VIA Lanvin-Fragrance Review

My younger self would have been all over VIA had I known it existed. Launched in 1971 it should have been on my radar, but for whatever reason was not. I've never been much of a Lanvin fan, so that might have something to do with it. Still, the bottle is so fantastic looking, I'd like to think I'd have been drawn to it. No time like the present for catching up!

I have a love/hate relationship with narcissus. It can be an allergy inducing nightmare, or it can be the best thing ever. Or Noir Morabito can induce an asthma attack, where Samsara, and Norell don't bother me at all. I was cautious with VIA as it is a narcissus powerhouse according to reviews. I did the "One tiny drop on each wrist, and rub" and was completely blown away, not by the narcissus but the oakmoss. Holy hell, this IS a 70s perfume! 

I haven't smoked in many, many years, but when I did, I smoked those terrible menthol cigarettes like Benson and Hedges (barfs and heaves as we called them) or later when I could afford them, Dunhills. Horrible, horrible, ghastly things. In later years I developed a dislike for menthol and finished out my smoking days on Chesterfield's and Marlboros which were probably worse than any menthol cigarette could possibly be. Anyway, I rarely crave cigarettes, and probably had the world's easiest time quitting (I just stopped smoking) which I know is extremely fortunate and not meant to minimise the difficulty so many people face giving it up. My point is I hadn't thought much about cigarettes until I got a whiff of VIA, not because it smells like tobacco or smoke-it doesn't, but because it reminds me of the era when I started smoking. Cigarettes were .55 cents a packet when I started-so cheap even a kid could afford them. I'll leave you to judge what sort of adults let their underage charge smoke at home because it was a good tool for weight loss, but I think it is fair to say it was more common than we'd like to admit. I wish I could say that was their worst parenting decision but I think we all know that wouldn't be true. 

VIA reminds me of smoking in the 70s. It reminds me of the gigantic decorative ashtrays always filled to the edges (because who could be bothered to get up and go dump it down the toilet?) stinking up the curtains, carpet and upholstery of every room in the house. (Almost) everyone's home smelled like that. Everyone's car smelled like that. People used to walk the aisles of the supermarket smoking. We all walked around in a cloud of smoke, whether we smoked or not. It must have been terrible for non smokers-it is hard to imagine today. Perhaps that's partly why VIA seems to be missing something. Would a tobacco note help? Only one way to find out-enter, Maurer and Wirtz Tabac.

I do these things. I'm like the old person that blurts out whatever their brain happens to be thinking without any sort of filter. I swear, I'm NOT impulsive, but perfume is like painting-throw in a little crimson, some cobalt, some vermilion-before you know it you have a carcinogenic cocktail of raw pigments a muddled mess of colour that you slap on the canvas anyway. I am the canvas to my perfume collection's mixing palette. 

Layering Tabac and VIA sounded  like a good idea, and I'm willing to try just about anything with respect to perfume. Trust me when I tell you, DO NOT do this. Just don't. You'll regret it, and your family will hate you, particularly if you're all trapped in the car for a ride to Iowa. Learn from my mistakes kids. I've got one word to describe the result of my little experiment: Bad. Okay, two words:Very Bad. 

Sigh, I think VIA would be a tricky perfume to wear in close quarters today. Definitely not an inoffensive office scent, though the only offence it could cause is not smelling like candy floss or fabric softener. These days, that's enough though honestly, VIA wouldn't have been a quiet fragrance in the 70s. With that much narcissus, oakmoss, and vetiver it is going to be noticed! Toss on a wallop of aldehydes and it will be enough to send some people to a window gasping for air. Surprisingly, there isn't any civet in VIA which seems strange to me-I mean hell, you have the rest of the stinky party, why not throw in some feral cat?!

Notes According to Fragrantica:

Narcissus, aldehydes, green notes, carnation, ylang ylang, sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, bergamot, Virginia cedar amber, musk, jasmine, violet, orris root, amalfi lemon

The market auidience for VIA isn't absolutely clear to me. This isn't a young person's fragrance (certainly not in the 70's) but it isn't mature either. It doesn't feel revolutionary or different from many of the other fragrances of the era. My bottle is old, and it is possible the lemon and carnation notes were more refined and have been lost over time, or that there's subtlety in the jasmine I can't smell-but I kinda think this was someone at Lanvin thinking they needed to grab the 30-something housewives that wouldn't wear My Sin or Arpege because their mother's did. I don't get, youthful office worker from VIA-if anything, I think I get "Aged out of the Junior League, married a banker and bought a house in the suburbs."  Or possibly, "Estee Lauder, for women that think Estee Lauder is too common." 

That said, I have been enjoying VIA (alone, without any layering) and wouldn't hesitate to buy another bottle if it came along. The oakmoss/vetiver combination is beautifully done-you get the sense they went for expensive vetiver. Could I live without it? Sure, and that's likely the general reaction that doomed it. There were so many extraordinary perfumes coming to market in that time, I suspect VIA just didn't have the marketing to make it stick. The packaging with the modern looking type font and silver box should have appealed to the hedonism of the 70s, or at least people that could afford to snort coke. I'd be interested to know what someone young thinks of VIA, without all the associations I have from living through the era. But whatever you do-keep it away from M&W Tabac.

Christmas Brooch of the Day-Day Eleven

Today I have a 1970's stick pin. I don't think I've ever worn it. Let's face it, stick pins are rarely exciting. When was the last time you heard someone exclaim, "oooh, nice stickpin"? I guess it suffers from keeping company with my other, sparklier brooches. I am going to make a point of wearing it this year.

Brocade Tights

 I've recently reorganised my wardrobe and as a result made a discovery-I own some very strange tights.  What possessed me to purchase shiny black and purple floral tights, I can't say, but I was happy enough to try them out on a chilly autumn morning.

Er...maybe not.
Something about autumn makes me want to focus on leg wear-perhaps the knowledge of snow to come, and heavy boots until spring is a motivation. In a few weeks, I'll forget about whatever great tights are lurking in the drawer as I pull out the fleece-lined leggings, wool socks, and long undies. ,Until then, I'm enjoying the mild weather, and my collection of" WTF Was I Thinking?" tights.

 Outfit Particulars:
Vintage 70's sweater-Can't remember
Canadian Made jacket (more like a tailored sweatshirt)-Can't remember
80's mini-Can't remember
Tights-No clue
Necklace-Garage Sale
Earrings-Garage sale
Bakelite carved ring-Hand-me-ups
Bangle-Salvation Army
Vintage handbag-Goodwill
Boots-K Mart
Fragrance-4711 (I needed an inoffensive fragrance to wear in a crowded space)

I'm getting ready for the holidays today by putting up a couple jars of vegetarian mincemeat. It needs at least a month to properly soak up the booze, so although it doesn't feel like mincemeat weather, I'll be chopping/grinding fruit today. I use fresh cranberries in mine which isn't traditional, but it adds a nice contrast. Cranberries also gel quickly which helps move the cooking along. I haven't tried using a slow cooker for mincemeat, but I'll bet it would work. 

The Barmbrack is baked for Monday (it does better stored a few days before eating) and another malt loaf which has become a staple item at our house (it also requires a few day's storage). Next week there will be Election Day Cake (essentially a fruit cake) and Parkin for the 5th. Then, the serious baking begins. I don't do a large Thanksgiving, but we put up the (artificial) tree that day, and there must be gingerbread men to hang on it. I seal them in clear plastic treat bags and tie them with ribbon so that they can be eaten should anyone be overcome with a desire to steal one from the tree. The boys blame that on the squirrel but as he has his own special biscuits we bake for him I consider it unlikely he's the culprit.

 The Haunted Physics Lab was great again this year.

 Oooh, scary!

 Ha ha!

 Nerds!

Have to run-the game is on. Go Cubs!

More From the Qiana Collection

Back off, I'm armed with a heavy framed handbag and I'm not afraid to use it. 

As promised, here's more of my 70's Qiana nylon collection. Today, I'm wearing a 1970's Leslie Fay dress that zips up the front making me feel like I'm wearing a robe. I'm certain it had a fabric belt originally, but it can also be worn loose (though that really enhances the robe effect). If you thought Dacron Polyester didn't breathe, you haven't worn Qiana nylon! Not attire for a warm day.

 I have since wiped that scuff on the purse away. Why is it I only notice these things when I go to edit photos?
I *think* this is a 60's purse, but it could be early 70's. It is nicely lined, and still has the original mirror tucked into a paper sleeve in the pocket. My mum had a similar bag in blue that I sometimes wear, but otherwise I don't run across too many of these lucite handled bags. I paid $3.99 at Goodwill.

These shoes aren't vintage-they're from Target (though I picked them up at Goodwill). As repro-shoes go, these are well made. My ankles aren't really built to wear T-straps, but I made an exception in this case because they were inexpensive, and really do look the vintage part. Of course, they're not meant to look 70's, but my Nan was still wearing shoes like this in the 70's, so by that logic it makes perfect sense to wear them with a nylon dress. That's how my brain works, and who am I to argue with my Nana?

Outfit Particulars:

1970's Leslie Fay Qiana nylon dress-Goodwill

Belt-Thrift World

Shoes-Goodwill

Vintage handbag-Goodwill

Copper earrings-K mart

Fragrance-Vintage formulation (60's) Tigress

 I thought you might be interested in seeing a few more Qiana pieces. This one still had the original tags, but was missing the belt. Oh well, after 45 years or so, we can forgive the owner misplacing the belt.

 Carlye has become a collectible label in recent years, though it was dead common when I was young. The original tag had an insane price of $122.00 which would have been quite a lot of money in those days. I have a difficult time imagining anyone paying that sort of cash for a nylon dress in the 70's, but remembering what the inflation was like (and how cheap clothes have become) it is possible. That would explain the desire to hang onto it all these years.

 Here's another favourite piece

 Watch that collar-could be sharp!

I wish I could say that's all there is, but we all know how helpless I am in the face of  70's nylon or polyester clothing. Consider this a teaser of horrifying fashion to come in the cooler weather. I know I can't wait!

Sunday Silly

 As summer is winding down, I thought it wise to give the white linen trousers another wearing. I packed away my spring and early to mid-summer wardrobe yesterday, and now I can begin slowly moving into late summer/early autumn. I know we won't be clear of the heat until at least October, but there's already a chill in the evening air-I regretted wearing a sleeveless top for my evening walk. I did better than most years getting the summer items worn (at least once) and photographed (mostly).

Today was my first opportunity to wear this vintage hat I bought last spring at Hand-Me-Ups. It has a union label, but no designer label. The design is interesting with the crown ever-so slightly off-kilter. It reminds me of those topsy-turvy cakes people have at weddings these days. This isn't an easy hat to wear, but it does look rather sophisticated once it is on-even on the likes of me!

Outfit Particulars:

Ralph Lauren linen trousers-Hand-Me-Ups

1980's gold-flecked top-Hand-Me-Ups

1980's beaded silk jacket-Goodwill

1960's handbag-Thrift store in Western Massachusetts about 25 years ago

Shoes-K Mart, several years ago

Vintage hat-Hand-Me-Ups

Ring-Goodwill

Vintage enamel Napier necklace-Hand-Me-Ups

Shell earrings-World Market

Fragrance-Vintage formulation Balmain Vent Vert 

Being Sunday, there was public silliness. Really, the three of us can't be trusted to behave together!

It was no small feat staying on that carriage as he raced through the store. Probably not the best activity in 4" heels. There's no graceful way to stand without my behind sticking out either. 

I don't bother wondering what people must think...because I don't care.

 Here's a peek at the bottling process. These are pickled and spiced plums.

 Our trusty pressure canner can also be put into service for a water-bath.

Danny has his tools laid out like a surgeon.

That twisted-up wet tea towel has an inportant role wiping clean the rim and treads on the jars. It is an easy to overlook step, but having the damp towel at the ready helps ensure the task is completed. We use two-part jars with lids and screw-on bands, and the tiniest bit of food stuck under the lid would be enough to spoil the seal. 

I'll leave you with this figurine I spotted at Goodwill, but didn't buy. Even when these things were at the height of their popularity in the 70's, it would have been terribly awkward to present someone going through a difficult time with something like this. If I still worked in an office, it would be an interesting thing to leave on my desk. People would want to ask, but would be too uncomfortable.

Hope you had a nice weekend, and the week ahead treats you well. Remember, when you hurt...ah, fuck it.

Vintage, True and Reproduction

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. Ours was pleasant, and we even found a bit of time for outdoor photographs. There was silliness, of course, though I wonder what the people on the other side of the window must have thought!

I believe he was doing a, "Thumbs-up" gesture despite the boxing stance. There's an urgent care directly opposite in the complex-I do hope we kept some patients entertained during their undoubtedly lengthy wait. "Quick, come look at the imbeciles in front of the Hallmark shop! Oooh, one of the imbeciles is wearing a lovely vintage dress."

Outfit Particulars:

Vintage dress-Goodwill

Belt-Goodwill

Vintage handbag-Antique mall

Naturalizer sandals-Sequels

Bangles-all over

Necklace-Hand-Me-Ups

Earrings-Hand-Me-Ups

Large green ring-The much-missed Curtise

Hair flowers-Tiff and Tam

Fragrance-Parure

Not to be outdone by Mr. ETB's window photo bomb, I grabbed the kid and we walked down to meet his bus this evening. As the bus pulled to the stop, we stood on the sidewalk waving it in with our arms like airline workers on a tarmac. Had I planned ahead, we could have brought torches and worn headphones. The bus driver was cracking-up, and Mr. ETB was laughing so hard he couldn't speak for the first couple blocks of the walk home. After more than 20 years together, he should know better than challenging me to a public stupidity contest.

I should mention that this dress is so sheer it requires a full slip beneath to keep me from being charged with indecent exposure. I did own a pale green slip at some point, but it disappeared long ago, and now I'm on the hunt for another. I wore white here, which worked out fine with the white in the pattern, but green would have been better. I've never attempted dyeing nylon-might be worth a try.

This beautiful vintage reproduction by Lady Vintage turned out to be an incredible bargain due to the sale, and favourable exchange rate on the day I ordered it. I had never heard of Lady Vintage before the wonderful Miss Magpie mentioned them, and I owe her a great many thanks for introducing me. Much as I complain about inferior quality repro clothing, I am pleased to say this dress is perfect. The fabric is heavy, and falls beautifully. It is launderable, wrinkle -resistant, and has just enough stretch in the fabric to accommodate my ever-shifting weight. Turning the garment inside-out, I was able to see how well-made it is. No fear of the seams coming undone here. No stray threads needing to be snipped, the zipper works (and is sewn-in correctly) and I love the extra care that was put into the packaging. My dress arrived quickly, and folded in such a way that it could be worn immediately rather than spending hours steaming out creases from careless shipping.

 The dress looked greener indoors! Next time, blue necklace.

Outfit Particulars:
Dress-Lady Vintage, London
1940's Naturalizer pumps-Thrift World
Vintage necklace-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-Balahe

I found a strapless bra worked best, though there's enough support in the bodice to forgo one entirely, I bought the dress in a 14, which turned out a bit large, but I'd rather err on the side of too big. I'm a 36 DD and there's plenty of extra room on top. Because of my curved spine and messed-up right shoulder, I have trouble wearing dresses with straps like this as they tend to slide down on the right side. There's a bit of that happening here, but so much less than I typically deal with as the straps are heavy and well-constructed. You can read a bit about the company on their website, but the short version is that all the dresses are made in London, where they employ skilled pattern cutters and the like. It really does show in the quality of this dress. After several bad experiences with buying clothes by post (I'm looking at you, Chicwish) dealing with Lady Vintage was a joy. I am not being compensated in any way by Lady Vintage, and I paid $38.00 USD for my dress. I consider it money very well spent. Thanks again, Miss Magpie for alerting me to this terrific company.

This last outfit is a mix of vintage and contemporary items that came together better than expected. You'd think a heavy, polyester skirt wouldn't require a slip, but this one shows every lump and bump (of which I have many) making it nearly impossible to wear anything tucked into the waistband. I bought the two-piece top set last weekend as the colours appealed to me even though they veer ever-so-slightly into Lily Pulitzer territory (oh, barf). With our flaky weather, layering is definitely a good strategy, and I like to look pulled-together when I do. Luckily, the top is just long enough to hide my saddlebags, and make the skirt wearable. I love when that happens.

Outfit Particulars:

Vintage 70's Koret of California skirt-Goodwill

Two-piece top and jacket set-Goodwill

1960's handbag-Hand-Me-Ups

Shell bracelet-Hand-Me-Ups

Shell clip earrings-Hand-Me-Ups

Brooch-Goodwill

Necklace-Hand-Me-Ups

Hair flowers-Tiff and Tam

Shoes-K Mart

Lippy-Maybellene Vivid Rose

Fragrance-Revolution a Versailles (Review coming soon)

Hope your week is treating you well.

Look Out Summer, Here I Come!

This bag is about forty years too late in my life (where were you in the late 70's when I desperately wanted one?) but I bought it anyway as it was in excellent condition, and I'm sure I'll eventually find an occasion to wear it. The thing is heavy -literally, not in the sense of, "Whoa dude, that's heavy."

I completed the syllabus and paperwork for next year's classes and posted them off to the Board of Education for approval. If all is well, I should have my certificate back in a couple weeks. When I was putting together the second semester history course on the Roman Empire, I tried to include some popular movies for fun. Spartacus, Ben Hur, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, all made the cut, but I knew I'd never get away with Life of Brian. Overhearing me complaining that I needed more Roman farces, Mr. ETB went ahead and ordered something for me as a surprise. Well! That certainly was a surprise. I can't use it for class (I don't think some of the jokes would play well in 2016) but it will be fun to watch. I have no idea where in the world he found it.

I've been promising to show some more of my Collins-style bags. There's one more in my collection that didn't make the photo. I recently bought a large bucket of assorted plastic gems, so I am prepared to do the repairs required.

As we approach the Fourth of July, I've been getting wear out of my favourite pieces of Americana. This skirt, hand-sewn by a quilter in Texas is one of my all-time favourite pieces. I'm not a huge fan of flag motifs, but give me an eagle, or Washington crossing the Delaware, and I'm all over it! This skirt has a bit of the "Stars and Stripes", but in a way that's more historical than in-your-face, nationalistic. I get a bit fed-up with our symbols being hijacked by people that wish to use them in an exclusionary way. 

Outfit Particulars:

Texas-made skirt-Goodwill

Cotton peasant blouse-K Mart

Vintage Hand-Tooled shoulder bag-New Life Thrift

Vintage tooled belt-Hand-Me-Ups

Bracelet-Goodwill

Necklace-Yard sale

Earrings-K Mart

Sandals-Goodwill

Fragrance-Taylor Swift Incredible Things (Not terrible, in an air-freshener sort of way)

 The garden is coming along nicely.

I was a bit disappointed with the cone flowers as they were expected to be pink and green (they're neither). They haven't really taken on the cone-flower shape either. Oh well, sometimes you don't get what you expect in gardening. 

I dug this beaded, lacy skirt out for one last wear to decide if I'm keeping it, or moving it out. Not much goes with a black lace skirt (except black, of course)but I gave it my best effort layering a waistcoat (or is it a "sleeveless jacket?") over a sleeveless blouse. In the end, I feel the skirt has potential-for someone else. My wardrobe rarely includes something this delicate, and black. I'm sure there's a Goth teenager out there that will wear the skirt much better than I ever will. That belt is really a necklace but shhhhh, don't tell anyone!

Outfit Particulars:
90's silk/lace/beaded skirt-Goodwill
Necklace worn as a belt-Garage sale
Shoes-K mart a few years ago
Blouse-K Mart
Waistcoat-New Life Thrift
Earrings-Had them since University!
Necklace-"                                         "
Faience and silver bracelet-Goodwill
Handbag-New Life Thrift
Prisim ring-Nordstrom's, 90's
Fragrance-Vintage formulation Cabochard

I'm going to take the next few weeks easy before State Fair preparations begin in earnest. I'm entering pies and breads this year (though not in any divisions Danny is entering because I don't want to compete with him-he'd kick my ass!). Danny will be entering jams, chutney, pickles, baked goods, and possibly some nature photography. I have a quilt to finish, and I might finally get to my repair basket (maybe). Still, all of that is on hold until I get my time relaxing at the pool. We have the July 4th holiday coming up which means a picnic, and watching fireworks from the parking lot of the college next door (they're at a much higher elevation above the tree-line and there's a magnificent 360 degree view of the city). In previous years we were able to watch the local fireworks as well as those across the river in Iowa from our excellent location. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate as it has the last couple years. July can be murderously hot in Nebraska, but I think we've managed to get that out of the way in June! We're still in the heatwave, but I think I've become acclimated to it. I went outside wearing a cardigan, and my young neighbour just looked at me like Id lost my mind. Perhaps I have.

Last one in the pool is a rotten egg!