4 Fabulous 1940s Sweaters to Knit for Fall

The very hint of fall makes me want to dig in deep to new projects, the cozier the better. Right now I’m captivated by 1940s sweaters.

Autumn is a great time to take on more complex projects, with little needles and skinny yarn. These projects can keep you warm while you’re knitting them, as they slowly grow over your lap. Then, they keep you warm when you wear them. They’re pretty much useful from the get-go.

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Wardrobe Wednesday: Thrifty Forties

I love retro brands, but nothing can replace the thrift store.

Thrifting was how I got into vintage when I was a kid. Little did I know that the mid-nineties were vintage-thrift heaven. Nowadays, true vintage usually gets snatched up quickly by vintage sellers, or never winds up in the thrift store in the first place. Gone are the days of finding bunches of 1960s cast-offs for a couple bucks.

Still, it’s possible to create vintage-style looks from the thrift store, even if finding actual vintage pieces is rare. This outfit struck the just the right 1940’s notes without looking too costumey, and is comprised almost entirely of thrift store pieces.

Green and black 1940's style blouse and skirt — Blouse, skirt, knee socks (you can’t see them, they’re just socks), all thrifted.

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#VintageDecemberStyle Outfit 2–Christmassy Cabaret with Aunt Nance

I know some funny people.

Chicago is a comedy town, and I have the good fortune of knowing and loving some truly delightful goofballs.

Take the illustrious Brittny Congleton, and her alter-ego, Aunt Nance.

This is Aunt Nance.

Yes, she has a giant cardboard cut-out of her face. Why wouldn’t she?

Aunt Nance is an aggressively Midwestern, ever-tipsy, brassy, sassy broad, who gets up to all kinds of mischief. This year, she invited my alter-ego to come sing some tunes in her Hot Flash Holiday Cabaret. It was a delight, and all kinds of silly. It was also an opportunity for another #VintageDecemberStyle outfit.

You cannot see how truly giant my beehive was, and that is a shame. Dress–Lindy Bop, Charlotte. Petticoats–two of ’em. Sweater–Pinup Girl, maybe? (I don’t buy from them anymore). Stockings–Frederick’s of Hollywood, seven (?) years ago? Hair scarf–literally a strip of chiffon Shoes–Payless, also about seven (!) years ago.

Things I learned, out and about in this outfit.

Why wear one petticoat when you can wear two?
If you dress like this, old men in bars will really want to talk to you.
The gingham + peppermint stripes almost crosses into lady clown territory, but narrowly escapes by going easy on the accessories

While this might be a little much for a company Christmas party, it was excellent for a visit with Aunt Nance!

#VintageDecemberStyle Outfit #1: Tree-Trimming

As previously mentioned, I am in love with my Christmas tree.

I gaze upon it and smile. I insist upon showing it to my Internet ESL students. It is a thing of beauty, and thus, a joy forever.

I also like holiday outfits, so, oh boy, have I been enjoying Emileigh at Flashback Summer’s hashtag #VintageDecemberStyle. Hop on over to Instagram and behold the holiday sartorial concoctions. It’s fun.

This was my first holiday outfit opportunity–the trip to get the Christmas tree.

I am of the opinion that there are no bad Christmas trees. Artificial, real, live, aluminum, I like them all, Charlie Brown. I also am not picky about where to get one. I have a slight (entirely unsurprising) preference for little parking lot tree lots, but I’m flexible. This year, a restaurant down the street from us had a tree lot on their patio, and so we walked over to see what we could find. Continue reading “#VintageDecemberStyle Outfit #1: Tree-Trimming” →