Retrofit: Undergarments

I know some of my readers are die-hard vintage girls, digging through bins and thrift shops and Grandma's attic for the best piece. I've loved old-fashioned clothing for a long time, but I have to say, I don't really own many myself. Part of the trouble is sizing. I'm a busty girl, even though I'm not very wide. So many times I've had to leave great dresses on the rack because it was just too tight across the chest. That's why I get excited when I find vintage garments on Etsy or other sites that look like they'd fit my bust well. But then there's the other problem: the waist. I don't know that my waist will ever be 25 inches. As with my hunt for spectator pumps [still looking, by the way], I'm asking advice from shoppers: do you find that you also need Shapewear or vintage-inspired undergarments to go with your dresses?

[photo via Etsy. I'm crushing on this suit so hard but it would never fit my waist without help!]
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Mad Men Season Finale *sad face*

Dear friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I confess I was not able to watch Mad Men tonight. I was stuck in traffic on my way back to New York and missed both the original show and the encore. I'll be watching soon, though, so check back and we can discuss. Have a good night. I won't. I have kind of a big paper to write.

Cheers.

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Gearing Up for Mad Men Finale: Bryan Batt

Salvatore Romano, played by Bryan Batt, has been through a lot this season on Mad Men. While he's been on the fringes of the show, his coming out, or being outed, has become to be an important subplot, especially in a time when, I think, homosexuality is still on the government's list of psychological disorders. Sal is one character I absolutely don't want to see gone after this season. And with AMC having renewed the contract for its biggest cash cow, Matthew Weiner might still have time to write an episode or so about the Stonewall Riots in '69 with Sal at the center it.

Not only is Sal great, Bryan Batt is great. Jezebel tells us 10 reasons we should love him, and frankly, I agree with them all.

And by the way, how much do you love this photo of Sal?
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Gearing Up for the Mad Men Season Finale

Season 3 of Mad Men ends this Sunday, and it kills me that I'll have to wait to next August for new episodes. Tell me, what are your predictions for the big event? Even if you can't get to a TV, I'll be live blogging the last episode. Pray for Betty, guys.

I started a discussion over at 20-something Bloggers, too.
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Remembering Rita Hayworth

I was clicking through New York Magazine's website when I came across their Party Line section. Last week was the Alzheimer's Association's Rita Hayworth Gala to fundraise for Alzheimer's research and support. Stars like Brooke Shields, The Pointer Sisters, and Regis Philbin were there. You can see the photos from the event here

The celebrities at events like this always answer questions for the Party Line column, but it struck me as odd that none of the questions had anything to do with Rita Hayworth. She's one of my favorite Old Hollywood actresses, and she unfortunately died of Alzheimer's disease. Her daughter started holding the benefit galas in 1985 and has since raised something like $53 million. I read a lot about Hayworth when I was working on this long, intense paper about 'Gilda' and everyone that knew her talked about how sad and lost she seemed toward the end of her life. I like to remember her when she was young and beautiful. A few photos from the LIFE Magazine archive:



By the pool in 1945



A dress she wore in 'Gilda'. Columbia Pictures spent $60,000 on her wardrobe. This little number cost $750 [I'd hate to do the math to think what that'd cost today]. I really only remember this dress from one scene.


Dancing with Fred Astaire

LIFE Magazine is holding out on us; I don't see the photo of Rita Hayworth that was used to decorate the first bomb [yes, the bomb] detonated during peacetime, giving rise to the term "bombshell". But enjoy. She looked great.
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Repeat (1): Jungle Love by Morris Day & The Time

For some time I had a weekly "feature" called My 99 cents, where I spotlit the songs I loved and downloaded from iTunes. I put an end to it when someone pointed out it didn't make sense to do that without giving the song away for free. I haven't figured out how to give away music, nor do I feel comfortable doing it, but I think it's worth bringing it back. This time, it's the tunes that make my old soul sing, the songs you forget you had but once you find them, you can't stop playing them. This week: Jungle Love.

Morris Day and the Time were the "opposing" band in Purple Rain, drawing bigger crowds and more money than The Kid. Funnily enough, The Time was a Prince project, with His Royal Badness writing and producing most of their music (just like Apollonia/Vanity 6, also featured in Purple Rain).

Jungle Love is one of the big songs from the movie, complete with dance moves and shiny suits. Of course, there's no movie clip on YouTube but here's the group riding the wave of their comeback performing in Germany. Sweet dance moves, right?:


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Mad Men on 20-Something Bloggers

I've you've passed through my blog any time over the past three months, you've noticed that I'm a big fan of Mad Men on AMC. Now, I'm sharing the love with everyone on 20SB!
20 Something Bloggers is a great community, definitely worth checking out. I've started a group called Maddicts: Mad Men Fans. Pass it along! It's important for Maddicts to stick together.

You can see my 20SB page here. Don't be a stranger!
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