Mad Men Holiday Party
Mad Men Holiday Party
I have been dreaming of attending a Mad Men party since I started watching the show in its second season. A vintage fiend with a soft spot for themed events, it seemed the ultimate cocktail party option. Emily and her husband Tony fulfilled all of my dreams this weekend, filling their new Presidio home with friends and sixties charm for a Holiday soiree. Emily is the consummate hostess, recalling the well-mannered and impeccably groomed housewives of another era. Even perched inconspicuously on a chair in the corner she is all grace poise.
Every detail was perfect: candy cigarettes laid out wrapped in Lucky Strike wrappers, elegant china and polka dot napkins, a table of delicious old-style nibbles, a meticulously curated playlist of vintage holiday tunes, a cocktail bar stocked with soda-pop in glass bottles and all the makings for mixing Old Fashioneds.
Everyone dressed in theme with skirts and skinny ties. Lit by the warm glow of candles and the Christmas tree we pretended to elegantly smoke, continued to actually drink (albeit less elegantly), referenced fake accounts, and carried on into the wee hours of the morning. As far as holiday parties go, it was truly magical. Don Draper couldn’t have asked for more.
Bewitching.
I’ve been on a Bewitched spree as I make my Christmas crafts. I find it delightful that full episodes are available on Youtube…I’m already 2/3 of the way through season one! I adored this show when I was little and it was on Nick at Nite, always running to my best friend’s living room with bowls of ice cream for ‘Bewitched Be-wednesdays’. Jeannie was of course a close second (though even at seven the whole “master” thing was off-putting). It’s amazing that the show still holds up (albeit remaining an odd sixties combo of American optimism, exaggerated gender roles and sweet innocence), but I guess good television knows no era. I have always thought Elizabeth Montgomery to be enchanting, and Endora wickedly amazing. And as a vintage-lover I’m really getting a kick out of the clothing and set styling. Samantha’s clothes are outstanding!
I also like to think that Sam’s refusal to ever settle into being a “normal suburban housewife” was a little feminist uprising through nose twitching. You can’t stop an amazing woman!
(Source: aggiephile)
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The Velvet Underground | Oh Sweet Nuthin’
Bardot A Go Go: Party Like it’s 1965
Yesterday, after dinner in Hayes Valley with a friend, I sort of stumbled into a French time-warp pop art extravaganza at Rickshaw Stop. Bardot A Go Go (a post-Bastille Day party) was in full swing and it was one of those fun random nights only San Francisco can offer. Blacklight Warhol prints lined the walls, a candy-colored balloon drop cascaded from the balcony, and a Brigitte Bardot movie-montage was projected on the wall. I sipped Sofia Champagne in a can (complete with a psychadelic pink straw) and watched girls in swing dresses and white boots dance with boys in skinny ties and mod suits on a packed dance floor. There was a salon station where stylists crafted towering beehives, Mad Men worthy bobs and teased bouffants on the spot. Patrick, Vannessa and I did our best to keep up with the swinging 60’s french pop, but were not quite as good as the Devilettes–a go-go troupe that took the stage in fringe and glittering horns. It was random, hot, about as close to stepping into a time machine as I could get…and my vintage heart loved every minute of it.
Dolly Parton | Dumb Blonde, 1967
So…this is adorable.
Cleopatra, 1963: Part Two
Cleopatra, 1963: Part One
I started watching this movie yesterday, have only made it halfway through (which clocks in around two hours) and have more inspiration screencaps than I know what to do with! I decided if I was going to share, I’d better break it down into parts. First off, this movie was expensive and it shows. I can’t get over the epic quality of the sets and costumes. The budget for Elizabeth Taylor’s wardrobe was the highest ever for a single screen actor: her 65 outfits even included a dress made from 24-carat gold cloth. The color and tonal gradients of lighting make the backgrounds look like paintings against which all this is set. So in terms of visual richness and scale, I am in love.
Though long, I’ve yet to be bored, as the acting is just as engaging as the visuals. I am particularly fond of Rex Harrison’s Caesar…and Rex Harrison in general (My Fair Lady is an all time favorite). Liz’s ability to move from regal to petulant to sexy in a single breath is almost as astounding as her legendary beauty. What she can do in a single look! I’ve also been surprised at how often the film has been funny.
This is inspiring me to play with the ancient world as an artistic theme, or at least have an inspired Halloween costume. I will, however, settle for less than 65 outfits.
Barbra Streisand - My Man (from Funny Girl, 1968)
Not that the jury needed any more evidence about how much of a gay man I am at heart, but I really just needed to take a tumblr moment to declare some love for Babs. I mean anyone that can belt a showtune with a sequin on the side is a favorite in my book, obviously. I was completely charmed by her in The Way We Were–not to mention in awe of her impeccable vintage fashion–and I sometimes wonder if she has been an underrated beauty.
As we speak, I’m working to Yentl (with Funny Girl all queued up to come on next) and I have to say: the woman was just gorgeous. Not conventionally so, but she absolutely glows with star quality. It’s the old Hollywood glow…you know, when actors were actually still entertainers and lit up the screen? The kind of glow that emanates from a woman who isn’t just pretty to look at, but has her wits about her. You don’t see enough of that these days. If I had a glass I’d raise it.
Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, 1963
(Source: romini)
