Reminiscence - Spring Ball

In anticipation of the upcoming historical Poppy Ball, I thought I'd share with you a few photos of the previous period ball by the same Masters of Ceremonies, the Spring Ball at Normansfield Theatre, Langdon House.

The venue is a Grade II Listed theatre with beautiful hand painted decors.

Built in 1877-79, it retains its Victorian side flaps, in full working order, and is still used for performances to this date.

Langdon House itself is home to the UK's Down Syndrome Association, to whom the Ball's profits were donated.

Waltzes were danced, quadrilles, reels and country dances, including my beloved Pride of Erin Waltz and all-time favourite Waltz Cotillion - all to live music by the wonderful Green Ginger.

Photographs #2 and #6 courtesy of Andrew Rawe

Hair From Beyond #5: Do the Clara Bow

It dawned on me the other day that I'd never styled short hair. I mean, sure, I've styled long hair into faux-bobs plenty of times, but actual, real short hair? Never. Conveniently, my flatmate happens to wear her hair cropped very short and very straight. Always up for a challenge, I marched straight into her room and declared I was turning her into Clara Bow for the evening. She never knew what hit her.

Clara Bow was one of the very first silver screen icons, THE 'it' girl of the 20s. As Anne Helen Petersen writes in this fabulous post for The Hairpin, "Girls wanted to be her, boys wanted to date her, and old people thought she was a sign of the apocalypse, which obviously meant she was star material".

And so I set to work curling, teasing and spraying, until I was moderately satisfied with the results. Now, you can't have a Clara Bow without the Clara Bow eyebrows. This posed a bit of a problem, as you can't really get Clara Bow eyebrows without plucking it all away, and my flatmate/beautiful model was (understandably) really not that keen. Thus I was forced to compromise and draw them in on top of her (partly concealed) natural eyebrow, but oh well.

~

Here I'm looking for Clara Bow, but all I see is Theda Bara...

Theda Bara

~

Model: Betty. Hair, make-up and photography by moi.

The Vintage Family Album

An amazing photo album resurfaced at a family reunion last weekend...

My grandmother, age 20 (1946). This is seriously amazing, for at least 3 reasons.
1) She hasn't changed a bit.
2) I look a lot like her.
3)HAIR!

My great-aunt in the late 30s and 40s. The bathing suit shot on the right is so cool!

Fur and victory rolls...

1941

1958. Travelling in style!

Amazingly 80s... *cough*hats*cough*... The hottie on the far left is my mother.

So adorably 60s <3 I absolutely adore the short flower dress on the right.

A very 50s wedding...

This I find just incredible. It's my great uncle in his Tunisian army uniform,
presumably - judging by the photo style - in the late 30s.

Winter 1961.

Hilariously 70s... This is like a caricature of all the fashion faux-pas that characterised the era.
I promise I will never let the concerned parties live it down.

A 60s wedding...

...and more 60s partying goodness

French cafe terrace... I would love one of those bags in white. Or pale green.