Halloween might be over but that doesn’t mean you have to stop creepin’ it real. I’ve still been feeling particularly spooky these days even with the holiday season upon us. I even purchased a book of Victorian era Christmas ghost stories on Amazon recently! See, I’m getting in to the holiday spirit! I’m all about “scary ghost stories and tales of the glories from Christmases long long ago.”Ok, I guess you could say I’m not quite ready to let go of Halloween. What’s another thing I’m not ready to let go of ?? You probably guessed it…casual style inspired by Marilyn Monroe! On screen Marilyn brought the glitz and glam but off screen she brought chic everyday style. The easiest way to add a touch of Marilyn to your everyday style is by throwing on a headscarf and your favorite cat-eye sunglasses. A bold red lip is optional but always encouraged!

Happy almost Friday, everyone!

High waisted jeans from Uniqlo // Sweatshirt from H&M // Unique Vintage pumpkin headscarf from Dela DeVille’s Vintage

One brand I’ve been absolutely loving this year is Vixen by Micheline Pitt. You guys know supporting small businesses is a passion of mine and I could support Vixen all day! The one thing I love so much about this brand is the quality. It’s amazing! Honestly, I hadn’t found a modern day brand that even came close to the fit and quality of true vintage until I discovered Vixen. Almost all pieces available for purchase at Vixen are designed by Micheline Pitt and handmade in Los Angeles! Did I mention the sizing at Vixen is also all inclusive?! Yep, XS – 4X so there’s absolutely something fabulous for everyone!

The vintage inspired prints and silhouettes Micheline’s brand has to offer are definitely the perfect combination of glam and every day spooky- so you’re destined to keep going back for more!

Photography by Michaela H. Photography

Dress and hat from Vixen

Gloves from La Femme en Noir

Taking a break from spooky style to talk about this vintage inspired look from Chicwish!

Over the past few months I’ve been loving separates more than ever and I definitely have Marilyn Monroe to thank for it! When researching Marilyn’s style, her love for relaxed separates (and understated accessories) is frequently mentioned. I’ve taken countless makeup and on screen style tips from Marilyn but I’ve really only dabbled with the casual chic attire she seemed to prefer off screen. While shopping Chicwish’s new fall collection, the pieces featured in this post spoke to me and of course reminded me of Marilyn! Not only was she a fan of separates, she was also a fan of neutrals. All things I’m trying to incorporate more of in to my wardrobe. Marilyn was a woman ahead of her time in many ways and fashion was no exception. If you look at her everyday style and her essentials, it resembles a modern day capsule wardrobe! I thought this ruched long sleeve top, in cream, and caramel faux leather pencil skirt would be perfect additions to my Marilyn capsule wardrobe.

Although Marilyn usually opted for a head scarf while out and about, I thought this (true vintage) faux leopard pill box hat would compliment my neural color palette while adding some 1950s flair!

Thank you to Chicwish for sponsoring this post!

Photography by @littlephotofox!

I discovered Dela Deville’s Vintage back in May and I’ve been hooked ever since. This Arkansas based small business has quickly become one of my favorite places to shop! Dela’s authentic vintage and vintage inspired pieces add a unique flair to my wardobe that I cannot get enough of! I even got my BFF hooked on the shop so now we just encourage each other to keep shopping small LOL. I have to say, Dela is the absolute sweetest as well! Although, I’ve never met her, she’s the type of shop owner that keeps you coming back for more. Dela adds a personal touch to every order and connects with all of her customers long distance or local.

In July when Dela began rolling out her 2020 Halloween collection, I instantly began shopping it! I’m convinced no one knows spooky season and spooky style quite like Dela! I’m a little obsessed with all of her vintage inspired Halloween pieces and you can bet I’ll be wearing my spooky purchases year round.

Retrolicious Creature of the Night wiggle dress from Dela Deville’s Vintage, Oblong Box vintage cat sweater from at Dela Deville’s Vintage.

Photos taken at Cobalt Studios by Michaela Higgison !

News flash: Halloween is not cancelled. Although this Halloween may look different from past Halloweens, the holiday isn’t cancelled. Trust me, no one can cancel your Halloween spirit!

Listen, the minute you get “too old” to go Trick-or-Treating, something magical happens…You figure out how to make Halloween still feel like Halloween sans knocking on doors for candy. I’d like to think I have 30+ years of experience keeping the Halloween spirit and this year is no different.

If some of your usual Halloween festivities are cancelled and you’re looking for things to do, I’ve got you covered! Below are 10 things you can do at home to get in the Halloween spirit:

1. Watch spooky movies. Hocus Pocus, Nightmare Before Christmas, Bride of Frankenstein, Sleepy Hollow and Corpse Bride are a few of my favorites!
2. Bake Halloween treats. Decorating spooky cookies and cupcakes are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit!
3. Carve a pumpkin! You can even have a pumpkin carving contest with friends or family via FaceTime.
4. Listen to spooky tunes! Thriller isn’t the only Halloween song guys….
5. Read books or listen to podcasts on haunted history/paranormal activity.
6. Decorate your house inside, outside or both! Dollar Tree has some great budget friendly options!
7. Treat yourself to your favorite Halloween candy. I’ve lost track of how many mornings I’ve had candy corn for breakfast.
8. Send Halloween greeting cards to friends/family. The USPS has spooky stamps, the Dollar Tree has amazing cards, no excuses!
9. Add some spooky inspired clothes to your wardrobe. Ladies, so many small businesses have Halloween collections: Dela Deville’s Vintage, Unique Vintage, Vixen by Micheline Pitt and Le Femme En Noir are sure to keep you in the Halloween spirit now and year round.
10. FaceTime a friend in costume, make sure your friend dresses up too!

Happy almost Halloween, everyone!

Striped top and pumpkin scarf from Della Deville’s Vintage, high waisted shorts from Express, Halloween knee high socks from Dollar Tree, witchy shoes from Unique Vintage.

Photos taken at Cobalt Studios by Michaela Higgison !

I decided to title this blog post after my Pinterest board dedicated to all things spooky yet glam. I’ve been curating this board since the start of quarantine and it has definitely become one of my favorite boards to pin to. I don’t know what you guys were watching in lock down, but I was watching lots of classic horror movies from the 1930’s (hence the Art Deco details), 40s, and 50s. Although I have an appreciation for the “new classics,” I Married a Witch, Bride of Frankenstein and Dracula’s Daughter left me feeling particularly inspired. These movies then sent me down another rabbit hole researching the history of horror and the evolution of it in American cinematography, an interesting topic in its own right. Also, if you’re picking up on some Vampira meets Morticia Addams vibes , you’re not wrong! Unfortunately, I’m notorious for combining everything I love in to one look.

Have a spook-tacular weekend, everyone!

Photography by @littlephotofox!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve been ready for spooky season since June. That’s right June! My summer reading included a book on America’s most haunted places and my long time love for haunted history actually inspired this shoot! But, let’s start from the beginning shall we?

At the start of quarantine, I missed out on a rare vintage dress by 15 seconds, a rare vintage Gunne Sax dress to be exact. Normally when I miss out on a dress I’m a little bummed and eventually I get over it, but I knew right away there would be no getting over this dress. I had to find another one. Instead of waiting for the dress to find me find me, I went looking for it. I can’t remember how many hours I spent reaching out to vintage dealers and combing the internet, but it was A LOT. Before missing out on this particular dress, I had no idea this color and style of Gunne Sax even existed. As a vintage lover, I’d heard of Gunne Sax but I’d only ever seen the prairie style which wasn’t my vibe so I never really followed them. In my search for THE dress, I began learning about the world of “Gunnes” and all the rare prints and styles. It was truly fascinating. Prior to finding the black Gunne I had been searching for, I came upon a similar style first. Although it wasn’t the dress I was looking for, I had to have it because I knew it was something special, another needle in a haystack. A month or two later, I was given the opportunity to purchase the black dress I had been searching for and just like that, my Gunne Sax dream dresses became a reality.

The minute I hung these two Victorian style beauties up side by side, they quickly earned the nickname “The Sisters” after the Borden Sisters (of course) and the concept for this shoot came to be. If you’re not familiar with the events of August 4, 1892 in Fall River, MA spooky season is the perfect time to brush up on your history, haunted history that is.

Happy Haunting, everyone….

Special thanks to @michaelahphotography for bringing my spooky vision to life!

Burgundy Gunne Sax dress from The Glass Cabin Vintage.

I was hoping to have this post up prior to the annual fall event at Most Everything Vintage but that didn’t happen….better late than never though, right?!

I’m sure I’ve been saying this since 2018 but nothing gets me in the fall spirit like Mad About Plaid. If you’re not familiar with the event, Most Everything Vintage hosts a private shopping event prior to fall each year. The night before the event, the shop owner and her staff work hard to completely transform the store by adding over a thousand pieces of fall vintage. On the day of the event, those with a ticket are allowed in to get first pick of the shop’s fall collection! If the event sounds magical it is, I might actually dream about plaid, tweed, wool and faux fur on the eve of the event. It’s that magical!

If you weren’t able to attend the event but you’re still looking to add a few vintage pieces to your fall wardrobe, you’re in luck! Most Everything Vintage still has so many amazing pieces in stock! Not local? No worries! You can shop Most Everything Vintage on Instagram here!

Photography, wardrobe and styling by Most Everything Vintage

My summer mood? Wake me up when it’s October. Luckily fall is right around corner! I haven’t been feeling summer at all…normally I find a way to tolerate and embrace it but this year I couldn’t bring myself to even do that. Style update: I’ve pretty much been living in my favorite color (black) since the start of quarantine and I’m not mad about it. Black has always been my go-to color for an effortlessly chic look. Ok, call my summer vibe “summer goth” if you’d like….my nails are currently painted black.

At the start of quarantine I was looking for a rare dress, I’ll get in to that in a later post, but in my search I discovered an amazing little vintage shop based out of Massachusetts called Domino Vintage. Although the shop owner, Belinda, didn’t have the exact dress I was looking for – she showed me a dress equally as beautiful and I had to have it. The corset style lace bodice and full satin skirt with rosette pickups gave off a Southern Gothic aesthetic I couldn’t resist.

One thing I’ve learned about vintage, especially pieces I love, is that “if the dress fits, buy it.” With vintage, there’s no asking, “does this come in my size?” it either fits you or it doesn’t. When it comes to adding special pieces to my vintage collection and planning a photo shoot with them, the dresses always inspire the shoot. It might sound crazy but I really like to give my vintage pieces their time to shine and this particular shoot, with local photographer Michaela Higgins, was no exception. I really wanted to capture the Southern Gothic charm of the dress through accessories, location, etc. and I think we were really able to do that!

Photography by Michaela H. Photography

Dress from Domino Vintage! Be sure to check out this shop! The owner, Belinda, an amazing eye for vintage fashion and all of her pieces are one of kind!

You may not know this about me, but I love classic cars and owning one is on my bucket list! A few weeks ago I spent the morning at Memory Lane Motors with this 1960 Ford Galaxy and I was in heaven!! This car and I had a brief love affair and luckily it was all captured on camera ( in a fabulous outfit of course) 😂.

If this leopard cape and muff look familiar, that’s because they’re recreations of an outfit Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes! Although some may say it isn’t one of her most well known looks from the 1953 film, it’s one of my absolute favorites! If you’re a fan of Old Hollywood and Marilyn, you have to check out Iconic Dresses . I’ve been obsessed with fashion in film for as long as I can remember, so being able to own a replica of one of my favorite on screen outfits is a dream come true! I’m honestly so grateful to the shop owner for keeping the memory of these cinematic treasures alive!

Keep calm and practice social distancing, everyone!

Thank you to Michaela Photography and Memory Lane Motors for making my Old Hollywood dreams a reality!