Hard Work, Paid in Squeals.

I recently began an internship with the Special Collections division of the Library at FIT. This means I pinch myself repeatedly sitting among the stacks of old, rare, unique and oversized works on paper as I do "work" like organizing stacks of storyboards from Esquire in the 1960s, or taking stock of the collection of Vogue magazines--making sure to flip through every page to note any damage. I literally pinch myself, smile, and squeal with glee for 6 hours at a time on this "job". The Vogue assignment has been particularly delightful. So far I've paged through every twice monthly issue of the magazine from January 1, 1936 to May 15, 1938. The only hazard of the job is that my brain is swimming with 1930s dress desire. The clothing, the faces, the makeup and hair! It was all so gorgeous and remains remarkably covetous. How gorgeous? Take a look for yourself. Below is an absolute relic of fashion film. A 1938 fashion show shot at the studio of London-based designer Norman Hartnell in rich Dufaycolor. The film shows you great examples of just what I feel so lucky to swoon over.




I know, I know. Swoon, right? You too can flip through the pages of Vogue (or anythings else fashion-related you might enjoy). If you are a student in need of research, a scholar of any kind, or just a respectful fashion fan with careful hands, you can contact the library to make an appointment to spend some time with the incredible treasures of FIT's collection.

Helen Twelvetrees.

Helen Twelevetrees was an actress of stage and screen in the '20s and '30s. She took roles in talkies when the regular stable of silent actresses refused. As famous for her tumultuous three marriages as for her acting, Twelvetrees was described by some as having the saddest eyes they had ever seen. Her style veers from total doll to tomboy and that's the mix I most admire.

A sad-eyed, pretty blond with a heart for trouble and a love of glamour is just about all the fashion inspiration I need right now.

Gift It: Retro Hairpins

Good packaging makes even the mundane spectacular. These Alma hairpins from Mexico City are the real deal: Just a simple bobby pin in a pretty package. The gorgeous design on the box hasn't changed since the 1930's. If it ain't broke, right? They make ideal stocking-stuffers for any girl with love for the glam life. At $5 a pop you can afford to hand them out to all of your special someones. I spotted these at the awesome store/curated gift shop Kiosk in Soho. You can get your own via their site by clicking the image above.