Interview: Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Today I'll be interviewing Dakota from Sweetheart of the rodeo
her blog is based on things from the past and her style is impeccable she always has some great finds from the 1900s-1950s. I think everyone should take a look at her blog and you will find it to be quite delightful. Now on to the interview.

*If you could have lived in another era what era would it be??*

I think I'd have to choose the early to mid 1930s; it was a time of great hardship, with the Depression, but also of triumph of the human spirit, and of course incredibly glamorous fashions! I daydream all the time about being a girl back then, running off to become a chorus girl on Broadway, or maybe joining a traveling circus.

*What was your first vintage piece??*

A 1950s aqua colored squaredancing or "squaw" dress; it's covered in ric-rac and ribbons with a great big circle skirt. My mother bought it for me when we were in Santa Fe, New Mexico when I was 15. From the moment I tried it on, it fit me like a glove, and its nipped in waist and full skirt suited my figure like no modern clothes ever had. Its vibrant vintage western look also just matched my personality perfectly. That was the "gateway" dress! (Oh, and I still have it, and wear it all the time!)

*Who is you favorite designer from the past and why? *

I adore Elsa Schiaparelli-- she made such interesting, surrealist clothes! She was truly an innovative designer with such a clever and unique point of view. I also admire Nudie Cohn, for making all those beautiful sequined suits, and Lady Duff Gordon, who made the most decadent and gorgeously detailed gowns in the 1900s and 1910s under the "Lucile" label.

*Name a blog your fond of.*

Honestly, I have so many favorites, I'd feel mean if I picked just one ;) But yours is really wonderful... I wish I'd been half as stylish as you when I was 15!!

*What fascinates you the most from the past eras??*

The aesthetics of the past just seem so much more alluring to me. Even simple house dresses and little household knick-knacks were so beautifully designed! Modern designs just lack soul and ingenuity to me. I also think that before TV, internet, malls, and all our modern conveniences, folks tended to be a little more genuine, creative, and resourceful, which I admire greatly.

*What is your favorite way to style your hair??*

I'm awfully fond of a good old bouffant! Be it sleek and elegant like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" or wildly glamourous like Brigitte Bardot's, "the higher the hair, the closer to God" is my mantra, haha! Unfortunately I recently got my wait-length locks hacked off into a bob, so it'll be a while 'til I can reach for the teasing comb and Aquanet again.

*What do you like best about yourself?*

I'm really really good at finding super cheap vintage. I very rarely pay over $10 for a piece of vintage, and on this budget I've found wonderful pieces from the Edwardian era through the '50s! It's quite the skill ;)

*Do you have a style icon?? If so do tell!!*

I am very inspired by the ladies of old time country music; gals like Maybelle and Sara Carter, Patsy Montana, June Carter, Wanda Jackson, and Loretta Lynn influence me not only with their music, but also with their unabashedly down-home country girl looks. And when I feel like getting all dolled up, I look to my favorite golden era actresses for inspiration, like Claudette Colbert, Ruby Keeler, Joan Crawford and Elizabeth Taylor.

What a peach!! Thanks again Dakota!! And if you haven't seen her blog yet here's the link!!

http://dakota-rodeo.blogspot.com/