This is one of my very favorite designer dress finds!
This is a really interesting find! A plain belted sheath dress with removable peplum. I encountered a photo in a hallway decoration on the cruise boat last fall that told me the year and the designer. I can’t remember the designer now – can anyone help out? It was a name that we all know.
This one was styled by Nellie Don, which made very available clothing items for women in America – not couture. Usually a year or two after styles came out in Paris they found their way into the U.S. one way or another.
It’s made of an unremarkable fabric – some kind of cotton blend in an abstract print – with a center back metal zipper. But it is an unusual length for that time – just a bit below the knee.
I was quite surprised when I discovered it, hiding in an odd little shop…
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AS COLD AS IT IS, i’M STILL GOING TO BE SHOWING SOME SPRING THINGS . . .
Another lovely shirtwaist dress for a Spring day, this one in rayon. It could have been custom made or ready-made – no tags or tell-tale details to help me be sure.
In most cases, dating true vintage clothing is not an exact science, but with knowledge and experience can be pretty close. This group (yesterday, today and tomorrow) make me think of something Bonnie, of Bonnie & Clyde, might have worn.
To me, nothing says “Spring” more than these pastel printed dresses in breezy styles. The lingerie that must go with them, because of their sheerness, just adds to the package.
When I find one of these I really jump for joy! It’s just one thrill after another because, you just never know .. . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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THIS WAS A REALLY FUN FIND . . .
This dress is very intriguing to me.
I strongly suspect that this frock was custom tailored; very well done. Putting in all the lace edging is not easily accomplished by someone who is not a good seamstress..
The buttons are also very interesting. They are delicate, lacy and iridescent, though I feel sure that they are not made of mother of pearl. They seem to be a plastic of some kind – or possibly celluloid. The belt was made to have a slide-through buckle, which is missing. I have 2 or 3 that could replace it beautifully – another reason to collect these things when you can.
The material is a floral print and has a feel which makes me question exactly what it is made of. It doesn’t swing like the rayon dress shown yesterday, but it’s not a plain old cotton either. Hmmm . . . . …
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Here’s a little number to shake you up!
This dress is one of my Mata Hari outfits and came from a shop in, probably, British Hong Kong – maybe Taiwan or somewhere in China. It has a label with the shop’s name, but no further info. It is possibly custom-made, as so many of the dressmakers will do in those countries.
Because it is a classic oriental style and a heavy jacquard material, I am unable to date it really closely – also has none of the identifiers that clothing made in the U.S. often will.
In any case, I love Eastern styles and the beautiful silks that they are often made from. The older dresses are still found. Some, like this one, are made from a synthetic blend. Many contemporary dresses are still being made in the traditional styles, so you have to know how to identify the older ones, if that is what you are seeking. Kimonos…
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Put on a sweater or jacket and look pretty in this one, no matter how cold it is!
Another favorite, the 50s styles with nipped waists. Love ’em! – who doesn’t – they’ve remained a fashion favorite for many years and a style that keeps on repeating itself. The wide neckline is also a favorite – SO flattering. I call it a summer dress, but the cotton material is heavy, so it’s perfect to wear almost all year.
The skirt on this one has a bell shape, too – an unusual feature that is somewhat unique. This dress was custom-tailored and the construction is very unusual. I’ve never seen anything like it. Although it zips up the back, there is also an inner bodice that hooks together. This may have been the design of the woman who sewed it – in place of a bra(?)
Sometimes you’ll find a garment like this that is as interesting on the inside as it is on the outside. The tailoring details…
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Magicvintagespy 