Vintage Hairstyles

Vintage Hairstyles

“I think that the most important thing a woman can have- next to talent, of course- is her hairdresser.” 
― Joan Crawford

I think all, or at least most, of us can agree with the above statement, right ladies?
We've all been there - looking for that elusive new hairstyle, finally finding one that fits our face and what we first envisioned it to look like, then the sense of anticipation as you head for a hairdressers...only to find either your usual hairdressers has closed down or, worst still, they've gone and hired someone who doesn't know your hair...or theirs...or anyone's hair!
Still, You're a lady and so not to be impolite, you sit down cautiously in that chair, they tie that noose like gown around your neck and begin.

Not hairstyles to emulate now are they?

You try your hardest not to judge the cut every time you glance in the mirror but cannot help it - you may not be a hairdresser but did this style really have that shape to it at all?
Common sense denotes this might not be going well.
Then, they 'finish', take that gown from round you, dust you off (all with a satisfied grin) and then they ask if you like it...
You see yourself and the end result in the mirror for the first time and wish it were the last! What have they done? This looks nothing like the photo(s) you showed them! You feel like crying but again, something in us compels us to be polite, nice and even grateful to this person who just made you look like a prepubescent boy (or something resembling a member of The Ramones, not that I don't love their music...it's just not a good look for a woman). So you say you like it, managing the best fake smile you can, part with your hard earned cash and walk out vowing never to go back there again (to yourself of course).

So now ladies, what's the solution? Needless to say - find a better hairdresser! Ask for examples of their work before letting the loose on those locks, look at reviews, ask friends and family and most importantly - trust your instincts! If you are looking for a particular vintage haircut I would advise against going to a regular hairdressers like Supercuts. However, don't get me wrong, there are hairdressers in those places and private ones that don't specialise in vintage cuts but still do a darn good job (I'm lucky enough to have a friend who is just this kind of hairdresser :D). There are tons of specialist hairdressers, pretty much wherever you live - believe me on this one as I come from a...not very enlightened town north of London and even we now have a vintage hairdresser! Look around, ask people, and keep your eyes peeled at local events and clubs.

Next on my hair hit list is those hairdressers that don't even cut your hair but manage to still mess it up - not helpful when you've gone to them in preparation for a special day like your wedding. My best tip, which again is an obvious one, is to follow that age old saying - if you want something done properly, do it yourself.

There is a plethora of resources for you to follow and learn from. These include books on the subject (like Style Me Vintage by Belinda Hay, Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques by Lauren Rennells, 1940s Hairstyles (Vintage Living) by Daniela Turudich or Style Me Vintage Look Book Step-by-Step Retro Look Book by Naomi Thompson,Katie Reynolds & Belinda Hay), websites, and - my favourite - Youtube!

Two of the people I absolutely adore on Youtube are Lisa Freemont Street and The Cherry Dollface. These women are amazing, if there's something they don't know about hair and make-up, then it's not worth knowing! They do a variety of styles from a variety of eras so there's something on there for everyone. Check them out, use their videos and advice, like them on Facebook and all the other social media sites and most importantly, thank them for doing such a wonderful and informative job! Also, check out Lisa Freemont Streets blog for more tips!

Let me know if there's anything I've missed on here, or  something you want to know and I'll do my best to either answer your queries or send you to a place that can :)

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How to get your favourite classic movies cheaply or FREE!

How to get your favourite classic movies cheaply or FREE!

A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet. 

Orson Welles 

I love old movies, all types - detective, war, mystery, Alfred Hitchcock (c'mon people, he deserves his own category), romance, comedy, musicals and a mixture of the above also. They had such a carefree vibe to them and you truly felt that the actors and actresses were in them for the love of acting instead of how big the pay check would be or how much they'd score at the box office.

Yes, we got fooled with some of the stars when they sang being replaced with trained professional singers but hey, who cares right? At least they still sounded good unlike more recent fools (*cough* Milli Vanilli *cough*). Also, we didn't get so many remakes. Don't you feel like screaming when they go and remake a good film, probably for the 20th time?! Ok that was an exaggeration, the 3rd...that's more like it, right? Sometimes of course, the remake is better than the original, for instance (and I may get lynched for writing this) but take 'Babes in Toyland' personally my favourite version is the 1961 film, maybe it's because I saw this as a child and before the 1934 Laurel and Hardy version (which I'm not knocking) but it's a million times better than the 1986 version with Keanu Reeves (as a friend of mine summed Keanu up when she watched the latter version - ' he keeps doing his gormless stare ' perfect way of describing the whole film).

But c'est la vie, we can't moan now when they've already made the remakes and, most of the time, ruined the job completely. Let's get to the actual subject at hand - where to get movies on DVD for cheap and where to stream them for FREE!

My first site to refer you to for this is an obvious one - Ebay - they have lots of good deals and there is usually an ebay dedicated site (or one that you may order from such as Ebay.com) wherever you live in the world. You can search by title, actor/actress or even by release date! Very handy if you just want to search for missing titles of your collection but can't remember the specific names.

My second site is also an obvious one but quite often overlooked - Amazon - for an example I put my search term in that link as 'classic DVD films' and just look at the wealth of results, so once again, you don't have to be too specific if you don't want to be.

My third link is more of an unusual one, most people I know don't know of it which confuses me - Ebid - this is a great site as most people don't know of it so you can get really good bargins on here, the only downside is that for exactly the same reason you might not always get results for your searches :/ They have international websites too, catering for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, India, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, USA. I'm sure that if your country isn't listed, you could use another one and just check with individual listings to see if they post internationally.

My fourth link is a nice cheap site - Classic Movie Store - this store sells so many box sets so cheaply in their sales. They also stock a range of decades not only movies but T.V shows from those decades also.
Here's a deal I'd love for a present ;)

Cary Grant box set for £2.97!

Now, my fifth link is for my American and Canadian readers (supposing you guys are out there) or even for others in the rest of the world who don't mind the postage fees :) Deep Discount - it has a classic movies section, which of course is where my link will take you straight to, and their prices are pretty good. Most DVD's are between $5-$10 not a bad bargain eh?

My sixth link - Where can you go if you feel like having a classic late night movie fest but feel like trying flicks you've never seen before? Classic Flix is the place to go for that, I have to admit they're a bit expensive to buy the movies but here you can RENT them! I love this idea and wish I was in the States to try it....so let me know what it's like if you do go for it :)

Now, onto the FREE ones! We all love free stuff correct? Of course we do!

My seventh link is one I regularly visit, especially when the other half is working late - Classic Cinema Online - this is a lovely website that's just had a redesign and update. It's really user friendly and doesn't have so many of those annoying adverts, plus I've never seen a pop-up on this site! No sign up required or hidden fees, literally you can just watch whatever they have on the site and they're always adding new ones.

My eighth link is an unknown one, Open Culture this website has an archive of all sorts of things and in amongst those they have some hidden gems of old movies, for an example - The 39 Steps - is on here :)

My second to last link comes from Internet Archive - This site has a wealth of old movies, of all different genres and decades, they even have a dedicated Film Noir section. If you select 'Feature Films' that's where you'll find all the goodies but check out the other categories as well, you don't know what you might find. Also, they have a spotlight item that changes every month that's usually worth checking out.

My last website (for now) is Solar Movie - this site unfortunately has A LOT of pop ups but if you persevere through them you get the goods without sign up or fees...and let's face it, if you can't find the film on the previous listed websites then closing a few pop up windows is well worth watching your beloved old movies.

I hope this list has helped you and that you enjoy rediscovering all those films!

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Hello my lovelies!

Hello my lovelies!

"The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years." 

Audrey Hepburn 

I created this blog to share my passion of all things vintage, retro and kitsch and hopefully provide you, the readers and fellow lovers of mothballs, with some lovely websites and deals I come across.

As I am a avid baker, I will be highlighting vintage baking and cooking accessories and equipment too, along with telling you how to use some of the outdated bits and bobs. 

Of course, if you come across something not featured on here or you feel I missed out, please do drop me a line or post in the comments about your find - I'm all about sharing knowledge and credit of course.

So I hope you enjoy this blog and the journey we are embarking on, and remember to check back regularly for updates and new posts.

Au revoir, at least for now ;)

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