Catch-up: spring & summer outfits and activities

I've been wanting to do a post for a while but somehow never got round to it. So now I have a lot of catching up to do. As a consequence this post is quite long, has lots of pics and no real theme.

Tweedride Breda

In the end of May there was a Tweedride in Breda. I had the most perfect little tweed suit to wear but alas it was hot (like last year) so I went for a more tropic proof outfit. Last year I persisted, wearing a wool sweater and hat and it wasn't comfy. This year's fluttery summer dress and boater were much better. I almost did not buy this 1940's dress because it looks a bit repro. Ironically many vintage inspired dresses are red with polkadots but actual garments from the period a rare.

I chose tropical accessoiries to finish my look: pineapples and parrots ;)

And a pic of me actually cycling. Whilst the Tweedride is about cycling it is even more of a social event were lots of great people come together.

With a friend. Her outfit was the best ton-sur-ton!

With Angela who was so brave as to wear a long skirt and a wig!  

With Tom and Josephine

Well deserved winners Tom (who made his own outfit) and Charlotte in jodhpurs.

As always many photo's were taken. This might be my favorite. It is not only a pretty picture but it also captures a lot of things I like to dream about. As a child I loved the swing best on any playground, I even had one in the attic. The feeling of floating through the air still has a magic effect on me. I also like that it reminds me of the famous painting by Fragonard, like it is a more modern version seen from the back. There is that same suggestion of voyeurism as it looks like the people in the front might be looking up my skirt like the man in the painting (in reality my skirt was safely held in place between my legs;))

Another good pic

The Tweedride was sold out, here you can see how large the group was!

The next day was even hotter so I fled the city to my parents and swam in the 1930's open air pool near their house. I wore this for travel. A summer fave of mine for years, a modern piece I bought in Florence on a study trip. No pics of me in my wool bathing suit though ;)

Interbellum Camping

Then it was time for the 3rd Club Interbellum camping weekend. This was the first time everybody actually slept in a tent. We were a small group of only 4. It turned out I was the only girl and at first I was a bit apprehensive about how that was going to work out, but it was just fine. It was a great weekend.

I was wearing shorts I have made after a pattern from 1937. This was the mock-up for a pair made of pretty fabric. But these of sturdy dark-blue fabric are so practical, they have quickly become a new favorite.

And for the record all the men had way more clothes with them than me.

And yes even whilst camping I set my hair. Wearing flannel men's pj's though, nice and warm.

The day after was a Whitsun holiday and after a few days of practical outfits I longed for extravagance. It took the form of a hat. I went out for coffee with my friend Noortje, who loves the from 'hat' to toe idea of dressing vintage just like I do ;) She also took the first picture of this post that shows off my hat even better.

The rest of my outfit was in different shades of blue. The shoes have a 40's look but are actually much newer and by the Dutch shoe designer Jan Jansen. The little jacket belongs to a set and has a matching dress. It was made by my gran and all the flowers were embroidered by hand. Blue was her color as it is mine. Because her shoulders were broader than mine the jacket fits very well over boxy 40's dresses.

A few days later I had a photoshoot at my house so I dressed to match my interior.

Bunkerdag

The next Saturday I partook in a living history event for hab3045 on the Dutch coast: Bunkerdag

On this day many of the old bunkers of the the Atlantikwall are open to the public and we were hired to enliven the experience for visitors.

My friend Jip and I played resistance girls who made the children visiting smuggle secret messages past the 'German soldiers' .

In the evening I had to rush back to be in time for the 'Young patrons Gala' of the National Opera & Ballet. I only heard the day before that I could get a ticket, an opportunity I wouldn't have wanted to miss.

The dresscode was propper black tie. So I had to change dress in the lavatory of the train, the things you do to wear an evening dress ;) I went for an airy 40's/50's cotton dress I had bought on my last visit to my favorite stall at the Waterlooplein, just before it closed. Because I'd been on the windy coast the entire day, curls had vanished and I went for a chignon with a large velvet bow to match the dress.

This is the only full-length photo I have of my outfit. We were a lovely little group: Morschi & Wendeline who work there and made it possible for us to attend, my good friend Annemarie and Tom who invited me :)

Such a special evening, so many people in full-length evening dresses an smokings, very very rare in casual Holland, a good performance and party!

The next weekend I had a day about town with my friend Marinka.

It was the first time I wore this new to me 1940's floral dress I had bought in a sorry state (for next to no money) when it was still cold outside.

Next to quite a bit of shopping we visited the Amsterdam City archive which is housed in a monumental building built for the Dutch trading company in the 1920's. The vault is spectacular and I always fancy it filled with water for an art deco pool party.

Being naughty ;)

The next day I went for a picknick and wore a blouse I found the day before. Between all the cheap machine embroidered examples in a vintage shop was this rayon hand embroidered Hungarian blouse in the best color combo. Not 100% sure but I'm guessing it is pre-50's. I'd been looking for an affordable one for a while so once I got it I had to wear it! 

Also 'new' are my sunglasses. Got them from a friend from Club Interbellum and had them reglazed.

You may have noticed quite a few outfits with shorts. I've never been a big fan of my legs but this year I decided to no longer care and wear those cute outfits anyway.

Summer perfection!

Weekends in Germany

The weekend after I stayed with friends in Germany. The reason was a living history event but ofcourse also a nice visit to friends.

Dressing up: because we can ;) Borrowed the hat and shoes for the photo.

The focus of the living history event was the time just after the war in Germany.

Below are some pics of the displays but for more info you can visit their website: www.lg3949.de

With food being rationed and some products not being available at all many there were many recipies that made do with what little was there. The visitors could literally get a taste of history.

Everything was used from potato peels to nettle soup.

Darning.

Make do and mend dresses and shoes with wooden soles.

I wore a similar dress to another event with the same group about a month earlier, just some pics:

This event was in the open-air museum Roscheider Hof and they had chicken walking around. They loved the crumbs of mais-bread I fed them (much better than we did)

We slept in the museum houses, quite the experience!

Knitting and another display of make do and mend clothes.

And back to two weeks ago & dressing up in finery again:

The day after the event we went out for a bit and took some pictures. I borrowed a hat again.

We wanted to make pictures in a nice historical housing block, but there were so many cars it was difficurt to find a good location.

And bak to Amsterdam and more days about town:

Went for coffee and shopping with Noortje again. Wore a pale yellow dress that is new to me and paired it with my black pixie hat and a black loose fitting coat.

Somehow Noortje always seems to find lots when she goes shopping with me. This late 40's dress looked like it had been waiting for her.

I left some outfits out because they feature home-made clothes. I wish to dedicate my next post to my sewing projects, my mothers knitting and some clothes made by my gran.

So hope to be back sooner

Birthe