Hi, my name is Ruby Rach, and I'm a shopaholic...

I am hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. Not only do I not have enough money to see me through until my next pay day (we're talking two fortnights worth of $200 loan repayments, and one fortnight of $220 rent), but I'm spending money like there is no tomorrow!

So far on my credit card?
- Victoria's Secret
- Bettie Page Clothing
- Lucky 13 from Daddy Os
- ASOS
- Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

And I want to go shopping in town today! Someone take away my credit cards, please! (Actually, this wouldn't work, because I've memorised my CC numbers).

But... the things I've bought are super cute! Like to take a peek? (Top to bottom, left to right)



Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things demi bra and briefs
Bettie Page Clothing Bernadette dress
ASOS contrast button and ribbon blouse in pink/black
Lucky 13 'After Hours' dress from Daddy Os (finally marked down)
ASOS ruffle front chiffon top in cream
ASOS premium cutwork collar silk cotton top in black
ASOS enamel bow suede effect elastic belt in black
Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Lady Dragon heels in pearl

To justify my purchases, everything from ASOS was on sale, as was the Lucky 13 dress and the Victoria's Secret items. The tops are to wear to work, and I'm hoping at least one of the dresses arrives before Jan 10, because I have an engagement party to attend. Yay, I can't wait for goodies to start arriving in my letter box!

What Katie Did

I am addicted to WKD stockings. Yes, it would be even better if the dollar hadn't recently crashed, but what can I say, even the current exchange rate is worth it. I was lucky enough to have a very lovely KK this year, who gave me for Xmas a pair of WKD seamed tulle stockings - my previous pair had fallen victim to puppy dog claws.

WKD also have an amazing range of reproduction lingerie and corsets - I have one of their underbust corsets in pink. I absolutely love this one too, but I can't justify another corset - I don't wear the pink one near enough:



Also on my wishlist are items from the Harlow range:



I highly doubt it will ever happen, but should I find myself in London again, my first port of call will be the WKD store. Financial suicide? Yes. Worth it? Yes yes.

Shapewear

Shapewear is paramount to the vintage wardrobe. Corsets, girdles, suspender belts, corselettes, waist cinchers - all fantastic things to make you look thinner. Unlike the shapewear of today (imagine bike-short-esque underwear that leaves painful marks on your thighs and waist), vintage shapewear was glamorous and sexy, as well as working much better than the modern day equivalent. Honestly, if it's not broken, don't fix it!

Now, I personally adore Rago. Their powermesh corselette is at the top of my wishlist. A touch expensive, yes. But worth it? Oh so yes. Fingers crossed in the near future I will be the proud owner of quite a few Rago items, thanks to the lovely folks at American Shapewear.

I am also fond of the items available at What Katie Did - but my love is so deep for WKD, it requires its very own blog post.

16th Annual Toy Run - Geelong to Queenscliff

If you haven't heard of the Toy Run, it's pretty much this: Hundreds of harsh looking blokes and even harsher looking women on Harleys ride from one locale to another, donating toys, gifts and money to local charities.

Well, although I'm not a harsh looking woman (at least I'd like to believe so), my other half and I participated just this weekend gone! Apparently over 850 bikes took part in the Geelong to Queenscliff run - it certainly didn't seem like there were that many bikes.



We had a police escort the entire way, we never stopped at a single set of traffic lights, all intersections were blocked so cars couldn't pull out until we'd all passed (must have been a pain for them, but pure heaven for us). People lined up on the side of the road to wave us and hand toys to us. We even spotted a little old grandma getting right into the waving (you know, the really over-the-top arms-over-the-head waving?)... and it turned out to be my partner's grandma! She's a cool kid.

Anyway, top notch day for a top notch cause. I found one picture where you can (kind of) see us. We're on the far far right, just behind the guy on the trike (bike with the light on).

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957

I'm planning a day trip to Bendigo. Just to see this dress:



I first saw it yesterday on the front cover of the free magazine 'Antiques & Art in Victoria'. To me, it is the perfect 1950s photo - beautiful dress, perfectly styled hair and impeccable makeup. If only I could dress like that. Sigh.

The FC Holden

I recently purchased my first classic car. And she's a beaut. She's a 1959 Holden FC Special Sedan. When I bought her, I was told it would be simple to get her roadworthied and changed into my name. Ahh, so not the case, liars!



I took her to be roadworthied, and came back with an A4 sheet sized list of problems, which means the previous owners (who only had her for a few months) had the dodgiest RWC done ever. She has rust in the floor, the steering is shot, the brakes are shot... the list goes on and on.

But there is hope. My partner-in-crime is a boiler maker, so he can fix all the rust. My dad has sourced a HR front end from a mate, so that should go in with minimal discomfort (apart from changing some engine mounts).

I have dreams for this car. Once it's roadworthy and in my name, she'll get a paint job, new interior roof lining and carpet, pearlised steering wheel to match the exterior colours (like the one below), then I'll be able to take her to shows! Perhaps even a pin-up photoshoot with her? Who knows!

Johnny Burnette Trio

Johnny Burnette has to be one of the kings of rockabilly. There isn't a song of his I don't love. It's hard to choose an all-time favourite, but I think 'Honey Hush' takes the cake:

Woman's World

It's very rare that I suffer from shopping jealousy. However, when a lady came up to the register at the op shop I volunteer at with the book "Woman's World", I immediately began plotting ways of talking her out of her $2 purchase. Needless to say, I smiled politely and let her walk out with perhaps the greatest book ever written.

Now, I've forgiven that lady. Because I have my very own copy! After months of searching the internet and refusing to pay more than $100, I found someone selling it in Queensland for only $25!



The book covers everything from cuts of meat, how to catch your first man, poisons and their antidotes, gifts for hobbyists of all ages, telephone manners, and making skirts and slacks! It is quite literally the Bible for women in the early 1960s.



I'd like to offer you a section from the "Every Wise Woman" section, titled "Your First Date":

You are going on your first date.
You are excited, exhilarated, nervous, shy and wondering what to talk about, what to wear, how to behave. You can't go wrong if you wear a simple dress, plainly made. You do not need trimmings - a bracelet or a string of small pearls is quite enough.
Have your hair done specially - but simply - because it will give you confidence. Nails are plain or pale pink, definitely not red or exotic, because you are too young for such things. Remember, in spite of the natural desire to seem madly sophisticated, you are young and that youth has a charm that is yours only now. Youth won't return - make the most of it.
Plain court shoes, plain matching gloves and envelope handbag, bare head, and you're right. Lipstick should not be bright.
You must NOT wear a very conspicuous dress, touch up your hair, or look too expensive, Such effects only frighten a teenage escort and embarrass an older man.

Fantastic. At 600 pages, I have quite some reading ahead of me! I love the almost Jetson-esque drawings on the inside front and back covers. I also found an old page from the April 19, 1961 issue of the Australian Woman's Weekly folded up between pages - one side is an advert for Kraft cheese, the other side showing different cuts of meat! The book also came with the original receipt - Miss Helen Jobson from Echuca took four months to repay the £10.15 cost of the book. That does seem excessive for 1963, doesn't it?

Bernie Dexter

I would like to pay homage to my favourite modern pin-up... Mrs Bernie Dexter



You can't really look at any pin-up clothing site without seeing the beautiful Bernie modeling their items. I think my favourite picture of her right now is this one:

Wicked Minky - Tatto Inspired Jewellery

I stumbled upon Wicked Minky's amazing jewellery one day while traipsing etsy for something to buy. Her jewellery is designed by her tattoo-artist boyfriend, then created by her!





I purchased the swallow earrings, cherry blossom earrings, and swallow & loveheart necklace, and there are plenty more items on my wishlist! I love how colourful the sugar skulls are. Click on the picture below to visit Wicked Minky's etsy store:

Certifiably Pinned Up

Well, here are my pin-up photos, fresh from being edited!






Thoughts?

Revamp Productions Purses

A handbag styled from a classic car? We'll take one! Revamp Production Purses are inspired by classic cars, and are all custom made. They're not cheap though, at around US$350. I'd best start saving my pennies.



Available instore from Route 66 (AU), and online from BabyGirl Boutique (US) and Pinup Girl Clothing (US)

Vivien of Holloway

The good thing about economic recession is that it forces me to really consider how much I love an item before I buy it from overseas. It also forces me to kick myself for not acting sooner and buying the item when it was $50 cheaper. C'est la vie!

However, there wasn't any doubt to the amount of love I have for this Vivien of Holloway dress:


Ahh, isn't she a beaut? It's their 1950s Halterneck Chantilly White Dress. I finally bit the bullet and got it for around AU$180 on eBay, after seeing it closer to the $110-120 mark before the dollar dived. I'm not normally one to buy something and put it away in the wardrobe - I have to wear my new purchases straight away - but I'm saving this to wear to a wedding in March... Gah, can I wait that long? Click on the image below to be taken to the Vivien of Holloway website:

The Pinup Workshop Co.

For those of you interested in looking like a pin-up, but have never done a photoshoot before, or have no idea how to set your hair and apply makeup like a pin-up? The Pinup Workshop Co. is your answer!

I was getting so disheartened, reading on American websites how girls were running workshops for fellow girls wanting the pin-up experience, and I'd never even heard of such a thing... (Living in the country might have a fair bit to do with that!) So I googled, and I googled. And I found The Pinup Workshop Co.

TPWC is run by the lovely Paula Delley, pin-up photographer, and a handful of pin-up girls. I was lucky enough to experience this workshop, why, just this weekend past! It only took one hint dropped to my significant other before he offered to pay for me as part of my birthday present. (He probably realised he'd be gaining something out of it as well!)

Sure, finding Paula's address turned out to be a little tricky, but all six of us eventually found it, and settled in for a day of primping, preening and pouting. First, Paula and the pin-up of the day, Miss T, set our hair in pin-curls and hot rollers. Then, we went about applying our best pin-up faces. Note to self - if you have asymmetrical eye creases (as I apparently have), best start practicing eyeliner flicks now! When we were false-lashed and ruby-lipped, our rollers and pin-curls were then released and styled by Paula. Lastly, our chosen outfit, then we were ready for the camera!

We all had such a fabulous day, and I will be sure to post my (thankfully photoshopped) pictures as soon as I receive them. Click on the picture below to be taken to TPWC's myspace page!

Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome...

Have you ever felt you were born in the wrong decade? I was born in the 80s... the hideous, hideous 80s. Luckily, I was too young to remember that decade, but oh, good God, the 90s weren't any better, and there hasn't been much improvement since, if you ask me.

I wish I was a teenager in the mid to late 50s. My dream era. But no amount of dreaming or wishing is going to make that a reality, so I'm living the 50s now! And I'll use this blog to showcase my fashion finds, fave pin-ups and swingin' beats.

So enjoy!