There is a flower... I think that she has tamed me...

I didn't set out to put together an outfit inspired by The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but while editing these photos, I saw definite links. The most obvious being the fox necklace I purchased at The Museum of the Little Prince in Hakone, Japan. (I'm not complaining, but why is there a Little Prince museum in Japan anyway? I still don't understand!) Then, I started thinking that maybe the color of the 60's dress reminded me of the rose in the story. So yes. A Little Prince outfit.

I'll admit that this outfit is probably a better reflection of what I've been wearing lately than many of my recent posts. I love my delicate 30's and 40's dresses, but sometimes it's nice to toss on a sturdy dress that doesn't need to be dry cleaned. And I can hardly ever be bothered to do my hair before class, so into a messy ponytail it goes!

And just to round out the Little Prince references, here is a photo of one of my latest estate sale finds: a 1940's dress made of black rayon crepe studded with metal stars. I found it in a cold, damp house tucked in a coat closet between a whole bunch of bad 80's stuff. It only cost 2 dollars, and it's probably among my top 5 estate sale finds ever!

"If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers..."

Outfit details:
1960's dress via this year's Pittsburgh Antiques Show and Sale
Fox necklace via The Museum of the Little Prince
H&M flats

Betty Hart

A few years ago, Anja of Clever Nettle wrote a post about the estate sale of a professional ballerina from Anna Pavlova's era. I remember poring over the photos Anja posted, and I even bought one of the blouses she picked up at the sale. I've always hoped that eventually an estate sale like that one would happen here in Pittsburgh, and while the one I attended over the weekend isn't quite there, it's awfully close.

I'm not sure about the particulars of the woman who lived in the house, but the listing promised "opera costumes," and I did find old pointe shoes and ballet costumes, so I can only assume that the woman was a performer of some kind. My sister and I walked away from the sale with a pile of items--ranging from a 50's party dress with a sage green chiffon skirt to a velvet swing coat with the owner's name (Betty Hart) penned inside the collar. We even went back the second day and nabbed two more 40's-era blouses and a pink velvet bow belt.

The rest of the items we bought at the sale, including a straw-stuffed panda who is currently spending a few days in the freezer and a 60's dress with an undone hem, will likely make their way onto the blog soon enough. They just need a little work first.

Moulin Rouge

My sister and I celebrated Valentine's Day by going to see the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's production of Moulin Rouge. (The plot was not based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film, by the way.) When I was little, my dad and I were season ticket holders, but I haven't gone to the ballet regularly since I was in middle school. Even though I tend to be hyper-critical of dance performances, there was a lot to love about Moulin Rouge, like the costumes (the launderettes were basically dressed in Edwardian underpinnings) and the music (songs like "Clair de Lune" and "La Vie en Rose" are cliche, I guess, but I adore them anyway). Plus, for me, going to the ballet has always been a form of escapism, and it was nice to put aside grad school stress for the evening.

I thought this 1940's dress, with its red polka dots and ruffled sleeves, was a good marriage of Valentine's Day enthusiast and can-can dancer. And though I felt completely mortified taking pictures with all those people around, I eventually ended up with a shot I liked.

I also took a picture of the Benedum Center's epic chandelier, which both fascinated and terrified me as a child, because it reminded me of that scene in Anastasia where the chandelier comes crashing down in the middle of the ballroom. (Please tell me someone else remembers that movie; it was one of my favorites!)

Outfit details:
1940's dress via Dear Golden
Coach belt
Nine West heels