The Results Are In! Winner of the Fall Photo Contest Is ...

Alright ladies and gents! The moment you have been waiting for! The winner of my vintage 2015 Fall Photo Contest is ........

But first! Let me says this was sooooo HARD! For my spring photo contest, I had 10 people enter (see the results here and view all the spring entries here) and this time around 30 people entered!! Oh my goodness, I never expected this contest to become so popular! You can view all the contestant's gorgeous photos and their outfit descriptions in the 2015 Fall Photo Contest Album. I am so glad to have had Jessica of Chronically Vintage and Lauren of Wearing History help me judge this contest, and donate some truly awesome prizes, because wow! WOW ladies! Each and every entry truly stands out! As Jessica said, "So many people brought their vintage styling A game to the table with this contest" and we were all consistently impressed as well as inspired by you wore! The colors, the attention to detail, stunning backgrounds, everything! Some of you even incorporated props which was really a nice touch! Many of you mentioned not having specific colors or articles of clothing as described in the articles, and yet each out you put together great outfits! You should all be proud of your beautiful creations. I definitely want to hold another photo contest next year. Yes, oh yes!!

~ Maybe make it an annual event? ~

~ Should I keep it seasonal, summer and winter contests? (since we did spring and fall this year) ~

~ Or just do one contest next year with categories for day wear and/or evening wear? I can't decide! ~

~ What do you think? ~

Putting these photo contests together has most definitely been a blogging highlight for me this year. I hope you have all enjoyed them too. For me, reading these historical newspaper articles forced me to think outside the "vintage box" when planning an outfit and to look at my vintage wardrobe in a new and different light! I would never have thought to combine certain colors or items of clothing together. Lime green with navy blue for spring, why not?! Pink and orange for fall? That works too! It's been a fun challenge and one I have greatly enjoyed. These photo contests have also been a great way for me to meet and interact with new people who enjoy this crazy vintage loving hobby as much as I do. :) Thank you one and all!

And now, without any further ado ......

Because there were so many great entries, Jessica, Lauren and I decided to name a few Honorable Mentions in addition to our winner and runner up. I will start with those, in no particular order ...

Honorable Mentions
Debbie Wagner! (Debbie often appears on her daughter Esther's blog, Dolly Creates.)

“… plaid topcoat in tones of rust and brown. Its soft luxurious collar…”

Using the newspaper article as inspiration, I chose to wear a wool dress “in tones of rust and brown.” Accenting my outfit are a mink collar and hat, along with powder blue pumps, which bring out the subtle blue tones in the plaid. A hand beaded purse and gold necklace add the finishing touches to this refined casual fall ensemble.

Sabrina W. of Vibrant Vintage! (You can see more of Sabrina's outfit here.)

I was immediately inspired by a vintage 1940s tweed suit I had recently found, and knew it would be the perfect thing to build an Autumn ensemble around.  I paired the suit with a black fur collar, a brown fedora, and t-strap heels.  I particular liked this passage in one of the articles: Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat…  This was worn, too, with dark brown accessories, and the brown felt hat had a sweeping profile brim.  I felt something sporty, such as the fedora, paired with ladylike fur would be a wonderful combo.  Black and brown can be a striking combo, I believe, and I also paired it with a jewel-toned red blouse and pearls.

 Frances of Polka Polish!

Change Basic Black Effect

The possibility of changing the looks of a basic black dress with a variety of accessories began with an all-black ensemble as to shoes, off-the-face hat, bag and gloves, but with a heavy necklace of Balenciaga's honey pearls. I had a 1940s black dress to start with, and simply chose my largest black hat to compliment.  Dress, hat, and gloves are all vintage, paired with a pair of modern shoes with a bit of '40s flair.  For the "honey pearls" I chose a strand of large carved Bakelite beads, with similarly carved earrings to match.  As a final touch, a large plastic maple leaf (80s Avon, but does a good Bakelite impression) helps keep everything a little more autumn.

Maranda Borgerding!

"Suit: was made by myself, using a few late 1930's patterns as well as a copy of Make and Mend (1942) I wanted to keep it as close to the ration era as I could.  It is made from a mid weight stone gray wool with very faint blue stripes running through it.
Hat: was gifted to my by the daughter of the lady that originally purchased it in the late 40's (she said)
Shoes: basic black oxfords with a stacked wooden heel
Purse: gifted to me with the hat.
Corsage: I purchased it at a antique shop a bit ago, and it is what would have been sold at bond rallies.
Earrings & collar pin: They were passed down to me from my husbands aunt, who was gifted them from her husbands grandmother. 
Star pin: The owner of the antique shop gifted it to me since I am a military wife and I love old jewelry, she thought it may be something I would like.

I'm not sure what more I could say, but think you for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful group! I am extremely new to this era but I am loving every single second of learning more and more." 

The Runner Up
The prize for the runner up goes to Jennelle Gilreath!! Congratulations!

 "I chose my outfit to reflect my personality and love of colors I like to mix and match together. I felt wearing trousers would be a nice spin on the look and I had them in a lovely chocolate shade that is very fitting for Fall. I noticed the article quoting shades of brown appearing "again and again" as staple pieces or in accessories, so I felt it would add to my ensemble to go with this shade.

I love green, and any chance I get to wear green, I take advantage of it, especially it being next to my hair. My blouse is original vintage from a skirt and shirt set, and my snood was created from an early 1940s pattern. I wanted to do a spin on something different with my hair instead of a hat, but keep true to the era so my inspiration for the quote "green took a brighter curtain call" drew me to use one of my favorites colors, especially when it was compared to being paired with shades of brown. I wanted to finish off my ensemble with my favorite vintage wool blazer. Photos of the models in houndstooth and plaid suits and jackets, were the cause for my pairing of my jacket."

The Winner
And the grand prize goes to Kristen Stoltzfus of Verity Vintage Studio!! Congratulations! (You can see more of Kristen's outfit here.)

"…Red kid gloves provided a startling accent for a soldier blue jacket suit, otherwise ensembled with brown accessories was the line from the article that inspired me to use my deliciously detailed vintage 1940s “soldier blue” jacket and the plaid suit skirt I made to coordinate. Red cotton gloves replaced the kid ones, tying in the lipstick, patriotic brooch, and red lines on the skirt, and I accessorized with a simple-but-stylish 1940s chocolate brown purse, hat, and heels for a colorful and tailored wartime ensemble."

Congratulations Kristen and Jennelle! (I will be in contact with you both shortly about your prizes!)

THANK YOU to everyone who submitted photos, you all looked amazing! I wish I could send a prize to everyone! Also another huge THANK YOU to Jessica and Lauren for their help and donation of prizes!! It was a pleasure (as well as great fun!) collaborating with the two of you and hope to do so again in the future!

I would love to hear your feedback on my spring and fall photo contests and suggestions for any future contests! Are you interested in guest blogging, sponsored posts, giveaways, link swapping, pattern swapping or other collaboration ideas? Feel free to contact me about that too!

Fall Photo Contest - Our Inspirational Outfits

Hello everyone! I am so excited about today's post!! If you have been following along you will know all about my vintage fall photo contest. If you are just joining us, you can view this post will all the details on how to enter. There is still plenty of time! The contest, which is open to everyone worldwide, is open until October 18th.

Lauren of Wearing History and Jessica of Chronically Vintage have graciously agreed to help me judge the photos for this contest. Not only that, the three of us will be offering the winner and runner up each a fantastic prize package. Here is a look at what you could win!

THE PRIZES!!

Winner Will Receive the Following Prize Package
Vintage Related Goodies Bag Plus $30 in Store Credit from Emily's Vintage Visions
Beautiful Collection of Autumn Themed Accessories from Chronically Vintage
Vintage Sewing Goodies Bag Plus $30 in Store Credit from Wearing History

Runner Up Will Receive the Following Prize Package
Vintage Related Goodies Bag Plus $25 in Store Credit from Emily's Vintage Visions
$20 in Store Credit from Wearing History
$30 in Store Credit from Chronically Vintage

To help inspire you Lauren, Jessica, and I have put together our own vintage outfits inspired by the contest newspaper articles. (Read the articles here.)

Emily of Emily's Vintage Visions, Jessica of Chronically Vintage and Lauren of Wearing History

My Outfit
While I did not intend to recreate an exact outfit from the newspaper articles, I found that I was able to get really close. Brown was one of the colors mentioned over and over in the articles - brown suits and accessories such as hats, alligator bags and shoes. Brown can often be a blah color but happens to be a color I really like. It can be worn so many different ways and paired with an endless variety of other colors.

Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat. - From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940

I wore my brown 1940s wool suit, first blogged about here, and paired it with a variety of orange and pink accessories. The turban I made using a vintage sewing pattern and fabric from my stash. (I plan to post a turban tutorial soon!) I chose orange as it fits the fall theme so well. My pink leaf pin may seem a bit out place but I thought the color made an interesting contrast to the brown and orange. You can read more about my outfit here.

Jessica's Outfit
I really like the selection of colors and accessories that Jessica picked! Her blue jacket brings to mind the blue Schiaparelli jacket mentioned in one of the articles. You can read more about Jessica's outfit here, as well as view the prizes she will be providing here.

Here is what Jessica said about her outfit.
"I really didn't have a lot of pieces in the specific colours mentioned, so instead I focused more on the colours themselves and went with a look that struck me as someone that could have been worn to cheer on a football game or the like back in the day. The articles talked about brown, red, green, and blue, so I included all those along with a coat, which was another frequently discussed piece."

That all important question of what to wear while cheering on the favored eleven ...
all designed to take the attention away from the football field and put it on milady in the stands. Come football weather, the quarterbacks will have to look to their laurels to get the crowd looking their way. From the Dallas Morning News, September 18, 1940

Photography by Tony Cangiano

Photography by Tony Cangiano

Lauren's Outfit
Plaids and tweeds are mentioned several times in the newspaper articles. The color green was mentioned many times as well. I really enjoy plaids but somehow my vintage wardrobe is lacking, something I think I will need to remedy. Lauren's lovely plaid jacket and green knit dress - knitted items were very popular in the 30s and 40s! - fit the bill for this contest perfectly don't you think? The yellow hat and shoes are a nice complement to the green dress and plaid jacket! Lauren's hat, purse, jacket and pretty brooches are all vintage. Her earrings are from the lovely shop Dames a la Mode. Lauren's shoes are from Remix Vintage. You can read more about Lauren's outfit, the prizes she is providing here.

Green took a curtain call in a brighter shade ... Black and pale blue, black with benedictine brown and black with vivid greens were outstanding in the daytime ensembles both in suits and dresses. - From the Dallas Morning News, September 18, 1940

A striking coat for casual wear was made of imported tweed in huge plaids with fuchsia and red on a gray background ... A two-piece suit of hound's-tooth check in silver and gray ... green and electric blue check woolen cape. ... a three-peice affair, with swagger length coat over a trim two-piece suit, ... A striking coat for casual wear was made of imported tweed in huge plaids with fuchsia and red on a gray background. This was worn, too, with dark brown accessories, and the brown felt hat had a sweeping profile brim. From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940  

Photos by Wearing History

Photos by Wearing History

I hope this post gives you some ideas of how to put together your own outfit inspired by the newspaper articles. As you can see we all used a mix of original vintage as well as reproduction and vintage style items. We certainly had fun with our outfits, I hope you do too!

Photos for the contest must be submitted by October 18th. Don't miss out!! Contest rules and how to enter here.

Celebrating the First Day of Fall

This outfit was inspired by the articles in my fall photo contest. (See this post for all the details on how to enter.) This is a photo heavy post!

Brown was one of the colors mentioned over and over in the articles - brown suits and accessories such as hats, alligator bags and shoes. Brown can often be a blah color but happens to be a color I really like. It can be worn so many different ways and paired with an endless variety of other colors.

The line from the newspaper article that really started the planning for this outfit was as follows;

Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat. - From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940

As you may have guessed, it was a little too warm for a fur coat. I only wore it for the first few shots then had to take it off! It's the same late 1930s mink coat that I sported in this post. Did anyone one else have to look up the definition of "nutria?" Don't feel bad because I certainly did! Nutria, or coypu, is a semi-aquatic mammal native to South America. This large rodent is a cousin of the beaver and it's fur was a popular choice in the fashion industry for a number of years. It was also less expensive then mink and other more exotic furs.

I thought of pairing my my 1940s wool suit with green accessories, as I did here, because green was mentioned several times as a accent color in the articles. But I wanted to style the suit in a way that I had not done before. Orange was the next most obvious color for me to pick as it fits the fall theme so well. I've had these peachy/orange gloves for sometime now but have never worn them. My orange turban, which I made from a vintage pattern, has been crying out for a photo shoot since I finished it back in the spring. My pink leaf pin may seem a bit out place but I thought the color made an interesting contrast to the brown and orange. (I had intended to wear a pair of pink earring as well but forgot to put them on before leaving the house. Oops!) Plus it's almost the same shade as my new to me make up compact! Fall seemed the perfect time to pair these items all together. What do you think?

This 1940s makeup compact came in its original box plus this lovely little card! The front of the card is inscribed "To Ida, 1944." I would love to find out who Ida was and what she did during the war!

And these shoes!! Oh what more can I say other than I LOVE THEM! I picked these up from a vintage vendor at the Reading Airshow back in June. I've been searching for a pair of spectators for a long time but whenever I found a pair they were always the wrong size or out of my price range. These are a perfect fit and were very affordable for me. I guess some things are just meant to be!

The location for these photos is classic New England pure and simple. Quiet dirt road in the country, a covered bridge, the start of fall foliage, and railroad tracks near by. To top it all off it was a beautiful fall day! Warm, sunny, and bright blue sky. What more could you ask for?

Cori and I picked up this vintage Kodak camera at a local antique mall. As far as well know it's all in working order but we have not been able to find any film for it. Still, it makes a fun photo prop.

I'm planning a whole post on how to make your own turban. Plus I will be making one as part of my prize package for my fall photo contest!

Outfit Details

1940s Suit - Morning Glorious Vintage

Blouse and gloves - thrifted

Shoes - Vendor at the MAAM airshow

Handkerchief - Vintage Vermont

Bakelite bracelets, compact and leaf pin - Stone House Antiques

Purse - Brimfield Antique Market
Stockings - What Katie Did

Turban - Made by me

Lip color - Chocolate Kiss by Besame (I don't think they offer this color any more which makes me sad. I ordered it as a sample and was hoping to order a tube.)

You still have plenty of time to enter my fall photo contest! There are lots of great prizes too! Contest closes October 18th. The winner and runner up will be announced on October 25th.

Also, between now and October 1st I'm having a special Etsy sale!  Use the code SPECIAL20 to save 20%. If you have had your eye on something now is the chance to save!

Announcing My Fall Photo Contest!

Update 10/19/15 Contest is now closed! (View all the entries here. Winner and runner up announced here.)

Exciting news everyone!! Remember my "Color Recipes for Spring" photo contest? (See the winners here.) I had such a great response to it that I have decided to host another one this fall! Start thinking wool suits, colorful crepe dresses, plaid coats, and furs! The cooler weather will be here sooner then most of us would like but this is the perfect excuse to bust out those fur coats and wraps. :) But it gets better. Judging all the lovely photos on my own last time was challenging so I thought I would call in the big guns this time around.

I am so very pleased to announce that I will be teaming up with Lauren of Wearing History and Jessica of Chronically Vintage to host this fall photo contest. Yippee!! (Thank you ladies!) Both ladies have graciously agreed to help me judge the photo entries. Not only that, we will each offer a special prize to the contest winner and runner up. (Details at the end of this post.) Both Lauren and Jessica have an amazing eye for vintage fashions and, let's face it, Jessica is the queen of coordinating vintage inspired ensembles. :)

2015 Fall Photo Contest Judges!! From L. to R. Emily of Emily's Vintage Visions, Jessica of Chronically Vintage and Lauren of Wearing History

This fall themed vintage photo contest will be very similar to the one I hosted in the spring. Below you will find two newspaper articles from 1940 describing some absolutely delightful vintage ensembles for fall. Like last time, your outfit must be inspired by the descriptions in the given articles and must be true 1930s/1940s vintage or vintage inspired from that era. Reproduction and newer clothing and accessories are of course welcome as long as they are in keeping with the spirit of the contest. You don't need to sew something new for this contest unless you really want to. ;) Use one or both articles to find your inspiration!

Couple attending a Texas college football game, circa 1940s. (Photo by George Strock//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images) Source

Source

THE INSPIRATION ARTICLES

From the Dallas Morning News, September 18, 1940 

Accessories Are Fashion Show Theme. By Alma Cunningham.

Those saucy fillips of fashion - accessories - provided a theme for a showing of autumn clothes Thursday noon by A. Harris & Company, at the Century Room. That all important question of what to wear while cheering on the favored eleven was settled with a simple black crepe dress worn under a big plaid topcoat in tones of rust and brown. Its soft luxurious collar was made of lynx and the model wore alligator sandals with ankle straps, an alligator bag and a puff crown green hat tilted forward - all designed to take the attention away from the football field and put it on milady in the stands. Come football weather, the quarterbacks will have to look to their laurels to get the crowd looking their way.

More on the teacup side of the clock, a model wore one of the new tunic dresses with a slim shirt of dove brown crepe topped with a long blouse made of tapestry. She carried a brown skunk muff, barreled shaped, stabbed in the middle with a sparkling pin about the size of the palm of your hand.

Suits with long torso jackets in vivid colors over black or brown slim skirts were the order of the day. Inaugurating the call to colors was a trim little suit with Schiaparelli's sleeping blue making the jacket. The skirt was black to compliment a tiny Persian lamb collar and hat. Another suit went dramatic with a golden brown jacket with pockets of ocelot over a black skirt. A golden greenish bird with wings spread in flight topped the black ht, and the model carried one of the new elongated flat bags of black suede decorated with a spiral gold cord.

Change Basic Black Effect

The possibility of changing the looks of a basic black dress with a variety of accessories began with an all-black ensemble as to shoes, off-the-face hat, bag and gloves, but with a heavy necklace of Balenciaga's honey pearls. Another was shown under a hypnotic red full-length coachman's coat with black velvet collar. Two rhinestone clips, one a question mark, the other an exclamation point, were pinned on the bodice pockets of the dress.

The blouse of a long tunic dress in balsam green was given a horizontal stripe effect with bands of amber beads. The skirt looked new with a flounce effect, and this dress was effectively ensembled with a balsam green hat swathed in veiling, and brown accessories.

Green took a curtain call in a brighter shade, this time worn in a two-piece suit, and worn with, of all things, a bright red sailor and bright red gloves. A red bag and gloves were worn with a fleet gray wool suit, and red kid gloves provided a startling accent for a soldier blue jacket suit, otherwise ensembled with brown accessories.

A winter navy costume, a three-peice affair, with swagger length coat over a trim two-piece suit, showed a military influence with brass buttons marching down the front of the jacket, and an eagle in gold braid adorned the right sleeve. The model's hat was a sailor beret in navy felt and popped with red, perched on the back of her head behind her pompadour.

Black and pale blue, black with benedictine brown and black with vivid greens were outstanding in the daytime ensembles both in suits and dresses.

_______________

From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940 

New Fall Hats Steal Show at Weekly Fashion Display by Alma Cunningham. 
New fall hats stole the show at the Wednesday afternoon fashion revue presented by Nieman-Marcus Company on Peacock Terrace. An off-the-face beret in bright green felt had a narrow band of black lace veiling across the eyes. The model wore this hat with a tailored black suit and carried a silver fox muff. Another hat that showed a Peruvian influence was a black and red felt pillbox type with a bright red silk scarf which extended from the sides of the hat, was brought together under the chin, thus framing the face, and draped across both shoulders.

The combination of colors in the hats was stressed again in a trim off-the-face brim felt, the crown of which was black, the facing of the brim brown, with the brim edged in taupe. The was shown with a tailored two-piece black wool suit and sables.

Brown Proves Popular.

Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat. A striking coat for casual wear was made of imported tweed in huge plaids with fuchsia and red on a gray background. This was worn, too, with dark brown accessories, and the brown felt hat had a sweeping profile brim.

A two-piece suit of hound's-tooth check in silver and gray led the show and was ensembled with brown shoes, a bright red alligator bag, a trim gray felt hat, and the model wore a sparkling ruby red pin of brown glass on her coat lapel and silver earrings. 

The importance of the cape suit was emphasized in an ensemble with a full-length, flowing green and electric blue check woolen cape worn over an Indian summer brown jersey dress. Enlarged gold heart earring sparkled on the model's ear lobes, and she wore a green felt hat with a sweeping off-the-face brim, brown alligator bag and shoes.

Coats in brilliant colors looked especially new. A vivid Kelly green woolen in a fitted, slim silhouette and belted back was lined with a vivid red, and worn over a light beige dress. The model's hat matched the green of the coat and was trimmed with wavering turkey feathers that towered a good eight inches above the front brim.

Deanna Durbin Source

Source

CONTEST RULES and HOW TO ENTER - DEADLINE TO ENTER IS OCTOBER 18TH WINNER and RUNNER UP WILL BE ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 25TH

* Contest is open to everyone, worldwide! One entry per person, please.*

* To enter please leave a comment on this post. Then send up to two (2) photos of your outfit to me at vintagevisions27(at)gmail(dot)com no later then October 18th. Entries received after that time will not be included. One photo should show your whole outfit clearly, your second may be a view from the back, a close up or photo collage if you would like to highlight certain details such as hats, shoes, jewelry etc. Photos will be added to an album on my Facebook page so we can all enjoy your awesome vintage creation! You don't need to have a blog to enter but if you do please let me know so I can link back to you! (You are more then welcome to create your own blog post to show off your outfit. But please note only the two photos you email to me will count for the contest.) *

* Photos will be judged on creativity, use of color and accessories, and use of the newspaper descriptions. (You do not need to recreate a specific outfit from the articles but we should be able to see their influence on your choice of wardrobe.) Like last time, your outfit must be inspired by the descriptions in the given articles and must be true 1930s/1940s vintage or vintage inspired from that era. Reproduction and newer clothing and accessories are certainly welcome as long as they are in keeping with the spirit of the contest. Along with your photos please send a short description of your outfit, why you picked certain items, a line or two from the article, etc. *

* Photos do not need to be professional but please try to keep background clutter to a minimum. Choose a background or setting that will help show off your outfit! *

And now the good stuff! A great way to get a jump start on your holiday shopping!

THE PRIZES!!

Winner Will Receive the Following Prize Package
Vintage Related Goodies Bag Plus $30 in Store Credit from Emily's Vintage Visions
Beautiful Collection of Autumn Themed Accessories from Chronically Vintage
Vintage Sewing Goodies Bag Plus $30 in Store Credit from Wearing History

Runner Up Will Receive the Following Prize Package
Vintage Related Goodies Bag Plus $25 in Store Credit from Emily's Vintage Visions
$20 in Store Credit from Wearing History
$30 in Store Credit from Chronically Vintage

Lauren, Jessica and I will each create our own fall outfit inspired by the above newspaper articles. Stay tuned for that special blog post. Please feel free to share this contest with anyone who may be interested.
Good luck to all! I can't wait to see your outfits!!

- Just a quick little update! A few people have emailed me to say they were unable to leave a comment on this post. I'm looking into the issue and will hopefully have it fixed! Feel free to send me a quick note if you can't leave a comment and still want to participate, or you have questions about the contest. vintagevisions27(at)gmail(dot)com

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The Results are In! - "Color Recipes for Spring" Photo Contest

First off, I want to thank everyone who participated in my "Color Recipes for Spring" photo contest!!! So many wonderful photos! :) This was the first time I've organized anything like this here on my blog, or anywhere else for that matter. I was afraid at first that no one would enter, that maybe my readers were not seeing my posts, but then the photo entries and wonderfully encouraging comments began coming in. I'm so pleased that this contest was successful. It seems that everyone really enjoyed it. I'm seriously thinking about hosting another photo contest in the future. What do you think? Something for the fall perhaps? I'll be looking for a new inspirational article!

A few house keeping notes

• What did you think of the criteria for this particular contest? i.e. read a historic newspaper article and create and outfit based on it? I know it was a little unusual but it seemed worth it to try.
• Did I give enough time for the contest? I announced the contest on April and the original deadline was April 30th. I moved it back to May 3rd.
• Any final thoughts or suggestion for a future contest?

I learned a lot in using the 1939 article to put together my own outfits and now have a list of certain colors and articles of clothing that I need to add to my vintage wardrobe. (I had so much fun taking photos, I even entered this one in the Vintage Life Miss June contest.) I don't know about anyone else but I’m going to refer back to this in the future when I’m trying to put together outfits. It was fascinating to read the way colors were combined. Most 1930s/1940s movies and photos are in black and white and are great in terms of details but sadly not colors. This article was a real eye opener in terms of color combinations!! The next time I watch a classic Hollywood movie you can bet I'll be watching it with new eyes.

So, on to the photo entries. THIS WAS HARD!!! There were ten entries total. You gals did an outstanding job with your ensembles, seriously!! Navy combos seemed to be the most popular but I was pleased to see some of the other color combinations described in the article as well. Black with splashes of bright colors, hyacinth blue and red, and different shades of lavender and mint! Yum!! Another nice surprise was the mother and daughter entries of Esther and Debbie. Esther blogs at Dolly Creates where her mom often appears in the most charming vintage ensembles.

After much thought I decided to pick one winner and two runners up. The winner is the photo that best represented the descriptions in the newspaper article. The runners up are photos I think best captured the overall feeling of the era and spirit of the contest. In no particular order, let's first look at all the entries and their outfit descriptions. (Some of you sent more then one photo. All photos were added to the Facebook album which can be viewed here. In order to keep this post as short as possible I'm only adding one photo each.)

Kelly of Seam Racer 
My submission is of an outfit - a year 1942 shirt dress and a velvet year 1940 hat.  This dress is made from a vintage McCall pattern, and the fabric is micro suede, with both the silky and plush sides used to contrast the panels and show off the design.  My dress is nicknamed “Winter Mint” to describe the pastel green/aqua color.The hat is from a vintage Simplicity pattern and made from 100% cotton plum velvet scraps leftover from a past project.  I bought tarlatan for the brim interfacing, like the pattern directs, and used a Bakelite button to close the headband-like crown.  I also made a belt to match the dress from some leftover vinyl.

Kelly's entry shows a great use of color and I love the outfit name, "Winter Mint." I would not have thought to pair a pastel green/aqua with purple or suede and velvet for that matter. I like how she used the fabric to make the contrast panels on the dress. I was really pleased to see this dress because I recently purchased the same pattern. You can read more about Kelly's outfit here and here.

Emily of Vintage Dreamer 

The cut of my dress would reflect the style of the late 1940's when Christian Dior's New Look was first making it's way into the fashion world. I used Butterick 6018, which is actually the reprint of a 1952 pattern. By omitting the unnecessary buttons on the front, (because I did not have the ones that I wanted, nor did I have the time to search for them) it reflects the practical opinion of post-war society. 

(4) Moss green full-length coat, print dress, apple blossom pink hat, pink gloves to match hat.

I have a full-length moss green coat, but, since the weather was in the lower eighties today, I left it out. I also have not had much luck in finding vintage or vintage-styled hats and gloves, but I have appropriate shoes!

I think Emily's outfit is really sweet. The bright pink of the flowers behind her really make the print of her dress pop! I can just image how divine she would look wearing this with her moss green coat in cooler weather. You can read more about Emily's dress here.

Jessica of  No Accounting for Taste 
I had a blast putting my outfits together. I tried four, and only three worked out, and two were really hard to choose between. I ended up going with this one because everything I had was so spot on:

 If you prefer the lipstick red, choose a narrow leather belt, a shoulder bouquet, and a ribbon band for your hat in the red. Wear it with a navy skirt, a navy jacket with a white chalk stripe, navy sailor, navy shoes, bag and white gloves.

"Spot on" is exactly what I thought when I saw Jessica's entry. The navy and red is so classic, she looks like she stepped out of the pages of a vintage magazine. I thought this image really captured the Dallas Morning News article in a visual form.

Kristen of  Verity Vintage Studio
I went with the Navy & Wheat combo, suggested in the 3rd option. I already had the “natural color straw hat with spring flowers and a navy veil” and the “two-piece navy suit, navy shoes and bag", but had no blouse the color of wheat so as a substitute I wore my white-and-blue blouse with wing collar and dramatic sleeves. I paired it first with the wheat gloves and navy bag as suggested, then switched it up a bit with navy gloves sporting a woven straw cuff, and a wheat clutch. I loved some of the other suggested combos but this was the only one actually in my closet and I had no time to sew another, though now some of those outfit descriptions are on my list to make! It was highly enjoyable!  

I really enjoyed Kristen's entry which you can read more about here. It was so charming and perfectly planned and put together.  I love her blouse! Navy and wheat colored accessories are not something I see much in the vintage and living history community. I also enjoyed the "discovery" of Kristen's blog which I have now added to my blog roll.

Pam - Antipodean Stitcher  
This is my entry for your vintage visions photo comp. I was trying to do the hyacinth blue dress and red shoes, but my dress is a bit lighter in shade. 

I was so pleased to see someone try the hyacinth blue with red accessories! Pam's outfit is wonderful and very much is the spirit of the Dallas article.

Esther of Dolly Creates 
I am afraid I don't have many solid colors in my wardrobe - only one, in fact (black), so my entry is a patterned blue floral. I was inspired by one of the ladies who was wearing a summery straw hat in a picture from your first inspiration post. May I present my outfit, Springtime Periwinkle! :) Thank you for hosting this contest! I hope you will do it again, at which time I hope to have added solid colors to my wardrobe!

"Springtime Periwinkle," you can't get more delightfully spring then that! I like that Esther's hat ribbon matches her dress, something you often see in true vintage ensembles. You can read more about Esther's dress here.

Debbie - Debbie is Esther's mom who is often appears on Dolly Creates.
Here is my entry for the 1940s Photo Contest! It is called "Lavender in Spring." Thank you for hosting this lovely contest! I can't wait to see all the other entries.

One of the nicest surprises of this contest was Debbie's entry. Debbie is Esther's mom and the two are often featured sided by side on Esther's blog Dolly Creates. "Perfect for spring" was what came to mind when I saw Debbie's outfit. I love the ricrak trim on the pockets. You can see more of Debbie's dress here.

Bonita - Lavender and Twill
My 1940's outfit is inspired by navy, red and wheat {cream}. Navy blue is such an elegant color, and I have really enjoyed the chance to work with it more in my wardrobe.  I have been inspired by the wonderful vintage advertorials {such as the one you posted} to pair it with classic colors such as red and cream.  I have a lot of red in my wardrobe, and although navy, red and white can fall a little on the side of patriotic, I find the creamy wheat color draws it back a little and takes the outfit more to the realm of complimentary tones rather than Australia Day {or 4th of July for my state side friends!}. 

What more can I say about Bonit's outfit other then I love it?! Inspired by the navy, red and wheat combos in the article, she paired navy with cream. It's very true that when pairing certain colors with navy you run the risk of creating a "patriotic" outfit. I love that Bonita went with navy and cream. Her printed blouse breaks up the navy and create a very soft looking spring ensemble. Read more here.

Brigid of Boyer Family Singers
A Beach-y spring ensemble of Navy and Red, inspired by the sea-side fashions of the 1930s. All of the pieces are modern, excepting the hat and necklace-turned-bracelet (the blouse is Banana Republic, and the pants are made by me from a soon-to-be-released pattern) but they work so perfectly for the 30s era, making for a believable, yet comfortable outfit that I don’t have to be worried about. I would totally wear this for a trip to Florida in the Spring, complete with a Ukulele to strum as I lounge on the beach. 

(2) If you prefer the bright red, wear a navy .... a straw hat with a white and bright red ribbon crown. 

 Brigid's outfit is so playful and fun! What more can I say? I want to go to the beach right now don't you? Her pants are made from her newly released Linden Lady pattern. Go check it out!

Joanna of Dividing Vintage Moments 
I have this wonderful scarf that I thought would be great for the theme of color.  ...  I didn't quite have the color combinations accessible in the article but I must say they are quite inspiring.  I'll have to remember these for the future.  I think I wanted to capture the idea of fashion of the period.  I love the late 30s in fashion and putting this outfit together kind of refreshed my love of this period.  I've been spending quite a bit of time in the 50s so it is really nice to back and reflect on the 30s again.  I think what I got out of the article was to look at color accents so I tried to do this with the outfit I put together.

Colorful, eye-catching, and classic. That's what comes to mind when I see Joanna's entry. The bright colored scarf really pops and I really love the yellow flowers against the black. And how great is that purse!?

See, I told you this was hard! So without further ado, the winner of the "Color Recipes for Spring" photo contest is ....

Jessica!! Congratulations!!

The runners up are Joanna and Kristen! Congratulations ladies! I will be in contact with you all shortly about your prizes. Thank you again to everyone who participated. You are all winners in my book!