Inspiration – Page 4 – Adored Vintage Blog

Inspiration Du Jour: Victorian Calling Cards

May 27, 2016 No Comments

I adore Victorian calling cards and surprisingly I have not started collecting them. I have a few in my collection of vintage and antique ephemera, but a concentrated effort in the gathering of these pretty little paper tokens of visits is not something I’ve started.

One must rectify the situation at once! No?

Anyhow, for today’s Inspiration Du Jour… Victorian calling cards! These started off in France in the 1800s then quickly spread all across all of Europe and eventually made it’s way to the United States around the 1840s.

Victorian calling cards were little cards the more well-to-do of society carried around and left at their friends or neighbors’ homes to let them know they had come around a calling.

Victorian Calling Cards

Sometimes they were a bit cheeky…a little flirty. Most of the time they were just absolutely beautiful! In the beginning calling cards were mostly created by a talented calligrapher with motifs of wheat, birds, and flourishes and the visitor’s name beautifully written in the center. As time progressed the cards became more colorful and more vibrant motifs were used of flowers, birds, scrolls, and hands.

So, now you know a little more about Victorian calling cards! I’m off to go hunt for some on the interwebs…

Fashion, Inspiration, Vintage

Vintage Inspiration | To Be a Bride

May 20, 2016 No Comments

I love looking at old photos of brides. The photographs themselves were fairly simple back then. Just a full length portrait of the bride wearing her dress, sometimes with a bouquet or her man next to her. Although the photographs were no fuss, the dresses, accessories and even flowers were so lavishly decadent.

Look at the lace on this dress! Holy moly. I could stare at this photo for hours. The sleeves are so beautiful, and the light hits it so perfectly. I love how her hair is up with adornments. It reminds me of the work of our sister bridal adornment company, Esther Jean. If you love this vintage bride look, you would love her work.

Finishing Touch Pins | Bacchanele Hair Combs

Poema Cava Wedding Dress

Look at these huge calla lillies! And this veil! Goodness.

Wondrous Place Dress

Although this dress looks simple and white, if you look close enough you can see it has lace throughout. I love the high neck on it. Vintage bridal bouquets were so beautiful. I love how they cascade with greens and blooms. I’m glad that natural look is coming back. Another one of Adored Vintage’s sister companies is RUE ANAFEL. They specialize in old world and vintage inspired floral design.

To shop out bridal page on our website!

photo source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Fashion, Inspiration, Shop Updates, Vintage

Vintage Shop Update | 1970s Folklore

April 28, 2016 No Comments

This week’s shop arrival is inspired by being able to spend time outside in the warmer weather and the flowers blooming all around us (flowers are involved, always!). Many of our new arrivals have been very 70s folklore, pieces that make us want to prance around a meadow, play ukulele by the river, and lounge comfortably in cotton and floral prints.

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Endearing Spring Skirt | Wandering Spirit Dress | Paisley Shore Scarf | A Bit Of Blue Blouse

Lady Nevells Top | Asters Everywhere Top | The Meadow Florist Dress | Bonds Of Friendship Top

Great Lengths Dress | Keukenhof Gardens Dress | Embroidered Fables Top | Valse-Musette Skirt

Inspiration, Vintage

Vintage Inspiration | Autochrome Girls

March 10, 2016 No Comments

Our vintage inspiration for this week are the girls of Autochrome Lumière photographs. You’ve probably seen these beautiful photographs floating around the internet, noted with a caption that says, “autochrome”. What does that mean? Just in case you didn’t know what Autochrome Lumière is, it simply is a type of mosaic photographic process, made on a glass plate, that existed before subtractive color film (which is now commonly used). It was made by a couple french men, the Lumière Brothers, in 1903.

There is something so special about autochrome photographs. They have such interesting color and a slight haze. They look like paintings, or maybe even dreams.

They definitely make images seem other worldly, and because it was produced and used for such a short time, many of them are from the early 1900s. I feel like it’s because of these autochrome images, that I have such a romanticized view of this era. Of ladies in (what we now we consider) antique clothing just peacefully existing in their world.

This above photograph is probably one of my favorite I have come across. Have you ever heard of Albert Kahn’s Archives of the Planet? In 1909, Kahn sent out photographers to photograph the people of 50 different countries. The project took place over the following 20 years. Many autochrome photographs now come from that collection.

source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Inspiration

J’adore François Boucher!

February 15, 2016 No Comments

18th century French painter François Boucher said about nature “trop verte et mal éclairée” (too green and badly lit) in a letter to Nicolas Lancret, another French painter.

When you think of 18th century France you probably first think of Marie Antoinette, sumptuous fabrics, larger than life powdered hairstyles, and flowers, so many flowers!

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François Boucher was supporte by his patroness, Madame de Pompadour, the official mistress to King Louis XV. Not to go off topic, but have you ever read anything about Madame de Pompadour? She seemed like a super cool, super classy lady! If I lived back in the day and was French (AND super rich) I would hope Jeanne and I would have been buddies! / IMG SRC: Detail of The Interrupted Sleep by Francois Boucher

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Ok, back to Mister Boucher! He was known for incredibly dreamy and sumptuous paintings and also for pastoral scenes. If you know me at all, you’ll know I am a huge HUGE fan of anything fancy AND pastoral. / IMG SRC: (top) Madame Pompadour by Francois Boucher, Madame Bergeret 1746 by Francois Boucher

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As much flack as Marie Antoinette got for building her Hameau de la Reine (The Queen’s Hamlet) where she dressed like a milkmaid and romped around fields and picnicked with her children while sheep grazed by… I TOTALLY GET IT! I’d probably do the same thing… but not build a fake village. I’d just go buy a real village and go hang with the locals and give them jobs. / IMG SRC: In the Garden by Francois Boucher

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Gosh, I keep going off topic. Actually, this really isn’t just about François Boucher, it’s more about WHY I adore his work so much. He painted such a beautiful part of history, so idyllic, so romantic, so absolutely dreamy. And he added some naughty bits. Some eroticism and mysticism all cleverly hidden in flowers, fruits, and the scenery.

And some weren’t hidden, some were just in your face, look at this naked lady with a swan right *there* (just google it) / IMG SRC: above and both below are from Francois Boucher Gallery

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Francois Boucher, Rococo Pastorale

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