Friday 10 April 2015

Wartime magazine ads and a dangerous Ebay addiction


This week and last has been busy with children on Easter holidays, but I have still found time to do a spot of knitting, and crochet. I'm still working on Your Victory Jumper, which is going quite speedily for 3 ply wool.

I've been looking through some wartime magazines and found some very interesting material which I thought I would share.


Not a hint of coercion here - just a feeling that if you didn't do your darndest to look presentable, you would be scorned, or worse, accused of damaging the war effort. Women were expected to make an even greater effort in their appearance - 'beauty as duty'. I'd heard that phrase before, but was reminded of it by Jeni on her blog Yesterday Girl.


It is very apt now with the Fashion on the Ration exhibition on at the Imperial War Museum, which I still haven't managed to get to - yet. I'm going to try and take my mum, as she is the one who nurtured this interest in the war years in the first place. She has read so much on the period, she's practically an expert now. I went to an exhibition with her while I was still at school, and I can't for the life of me remember when it was. I think it was at the IWM . It was very influential. There was a projection on a big screen of the fashion show (in Technicolor) from the film 'The Women'. That film is now one of my favourites, for so many reasons.


I have yet to find a Tangee lipstick, but that is probably for the best, as I would no doubt wear it. Only to test the claim that it changes from orange to whatever colour will suit me. How could any woman resist that temptation? I really love the military rhetoric of the advertising of this time, it is pitched just right. I don't know how I would be capable of looking immaculate after nearly two months of night raids and no sleep though. It's an effort not to leave my slippers on to do the school run, never mind hair, makeup and a suit.


Ah, Lux. Or, rather, no Lux. The Lux company even published knitting books, I have one from 1940, with instructions on how to use it for washing woollens properly.


'...fashion is making play with vivid contrasts that look terribly dashing.' It was marvellous the way that scarcity fuelled creativity in fashion then, from fair isle knitwear to CC41 designs.


Thrifty knitting. I do have a box of scraps that I use to stuff buttons and knitted brooches. I've not quite stooped to going through bins for wool.


This has to be my favourite of the lot, and words to live by! This leads me on nicely to my not so nice problem with 'collecting'.

I have been on ebay again. I can't seem to check myself or limit my bidding - I become like a woman possessed when the clock is ticking down. Then if I do win, I seem fuelled with testosterone and punch the air, (and the ceiling) in victorious cheering. It's not nice. It brings out the thug in me. (So does driving - but that I can justify, as it is a battle of the sexes every time you get in the car. Ever seen an Audi driven by an older lady going under 30mph?)

I am going to have to cut myself off from ebay, as least for the forseeable future, or until I save up. I remember a radio programme discussing the psychology of collecting. It got me thinking about my own 'collections'. Knitting patterns and magazines, wool, vintage knitting needles, 78s, vinyl, vintage clothes, shoes, red lipstick...the list goes on. But am I a real collector? The programme defined it as someone who doesn't use the item they have bought, simply acquires it for the sole purpose of possessing it. I suppose it has to be a bit of both for me. I would like to think that I will use up the wool, and at least knit some of the patterns, but I know that it is a lot about owning something that is rare, scarce now, as it was even then, like that 1940s Stitchcraft above.

I find collecting, especially vintage items fascinating.

What do you collect, or are you just a shameless hoarder? And what do you collect?

Theodora.

17 comments:

  1. I collect knitting and sewing books, mainly from the 1930's to the 50's, but I also have older ones. Before I started sewing and knitting clothes from the 30's and 40's I was fascinated by historic fashions, mostly Victorian, but also the 18th century, and I have quite a collection from these eras too. Modern issues but historic fashion and patterns.

    To be frank I no longer know the exact number of books I have on these subjects, and I've longs since passed the point where it's physically possible to make up all my patterns, but I do enjoy reading the books, and some of the patterns have been made up :)

    I also collect vintage clothing and jewellery, which I do wear.

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    1. Wow, knitting and sewing, you're in both camps. I have yet to be able to sew anything I'd actually wear!

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  2. O dear...I have to admit it, I'm a collector of knitting patterns as well. I can never have too many knitting patterns of the 40's. Even though I know I will never be able to knit all of them!

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    1. I know I won't make much of a dent in my patterns, but it's good to dream!

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  3. Oh, collections... I feel like that's going down a rabbit hole for me. I can't help myself ~ anything I'm interested in, or find slightly useful, or even just pleasing to the eye ~ before you know it ~ I'm 'collecting' it. Knitting patterns included of course... Though I mostly confine myself to collecting the free vintage ones that pop up online every where. :D ❤

    xox,
    bonita of Lavender & Twill

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    Replies
    1. I wonder if being into vintage makes you a collector, or whether you get into vintage because you're a collector?

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  4. Firstly, you can purchase Tangee lipstick (and blush!) from The Vermont Country Store (http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/jump/Health_&_Beauty/Bath_&_Body/Make-up/cat660021) and yes, they do ship outside the US.

    Secondly, I collect salt and pepper shakers (both modern and vintage), yarn, patterns (knitting, crochet, and sewing), and brooches!

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    1. Thanks Jenn, I might give it a go, just to see what colour it goes.

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  5. Oh! And vintage pyrex, especially Cinderella bowls! How could I have forgotten that! lol!

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    1. Vintage pyrex? Cute. I would love to see the Cinderella bowls.

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  6. I'm a shameless hoarder! I have so many beautiful things but no room to show them off, I think for me it is about owning something. I have enough wool to last me a life time!!
    I've just finished my victory jumper :) On to the next one! xx

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    1. I'm exactly the same. Things are hidden away, and I can never seem to find anything! I don't want to know how long it would take to use up all that wool, because I'd probably have to live til I was 150!

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  7. Very entertained by these ads, especially the Lux one. I can't manage to look beautifully turned out all the time now, let alone during a war with shortages, worries and horrors. It amazes me! Collections. Love them. Knitting patterns and books, vintage haberdashery items, vintage brooches and clothes, cake plates, tea sets, old children's books, tins. Yes, my house is bursting!

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    1. Good to know there are lots of other like-minded collectors out there! Children's books are just too tempting to leave in a shop.

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  8. I hope your eBay withdrawal is going well. I am not a collector (though I have a hard time resisting vintage crime novels with lurid covers), but I do comfort-shop - and I've been doing that rather a lot lately as I've put on weight. I only allow myself one 'big' purchase a month, though charity shop goodies are fair game.

    You're probably going to hate me for this, but you can still get Tangee!
    http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/jump/productDetail/Catalog/Health_&_Beauty/Make-up/Tangee_Lipstick/61436
    (Don't spend all your money...)

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    1. Oh Mim, don't tempt me! That shade of orange is not attracting me though. But I'm always up for a 'Pepsi Challenge'! You've just reminded me about crime novels - I have some 'pulp fiction', and dream of owning every 1st edition of Agatha Christie. But not in this lifetime.

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  9. That's a great little selection of ads. I love the stripe sweater, I have some very dashing and clashing colours in my stash I should try it out some day. I am interested by the definition of collector, I am definitely in the game of using what I have bought especially vintage fabric so does it mean I am not a collector? I am going to have to part with some of my fabric, there is just too much. But once it's gone it's gone and that's the difficult bit isn't it?

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