Celebrating the Female Form

Being a woman, I highly appreciate the female form and all we must do to maintain it.  In life drawing in college, I would have to draw myself naked and put it on display for the whole class, all male except me and another girl, to critique.  I had to not only recognize, but draw and point out, any imperfections I had.  Trust me, doing that is a very humbling experience and makes you realize how truly amazing the human form is.

Though, like any other human being, I have my up and down days about my weight, I'm happy with how I look and I'm comfortable in the skin I'm in.  I love being sexy and buying cute things, and, as the saying goes, "If you've got it, flaunt it." To a certain extent, at least.

So, it's no surprise, that I'm generally drawn towards pin-up photography and ruthless photos of women being deviant.  When you walk into my house, there's a framed picture of a naked woman's bust from a Paris photography exhibit.  There was a half-naked photo of Keira Knightley in my old apartment's my bathroom.

If you follow Ollie Otson on Facebook, you'll see I post a vintage/vintage inspired photograph a day from the file of photos I have on my computer (which is why you, also, don't see a link back to the original source on any of these, and for that I do apologize).  I try to keep them pretty tame, but I decided to post some of my favorite photos here that you probably won't see on our Facebook.  They're all sexy in their own way while still leaving enough to be desired, the way it should be.

Again, sorry there are no sources to the original photo links, but these pulled from the archives of my computer.

Silver and Gold

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This week and last saw an influx in listing the vintage jewelry we have in the shop to online.  I have actually had quite a few people say they love our jewelry selection and wish we put more online, so here you go!

Keira Knightley

 It's amazing we're months into this blog, and I haven't had a single post about Keira Knightley (though I have mentioned her a few times).

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bit obsessed with her.  I often joke that if she hasn't been in a movie, I probably haven't seen it.  Plus seeing Pride and Prejudice with her in it in high school made me realize I wanted to pursue costume design and eventually led me into vintage.

So, she's kind of a big deal in my world.

But seriously, the girl is awesome and always looks great, which is why many consider her a muse to their art, like director Joe Wright who has worked with her in numerous movies and production.  And she seems like a cool chick you could grab a beer with, someone who has an "I don't give a shit" attitude about many things, but one who still stands up for what she believes in.  If you've ever read a magazine article featuring her, she's witty and passionate, making jokes, but being serious about what she does and why she does it.

Girl crush much?

Pictures from her various spreads in Vogue magazine.

The 1922 Collection by Warby Parker

At least a couple times a month, I get someone who comes into the shop asking if I have any 1920s garments.  They tell me they're going to a party and need something to wear, and, of course, don't want to buy a cheap, run-of-the-mill costume made of polyester from a party store.

This is when I , sadly, have to explain that garments from the 20s are so beautifully delicate with craftsmanship so astounding you wouldn't want to just wear them for a party, but rather put them on display like a piece of art in your home, and steer them over to the rack of 60s dresses with drop-waists that mimic the style of the 20s.

The thing is, they're not original 1920s, but the look is the same, repeated forty years later and made fashionable again.  Fashion is like anything else -- history, art, literature -- it tends to repeat the same ideas and images throughout its course.  The best part is, an era of fashion history so celebrated and favored, can be revived and still made pertinent to this day.

This season, the look of the 20s is being seen in modern-day fashion once again.  Drop-waist dresses, fringe, beading, and bobs were all sent down the runways and are all making an appearance in stores around the world as this summers "must haves."

And to finish off the look for all the four-eyed friends like myself, steps in Warby Parker, a mail-order company that specialized in vintage-inspired glasses and sunglasses for every day, with their new 1922 Collection that reminisces of a time when moonshine flowed and dances whirled.

They're offering three pairs in the new collection, all of which are available as sunglasses as well --

The Porter (my personal favorite) - Acetate frames in two colors of tortoise shell (Gimlet on the left and Whiskey on the right) that are more egg-shaped and give off a classically modern feel.

The Duke - A lightweight, stainless steel frame in either silver or gold that is perfectly round and wonderfully antiqued, giving you a studious look.

The Joplin (I love these as sunglasses) - Wide-spaced frames in stainless steel that are something very aesthetically different from any glasses of today, while allowing you to look dapper and professional at the same time.

The best part is, whether you're trying to achieve the Great Gatsby look or you're looking for a classic look to wear in the modern day, any of these frames would represent the image you're trying to achieve and they will far surpass the trends of the season.

Remember, fashion trends may come and go, but timeless pieces, like any of these frames, will forever remain stylish.

(Post created in partnership with Warby Parker)

Teams

I always find team photos to be a little funny.  It's probably just the fact that everyone is very serious, sitting there in their uniforms, holding the ball or club of choice for the certain activity, as if we couldn't tell that bathers mean they're on a rowing team or heavy padding means it's football.

Either way, I always love looking at old team photos and comparing the fashions of then to now.  And the lack of padding and protective equipment.  Have you ever seen what hockey players used to wear?! It's no wonder they didn't have any of their front teeth and generally a crooked nose to match.

Class photos have the same effect on me, too, so don't think it's because I was picked last in gym class or something (which I never was, by the way).

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