Article
September 5, 2011
5 comments
by Sadie

The New Zealand Man In His Own Words

A few years ago, I put a personal ad up online. Reading through the profiles of men who sent me a “smile” signal or who were matched to me automatically by the personals site, here is what I learned about the New Zealand Man.

Personality-wise, the New Zealand man is a relaxed specimen. He has “got a sence of humor (sometimes it`s a bit strange)”, and is “goal orintated and set hi standards for myself.” The New Zealand man asserts his normalcy with statements like, “Fairly laid back, does not take life too seriously,” “a very non threaening person,” “The vampire lifestyle just isn’t for me,” and “fun loving & happy to lie about how we met.”

What does the New Zealand man like to do? They are “passionate about fihing,” “flying, fishing, shooting,” “motorbikes, fishing and building things, walking,” “fishing,holidays,and casino,” “dogs fishing hunting”. I’m so glad I’m not a fish. New Zealand Man has a can-do attitude, always “upgrading the house” and pitching their woo by noting “i might come in handy to sort out problems with computers or Automotive Engineering.” Their dream vacation seems to be either a motorcycle trip across the U.S.A, or the desire to see the obscure corners of seven continents.

Where food is concerned, the New Zealand man is a carnivore, when he is not semi-vegetarian, and has pedestrian tastes, unless he is adventurous. Those who enjoy meat are firm in their preference, “Bacon &eggs, Meat&three veges, roasts etc.” “mmmm steak!!!” “wholesome meat,” “i d have to say i enjoy roast chicken.” For each guy who likes “Pasta, fish, chicken” is someone who boldy says “I don’t like pasta”. For themselves, they cook “stews, bolognese, steak, or what looks really nice in the cook book.” The results are often “surprising meals (even to myself)”. Wisely, the New Zealand man notes, “i dont find cooking that difficult, cleaning up is the big bug bare.”

Musically, the 80s live on; several fellows have as their latest new album Meatloaf’s Greatest Hits and works by David Lee Roth, Dire Straits, the Clash – have any albums been released in New Zealand since 1989? And is Peter Jackson’s oeuvre so irresistible that his films are cited again and again as a most recently seen movie? With the printed page, the New Zealand man leans towards enjoying nonfiction and classics such as “The Great Gasby”.

Spiritually, the New Zealand man is in touch with his emotions. These gentlemen are “happy go luck ,very romantic, very spiritual mined.” In amour, if not in guerre, “politics is for the useless monkeys.” In a romantic mood, they “enjoy night’s out on the town winning and dining.” Simple pleasures reign – The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayann is evoked by the wish for “A nice meal then the company of a caring loving woman,” the humble desire for “a nice lady to have outting’s with.”

Overall, New Zealand men are open to women as they truly are in finding their match – each understated wish for someone “fit” is paralleled with someone else’s bolder “appearance is less important than the person inside.” That said, there seems to be a striking amount of New Zealand men who dig tall chicks. “I’m into taller women — at least 167cm / 5’6″ would be great.” “Tall women only!!!” “On the tallish side.”

Above all, New Zealand men are true individuals…receiving 40th birthday gifts of a unicycle and a bottle of tequila…working on becoming an eccentric millionaire…drilling for oil in the sub-Antarctic…frequently a loner…wanting to set up wood shops or work on jewelry…photographing tigers…building model tanks…dancing up a storm…firing up the RV and heading off towards the horizon.

New Zealand Man, you make the copyeditor in me sigh in despair, even as the woman in me salutes you fondly.

For more of the New Zealand Man in his own words, with the benefit of some serious writing talent, check out Tim Jones’ new poetry collection. “Men Briefly Explained explores all aspects of contemporary manhood, the humourous and not so humourous, where men are in relation to women and to society in general. ” Click on the image for more!

I'm so glad we have this book at last.

Article
September 4, 2011
3 comments
by Sadie

Living in NZ, Shopping Overseas: Apology Necessary?

Why are quality clothes and cosmetics notably more expensive in New Zealand than in other Western markets? Should I feel bad about shopping overseas and having items shipped here?

A substantial amount of my wardrobe, and most of my shoes, comes from overseas, i.e., retailers outside of New Zealand. There are three reasons: sizes, selection, and “economies of scale.”

Everyone has a size rant, and you don’t need to hear mine. Selection is not a necessity to put clothes on one’s back, but a desire for a first-world luxury. But let’s take a closer look at those “economies of scale.”

Math: still this glamorousOutside of the importing retail giant The Warehouse, clothing and cosmetic prices are comparatively high in New Zealand. Blame is often laid on NZ government tariffs. But these are, according to NZIS (PDF document here) set at 9.5% for clothing, 6.5% for footwear, and 3.5% for fragrance.  That is…actually not that bad. Blame is also laid on shipping – and the costs incurred by outside NZ vendors shipping independently to New Zealand show that this, also, doesn’t account for the full story behind inflated prices. For example, let’s look at this pair of Naya shoes, originally priced at $140 in the USA. When we convert that to NZ currency, they are currently $165 NZD – let’s apply $10 tariffs, $15 shipping – let’s round it up a wee bit for stocking/processing and say $190 NZD.  But they’re for sale in downtown Wellington boutiques for $260. An MAC lipstick, about $15 in US, is currently $18 in NZD, with a tariff of – I can’t give it anything less than $5 and maintain my sanity – and minimal shipping. Again, let’s be generous and account for staffing/stocking and say $30. Instead, it’s $40. MAC is only sold via large corporate outlets, with counters in stores or as standalone stores themselves. So we have two items, in different retail settings, that average a mysterious 25% additional cost.

Math was never my strong point, but something seems wrong.

Are these higher prices perhaps a hangover from days when the NZ dollar was weaker? It’s been on the high side against the US dollar for a good eight months now, so for these new-season items, should we be seeing reduced prices?

If any NZ retailers out there have something to say about this, please, comment! Keep it clean and polite – we really want to know.

Meanwhile, in the past two years many international retailers have discovered it wasn’t the end of the world to ship to the end of the world. The response amongst NZ ladyconsumers is that links are being swapped. Endless for shoes, Strawberrynet for cosmetics, Asos for everything in all sizes. Ebay and Etsy sellers are in on the game.

For me, the occasional downside of buying mail order and overseas is getting stuck with lame ducks. Online reviewing reduces this tremendously, I find.  But what’s the downside for NZ and my local economy? I’m sucking money away from that.

I know brick and mortar stores have their costs, and the minimum wage in NZ is a living wage.  And I know local makeup artists. They are lovely and helpful. They get a bit if I buy from their counters. Personally, I feel there is a tackiness to trying colors at their counter, then running away and buying online.

In the USA, where online shopping has advanced tremendously, the retail landscape has been transformed. Borders Books has gone through a global collapse. In San Francisco on Valencia Street, every third boutique seemed emptied  by year 3 of a recession combined with the punch of Etsy as a quirky retail juggernaut. Here in NZ, we are seeing the retail impact of online shopping begin with the antique and vintage places that have shrunk and vanished, often citing online sale/auction sites.

To end on a slightly encouraging note, here are a list of NZ made items that are well priced and great quality:

  • Leather bags and wallets from Konev. I could go on all day about how great, sexy, and durable these are.
  • Thunderpants fun, amazing underwear and clothes.
  • Frutti on Cuba Street in Wellington stocks a range of affordable retro-flavored delights, mostly made in New Zealand.
  • Art and clothing from Felt.co.nz – note this lovely dress from Pixie Pocket! And this other one from coolitdaddyo! Made to your exact size, even. NZ vintagistas are ordering a lot of dresses from China-made ChicStar and retro-repro purveyors in the USA. You can see that we have price-competitive local alternatives.
"The things I've seen!" say these US WWII Navy binoculars.
Article
September 4, 2011
1 comment
by Sadie

If These Binoculars Could Talk

"The things I've seen!" say these US WWII Navy binoculars.These just may be the sexiest WWII Navy issue binoculars ever. You see, they have a story.

I was at a friend’s house and he said, “You’ll like this!” And he showed me two things. First he showed me a Pliocene era articulated Ostridae fossil, complete and articulated, and that was greatly appreciated. Then, later, he brought out the binoculars.

“The story with these is that the former owner’s grandmother accepted these during World War II in exchange for a weekend with her. They would have been worth about $1000 at the time.”

The mind reels. Forget silk stockings. How hot was she, for him to steal the binoculars? What kind of woman accepts high-end military optics as the price of her favors? Maybe one who’s in a local underground militia? Did they burn with chemistry for one another, and the binocular exchange was just an excuse?  Did she think he was a schlub at first, but changed her mind after the weekend of passion? Why did she keep the binoculars?

Notice the pearls on her umbrella?
Article
August 29, 2011
2 comments
by Sadie

Brunettes At The Burlesque

“Pictures of the audience at Carousel Cabaret! Yes! That will be a great place to find some Wellington style.” Was it ever – I was overwhelmed. Here’s some shots of what we all wore out to the burlesque.

Notice the pearls on her umbrella?This vision in white was a crowd favorite. In one of life’s strange coincidences, I ran into emcee Penny Ashton at the airport the next day and mentioned taking a picture of this delightful dame. Penny immediately said, “The meringue girl! I loved her!”

Suzie Shandy bringing tropical warmth to the end of winterSuzie Shandy, glamorous from head to toe.

The night belongs to them, whoever they are.Just outside the front door.

I'm loving the green and black. More tropical touches to warm up a cold night.

BOOOOOTS!Joie de Vivre shows off her fabulous rose-embroidered boots.

Va va voom!Not only have I admired this lady on multiple occasions, she is the proprietrix of I Like Pretty Clothes. You can find her own story behind this ravishing dress & much, much more there. This post would have gone up an hour sooner if I hadn’t been looking at her site. Her picture is last because you’re all going to go spend hours there, too!

All brunettes, I know…sincere apologies to a pair of stunning ladies whose picture didn’t come out. I loved them because one wasn’t wearing black – she wore sapphire satin, green, and a leopard print bolero – and the other had zinged up her ensemble with hot pink shoes and sequins. Our loss!

Such fun to design this poster!
Article
August 25, 2011
0 comment
by Sadie

Friday Follies: Sharpen Your Pencils Again

First I talk about this month’s Dr. Sketchy, then I link to some artists who will keep you on the web for hours and hours. So, go get something to drink before you read this post.

Dr. Sketchy Wellington happens every month, but I think this month is special – vintage seamstress Leimomi Oakes, aka The Dreamstress, and a host of models will be wearing exquisite corsets, and Leimomi will teach us about lingerie history. A corset lacing demonstration will be part of the event, so if you’ve ever wanted to learn the RIGHT way to lace and tie your corset, this will be the place.

I’m chuffed to have had the opportunity to design the poster for this event!

Such fun to design this poster!

To inspire us all to get drawing, here’s a few of my favorite female artists from the web:

Colleen Doran – Interviewed here by Molly Crabapple, the lush, bejeweled 80s style of her A Distant Soil space opera comic (you can read it online here) influenced a lot of us. And I still have a crush on Kovar to this day.

Amy Mebberson – Enchanting pinup girls, cartoons, and is particularly well known as a favorite Muppets artist. Vintagistas might like her Thorn cartoons about a naughty little girl in the 50s.

Dale Messick – Most famous as the artist of Brenda Starr, where she depicted the loopy adventures of a feisty redhaired reporter, with over-the-top fashion styling from the 40s through the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Here’s Dale’s life through the 20th century.

And, for a view into the mind of an art collector, here’s another Wellington event: Fleur’s Arty Farty Tea Party – meet artist Fleur Williams, get a tour of her art collection and studio, and have a lovely afternoon tea!

Article
August 21, 2011
1 comment
by Sadie

Vintage Perfume Bottles and Hidden Vintage Store “The Retro Room”

Part of my pleasure in perfumes comes from an attractive bottle – something that’s very subjective. At the end of our last perfume post, I loved the quirky sci-fi design of one perfume bottle, Womanity, while other people just found it bizarre. Right now my everyday perfume is something called “Woman in Rose”. It’s a light green-tinged floral, like someone rolled fresh leaves and scented rose petals and a hint of musk together and summoned The Perfume Fairy to make it last. But the bottle is a clunker.

Luckily, I can just decant  it into another bottle. I could use a practical, shiny new bottle, as recommended in the link. Or one of my favorite things, a vintage atomizer or bottle!

It can be challenging to find these -  “boudoir” items from the dressing table are now a vintage/antique collector category, one that’s getting more popular. But one day in downtown Wellington I saw a sign in a foyer for a vintage and jewelry shop, The Retro Room. I like exploring. Hidden stores in old buildings? Sign me up. After two flights of stairs, I was rewarded with a two-room vintage emporium that has great stash of vintage perfume bottles, atomizers, perfumes themselves, and makeup compacts. Naturally, The Retro Room has all kinds of retro goodness – I was impressed with their accessories in particular: shoes, purses, hats, jewellery all tempted. But with perfume on my mind  I was struck by their strong perfume-related inventory.

This is only one shelf of the vintage perfume bottle selection at The Retro Room in Wellington

The Retro Room has two locations in Wellington:
311 Willis Street (open regularly)
Room 27, Trade Union Building, 124 Vivien Street (open by appointment)

Both these places are on the second floor or higher, so walk into foyers and look up! Once a month they have a special late night for customers at the Vivien Street shop, complete with glasses of bubbly.

One of my favorite things about vintage atomizers is that sometimes the old perfume lingers in them. And then you add your perfume, and your scent gets a fascinating overlay. I adore this, but maybe you don’t. The Retro Room proprietor has the answer. She says, “Simply open the atomizer and rinse the bottle, using rubbing alcohol. Then let it dry.” This removes the previous scent. Brilliant!

Article
August 16, 2011
0 comment
by Sadie

Perfume Interview with Judith of Unseen Censer Part II: Advice and Recommendations

Yesterday we had Part I of our interview with perfumista Judith, who blogs at Unseen Censer. In the second part of her interview, she helps us make sense out of the massive amounts of perfume out there, and how to store it and wear it once it’s acquired.

An exceptionally lovely bottle from the Unseen Censer collection, vintage Nuit de Noel.

I asked her for her perfume recommendations – greens, florals, what to wear for a night at the burlesque, and what she’d recommend for a wedding. More advice is mingled with the recs, such as how to wear the more challenging artisanal perfumes. And at the end, I’ve noted my own New Zealand and online places to buy fragrance. So read on!

[Read more]

Article
August 15, 2011
5 comments
by Sadie

Perfume Interview with Judith of Unseen Censer, Part I

August’s interview is with the perfumista Judith of the fragrance blog Unseen Censer.  Not only is Judith discriminating and witty, she is generous – when I asked her for some perfume recommendations, she sent me some samples that blew me away and opened my “nose” to what perfume could be. I’ve known for years how wonderful she is. You’re just meeting her, so here are three of her blog posts to get you better acquainted:

I asked her, “What do you want to tell the world?” as her last question. But her response was so vivid and important that I am moving it up. Because if you only read one thing she has to say, it is this.

I’m reading The Emperor of Scent (fascinating book about Luca Turin, who wrote Perfumes: The Guide, and also by Chandler Burr, the New York Times perfume critic), and one of Turin’s observations really struck me.

Whenever he starts talking about perfume, people start laughing or tittering or smiling or squirming – they’re *embarrassed*. There’s something about scent that is bodied. People today, at least in America, are embarrassed that things ever do smell, much less that their bodies would smell, even if they smell good.

This is an appalling state of affairs. Embrace scent and you embrace the physical. That is a powerful feminist message. Be polite in your enjoyment of scent but never be ashamed. With or without perfume, you smell good; and much of the world smells good, and you should enjoy your sense of smell.

Vintage Diorisimo

Judith put together this montage of a favorite vintage bottle and, “The photos are of my great-great aunt Tessa and my great-grandmother Retta. Aren’t they beautiful?”

This interview is split into two parts. Today is Part I. Behind the cut, her perfume story, attending grand-scale perfume events in NYC, the ethics of buying online vs. buying at the store counter,  thoughts on perfume and New Zealand, men and perfume, and, oh, tons more. [Read more]

I had the greatest difficulty in finding a pretty Romney brunette who was not Lady Hamilton - my senior friend would have disapproved tremendously of Lady Hamilton!
Article
August 14, 2011
2 comments
by Sadie

“Ah, Perishable Clay”

I had the greatest difficulty in finding a pretty Romney brunette who was not Lady Hamilton - my senior friend would have disapproved tremendously of Lady Hamilton!This relative of mine,

Was she seventy and nine

When she died?

By this canvas may be seen

How she looked at seventeen, as a bride…

Were Romney’s limning true,

What a lucky dog were you,

Grandpapa!

To My Grandmother, Suggested by a Picture by Mr. Romney, by Frederick Locker-Lampson

A month and a half ago, the senior lady who I was visiting as a volunteer died. Naturally, I went to her funeral. I had only known her aged, frail, and modest.  Once in a while she’d reveal a glimmer of her past, for example, that she and her husband used to adore going out dancing in the 1940s and early 1950s. At her funeral, assembled by her family,  was a board of photographs from her entire life. As a light-footed blonde bride, she resembled one of the most petite and talented burlesque dancers I know.

I was irresistibly reminded of my own grandmother – also old, also tiny, though still alive, with a rose-cheeked sturdiness about her. Visiting her several years ago, I stumbled upon another one of those jaw-dropping old photos, one that had captured her as a 1930s stunner with a knowing glance beneath her coronet of hair. Boldly, I asked her, “What was it like to be so beautiful?” She replied, “I was never that beautiful. I just did the best I could with what I had.”

From these two piercing moments, and the time it took for this entry to ferment from my quiet sadness, I learned.

I learned that grief takes a while. That I should keep old photographs, and take new ones. Making time for seniors is worthwhile. And doing the best I can with what I’ve got runs in the family.

We’ll let Fred have the last word here, as a very fitting farewell:

In travail, as in tears,

With the fardel of her years,

Overpast,

With mercy she was borne

Where the weary and the worn

Are at rest.

Article
August 12, 2011
2 comments
by Sadie

Friday Follies: Pause for Breath

19th-century epergne. One day I shall own one of these exercises in glass-based dementia.My blog crush of the week is the adorable Dramatis Personae.

If you thought Peggy Carter in the Captain America movie seemed improbable, look at real-life gun-wielding bombshell Nancy Wake, operative known as “The White Mouse” because of her ability to escape from, oh, the Gestapo during WWII.

The My Body Gallery is a mindblowing project where you can see what real women actually look like. Phenomenal! I’ll be sending a photo in.

Besame cosmetics, in retro colors, are now available in New Zealand. The Vanity Case will come to your abode and do a vintage style party, if you so desire. Ordinarily I am meh about “social selling” events – it seems harsh to ask one’s friends to one’s abode to spend money so that you benefit. Still, Besame!

FashionNZ has had a site makeover and is now a lot easier to navigate.  Lots of designer lookbooks, if you want to see what’s up in the Antipodes. They have 6 or 7 giveaways every month for NZ and overseas residents.

Antique fair in Lower Hutt this weekend. A reliable source for well-priced vintage accessories and jewelry, with dealers from all over. Maybe I’ll find the epergne of my dreams…