I’ve been tagged to answer some bloggy/fashiony/beauty-y questions by The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe. No need for a long introduction, let’s just dive straight in!
1. Why did you create the blog?
I noticed that lots of the blogs I followed also had online stores, so when I decided to start selling vintage myself I thought it would make sense to have my own blog. It was actually a bit scary, and without the store I would never have attempted it. At first I thought I would have nothing to say, no-one would be interested, and I would just be making a fool of myself. I’m thankful that I forced myself into it, because now I love nattering away, getting to share the cool things I find , and hopefully sometimes making people laugh or telling them something they didn’t know before.
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| My amazing skills of vintage organisation |
2. What kind of blogs do you follow?
I follow a ridiculous amount of blogs. A don’t-try-this-at-home-kids amount of blogs. Much of that is just keeping up with trends and labels and seeing what people are doing with fashion in different parts of the world. The blogs I actually really love (rather than just skim reading) are ones where the personality shines through and I feel like I am engaging with a real person. In particular, I am a sucker for a good sense of humour. You girls know who you are.
3. Favorite makeup brand?
I chop and change with eyeshadows, pencils, foundations etc, but for lipstick I pretty much always use Mac. They have a huge range, are reasonably priced for the quality, and most of all I love that they give you so much help when choosing a colour. The help is the thing I vaue most – I have got it really wrong with lipsticks in the past, so it is great walking out of a store knowing that what I have just bought really suits me and I will get a lot of wear out of it.
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| Moi in Ruby Woo |
4. Favourite clothing brand?
This is why I am useless at being tagged for these things. I can’t ever choose a single favourite of anything. Favourite fashion label? As if I could decide! I can’t even say I have more of one brand in my wardrobe than another, I really am a magpie with how I select clothes. Not to mention that naturally loads of my things are vintage – some from designers, some from very old brands, some without any labels in them, some home made.
I guess I can only say that I think most labels have something to offer, and my favourite thing is not to have too many preconceptions and keep an open mind when you go shopping. Some days I will go into Zara/H&M/Monsoon/Reiss/et al and see nothing I like, at other times I love everything in store. And it is the same with designers – we all know how different collections can be from season to season, sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it. And sometimes, something I used to hate becomes a style I love.
I’m not even going to give you a single name, because it is too hard. Oh alright, the vintage label of Blanes is brilliant for gorgeous evening gowns, that is a good one.
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| Vintage 50s check Blanes dress |
5. Your indispensable makeup product?
I NEED blush. Even if I don’t wear anything else, I’ll chuck a bit of a colour on my cheeks because otherwise I can look a bit flat and washed out. Being thrifty by nature, at the moment I am using a cheap pink lipstick that looked awful on me. By good luck, although it was terrible on my lips it works fine on my cheeks, so I rub a bit in every morning. Good tip for getting the most out of your cosmetics, multi-task whenever possible!
6. Your favourite colour?
Here we go, another ‘favourite’ question. You won’t be surprised to know I don’t have one. In clothing, warm colours suit me because I have an olive skin tone and dark eyes. I am naturally drawn to red but I also love deep green, mustard yellow, teal, electric blue, rusty orange, hot pink and gold. I used to always wear silver jewellery until I realised it didn’t suit me, but I still love it on others – as I do the blues, whites and faded pastels that I can’t wear myself.
For my home, I like yellow in the kitchen for cheeriness, muted green in the living room like a 1920s jazz house, white in the bedroom for crisp cotton, dark reds and gold in the library like embossed leather books, slate grey in the bathroom like water running over pebbles… of course I live in a rented flat, so actually what I have is grubby white walls in every room. And we don’t have a library (unless you count the living room), but it is my DREAM to one day have a house with my own library. It will naturally be lined with books, have a Turkish rug, leather chairs, a small side table to hold pots of tea, a tartan blanket to put over knees, windows looking out to the garden, a fireplace, and a cat snoozing on the rug in front of the fire.
See? This is why I can’t discuss favourite things, we end up side-tracked.
7. Your perfume?
My top pick is probably Kingdom by Alexander McQueen. I first used it as a free mini purse sample and thought it was horrible, but kept using it as I was a poor unemployed graduate and it was all I had other than a bottle of cheap no-name something or other. After a while it grew on me, and now I love it and have bought many replacement bottles since joining the working world. It is quite a sharp fragrance, almost sweaty I would say – it has the same sense of the sweetly bitter body smell of someone you are attracted to. I’m not a perfume expert so that is the best description I can come up with, but you can see why I like wearing it. So much more interesting than flowers.
At the moment I also wear Black Orchid by Tom Ford which is quite a dark, incensey fragrance, and I like Maitresse by Agent Provocateur for evening as it is quite an intense, powdery floral. I haven’t got any of the following at the moment (need replacements) but I love L’eau D’Issey for summer as it is really fresh and light and brings to mind fresh breezes and sea waves crashing. Also Opium by YSL as it has the dark smokey floral vibe I love, and it is also my Mum’s perfume so it reminds me of being a little girl and smelling my Mum looking and smelling beautiful on the rare nights they went out. And finally Dolce Vita by Christian Dior, which I bought as the character Stephanie Plum wore it in the Janet Evanovitch books which I was reading at the time (not a good reason for buying a perfume I agree). At first it seemed much too sweet but as it settles down it has a peppery tang to it and I have always received lots of compliments on it, so it was a lucky random puchase.
8. Your favourite film?
One of them is The Long Hot Summer, which doesn’t seem to be as well known as it should be. I first watched it, appropriately enough, during a long hot summer when I was growing up. At the time, one of the TV channels had been playing lots of late night classic films. It was densely hot that evening - too warm to sleep, even after misting ourselves with cool water from a spary bottle. Rather than tossing and turning on top of my crumpled sheets I joined Mum in the living room and we stayed up watching Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, until the film was over and the night air was cool enough to attempt sleep.
If you know anything about Paul and Joanne, they were one of the longest married Hollywood couples. This is the film on which they first met and fell in love, and the chemistry between them really crackles. It also stars Orson Welles, Lee Remick and Angela Lansbury, and I really can’t recommend it enough.
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| Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in The Long Hot Summer |
9. What country would you like to visit and why?
Another endless answer. One of the many countries I would like to visit is Egypt. Now that I live in the UK, Egypt is actually quite cheap to get to and you can get loads of good packages holidays. But no no, that isn’t good enough for moi! One of the things I really want to do in Egypt is to recreate the feel of an Agatha Christie novel – cruising down the Nile on a paddle steamer, dressing for dinner, going ashore to tour the pyramids then re-boarding and sipping whisky in the drawing room (hopefully with no murders). Unfortunately that version ain’t so cheap, but I don’t want to ‘do’ Egypt until I can afford the whole experience. So for now, it remains a dream.
10. To be chosen by blogger.
Okay, this is a recent story, from Saturday night in fact. Mr Dreadful had been out with friends for the night, while I spent the evening taking it easy convalescing from my cold. By the time Mr D came rolling in, I was tucked up warm and cosy in bed, gently drifting off to sleep.
Now Mr Dreadful gets a little gregarious when he has had a few. He likes to talk and tell jokes and ask me about my night and cuddle and eat biscuits and listen to music and DO things. Not necessarily attractive qualities to someone who has just been jerked out of their dozy pre-sleep haze of thoughts. As Mr D blustered into the bedroom, flumped on the bed, and brought his freezing cold, boozy, cigarette smoked mouth over for a smooch, I tactfully said “Eeeeeaaaeeeewwwwww! I’m not going to kiss you smelling like THAT!”. He looked a little hurt, so I compromised. “If you want to be romantic you can hold my foot”. With that I stuck my cashmere-clad foot from under the covers, and Mr D dociley stood and held it affectionately for a minute before retreating to the loungeroom to watch football and eat cheese sandwiches.
I am not sure who has already done this – I know it has been doing the rounds but if you girls haven’t already done it I would like to tag:
Alex from Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks
The notorious Mrs Jones
Winnie from Diamond Canopy
1980s does 50s sarong wiggle dress by Quorum 
1960s coffee coloured lace cocktail dress 
1950s black wiggle dress with ruching 
1960s watercolour rainbow silk tie dye dress 
1950s style green satin cocktail dress 
>Wow the long hot summer is also one of my favourite films. I also love the tv movie from the 80s with Don Johnson.
Love to know more about you.
Un abrazo my friend.
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>great answers and they capture your personality. i remember when you started out (hard to imagine since you're now a pro at it) and you didn't want to have pictures of yourself on the internet. well, i am so glad you did post pics. Although your articles are always great, your writing and wit shiny good, i love seeing your gorgeous mug up here. Keep it up!
>Ha ha ha – I love the "you can hold my foot" scenario. Ha ha ha – that has just cheered my damp and gloomy Monday avo! And whaddaya know, you have only gone and tagged me! Post to follow forthwith.
>You can hold my foot- GENIUS!
I've got to use that one sometime (but my feet are in cute hand-knitted foot mittens, not posh cashmere, unfortunately).
>Hey! Thanks for stopping by my blog after I specifically addressed you in Mr. Gasten's mass message about cliches :)
Haha… I like how you described your current favorite perfume! Like sweat? Awesome! I totally understand what you meant, though! A natural pleasant body odor is very attractive. I don't stick to one brand either, but I do love the smell of jasmine (the flower), so when I find something that smells similar, I tend to go for that, but my husband would always praise my natural body odor when I'm not wearing perfume! At first, I didn't know what to say to that, but I do get it just because I love his natural smell too without wearing anything.
You have nice things in your shop, by the way!
>Love the foot story! HA!
>That foot story is freaking hilarious! Jon's just as bad after a night night, breathing fag and brandy fumes over me and insisting on gabbing on about his exploits.
You've posted a picture of Babs Streisand and for that I'll love you forever. xxx
>I'm a blush fanatic too!
xoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com
>I can't stop laughing at poor Mr Dreadful obediently holding your foot! Very interesting post. I particularly like your criteria for narrowing down your hundreds of blogs – "The blogs I actually really love (rather than just skim reading) are ones where the personality shines through and I feel like I am engaging with a real person. In particular, I am a sucker for a good sense of humour." – that's exactly how I feel about the favourite bloggers I stalk (including you, my dear!)
>Great answers. I can't leave the house without blusher and I too would love my own library. I nearly have enough books to fill one.
I must watch Long Hot Summer, can't believe I've never seen it! xx
>Fab answers! That first pic looks like a photo of my bedroom on a good day.
Another red lipstick girl – Ruby Woo is one of my faves – it looks amazing on you!
Love your Egyptian holiday plan – sounds divine! I'm relishing the post that will follow once you finally do.
>I want to live in Uk, you're a lucky girl :)
>I too would like a Christie-authentic cruise down the Nile. I've read too many of her mysteries and Amelia Peabody books. I enjoyed reading your answers, not typical.
Arianne from A + B in the Sea
>Hey PD, Firstly I would like to say thank you for all the lovely things you have been saying on my site. This is a great post. Nice to get to know you. My favourite actor is/was Paul Newman. I am not sure I have seen Long hot summer but will check it out. Xxxx
>What a great post and such well-considered and honest answers – thank you!
Long Hot Summer is on my Sunday afternoon movie list, thanks for the recommendation.
I have been wearing Dolce Vita for ten years and I just LOVE it. I hope I receive a bottle for xmas as I'm fast running out!
And I LOVE the cashmere-clad-foot story. How uncivilised of Mr Dreasful to expect a kiss while in such a sordid state. Holding your foot was frankly more than he deserved.
And I loved your line about him 'retreating to the lounge to watch football and eat cheese sandwiches". The reminds me of something that Enid Blyton might have written… "and the girls retreated to their dorm to gossip by torchlight and eat cold pork pies".
I am SO glad I have found your blog, Ms Dreadful!
Misfit Sarah xxx
>I love posts like this!!! The Mr D story had me laughing, too. AHAHA. I also found myself nodding and thinking "Yup! Yes! Oh yea." to practically everything you answered, especially about going to Egypt to recreate Murder on the Nile. Hmm… actually, maybe I'll read that next (for the 456789th time…) ;P Although, I think I'm in the mood for a bit of fantasy, so maybe I'll save my future husband in another life, Hercule, for another day.
*Claudia* x
>Great post, loved the proffered foot alternative, ha! I think we may share vintage organisational skills and perfume likes!
>You have a good taste in perfume–not to mention an overall great taste in fashion–I ADORE Opium!
>Thank you for commenting possums :)
sacramento – hurrah! I am so glad to find someone else who loves that film. Isn't Paul a hunk!
Bella – haha yes! You were the one who gave me the kick up the bum to get started. I was so nervous!
LandGirl1980 – looking forward to your answers :)
Anonymous – hand knitted foot mittens sound pretty posh to me :)
à la Modest – hello! I'm so sorry, I should have replied to your email on that but I didn't realise it was just to me – I was reading through gmail and thought it was a group response, oops.
Jasmine is another smell I love too, snap :)
WendyB – we love romance in this house
Vix – aren't boys so grotty x
Courtney – it is because we are becoming old crones ;)
Bette on Toast – thank you dear, that is very sweet… and it made me realise that I hadn't subscribed to you when I thought I had! Remedied now :)
Christina – oh I know, we already have 4 bookcases full here and yet I can't stop collecting. Do love to see a house full of books x
Veshoevius – oh I know, my bedroom is a constant tip. Or I should say, my SIDE of the bedroom. Mr D is immaculately neat, he must find living with me a great trial.
Mariana – I am indeed :)
arnique – I haven't read any Amelia Peabody books, I really must. Always on the look out for new-old myster writers.
Fashionistable – aw it is my pleasure, you choose such interesting people to photograph. Paul is one of my all time faves too :)
Misfit Sarah – haha, your Enid Blyton comparison made me giggle. I have the sudden urge now for a midnight feast!
Claudia – there will never be another like Hercule :)
Comtesse de ferveur – oooh, let me know what other perfumes you like then! Always good to meet people with similar tastes so you can swap recommendations.
Tia – that goes for you too Tia! We should have a perfume chat.
>Oh how rude of me not to comment on this earlier. Thank you ever so for the tag – shall have to have a good ponder about some of my answers. Loved reading yours. Who doesn't want to go on an Agatha Christie style cruise?!
ps – am still chuckling about the Mr D story. Bless him.
>I love your vintage organization pic :) That makes me feel not so alone in my organizational skills!! Also, the pic of the Blanes dress is soooo adorable!
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