Gone Grey and the Audrey Dress

I've been feeling out of sorts lately. A touch of depression (understandable), anxiety (usual) and generally just being in one of my "down waves". I know I'll feel better soon, but when I'm feeling down, that doesn't always help. 

What does help me - although the effort sometimes seems insurmountable - is doing some self care from the outside in. I went for my Mental Health Walk (heavy, foggy misty rain), showered and drank coffee. And with a wee push from Vix (thank you), I got dressed up today. 

I also dyed my hair. Yes, it's steel grey!

• Dress - handmade, vintage late 50s, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in February 2014 for the Victoria Film Festival 20th Anniversary Gala (loads of pictures!)
• Shoes - Effortless Bebe, Fluevog; last seen here with a vintage skirt for brunch in June

Okay, first the hair. Like all of you, I've been enjoying my Flashbacks, and looking at how I've changed through the years, especially hair-wise. I do change my style up a lot - always have, always will. However, I have not been that happy with my new 'do: it doesn't really feel like me right now. You know what does? A side part and more length. It's easy enough to change a part and my hair grows fast. Done!

Pin curls which last 15 minutes

I have also not been entirely feeling the colour lately either, so I picked up some Feria Smokey Silver at the drug store last night and BOOM, I have smoky grey hair. L really likes this, and so do I. It will fade out from this darker tone to a more silvery colour. Eh, it's just hair. I can always cut it or change the colour. But this feels good.

The dress! I rescued this from my giveaway pile on Tuesday, setting it aside for "sometime later, when I can dress for a party." Well, no time like the present, since we aren't going to be having big house parties anytime soon. And dressing up makes you feel better: it's SCIENCE.

As this dress has no label, I've always guessed at it as being from the 60s - it's a very Audrey Hepburn look, very Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). I was enjoying a post full of vintage wedding and bridesmaid sewing patterns (here, link 'cause I love), when I noticed the wedding/bridesmaid dress pattern labeled as "late 50s" here - check out the dress in the lower left corner. Totally this exact style! It could still be a dress from the early 60s, though, as styles hung around a lot longer back in the day.

This is fully-lined, very nice crepe fabric, with a plastic invisible zip (more common in the 60s), and hooks with thread loops at the top and rear waistband. It also has bra strap holders at the shoulders, although only one still has the loop (I probably forgot about it on one of my previous wears and ripped it off by accident). Some of the hem is coming down, so if I do plan on wearing this out, it would behoove me to take a needle and thread and sew that to avoid any actual fabric ripping.

There is a floppy bow on the front of the waist, to which I've pinned a brooch. I safety-pinned the sides of the bow from the inside at some point in the distant past, to keep it from flopping forward.

I adore the defined waist with the rounded hips on this - it's so pretty on, especially when walking (small-ish steps). Speaking of walking, the dress makes a lot of noise - all that fabric swooshing around!

The stuff:

 Only worn for the pictures - I'll do a Flashback on these at some point, but not today.

Pearly bling:

The necklace belonged to my Grandma J - it's just costume. I wore it in this outfit with the clasp in front as the two faux pearl strands are different lengths, giving it a slight drop in the back view.

• Necklace - Grandma J's, vintage 60s
• Brooch - Sara Coventry, vintage 60s, vintage fair
• Earrings - Aldo
• Pearl/gold ring - Erth, consignment
• Onyx/silver ring - Tocarra, vintage fair

I don't have much of a Flashback, since I have only actually worn this dress twice in nearly 25 years! I last wore it for the VFF Gala (the first one we ever went to), in February 2014 (link above). The theme was the 60s, so I went full Audrey.

Ah, I see the bra strap thingy was not working there, so the damage predates this wearing. I'm wearing my Mom's pale pink ruched gloves (vintage 60s), and my Grandma J's parure of Aurora Borealis Sherman jewelry (also vintage 60s). The "flying saucer" hat is vintage, bought back in the late 90s at a vintage store, and the shoes are one of many pairs of black kitten heels that I've had over the years.

I did a series called "Never Seen" back in May 2010 (here's the full series), where I modeled everything I owned but had not worn on the blog in my first 2 years.

No styling, just showing it. I noted then that I paid around $15 for it at Value Village 12-ish years earlier.

This is the first actual time that I wore it, for my 30th birthday in October 1997 (these are pictures of actual photographs). I threw a funeral party (for the death of my 20s), and decorated for Hallowe'en. I made a black crepe paper spider web on the ceiling, strewed black balloons around the floor, and served orange and black food. This party is infamously where I served black Jello shots made from vermouth. A bad idea. Our apartment smelled really weird.

This is my brother Dave (a wee child at 27 here), and his girlfriend Cindy. We're all former roommates, and Dave and Cindy got married, had two kids and then divorced. She's awesome.

I'm wearing Grandma J's Sherman here - this is probably its inaugural wearing, as Grandma had died the year before, I think.

Our neighbour Jess crossed the hall to join us. I spy my Hallowe'en decorations and my whole collection of gargoyles, how lovely. We still have most of that decor. I've always been prone to collecting stuff.

Party shot! Our friend Chris' first wife Jennifer has red-eye and looks demonic in the background (nice 90s shoulderless dress! ), and Dave and Cindy are looking at some of our stuff. All the little tiny things you see are our painted miniatures, a hobby I have barely touched since I started blogging.

This is one of my favourite early pics of L and I. What a babyface he is! I'm not used to seeing him without his long wild hair and handlebar mustache. He's still uses his Goblet of Rock, decades later.

Ooh, technology! I can crop to get in close. Ha, Jennifer is trying to get her vermouth Jello shot out of the too-big paper cup with a spoon. Party treat FAIL - I do much better now!

Dressing up and looking at these pictures did make me feel better. A shout out to L (who's a reader too), for being my rock and helping me through these grey times. You're the best, love.