Knit Wits, Part 11: Smarmy Dearest

Welcome to Knit Wits!






It's been a while since we delved into the bizarre world of vintage sweater booklets, so it's about damn time we do. Today's inspiration is a Vintage 60's Columbia Minerva His & Hers Sweater Booklet.






"I am so getting a piece tonight."
"Yeeeah, no, you're not."


Any time you see "his and hers" on a pattern you know something's gonna be awesomely cheesy. And wrong. With a delightful light & airy vibe of "religious cult". You know who should wear matching sweaters? No one, that's who. Sure as hell not grown men and women. But maybe twins. Or the entire cast of Full House. Other than that, it's a fashion hell no.

Except, of course, when it comes to the snarky and smug-ass men and women in sweater booklets of the 1960's. Then it's anybody's guess. Let's see a few more fine examples of knitting perfection from the same booklet...




"Whaddya think- I totally pull off "straight", right?... Right?!..."




"Well how about now?!




These are supposed to be "his and hers", right? Sooo....who's the "his" and who's the "hers" here?....

Bye Bye Birdie

I wasn't even going to post today, but thanks to my homeslice Club Vintage who found these (for sale on ebay, of all places), I figured it was a MUST to share these heels with you guys.

I think it's safe to say, these too can be filed under: Oh, SNAP.


And so, I give you ... the birdcage shoe:




I hate birds (seriously), but these are totally acceptable. Plus, they're studded! Peep toe! Ankle strap! Velvet! Can't...form...sentences...


These super rare Vintage La Rose Birdcage Heels are currently up for auction on ebay with 4 days to go, at a current price of $100 with the reserve not met. Oy. Let's torture ourselves more, shall we?




It's a bird! In a cage! For the heel! Naturally they're a wee vintage size 6.5, which means they probably fit like a modern size nuthin'. (Dammit!) But they sure are purdy to look at!

Prints Charming Sunday: One, Two, Three O'Clock, Four O'Clock Rock!

Welcome to Prints Charming Sunday!






Oh, SNAP. Lookie lookie at this vintage novelty print:





Utter coolness, amiright?! You know what wasn't utter coolness? Me, in high school. I wish my teen years were like the wacky kids on this skirt. Hell, I'd settle for a day. But it never was like a supercheese episode of Happy Days for most of us, was it? (Ooh! Like the "Fonz-jumps-a-shark" episode! That would be a kickass day to have.) Unfortunately my Cool Kid Status didn't kick in until my 20's. Or 30's. OK, never. So I was always nerdy, so sue me. High school and teenagehood was a huge slice-o'lame cake with a side of boredom frosting and geek sprinkles. (Side note: must scout out- and possible kill for- cake. Now. Right now.) But whatevs. There's nothing like a healthy dose of repressing your feelings (and probably Miller High Life) that cures what ails ya, amiright?!


This totally incred Vintage 50's Rock & Roll Dancin' Teens & Records Print Skirt, on Etsy from seller Wear It Again:




If you need me, I'll be moping in my room listening to Wham! records and hoarding the Hubba Bubba. Lip Smackers and puffy unicorn stickers may be involved, it's gonna be a long night.

And The Pink Breadbox-O-Love Shall Be Bestowed Upon...

(Because everyone says "And the winner is..." and when everyone says something, it's boring)...


....aramblingfancy! Drop me a line with your name & mailing address and your new (read: not new) pink 50's breadbox will be on it's way!

While we're at it, I highly suggest y'all (yeah, I said "y'all" and I'm not even close to being southern, so sue me) check out her blog called, shock and surprise, A Rambling Fancy. Nay, I demand you check it out. It's good readin'- it's nerd girl cool! (I swear, that really is the utmost of compliments in my world!)


Thanks to everyone who played and stay tuned (or whatever) for the next "big one". You know, the next big vintage giveaway. What'd you think I meant? Pervs.

Last Call For The Vintage Giveaway!

Hey, kids! This is your friendly reminder that tomorrow (the 29th) the winner of the 1950's pink breadbox will be announced! If you haven't already done so, check out my original post about it and sign up for a chance to win there ---> Vintage Giveaway.

As always, everyone is welcome to sign up and it's free!

Prints Charming Sunday: It's A Mad Mad Mad Men World!

Welcome to Prints Charming Sunday!




For the 2.4 of you out there who aren't drawn into the Mad Men love affair, tonight is *finally* the season premiere! (No spoilers here so no worries, my international pals!) We were left hanging last season with many, well, cliffhangers (duh) and I personally can't wait to see who's gonna end up with who, who's gonna make it, who's gonna fail, and of course, who's doing who!

I spent a buttload of time this weekend looking for today's vintage novelty print that was apropos for a Mad Men theme. And let me just say: wow. Talk about a clusterfark of wrong. While there's alot of vintage out there that's properly keyworded, there's soooo much labeled with "Mad Men" that couldn't be LESS "Mad Men" if Don walked off the set personally and smacked it upside the head with a pack of Lucky Strikes. I'm in the "if you're doing it right, you don't need to rely on cheesy keywords" camp, but also the "what the hell do I care what other sellers do" camp. But seriously, people. 1970's polyester maxis? No! 1980s secretary dresses? Nein! Serving trays? What the hell?! For the love of all things Draper, let's stop the keyword bastardization and let a great dress be just a great dress and not clog up the internets with wrong labels! We'll be seeing polyester soon enough on the show, so all in good time, my pretties, all in good time.

I don't want you to think I'm a total negative nellie today, though! I did find many appropriate items that fit the Mad Men bill, and to you vintage sellers who "get it", I salute you. I could show you a ton of great wiggle dresses a la Joan, or dark suits & skinny ties a la Don, but it is Prints Charming Sunday, after all, so a print it must be! With a nod to Betty's upscale preppiness and fondness for riding horses, I give you today's pick:








This Vintage Equestrian Novelty Print Vested Gentress Skirt, currently available on Etsy from seller Vintage Stylez.

Way-Out Wednesday: Art & Soul

Welcome to Way-Out Wednesday!



Every once in a while I like to take a break from spotlighting vintage and focus on the handmade/artsy folk, the ones that create something that "moves me" in some way, shape or form. (That sounds cheesy, I know. Work with me and my corniness here, people.)

Today I'm showing original prints from Mari Lowery Photography, all available for super decent prices on Etsy. She takes photos of things in her neighborhood in New York like old store window displays, front yards, kitschy things at Coney Island. You know, pretty random stuff. But it works because of the vintage vibe in her shots: the 50's-esque, grainy and watery colors combined with this sort of underlying dark and slightly creepy edge. Perfect for Way-Out Wednesday! Here are a few of her prints currently available for sale~