Vintage Glamour - Italian Style!

Pure, unadulterated Italian style featuring Anna Magnani and Sophia Loren!

Comrade Von Pussycat

Happy New Year 2015 & A Few Resolutions...

Happy New Year 2015!!!

Sophia Loren

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

- Robert Burns

I sincerely hope that each and every one of you will get one step closer to realizing your dreams in 2015! 

Ava Gardner

 Here are a few of my resolutions for the New Year:

Embrace my inner entrepreneur 
Dreams require action, or they will forever remain dreams and nothing more. The older I get the more confidence I have in myself. I have also realized that my ideas aren't completely ridiculous.

Make time for a daily dose of glamour

I truly enjoy dressing up, but when I am stuck at home I usually resort to my cozy fleece pajama's - this isn't necessarily a horrible thing, I would just like to feel more attractive while doing day to day chores. I did purchase a gorgeous merlot satin dressing gown a while ago, but the seams are weak and I need to take it to a tailor before I can wear it. Being well groomed and put together on a daily basis, regardless of where I am or who I am with, makes all the difference and I can tell that I gain added confidence and motivation when I feel properly put together!

Properly decompress before bedtime 

The combination of being a night owl and a light sleeper gets tricky sometimes, especially when I have to get up early the next day. My mind is haunted at night by ghosts of the past, the gravitas and vulnerability and the meaning of life, anxiety about the future, and the endless unfulfilled possibilities that I would like to see come into fruition. If this were a recent development I would say that I am obviously in the throes of an existential crisis, but seeing as this has been a pattern since I was a child, I say it is just a deeply ingrained pattern of thought. I have already taken measures to remedy these sleepless nights - I make myself a nice, soothing cup of fresh ginger, peppermint or chamomile tea and indulge in thinking about something completely frivolous before bedtime. A little bit of rose oil on my pillow, my neck, and my wrists helps me sleep better as well. 

 Brush up on my French

Although I took four years of French in high school, I have a difficult time retaining a language if I don't speak it on a daily basis. I have always been very proud of my French roots, and I would like to speak at least conversational French and get that accent down pat.

Reignite my love of writing
As a little girl of seven years old, I began the habit of keeping a journal and writing on a daily basis - I have lost some of the zeal I used to have for putting my thoughts down on paper and I would like to continue that tradition. Although, the fact that I leave a paper trail can be volatile - I have to ensure that my most revealing journals are carefully hidden away.

Learn and use a new word on a daily basis

Thanks to daily emails from dictionary.com I am reminded on a daily basis of this resolution! I truly love learning new things, especially when it comes to linguistics. Being a polyglot, it is amusing to me when I can trace a word in various languages to one common root word. Nerd alert, I know. 

 Continue to invest in classic pieces
Life is too short to wear boring clothes! However, I have a confession to make. I have a difficult time buying basics. I often get distracted by whimsical and impractical pieces that can't be worn on a daily basis. This is problematic because a good deal of my wardrobe doesn't go with anything and often I get frustrated when I look into my closet. I absolutely hate boring clothing and I want every piece I own to reflect my personality and make me feel my best when I slip into it. I have been getting better about investing in basics, however, and now that I have turned the dirty thirty I have realized that there are a few key elements that make my pulse race and happen to be classic pieces as well. One example is the 1940's skirt suit! I used a good portion of my Christmas $$$ to invest in this pretty little thing...

Wear pretty lingerie

I adore pretty lingerie - I just absolutely hate shopping for it. Also, it doesn't help that most of the pretty bras usually only come in smaller sizes. I really would like to have matching undergarments, I think it would help me feel more put together and get me in the mood for seduction...

 Rebuild my circle of friends

The older I get, the more I realize that I am my own best friend and any other relationship is just an added bonus. I've always been a lone wolf, so to speak, as I don't exactly crave human interaction - I do plan on trying to be a little more sociable, but I also think that it is important to realize which relationships are worth investing in. After my move to Macedonia and back, I definitely realized who truly valued my friendship, and as a result I am already starting with a fresh page in this New Year. Friendship for me is not about seeking validation from another human being, nor is it a popularity contest, and I am definitely not looking for that "Sex and the City" scenario. I long to converse with great minds and invest in friendships that are mutually beneficial.

What are your resolutions for this new year?

See you in 2015!

Comrade Von Pussycat

La Vita E Bella!

La Vita E Bella! by lafemmefeline featuring a long wear lipstick

I am looking forward to (hopefully) visiting friends in Milan, Italy this Spring! 

Stovetop Espresso, Morning Routines, And Eccentric Glamour!

“Knowing who you really are and dressing the part -- with an air of amused recklessness -- is life affirming for you and life enhancing for other people.”
― Simon Doonan, Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You

It's 6:40 in the morning, I wake up before the alarm goes off, slip into my cozy wool dachshund slippers (favorite gift from the bear ever!), and get up to make my morning espresso in the best invention ever, a bright lime green stovetop espresso pot. As the crisp morning air fills with that rich, steamy espresso aroma, I stand by the stovetop picking out bobby pins and brushing out glossy chocolate pincurls to maximize my morning routine. We are all pressed for time in the morning, and little shortcuts like sleeping in your pincurls and slicking on a bright lipstick makes glamour just that much more attainable when you don't have the time in the morning to spend brushing on three coats of mascara and meticulously separating every single eyelash. I realize that it might not be socially acceptable in California to wear such dramatic maquillage in the early morning, or even daytime for that matter, however, I adore contrast and I believe my dark features demand it, so that is the end of that. 

“Red is wild. She is unsettling. She intrigues. Wear red and other women will assume that you are a predatory vixen who is out to steal their husbands and suck the blood of their children.”
― Simon Doonan, Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You

 

I sincerely wish that there was a little more glamour in every day life. I prefer to be a glamorous eccentric (Simon Doonan, I salute you!) instead of drowning in a sea of beige, and I always welcome the distraction of a well-dressed individual to take my mind off of the mundane. So, to all of my fellow glamorous eccentrics - keep calm and wear red lipstick!

Comrade Von Pussycat

Summer Style: Espadrilles!

Ever since I can remember, I have had an affinity for espadrilles. Peep-toes, ankle laces, soft cream colored linen, playful polka dot print, glossy patent leather, shimmery gold metallic, and even fuzzy leopard espadrilles. I doubt there is a pair of espadrilles in existence that I wouldn't slip my feet into! 

Carmen Miranda inspired peeptoe espadrille platforms by Eric Michael

I can't even remember a summer that I didn't gallivant around in a pair of espadrilles. Espadrilles are my quintessential summer staple - they strike the perfect balance between earthy and glamorous. I suppose that is why they appeal to me so much. I have always envisioned myself to be a character in one of those classic Italian or French New Wave films by the likes of the great Vittorio de Sica or Federico Fellini. I remember one summer in particular - it was the summer that I fled my home country for the sanctuary of my adopted homeland. I stayed for three whole months, alone. I remember the steamy summer nights dancing at cafe's that stayed open way past midnight, vodka cocktail in hand, and metallic gold espadrilles shimmering under the lights of the discoteque. I remember wearing tomato red and cream polka dot peeptoe espadrilles while sitting by the glassy lake drinking macchiato's with my girlfriends at our favorite cafe, Aquarius. Most of all I remember the dark blue velvet nights when I would meet my lover for a secret rendezvous in a little cobblestone alleyway underneath by balcony. I always wore outfits that La Loren herself would have worn - one time it was a dark lime green peasant dress with cream colored polka dots, cream linen peeptoe espadrilles, and gold hoop earrings. Another time it was a vivid flame red pencil skirt with large white buttons down the back, black silk espadrilles, and a patent leather waist cincher. Another time it was just my soft pink negligee trimmed in bright tangerine lace, and my gold espadrilles. Whatever it was that I wore, espadrilles were always a vital part of it. Enough of the literary foolishness, lets get down to the photographs!

Cary Grant and Grace Kelly

Espadrille street style!

Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart

Bogey and Bacall

 I hope you enjoyed this post!

 Comrade Von Pussycat

La Loren in "Too Bad She's Bad"

 Comrade Von Pussycat

Marcello And His Leading Ladies

Comrade Von Pussycat

On Seduction And Silhouette

 Silhouette. I am obsessed with silhouette. Shadows, curves, and indentations...what could be more seductive than silhouette? I have always been good at one thing... in my experience, seduction has always been more about a revelation of cheek, charm, and silhouette rather than of mere skin. 

Never waste your charm one someone who doesn't appreciate it in the first place. Seduction should always come naturally, with minimal effort, it should never be forced because force equals desperation. It is always the dreamer who falls the hardest. They are always picking up the smallest details and reading into everything - these are the best victims because they imagine things are infinitely more fascinating/beautiful/enchanting than they really are. These are the epicureans, the fetishists. As La Loren once said, "Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got, and fifty perfect what they think you've got". 

The shadows have always been great friends of mine. As a struggling agoraphobic, it was only in the shadows that I found consolation. It was in the shadows that I found my lost Lolita soul. It was the shadows that breathed new life into this faded nymphet. Maybe this is why film noir fascinates me so - the mist, the fog, the shadows - I've always had a fascination with sublety and innuendo. Sometimes words can mean so little, but one look, one glance, one frame, can reveal everything. I abhor anything painfully obvious. The dreamers always fall the hardest. How do I know? Because that, dollface, is exactly what I am.

Isn't it divine? The perfect mix of femme fatale and Morticia Adams! I need this in my life...

Comrade Von Pussycat

Italian New Wave Cinema: Claudia Cardinale in "La ragazza con la valigia" or "Girl with a suitcase"

Comrade Von Pussycat

Everything You See I Owe To Pizza :)

The perfect weekend...

My brand spanking new (well, to me!) 1950's bathing suit featuring vivid tomato red stripes!

Local California produce!

California summer sunsets...

Nars Belle de Jour - the perfect nude

Comrade Von Pussycat

The Bikini Girls Of Sicily!

The "Bikini Girls" of Sicily - mosaic found from the Diocletian period (286-305 AD) at the Villa Romana Del Casale in Sicily, Italy

Beauty standards be damned, wear what makes YOU feel good this (and every) summer!

Comrade Von Pussycat

Puttana Americana!

For the longest time I have wanted to recreate photographs that evoke the work of the great Italian New Wave maestros...most notably Vittorio de Sica and Federico Fellini.  

La dolce vita...without a taste of bitter, there would be no sweet. Unadulterated pleasure can be no pleasure at all...without death there can be no life. I once felt great pleasure in knowing that certain things will expire, wither, and die.There was such sweetness and longing in that last, deep kiss...such glorious desperation in the arms of summer. Death can be comforting. Just as the thought of eternal youth can be menacing, and slightly morbid. I have always had a hedonistic streak in me, and sometimes I have to remember to be reasonable. I am one who is easily seduced by my senses, and who revels in the simplest details of life. Puttana, puta, kurva, whore...these have all been names of mine; names that hold a touch of sweetness along with the bitter. After all, sometimes the most beautiful things lie within the ugly...

Comrade Von Pussycat

Hollywoodland Style: Spring Is In The Air!

Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner

Gina Lollabrigida

Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren

Brigitte Bardot

Ida Lupino

Arlene Dahl

Rita Hayworth

My dream lipstick ;)