How To Care For Your Petticoat

Yesterday I talked about how to buy a petticoat and today I am keeping it short and simple with some useful petticoat tips and tricks.

• To clarify the difference between a petticoat and a crinoline; the words are used interchangeably but generally a petticoat is the soft nylon or chiffon slip that adds a bit of volume to your skirt while a crinoline is its stiffer counterpart usually made of organza that adds full, dramatic flair to your skirts. I’m talking, ‘take up half the bench your sitting on,’ flair.

Crinoline HERE Petticoat HERE

• When you first receive your petticoat it most likely will be super wrinkly and stiff, most especially in the case of crinoline. To fluff it out, immediately hang it up. A few times a day, for a day or two, gently tug down on all the layers, separate and fluff into shape. To speed up the process hang the petticoat in the bathroom so every time you take a warm shower, the steam will help work out the wrinkles. It won’t hurt to gently tug on the layers, separate and fluff while the bathroom is still warm and steamy. If that still doesn’t work use a fabric steamer and steam the crinoline from the inside, facing out. If that still doesn’t work use the air tumble setting on your dryer as a last resort, make sure your using the cold air tumble setting and your dryer drum is larger than your petticoat.

 

• You can hang your petticoats with skirt hangers but overtime they will lose poof. My suggestion is to find a comfy shelf somewhere and lay it flat.

 

• Don’t have that much shelf space? Then roll up your crinoline in a cloth bag. To prevent new wrinkles hold crinoline in front of you with the waistband at chin height. Tuck the waistband under your chin and use your arms to gently fold the crinoline from the sides, pressing air out as you go, into the center so that you end up with a crinoline tube. Now you roll from the bottom up, and keep gently pressing air out. Store it in a fabric bag.

 

• If your petticoat get dirty wash gently in cold water with mild dish soap, rinse, shake out and lay flat or hang too dry. Petticoats rarely get dirty with good care with the exception of the waistband.

 

• If your petticoat ever is too long for your skirt, simply fold up the hemline to adjust length. Better yet pin it to your long line bra on the sides, back and front with safety pins.

 

So there you have it a couple of quick tricks and tips to keep your petticoat in good shape so you both can have a long life together. Check out these great dresses that would be perfect with a petticoat.

 Cherry Day Dress HERE

Black Polka Dot HERE

 Pretty Evening Dress HERE

Choosing the Perfect Petticoat

Purchasing your first petticoat for a favorite vintage dress, skirt or reproduction outfit can be daunting. With so many choices, sizes, colors, lengths and materials how does one go about choosing the right petticoat and not end up with something to long, voluminous or that gives you the wrong shape?

Before we continue I have to confess my love of circle skirts and day dresses to the point that it’s an almost unhealthy obsession. While circle skirts and swing or day dresses are fantastic on their own, adding support with a petticoat or two elevates them to the realm of stunning. Adding a petticoat is also a must if you want to achieve that classic 1950’s silhouette which is why I have decided to talk about how to choose a petticoat and where to buy.

What I look for when buying my petticoats is price, material, quality, reputation, colors and length. Most petticoats on the market today are square dance petticoats meant to be worn under both short and full square dance dresses. You want to avoid these petticoats under your 1950’s outfits because even though they look full the base has an undesirable, for lack of a better word, waterfall effect that causes an unsightly sweep and fall look that in turn causes a break in the bottom of your skirt. For those reasons it took me 6 months before I bought my first petticoat from a brand most people would agree is the go to for a classic 50’s petticoat, Malco Modes, but more on that later.

Price is a huge determining factor for me, and I know most of you, when choosing a petticoat. I am not made of money and I don’t need a million dollar wardrobe to make me feel fabulous as I am sure most of you feel the same way. For me a well made petticoat should cost between $35-$60 depending on length and material. Anything under that price range is calling for a poorly made or temporary fix petticoat and what you’re looking for is a long lasting foundation piece. Anything above that is, in my mind, ridiculous when you can get a fabulous foundation piece in a more reasonable price range, unless of course the petticoat is truly a work of modern art.

UK company Doris adult petticoat in cream HERE

Another factor to consider when choosing a petticoat is material which goes hand in hand with quality. A quality, well made soft petticoat will be made of 100% soft nylon or chiffon while its stiff counterpart will be made of nylon netting with a nylon or smooth organza underskirt to prevent your legs being scratched up by the nylon netting. Never, I repeat never by any petticoat made from 100% tulle with no underskirt, you will itch like there’s no tomorrow. If you must have that fabulous vintage tulle petticoat you spotted on Etsy be prepared to wear tights or a half slip underneath. Also please do not purchase those cheap Halloween petticoats they are not made to flatter or last.

Reputation is the next criteria I look for and companies that make quality petticoats with carefully chosen materials usually have a good reputation established. As I mentioned earlier one of the best known is Malco Modes in business since the 1960’s.

Reasonably priced, sturdy and well-made, Malco Modes carries both soft nylon petticoats for a more demure everyday look and big stiff netted petticoats for that full va-va voom look that is amazing in pictures and at special events. My first and so far only petticoat is the full, stiff petticoat from Malco Modes because I love me some fluff and it makes me feel fabulous.

Malco Modes Soft Nylon Cosette HERE

Malco Modes Stiff and Full Melonie HERE 

Following Malco Modes the other company I would consider a petticoat from is, Pettiskirt Style. These people probably have almost every type of petticoat you can think of in the most stunning colors. I mean really stunning colors like peacock, hot pink, purple, hunter green and multi colored, the choices oh my word the choices! For stiff petticoats you want to look at the first two sections HERE  and for soft petticoats you want to scroll down to where it says Petticoats Chiffon  Length  25″ , 27″, and 30″  HERE . I plan to invest in one of  their chiffon petticoats when I save up enough.

Pettiskirt Style Rainbow Crinoline Scroll Down HERE

Lastly length is an important consideration and this one was a bit tough for me seeing as I am a petite 5ft. in height and a petite 24-inches in waist measurement aka. I’m uber tiny all over. I sometimes prefer my petticoats not to be visible and if you’re in the same thought and size category as me I would recommend getting your petticoat from Pettiskirt Style. There you can find 25-inch long petticoats which are perfect under the average 27-inch length skirts for smaller gals or you can go with Malco Modes and just roll up and maybe pin the waist if you are super petite. But if you don’t mind some peekaboo and flaunt either Malco Modes or Pettiskirt Style would work for you. For all my non-petite dolls you want a petticoat averaging 25-27-inches in length and as a general rule of thumb you don’t want your petticoat more than 2-inches shorter than your skirts length. Again either Malco Modes or Pettiskirt Style would work for you

So there you have it how and where to buy a reasonably priced long lasting petticoat, what to look for in material and how to choose your length. If you have some other great petticoat companies and tricks I missed please share in the comments down below and stay tuned for tomorrow when I will be sharing some fun and useful petticoat tips.

Glamour Goes Grocery Shopping

Continuing on with the grocery shopping theme from yesterday stop and consider this; whatever happened to dressing up, specifically whatever happened to dressing up to go grocery shopping? I mean this is what it used to be.

See the woman in her green hat adorned with the charming flower. Or how about her friend in the more demure but not less stunning outfit with the turban like hat. Notice how put together they look?

This lady is ready to cash out in a charming sunny yellow cardigan over a fitted blouse accentuated by dainty pearl earrings. In the background notice that lady in the orange day dress with cute black kitten heels or the lady with the blue puffed sleeve blouse and copper pencil skirt, so pretty!

Let me be honest and say when you go to the grocery store with your carefully planned grocery list in hand and everyone is wearing sweat pants and a tank top or jeans and a t-shirt  a gal, even in her casual vintage attire, can stand out like a red lipped, beautifully made-up sore thumb. And of course dressing in head to toe vintage hat, gloves, stockings, the works will often cause people to stop and stare.

I came across a vintage Better Living Magazine article the other day at an family friends’ house called , “The Lady Is Queen of the Supermarket.” In a passage it states, “The supermarket is a cornerstone of the American woman’s economic existence as well as her home life. She enjoys mingling with her friends in the store and when she leaves the checkout counter she has a feeling of accomplishment.”

“She enjoys mingling with friends,” have you ever stopped to think that your in public and people are seeing you in what you wear? It may not seem like a social crime to run to the neighborhood grocery for some bananas in your pajamas, hehe I made an 80’s show pun, but what happens if you meet your child’s teacher, the guy your crushing on or worse yet your in-laws in such sloppy attire?

I think everyone of us should strive our best to look good, not to be pretentious or scare off people. But as I have learned, when you look good you feel good and when you feel good your more confident and it shows it also does wonders for your self-esteem. I am not saying we should all strive to be like Dita Von Teese because well she’s Dita Von Teese and we are ourselves. Below I posted a couple of outfits I thought were perfectly adorable for grocery shopping to help inspire you.

 

Aren’t you loving this outfit inspired from ModCloth and those fox flats are the bees knees! Add a pair of white vintage gloves and maybe a headband hat if your feeling particularly glamorous.

 

 

How about this more casual ensemble. A cute polka dot top with a dramatic red scoop neck from Hey Viv, your basic black circle skirt from the Red Dress Shoppe and some red flats from ModCloth to tie it all together . Feel free to amplify the glam with your favorite petticoat.

So what do you all think? Do you tune out the open gawking in favor of your favorite circle skirt and petticoat with a trimmed blouse. Would you go to the grocery store in lazy day clothes? I really am curious what you dolls do.

Two Grain-Free Recipe Resources To Love

Sunday is typically grocery shopping day for me and the hubby. As I mentioned before I follow a very specific way of eating which is called SCD or The Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

SCD is based on a group of foods that are free of grains, sugar, starches and are unprocessed in order to help heal and seal the gut essentially “rebooting” your digestion and help you to stop feeling miserable. It’s been used to help people with Crohn’s, Celiac Disease, IBS and IBD. If you want to learn more check out Breaking the Viscous Cycle.

With this diet I’ve learned I cannot eat eggs, dairy, grains, soy, sugars, starches, legumes and nuts. What I can eat is meat, vegetables and some well cooked fruits, so each week I carefully plan out a menu of 5 dinners and 3 breakfasts that I can spread out over the week eating leftovers for lunch and sometimes breakfast. I believe being so diet specific makes it worth creating a meal plan because doing so frees up time and keeps me from feeling and looking like this:

And instead helps me look and  feel like this:

This week I don’t have much time to cook so I am going to be relying on some old favorite recipes and nothing to fancy to make my meal plan and grocery list. But when time becomes available I like to change my meals up by turning to some fabulous online resources and modifying ingredients as I need. The first is the Stalkerville and the second is AIP Lifestyle.

I first found Stalkerville, previously known as Chow Stalker, when I first went Paleo before SCD. It is the Paleo, grain-free version of online food porn and there is a bit of something for everyone whether you’re vegetarian, following Whole 30, eating autoimmune friendly or following SCD. It was this site that first inspired me to get creative with my grain-free meals and this site still inspires me. I like to fantasize that one of these days I will get to host a dinner party with all my favorite recipes on this site that are just too fancy for everyday.

The second resource is new for me. Since figuring out I have an unknown autoimmune condition and that  certain foods cause canker sore, not cold sores!, I’ve been trying to avoid nightshades as well. AIP Lifestyle is an absolutely fabulous resource for recipes that are grain, egg, legume, chocolate, nut, seed, soy and nightshade free. I love this site so much and I can’t say that enough! My favorite recipes to date have to be the BBQ sauce and Salmon Bacon Burgers.

Hopefully these sites will inspire you, like they have me, to organize and start creating meal plans and grocery list freeing up more time to do what you love. For me when it’s a lazy week and meal planning is done I like to browse all the great vintage dresses, clothing and jewelry on sites like Etsy. What do all of you plan to do with your new found free time?

 

We Are All Unique

One of my all time favorite quotes comes from Dr. Seuss, “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”

Us pin-up girls are all unique. Whether you are an iconic pin-up doll with ruby red lips or you’re a gal who does things her own way, there is something in each of us that makes us special and the journeys we take to get to that point are just as treasured.

My journey started early in life. I had a hard-working mother who was rarely home because she was working two jobs for us and a father who was somewhat distant at the best of times. Creativity, imagination and individuality were not fostered and as such I am still in the process of building my self-esteem and discovering who I am and what makes me well…me.

I also have a host of chemical and food sensitivities, meaning that aside from following a very specific diet, I have to achieve a vintage/pin-up look with brands of cosmetics and beauty products that are gluten-free and organic or mineral based and were not designed with the pigmentation of their conventional counterparts. Sadly that means no MAC Ruby Woo lipstick or Urban Decay eyeshadow for me.

Eventually with my new found vintage/rockabilly/pin-up love, I came to a fork in my journey where I could choose to agonize about achieving the “iconic” pin-up look or I could embrace my own unique, classic beauty as a dark-skinned pin-up.

Recent photoshoot with the wonderful owner of Love Shine Studio

I chose to embrace myself though it’s difficult to do at times but I’m starting to accept that red lipstick isn’t always going to look bold on me, especially being organic; my curly/wavy hair will never be manipulated into perfect pin-curls and my petite frame and larger than my bust derriere are actually assets and not something to be resented.

I could continue to drone on about my life but since this blog is about hope, growth and inspiring, I would love to hear what makes each of you unique as a pin-up/rockabilly/vintage gal and how you overcame or embraced your differences and quirks.

A Cinderella Moment

My fashion sense has always been to get what’s cheap, what can fit my tiny frame and hope I look decent. I knew nothing about accessorizing, didn’t care about layering and I went through a sweet Lolita phase when my husband insisted I get more color and fun clothes in my life. I was either bland or too loud.

Mind you I never went so far as to wear a ball but I digress.

Imagine my surprise when I put on my first swing dress, which my husband insisted I get, and suddenly I felt like a puzzle piece that had clicked into place. I felt stunning, amazing and a sense of rightness. I never wanted to take this dress off, I wanted to know what accessories would take this dress to new heights, and I wanted pretty shoes to compliment. I felt beautiful, feminine and right.

Side note: Do you see a trend here? My husband has been instrumental in supporting me and getting me to grow and I love that man silly.

What was this amazing dress? Was it part of a whole culture like Lolita or was it just a singularly beautiful dress and I should just stick to buying this pattern and silhouette from now on? Needless to say I did my research and from there evolved from just loving rockabilly fashion of jeans and plaid to adoring vintage fashion to finally blossoming my confidence enough for me to strut my curves, appreciate my butt and hips in pin-up fashions and poses; all this in less than a year! I learned modern rockabilly culture is the bees knees and that I love swing dance, classic cars and all sorts of rock. I will swoon over a vintage frock and I will squeal over the latest playsuit or hair flower.

Do the clothes make the girl? I’m not sure about that but the right clothes helped make me feel beautiful and confident which did wonders for my self-esteem and helped me learn about the me that was locked up inside.

After my Cinderella moment came my aha moment when I decided to start a blog, this blog, to share  my journey of self-growth and how I accept all the things that make me different. It all started with a dress but it involves so much more. It’s my hope that through this blog I might meet other dolls who embrace their differences and are willing to share this journey of beauty, empowerment and self discovery with me.