i spy: a grand hotel and an alpine Gasthaus, women in amazing coats, and a dreamboat in a hamster suit

Thanks to the release of Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, I was in an even more mitteleuropäisch state of mind than usual last month.  (I really loved the film, needless to say.  It's probably my favorite Wes Anderson film to date, and I'm a big fan of his.)  So Alpine scenes, grand hotels, and certain actors have been popping up frequently on my Pinterest and Tumblr.  But I realize this is a vintage blog, so you'll be happy to know I also spotted some great fashion and fashion-related images last month, possibly rekindled my interest in The Sartorialist, and discovered a great new online collection at the Cooper-Hewitt.

Prost! 

clockwise, starting at upper left:

*Mendl's Bakery in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel 

*Sertiweg by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1926 | WikiPaintings

*Christoph Waltz playing the hamster equivalent of Salieri in the sublimely silly Jimmy Kimmel mini-film, Ameowadeus | watch it here

*Hungarian actor S.Z. Sakall on the set of Casablanca (1942). | A Certain Cinema

*Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli, a restaurant and hotel tucked into the side of the Swiss Alps. | photo by Rowena Waack

*a woman in Paris wearing a coat that looks like it's made from couch upholstery...but I love it! | Street Style Aesthetic

*woman wearing Prada in Paris. | The Sartorialist (I'd stopped looking at The Sartorialist awhile back because I just wasn't much inspired by the fashions he photographed.  This photo has me reconsidering that!)

*Christian Berard illustration on the cover of the November 1936 French Vogue | via

*18th century sales sample book of buttons | Cooper-Hewitt (check out their online collections...I could get lost there for hours)

*"Fitting shoes" photo by Lisa Larsen taken at Capezio Theatrical Shoes, New York, ca 1947, for Liberty Magazine. | Picture of the Year International archive

xo

K

shop preview: eyelet lace, lipstick red gabardine and print blouses

A gorgeous 1920s wedding-worthy dress, a lipstick red 1940s suit, an embroidered Lanz sundress, and lots of cute print blouses...all in this week's shop preview!  All items arriving in the shop starting today.

1920s eyelet lace and pintucks white cotton batiste dress.

1950s fruit print cotton blouse, New Era styled by Peter Pan.

1960s Lanz embroidered aqua blue piqué cotton sundress.

1960s nautical anchor embroidered top, by Aileen.

1940s lipstick red gabardine skirt suit.

1950s cotton butterfly print blouse, New Era styled by Peter Pan.

1970s dress with lacy rose bodice and floral print skirt.

1960s blue floral print blouse, New Era styled by Peter Pan.

1950s black velvet cocktail dress with rhinestones.

1980s cropped tapestry jacket with plum trim.

1960s green goddess printed chiffon maxi dress.

1960s orange floral print sleeveless blouse.

xo

K

Elsa Peretti's Tuscan tower, and the right-click

I like pretty pictures.  Who doesn't?  Sites like Pinterest and Tumblr (and I'm a fairly avid user of both) cater to this, inundating (overwhelming?) the user with thousands of beautiful images.  However, I also love information.  How frustrating it is to see a photo of a delicious-looking cocktail or meal on Pinterest, only to click the image and have it not lead to a recipe.  (Some people, apparently, are really just into beautiful pictures of food, and not the food itself.)  As much as I like pictures of beautiful things, most of the time I find that my appreciation of the image is much enhanced by having some information about it.

Photo by Fritz von der Schulenburg

That's when I find the right-click useful.  When you right-click a photo (using Google Chrome anyway), one of the options you get is "Search Google for this image."  (You can also search using the Google Image Search, here...but it's a lot quicker to just right click.)  When I saw the above photo in my Tumblr feed, it had no caption, and led nowhere.  I right-clicked and, voila!  I found a post on an interior design blog with a host of information.  This photo was taken in La Torre, the Tuscan holiday retreat of jewelry designer Elsa Peretti.  La Torre is a 16th century watchtower, and rather than whitewash the walls and keep the interiors (historically accurately) bare, Peretti and her architect, Renzo Mongiardino, decided to go full-on fantasy, creating a fairy tale-like atmosphere with trompe l'oeil effects like the incredible fireplace you see here. 

Spiral stairs that lead to a rooftop terrace.  |  Photo by Fritz von der Schulenburg.

The right click doesn't always work.  Often, it leads only to thousands of Pinterest or Tumblr "sources" which have no further information about the photo.  But I've found it's always worth the couple of seconds it takes to click and look.

A collection of paintings hanging on a wall painted with stripes in Peretti's bedroom.  |  Photo by Fritz von der Schulenburg.

The bathroom has both real terracotta tiles, and trompe l'oeil stenciled ones.  |  Photo by Fritz von der Schulenburg.

The guest room, with its beautifully stenciled walls.  |  Photo by Fritz von der Schulenburg.

 You can see and read more about La Torre at The Art of the Room.

xo

K

shop preview: shoes, bags and bow ties

A cute pair of mod shoes (with the best name!), some lovely little handbags, and a fantastic collection of bow ties, are all headed for the shop, starting today.

Mod 1960s midnight blue leather and suede buckle shoes--Stride Rite Dollystompers!

Indian print handbag with bamboo handle, by Morris Moskowitz.

1960s navy blue convertible clutch with enamel flower clasp, by Andé.

Floral tapestry clutch purse.

1976 Illini brass belt buckle.

Colorful striped silk shantung adjustable length bow tie.

Soldier novelty print cotton bow tie, by Rooster.

Red plaid adjustable length thistle shape bow tie.

Batik print cotton adjustable length bow tie.

Antelope and branch pattern gold silk brocade adjustable length bow tie.

xo

K

shop preview: polka dots, a lush floral print, and love birds

Lush spring flowers, polka dot taffeta, pink tweed, sunshine plaid...and sweet love birds.  So much good stuff coming to the shop this week (starting 

today)--enjoy the preview!

1940s gingham and polka dot taffeta SWING TIME dress with velvet bow.

1940s pink wool tweed swing coat, by Americana.

1950s sunshine cotton plaid dress with button details.

1940s black peplum blouse trimmed in faceted jet beads.

1940s cocoa brown print dress with sailor collar, by Cay Artley.

LOVE BIRDS embroidered blue gingham western shirt.

1960s COPPER GREEN gradient pintucks sheath dress (pine green voile over a copper lining!).

1950s brown buffalo plaid cotton full skirt.

1940s black crepe dress with lace collar, by Herbert Levy.

1940s brown rayon blouse with lace insets, by Dorothy Korby.

1960s spring flowers print cotton sundress.

1940s soutache-covered jacket.

xo

K

shop preview and a Spring Sale

Art Deco and floral prints, glamorous pink satin, yellow striped cotton, and much more in this week's shop preview.

And it's also Spring Sale time!  All items in the shop are marked down 25% now until midnight EST on Monday, March 24.

Deadstock 1940s pink floral satin brocade housecoat/gown with silver glitter buttons, by Saybury.

1980s Lanz yellow and white striped cotton two piece dress (the top and skirt button together) with giant pockets.

1940s gingham check wool cropped jacket.

1960s plaid mini dress by Robbie Rivers.

1940s chocolate brown mohair knit shawl/wrap.

Late 1910s-early 1920s Deco print day dress.

1950s printed cotton sleeveless blouse.

1960s baskets of flowers print dress, Country Clothes by Serbin.

1970s cardigan with embroidered pastel flowers, by LeRoy Knitwear.

xo

K