Monday 30 July 2012

last night i dreamt i went to manderley again

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Rebecca was one of my favourite books when I was a teenager, and these radiant flowers reminded me of the rhododendrons that line the drive to the country estate in that classic mystery. And they matched my 1930s dress, which I recently bought on Etsy. I don't consider myself a major vintage wearer, but I love old clothes, mainly because I spent my childhood reading old books and watching old movies. The 30s and 40s have always been favourite eras of mine, so I'm thrilled to now own a piece, even if I'm a bit terrified of ripping it.

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Plus, it makes me feel a bit closer to my paternal grandmother... I may have dreamt of Manderley, but shortly after these photos were taken I headed to North Yorkshire, where my Dad is from and where my grandmother lived, and wore dresses much like this one in the 30s.

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Photos of me by Albert

24 comments:

Maria said...

What an enchanting dress! You look simply gorgeous and it's lovely that you are re-creating what you Grandmother wore.
xx Maria
P.S: You remind me so much of Mandy Moore :)

Nina said...

Such a pretty dress with the perfect flowers to accompany it! I'm so jealous of you going to North Yorkshire I miss it terribly. I hope you got some of the lovely sunshine we've been having really. Yorkshire is especially beautiful in the sun even if that doesn't happen much

xxxx

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

@Maria: I don't really see it, except for the brown hair thing! She's a lot smilier/more American looking I think. But thanks anyway!

@Nina: The weather was gorgeous! Most of the time anyway. Agreed, Yorkshire in the sun is heavenly, all two days of the year. ; )

NRIGirl said...

Those flowers remind me of my Grandma's house. Cherished memories! Thank you for sharing.

Annebeth said...

your hair is getting so long, and I love the soft curls you have there! beautiful dress as well, I always feel like a character in a book or a movie when i wear pretty dresses as well.

Marzipan said...

Oh love your dress!

Sasha said...

That first picture is just beautiful!

Closet Fashionista said...

That dress is beautiful!! The belt really brings out the teal in it too! AND I love the flower backdrop!
(I really need to read more, ha ha)
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/

Rachel, Cold Knees said...

What a beautiful dress, and you look lovely in it! That line from Rebecca is so haunting.. have you read My cousin Rachel? I think I found that even scarier.. xx

steffy said...

What a lovely dress! I love Rebecca. The street parallel to ours is called Manderley, and I always say to my husband, "Oh I wish we lived on Manderley so we could say that..." and he looks at me like I'm crazy...

Amber said...

I love the breezy vibe of this dress. Its simply lovely. PS Rebecca is still one of my favorite books (and films)

Emily Peebles said...

That's such a sweet story behind your dress. The '30s and '40s are two of my favorite eras as well. That first photo is just breathtaking!

Anonymous said...

What gorgeous photos these are. Those with your eyes closed are just so dreamy. wish I knew what type of flower this was...but it sets off your new/old dress perfectly.

Josephine Pearl said...

beautiful dress, stunning photos and such a pretty lady :)
Great post.

Jo. x

Closet Fashionista said...

Ooh yes, he was good in Ides of March too! I haven't seen Drive yet.

(And yea, I guess you'd have to be from the US to be obsessed with Phelps and Lochte, ha ha...I've been a Phelps fan girl since his first Olympics because he's our age and Ryan is out of his awkwardness now.)

Emily, Resplendent Tranquility said...

Such a stunning dress, Emily! I love how you've styled it with your trusty brogues.

The photograph of your grandmother is lovely. I keep imagining her dress to be the same soft color palette as yours, but the truth will remain a mystery (unless you know, of course ;)

AutoMadchen said...

I second Rachel Cold Knees's comment about My Cousin Rachel. So haunting. Du Maurier was a total babe too.

AutoMadchen said...
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Rebecca said...

Such an excellent title, although since the book is my namesake, I am a little biased. Beautiful photos, the last one is particularly good.

Laura said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous post. I love that picture of your grandmother :)

thejoyfulfox.blogspot.com

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

@Rachel and Sara: I have read My Cousin Rachel, and I remember it being quite tense and spooky, although I've largely forgotten the plot. I read a huge number of Du Maurier's back in the day, and I really feel like they're due for a reread this month!

@Terri: I believe the purple flowers are bouganvillea (no idea if that's the correct spelling though).

@Emily: Sadly no idea about the colour of Grannie's dress, this was just an old photo found in a box a couple of years ago. And I didn't plan to include it in the post when doing the shoot, but came across it again in the meantime...

daria said...

the similarity between the dresses is amazing. I love the two pictures put together.

London Escorts said...

Wow lovely outfit...I just loving the color & pattern of that dress...You really look gorgeous.

The Semi Sweet said...

Looking gorgeous as usual!!! That dress is incredible on you. I love that style of dress from the 30s and it fits you perfect. :)