Here is something for all you office / gadget geeks. Corporate environments used to be stylish, fun and zany a couple of decades ago, pre cubicle-land, Lumberghs and Hawaiian shirt day. Look at those big machines and the women who knows how to operate them, pretty sassy huh? There are a bunch of more retro office porn photos here (Via) [Thanks Cam]
The latest haute couture from Paris, Milan, Rome, London and New York for the ladies out there. If you like the videos, be sure to stop by French sexy lounge girl thejackieo1966 on YouTube.
It was most likely much tougher than it seemed – with charm and grace training, evacuation exercises, disgruntled passengers and endless hair and makeup sessions. Guess all the excitement and grandeur is a thing of the past. Does anyone even consider becoming a flight attendant today? Photos taken from the wonderful Life archive at Google.
Don't know who i am referring to? Well you might know her better under her nickname "Twiggy" (from twig – tree). Twiggy was born September 19, 1949 in Neasden, London. She became famous in the swingin' 60s as a model icon and revolutionized the fashion world with her slim and boyish figure, short hair and big eyes that set trends all over the world. From then on every girl and young woman wanted to look like Twiggy. Now for her 60th birthday, the National Portrait Gallery in London is showing a exhibition in her name and launching a new photographic biography book of her life. The event Twiggy: A Life in Photographs will be on display from September 19th, 2009 until March 21st, 2010. You could also easily run in to her at the book -signing event today Friday 18th September between 1pm and 2pm. Happy Birthday Twiggy!
Not that Ultra Swank condones being sexist, it just sometimes amazes me what kind of stuff advertising agencies were able to pull off around the 1950s. Here are some fine examples of American ads of the times that takes a punch at women only being good for being secretaries, housewives and objects of beauty. Even though the ads would never pass in a magazine today, they are still cute in a old fashioned way. Thankfully, men have evolved a little over the years. [Via]
Cute, kitschy and a bit sexist in a innocent mid-century way, this 25 minute long film tributes the American woman in the American family household. Through the course of it we get to experience her wifely responsibilities, such as planning the family budget, finding time to be social and shopping for daily necessities. Pay attention to the lovely and cheerful muzak-styled songs that are played in the background. I am also very sure that this is the same narrator that was heard in a handful of other similar films in the 1950s and 1960s. Anyone know who I am referring to? [Thanks Cam]
Update: the narrator is legendary Ken Nordine. Hat tip to commenter PJ for clearing that up.
More space age fashion from Germany with beautiful models moving in slow motion and the dreamy moog music of Jean Jacques Perrey. Anyone know from which arena this was filmed? Let us know. (Via)
Taschen is one of my favorite publishers of 20th century design and architecture themed books. I have a couple in my collection, but there's room for many more – like this one. 20th Century Fashion: 100 Years of Apparel Ads takes us through a stylish 100 years of fashion during the 20th Century via 400 fashion advertisements from the Jim Heimann Collection. This is a must have for any fashionista or trendsetter. 20th Century Fashion: 100 Years of Apparel Ads can be obtained from most book stores or through Taschen's website. It covers 464 pages in total which makes it a steal at only £27.99. [Thanks Cam]
The 20th century saw fashion evolve from an exclusive Parisian salon business catering to a wealthy elite, into a global industry employing millions, with new trends whisked into stores before the last model has left the catwalk. Along the way, the signature feminine silhouettes of each era evolved beyond recognition: House of Worth crinolines gave way to Vionnet's bias-cut gowns, Dior's New Look to Quant's Chelsea Look, Halston's white suit to Frankie B.'s low-rise jeans. In menswear, ready-made suits signaled the demise of bespoke tailoring, long before Hawaiian shirts, skinny ties or baggy pants entered the fore.
Ultra Swank takes you back in time into the kitsch, chic and swank living of the 50s to the 70s. We mainly focus on the design, architecture and the lifestyle of the happy-go-lucky and space-age-living mentality from that era - but also on the mood music that takes you back to happier times. Ultra Swank is run by Chris who resides in Sweden. More | Contact
Time for another peek at the past shopping experiences. This time we are leaving Sweden to have a look at some photos from an American shopping center. Since most of the Swedish malls and shopping centers that was built in the 50s, 60s and 70s all took their inspiration from the American [...]
Here is something for all you office / gadget geeks. Corporate environments used to be stylish, fun and zany a couple of decades ago, pre cubicle-land, Lumberghs and Hawaiian shirt day. Look at those big machines and the women who knows how to operate them, pretty sassy huh? There are a bunch of more retro [...]
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Ultra Swank is your blast from the past that takes you back to a more civilized and elegant era with lush cocktail parties, retro design, tasteful architecture and dreamy mood music.
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