Friday, March 13, 2009

Shorts and Sailors

There's nothing like fashion to solidify my belief in the Collective Unconscious. Isn't it crazy the way fads catch on simultaneously and globally with people not even sure where their inspiration is coming from? I have been dreaming up this post about my enthusiasm for shorts and sailor inspired blouses for the summer, and low and behold, two of my fellow bloggers Liebemarlene and StrawberryKoi have recently posted about similar fetishes! I thought about scratching my post altogether, but then decided that if these fashionable ladies are posting about it I must be on the right track!

Lately I have been pining over true vintage shorts, the high-waisted butt-hugging ones from the 30's to the 50's. I mean, look how good these Flickr stars look in their adorable shorts outfits!

Sally Jane from Sally Jane Vintage
  
Johanni and La Meow (I know I feature her all the time, but it's not my fault that she's just too damn cool!)

I did a frustrated Ebay and Etsy search before realizing that buried somewhere in my summer wardrobe bin I actually already have a pair of short high-waisted shorts in a cute loud checkered pattern! They aren't vintage (I got them at Forever 21 last summer) which is probably why they were so forgettable to me, but despite being newly manufactured they still capture the vintage feel that appeals to me so much.
      
Polo: It's Adult Swim, super sweet astronomer gave it to me today.
Tie: It's a cloth belt that came with something else.
Shorts: Forever 21
Shoes: This is the other pair of T-Straps I mentioned, Unisa thrifted in Cincinnati.

Maybe I like the little vintage shorts look so much because of my deep seated love for Pin-Ups... there's something about the dissarmingly sexy-innocence of the shorts that just screams "Masturbate to this boys on the front-lines!"

     
"Come home soon, fellas!"          "O-lah from Or-lando, gwa-poes!"

"He he, wish I was riding you... they made me take this to the factory to melt down for parts!"

"My, your Unit has such big rockets! Hehe!"

Haha, I know those are ridiculous but they are the best captions I could come up with. If you have a funny caption idea I'll put it up here! 

Don't mean to overwhelm you with T&A, but EVERYbody likes a patriotic well developed young lady, it's like loving America: besides spring and summer and shedding out of all this winter stuff is on my mind, which makes me think of blueberry lemonades on Six Feet Under's outdoor roof patio and flirty 50's cut-offs and red red lipstick.




       

It seems like every generation has gotten its taste of the sailor blouse on girls in fashion, all the way from the Edwardian period to 1950's sophisticate. 

Sailor looks good on everybody! Put it on your baby, put it on your girlfriend, put it on your middle school teachers...



And our generation is lucky enough to be able to dabble in all of these as well as make it our own!

Of course another part of my attraction to the Sailor Pinup Shorts Thing is due to my life-long love of the musical South Pacific, where Mitzi Gaynor runs around in the most adorable little shorts of all time

 and then dons a sailor outfit for the base talent show.


I think I've mentioned before that I got a lot of my best vintage pieces when I was little. Well, when I was about 10, I did Mitzi's song "Honey Bun" from the musical for a camp talent show, and me and my parents were perusing some antique shop along the way when we found me my own actual vintage sailor uniform for my costume! Of course back then it was huge on me like hers is in the movie, but now my blouse fits me pretty nicely (people really were smaller back then, men included!).
Photobucket    Photobucket

Sailor shirt: Antique
Scarf: Antique.
Shorts: F21
Blue pumps: Thrifted.
Clutch: Vintage.

Before dropping cash you don't have on the Summer fads, think recession and start with the recesses of your own closet!

27 comments:

Eda said...

Welcome back,pin up girls! Very cute pictures!

Anonymous said...

I'm loving this vintage inspired shorts :) I know for sure I don't own a pair, which means I need to get one! lol :) for most of the spring wardrobe though , i'm going to try and get inspired in my closet.
Thanks for you lovely comment :) I'm glad you my hair :) hehe
xoxo
Mimi

Aya Smith said...

You look fabulous, darling!

I have yet to find a sailor top... and I am wanting one more and more!!!

BTW, thanks for including me! teehee

muchlove said...

You look fantastic in those shorts + sailor top! I wish I had a pair of high-waisted shorts in my wardrobe.

Thanks for your Etsy order! I just sent you a convo :)

Emz said...

Very cute outfit! those shorts and the shirt are both very adorable and yea- I'm definitely gonna look through my closet again.

Unknown said...

You look like a true pin up! So cute!

Couture Carrie said...

Love all these looks, especially the pin-up girls and your plaid shorts. Perfect what you said about the Collective Unconscious and shopping your own closet!

xoxox,
CC

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

Love this post! There's so much inspiration and spring is just around the corner.

Jen said...

As silly as this sounds with autmn hanging out on my doorstep - i want high waisted shorts!! I've been quietly thinking about them and here you are writing a post about them, at least you have it the right way round with summer coming :)

Sally Jane Vintage said...

Cute post! Lots of great photos. Thanks for including me! ;)

Joe Pettis said...

You can ride this ship anytime, sailor!

Eyeliah said...

What a fab detailed post. So glad you went back to your closet, I think I have got to be brave and put on some shorts too, maybe with tights underneath for now. :-)

H @ Narnia's Closet said...

my mother likes to tell me how in the '70's she wore vintae sailor pants, real sailor pants, not some knock off department store sailor pants. pants sailors wore.

also, i did a research report on pin up girls. it was really interesting. the most fun i've ever had writing a paper.

AsianCajuns said...

Absolutely fantastic post! I love how you pulled together two vintage looks, but make it seem so modern. Gorgeous!

SOS! said...

Love the shirt! And I heart pinup.. I wanna get lots of pinup posters.

xx-LJ from SOS!

Eyeliah said...

p.s I see I am on your blogroll :-) I am adding you to mine today!

Unknown said...

Thanks everyone, such praise means a lot coming from fashionistas such as yourselves :~)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your comment. Consider yourself tagged! :)

Em said...

High wasted shorts are amazing!! And you alwaysss pull off your inspirations so well! You looks great.

And thanks for your comment, huns.
I will have to have that party!

Allie said...

I echo all the great post comments.
And all of you ladies have killer legs!

l. said...

i love your blog! wicked vintage finds!

Violet Folklore said...

Damn girl. I already commented on Flickr, but let me also add that you look AMAZING in those shorts and that your curves are totally kickin'.

This was such a great post! You are a phenomenal fashion blogger. Great photos of you, great photos of other people, and funny, informative, and entertaining text.

And those captions are hilarious!

~Amber

Unknown said...

Thank you all so much for your lovely words. Amber you said some very nice things! It means a lot coming from someone whose work I mutually admire and the etsy shop with the dresses I covet :~)

Anonymous said...

i just scored a pair of black LEATHER pinup shorts - they're actually soft and thin enough to perhaps get away with through May! We seem to be on very similar wavelengths.

BTW, I hafta thank you for your comment today - I was feeling kinda down about the lack of positive comments on my new styling endeavor, so yours really made my day. For serious.

I also hafta say you look DAMN HOT in those high-waisted plaid shorts.

Thanks again.

PS would you be interested in guest posting on Painfully Hip?? You kinda rule a lot. I'm a fan.
Let me know!

Anonymous said...

Oh I got so excited telling you about my leather shorts that I forgot to tell you about my AUTHENTIC high-waisted sailor shorts I found for $7 a couple years ago! They even still have the navy tag in them with the name of the sailor and they lace-up in the back.

I almost peed when I found them.

Unknown said...

Amber-- First of all, don't worry about the lack of positive comments on your styling, you have to be confident that it's awesome because, well, in my humble opinion what you've done so far is awesome! Like you said on your blog, if everyone loved it instantly, it wouldn't be innovative, and it would take the "pain" out of painfully hip and then you'd just be fully hip, which is BOOORRRIIINNGGG!! Keep doing what you do and I'll keep showing up on your blog commenting my love :~)

And sounds like you found some FABULOUS shorts, I am not shy to tell you how disgustingly jealous I am. I did just score some cute reversable 50's shorts via a clothes swao on flickr so am pretty stoked about those...

and I would LOVE to do a guest post on Painfully Hip, how awesome would that be?? A lot. Any particular topic or anything? Email me: zombielace@gmail.com

Thanks so much for the nice compliments on my blog, your comment made my day. <3

Anonymous said...

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