The Miss Uptown Whittier Vintage Pageant

Well this is a long overdue post, but It's also one that will inform you of an upcoming venture!

Back in Fall 2011 I was notified by my friend and first ever crowned Miss Uptown Whittier, Ariana that they would be crowning again and she would really love to pass that crown onto me!

Well just who or what is Miss Uptown? Miss Uptown represents the historic little town-like district in the city of Whittier, California. She encompasses what Uptowns friendliness, charm, history and everything Uptown has to offer. Plus it's a Vintage Pageant, held like a fashion show of sorts where you show off your 1950's ensemble and trivia and it's held during the Uptown Antique Fair! A retro pageant that's all about preserving history and fun events? Sign me up! I love Uptown, I shop there, hangout there and I have family that lives there so I thought, why not?

The 2nd Annual Miss Uptown Whittier Contest 2011

Voila! This is what I looked like for my first ever pageant! I decided to go for an early 1950's, late 1940's look. I'm wearing a royal blue taffeta vintage dress that I bought from the shop Valerie's Boulevard, which was located in Whittier near Uptown until about a year ago. My hat that is one of my most favorites that I own came from the shop The Basement, located in Uptown. However I now think it's closed. I paired it with black gloves, backseam stockings and bumper bangs with a snood.

Here I am before the pageant at the pre shoot with my friend Ruby, she also participated in the pageant and she wears a lovely royal blue chiffon dress from Valerie's Boulevard.

Here I am with my very lovely, amazing and talented friend Ariana Rodriguez the first Miss Uptown Whittier. Isn't she just stunning! She designed and made her gown for the event. We actually met earlier that year, when we worked together at ReVamp and hit it off!

Here I am answering some questions

Pageant ladies strutting around

Posing for the crowd

 A group shot of us with Miss Whittier, Miss Teen Whittier, Miss Uptown Whittier & Martha (owner of King Richards Antique Mall in Whittier and organizer of the pageant)

 

And there they are the winners of the 2nd Annaul Miss Uptown! Miss Uptown Robin Rodriguez, 2nd place Crystal Salene and 3rd place Dottie Deville.

Miss Uptown 2011! Isn't she a doll! Such a pretty little lady and she's very sweet too. She's also a burlesque dancer and pinup model  better known as Sirena Siren.

Here they are Miss Uptown 2010 & 2011

I didn't win, but it was a fun and cool experience and I made new friends, plus that didn't stop me from doing it again!

(all photos by. Angel Rivera)

The 3rd Annual Miss Uptown Whittier Contest 2012

Yup last year I decided to give a go again, what the hell! Why not? Here I am at the 2012 contest pictured with my lovely friends and amazing ladies Robin, Miss Uptown 2011 & Ariana, Miss Uptown 2010.

 I wore my own 1940's novelty print rayon vintage dress that I bought at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender that year. I paired it with one of my favorite pair of shoes, my platform peep toe teal patent leather heels! The fascinator I'm wearing I made myself and I used vintage birdcage netting that was 70 yrs old!

Here is the 2012 lineup and I'm not the only one who decided to do it again, last years runner up decided to participate too!

I love this shot! It looks like something straight out of something like Life magazine!

And what do you know I placed in 2nd! Yay!

Here we are! And look last year's runner up Crystal, is the 2012 Miss Uptown!

Cool photo by Fashion Industry and Miss Uptown photographer Roberto Chavez

A group shot of all us ladies

Check it out we made the paper!

(all photos by. Angel Rivera, unless stated)

It was a great event and I couldn't believe I placed in 2nd! Well that time of year is here again and I've had a lot on my plate recently and I hesitated at the thought of participating again...but you know what they say "3rd times a charm"! So catch me at the 2013 Miss Uptown Contest and Fall Antique Faire!

See you there & Wish me luck!!

Out and About

Uptown Whittier Antique Faire
(April 23, 2011)

It was my first time going the the Uptown Whittier Antique Faire and I'd have to say it was quite good! There were a lot of deals, a ton of jewelry, knick knacks, furniture and clothes too! I made off with quite a few items that I've really been wanting. My only regret though was not buying a fox fur stole for only $25!! I've been wanting one soo bad! I know it's fur and I'm an animal lover, but if it's been dead for over 40 years I'm okay with it, plus it didn't have a head on it or anything. I some how convinced myself that I didn't need more fur, but one can never have too much fur!!

Some items at the faire

My outfit for the day; I received plenty of wonderful compliments! The dress used to be my mother's in the late 1970's, now it's mine! I paired it with my 1940's hat from Bullocks that I bought at a thrift store for only $6!! Talk about a steal!

Myself and my lovely friend and fellow ReVamp intern Ariana! She's Miss Uptown Whittier!! A very lovely Miss Uptown I would say. She also designs and makes a lot of her ensembles, like this lovely Black and White frock.

My lovely new Vintage Black Patent Leather handbag! I needed a new one my favorite one broke, so this is much bigger, which is great for carrying extras. I believe it's 1960's and it was only $10.

Two new hats!! I purchased both for $20, the Forest Green one is 40's I love it!! It's velour and it has a thin netting draped on the sides. The Red one is early 60's, it's such a cute little Boater hat with a bow and birdcage netting.

I didn't only get myself something I surprised my brother Angel, with a 1940's tie and vintage flask! He's been wanting both, especially the flask (mind you he's only 17). He wants it more for joking around as to use for underage drinking, haha he said I'm allowed to use it anytime. Oh and those are two vintage hair curlers that I bought for my grandma. She recently lost her hair curler that she had since she was 16, she uses it to curl her eyelashes so I bought her these two as a surprise.

(all photos by. Victoria Inez Rivera)

1939's The Women Birthday Party

(April 30, 2011)
I was invited to my fabulous friend Ashley's brilliantly themed  1939 "The Women" birthday party!! Held on the glamourous historic Art Deco luxury ocean liner the Queen Mary. All us ladies were asked and encouraged to dress as a character from the film, guys were invited too but since there was no men in the film they can come as there own glamourous selves.


The 1939 original trailer, not the crappy remade version with Meg Ryan! This has got to be the original chick flick! Comedy, drama, cattiness, fashion and an all star female cast!! It's a must see, especially since the entire wardrobe is Adrian, including a technicolor fashion show in the film!

Check out these dames!! The birthday girl is in the center with the biggest grin! She's so sweet and I must say on of the most glamourous women I know, I'm always so envious of her outfits and accessories. You can find a lot of her items or findings for sale on her etsy shop:

miss1940svintage.etsy.com

With my friend Lauren and the birthday girl herself. Lauren was "Peggy" (played by Joan Fontaine), Ashely was "Sylvia" (played by Rosalind Russell) I soo wanted to be Sylvia, she's hilarious and she has the best wardrobe, but there wouldn't have been a better Sylvia than Ashley she even had the eye blouse!!! I wanted it soo bad, I forgot to ask her if it was an Adrian original. I was stuck on just who to be, I thought about being "Lucy" (you know the owner on that divorce ranch in Reno), but at the last minute I decided to be a background character. You remember those fitting room girls wearing black dresses with their updos? I was one of them, my friend Ashley knew who I was as soon as she saw me! A couple of friends told me "Do you know you have a measuring tape around your neck?" haha

Here's a fitting room scene, she the fitting girls wearing black in the background.

Some of us gals going crazy! My friend Sari on the left was "Crystal" (played by Joan Crawford) I loved her dress it was to die for! Other lovely ladies, lysbett wore this awesome powder pink late 50's matching coat and dress with ostrich feather trim and Jayde owner of  Bell Jar Vintage wore her grandmother's late 1930's wedding dress!!

Me and my always dashing, dapper and handsome friend Andre.

Me and my friend 'The San Francisco Song Bird' Mikal Sandoval showing off our gams! As she likes to call it I'm her "Hotcha Muchacha" I love it!!

My brother Angel, looking very snazzy wearing that new tie I got him!!

Sipping away on a cocktail with "Jungle Red" nails haha! My dress is early 40's, I bought it at a friend's yard sale over a year ago for $25 and my 40's clutch though you can barely see it I also bought at the same yard sale for $5.

 (all photos by. Angel Rivera)

2011 Smiths/ Morrissey Convention
(May 1, 2011)

Well this year's convention was quite eventful and  an actual Smith showed up, the placed was packed like crazy, These Charming Men put on an awesome show, I met old friends, made new ones and met a blog fan! And I never thought I would be dancing to David Bowie's "Fame" at a Moz convention (not that it was a bad thing). To be honest I had fun, just not as much fun as I would have liked too. Being that it was so packed the dance floor was really cramped and really really sticky eww, the song selections weren't as good, I didn't get any free items this time. But that won't stop me from going again next year!

The dance floor

These Charming Men!! Even though I've said The Sweet and Tender Hooligans are the best Smiths/ Moz tribute band, I think it's correct to say they are the best in the US, but These Charming Men would be best foreign tribute band being that they are from Ireland. Their singer was a great Moz and swung those gladiolas perfectly!

Richard Blade with Andy Rourke of The Smiths

People went mad for these raffled off banners, they ended up having a dance contest which I found myself in. I personally didn't want a banner, but this guy I met earlier that night begged me to be his dance partner he really wanted a banner. I wonder if he won? haha

Do  you see that (what is it a Smiths single?) up in the left corner? It has Montgomery Clift on it!! Could it be any more perfect! I want it!! I just wasn't willing to pay the $60.

Me and my friends that I met up with later in the night

Literally as soon as I walked in the club, a stranger approached me and asked if I was Victoria. With confusion I said yes. He then asked if I was the "Victoria Vintage Girl", "Yes!" I exclaimed. I had just met a blog fan of mine for the first time! Englebert (or is it Ingelbert?) is a big Morrissey fan and had never heard about the convention until he read my blog, he thought he would check it out and had told his wife he had hoped to meet me. I was so thrilled, I hope they had a wonderful time at their first convention. (Remember Englebert you can find me on Facebook)

(all photos by. Victoria Inez Rivera)

Here's a video shot by my Facebook friend and huge Moz fan, Jay Tando of the 2011 Smiths/Morrissey  Convention. The Fan interviews are a lot of fun, very interesting and oh so relatable.