Had a lot of fun posting “Shy-Guy” yesterday, so thought we’d continue showcasing some of these awesome and entertaining vintage educational films. They sure were worried about the self-esteem of teenagers.
This one shows how feelings of self-consciousness keep a high school boy from doing his classwork well or making friends easily. Poor dude feels so out of whack ALL THE TIME, until he realizes everyone else feels self-conscious too and if you learn to remind yourself of this, you will be fine!
And when he realizes this watching his buddy totally goof at ping pong after just being so dashing in a tuxedo, he should have realized that of course he felt better wearing a tux! Who doesn’t feel bad ass in a tux?!
Again, a great collection of classic American style from the early 1950s which still has that timeless 40s vibe lingering. This is a look that seems to be really permeating in the fashion world more and more lately. . .
Especially couldn’t take my eye off a wicked panther graphic sweater one of the featured students wears while yacking on the phone with confidence…check it out! The panther motif is a super bad ass graphic that was quite popular, and today, a very rare vintage find.
Love anyone bringing vintage styles to the masses, but its always good to know your shit and see the influences in the world around us. This is how the {PAST} helps inspire the {PRESENT} and shape our {FUTURE}.
Well enough ado. Thanks OLD TIME TV for uploading this and all the other wicked vintage content you post on your channel!
Please enjoy and let us know what you thought in the COMMENTS BELOW!
Take a look at some of the pieces waiting in our {SHOP} to be brought back to life on the streets that channel the “Self-Conscious Guy” vibe!
Infamous for bringing a dark turn to 1969’s Summer of Love co-ordinating a string of horrific murders in the Hollywood Hills of 7 highly influential and well-to-do victims including the heiress to the Folger coffee fortune, owners of a successful grocery chain, and iconic beauty – actress and model Sharon Tate.
You could say 8 victims total if you include that Tate was pregnant.
While he never committed any of the murders with his own hand – there is little doubt that his cult-like hold on his followers was so powerful that he was able to control and manipulate seemingly ordinary people to do some of the world’s most vicious atrocities using his strange magnetic quality, and the help of psychedelics like LSD.
All across the internet you can buy merch featuring his face and words, countless best-selling books about the man, his cult, and their crimes, successful feature films, and even an NBC series ‘Aquarius’ featuring the handsome Gethin Anthony as the cult-leader.
Most recently the popular FX series American Horror Story featured a scene in their latest season ‘CULT’ depicting Evan Peters telling his own followers about the legend of Charles Manson and the murders that incited his revolution. This episode aired only less than two weeks before his death, in a strange twist of fate with Peters also doubling as Manson, and series stars Sarah Paulson, Bilie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman as Susan “Sexy Sadie” Atkins, Linda Kasabian (granted immunity for her testimony at the trial), and Patricia Krenwinkle – California’s longest serving female prisoner.
Personally it felt a bit like a gross glamorization of a horrific act, and a bit of a gratuitous showcase of violence (which is very AHS these days), and the thought that these twisted fuckers could get any kind of glorification from something like this was disgusting.
We’ll post it here, and let you decide:
Then it was announced that Charles Manson was dead, and somehow it seemed like a door had been closed on all that, and maybe we can feel good that some strange twisted energy has been depleted from this world.
Or maybe, its only out there running rampant looking for its next conduit….either way:
Ding Dong Charles Manson is DEAD!
We collected some fascinating headlines from the murders and trials, and thought they made for a unique visual of the horror and terror these seemingly simple-minded and harmless people brought onto this world.
His legacy will live on for better or worse, and if there is one thing we can learn from Manson is that evil truly does exist in this world, and we can never underestimate its reach. He may have indeed incited some kind of wickedness when you consider all the messed up things that have begun to avalanche in our society.
Also, never underestimate a starving artist scorned!
From the world of darkness I did loose demons and devils in the power of scorpions to torment.
We have quite the tale in store for you today at The Eye of Faith. . .
This one is taken from the darkest depths of our imagination and tells the hidden tales of a quaint small town, not too far from where you sit. It could be any small town, but this one is brimming with mystery, and dare I say, perhaps even evil!
Things started out innocent enough, but there are certain places on this Earth where malevolent energies cluster and stay for many thousands of years. It is in the quiet of the country, far from the claws and chains of the city, that have provided families and individuals with the peace, calm, and safety they desire.
But often times, it is the unsettling chill of calm that can provide the most fright….
Even in a town where everyone knows your name, you never know the myths and legends being made behind closed doors or the grim memories lost deep beyond the trees at night. This one is all about wayward youth, rebellion, seduction, secrets, mysteries, beauty, and strength.
Please enjoy our Small Town Dreams & Nightmares . . .
With shows like CW’s “RIVERDALE” capturing our imagination, and a new season of “TWIN PEAKS” in our midst- it goes to show that while the big city is full of brights lights and noise, sometimes its our thirst for nostalgia, the whispers in the trees, and our love of mystery that truly excites our bones!
To our vintage dreams, and to our vintage nightmares – this one is to a town not yet forgotten. Keep the mystery close, for you never know what clues you may stumble upon. For all you know, they might still need your help.
EXCITING THINGS ABOUND FOR THE E.O.F. {SO STAY TUNED}
Here’s a newly uncovered lost treasure we happened to find lying about. What a shame. This is one that is sure to have you grinding and grooving all the night through. Just shy of making you want to howl at the moon. This one’s called “Don’t You Dare” and it’s played by none other than The Impacts.
Hopefully we’ve all been there. That terrible yearning, the endless nights. Incredible emotions. Melting.
I am bound to a fate worse than death if I don’t have you around
Tell me how you really feel! The track really has the ability to bring you back. Back to a time. Back to a place.
Originally The Fogcutters, the band based out of St. Martin’s High School in Lacey, Washington delivers all the sadness and cool you could expect from the illustriously mysterious Pacific Northwest.
Locked in the bowels of a boarding school, the troupe of 8 would find constant challenge in having members from two States (Washington and Oregon), and the struggle to find a place to practice amongst the monks and cloisters of their privileged boarding Academy. The School on a Hill.
Usually when thinking “ivy style”, that ultimate mid-century academic cool you automatically think athletic. You think the jocks and their varsity jackets, cardigans, t-shirts- the whole bit. But with The Impacts you have that same All-American Vintage Academia with the radness only being part of a rock ‘n’ roll band can lend a young group of Dapper Dans! You have to admit, it just sounds good.
You might not always get the cheerleader, but who cares. They’re boring. They’d be doing homework instead of catching your shows. God knows how bad the world falls for a good boy band. Also, think groupies. Groupies. Catch a falling star, right?
The Impacts would make their run from 1961-1964 and ultimately consisted of 8 members. All have been accounted for except the 5th member, the original rhythm guitar. His first name unknown, all he is remembered as is his last name – “Kelly”
All in all, I get a real sense of mystery from these pictures, and this song. Not to mention, the mystery of “Kelly”, and his elusive first name. Have any clues or premonitions?
Don’t forget to visit us in on James Street North if you’re in Hamilton, Ontario! You can find us at 126 James Street North downstairs “Hawk & Sparrow”. We love meeting new people, and have tons of intriguing vintage finds seeking new homes, so don’t miss out on the fun!
If you can’t make it, though, there’s always the {SHOP} – everything is 25 % off with secret code XIXIXI at the checkout.
Also, if you haven’t given us a LIKE on FACEBOOK {click here}! We love seeing and connecting with our readers, so don’t be shy to send us a message, or email, anytime.
We might even post it on our site for the world to see!
Many props go to our many friends, fans, and followers who have helped get us this far – and many more to those who we have yet to meet who will take us even farther along the path our destiny has chosen for us.
Life is nothing but a series of moments that pass before us. In a blink, they are gone. A whisper in the wind. A forgotten melody that drums in our memory.
Take these moments and package them tight, for you never know when you might need them.
This very wise {Style-Wise} is dedicated to that. After all, style is not as cut and dry as people like to make it out to be. It goes far beyond the clothes we wear, and trickles deep down into our centre where the components of who we truly are stay in constant motion.
Here’s a little inspiration mixed with some simple philosophical points courtesy of the brilliant words of one, Mr. Terrence Malick, who seems to have some magical grasp on words, sound, and image, in a method that transcends the idea of style to whole other level that never ceases to enchant the mind and soul.
Check out this scene from his first feature ‘Badlands’ (1974) starring Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen as star-cross’d lovers on a crime spree across America in the 1950s.
The film was based loosely on the real life crimes of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate who attempted to live a life outside the mundaneness of their strained small town lives. . .
Starkweather was promptly sentenced to death by electric chair and died June 25, 1959 after a mass crime spree across the plains. Caril Ann Fugate maintained her innocence, and was sentenced to life in prison for a charge of first degree murder. However, after 17 years as a model inmate she was released on parole in June 1976.
“Since this has happened, there’s not a day in my life that has gone by that I haven’t thought about it,” she said of the killings. “There’s times when I think about my family and when I think about them, it’s always what happened. It’s always how they died.”
We gave a mention to this seminal 1990s David Lynch classic in one our latest posts, a reblog from The Selvedge Yard regarding the September 1991 photo spread in American Vogue entitled “Wild at Heart”.
For me, it was easy to see the title as a reference to Lynch’s film of the same name, released just a year prior to the shoot, and winner of accolades that included the Palm D’Or (an equivalent to Best Picture at the Academy Awards) at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990.
The film stars Nicolas Cage as Sailor Ripley and a radiant Laura Dern at her sexiest as the dangerous bombshell Lula Pace Fortune. The film plays out like a rebel fantasy, with plenty of allusion to The Wizard of Oz (this has been admitted by Lynch himself who idolized the film as a child), as well as Elvis Presley, 50s youth culture, and the American Dream.
It’s nothing and everything it promises to be, and is perhaps my ultimate favorite film of the American auteur. And as for style savvy, the film has got it in spades. Check out those shades on Nic Cage in the top photograph (I used to have a pair exactly like those that had been given to me by a friend) – classic rebel style, shaking it up by ditching the frames altogether and letting that gold bar along the brow do all the hard work.
And, of course there is the rebel snake skin jacket donned by Sailor, which is seen in the film’s most iconic moments. It seems the sssss-seductive look could have taken inspiration from one of cinema’s most famous bad boys – Marlon Brando, who wore a similar snake skin jacket in the forgotten 1960 classic “The Fugitive Kind” directed by Sidney Lumet.
Brando plays Val Xavier, a sexy, down on his luck convenience store clerk who finds temptation in both his boss (the talented Ana Magnani), and the town’s local wild child, played by a young and ravishing Joanne Woodward. The film is being discovered again for it’s crushing performances, moody black and white photography, and brash, bold direction.
It goes to show that everything has its precedence, and discovering the links make for a richer understanding of the landscape we visit.
We pulled this track from the film’s soundtrack to share with you all in a music minute that promises to mill about deep within you, and scatter your thoughts to the darkest and most beautiful corners of your subconscious…
Don’t be scared, though; It’s just a little music to keep you going throughout the long and arduous days and nights…As Lula says:
“This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top.”
These beautiful snapshots were taken by photographer Don James between the years 1936 and 1942 on the shores of San Onofre, California. Whether black and white, or the gorgeously desaturated Kodachrome prints, each photograph is a beautiful lost memory of fun had, and good times past.
Check out the waves, and all them cool cats.
Don’t you think these pictures could have been taken yesterday?
I love turning to old vintage snapshots like these for a good luck at how people dressed, and how little has changed!
Especially now that the vintage surf look is in vogue, these photographs can provide some sunny summer inspiration for your days to come.
The Way We Dressed is the Way We Dress.
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Who says you can’t repeat the past? Enjoy these gorgeous pics and have a blast today. Promise?
Until next time,
{theEye}
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Nothing but a heartache every day . . . must be nice.
We were drawn to this dynamic trio whilst listening to our favourite box set of Girl Group classics, and couldn’t resist but share this dazzling number with you.
The video is a rare promotional video shot for their single that depicts the beautiful Flirations amidst the mysterious ruins of what seem to be a church or abbey, the kind we are used to seeing when we picture romantic landscapes, or the English countryside. Northern soul was very popular in England, so perhaps, they made a trip across the water to shoot it.
Certain conspiracy theorists, might have some ideas, I’m sure. Music Industry. Need I say more?
We like to let mysteries stay mysteries now and then . . . if anyone knows more about this, they should share it in the comment section below!
The song was originally record in 1968 by the South Carolina trio and peaked at #34 on the charts in the US, making it to #3 in Boston. The song was relatively popular world wide, but didn’t hit the Top 50 in the UK, settling at 51.
We picture listening to this song on a rain day . . .
Many young men and women must have shaken their tail to this over the years, so lets keep the tradition strong, and carry this fantastic song into the future!
We’ve been milling over 1960s girl group style the past weeks, so expect to see it make its way into our labyrinth of inspiration more and more over the coming days and hours . . .
When it was announced that Hedi Slimane was to take the place of Stefano Pilati as creative director of the iconic label Yves Saint-Laurent, the fashion world was left wondering what new innovations the Swiss designer could bring to the brand. Then he dropped the Yves.
That’s right. For over fifty years the brand has existed as YSL,a brand coveted for its luxury, craft, and intuition; and yet within a few moments under Slimane’s guiding eye, the brand switched from Yves Saint-Laurent, to Saint-Laurent Paris. A seemingly small change, but for fashion insiders, it seemed to represent a much grander prophecy.
It should come as no surprise, however, considering Hedi Slimane is a designer who is known for being a somewhat of a revolutionary when it comes to fashion. He is the man that ushered a tidal wave of change nearly a decade ago when he was appointment menswear designer for Dior; making Dior Homme not only a coveted brand worn by celebrities from Brandon Flowers and Pete Doherty to Cate Blanchett, but seriously revolutionized mens fashion altogether. While most collections stuck to a very standard approach to mens styles, Slimane flipped it on its head exchanging boot cuts for skinny jeans, made suspenders cool, had young guys think hats are cool, wearing skinny ties, and switching their blazer for cropped motorcycle jackets.
On top of that, he single handedly changed the standard of beauty for male models, exchanging the buff All-American dreamboat for the skinny skater kid you see hanging out in the alleyway with his friends sneaking a joint and giving each other tattoos. What would have been referred to as the ‘Teenage Wasteland’ by our grandparents, has now turned into the standard ideal of luxury by fashion insiders, which you have to admit is pretty damn cool.
And if there’s anyone who knows cool its Hedi Slimane, who took a break from designing and took a dip into the realms of industrial design, exhibition design, curating, and of course his photography which he showcased on his site, the Hedi Slimane Diary.
Now, Slimane has kicked it off with his debut menswear collection for Saint-Laurent in this latest F/W 2013 runway show, proving that he’s still got it in the bag when it comes to making mens fashion that feels fresh, cool, casual, with all the bad ass luxury of a world class rock star.
There’s plenty of vintage inspiration thrown in there too, with a definite ode to the 90s.
It’s a decadent rock n roll roller coaster of goth and grunge (very of the moment) that elevates the styles to a whole new level (being Saint-Laurent, after all). Plaid shirts, cardigans, ripped jeans, leopard print, fur coats, and oversized jackets – these are the new standards. Vive Revolution.
There’s definitely nods to the great, late, one-of-a-kind, king of sadness, rebel bad boy, Kurt Cobain in the mix. And while, we’ve seen this vintage inspiration dozens of times in the past, somehow Slimane is able to rejuvenate the look with unexpected combinations of texture, colour, pattern, and shape. And what might seem like odd styling choices, at times, only adds to the eclectic decadence.
You could even say it ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, as the anthem goes, but its more likely an invitation to ‘Come as You Are’, when you think about it. No need to fuss or muss. Just throw it on, and march. That’s the best part for us, and the most alluring and beautiful representation of Cobain’s unique style we’ve yet to see.
I see a little bit of River Phoenix in there, too . . . he was, of course, a forefather to that grunge look, and probably would have come to represent it even more if it weren’t for his untimely death. There’s also a little Jordan Catalano thrown into the mix . . .
His F/W Women’s Collection is equally full of these rebel notions, and 90’s attitudes. You can spot inspiration everything from Courtney Love, ‘The Craft’, ‘Daria’, ‘My So-Called Life’, ‘Reality Bites’, ‘Poison Ivy’, Gwen Stefani, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bridget Fonda in ‘Singles’! It’s every fashionista’s dream collection, pretty much. Expect to see even more of this on the streets, and anyone who was doubting this particular breed of style, can suck it because this is Yves Saint-Laurent, baby – sorry, SAINT-LAURENT, baby!
Hats off to you, Slimane. You bring the past to life in a whole new way, and that’s what makes us love you most. You show that fashion is about reinvention as much as invention, and to look to the past and give it a new spin is about as innovative as you can get. You remind everybody that everything old is easily new again with a little bit of imagination.
Your vintage inspiration is out of this world, and you keep reinventing, not just how we dress, but yourself, in many ways, which is both aspirational and incorrigible to all those of us who call ourselves dedicated followers of fashion….
So, Merci Beaucoup. Somehow, you’ve made me feel like we’re definitely doing something right. And remember, it’s not about being perfect; it’s what makes you imperfect that really counts.
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is an invisible labor. “
-Victor Hugo
New Wave just wouldn’t have been New Wave without this eccentric to pave the way through the 1980’s. With a penchant for pastels, and bold black and white stripes, we thank this latest E.O.F. Style Idol inductee for being part of a fashion revolution for men, for being fearless, and for using that pelvis for the good of mankind.
We would like to introduce you to William Michael Albert Broad.
Having grown up in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, amidst the English countryside with a background in proper Boys Schools, this rebel rocker would boldly defy convention and using peroxide to pave his way, he would come to be know as the one and only Billy Idol.
In October 1975, Idol went to Brighton Polytechnic to pursue an English degree, and lived on campus (East Slope), but left just after Year One. Billy’s academic ambitions would be cut short, as there was definitely a change in the air…
The world was shifting and popular culture was rapidly changing; the squeaky boy bands of the past were begging for a make-over! Raw unbridled sexuality would be exactly what the doctor would prescribe…
“If your world doesn’t allow you to dream, move to one where you can”
– Billy Idol
The name Billy Idol was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of the young Broad as “idle” – a bit of a slacker, non-chalant, “too cool for school”, as they say. But it was his music ambitions and talent for performance that showcased the young man as anything but idle.
The stage name was also a nod to the pop acts that came before him. Billy Idol looked to history, comparing himself to his own idols like Billy Fury and Elvis.
“We were saying the opposite to the Clash and the Pistols. They were singing ‘No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones’, but we were honest about what we liked. The truth was, we were all building our music on the Beatles and the Stones”
He then went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans; a loose gang that traveled into town when the band played. Billy could see similarities between himself and the motley punk troupe. He had a hunger for performing, and Billy knew he had to make his mark as an entertainer.
Billy first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist.
It wasn’t until Billy would step out from the background and take center stage as front man of Generation X that the act from across the pond would make a huge splash in international waters. This quickly ushered in the ‘second wave’ of British invasion acts during the MTV era in the 1980s.
“I love it when someone insults me. It means I don’t have to be nice anymore.”
-Billy Idol.
By 1982, Billy made a splash on the club charts as a solo artist. The single “Dancing by Myself” hit the pop charts like a comet! With a string of hits like “Rebel Yell”, “White Wedding”, and “Eyes without a Face”, as well as a hit cover of “Money Money”, Idol Fever hit America in a huge way.
With an electric look consisting of scantily clad chains and leather, with a gyrating pelvis and curling lip, only comparable to the King himself, Idol had the idol sex appeal like no other teenage dream, and successfully ruled the charts for over a decade.
In 1990, Idol was involved in a serious motorbike accident that slowed down the shock rocker, and nearly cost him a leg. He was also hit by a car when he ran a stop sign while riding home from the studio in Hollywood one night, requiring a steel rod to be placed in his leg. Idol would go on to speak about this accident and credit it for completely changing his life.
Having spent years partying and crediting much time to white weddings, Idol didn’t want to waste anymore time.
Due to the circumstance of the accident, Billy would have to pass on a movie role tailor made for the Prince of Peroxide.
Film director James Cameron had chosen Idol to play the T-1000 character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and had drawn storyboards to resemble him. Unable to perform major stunts, Idol was replaced by Robert Patrick.
And did you know?
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)“, written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, had originally written it with Billy Idol in mind, but the singer turned it down, leaving the song to Simple Minds, who made it a hit in 1985! The Breakfast Club would have been a very different film if the rebel-hearted singer had left his hand print on the flick.
Influencing youth to revolt to this day, bleaching one’s head peroxide blonde wouldn’t have the same impact if it weren’t for the one and only Billy Idol. And if you browse LOOKBOOK, or any other street style source, you will be finding kids rocking the edge just like Billy.
Wiktor Hansson as Billy Idol for Tush Magazine
Count on finding this rocker’s look mimiced in fashion magazines and on the backs of the style obsessed youth. Billy Idol is what every man fantasizes of being; a sexual being unrestricted by the bounds of society, a creature of vanity, insanity, and completely possessed by the spirit of rock n’ roll. He shows that it’s good to stand out from the crowd, and to be extraordinary.
With a touch of James Dean’s rebel ways, the natural class of Errol Flynn, and a wildly adventurous spirit, Billy keeps himself current to this very day, performing and touring the world over. We love this star decked head to toe with crucifixes and chains, or wearing nothing at all. One thing is for certain, he’ll always be our Teen Idol!
