Winter outfit pics are always hard to do. When Pj's home, I'm usually at work and vice versa and when we are home and it's light out, it's been so cold!! I managed to get him to snap a few while I was literally on my way out the door, headed to work yesterday.
My Work Uniform
Before my current job as a support staff for people with developmental disabilities, I was a stay at home mom for 4 years. I wore pajamas or vintage dresses or whatever I wanted to wear. When I had to find a job I thought, "Crap...now I have to buy all new clothes!" Many jobs have uniforms or dress codes for appropriate work attire. Mine does too, actually. We are supposed to dress comfortably, modestly and have a clean, well groomed appearance. Depending on the individuals that we work with, some of us don't wear earrings and if we have long hair, it has to be worn in a bun or covered up. Depending on the shift, I may wear jeans and a t-shirt but if I have time to get properly dressed, I do! I do try to tone down the vintage looks for work. I never wear lipstick, rarely do fancy hair and I save most of my fancier dresses and high heels for another time. My black flats have seen better days so I had to wear heels today until I can get a new pair of flats.
The Outfit
This 1940's rayon dress and 40's swing jacket are also some of those things that I bought for the shop that I couldn't let go of. When I found it, the shoulder pads are so gnarly that they had turned to hard crumbles inside the fabric pads. They caused a little discoloration to the shoulder area but eh- it's a 60-ish year old dress so really, that's not a big deal to me.
I mentioned the problem with wearing and selling vintage in my last outfit post. My rule is, for every 20 items I buy for the shop, I can buy one spectacular thing for myself. It keeps me from going crazy and bringing home stuff I don't have room for and it keeps me selling things instead of hoarding it. On my last buying trip, I bought 100 new pieces so I kept 5 lovely pieces for me! I love the stitching on this jacket.
Don't you love my fab knitting bag? My sister in law gave it to me for Christmas. It's enormous and sturdy so I kinda use it for a purse, diaper bag, knitting bag! It always comes with me to work so I have lots to keep me occupied while my folks do their thing.
My Work Uniform
Before my current job as a support staff for people with developmental disabilities, I was a stay at home mom for 4 years. I wore pajamas or vintage dresses or whatever I wanted to wear. When I had to find a job I thought, "Crap...now I have to buy all new clothes!" Many jobs have uniforms or dress codes for appropriate work attire. Mine does too, actually. We are supposed to dress comfortably, modestly and have a clean, well groomed appearance. Depending on the individuals that we work with, some of us don't wear earrings and if we have long hair, it has to be worn in a bun or covered up. Depending on the shift, I may wear jeans and a t-shirt but if I have time to get properly dressed, I do! I do try to tone down the vintage looks for work. I never wear lipstick, rarely do fancy hair and I save most of my fancier dresses and high heels for another time. My black flats have seen better days so I had to wear heels today until I can get a new pair of flats.
The Outfit
This 1940's rayon dress and 40's swing jacket are also some of those things that I bought for the shop that I couldn't let go of. When I found it, the shoulder pads are so gnarly that they had turned to hard crumbles inside the fabric pads. They caused a little discoloration to the shoulder area but eh- it's a 60-ish year old dress so really, that's not a big deal to me.
I mentioned the problem with wearing and selling vintage in my last outfit post. My rule is, for every 20 items I buy for the shop, I can buy one spectacular thing for myself. It keeps me from going crazy and bringing home stuff I don't have room for and it keeps me selling things instead of hoarding it. On my last buying trip, I bought 100 new pieces so I kept 5 lovely pieces for me! I love the stitching on this jacket.
Don't you love my fab knitting bag? My sister in law gave it to me for Christmas. It's enormous and sturdy so I kinda use it for a purse, diaper bag, knitting bag! It always comes with me to work so I have lots to keep me occupied while my folks do their thing.
That jacket is beautiful!And 100 things?I'd love to find that much vintage at once,its been awhile for me.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was insanity!! I went to a vintage warehouse, which was awesome!
DeleteVery cute appropriate work outfit and still lets your vintage style shine through! LOVE that jacket!
ReplyDeleteI tone down my look a bit at work too, where it's a business casual environment but the seriously casual side of business casual. I don't show my tattoos so in the summer so I wear thin modern cotton cardigans with vintage blouses and Heyday trousers, and I also never wear red lipstick. And I'm still more dressed up than most. I carry a purse but also have to wear my oh-so-lovely work backpack with my laptop in it. Not exactly stylish! I do wear fun shoes sometimes though, and love when some of the women in the office in their 50s/60s compliment me on them. lol
I think your outfit is just perfect - you look modest and professionaly, but also very stylish. Like a real 1940s working girl :)
ReplyDeleteLove the frock and the locks!
ReplyDeleteLove this outfit.. so proud your keeping a little for yourself..Makes the working/looking/searching for vintage fun.. Hope your liking your new job and all is adjusting..
ReplyDeleteHow is your cute house decorating coming along? Love the chairs on the porch, so cute, I have some yellow ones.
Your hair is wonderful! Love the dress. Wish we had such amazing stuff over in England - lovely outfit :o)
ReplyDeleteVery cute, I think you look even younger with the dark hair. Oh wait, you are young!
ReplyDeletehaha! I'll be the big 2-8 this year! I think it does too. It's funny, I always thought the blonde was very youthful but there's something about brown that makes the skin glow. Go brunettes!! :P
DeleteYou look so cute, and I love your hair this colour and style!
ReplyDeleteHehe Omg T is funny! Yeah its true you do look so young but so fresh and vibrant with the brown hair-I am loving it more and more! You look super fab in blue-love that color! xox
ReplyDeleteYou say you are turning down your vintage style but it doesn't show on this outfit... I never wear vintage to go to work because I must wear security shoes, most of the time I outside and need warm and waterproof boyish clothes... I was today measuring a field today with 10'' of snow!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your new hair color, is it easy to keep this brown color with a blond underneath? I tried a redish brown a few years ago and that faded really fast... after 2 weeks it was a strange color, so I chose to come back to blond... Now I don't know what to do, keep my blond or try a darker color...
And you are right, not easy to take pictures in winter, rain and bad weather, short days...
Actually, my natural color is brown! It was very light blonde as a kid but when I got older, it got darker. The blonde was really hard to keep up with those dark roots growing in so I decided to go darker to make life easier on myself. I imagine it's the same for you, going darker as a natural blonde. As for toning down, it's still pretty dressed up but I don't wear hats, gloves, usually don't wear fancy shoes, lipstick or any accessories really. Some of the people that we support can get "grabby" and I'd be heartbroken if any of my jewelry got broken in an incident :( Since I have toddlers, I never wear pierced earrings unless it's date night so sometimes I wear my clip-ons at work but that's it! :P
ReplyDeleteVery cute dress! It's a really flattering silhouette on you.
ReplyDeleteHow immensely pretty, it must be a joy to get to wear vintage to your day job (any job that allows one to sport snood is pretty awesome in my books!).
ReplyDeleteI love your rule of buying one amazing item for every twenty you put in your shop. I don't sell vintage clothing, but if I did, I suspect I'd implement the same kind of rule (lest my house turn into a very stylish vintage version of hoarders ;D).
♥ Jessica
I think you look very much like a gal in the 1940's on her way to work. Just lovely!
ReplyDeleteLoving the red hair! I always think that red is a color that everyone can pull off. Auburn, Deep Cherry, Strawberry blonde, Terra Cotta, theres so many variations. That dress is so pretty, and it looks so great on you. If I could figure out how to sew a basic 1940's dress like this, I'd make at least 8! :)
ReplyDeleteIvy
You look great! That's something that I love about the 40's - there's such a working-class vibe that's professional and clean-looking. Though it would drive me crazy to not wear lipstick. I can hardly leave the house without it!
ReplyDelete