Big hair needs even bigger hats!

I love vintage adverts!  These really made me smile - I think it was the name more than anything - "non-collapso" hair pads.

The ad says that they were "manufactured from the finest unbreakable watch springs".  Self-adjusting too! Essential for the stylish woman of 1906 - these ladies don't look too impressed!

Of course big hair needs big hats - have a look at these.

Poor women - they must have had strong necks to carry all that around on their heads!

What a great name for a hat - a large flop!

Love, Liz

Pimple powder potion

Pimples - not a word you hear much these days.  I found a strange illustration in an old medical book showing a girl getting rid of blackheads.

What fascinated me was her fancy cap - imagine getting all dressed up to squeeze your spots!

This advertisement is for arsenic complexion wafers.  Not sure arsenic would be good for the skin - but it seems to have worked wonders for the young, penniless girl who married well.  All due to her wonderful complexion (love that word too)!

If in doubt, you could always make your own pimple powder from the recipe below.

Love, Liz

Your Blouse Says It All!

Just had to share this great vintage advert -

Yup, you too can lead a merry life because of the "coquettish, adjustable neckline"!  The girl on the right has a bit of a glint in her eye too!  Must be the "smartly stitched tucks"!

Love, Liz

Double Meanings!

This advert from a 1975 magazine made me smile.  Love the outfit - so dapper!

Hmmmm ..... so many meanings!

Love, Liz

Pink Polka Dots

I decided that two pictures that I had in my guest bathroom were looking a bit tired - they are right next to a window, so the sun (yes, we do get it here in Greenock ... occasionally) had faded them.

Being of a thrifty nature, I found some pink polka dot paper from a roll of gift wrap which was in my cupboard, and two vintage advertising postcards from my stash. 

Ten minutes later, I had two bright and cheery pictures!

Wandering through the town half an hour later I walked into Primark and saw these lovely floral hand towels and face cloths.  The background was pink polka dots - perfect!

So, for less than a fiver and ten minutes work, my guest bathroom has a fresh, new look!  Isn't it funny how things just come together out of the blue (or pink, in this case)?!

Before

After

Love, Liz

Back To the Eighties

Here's a bit of a blast from the past - in fact these are from an old Good Housekeeping magazine from the 80s.

 

 

Opium perfume - I remember getting some of that for Christmas in the 80s - I was well chuffed, the packaging was pretty and unusual, but the scent was very overpowering!

 

Floral sofas and shiny black bathrooms- wow!

 

Very large shoulder pads - love the mustard and black!

 

This photo, an ad for Alexon, makes me think of Lorraine Chase - did anyone see her in Emmerdale last week - hasn't changed much!

 

Styles for men -  erm, no!  Good to look back, though, especially for those of us who endured lived through the 80s!

Love, Liz

Crowded Charabancs and Rob Roy

I found this lovely little brochure in a second hand book shop recently.  Its entitled "The Rob Roy Country" and was issued by the Bailie Nicol Jarvie Hotel, Aberfoyle in the beautiful Trossachs.

 

 

Guests could on trips to the surrounding countryside - although I think this vehicle looks a bit overcrowded!  Love the driver's outfit!  Wonder if the little cart following on behind is bringing the picnic?

 

There are some fabulous advertisements - look at the price of this chair from Reynolds, McCulloch & Boyle, house furnishers of Glasgow - £7!  Furniture of personality, eh?  Hope its not truculent or has sociopathic tendencies - prefer happy furniture myself!

 

Rob Roy (1671-1734) was a Scottish Robin outlaw and folk hero whose exploits were made famous in a novel by Sir Walter Scott.  He lived at Inversnaid on Loch Lomond (just in case you were wondering!).

 

Love, Liz

Beautiful Posters

I love this type of vintage advertising poster - so decorative and beautiful.

 

 

These images are from the poster book I found a while ago.

 

Just love the whole atmosphere of this one - all those bright young things.

 

Can you guess what this poster was used to advertise?  Salad oil!  Amazing!

Love, Liz

Patriotic Knitting - WW1 Style

During the first world war, women were encouraged to knit for the men away fighting.



 

I found these advertisements in a copy of Needlecraft Practical Journal No 117.

 

Must have been awful just knitting in khaki. white, natural, greys and drabs ... what on earth is drab - beige, perhaps?

 

I suppose it was a great way to get women who couldn't go out to work to help. 

 

Wonder if there was a quality control centre - or some poor chaps got the socks with dropped stitches.

 

Has anyone been watching BBC's "The Village" on Sunday evenings?  Its a bit drab (that's my word for the day)!!!!!  But I suppose it must have been a dreadful struggle for many to keep the family together and provide enough food for them to eat. 

 

Can't wait for the return of  The Paradise, Ripper Street, Mr Selfridge, Call the Midwife - think I prefer my history with a touch of glamour, humour ... and handsome men!  Funnily enough don't feel that I want to add Downtown to this list, thought the last series was a bit flat.  Perhaps I was expecting too much.

Love, Liz

Many thanks for all your lovely comments on the previous post.  I ended up doing absolutely nothing, but felt better for it!  I guess we all have days like that.  It is so good to have blogging buddies who understand. 

Liz

Get A Grip!

Gosh, these look like almost industrial strength suspenders!  Some more adverts from the Needlecraft magazine of about 1900.

And, if F Cecil Russell's cure for corpulence didn't work, then I suppose its back to the corset!

Such a lot of underwear - and doesn't look that comfortable, either!

Enjoy what's left of your Sunday.

Love, Liz

Cure For Corpulence!

Corpulency - don't you just love the way that word sounds, especially if you roll your Rs!

Some things never change!  These ads are  from around 1900 and show that even then, people were obsessed by weight and "quick fixes".

Mr F Cecil Russell of Woburn House, Store Street, Bedford Square, London had his treatment to conquer corpulency.  Of course, he is keen to advise customers that it was "a pleasant and absolutely harmless treatment".  It was "purely vegetable, contains no poison " … what!!!!!!  Would he have admitted it even if it had????  Even in those pre-advertising standards days?!?!?

Phew!

Love the alliteration.

So, for the sum of 12/- and a coupon from Weldon's Publications, corpulent readers could test the compound and judge for themselves!

Think I'll stick to salad!

Love, Liz