Category Archives: accessories

ELEGANT TRUE VINTAGE GLOVES FROM THE 1950’S & ’60’S – AN ACCESSORY WORTH COLLECTING

ELEGANT TRUE VINTAGE GLOVES FROM THE 1950'S & '60'S - AN ACCESSORY WORTH COLLECTING

Ho – hum, gloves . . . . .? Not these. There is nothing more stylish and luxurious than a beautiful pair of kid-skin gloves, while they also protect your hands.

Beautifully-made and elegant in lines, many that I have found have no decoration – many have small subtle designs near the wrist. Some, like the beige pair, have decorated panels of crochet or contrasting leather. The variations are endless. I’ll be showing more of them . . . . .

These gloves are not meant for really cold weather, but they’re great for what we’re into now. If looked after, they’ll last a long time.

Don’t wear these if you have a dirty job ahead, but for something more delicate and when you’d rather not leave fingerprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

MOD BLACK AND WHITE SHOES FROM THE MID 1960’S – SPECTATOR STYLE

MOD BLACK AND WHITE SHOES FROM THE MID 1960'S – SPECTATOR STYLE.

MORE SHOES! HOW DO YOU LIKE THESE LOVELIES FROM THE LATE ’50’S – EARLY ’60’S?

MORE SHOES! HOW DO YOU LIKE THESE LOVELIES FROM THE LATE '50'S – EARLY '60'S?.

ANOTHER TAKE ON THE OXFORD STYLE – THIS TIME FROM GERMANY

ANOTHER TAKE ON THE OXFORD STYLE – THIS TIME FROM GERMANY.

ANOTHER TAKE ON THE TRUE VINTAGE OXFORD STYLE SHOE – THIS TIME FROM GERMANY

ANOTHER TAKE ON THE OXFORD STYLE - THIS TIME FROM GERMANY

A very European “walking shoe” that is smart for the city and goes with lots of things. Practical and well-dressed women in the U.S. liked shoes of this sort a lot in the 1930’s, 1940’s and early 1950’s when they were busy at work, or shopping or . . . . . . . . . .  Worn with dresses, suits and slacks.

Not sure of the age of these definitely – somewhere between 1970 and 1995. They are, of course, full leather including  the soles and superbly constructed.  Nothing could be more elegant or classic for sporty day-wear.

Of course, I always love mid-century & war-time styles.  Just couldn’t pass these up when I found them, because you rarely encounter this type of quality and that’s always my standard, especially for footwear. I think that they would suit Miss Moneypenny very well, don’t you? . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

FRENCH MEN’S LEATHER & WOODEN CLOGS – SMALL ENOUGH FOR ME!

FRENCH MEN'S LEATHER &WOODEN CLOGS - SMALL ENOUGH FOR ME!

Just to keep the fare varied, here’s another pair of shoes – but men’s from France. I am not sure how old these are. They are a size 7B, which is a smallish and narrow men’s size. That works for my 8narrowB feet.

The uppers are leather with laces, black or dark navy. They look like an oxford, but have the full wooden sole, made like the wonderful Scandinavian clogs. Undoubtedly, they are hand-made.

I’m not sure if these are true vintage or not – they appear to be, but European shoes and garments have different labeling and so many are hand-done that it is hard to be sure.  They are a very traditional French design.

Regardless, I love them.  Such quality and style. They were a surprise find and I think they are delightful! Love clogs, anyway – it’s a very early ’70’s thing in the U.S.  I wonder if I’ll see more of them when I go to Paris next June . . . . . . . . .. . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

YES, I PROMISED MORE SHOES! HAND-MADE KID-LEATHER LOW-HEELED PUMPS

YES, I PROMISED MORE SHOES! HAND-MADE KID-LEATHER LOW-HEELED PUMPS.

YES, I PROMISED MORE SHOES! HAND-MADE KID-LEATHER LOW-HEELED PUMPS

YES, I PROMISED MORE SHOES! HAND-MADE KID-LEATHER LOW-HEELED PUMPS

There’s a ’30’s – ’40’s flair to these with the high vamp and bow detail, but I don’t know when they were made, for sure. It was a small maker – likely European.

They are so soft – like kid gloves. It’s so true that you can judge someone’s taste and elegance by looking at their shoes, gloves and handbag. And I don’t mean designer labels or logos – I refer to high quality and workmanship . . . . . . . . . . that’s the real clue.

They’d look nice with a lot of things, and unusual – attention-getting. This week I’ll show a 3-piece outfit that they’d look fabulous with, plus some other pieces in the same color family – all true vintage, of course . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

TRUE VINTAGE “EIGHTIES DOES FORTIES” OXFORDS: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

TRUE VINTAGE "EIGHTIES DOES FORTIES" OXFORDS: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

TRUE VINTAGE “EIGHTIES DOES FORTIES” OXFORDS: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

About this time of year, the fashion magazines begin showing the “new” Fall styles and, inevitably, I see clothing and accessories that echo many of the wonderful true vintage items in my closets.  These oxfords are officially “vintage” from the Eighties, even though they’re styled after shoes from forty years before that!

Just goes to show that everything that goes around comes around and that is so true with fashion. Of course, some decades do it better than others and having some superbly made originals can be the ultimate best.  I’m happy with these, because they’re still made of good leather with Vibram soles, and should continue to last as long as the 1940’s originals would do.

My original 1940’s ones are still my favorite, but they’ll come later. I’ve got a ton of shoes to photograph and you’ll be seeing lots over the next few weeks. These are from the ’80’s and look great with suits, pants, dresses and skirts from the 1940’s, as well as many other outfits. There’s nothing more classic than a good oxford shoe. And, if they;re made well and fit well, nothing more comfortable except bare feet.

Especially if you have a lot of walking ahead, from hideout to hideout . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM