Finding Inspiration In Vintage Cards

I’ve been cleaning out some old drawers and found some kitschy greeting cards from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. I love the art work, it’s always a colourful cartoon figure, usually surrounded by kittens and flowers. I miss those kind of greeting cards. They really don’t make them like they used to! Now everything seems to be computer generated or a photo of something (usually enhanced by a computer!).

It must be the fact that I’m not 8 years old anymore, and now have a passion for vintage pieces, because I see these cards in a new light. Instead of seeing a birthday or ‘get well’ card, I see some pretty cool fashions! I realise the picture above is a huge inspiration board, but there were just so many cards that were too fascinating not to include.

Have you noticed a theme in the clothing on the cards? Bows. Almost all of the figures are wearing bows! And there are a lot of peter pan collars (I’ll be writing a ‘how to make a peter pan collar’ tutorial in the coming days), mary-jane flats, puffy billow sleeves, bows and flowers in their hair - it’s all very pretty and feminine. I love it.

So I thought I’d put all this inspiration into a few Polyvore sets. They remind me of Alice in Wonderland or fairy-tales, like Snow White. When wearing these outfits, it seems appropriate to go pick berries and flowers, where squirrels and deers roam.

Finding Fashion Inspiration In Vintage Greeting Cards

A peter pan collar, flat velvet mary-janes, white lace socks, a bright blue pea coat, a bow on her headband, a petticoat peeking through the bottom of the dress, and a basket to collect wild flowers in the valley. I can imagine this girl smells of lollies, like pink musk and boiled candy. And she doesn’t just go to the valley to pick flowers, she likes to meet the farmer’s boy for smooches! (Click here for product information.)

Finding Fashion Inspiration In Vintage Greeting Cards

Kitten heels, a flattering 50’s dress, with matching rose earrings and matching pink gloves with bows on the wrists. In the morning she sprays on her perfume, but by noon she smells like cupcakes. She loves to bake them for afternoon tea with Joanie, her beloved neighbour. (Click here for product information.)

Finding Fashion Inspiration In Vintage Greeting Cards

Loose rolled up jeans, a roll neck jumper with puffy sleeves, a warm woolen beret and a bow tied around her neck. She lives in a house covered in ivy vines, where the paint on the ceiling is peeling, a lot of repairs are needed and blue birds choose to make their nests. She has mandarins everyday for morning tea and cooks delicious meals for her kitten named Harlequin. (Click here for product information.)

Finding Fashion Inspiration In Vintage Greeting Cards

She wears corsets over frilly, lace shirts, with long full skirts, and flowers in her hair. She takes a stroll every morning and protects her porcelain skin with the shade of a parasol. You can smell the sweet scent of the flowers in her hair when she walks by. (Click here for product information.)

I seriously get lost when I make these sets, it’s very easy to do so as they each have a distinct place in time. It’s funny where you can find fashion inspiration, it’s not only in fashion spreads of magazines, but in every little nook and crannie. I think I’m going to hang some vintage greeting cards on an ‘inspiration string’ and dream of far away places (and that corset in the last set. Amour!). :)

Big love,

Ivyology on August 14th, 2008 | File Under Fashion | -