Vintage Fashion Blog
My name is Dominique de Merteuil. I'm the founder and sole author of It's Beyond My Control, a vintage fashion blog dedicated to the history, preservation, and styling of fashion and beauty from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Drawing on more than 25 years of independent research and a lifelong passion for authentic vintage clothing, I specialise in the styles, silhouettes, and foundation garments of these eras. Every look featured on the blog is styled using pieces from my personal vintage collection, which I wear in everyday life. My credo: Life is too short to wear ordinary clothes!
I’ve been wearing original 1940s clothing almost every day for more than twenty years. Thus far, I’ve studied and worn hundreds of garments from the decade. This article combines examples of 1940s evening wear in Hollywood, on and off the screen, as well as the reality for women in German occupied cities across Europe, and my own experience living in…
There is a certain hush that surrounds Dorothy Hubbs dresses from the 1940s and 1950s in the grand narrative of mid-century fashion history. And yet, they are,precisely tailored, simple yet beautifully constructed, and far more influential than they are often credited for today. In studying the structured silhouettes of the 1940s and the softened elegance of the 1950s, I found…
How to wear a vintage brooch is one of the questions I’m asked very often, and the answer lies in understanding how women styled these remarkable pieces from the 1930s through the 1950s. There is something irresistibly powerful about a vintage brooch, and I say that as someone who has lived with them for most of my life. No matter…
Hat after 6pm with 1940s evening wear: yes or absolutely...
I don’t have vintage clothes waiting for a special occasion....
The topic pertaining to dating vintage clothing is NOT something...
Have you ever bought something described as “original 1940s” only...
I wear true vintage fashion and accessories every day and...
Apparently, I walk like a duck. Someone has been leaving...
