Vintage Pajamas & Loungewear of the 1920s-1950s

Followers of my blog might remember that I recently paired up with Starlotte Satine Vintage to showcase her ‘Vintage Canadian Inspiration’ Interviews she was doing on her social media channel. It’s a project that is close to my heart, being a vintage Canadian myself and I’m excited to bring you Part 2 today (P.S. One of them is Me!). If you missed Part 1, don’t fear it’s right HERE.

About the Series:

Step inside the minds of Canadian Vintage life stylists in the modern world and find out what their passions, tips, and lives are like through my #canadianvintageinspiration hash tag! Once a week for #followfriday and #men’svintagemonday I’ll be posting Canadian vintage enthusiasts who are shaping the Canadian vintage scene and keeping it alive.

The Canadian vintage scene is much smaller than the rest of the world so I want to shine the spotlight on some of the amazing people who make Canadian vintage so great by showcasing incredible vintage fashions across Canada. I hope this project inspires others who are looking for fashion inspiration and to showcase homegrown vintage lovers. I hope to also give people an outlet to take bold risks with fashion and step outside their comfort zone.

First, up Steffi Kay.

Steffi Kay is not only a connoisseur of vintage fashion but one of the only female mind readers/ mentalists in the world. You can see her perform with her partner, Mysterion as ‘The Sentimentalists‘ (P.S. They are amazing!).

Q. What do you wish to see more of in the Canadian vintage scene especially in Ontario?

A. If there’s one thing I would encourage in the visuals of our local scene, it would be to amplify the authenticity. A modern trend that has evolved rapidly with the growth of Instagram (and I’ve noticed has made its way to the vintage world of whimsy) has been to “stand out” excessively… it’s evolved to the point that every part of every outfit has become a “statement” piece. Which, of course, takes away from an authentic vintage look. Understated elegance and function has been forgotten thanks to fast fashion and immediacy.

Q. What’s the best piece of fashion advice you’ve ever received?

A. A valuable (and favourite) fashion tip I acquired was through a dear friend who lives across the street and has a wonderful little shop called “Frou Frou”. While shopping with my mother perusing his shop for the first time, I was maybe 14, we had found a beautiful tilt hat and I had no idea how to wear it. He noticed that the dress I had on had an asymmetrical design on the right and said “always keep the interest on one side”. It makes delectable placement without much thought for both accessories and my hair.

Q. What is the main thing you look for when shopping for that one special piece of vintage to add to your collection?

A. My eagle eyes go for Fashion Originators labels… they date the piece between 1932 and 1941… which I think is absolutely magical as most pieces are only to be dated by production knowledge and the trends of the year.

Q. Over the last few years your sense of style has really evolved into the ultimate vintage glamour connoisseur, what’s the main things that have inspired your sense of style and what are some tips you could share that you’ve learned while bringing your fashion game to the next level?

A. My sense of style is driven by my love for looking genuine… I’ve always collected old magazines for collaging (I only use photocopies to cut up!) so whilst growing up I was exposed to images that were a lot different from the modern gossip and fashion magazines. What I did notice was that although the images were carefully chosen and sometimes heavily (but primitively) doctored that the trends weren’t as extreme as the standards of today. Discovering a vintage look that is more convincing involves research and lots of mental notes. Using ones imagination is wonderful, but using the mindset of someone from the decade you love and THEN using that imagination will really get you somewhere.

Q. Being a traveling performer with the Sentimentalists and having vintage fashion play such a huge role in what you do takes up a ton of time and energy. How do you stay so glamorous on the road while staying true to your vintage lifestyle?

A. Some months I have multiple shows nearly every single day… but I have my process down to an art. That being said, I know how to give myself a break when I need it. I truly love exercising my vintage dresses at the events I perform at. Nothing makes me happier than framing my treasures properly. The volume of shows does make things get hectic but what I’ve learned to be glamorous in a pinch is a few easy steps:

1. Find an outfit you love, find a hairstyle that can come together quickly that also won’t come out quickly.
2. Do the classic vintage makeup basics (if possible, wear waterproof eyeliner and bring make up remover for your lipstick).
3. Footwear that won’t tire you out, and a shawl or beaded cardigan in case it’s f-f-f-freezing.

All of these things are PRACTICAL. Glamour doesn’t appear glamorous if you’re miserable. If you don’t feel confident in the outfit, you’ll be distracted from having fun. If you pick a hairstyle that gets disheveled easily, you’ll be worried about how the photos will look. The waterproof eyeliner and make up remover is to prevent mishaps and if you do have one (lipstick bleed from oily foods or rubbing your eyes only to smudge your non waterproof liner) that you have solutions that prevent some make up from “ruining” your look. Your shoes should not be the reason to say no to doing things… they are only beautiful if you can walk in them.

These are all tips to help accentuate YOU. It’s paramount to enjoy your outing and focus on feeling glamorous rather than feeling like you’ve forgotten something, that you need to take a fourth look in he mirror, or that you’re wishing you wore something else.

The more time you have the more you allocate to adding things on, but never forget the basics of comfort… because it’s hard to feel pretty if you’re too cold. Combining all of those tips with a vintage wardrobe is the golden ticket for a lasting impression.

Make sure you follow Steffi Kay on Instagram for a weekly dose of vintage glamour in your life.

Lastly for today’s post, it’s ME the Vintage Inn Blog! Check out my interview below (Thanks for letting me be part of the experience Starlotte!).

Q. How has Lindy Hop influenced your vintage lifestyle/ fashion and what got you started in swing dance in the first place?

A. I started swing dancing because for as long as I can remember I have loved the music from the 1930’s & 40s. My grandfather had a pretty awesome big band collection and I would always go thru his music when I would visit, and I would ask for this to be played and that to be played. It was a great way to step back in time for a few hours.

BUT it was not until the late 90’s when the famous Jump, Jive & Wail GAP commercial aired and the movie “Swing Kids” hit the theatres that I knew that Swing Dancing (Lindy hop) needed to be in my life. It would not be until almost 10 years later that I would get that chance, but another 10 years later, I am still in love.

Now my vintage style emerged from my dancing. I have always loved clothing from other eras and I would spend hours drawing my own designs of styles long gone but growing up in Sarnia, there were really no “vintage stores” and everyone just dressed pretty much mainstream, so I did the same.

It was only after I moved to Toronto for Fashion School in 1999, that my eyes were open to this whole new world of “vintage clothing”, but I still kept my mainstream style.

Then Lindy Hop entered my life in 2008 and I no longer felt comfortable heading out in jeans and t-shirts, I needed 40’s dresses, 50’s circle skirts (to name just some of the items in my closet), vintage hairstyles, the shoes and purses to match.

Once those clothes landed on my body, I 100% felt that I had found the “REAL LIZ”. it felt so very right and I have not looked back since (while I will admit that once in a while “mainstream Liz will make an appearance or two).

Q. When did you create The Vintage Inn and what was your main reason for wanting to blog vintage experiences?

A. I created the Vintage Inn because I am fascinated by the time periods between the 1920’s and the 1960’s. The history, clothing, music, etc. and I wanted to share my passion with others who might feel the same way.

I was also wanted to have a more Canadian component to my blog, which was often missed in many blogs posting about the same time period. So when you visit my blog, you will not only see vintage images from the 1940s, but you might also learn about where people went dancing in Ontario during the Swing Era and what classic movie stars were born in Canada. Topics like these are really why I wanted to start my blog.

Q. What’s your favourite piece of Toronto’s/ Canada’s vintage fashion history?

A. This is an easy one; it’s hands down the story of Veronica Foster, the original rosie the riveter. But in Canada she was actually called the ‘Bren Gun Girl’ and came BEFORE Rosie was invented. Veronica worked in the Bren Gun Factory right here in Toronto and became the poster girl for the Canadian Home-front Effort.

Q. What’s one place you’d recommend to someone wanting to travel to experience the ultimate vintage experience?

A. Oh, this a good question! I love travelling and have been to many places that have several wonderful vintage elements to them but I think for the purpose of this interview I would say, ‘Havana, Cuba’.

If you love Art Deco Design (which I do) and the 1950’s, then Havana is your place. Spend a weekend there, stay in the hotel where Ernest Hemingway lived for several years (I did), get a ride in an authentic 1950’s Bel-Air, walk around the Historic Quarter and look up to all the beautiful Art Deco Buildings towering over you, sit down in a bar and listen to the beautiful Cuban Music playing and then while drinking a classic Mojito, close your eyes and soon you can see 1950’s Cuba in it’s heyday. That my friends is a true vintage experience.

That is it for today but if you would like to read ahead and see the other Canadian’s featured thus far, please visit Starlotte Satine Vintage’s Facebook Page or Instagram.

In a vintage online buying mood? Then you have to check out the store’s Etsy Page HERE.

I hope you enjoyed the first of many in this series (thank you to Starlotte for putting this together) and if you know of anyone that should be featured please reach out in the comments below or via the social media links above.

Thank you!

Liz