Thoughts on Glamour

I was inspired by a blog I read the other day. One of my favorite bloggers, sfgirlbybay, posted on a topic I've thought about more often than I can say. That is, the topic of glamour, and - more specifically - the glamour of days gone by.

I'm such a romantic, and I love different eras for different reasons, but what I find most romantic about all of them is their glamour. I absolutely love watching 'period' movies. To escape into a time different than our own is fascinating...the style, the mannerisms, the social etiquette, the way people interacted with one another...it's all just so enchanting to me. I've been wanting to do this more and more lately - get lost in period movies. This is certainly a time - the time we're in now- that seems to lack the glamour of yesterday...or, dare I say glamour at all.
One era I really love getting lost in is 40's/50's. Before it got all "rock & roll" and poodle skirts (don't get me wrong, that's an era worth its weight, just not as glamorous to me), style was just so...classic(?). It's difficult to put it into a word, because "classic" isn't descriptive enough, though it is how I see it from the viewpoint of 2009. Anything made today that is worth having, is designed "classically", in my opinion. And, a lot of its influence is from this era.


The clothes were earthy in color, texture and pattern, yet refined and tailored. Women were homemakers of an extra-terrestrial dimension. Today we covet the furniture made then, for good reason. People got dolled up for card games at friends' houses, or to head down town to the Elk's Club. Saturday night was certainly a night to look forward to. Guys put effort into their wardrobe, their hair, their shaving techniques...everyday, and weren't called "effeminate" for it - that's just what it was to be a guy. And, the music - don't get me started on the music! It oozed romance and sensuality. Oh, and smoking was cool.
So, I've decided that, upon reading that blog, and watching some of my favorite movies this weekend (Chocolat, Mona Lisa Smile, Swing Kids, to name a few), that I need some of this in my life. Yes, need. Don't get me wrong..I'm not planning to sleep in a twin bed while my husband sleeps in another, and I don't know the first thing about putting hot rollers in my hair, but it seems that adding a little glamour from this era (or any other), would add an element to my life that I feel is missing. If there's anything to "past lives", I feel I probably lived there, in the 40's and 50's, and today I'm depriving myself of a time I really loved living in. Either way, it will be fun! And, with the Winter doldrums moving in, it seems the perfect time to start.

Fortunately, I have at least one partner in crime, my husband. Probably the most important, when it comes to having an appreciation of this sort, and incorporating it into our life. He decided, just months before our wedding, that he wanted to start shaving with a safety razor, like this one:

So, as a wedding gift, I found him one, and he's been using it ever since. He loves it! He has said that using something like this is just one small way he can incorporate the classic elements of that era, and that using it feels more "manly" - as in, the ways of men of another time, like Clark Gable and Cary Grant. During our wedding preparations, we also stumbled upon a wonderful little shop over in St. Paul that harkens back to a time when men put this kind of thought and effort into their appearance. Heimie's Haberdashery is a one stop shop for suits, hats, ties and everything in between, as well an old time barbershop, where they do everything from haircuts to traditional shaves to shoe shining. It's quite inspiring.

I need to visit some vintage shops too. Not that I want to dress in vintage clothing everyday, but it would nice to incorporate some fun pieces into my wardrobe. There's a shop on Hennepin, right here in our neighborhood, that I should visit more often (even if the girls who work there seem to look down on anyone entering the store who isn't clearly "vintage" inspired): Via's Vintage. Unfortunately they don't have a website; the link is to the Citysearch page with description and address.

Of course, all of this talk of a time that was classic and romantic, brings to mind the elements that weren't necessarily great. Every era and generation has its downsides. We've moved ahead to a great degree, in that women are no longer expected to stay home and learn how best to serve their husbands. We don't attend preparatory schools just waiting to find a husband and get married off and "taken care of". We have a say in our lives that women of that age did not. And, there was a time in my life when I laughed, arrogantly, at that era, and at the women who were "suckered" into that life. Now I have a different point of view, not only because I'm older and wiser and life has taught me that "I don't know it all", but also I think because I'm planning to (hopefully) soon become a mom. There are a lot of elements of a time when "mom stayed home" that were good, that I think our society is missing out on. But, to say that I'd rather stay home and care for my family and keep a beautiful home, today, seems almost anti-feminist or backward thinking. Nonetheless, we do live in a time when we have the option to do that, or work outside the home and have careers of our own - whichever we choose. This is, of course, leading into an entirely different topic, one that probably demands its own blog. Another topic from this one is the idea that our lives are "better" because of modern conveniences (are they?)...but I'll steer back to the subject at hand.

To finish, I just want to add that this is something that is going to be fun as well as interesting, the addition of glamour into my life. I am, by nature, a bohemian/artsy/organic type, but I also have a need for clean, uncluttered elements in my life, such as my home, my appearance, etc. I feel like two different people most days, and it can be daunting to find the balance. But, finding balance, in my opinion, is life's great challenge after all!

Feeling inspired, but wanting yet more to chew on, I think I'll go and watch Mona Lisa Smile again....