We have a winner...and I'm going camping!

As you know, I asked for suggestions for the denisebrain July theme, and between this blog and my Facebook readers there were MANY creative and wonderful suggestions. I am crazy about every one of them!!

I passed the decision on to my husband, The Designer who also had a hard time deciding. Between us we eventually chose the very first entry, dreamed up by Cindy of Hellcat Vintage. I am going to have a vintage camping getaway with Airstream trailer in tow!

Thank you all for your fabulous ideas...and watch for the final results around July 1.

Finding Marilyn Monroe

This is supposed to be a get-the-look post, specifically how to get the look of Marilyn Monroe. However, emulating the enigmatic icon without devolving into mockery (think Vegas impersonator) could never be easy. There will always be only one Marilyn.

My suggestion is to find the part of her look that works for you, whether it is the elegant drape of her dress, the simple palate of colors, or the blond curls.

This week, the members of the Vintage Fashion Guild have shown some of their glamorous Marilyn-style vintage clothing in the fashion parade. Of the many breathtaking items, these are a few:

50s-60s black fringed dress from magsrags, 50s Foster Grant sunglasses from Proper Vintage Clothing, 50s royal blue draped dress from Miss Martys Vintage, 50s Ceil Chapman pale taupe silk gown from Poppy's Vintage Clothing, 50s Roxanne swim/play suit from Damn Good Vintage, 50s black satin 2-piece halter dress from Viva Vintage Clothing, 60s rhinestone bracelet from Aarayln's Velvet Dragonfly, and black suede high heel pumps by Valentine from JoulesVintage

I'm showing some unused 1950s shorts and also unused—amazingly—is a black Travilla dress. I have a gold tissue lamé Hardy Amies dress. All remind me of Marilyn, but the connection to Travilla is especially close, as he was the designer of a number of the most iconic outfits Marilyn wore for her movies, including that white halter dress over the subway grate. You know the one.

All among my eBay offerings this week

Whatever part of Marilyn you find, I hope it makes you feel wonderful.

I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful. —Marilyn Monroe

Come up with a July theme for denisebrain, win a prize!

Each month, I do a little promo for my website (themes on its homepage).

Here’s the thing: I don’t yet have a theme for July, and I’d love your help. The theme has to give me an opportunity to show off vintage clothing, but it doesn't have to be about vintage clothing. (Last July, for instance, I did Go Fishin’). I almost always put the theme to music, if that helps you think of something, and I often show something tied to the season. One small hint: I’m not super eager to do something involving Independence Day just because it comes so early in the month, and I want the theme to have an all-July feel.

I’m open to your suggestions by way of comments to this post, and will also take suggestions on Facebook. On June 25 I’ll choose the one I like best (and think I can pull off!) and the person who made the suggestion will win a $25 allowance to spend at denisebrain (web store, Etsy store or eBay) AND will get to see the idea in action!

If you want to see some of my previous themes, visit the denisebrain theme-o-matic .

Thanks Stetson, I love my new hat!!

Recently I entered this photo in Stetson's "Dressed to the Nines" contest on Facebook. My Stetson dates from the late 1930s, and the style name is marked "Parade." The hat is of the best quality, and remarkably has made it all this time in great condition and with its original box. The hat is for sale in my web store, but if it's there much longer, I may not be able to part with it!

To get on with the story, I won! I was the "vintage and city-inspired" winner, and the prize was a Stetson hat, "The Latte," part of their Casual and Dress Straw Milans collection. Stetson, known now especially for its cowboy hats, has a storied history of fashionable and fine hat making, and my new hat is part of that long tradition.

Working with vintage clothing, I'm constantly thinking of the quality and design of vintage American-made clothes and accessories—mostly a thing of the past now. Happily, Stetsons are still made in the United States, they are of first-rate quality (I can vouch), and the range of styles is truly impressive. Now I'm scheming to add more new Stetsons to my closet...like this, this, or maybe even this!

My new hat with one of my early 40s dresses

Where the wild (vintage) things are

My latest theme—Wild Thing—is up!



My last name is Wilds, so I’ve always been a bit of a Wild thing, how about you?




...and speaking of the wild side of vintage, I’m starting to put together some of my all-time grooviest items in a Flickr set:

It's cartwheel time!!

I am so honored to be included in Lulu's Vintage personal top 10 this year for the second year in a row!

(The champagne's on me !!)