Wishlist: Vintage Alligator Pumps

Today is my day off from the show. I've spent the morning nursing a cold (I'm so stuffed up right now, it's not even funny...) and trolling through Etsy. Not necessarily for anything in particular, just all of the beautiful things that I love in general.

As I was sifting through the shoes I noticed how I was attracted I was to the 40's and 50's alligator pumps and peep-toes. Which made me remember a stunning pair of 40's peep toes and matching handbag that was brought in by a woman to Ragpickers while I worked there. The woman's father had shot the alligator overseas, had it shipped to Montreal where they lived to have it made into custom shoes and bag for his dear wife.
Naturally, the gorgeous shoes in question where too small for me, but I was obsessed with them. They were obviously one of the woman's prize possessions, because they were in pristine condition.

What I'm trying to say is that looking at all of the beautiful alligator shoes on Etsy reminded me how much I wanted a pair for myself. Now if only I could find a pair in a size 8 1/2 and not a size 6...

If size were no issue, owning one of these pairs would suit me just fine (all from Etsy):

These are quite perfect.

buy them here

These 50's Spring-o-lators are amazing! So chic!

buy them here

Red!!

buy them here

These 50's Baby Doll Pumps would be an amazing addition to any wardrobe. So versatile!

buy them here

 And the ultimate: Matching shoes and bag. Plus those shoes are freakin' adorable!

 buy them here

Maybe a pair of these would cure my cold! lol!

Lisa.xo

Opening Night: The Fighting Days

We had a great show yesterday! I always feel so relieved the day after opening. Like we made it. This is the easy part of the job and the part I enjoy the most: the repetition of having a show every night.

As I sat backstage during the show yesterday I started to get a little choked up. I've always wanted to work at Manitoba Theatre Centre. It's the largest theatre in the province and Canada's premier regional theatre. I fought really hard to get this job and it's been a long winding road to make it to a place in my life where I'm secure and happy with what I'm doing.
I remember telling my parents at the age of 14 that I wanted to be an actor and my Dad being very upset. He was worried that I wouldn't be able to feed myself. Now I suppose if I had decided to be an actor life would inevitably be harder, but stage managing keeps me working in theatre and also pays the bills. I got choked up because I thought he'd be proud of me.
I'm proud of me. It's very satisfying to see your dreams, no matter how small they may be, materialize before your eyes. And I felt all of that last night as I sat backstage. I've got tears in my eyes right now...

Anyway...the reason I started writing this post is because I wanted to show you my opening night dress.

This dress is another treasure from The Boy's Aunt Mary. She passed away two weeks ago and I wanted to wear it as a little tribute to her and her amazing style. She was a lovely woman and we miss her.

This is me and my Assistant Stage Manager Candace. We went to university together and haven't worked together since. It has been so great! She's such an amazing stage manager and I've learned so much from her on this show.

50's Wiggle Dress: From Aunt Mary

Blue Pumps: Forever 21

Flowers in my hair: Real! Opening night gift from our Stage Manager Margaret!

Lisa.xo

The Fighting Days

I sincerely hope you're not sick of posts about my current job. It's all I've got going on at the moment.

After a month of hard work, we open tonight. Curtain is at 8pm.

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There has been some wonderful publicity on this show, due to it's connection to Winnipeg I think. So I thought I would share some of it with you.

This clip was shot on set two days ago by CBC Scene.



Of course, opening night means an opening night outfit. There are at least 10 dresses hanging in my closet waiting to be auditioned to go out tonight. I'll have to make the tough choice this afternoon before I head to the theatre. I'll take some photos and let you know which one I picked of course!

Lisa.xo

Show Costume

Hello! I'm still alive! Long days at the theatre (11am to 11:30pm or midnight usually) have been keeping me busy, but the show is in great shape and I'm quite excited for opening night on Thursday.

As I type this, I'm on lunch and sitting in the Stage Management office waiting for my HotSticks to heat up so I can do my hair.
If you remember, I did tell you that I will be in costume for this show (not acting, just setting and striking some set pieces and the designer wants us to blend in). I thought it would be fun to give you a sneek peek of what I'll be wearing.


Here are my boots. I'm sure they're vintage, the lining is this amazing red and cream stripe. And it's a little hard to see (dark in the dressing room, you know), but they have a scalloped trim around the button holes. Yes, I said button holes. I have to button these babies up to get them on.
Thankfully, Wardrobe gave me an old fashioned button hook to help me out!

And my blouse. Again, bad photo, but it's the most beautiful peachy colour. This was made by the Wardrobe department (not for me, it was in stock from another show). So pretty!

I've also got a black pinstripe ankle length skirt. None of those photos came out very well, but I'm sure you can imagine it. 

I'll try to find time to take a picture of myself all done up so you can see!

Lisa.xo

A Little History Lesson

That might sound boring to some people, but not to me. Part of the reason I love vintage is its connection to history. The clothes people wear inevitably say something about the time they live in.

The show that I'm working on at MTC is called The Fighting Days. It's by a Canadian playwright named Wendy Lill. It's a story about women's suffrage in Winnipeg and takes place between the years 1912 and 1916. Click here for a great summary about the play.

Three of the characters in the play were real women who lived and breathed and fought for women's suffrage in Winnipeg at the turn of the 20th century. The third character, a man is based on an actual person. I find all of this very fascinating.

With the expansion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the early 1880's came an increase in immigration and settlement in Winnipeg. At the turn on 20th century Winnipeg was a very exciting place. It was called "The Gateway to the West" and "The Chicago of the North"!

internet photo source 

Main Street looking north from Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, 1912.
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Winnipeg - Streets - Main c1912 6 (N17779).

At the beginning of the last century, no city on the continent was growing faster or was more aggressive than Winnipeg. No year in the city’s history epitomized this energy more that 1912, when Winnipeg was on the crest of a period of unprecedented prosperity. In just forty years, it had grown from a village on the banks of the Red River to become the third largest city in Canada. In the previous decade alone, its population had tripled to nearly 170,000 and it now dominated the economy and society of western Canada. As Canada’s most cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse centre, with most of its population under the age of forty, it was also the country’s liveliest city, full of bustle and optimism.
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Look at those hats! Click on picture to enlarge photo!

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Winnipeg's old City Hall. The famous Victorian "gingerbread" building. Was structurally unsound and was demolished in the 60's. See great photos and read more about it here. 

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There is a line in the play that refers to Winnipeg Beach as a spot where the "fashionable crowd" goes. Winnipeggers would take the train or drive out of the city to the beach. The boardwalk there was quite the hot spot. 

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1912. The building on the right is the "new" Post Office. The building on the right is the Manitoba Free Press. One of the characters in the play works at the Free Press.

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This image, from a 1912 Winnipeg Industrial Bureau brochure, is typical of the boosterism of the period.

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I sometimes find it hard to believe that this little city I live in was once a bustling metropolis.


Lisa.xo

Wishlist: Structured White Blouse

Recently I took a quick inventory of my closet to see what is missing.

As I peered into my closet I found numerous short sleeve printed blouses. How have I gone this long without a classic Structured White Blouse?

I think I may have had a great blouse that I bought at The Gap many moons ago, but I seem to remember spilling something on it and not being able to get rid of the stain. Then somehow not replacing said perfectly fitting blouse (probably because I couldn't find anything that was as good as my perfect now stained one). Then gave up trying. And now I have a gaping hole in my wardrobe.

And instead of showing you some blouses I would like to buy, I'm posting some great photos of Marilyn Monroe wearing white blouses, because I think she always looks like the epitome of casual chic in a white blouse.

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I would really love to find something second hand. White is nearly impossible to find in good condition second hand though. I will probably have to resort to buying new. I'm hoping to buy something with a flattering nipped in waistline as all of the vintage blouses I've found have been too boxy for my taste.

Lisa.xo

The Winnipeg Vintage Landscape is Changing!

The other day I updated and streamlined my "My Home" Tab up there by my header (check it out! it's so much easier to navigate now!) and I started to click the other tabs up there too (I occasionally like to surf through my own blog to make sure it looks good and there are no funky links etc...). As I was doing so I noticed how out of date my "Winnipeg Vintage Reviewed" tab is!

So I got to thinking about the retail vintage clothing scene here. With the rise in popularity of vintage clothing these days more and more shops are popping up and the old tried and true shops are having to make some changes to keep up!
Not only is Ragpickers undergoing a management overhaul. (They're switching from a single owner business to being a co-op), but it's also leaving it's current long-time location on McDermot! (read more about it here.) Ragpickers new locations is still currently TBA.

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Furthermore, my old favourite vintage shop Vintage Glory has also gone under a transformation. A move and a new name: Rhymes with Orange.

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I haven't reviewed Ruby Slipper, there's also Hungover Empire, there's Lune Vintage (which I have discovered is open to the Winnipeg public by appointment only), The Closet Chick, and there are more!

I'll bet you know what I'm going to say next!
So the plan is to remedy this out of date information. My hope is to review a new shop once a month starting in February.

And this is where the audience participation comes in!
If you know of a shop in Winnipeg (or the surrounding area!) that sells vintage and used clothing let me know! I'd love to visit and do a review!

Lisa.xo

Style Inspiration: Gwen Stefani

You all know how much I love Dita Von Teese, but I never talk about my other style inspiration: Gwen Stefani.

Now Dita might be the ultimate in vintage inspiration, but Gwen's style might be a little more like my own: a mix of modern and vintage.

I love her fearlessness. This woman could wear a torn paper bag covered in glitter and look like a million bucks.

Sorry, this post is picture heavy. I couldn't narrow it down.

Classic

My continued obsession with pink hair. I really want pink hair.  

 This look is obviously not for everyone, but these were the days where I fell in love with this woman's style.

 Love this hair. A different approach to braids. 

 Pink! Love the necklace. 

 She might be the only woman on the planet who can make track pants look cool. I would look like a dumpy loser in these. 

 This look feels a little Debbie Harry to me . Truth be told, I really love tough looks as much as I love feminine ones.

 <3. 

 Love this hair. The sweater is pretty neat too. 

 If I have kids I want to look this cool. 

 Underneath it all video. Love Love Love the styling on this one. Gwen looks stunning in every shot.

Do you love Gwen? Lukewarm? Hate? Weigh in. I'd love to hear what you think of her style.

Lisa.xo

Beautiful New Dress (and some hats!)

I made a little trip to Ruby Slipper (a local vintage shop) this weekend to consign some things I had hanging around and left with a few other things...oops! lol!

What can I say? They were on sale!

The cutouts on this dress are so beautiful and it had this train in the back...oh! it's just too good. Plus it was only $20. See what I mean? Sale!
Besides...this is so much better than the stuff I left to consign.

I also came home with three new hats. Two 40's tilt hats and a vintage beret.

Lisa.xo