Memoirs of a Pinup Girl: 4_8_14 Vintage Style, Modern Wear

Vintage Style, Modern Wear:

Words from an Expert in the Vintage Fashion Industry

View fullsize

Cats and Kittens…..

It’s ALMOST time for our first retro night in Northwest Ohio! On April 19, The Pinup Project will be hosting a Retro Night at Ye Olde Durty Bird complete with retro cars, music, drinks, and even a PINUP GIRL COMPETITION. We’re inviting all of you to come out and dress in your best retro/vintage garb and paint the town with us!!! We’re going to do it up big, complete with a few celebrity judges (I will announce them this week!) - and music until 1 am.

View fullsize

I know what some of you must be thinking: “Great! But what do I wear? And how do I wear it?" Or: "How can I do retro without feeling silly?"

I can tell you one thing:

Almost anyone can pull off a well-put-together retro look. It doesn't hurt if one also has a personal shopping assistant with a huge selection of quality clothing and a background in historical garb. Impossible, right?

Meet MY secret retro weapon: Gina Moscrop.  Gina and her husband, Scott, own my very favorite online reproduction/vintage store for guys and gals, Bear Flag Republic USA in Hemet, CA.

I met Gina by chance, but I knew she was a treasure right away. She personally knows the designers of the clothing she sells and she also goes out of her way to help you find and purchase the right clothing for your body and your personality (I may or may not be pursuing a facebook conversation with her at this moment about what I'll wear to retro night)!

Bear Flag Republic not only outfits The Pinup Project, but is also one of the sponsors of our retro night. They have graciously donated a hefty gift certificate to our winning pinup girl and have ALSO given me a code for our retro night folk to use at her online store to get 20% off.  I asked her to contribute to this blog, and she fittingly chose to address the issue of “how to do retro.” So without further ado, here are her words for you. Her gift of the coupon code is at the tail end of this blog. So  - shop her family owned store, wear retro merrily and with confidence, and most of all: Enjoy the art of dressing up and going out!

Vintage style modern wear:

When, where, how and why to wear vintage style in the modern world.

We all love the style, it says I'm unique, I'm sexy and yet I also have class. When you have a vintage inspired look it is without a doubt, a head turner. In this modern uber-casual world where people now even wear shorts and tee-shirts to church, there is a shock wave that proceeds you when you dress the nines vintage style.

View fullsize

Wearing the vintage inspired style of a Bettie Page ® dress, back seamed stockings and victory rolls in your hair to the local hootenanny, swing dance or rod run is a lot of fun, but living the style daily can be equally enjoyable, provided you learn to embrace the extra attention. Depending upon how much or how little you accessorize, a vintage inspired ensemble will fit into most situations. A Stop Staring ® dress is a knock out when worn with a full head to toe vintage look, but also becomes incredibly classy business attire when worn with a modern hairstyle, modern nylons and shoes. It's up to you and your mood, full bombshell or light vintage, it is all met with positive attention.

Accepting a compliment graciously

Be prepared, you will get attention, lots of attention. Most admirers will recognize the vintage influence, but many will just find your style strikingly unique and refreshing among the mass of denim jeans, tank tops and sandels. Be sure to acknowlege a compliment by thanking and noting that it was kind of them to say so. The old "oh this old thing" only works if you are Violet in It's a Wonderful Life.  I also like to consider myself an ambassador of vintage style. I often hear, "I wish everyone dressed like that again" and I always agree and then suggest where they can go to get dolled up too.  It's as easy as logging on to my website!

Viva la revolución

View fullsize

There has been a steady rebellion against the disheveled frumpy casual look for some time now. Whether it is high schoolers "suiting up" inspired by the television series How I met your Mother or office workers who rediscovered professional style from Mad Men the switch is on.  Last year there was a 53% drop in companies who allowed 'casual attire' and some executives have even hired image consultants and fashion experts to help reeducate their employees on proper business dress. Numerous studies have shown looks can impact career advancement too. Leading the revolution have been those of us who love the vintage look. We understood long before others that getting togged to the bricks was never a vanity thing, although a wolf whistle every now and then doesn't go unnoticed, it is a respect thing. It commands respect and gives it at the same time. People dressed well in the past for the same reason companies are now returning to proper dress, it shows respect for each other. It says you are important enough to me, that I will present myself well in your presence.

You go girl

View fullsize

So live the vintage inspire life everyday, everywhere. If you are fortunate enough to work in an office setting and not blasting rivets into a B-17 all day, why not wear the vintage look all the time? You will be happier, your career will be on a trajectory to the stars and you'll turn heads faster then a '57 Plymouth with a Hemi.

If you’d like to shop Gina’s store, feel free to use this discount at checkout:

For Bettie Page Clothing: BETTIE25

View fullsize

For Anything else in the store: BFR20

Enjoy,

Xoxo

Morgen

Memoirs of a Pinup Girl: 3_31_14: Give Me a Boilermaker, and Heavy on the Boil

“Give Me a Boilermaker, and Heavy on the Boil”

                            – Jerry Lewis, The Nutty Professor (1963)

View fullsize

I promised a blog geared towards the guys … and this is it … but ladies who enjoy the spirits, read on …..

Have you ever had the perfect mixed drink? Cocktails have been a longstanding favorite in American bartending history. Reports are varied, but it seems that most experts date the first print reference of the term “cocktail” to 1803 in the US, and 1798 in London, England.  By the late 19th and early 20th century, bartenders got increasingly creative with cocktail ingredients. The first known book of American cocktail recipes, How to Mix Drinks, by Jerry Thomas was published in 1863. 

Whiskey, an old favorite in the US and abroad, especially appears as the heart and soul of many cocktail recipes. I’d like to think that both on its own and as a cocktail component, it is supremely vintage. One famous vintage whiskey-centered drink, The American Boilermaker, is said to have become a favorite in the US in the first half of the 20th century. Traditionally, it is very simple: A pint of beer chased by a shot of whiskey. Later, we see these two components as a mixed drink.

I took a trip to Ye Olde Durty Bird in Toledo, OH to learn a little bit more about bartending and mixed drinks from Matt “Elvis” Palmer. He presented me with three (delicious) recipes: One traditional boilermaker, and three modernized vintage favorites.

Matt "Elvis" Palmer with the makings of a Durty Sidecar. Ye Olde Durty Bird, Toledo, OH.

The Traditional Boilermaker:

Ingredients:

-       1 shot whiskey

-       1 beer

There are several ways to serve. Some drink the liquor separately and chase with beer. Some simply pour both elements into the glass, while others insist on the following method:

Pouring the whiskey to the brim of the shot glass and then placing the shot glass so it is held against the inside base of an upturned glass. The bartender then flips the glass over so that the whiskey is trapped in the shot glass and pours the beer into the glass over the whiskey filled shot glass.

The “Applesauce” Boilermaker

Combine the following ingredients in a pint glass:

-       ½ oz. Wild Turkey American Honey

-       ½ oz. Fireball Whiskey

-       12 oz. Stella Cidre

The Durty Sidecar

Combine the following ingredients into a shaker with ice, and then pour into a sniffer and serve with an orange slice.

-       1 oz. Jacobs Ghost

-       1 oz. Wild Turkey American Honey (Elvis says, “Give ‘em the bird”)

-       ½ oz. Grand Marnier

-       A splash of sour mix

The Elvis Palmer

Combine ingredients in a pint glass and finish with ice:

-       1 oz. Sailor Jerry

View fullsize

The Durty Sidecar: A variation of the traditional sidecar cocktail

-       12 oz. Smirnoff Ice

-       Fresh squeezed lemon to taste

The Horse’s Neck

Here’s another traditional recipe that I love, although the name is a little less than appetizing. Combine ingredients in a Collins style glass and garnish with lemon peel:

-        2 oz. Bourbon Brandy or                American Rye Whiskey

-        Ginger Ale

-        A dash of bitters (optional- we see this more in earlier versions)

If you are in pursuit of some delicious vintage fieldwork, feel free to visit Matt "Elvis" Palmer at Ye Old Durty Bird. Aside from being a beautiful bar in downtown Toledo, it is also the site of Retro Night on April 19. The Pinup Project will be playing tunes all night long, and at 10 pm a pinup girl competition will commence. It’s not too late to pick out some vintage threads and attend (or even compete!). The bonus? Matt “Elvis” Palmer will be turning out his twists on traditional vintage drinks all night long.

If you aren’t a local, and can’t make it to Ye Old Durty Bird, picture yourself in a speakeasy and try a few of these recipes. I know firsthand, they are delightful!!!

Enjoy!

Xoxo

Morgen

References:

Blue, Anthony Dias (2004). The Complete Book of Spirits.

Regan, Gary (2003). The Joy of Mixology (first ed.).

Thomas, Jerry (1862). How To Mix Drinks.