Passing on the Vintage Baton.....

I have recently wondered why I'm so interested in all things vintage? I guess it's my age....perhaps I'm starting to appreciate what went before and embrace the softer, more tea dress and floral  side of my femininity as I approach 40? I often find myself looking at an object or photograph and wondering about who had it before me? What were it's origins or who are the people? I've even been known to watch 'Who Do You Think You Are' to glean authentic clues to real lives in a bygone era! (As well as 'Mad Men' for further 'research'!!!) I've mentioned in previous posts about the values or ethics I admire in the women of bygone eras, especially the 40's and 50s, but what will we leave about our values and ethics to our children?

 I caught my 11 year old looking at dresses the other day which mirrored my style and had that slightly vintage edge; she has implicitly picked up on something I place value upon and it has become her own.(in fact I often find her on the Cath Kidston website!) When my 4 year olds make believe games include answering pretend emails and talking on the phone to an imaginary friend who would like to come and buy a dress then I know I've deposited something of me into them! It's made me think a lot about what exactly I want to deposit into them...I'm happy to say that I love the fact that my eldest has her own style and doesn't blindly follow fad fashion, but she also needs to hear from me what my values behind this are all about. It's secondary school next year and so its become twice as important that we sow the right seeds into them all (I have 3 daughters), about who they really are; what matters is on the inside and the cardinal rule 'it's style that matters not sizing'!!!

 So, whenever possible, I want to pass on the baton that life has purpose, what you wear does indeed reflect your outlook on life and you can have self worth outworked through personal style.They have to know it doesn't cost a lot to look great; style is something you exude not something you are chained too! All women are beautiful; be it for their immediate beauty, or more usually, their strength of character, integrity of heart and desire to value themselves because we are all worth it! (Hair products aside for a moment!) We really are though- worth hoping in, trusting in and believing in and those are the batons I want to pass on.