impact on my life.

Though I may be quite a bit older and several inches taller (but every bit obsessed with platforms as I was then), I still occasionally pull out my handmade headdress (which took a lot of hot glue and a lot of fake fruit), slap on her greatest hits, and shimmy around my room with a vacuum cleaner in tow.

Oh Carmen, how I love you.  Thank you for being such a big part of my life.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ honor flight ~

Last weekend I had the honor (get it?) of attending the welcome home reception for nearly 80 WWII, Vietnam, and Korea veterans after their visit to Washington D.C. with Honor Flight (more information here).

{vintage dress, Miss L Fire shoes}

My grandfather was never able to go on the flight - something that I think he would have loved, despite complaining the whole way there - so attending the welcome home party was a way to honor him, along with the other veterans.

As their plane taxied in, the Tallahassee Swing Band played them the top hits from the 40s.  

What a beautiful night!

xoxo,

Eliza

~ living in the past ~

I have to confess something.  I don't wish I was living in the past.  

I know, I know...the clothes were amazing, the music was fantastic, and the cars were the best, but here's the thing: I like civil rights.  I like being able to go out and get a job and have a future that doesn't involve a husband, children, and endless laundry.  I like being able to instantly connect with interesting people online and see what my old friends are up to.  I like being able to vote.  I like being able to wear what I want to wear when I want to wear it.  And I like the freedoms that come with living in the 21st century.

Now here's a story.

One time I was wearing a 1950s dress, hat, and high heels, and I had a man tell me "I wish women still dressed like that."  Now I like to think that he was simply complementing me on how I wear my clothes, but I heard something more in his voice.  What was he saying?

Women in the 1950s had far fewer clothing choices then we are blessed with today.  Undergarments were far from comfortable, and the "feminine shape" was created with weight gaining products, girdles, tightly laced waist-cinchers, and bras that aimed to please men.

Advertising told women that they were unattractive, shapeless, dumb, and thoroughly miserable unless they tried the magic vitamin, bra, dish soap, or lipstick.  Then, maybe, they would attract a husband or keep the husband they have happy.

This is not what I love about the past.  I love the aesthetic, the look, the clothes.  

I love wearing vintage clothes because of how they make me feel.  I love taking vintage-y photos because of how they make me feel.  I like wearing vintage hairstyles because of how they make me feel.

I don't like the sexism and racism of the past.

I like living in this day and age because women have more rights than they did in the past.  We still have a VERY long way to go in the fight for respect and equal rights, but what a long way we have come.

When that man said he wished women still dressed like they used to, I wonder if he knew the depth of what he was saying....Somehow I don't think he did.

So please, the next time you see someone wearing vintage, complement them on their rockin' style, don't tell them that you wish women still dressed like that.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty happy with today's skinny jeans and birth control options.

xoxo,
Eliza

~ girl power ~

Today I had the absolute pleasure of speaking to a wonderful group of girls about women's rights and the changes in fashion.  I had a blast!

Each girl was interested, engaged in the topic, and had a million great questions that I (luckily) had the answers to.

The details:

{vintage dress from Etsy, vintage hat from my sweet friend Katherine, earrings from my grandmother}

For my makeup I did my favorite 50s eyeshadow/cateye mix.

I had such a great time educating these girls and showing them bits from my collection.  I hope they had as much fun as I did!

And to round off this great day, I get to see one of my best friends on stage in Godspell tonight!!

Happy Thursday!

xoxo,
Eliza