Some of you may remember my Uncommon Cure for the Common Cold, where I channeled my inner Nana for a bit of tea and sympathy. It seems that this is all the rage now, according to today's Age Newspaper. The article is touting knitting as "the new black", (well duh, where have you been print media?) carrying a hankie as environmentally savvy and the cuppa as the latest trendy cure all. And while I see the merits in some of this Nana Chic, I can think of a few others that hold a little more appeal for me.
Support garments. While suspenders have been a staple of many a bride's wardrobe, the old fashioned foundation garment complete with suspenders, will never be replaced by the new flimsy lace numbers in my book. While they are now available in a host of colours and trims, there is something quite vintage sexy about those flesh toned girdles. The creator of pantyhose (I tried to find you a link here, but had to poke my eyes out from too many fetish results on Google) was so rapt to be able to offer consumers something that didn't show beneath their skirts, or leave a little flesh peeking out when they sat down. But for me, given the right occasion, there is something quite wonderful about this look. It comes across as accidentally appealing rather than overtly sexy.
The Sweet Tin. My Nana always kept a sweet tin in her lounge room for occasional treats while watching the cricket. Nana would never have eaten a whole chocolate bar, let alone a tub of ice cream; far too decadent. Instead, her sweets were those pretty, individually wrapped numbers that remind you just how many you have had by watching the papers pile up. I wonder how much more respect we would have for sweets dished out as prizes to ourselves, than those wolfed down secretly from the packet hidden in the back of the pantry. I'm quite sure our waist lines would thank us for it.
The Wireless. Okay, while a good serial program might be hard to find on the radio these days, there are any number of podcasts out there that are much more preferable to tuning into the latest episode of Big Brother to find out what that odd squishing noise was coming from the communal bedroom last night. To get your alternative entertainment rolling, check out the inaugural podcast by that dapper chap, The Sunday Best.
The Nana Rug. Oh where, oh where would I be without this marvelous invention. Often seen decorating the laps of elderly personages in wheel chairs, the Nana rug is usually a crocheted affair, often in mutiple colours, and usually in a square pattern. Without the aid of these oft crafted pieces, I would have indeed frozen as I blogged along, long past bedtime.
So I ask you, do you have a secret longing for hot toddies, knitted booties or put a cozy on everything? Are you Nana Chic?
So I ask you, do you have a secret longing for hot toddies, knitted booties or put a cozy on everything? Are you Nana Chic?
21 comments:
Another wonderful post!
Circa used to stock the garter belts from What Katie Did (as per your Bernie Dexter pic) but I've found something even better now: black or white six strap garter belts from Kiss Me Deadly, a UK firm.
I love mine! So comfortable and the six straps keep your seams nice and straight.
I guess I didn't realize until this post that I'm Nana Chic! I even had to look up what a "cuppa" is even though I drink tea every damned day. I think I do other old-womanly things not mentioned in the article - e.g. my ex boyfriend always used to tell me I reminded him of his grandma because I wore nightgowns to bed every night (of course that didn't stop me).
But I've also been told that my more "traditional" tendencies put everyone at ease. Maybe it's because I remind them of their grandmother!
I am so Nana Chic. Firstly because my most prized possessions are my nana's dresses. Also, I like making cushions, I like cross stitching, I like to put a little blanket on my lap while watching telly. It is so nice to live like a nana. Also, working from home and looking after bebe didn't help me fighting my inner nana, I have to say!
Hello from London pretty internet friend!
xxx
I distinctly remember the old advert for Bex headache tablets, "Have a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down". Whereas now, the adds tell us to have a tablet and "soldier on".
Love your blog.
Suzanne
I remember The New Inventors program on the ABC had a little segment about the creator of pantyhose a few weeks ago! And although I love my "invisible" undergarments, I think there's nothing more sensual then a little suspender peeking out from beneath a skirt!
Lovely post :)
You've re-kindled some warm and fuzzy memories of my nanny (nana!) who used to have a sweet tin. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of her indulging my sweet tooth.
If only I could keep it to a sweet tin, I now have a sweet cupboard!
As for Nana Chic...I'm guilty of being very Nanaesque :)
I'm a huge fan (of the non fetish inspired) panty girdle and petty pant. Well, a fan of the comic value!! But with me a tin of sweets and a nana blanket and I'm sorted.
Oh, this really is my cup of tea!
I love to knit, refuse to go a day without a nice cuppa, and am a firm believer in the restoring powers of the hot toddie.
I listen to the radio most of the day (I don't like much tv) and would love to hear a serial – I am off to investigate The Sunday Best.
Finally, we don;t have heating, so my nanna rug is often on my knee.
Keep warm, dear!
I wanted to tell you that I have tagged you for the Premio award.
Here's the link: http://mamafasha.blogspot.com/2008/07/wow-thank-you-so-much.html
because you rock :)
I will email you my Vale Nana post - My Nana preferred drinking to sweets. And god help the child who used a beer glass for milk (it will make the beer flat!) But she did keep a box of Cheezels for when we visited; the same packet for about 10 years. She was the first person I knew with pointy boobs; way ahead of Madonna and her J.P.G outfit. But you hugged her with caution - Ouch!
My Grandma makes my crochet rugs that I keep in the car, there is no better way to shake crumbs off car seats for grown up passengers. She also crochetted both Bratty and Boo's layette, and Bratty's communion hat (she wouldnt wear a veil)
xx
I'm increasingly looking to grannies for inspiration...
Frou frou: Oh they look wonderful. I must get me some of these.
Kelly: Are they the neck to knee kind?
Mademoiselle Robot: Working from home is the perfect occupation for indulging in the Nana nap. Bebe's love those too which is wonderful.
Suzanne: An excellent point. I much prefer the comforting thought of a Bex.
Karen Lazarenko: I was thinking of that segment when I wrote this post, and I couldn't remember his name.
Porcelain Blonde: I think our penchant for High Tea may qualify us rather nana-ish also.
Imelda Matt: Just don't chip a tooth on those chewy caramels.
Esme and the laneway: You don't have heating? Oh my god, it is so cold right now I can hardly imagine what you must be feeling. I do hope you have someone delicious to keep you warm.
Kim: Why thank you my friend. It is so lovely to see my Posh Mama friends here too!
Hammie: Thank you so much for the email. Your Nana and her 10 year old pretzels is the stuff of legend.
Susie Bubble: Grannies can have some great style tips. They were first to take along their own fold away shopping bags and look at us now!
I think it's official....I'm a Nana!
I love this post( but then, I always love these kind of posts you do!).
I have linked to you and used one of your pics in my latest post, hope you like it!
LM
x
LM: Nana's Unite! With our scones, tea and scarves, I think we are Nanas' indeed. Thanks for including me in such lovely company.
If you ask Imelda, I'm definitely Nana. I don't know about chic, though.
What a great post.
They are definitely not the neck to knee kind! They're all pretty sexy I think, but I think he just had this idea that only old women wore nightgowns to bed, so no matter how low-cut or glamorous they are, he thought of it as a grandmotherly thing to do.
Speaking of nana blankets, I remember one that I brought in to my high school my senior year. I used to carry it to class because we wore skirts all year and the school was kept so damn cold. My teachers teased me, but it was the only way to get through class in the coldest rooms! Once, the class below me borrowed it for their class play dress rehearsal, because the "old woman" character needed one and they knew I had it in my cubby!
Dear (Grand)Mama,
I'm definitely in a Nana fashion phase of some sort. Without realising it, I've recently thrifted a mid-calf-length pleated tartan wool skirt by Country Road circa 1970s, old white cushioned sandals (the sort that Nana wears with nude varicose veins-controlling stockings), a vintage pink quilted housecoat in the most synthetic of polyester...When summer comes, I think I'll be going for the Miami retirees' look.
Thank you for bringing the neo-Nanas out. x
Enc: And what does Nana wear to the gym? I know I've seen many an elderly man at my gym dressed in the startling combination of underwear singlet, loose dress pants with belt, and tasseled moccasins!
Kelly: Nightgowns are infinitely better than Tweety Bird P.J's, though it sounds like some of your colleagues may have forgotten to remove theirs before heading into work!
Likkle girl: My elderly Nana wears exactly those tartan skirts every day of her life. While I am partial to a spiffy kilt myself, I do draw the line at the Kumfs shoes. So come summer, I expect to see you, visor and all, playing bridge on your patio and marveling at what a miracle those shoes were for your bunions.
i'm loving everything nana right now! little nana brogue shoes and big horn rimmed nana glasses and my nana's old vw beetle. and love the mention of the nana rug- i have mine wrapped around me right now- nothing beats it. i just did a nana inspired polyvore post last week :)
Oh I am right there with you.
I think this is one of my favorite recently-discovered Nana chic items (I so want one of these for my mobile home hehe): http://www.subversivecrossstitch.com/
I'm not sure if this is broadcasted in Melbourne, but Antioch plays a stream of vintage radio series, from variety to mystery. Link: http://radio.macinmind.com
You can listen to them through iTunes radio, under the "Talk/Spoken Word" genre. It has a wonderful selection.
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