100 Years of Shapewear

Check out this great video about the evolution of shape wear and under garments from the 1900s to now! 

Check out these WILD earrings!

Check out this great vintage film showing some ladies trying bold new earring styles! What do you think, how big is too big?

Happy Platinum Anniversary to The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh!!!

We here at the bombshell beauty blog are happy to wish the royal couple Happy Anniversary! For those of you who don't know a platinum anniversary is the celebration of 70 years! That is a long time to be with someone!

The princess and her suitor were married on November 20th, 1947, a somewhat lavish affair right after the second world war. Famously the princess Elizabeth had to save up her ration coupons to purchase her wedding dress! Also worthy of note this was the first time a royal couple of Great Britain were married over live broadcast television, setting a precedent for future weddings to be televised.

The Princesses wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell. Below you can see his winning design:

HRH and Prince Phillip arriving at Westminster Abbey.

The bridesmaids which included HRH's sister, Princess Margaret.

A candid portrait on their wedding day!

In 2007 HRH The Queen reflects on her wedding day outfit. 

Mixing Face Powder, 1958

Every person who has an interest in makeup (male, female, or otherwise) knows the struggle is real when it comes to finding that perfect shade for your skin tone! Gods forbid that your color is discontinued or sold out...no one likes crying at the makeup counter.

Check out this great little video, brought to you via British Pathe', about mixing a face powder in 1958! Now that is service!

Remembering Hugh Hefner

No matter your thoughts on the controversial life of Hugh Hefner, one thing you can say is that he had a long lasting effect on popular culture. Born in April of 1926, Hef as he was known, was born to middle class parents who were both teachers. He described them as "Midwestern and Methodist". 

A Bunny inspecting a key, which was the membership identifier for the Playboy clubs.

Writing has always been in his blood and he was a military writer during World War II.Through trial and error, and several attempts at raising enough money Mr. Hefner eventually founded and ran Playboy Magazine in 1953, with Marilyn Monroe on the cover.  

Not only was his magazine and clubs popular from the 50's, 60's, and 70's but he also ran two popular late night television shows Playboys' Penthouse (1959-1960) and Playboy After Dark (1969-1970).  Many people credit him as one of the loudest voices for the sexual revolution that swept the nation in the mid to late sixties. 

He is named for an award called the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award, created by Christie Hefner, which was created "to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in the vital effort to protect and enhance First Amendment rights for Americans."

He also funded a class at The University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts called "Censorship in Cinema". He was also a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community and fought for equal rights saying, "fight for all our rights. Without it, we will turn back the sexual revolution and return to an earlier, puritanical time."

Edit: Forgot to post pictures of my blue bunny suit!

Movie Review Monday: Netflix's The Crown

Netflix has started making some seriously great television in the last two years but by far one of the best shows to come from them is The Crown. A chronicle of the young Queen Elizabeth II, played by Claire Foy, this series brings us tons of  40's and 50's clothing. I will say I was quite pleasantly surprised by both John Lithgow's performance as Winston Churchill and by Matt Smith (of Dr. Who fame) as Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh. I am immensely curious about the amount of "drama" added to the stories, and the amount of control Buckingham Palace has over the content of their current tenants.

Heading into its second season in a matter of months I can tell you that US President JFK will be played by Michael C. Hall (Dexter). 

Onto some stills!

Claire Foy on the left with the real Elizabeth II on the right. 

Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret. The sometimes flamboyant and outgoing younger sister of the Queen, I can not wait to see her more swinging styles from the 60's.

Matt Smith smiling for the camera on the left, the real Prince Phillip on the right.

The real big eye catcher in this season was the coronation gown that had to be recreated.

"Although we did not create the coronation dress itself—it had been recently made for an exhibition (by Swarofski) and we were delighted when it actually fitted Claire Foy—we did create all the other many garments worn by Elizabeth and everyone else throughout the coronation."  said Clapton.

A rather stiff looking promotional picture that foreshadows the couples marriage.

The costume designer is quoted as saying,  "It took approximately six to eight weeks for us to re-create the dress, with a team of six embroiderers working on the train throughout this time. Another team worked on the dress skirts, and my key embroiderer worked on the neckline. We had a cutter and two makers, and it required a number of fittings...It’s sometimes strange as a designer when you have to replicate a dress. You must sometimes make choices that you would not necessarily make yourself when it comes to cut."  Michele Clapton

Famously, Elizabeth had to save up ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress. Brides all across the UK sent her coupons which she was forced to return.

Princess Margaret and Group Capt. Peter Townsend. both in tweed, which is par the the course, they are often shown riding off into the country to meet up.

John Lithgow as the indomitable Winston Churchill. 

Another promotional shot.

The second season of Netflix's The Crown is set to premier in December, 2017. You can check out the teaser trailer for it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k15O_eBfUuk

Remembering Sir Roger Moore

Today we are remembering Sir Roger Moore, born October 14th, 1927 died May 23rd, 2017. A prolific actor Moore had a long career in film then went on to become a humanitarian promoting and working for UNICEF. He is best remembered for his role as 007, aka James Bond from 1973-1985. If you would like to check out any of the Bond films in which he filled the title role they are as follows:

 Live and Let Die (1973).

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Moonraker (1979)

 For Your Eyes Only (1981)

 Octopussy (1983)

A View to a Kill (1985)

Moore's Bond always cut a striking figure, this classic blue suit was tailored perfectly to him paired with a wide print tie is the epitome of 70's cool.

Not afriad to stray from the black tie and tails, this shot is all 70's macho. The winged out collar and exposed chest was a popular look.

Taken in 2016, Sir Roger Moore still knew how to dress and what he looked good in. This look was for his appearance at Liverpool Empire to give a talk about his career.

I feel like I should go back and re-watch some his Bond films now. A striking man, handsome and a little known writer. Check his books "My Word Is My Bond, Bond On Bond" and his last book "Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown".

Good Luck Sir and Godspeed!

Movie Review Monday : Hidden Figures

Hi there all! So for this week I would like to review the film Hidden Figures. I just recently had the chance to sit down and watch it with my mom. It was a slow weekend and it made for great vintage watching. For those who have either been living under a rock or have never heard of Hidden Figures; the film tells the story of three brilliant African American Women and their struggle in the male dominated world of mathematics in the 1960's. The film cuts tense scenes of protest and dealings with police officers with warm heart-ed humor and sensitivity. 

Title characters from left to right Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji Henson), and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer).

All three women portrayed in the film were actual engineers and mathematicians for NASA's Space Program in the 1960's. Taraji got to sit down for a chat with the REAL Katherine G. Johnson before filming began to talk about her experiences.


One thing I noticed and loved with the costuming choices for each lady really represented their individual style and did not look like some 'uniform' representing an era. Mary's clothing was a bit tighter, sexier....more va va voom befitting her personality;while Katherine's wardrobe seemed preppy and a bit closed up but still had personality. Dorothy, the mother hen type though with attitude, dressed in clothing that might seem basic but always had some sort of neat detail. Check out her outfit in the above picture...a solid column of green but the bow and brooch detail really do stand out. 

Now I have to mention that shirt waist dresses and the like were not uncommon in the 60's but they were also not the cutting edge of fashion either. These were more at home in 1955 than in 1961. It serves a purpose that though Katherine's clothes are in good shape they are in effect a bit older. 

The few scenes we see away from their work environment we can really see the personalities of these ladies shine through. Their chemistry and charm on screen makes for a few good laughs in a serious script. Mary had some lovely head scarves in her rotation, most of which were complimentary to her outfits but not Matchy Matchy. 

Another thing I enjoyed were all the jewel tones they put Katherine in while the rest of the NASA team was in stark black and white. It just serves the purpose of reminding the audience that she is seen as an outsider, as different, as less than.

Here are the actresses with their real life counter parts.

Rotten Tomatoes has the film listed as Certified Fresh at 93%! Many might not be aware that the source material (besides real life) was a book called Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. She is quoted as saying about the differences between her book and the film:

"For better or for worse, there is history, there is the book and then there's the movie. Timelines had to be conflated and [there were] composite characters, and for most people [who have seen the movie] have already taken that as the literal fact. ... You might get the indication in the movie that these were the only people doing those jobs, when in reality we know they worked in teams, and those teams had other teams. There were sections, branches, divisions, and they all went up to a director. There were so many people required to make this happen. ... It would be great for people to understand that there were so many more people. Even though Katherine Johnson, in this role, was a hero, there were so many others that were required to do other kinds of tests and checks to make [Glenn's] mission come to fruition. But I understand you can't make a movie with 300 characters. It is simply not possible."

If you haven't had the chance to check out this great period film give it go!

Vicki
xoxo

What is Burlesque?

Burlesque: /bərˈlesk/

noun

1. 1.

   
   

   an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody.

   
   

   "the funniest burlesque of opera"

   
   

   synonyms:

   parody, caricature, satire, lampoon, skit, farce; More

   • 
     

     
     
2. 2.

   
   

   a variety show, typically including striptease.

   
   

   "burlesque clubs"

When one thinks of the vintage community one can't help but think of burelsque; a variety show which usually featured a large group number ala Broadway was followed by musical acts, the strip show, the tease show, comedians, and sometimes other amazing feats (like acrobatics). Popularized in the 20's the burlesque show became the form of entertainment for working folks. While some shows dazzled with exotic animals and elaborate sets others were down and dirty bump and grind kind of shows (the kind of place your mother wouldn't want you to go). Either way the impact burlesque has had on society can still be felt today. Troupes all across the country and the world still perform burlesque shows, and there is even one here in my hometown of Charlotte.

If you would like to check out Big Mamma's House of Burlesque, they have an upcoming show that is called "Dixie Trampede Rednekkid Show" on May 13th. You can look up their website or find them on Facebook! 

I have been attending their shows for almost 8 years now and I can say that you won't be disappointed! They truly have something for everyone; singing, comedy, variety acts, and of course a bevy of beautiful dancers! Their shows also always have a theme of some sort. If you are a first time goer or a a life long fan burlesque is something that everyone should experience. 

If you would like more history on the subject you can check out a great documentary called Behind the Burly Q. Comedians, dancers, musicians and more recount their tales of being in the burly community and living on the road. 

Here are some of the all time greats of Burlesque (some of whom are featured in the above documentary):

                                                                     Gypsy Rose Lee

                                                                    Josephine Baker

                                                                         Tempest Storm

                                         Comedian and Actor Bert Lahr got his start in
                                          Vaudeville and Burlesque before become the
                                            Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz, 1939.


Modern or vintage styled Burlesque is an art form that survives today because of people like you and me! What is your favorite part of Burlesque?

Vicki Vegas
xoxoxoxo