Photographic Time Travel 1920-1930

Probably thanks to period movies I have a distinct picture in my head of 20s looks and fashions - much like the picture above and below.
























However, looking through Fortepan's amateur photographs you don't only see the "do take a picture of me in my best dress" and "well off people in the park" shots, but real, everyday people going about their business... And how different those looks and settings can be!



































My favourite photo from this lot... So everyday, so laid back, so simply, effortlessly perfect.








































She's way ahead of her time, isn't she?























I find it so captivating how they all look into the camera like they'd look into your eye.






















I trend to forget that longago people still had fun. :)






















I wonder who these youngsters are and how did they get to know each other?


























And one more for laughs: twenties trolling. :D

In case you missed my previous Time Travelling posts, here they are:
Photographic Time Travel 1900-1910,
Photographic Time Travel 1910-1920.

All of these wonderful pictures are from Fortepan.hu, which collects amateur photographs from 1900 to 1990, mostly from Hungary, which you can browse and enjoy and also share if you feel like it! The creators collected old negatives and slides, saved pictures from being lost forever. Luckily for us, one day they started to scan and publish them online for everyone to see. So now time travel really is possible for us! All we need is some free time to immerse ourselves in the everyday life of the 20th century... So go on and visit Fortepan and have a browse. You can also read more about their project here!







































<3

Big News!

Here I am, again! And also somebody else... There are two of us on these pictures. :)
Yes, I'm expecting a baby! The Little One growing inside is now about four and a half months old, and causes me to marvel at the wonders of the world and just how lucky and blessed I am every day.










































My mind is really occupied with it all too, so concentrating on blogging took a back seat in the past month, but I don't intend to give up my corner of the internet that easy!

I know full well it can feel painful to read about pregnancies for many women, for many reasons, so I definitely don't intend to turn this blog into a pregnancy one, however, as this is partly a personal style blog, the Bump will play an increasing role on the pictures, visually definitely! :D My body changes really fast and it took some time to get used to this, but obviously I didn't stop getting dressed - in fact I rather enjoy that I have to rethink my wardrobe for a new body shape.

So please stay tuned for more style and art, and I will try and not abandon my blog again for so long! :)

These great pictures were taken by Zsófi Raffay, when we were out for another photoshoot I styled for her - but more on that later!

Wearing: Thrifted dress and shrug, H&M Mama tights, Bershka outlet thigh-highs 

(very uncomfortable to wear them like that though! :), Doc Martens.

Halloween-less

We don't celebrate Halloween in Hungary at all - instead we have the Day of the Dead, but that is a very solemn affair, and definitely doesn't include dressing up. People visit the cemeteries, tidy the graves, light candles for everyone they lost... It's a sad but beautiful ocassion.





















These pictures were taken near to where I grew up, and that strange ball thing is supposed to a fountain that I never saw working, not even when I was five and climbing up to the top of it was the achievement of the day. :)

Although I didn't have the ocassion to dress up, my sister Anna, while taking the pictures pointed out I look like I'm cosplaying something - must be because of this overdress. Not what I intended, but you can't really escape looking a bit theathral in it! (If that's a word.)

In other news I'm growing my hair again, as my Boyfriend keeps hinting at how nice long hair is, (oh well, at least I gave short hair a try!) so be prepared for some weird transitional hairstyles in the coming months! :)

Wearing: Promod dress and boots, handmade overdress from a folk market, 

Calzedonia tights, Zara bag, Primark headband.

Photos by my sister, Anna, editing by me.

Styling Rozina

This gorgoeus lady is Rozina Pátkai, a jazz singer whose photoshoot I had the luck to style. It's always a great pleasure to work with Zsófi Raffay, a brilliant photographer indeed!

First of all, we met Rozina, who explained what sort of pictures she imagines and discussed the atmosphere and general style of the future shoot... She also sent us links to her band's music, which immediately started me thinking. It's wonderful to be part of a creative process which starts with music and ends with pictures. A few days later I was ready to visit her and wreak havoc in her wardrobe!








































I made some sketches about the type of dresses that would suit her shape (she has a great figure, as believe it or not she's also a fencing champion!) and work for the shoot - we both imagined something colourful, and not too elegant, but still put-together. A bit like how you dress for a date you're really looking forward to and you're very happy about! :)

After a long trying-on session, and looking through both Rozina and her Mum's wardrobe, plus my suitcase of accessories, we came up with one full outfit, featuring the yellow dress accented with spicy colours in the shape of flower pins and belts, and we also agreed on a dark blue dress as well, with red sandals.





















Let me tell you, it is the best feeling when the people whose styling you're working on follow your general guidelines and go shopping on their own, turning up with a few perfect pieces! That's exactly what Rozina did, and sent me the pictures of a few more dresses she picked up for the shoot - the green and red ones you can see below. I made sure I picked up accessories for these as well, and we were ready for the shoot, which took place in a wonderful retro café, Táskarádió.






















The shoot was great fun and I just love the pictures... At the moment this reclining one is my fave. :)
I hope Rozina can use them promoting her music! Here's the link to her blog where you can find all the links to their great bossa novas and jazz songs.
Oh, and do look around Zsófi's photos as well, they're absolutely worth a good look!











































Aaaaand, this is not the end of the story. A week or so later we also did a shoot for the whole band! More pictures to come! :) 

(Obviously no animals were harmed, this is just a fake butterfly. :)

Overcast

But patterns cheer me up!

Be Carefree Car-Free!

There is an international day dedicated to travelling car-free, did you know? It's tomorrow, the 22nd of September.

We tend to forget how easy it is to take public transport within the city instead of sitting in traffic jams, while all the buses rattle past us in the empty bus lane... Not having to search for a parking space, just propping up our bikes right next to our destination... Walk to the corner shop for what we need instead of buying up everything in a hypermarket thinking "I don't have to carry it, I might as well buy this and this and this too...". Curling up on a seat on the night bus after a night out instead of paying for a taxi... (I won't even go into environmental issues here, we know those all too well.)

So how about not getting into your cars tomorrow, take the bus, get on your bikes or just walk! I will definitely do so! :)

Car-Free Day has been celebrated for a few years here in Budapest, when the great Andrássy boulevard is closed down and people stroll and cycle all over, look at stalls where they can learn more about environmental issues and check out arts and crafts stuff in the middle of the city. This year I made some small paintings that will await their buyers anxiously at the stall of Jojó Art Shop, here's a sampling for you! The green paper you see is from a photo album from 1909 (that was the date pencilled into it). I found it in a second hand bookshop, in a very cheap pile, after the owner took out all the pictures and left the book there, falling apart. The paper is gorgeous and I love painting on it...

Links a la Mode - Freeblogging Feature

I cannot begin to tell how grateful I am that my Freeblogging post is included in this week's Links a la Mode. Here are all the other choices too! Thank you IFB for allowing my post to be read by more bloggers!

"Oh, FNO!

  Since it’s inception, spearheaded by Anna Wintour and Conde Nast, Fashion’s Night Out has grown into a global celebration of fashion and retail – and an excuse to stay out late, sip on fancy drinks and maybe encounter a celebrity or two. Many of this week’s posts shared the FNO adventures of our global community – from London to Dusseldorf. There were also some wonderful illustration-infused submissions that breathed fresh life into the idea of an outfit post, as well as more than a few transportive, dreamy posts about Versaille, Louis Vuitton, dressing for the Alps and more… "

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: September 13th

• Are We On Time?: Fashion’s Night Out – London
• Class Consumed: Thrift Store Haul: Good Will on Vine
• Cool Things Together: OOTD #2
• Dress Code High Fashion: (My) Fashion’s Night Out Dusseldorf 2012
• Et Ressurexit: Louis Vuitton transports you far, far away
• Fashion Is Evolution: DIY Spiked Studded “Frenemy” Bracelet
• Fish Monkey’s Writing Stuff: Izumi Hongo, 2012 Collections
• Juliette Gold: Who is the Cover Girl?
• Leilah’s Lipstick: Layering Your Way Into Fall
• Ma Derniere Addiction: Chloe Fashion Show: FNO
• Madeline Quaint: Freeblogging
• Margarette Rose: the thing about Versailles
• So Capricious: Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out 2012 London
• Street Fashion Paris: Paris Lifestyle, in the Paris State of Mind
• Style over Sense: Edinburgh Mela 2012
• Sugar & Chiffon: Ryan Haber Collection SS13 Preview
• The Curvy Elle: Thrifting Politically
• The Mixtape Journal: An Adventure in the Alps
• The Penny Rose: Fall Fashion – Stripe
• WJ Style: Nature Profusion

If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode widget on the right side of the blog, and will be published later today. ~ Jennine

Freeblogging

I left this space for two months for a few reasons, and the time away made me realise many things about blogging and sharing, and what it became for me, and how I would like it to be...

To put it shortly, it dawned on me that I felt constricted by the unwritten rules of style blogging.

1. The pressure to fit in

So a style blog should consist of three coloumns, with a welcome picture of a smiling blogger and a load of marketing links, and in the middle, and endless stream of perfect quality photographs, of girls who always look prettier than most of the world's girls will ever feel, wearing clothes most of the world would never be able to afford, offering recipes and DIY's photographed perfectly, going on cute dates with their loving husbands, or shining at international events, and when they're asked what their secret is, they always say "you have to create original content".

It used to be a good game to work out how things are done in the style blogging world and playing along the rules. For me this is just not fun anymore. Maybe I'm a cynic, but the time has come when I don't believe all this is either original or honest.

2. Projecting the perfect life

Are you really that happy? Is everything really that pretty?
What is more important, to show an image of perfect romance/contentment/success/beauty or to feel it, live it? Do you really enjoy the currently fashionable "pretty" lifestyle? Isn't this all a marketing surface?

Maybe you only put on the statement 10 inch heels for the duration of the photoshoot, and maybe when you get home "you pig out in yoga pants" and maybe you only cook when you know you'll have to post the photos of it and maybe you get into a fight with your husband every other night?

In Hungary we say: If it's not your shirt, don't put it on. Of course there are plenty of honest bloggers our there - and interestingly 99% of them do not have a huge following. I cannot even bear to look at these "big" blogs anymore, written by girls who turn their lives into advertising space.

3. The hunt for followers

I admit: I did spend a few hours hunting for new blogs and leaving comments and GFC likes, and waited for return visits. Yes, it works. And yes, it's insincere... I couldn't do it more than twice, I felt disgusted with myself. I just cannot bear leading people on, however harmless. It's like a huge, dark mutual secret in the blogosphere, the "I leave a nice comment, you leave me one too, regardless of whether I like your style, I follow you, follow me too, never mind that I'll never click on your new post unless you click on mine". Blogging is not worth that much to make me feel dishonest.

Please don't worry, blog friends, most of my comments were true. But there were times when I really didn't feel like making the rounds of blogs I follow and I still forced myself. And of course I always knew deep inside when the comments I received on my posts were just "mutal kindness" comments.

4. The pressure of not being left behind

"Oh, I cannot post on Sunday, nobody blogs on Sunday, they won't read my post! I have to post when people are around! Let's go and analyse my readership..."
"Oh I must post something, I will lose my readership! The last thing I feel like is photographing myself in the rain, but I must!"
"A style blogger is dead if they're not on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest/Klout! I must bloody join though it's a pain in the butt to keep all these accounts up!"
"Nobody repeats clothing items, I must strive for no repetition either. Never mind that I haven't got enough clothes for this. Really, I must get out and get more clothes!"

It took me ages to actually confront myself and ask: why am I doing this? Is this really me? Is the person I'm becoming someone I'm happy about? Am I more relaxed and content because of my hobby or do I sometimes feel pressurized, inadequate, dishonest?

You might have noticed that my new posts are a little bit different. It's because...  this is where I call quits. The unwritten rules of style blogging are lifted from my shoulders from now on, and I am FREEBLOGGING!

(Oh yes, and as we all know, nobody reads long posts without pictures so if you did get this far: I love you!)

Pink and Brown

Heels, Check!

Wearing: Thrifted dress, Accessorize hat with old scarf, Invázió shoes.

These shoes are just crazy. I'm pretty sure they're deadstock from the 90s, got them brand new last week (and they had a whole range of choice in sizes) for 300 Forints, which is less than 1,50 USD. They are so terrible they crossed the line into cool.

However, they are also very very uncomfortable, so even as I tried them on I envisaged a great DIY project where I can actually cut out pieces from them and assemble a totally crazy bunch of objects to stick on the remaining surfaces...

The actual heels are chunky and curved, sort of Miu Miu-like, so done up, these beauties - or rather beasts -  could be great for future crazy photoshoots!

Splash

After yesterday's black and white set, here's a splash of colour!

Wearing: Tamaris mocassins, Invázió leggings, Orsay dress, H&M belt and flowers.

I've been meaning to tell you about this sweet giveaway I won at a blog I really really like! I don't know if you know Kittenish Behaviour, but it was one of the first blogs I've ever started reading - and never stopped. Purdey has superb writing style and her adventures in dating and living in London are nothing short of amazing anyway! :) I won this great assortment of things, which she actually sent me twice as the package was returned to her the first time around! I love the creams and glosses, and been enjoying making a huge mess with the nail art pen, as I can't seem to master the art of it, haha! 

Thank you again, Purdey! :)

Sheer Determination

Wearing: 

Sheer top - Invázió, Random leggings, handmade necklace, handed-down sandals.

It rather looks like I'm back to blogging after all!

Ruth was lovely enough to award me a Liebster blog award, which is very nice especially given the fact that I was absent for such a long time from the blogosphere... These were her questions! If you feel like answering them on your blog or as a comment, please consider yourself invited! :)

1. What is your perfect Sunday afternoon?

Watching snow fall, having hot chocolate, putting my favourite clothes on, stroking a cat and reading.
2. Favourite vegetable?

I go into raptures when I eat broccoli. But really. I mean I moan.
3. If you were to hold a dinner party, who would you invite and why? (Logistical things like time, space and species do not apply here!)

Italo Calvino, Haruki Murakami, Marilyn Monroe, Martin Munkácsi, Brassai, Csontváry, my Boyfriend and my friends, plus some cats. Everyone would relax immediately because of the presence of the cats, Marilyn would dazzle everyone and the photographers would take amazing photographs and we could all talk books and sketch each other.
4. Have you been to all of the tourist monuments in your hometown?

I guess so, and many times, I like taking people around.
5. What item of clothing do you own more of than any other?

Maybe panties? That's very un-style-blogger-like, eh?
6. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18 and find line 4. What is the book and what does it say? No cheating!

"Miyawaki owned a few restaurants." Not a very interesting sentence! Unlike the book, Murakami's The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.
7. Worst book you ever read?

Légy jó mindhalálig. If you're Hungarian, you know what I'm talking about. And every schoolchild has to read it. Jeez, I still get pissed off when I think about it! :D
8. Do you attempt the parallel park, or find another space?

I gave up driving altogether. :)
9. Last status you posted?

About Coelho's claim that Ulysses was utter drivel. What other proof you need that that man is stupid beyond measure? (It seems like I get pissed off about literature a lot! Oh well, everyone has their passionate topics.)
10. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?

9 and 29 at the same time. I remember the happiness when I turned 18 and got accepted to uni, I was so glad I didn't belong among teenagers anymore! Funnily enough I just skipped that age and ended up a child-hearted grown-up instead.
11. What's in the diary for tomorrow?

A thrifting trip in the afternoon! :)

Well, hello there!

Wearing: Thrifted dress, Deichmann shoes, H&M necklace,
a bracelet from a Lindt bunny and another random one.

Surfin' GB!

This is Croyde beach, where we went to enjoy the 13 degrees Celsius seawater, and catch some waves on a bodyboard.





















As you can imagine, the water is simply freezing, and though the waves are exhilerating, you can't stay in for more than a few minutes. So this time around we got some wetsuits second hand from a surf school, and while we were there, we signed up for our first ever lesson too... Cue major excitement from me!




















Croyde bay on the day of our lesson - a lovely British summer's day and nice big waves!

The lesson was brilliant and I enjoyed every minute. Learning the basic moves, struggling with the board, feeling the first rush of speed... And then I even managed to stand up and actually surf! Once! :D Amazing performace from such a sporting anti-talent as me!















































If you're visiting the Atlantic, I highly recommend both a wetsuit and a surf lesson, you will remember your trip to the sea for a lifetime!

Some practical tips from a total beginner, if you actually do so:

1. Trim your nails as short as possible when trying on wetsuits and planning on wearing them, as getting into the wetsuit is a workout in itself and requires all your fingertips!
2. Listen to the expert - whether you buy your wetsuit second hand or new, get it from a trusted place and ask for advice. There are different wetsuits for different seasons and the sizing is still a mystery to me.
3. If you go for a lesson, listen to the tutor - always share if you have any medical problems and make sure you're a strong enough swimmer.
4. If you feel unsure, go for a small group lesson or a one-on-one where the tutor has more time for making you comfortable.
5. Don't let the difficulty hold you back! If I did it, anyone can! :)
6. Wearing a wetsuit keeps you warm and it did wonders for my self confidence, as I could move, fall into the water and be clumsy whichever way I wanted without the possibility of revealing any indecent pieces of skin.
7. Enjoy the waves and the speed! :)

Bouncy Sacrilege

 Am I jumping around in a bouncy castle?





















Well, it's the bouncy castle version of Stonehenge, and a piece of brilliant art!






































"Sacrilege" is a life size inflatable heritage site created by Turner prize winning artist Jeremy Deller, which is currently on tour around Britain, as part of the London 2012 Festival.





















How lucky that we could take the train to Exeter and experience this joyous, witty piece of art that's only erected for a day at each stop of its tour! First of all it makes you happy even to just watch the smiling people jumping around in it, and then when you try it yourself, it's pure exhilarating joy!





















Jeremy Deller said: "A lot of my work deals with history, and Sacrilege is no exception, this is a way to get reacquainted with ancient Britain with your shoes off."





















A great way to make the familiar strange, to steal some humour into the seriousness of the Olympics and to bring history closer to many kids and grown ups.





















Here's the website of the project with some great videos on how it was created and the list of dates and places you can catch the bouncy Stonhenge next! http://sacrilege2012.co.uk/

Oh, and here are some more pictures by a pro photographer, with me on one of them! :)

Pictures of me by Marco, others by me. 

I'm not wearing anything special as I dressed for jumping 

- hence jeans and dress and no jewellery. :)

When It's Sunny, it's Divine

Ah, in the sun, Devon is at its best!





















What could be better than a cool day by the sea, with some cake and long walks, sometimes barefoot in the juicy-fresh grass?






































Nothing really!




















Also, some cool rock-climbers told me my outfit was "wicked", and the lady selling strawberries said "I love your colours, my dear!". Clearly I had to force Marco to take some pictures of me after such success! :D






































I could hug Devon...

Pics of me by Marco

Wearing: F&F skirt, thrifted tunic as top, Zara jacket, H&M scarf, 

Jack Purcell by Converse shoes, Primark belt, necklace and earrings made by me.