With all my love,

        At the turn of the 20th century social correspondence was conducted mainly through handwritten letters. Almost every one wrote social letters - even younger brothers. Though he spoke of a different century George Saintsbury described the past correctly when he said "Everybody wrote letters, and a surprising number of people wrote letters well".

These days a handwritten letter from a friend or relative is something to be treasured simply because of its' scarcity.   

If you have ever read a very old letter, maybe written by a famous author or your great grandmother, you have probably noticed that this way of communication is not at all similiar to the system used today.

 

Today I have some guidelines for letter writing that I found in a book from 1922.

•                                                                         
•   Always include "yours' in the complimentary closing:  yours sincerely, yours cordially, or lovingly yours.                                                                                                                       
• In the United States the salutation "My dear_" is considered  more formal than the simple "Dear_".
• Don't attempt to put anything down on paper before thinking out and arranging what you want to say.
• Never use ruled paper for any correspondence

 

 

 

Sometimes I like to send a poem or a quote from  a book I've been reading.

 

 

 

 

    I still write letters to many people and I hope you do also. I hope you still write your grandmother every week, like you did when you were younger, and maybe even supplement your phone calls to mom with a pretty handwritten note she will love to find in her mailbox.



Written in 1922 this book is full of
 instructions for improving your
letters .





 Until next time I remain



                                yours sincerely,

Gibson Girl Fashion: Vests

There is something about

 a vest that seems reminicent

of the Gibson Girl style.

Perhaps it is the slight formality that the

 vest  lends to an outfit  that makes it more

"Gibsonesque".

                                                                                   The Gibson Girl's fashion style was always feminine yet often it had an independent business like leaning.   I thought this white vest was like that -unmistakebly girly but not frivolous.         
                                                                                                         Adding a vest is a great way to look a bit more  polished and pulled together in a  vintage way.   I bought this vest at a thrift store and I have others I could show in another post... what do you think?  

                                                                                     Until next time,           

 

Gibson Girl Fashion: One

    Greetings! I would like to introduce you to  another series which focuses on fashion from the late 1800s and early 1900s. So, like in this post,  I will be quoting from fashion/beauty books and magazines from that time period.
  
       What do you wear at home?
 

If I quote Ella Adelia Fletcher it
 will most likely be a quote from this book.

           "It is a grave mistake to think that "any old thing" will do for the privacy of the home circle. The wearing of shabby defaced finery is a shiftless habit which demoralizes both the wearer and her associates. Home gowns should be exquisitely neat and dainty as any in the wardrobe, and a delicate sense of the fitness of things should suit them in fabric and cut to their use. The gentlewoman will look a queen in a neat cotton gown, when she who thinks her worn out silks serve the purpose as well looks a shabby frump."  
                                        - Ella Adelia Fletcher 1901
 
     I thought I would start the fashion series with the remedy to my greatest fashion failing. Ella puts its so clearly that her words cut right to my heart when I think of all the crazy ensembles I come up with on the days I stay at home. Now I obviously am not relaxing in my "worn out silks" but my house work outfits can be pretty outrages. I pull out random pieces and just layer  them until I'm comfortable. Like last night- I was wearing shorts underneath my favorite old sweatpants, with a worn out sundress as a top, over that a hoodie, and a sweatshirt as the final layer.  Of course I would prefer to get rid of these worn out layers, trading them for one or two clean cut, well made, and comfortable pieces for home wear. So my next thrifting mission is to find attractive yet very simple clothing for those days when I haven't any where to go.
   How about you? Do you always make sure you look neat even if you aren't seeing any one that day or do you take the opportunity to wear comfy and possibly frumpy outfits? Please leave a comment telling me your preference. I remain

                                                       Faithfully yours,
                                 

A Gibson Depiction

 

  She is a woman: one in whom
  The springtime of her childish years
  Hath never lost it's fresh perfume
  Though knowing well that life hath room
  For many blights and many tears
                      
                                   -James Russel Lowell

Gibson Girl Hair : Growing long hair

  Hello!
Today I am starting my first series. In each installment I will talk about different subjects related to achieving the Gibson Girl halo of hair, starting with the basics.

  When I look at a picture of a Gibson Girl the first thing I always notice is her hair. Whether she is wearing it up or down it is always healthy and full. Or at least it appears that way.  I sometimes think "Did every girl in 1905 have thick wavy hair?" Of course not. There was girls, just like me, who's hair was definitely on the thinner side. The difference was the methods used back then to achieve thicker hair were actually very healthy, not damaging like your average bottle of growth serum today.For example instead of silicones people used rich nutrient filled oils. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Today I want to talk about two ways to change your hair from the inside out.

 Exercise-  Beauty experts for hundreds of years have known of the vital link between physical movement and physical beauty.When a person moves their body for an extended period of time the circulation of their blood- which is filled with the body's nutrients- is greatly stimulated. This revitalizes your insides bringing blood to places where circulation may have been sluggish. This applies to the scalp, where the capillaries directly feed the hair follicles.

  So if you have a sallow complexion and your hair is dull and sparse establish a daily exercise routine, preferably in the fresh air, and it won't be long before your hair and skin begin to glow.
 A good way to improve circulation to the scalp while performing a mild exercise like walking is to stop every ten minutes or so to touch your toes. This greatly increases blood flow to the scalp. If you have access you might even want to massage your scalp.

"Vacation" -J.C Layendecker
My exercise inspiration

 Don't forget that the favorite exercise of most Gibson Girls was cycling.


  Iodine-  On one of the many bookshelves at my house there is a brown book with bold red lettering which reads "An 80 Year Old Doctor's Secrets of Positive Health" by William Brady M.D. This book was written in 1961 so William Brady was a practicing doctor at the time of the Gibson Girl-at least at the very end. His advice is very turn of the century- He recommends exercise and good food for optimal health. His advice is"geared toward keeping patients out of the doctor's office". The chapter entitled "Iodine: The Last of the Specifics" especially caught my eye. He says "we also know that every man,woman, or child must get a wee bit of iodine or iodide in one form or another to keep well, or remain in better-than-average nutritional condition". He observes that teenage girls who are moody and fatigued at a time of life when they should be active and joyful are very often suffering from an iodine deficiency. American soil and water is known to be severely iodine deficient. His suggested nutritional dose of iodine-nutritional not medical- is 600mcgs daily. Although the RDA is only 150mcgs nutritionists have said over and over that they are not worried about the results of people getting to much iodine, what is worrying to them is the effects of iodine deficiency.
  At the end of the chapter he quotes from letters he received from people who took his Iodine Ration-here you will see my point:

             A few weeks after I started taking it I noticed how my hair glistened and hung so nicely...
                                                                                                      -Mrs. PJ

        My daughter,24, has always had straight stringy hair. Last summer her hair, on top, was taking on a natural wave and by Thanksgiving the sides as well were beginning to curl. Now it has a lovely wave of it's own, without the aid of curlers.     -Mrs. WM
   
      Your Iodine Ration has been included in my daily diet for about a year and never before have I had such nice hair and so manageable. I am 58 and the grey hairs I had have disappeared.
                                                                                  - Mrs.BA

   So it seems that for the young and old iodine may be that extra step for improved health. Now I recommend Iodine from kelp. Even if you don't achieve these seemingly miraculous results this amount of iodine will do no harm.*If you have a known medical issue particularly thyroid problems you should do always consult your doctor before adding any nutritional supplements to your diet.* Also the comments do suggest that you must take the Iodine Ration faithfully for a decent amount of time before you see improvements but the prospect have having healthy shiny hair should keep you going- at least it is my motivation.

    I am glad I could share this information with those of you who wish to grow their hair and to those who are interested in historical hair care. Please leave a comment if you have any questions. I remain
                                                                                     yours truly,

The Last Day of Summer

                                                          This says it all.