Welcome to No More Alibis: Vintage Beauty in a Modern World! I’m Kim – actress, singer, cubicle-worker, and lover of all things vintage. I decided to start this blog because I wanted to share my weird interests in the diets, beauty tips, and fashion of a bygone era. I went to school for vocal performance so eventually I’m sure that will bleed into this project as well, and I’ll definitely be mentioning the shows I’m in (especially the current one, as it’s a period show set in the 30’s).
I’m adopted, and was raised by parents who are now in their 80’s, which has had a definite effect on my interests. I grew up watching old black-and-white movies, learning to make my own clothes (though I’m woefully out of practice now), cook and bake for myself (this I’m still quite good at – my lemon squares are the shit), and generally be self-sufficient. I’ve gotten lazy as I’ve aged, but I still remember how to sew on a button and darn a sock when needed. I prefer old books to new ones (Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald (NOT GATSBY), Hemingway, Dorothy Parker etc), and I probably own more cookbooks than anything else. I read them like other people read novels – and I flag pages with recipes I want to try.
I enjoy research, and can be very detail-oriented when it’s a topic of interest. Once I was put in a 1920’s style dropped-waist dress for a show set in the 30’s and I think I told all my friends about it 100 times before I could move past it. Well. Sort of. I’m still mad. I mean, it takes FIVE MINUTES to do a Google search and see that the dropped-waist style was out by the early 30’s. It’s fine. I’m fine. Where were we? Oh yeah. This blog. Where all my insanity collides: beauty, diet, lifestyle, cooking, fashion etc, from days gone by (specifically the days from around 1920-1960 – that’s my specialty). Now that I’ve sufficiently bored you with talk about myself (I wasn’t going to include it, but my “editor”, otherwise known as my friend Zoe who has an English degree and thus is much more qualified to be blogging than me but whatever), insisted on it so that my “voice comes through”. I’m trusting her on this one.
Ok. On with the show:
“No More Alibis!” proclaims Madam Sylvia (also known as Sylvia of Hollywood) in her 1934 book. A “Reducing” guru to the Hollywood stars of the time, Sylvia used this book, as well as her regular articles in Photoplay magazine, to bring the same no-nonsense advice she dispensed to the rich and famous to the masses. She promises “if you will string along with me and do what I tell you to do, you will be as lovely as the stars of Hollywood– and lovelier!”. Bold promises to be sure! Read more about Madam Sylvia here.
I’ve always been tickled by old books on etiquette, lifestyle, dieting, and beauty. I first came across this book several years ago while working at a bookstore in my hometown – and I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered this well-preserved glimpse into a time gone by. It sat on a shelf at home (surviving several purges of property over the years) and I picked it back up recently after being cast in a local production of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”. I realized my particular copy of the book was released only a year before the play was set, and thought it would be a fun read to get myself in to the mindset of a woman from the era. And then I had a most brilliant idea (if I do say so myself). I already wanted to shed a few pounds for the show, so why not take Sylvia’s advice, and see what I could learn from her? Some of her advice is bound to be bizarre by today’s standards, but as long as I’m sensible and don’t pass out from hunger, this should be a fun experiment!
So here I’ll be chronicling my journey into the world of Madam Sylvia and her famous clients (including Jean Harlow, Ruth Chatterton, Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard, Norma Shearer, and more). In an effort to include more of the content from the book (as well as not starve to death), I’ll be alternating between two of her diet plans, using the 5:2 method (one of several styles of Intermittent Fasting that have become popular recently). I’m sure Sylvia wouldn’t approve, but it’s what I’m doing anyhow. 5 days a week I will be using her “in-between” plan, for those who do not need to lose or gain weight, and 2 days a week I will be using her much more extreme “reducing” plan. See below for details.
The Plans:
“Diet for General Reducing”
Diet for the “In-Between Figure”
*Note: I have no idea what “Gelatin with thin coffee cream” is supposed to be and the internet hasn’t been very helpful, so I’ll just be eating a small serving of Jello here – that generally seems to be what she’s referring to other times she mentions gelatin, as she talks about how many flavors it’s available in. I could make coffee gelatin but that doesn’t sound super appealing.
I will also do my best to include the exercises and lifestyle tips she prescribes, though keeping up with her suggestions would almost amount to a full-time job! This was a plan originally for actresses who had to spend a LOT of time on their looks to remain viable as actresses.
* A Note on Heartburn: I have a past history of heartburn, and I have noticed that the Reducing Plan is especially acidic. I will be making changes and substitutions as necessary if I notice a problem, but hopefully as I’m only using that plan 2 days a week I won’t have too much trouble.
*A Note on Black Coffee: It’s disgusting. I’ll be drinking plain black tea with no sugar in place of coffee where it appears. I assume she prescribes it for the caffeine/energy benefits primarily.
That probably covers everything you need to know up front, so let’s get started!
No More Alibis: Vintage Beauty in a Modern World 