Wednesday, October 8, 2014

On the Radar -- Back in the Saddle

We Blackbird girls have subscriptions to tons of home decor and fashion magazines, but we haven't had a bit of time to actually sit down and look at any of them since probably last spring.  I'm sure you're aware we've been busy -- since, dear readers, the blog has been sporadic, at best -- but not taking the time to look at our monthly dose of the great-big-world-out-there, in the form of Harper's Bazaar, Martha Stewart Living, Vogue, Country Living, and our other fave publications, is just downright sad.  So excuse us for not noticing that the rest of the world has been trying to tell us that the biggest trend for Fall 2014 is Equestrian Chic/Horsey Blue Steel. 


Yeah, we didn't see that McQueen's doing it (see above).  Or Tory Burch (that's horse tack hardware in the print):


Or Alexander Wang:


Here's Massimo Dutti:


And it's happening in the home:

Here.

Nope, we were oblivious.  Until we went out junk shopping in August.  And in one antique mall, found 28 riding helmets in 28 different booths.

From The Curious Moose on Etsy, here.

And we kept seeing other equestrian-themed things, like these two items.  Sorry, these are last two we saw.  I didn't start taking pics until we had already passed a zillion other things, and I thought, hey, maybe I should do a blog post about this.  Hmmm....

 

Then we found this lamp, in need of some TLC.


We glammed it up a bit and added gold leaf. 

Now available in our shop in Liberty, NC!
 
So, how can you get on this trend bandwagon?  Here's a few finds from Etsy that I fell in love with --

Vintage hankie from Girl Makes Goods, only 2.99!  Here.
Vintage paint by number, from Southern Gilt, here.
Vintage corduroy, from The Selvedge Shop, here.
Our 1940s silk scarf, with saddles and horsehoes, here.
Our 1970s Gucci saddle scarf, here.

Or go all out and wear it all -- and buy vintage, of course!

Check our Pinterest page for links to these items, all found on Etsy.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Junk Love: Show Your Spots

Leopards, cheetahs, and ocelots--oh my! I could seriously spend my entire day trolling the Internet for vintage photographs of women wearing spotted fur (or items inspired by such)....
Lo Olschner in Berger ocelot coat, 1954

Photo by John French
1950s Balmain
Georges Dambier photo of Suzy Parker for Elle

Elizabeth Taylor in leopard bathing suit

Dior, 1961

And since I will never find a piece that I can 1) afford, and 2) actually wear, I have a vision of decorating some (mythical, invisible, magical) spare wall in my house with black and white photographs of beautiful women with beautiful exotic cats. If I can't afford the fur, I might as well enjoy the beauty of it!
Gene Tierney & leopard

Josephine Baker & Chiquita the cheetah

Osa Johnson and Bong the cheetah, 1949
Phyllis Gordon & her pet cheetah, 1939 London
Starlet Nixon & pet cheetah, 1925
 

Bettie Page & Bunny Yeager with cheetahs

Ann Margaret & ocelot
Eartha Kitt