The 'old' lady style and beauty thread

[thisenglishlife]

With 'old lady' not being an offensive term, but rather referring to women with knowledge, refined taste and other positive qualities

Show off your pretty things and link to dresses, slips, twinsets, pearls, stockings, big knickers, cross your heart bras, prestige scents, retro style makeup, soap and everything else in between

Anyone on here still have and use Tupperware ?
I do.

Yup @SteelyPanther

Motherofpearl sadly I think another maker produces the perfume now and it’s nothing like the original, I think they stopped using animal derived ingredients. We found a bottle of pure perfume, when we cleared GM stuff . it must have been 30 years old at that time and smelled the same, it’s really , really strong!

I see some have mentioned cotton nightgowns, like proper full length Edwardian Ones, I wear them, have always worn them, it’s either that or AP underwear for me, not a big fan of Pyjamas, find them so uncomfortable,

Now eiderdowns, any fans?

Love these threads!

To the pp who wore Rive Gauche as a teenager, you are not alone! My mum wore Rive Gauche and I used to borrow it a lot as a teenager too. My friend (35) wears it now and she is super stylish. I might buy a bottle actually. Wonder if they ever do it on offer...

I really love vintage looking clothes at the moment. I have a Seasalt, floral print dress with a cardi, pearl earrings, a vintage (ok, charity shop), necklace and tights on today. Feeling very comfortable and a bit vintage.

My own granny was always so nicely put together. She never wore make up or jewellery, but looked lovely. She wore trousers (slacks) only under duress and she wore mid height, block heels until she physically no longer could! Think she had shortened her calves by always wearing them and actually found them more comfortable than flats till she was about 85.

I might buy a bottle actually. Wonder if they ever do it on offer...
It's regularly on offer! I buy it from Debenhams when it is 50% off. It is currently 1/3rd off (50ml) or over 35% (100ml) off at The Perfume Shop.

Ooooh thank you op! I will have a look. It is lovely.

Speaking to my friend today ( on the phone ) I mentioned this thread and she said she might leave something on my doorstep for me. An hour or so later she left this.
It was from her grandmother's house and had never been used ! It's a full apron with ties at the back, wonderful heavy cotton .
How old do you think it might be. I'm beyond chuffed !

That’s beautiful.

I'm not an expert on apron styles, but to me the print looks 70s, give or take a decade.

That's lovely, VictoriaBun.

I've just made myself an apron out of an old pillowcase and a fat quarter!

They both look lovely. You've reminded me, Remus, that it's been in the back of my mind for a long time to make myself a mobius apron for gardening.

Remus
Love the colour !

It was very easy. I can't really sew at all, and this was hand sewn, couple of pleats at the top, pillow case and fat quarter hemmed (pillow case was because the FQ not big enough on its own) and then ribbon for the waist band.

And today I've made my first bag! I'll be taking up bridge and drinking sherry before I know it.

Oh yes I love pinnies! Here (in M.W. Fr. there are old fashioned handicraft type shops selling them (like the lovely one above) . At one time every housewife wore them here esp. They are such a good idea esp. if you're dressed for going out and still want too make and eat your meal. I'm doing less machine washing now (for environmental reasons) They save my clothes from staining !

Remus Sorry for sounding ignorant but what's a 'fat quarter'?

I’ve found my people! TK Maxx are good for cotton nightdresses, lovely soaps and pinnies. Anyone have a solution for a cruddy soap dish, I seem to clean it every time, it cruds up really easily.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

That's lovely, VictoriaBun.

I've just made myself an apron out of an old pillowcase and a fat quarter!

This is so pretty!

PPEatFruit - not ignorant at all. A FQ is just a piece of fabric. You can buy them in bundles and each one is a quarter of a metre in a square. I've just got back into sewing, having made some face masks, and fat quarters are a good cheap way of trying things out!

Has anybody worked out what the red fabric print is yet? 😀

In today's old lady news, I'm going to wear a flowery dress and my pinny, and make coffee and walnut cake.

@Steelypanther ah Tupperware parties, before the invention of Ann Summers and botox parties! I don't actually posses any Tupperware anymore but I do have very old Pyrex casserole dishes with fruit etc on the side.
@thisenglishlife thank you very much for the soap link. Does anyone have any tips though to stop soap looking so messy at side of sink, anyone recommend a soap dish that will drain properly ? I'm trying to cut down on plastic and have switched to bars instead of liquid handwash.
@VictoriaBun that is so pretty, lucky you!

Remus
It's a Hogwarts pinny!!
Respect.

Pesky 😁😁😁

The Joseph Joseph soap dishes are really good, but small.

For a soap dish, have you got a local pottery? Soap dishes are very quick and easy to make, and every pottery I visit seems to have them for sale for not very much money.

You can buy soap dishes that have a removable top, it keeps them from going mushy, as the water fall into the bottom bit which is covered.

Here's an example of a soap draining dish:
bowercollective.com/products/enamel-soap-dish

You can do an internet search for a magnetic soap holder or a hanging soap bag or pouch

An earlier poster wanted some non white night dresses:
www.laredoute.co.uk/ppdp/prod-350128931.aspx#searchkeyword=Dotted%20nightdress&shoppingtool=search

www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-evelyn-embroidered-chambray-nightdress-blue/p4949413

Yes to the other soapdishes OR you can do what I recommended in the last thread. Store all your soaps in places like drawers or wherever without their wrappings and rotate by age. The oldest ones are much less likely to go mushy because they've 'dried out' if you see what I mean.

I'm terribly fussy about soaps, I've finally found one that doesn't dry out my skin, I hate the ones with that strong sodium in it e.g. These are some of the ingredients in what is called "Soft Soap" 1. Sodium palmate, Sodium cocoate sodium chloride. Tetrasodium glutamate etc. etc.!!!!

The one I love is with Soap nuts, it's gorgeous. very delicate.

Oh yes, I 'cure' soap too, I find that they foam more easily that way too.

For draining soap dishes, etsy does lots of handmade ceramic ones. I went modern (I know, shoot me!) and went for this concrete one. Looks good in my bathroom though! www.etsy.com/uk/listing/802957851/concrete-draining-soap-dish-soap-holder