Author Archives: Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

TRUE VINTAGE 1950’s OR EARLY ’60s TENNIS SHOES WITH POINTY TOES

TRUE VINTAGE 1950s OR EARLY '60s TENNIS SHOES WITH POINTY TOES

Believe it or not, at one point in the 1950s/early ’60s (no pun intended) tennis shoes were made with pointed toes! I also have another pair in beige canvas. When I first saw them, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Very non-traditional in a black and red plaid – the material feels like wool, but might be a synthetic – and made by SKIPS, which I think was sold at Montgomery Ward. My beige pair is of a different brand. What a perfect little casual thing to wear whenever, and completely unique!

Just goes to show what sorts of things turn up, especially when you are off the beaten path. I discovered these while out for a relaxing walk one day, on vacation, nowhere near a vintage clothing store, town
or a garage sale.

I did a count of the TYPES of places where I uncover true vintage clothing and accessories and came up with more than 12. Not individual places that I have gone to – but CATEGORIES of different places where I find them. You just never know . . . . . . . and it just gets funner and funner . . . .

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
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TRUE VINTAGE 1970S BOHO WESTERN – INSPIRED JEENZ BOOTZ BY CAPEZIO

TRUE VINTAGE 1970S OHO BWESTERN – INSPIRED JEENZ BOOTZ BY CAPEZIO.

THE REAL REASONS WHY I LOVE TRUE VINTAGE

Got up early this morning to watch some inspirational videos on YouTube and just be in the magical world for a while – and I started thinking again about what it is that really attracts me to clothing and accessories that were designed, made and worn decades ago.  I always talk about quality and workmanship and elegant design that set true vintage apart from almost everything that is sold today, but what’s deeper underneath those things?  As Rhonda Byrne explains in her second book, The Power, it is LOVE.

Love is not just what we usually think it is (hearts and flowers, sex, even kind acts and caring for others) – it is passion and joy and desire and inspiration and happiness and  excitement and value and conviction and ideals and what everything that is most important in your life means to you.

 When these vintage items were designed, made, sold and worn, they were elegant and beautiful visions in the minds of designers, pride and self-reliance in the people  who manufactured the materials needed or actually put them together with their own hands, and the hopes and dreams of the women and men who bought and wore them because each purchase was a special event.  Their clothing was well cared for, loved and kept for many years, like the memories that were attached to them.  Each piece is like a classic film that has a big story behind the making of it and tells a big story just by being what it is.  

What’s not to love about that?!   Maybe I should get up at 3 a.m. more often. . . . . . . .

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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TRUE VINTAGE 1960s COCKTAIL PARTY DRESS BY CAROL CRAIG

TRUE VINTAGE 1960s COCKTAIL PARTY DRESS BY CAROL CRAIG.

FINDERS’ TIP:

Here’s a little tip that can save you lots of time and frustration .  It may seem like common sense, but it really helps .

Things are changing fast these days and vintage dealers sometimes change their addresses, merchandise, or names all of a sudden.  Sometimes they give up a physical address and become internet-only or vice versa.  I have experienced the frustration of searching for a store and finding that it didn’t exist as my information said it should.  That can throw a kink into your day!

When you can and, especially when you are far from home or pressed for time, call ahead or check on-line to get the current details. Do this no matter where you got the info – been there before, someone told you or you read it in a publication or a book like mine. You can even have a conversation with them about what you’re looking for.  No matter what, you will always come away with more information.

But, don’t give up your adventurous spirit if you can’t make contact.  Go anyway because many of the best places are off the radar and when you’re on a mission, you just never know . . . . . . .

TRUE VINTAGE 1950s “KORET OF CALIFORNIA” LIGHTWEIGHT CASUAL JACKET FOR SPRING

1950s "KORET OF CALIFORNIA" LIGHTWEIGHT CASUAL JACKET FOR SPRING.

1950s “KORET OF CALIFORNIA” LIGHTWEIGHT CASUAL JACKET FOR SPRING

True vintage nipped-waist jacket with big shell buttons and a fabulous fit. Love it. This is a hopsacking-type rayon blend material loosely woven. When I saw it I grabbed it up because all the vintage hallmarks were there in the materials, workmanship and the label. Yes, Koret is still manufacturing clothing, but I have not seen a modern label which reads Koret of California. And, of course, it looks like a vintage label.

Even though I found this in recent years, I was still not highly experienced – I wasn’t quite the magicvintagespy yet. After I got it home, I almost gave it away because of issues which I hadn’t thought of and made it less wearable for me. I’m glad that I didn’t give in, because I figured out how to solve them all. A frustrating problem for me when I finally had more time to do vintage-hunting was that I often ended up with some things that didn’t suit after all and I didn’t know what to do.

Now that is not an issue. i can address almost any problem that used to make me think I was at a dead end. When I’m shopping, I’m really good at knowing when to leave something behind that I might have picked up before and regretted. And, so many things that I might have given to a thrift shop, sadly, I can now make a part of my wardrobe after all! I find a lot more than I used to, as well.

It’s been worth every minute. Although sleuthing for vintage has always been a lot of fun for me, now the excitement is through the roof! My intention is to be contagious – I really want to spread the fun!! It’s so energizing to wonder – what will I find today? You just never know . . . . . . .

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
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A FINDER’S TIP

Serendipitously (a word I love and wonderful experiences I love even more!), I just found a dress with a label name I’d been trying to remember to include in the list I posted a few days ago.  Magic always happens.

The label is R&K Originals.  They have made really nice ladies’ clothing for decades, and they still are!  How do you tell the difference between more modern items and one that is true vintage, especially if you are not an expert at spotting it? The label is always red and gray, embroidered on white.  Before about 1980, there is a small-print line below the company name that says “FOR THE GIRL WHO KNOWS CLOTHES”.  Isn’t that precious?!

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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Amazon.com

A COLLECTION OF TRUE VINTAGE HANDBAGS FROM THE 1960s

A COLLECTION OF TRUE VINTAGE HANDBAGS FROM THE 1960s.

TRUE VINTAGE SHORT BLACK GABARDINE JACKET FROM THE 1940’S.

TRUE VINTAGE SHORT BLACK GABARDINE JACKET FROM THE 1940S..