For The Love Of Pan Am

As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of anything vintage. The trouble with genuine vintage clothing is it can be very difficult to find still in good condition and at a price that won't make your pocket book cry a little inside. My newest obsession is the clothing worn in the new television show Pan Am, especially the wardrobe of Christina Ricci's character Maggie. Every time I watch the show, I try to find an element of an outfit I love and create it in today's clothing, and at a price I can afford!

  

( If only women still looked like this everyday!)

So for just a little inspiration, I've put together a few outfits to help guide you in how to have that beautiful vintage style and still look up to date!

focus on basics when it comes to clothing choices, but have fun with your accessories!

play with mostly neutrals, and use a contrast color to add a little pop

(such as black, grey, and pink)

tiny details such as buttons down the front of a pencil skirt add a little retro feel to a classic piece

so find someone or something that catches your eye and see what new looks you can create!

The Power Of Red

Sometimes, the best way to react to rough day is a little retail therapy. But what happens on the days when your bank account isn't in support of your need for that new pair of heels after not getting that job promotion? The trick is a good red lipstick.

During The Great Depression, cosmetic sales rose 25 percent and it was more likely for a household to own a tube of lipstick than a jar of mustard. If a lady couldn't afford a new dress, she could easily freshen up her look and pick up her mood with her lipstick of choice.

During WWII, lipstick was considered part of the war effort, promoting femininity and boosting morale for the women wearing it and the men looking at them. The Marines even had Estee Lauder's "Montezuma Red" and Revlon's "Certainly Red" as part of women's uniforms.

Although most of us don't consider lipstick a part of our uniform and probably have mustard in our refrigerator, there is something we can take from women of both The Great Depression and World War II. 

When times are hard, glam it up!

Because nothing says confident,

classy,

and sexy

like a well done pair of red lips.

Tips For Your Lips

1. When wearing red, tone down the rest of your look.

Keep your eyes light and wear a touch of blush to keep your face from looking too harsh.

2. Choose the right color.

If your complexion is a pink tone, go with plum based reds. If you are more of a yellow undertone, warmer reds with brown undertones will be the most flattering.

3. Line your lips.

Reds tend to feather out and bleed, so line your lips to avoid a faded look.

I often use my liner on all of my lips as a base to keep the color vibrant.

4. Avoid getting lipstick on your teeth.

The best way I've found is to stick my index finger in my mouth, close lips around it, and then pull out your finger. Excess lipstick will be on your finger instead of the inside of your lips.

5. The older, the lighter.

As you start to age, it's important to lighten your lipstick shades. Our lips start to become smaller over time, and wearing dark colors accentuate lines and create a harsh look.

so just like the ladies before us, when in doubt, go red!

The Men I've Dated (And the Clothing They Remind Me Of)

The older I've become, naturally, the more relationships I have been in. And as most of them have not exactly been your average 'run of the mill' kind of situations, I have realized that the best way to explain almost everyone I've dated was to compare them to an article of clothing. Now, this could be because I relate nearly everything to clothing, or I may really be on to something here. Either way, I'd pick clothes over men any day, anyway.

The Uggs

I've never been a big Ugg fan to be quite honest, and although I've never actually owned a pair they do remind me of a certain boyfriend type. Even when you know you can do better, they're comfortable and always a strong go to when you aren't ready to go out of your comfort zone. The sad thing about Uggs are you're not really fooling anybody. We can all tell you're just doing what takes the least amount of effort, and that's about the worst thing you can do to yourself. Just to make myself clear, we should all move on from Uggs, both the boyfriends and the shoes.

The Poncho

The Poncho is kind of like the wet blanket of boyfriends. He has no structure, no backbone, and does nothing for you, or anyone else really. No one should waste their time trying to make things work with a poncho, because really all it's going to want to do is hang there.

The Skinny Jeans

These Skinny Jeans is not so much the cut as it the size. He's usually more of a good memory than anything else, and you like to keep him because you're reminiscent of who you were then and hope you'll fit back into that pair of jeans again someday.

The Turtleneck

I tend to date a lot of Turtlenecks. They are usually best described as 'clingers' and are often emotionally needy. The thing with Turtlenecks is everyone else usually loves them, but that's because they're not wearing one. No matter how much everyone tells you how cute it is and how perfect it is for you, every time you give a chance you find yourself suffocated, overwhelmed, and asking yourself why the hell you put yourself through this again.

The Little Black Dress

And finally, there is the "Mr. Right" of clothing, the Little Black Dress. The great thing about the perfect black dress is it compliments you in everyway and is perfect for every occasion. In all reality, you probably can't imagine life before you found your LBD and in the end you wonder why you wasted so much time on Ugg boots and turtlenecks.