The Canary Girls and the WWI Poisons That Turned Them Yellow

At lunchtime, the women had to be separated in the cafeteria because everything they touched turned yellow. They were called the “Canary Girls” because of their bright yellow skin and green or ginger-coloured hair. With the nation’s men at war and male labour in short supply, Britain’s women had been recruited to ramp up production ammunition and were…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCXLI)

1. Vintage Roller Skate Boxes Found on Anonymous Works. Lots for sale on Etsy too (with original skates). 2. A 19th Century Tintype of an Orthopedic Shoe Found on Pinterest. 3. Couture dresses made with Vintage Maps By Elizabeth Lecourt. 4. Demonic Children in Mid-century Advertising Found on Plan 59. 5. ‘Witches’ marks’ found in…

Backstage at the Underwear Show, 1940s

So we’re fresh off Valentine’s Day, and I’m feeling a little bombarded by the underwear industry at present, trying to convince me that I need a five-piece lingerie set for this one night of the year, garter belt and all. Can’t I just be left in peace to pick up my 3-for-2 cotton briefs from…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCXL)

1. Discovery of a 3000-2000 BC ‘high priest’ in a vessel during the Uruk excavation of 1929/30 Found on Reddit’s Museum of Artefacts. 2. Ancient Mosaics just sitting unprotected by the shoreline “Yes, they are wonderful and in an ideal world they would be preserved”… Find out more on Helen Miles Mosaics 3. The New…

Tokyo Is Having Way More Fun Than Us at Fashion

In Tokyo, there are no rules when it comes to street fashion. Current trends have little or no influence and you certainly don’t have to work in the fashion industry to throw down some serious looks. I stumbled upon the Tokyo Fashion Tumblr today, which has been faithfully documenting Japanese street style since 2010. From Lolita…

Here are the 1960s Fashion Trends we’d like to Nominate for a Comeback

At MessyNessyChic, we spend a lot of time in the 1960s, revisiting rock & roll communes, getting to know forgotten muses and venturing out on hippie trail, but we thought it was about time we did a retrospective of style from our favourite decade. The good, the bad and the interesting… The Paper Dress The sixties played around…

Remember When You Could Mail Order an Entire House in a Giant DIY Kit?

Sears was once the largest and most powerful retailer in the United States of America before Walmart stole the title in 1989. It first began as a mail ordering catalog company in 1892, when they started peddling watches, then expanding into hardware, furniture and nearly anything else the American household could desire, focusing business in small…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCXXXIX)

1. The ridiculously dangerous sport of “Auto Polo” Automobile polo or Auto polo was a motorsport invented in the United States with rules and equipment similar to equestrian polo but using automobiles instead of horses. The “sport” which was popularised by an automobile dealer as a publicity stunt for Ford cars. …A tally of the damages…

The Movie of the Year Is a Stolen Cult Film That Almost Never Was

A few weeks ago, I fell in love with a movie called Shirkers. It felt like discovering a lost Wes Anderson movie. It felt like watching all the things I’d ever set out to portray here on Messy Nessy Chic– secret childhood drama, unappreciated beauty, deeply personal nostalgia, conspiracy, vulnerability, creativity– all perfectly wrapped up…

The Vault

Coney Island’s Short-Lived but Utterly Insane Dreamland

There’s no question that New York’s Coney Island is an utterly outrageous place; it’s most known for its freak shows, retro roller coasters, annual hot dog eating contest, and start-of-summer mermaid parade… and that’s all just the tip of the iceberg. It’s hard to believe it, but the wacky Brooklyn neighbourhood today is nothing compared…

Pssst! You've stumbled across content that is exclusive to Nessy's Keyholders.

There’s a new way to access the really special stuff from Messy Nessy Chic …

Hidden beneath the surface layers of the internet, there’s a place where we keep our most secret addresses, untapped archives, creator’s inspiration, collector’s guides, explorer’s manuals, obscure research and much more… And it’s made for our keyholders only!

Apply now to unlock the Vault

Keyholder Login