An old Ceeb ad. DROOL. Me performing with my band, The Amandas, in my one and only Ceeb suit. I scored this baby online for a mere $98!! A friend of mine's private collection. I know, I know- couldn't you just DIE? 2 lovely pieces from Where It's At Vintage. Some vintage Ceeb tags. The top is from a mens cotton shirt, the bottom is from a jumpsuit.
I have a friend, Leonard. He's in his early 60's now. He looks like the epitome of Santa Claus. He's an old biker dude. Ran with the Hells Angels and other various bike gangs all of his life for as long as he can remember. He comes out from Albuquerque, New Mexico and stays with my boyfriend and I for about 2 weeks, 2 times a year. Anyhow, so he always calls people's girlfriends or wives their "old ladies." "My old lady" this and "My old lady" that. One day, jokingly, I flat out told him that I thought it was plain rude, and if Jason (my boyfriend) ever called me his "old lady," I would deck him a good one. Leonard explained to me that it was a bikers term of endearment for their lady. It wasn't meant to be offensive. So anyways, that brings me to this morning. I'm sleepy eyed, in my big ol' bathrobe, looking through one of my favorite blogs, The Selvage Yard, and what do I see? An entry on the photography of "Old Ladies" aka Biker Babes from the 1960's, taken by the photographer Billy Ray in 1965. You can see and read about the whole thing here, with the really fabulous moody pictures. Quite brilliant, really. Gotta love that teased-out platinum blonde hair- obviously helmets (of the safety variety, that is) were not required back then! Ha! Here's a few other really great "old lady" biker babe pics that I found randomly browsing online. I don't know if they were also taken by Billy Ray, but my guess is most likely. Gosh, this one of all of the girls at the bar is just too good. Look at those hairdos and outfits! And the broken nose! Man, wouldn't you love to know that story... It also reminded me of one of my most favorite B-movies from the 60's, She Devils On Wheels. Leonard also loves really bad b-movies from the 50's and 60's. I was really excited to show him this one. Well, he hated it. Maybe it's because it's purely based on an all-women biker gang, and they're all such awesome man-eating b*tches. Whatever... it's so good. And I'll leave you with a little montage of vintage biker babe images...
We examine the legacy of a woman whose sexuality is only outmatched by her musical prowess
What gal doesn't love lingerie? Even the tommiest of tom boys flip their lid for some nice underthings. Well, the focus of this post is on the queen mama of vintage lingerie, Vanity Fair! The stunning couture-esque picture above is from 1953. What I find fascinating about this shot and ensemble is how modern it looks. Right down to the killer strappy leopard print sandals. Now, wouldn't we die for THOSE, ladies? So, a little history... Vanity Fair actually started out back in 1899 as Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company in Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1913 the company changed it's name to Schuylkill Silk Mills and by 1914 their main focus was the manufacturing of silk lingerie. In 1917, through a contest, "Vanity Fair" is selected as a brand name for the line of lingerie, and in 1919 the company changes its name to Vanity Fair Silk Mills, Inc. In 1942, with World War II leading to an embargo on silk, the company drops the word "Silk" from the corporate name and becomes the Vanity Fair that we know today. They started using nylon tricot for many of their designs, and they became known for this. In 1951 the company went public, and well, the rest is history! They've been crankin' out fabulous frillies ever since! Wild about animal prints! Around 1952 or 1953, Vanity Fair introduced their famous leopard print into the lingerie world. Rawr! Along with leopard, they also dabbled into zebra prints. In 1958/59, Lycra (Spandex) was starting to be used in foundations along with rubber which was still being used at this point. In 1961, the company announces the discontinuted use of rubber, and uses purely Lycra Spandex with their nylon. Many of their rarer styles in the leopard print (jumpsuits, rompers, etc.) are made with this lycra blend, such as the one pictured below: Yours truly in a 1960's "Vanity Fair" nylon lycra blend leopard zip-front jumpsuit, available for sale RIGHT NOW(!!) at Butch Wax Vintage! Here are a few vintage styles that I especially love: An adorable pair of 1950's V.F. panties, available for sale here. Killer 1950's V.F. bullet bra. 1960's V.F. bathing suit, available for sale here. I constantly keep my eye out for vintage Vanity Fair leopard pieces. Here are 2 killer pieces below that I've sold in the past on Butch Wax Vintage. The 1960's robe was a soft flannel and super cozy. The 1950's lycra blend jumpsuit was especially rare, I kiiiinda regret selling it. Whoops! And here's a 1950's V.F. leopard blouse with peplum design that's for sale by Butch Wax Vintage here: And lastly, some great vintage Vanity Fair ads for their leopard items. I own the dressing robe pictured below in my personal collection:
What gal doesn't love lingerie? Even the tommiest of tom boys flip their lid for some nice underthings. Well, the focus of this post is on the queen mama of vintage lingerie, Vanity Fair! The stunning couture-esque picture above is from 1953. What I find fascinating about this shot and ensemble is how modern it looks. Right down to the killer strappy leopard print sandals. Now, wouldn't we die for THOSE, ladies? So, a little history... Vanity Fair actually started out back in 1899 as Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company in Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1913 the company changed it's name to Schuylkill Silk Mills and by 1914 their main focus was the manufacturing of silk lingerie. In 1917, through a contest, "Vanity Fair" is selected as a brand name for the line of lingerie, and in 1919 the company changes its name to Vanity Fair Silk Mills, Inc. In 1942, with World War II leading to an embargo on silk, the company drops the word "Silk" from the corporate name and becomes the Vanity Fair that we know today. They started using nylon tricot for many of their designs, and they became known for this. In 1951 the company went public, and well, the rest is history! They've been crankin' out fabulous frillies ever since! Wild about animal prints! Around 1952 or 1953, Vanity Fair introduced their famous leopard print into the lingerie world. Rawr! Along with leopard, they also dabbled into zebra prints. In 1958/59, Lycra (Spandex) was starting to be used in foundations along with rubber which was still being used at this point. In 1961, the company announces the discontinuted use of rubber, and uses purely Lycra Spandex with their nylon. Many of their rarer styles in the leopard print (jumpsuits, rompers, etc.) are made with this lycra blend, such as the one pictured below: Yours truly in a 1960's "Vanity Fair" nylon lycra blend leopard zip-front jumpsuit, available for sale RIGHT NOW(!!) at Butch Wax Vintage! Here are a few vintage styles that I especially love: An adorable pair of 1950's V.F. panties, available for sale here. Killer 1950's V.F. bullet bra. 1960's V.F. bathing suit, available for sale here. I constantly keep my eye out for vintage Vanity Fair leopard pieces. Here are 2 killer pieces below that I've sold in the past on Butch Wax Vintage. The 1960's robe was a soft flannel and super cozy. The 1950's lycra blend jumpsuit was especially rare, I kiiiinda regret selling it. Whoops! And here's a 1950's V.F. leopard blouse with peplum design that's for sale by Butch Wax Vintage here: And lastly, some great vintage Vanity Fair ads for their leopard items. I own the dressing robe pictured below in my personal collection:
France, Paris, March 15,1989. Fashion show of Patrick Kelly autumn-winter 1989/1990 women's ready-to-wear collection. Location: Cour Carree du Louvre.
Sarah Vaughan drinking a milkshake while taking a break at the Blue Note, 1955.
Tumblr Blog
Dolores Erikson in a Marilyn Monroe type pose and tight-fitting dress.
Amanda, the owner of Butch Wax Vintage, and her partner, Dmitri, have transformed this 1910 house in San Diego.
With the election just days away I’m making an effort to avoid election coverage and relax. To that end I’ll leave you this week with pretty pictures chosen for their ability to induce dreaming. Never underestimate the need to fill your mind with beautiful images. Have a lovey weekend! Images from The Nifty Fifties and … Continue reading "Pretty Pictures"
(Photo by Walter Carone/Paris Match via Getty Images)
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