BEAUTIFUL HAND-CRAFTED VINTAGE ACCESSORIES WERE ELEGANT AND CHERISHED ADDITIONS TO OUR GRANDMOTHERS’ WARDROBES
To change gears a bit today, here’s an example of a beautiful handcrafted item. It’s an evening purse made of black velvet and satin with metallic embroidery all over, front and back.
It was probably made in Hong Kong or Europe and took someone a long time to do by hand. These sorts of items were much more available back in the day. I suppose that you can still get them now, but only overseas or in very specialized shops.
Handiwork of this kind and exquisite workmanship used to be seen in fashion items that middle-income women could afford to buy, at least once in a while. Although it was generally done overseas, many of the major department stores sold it in their better departments. It’s difficult to find now. The hand-crafted items that are sold today generally can’t compare in terms of their quality.
Keep your eyes open for…
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Another favorite find – I just love surprises!
This one was hiding in an out-of-the-way spot. You just never know!
It’s a lovely dress in unusual colors. The blue is not a common one, and flattering only to just the right skin and hair tone. The interesting part is the top.
Like many dresses made at that time, a rayon-type under-layer with a lace overlay dresses it up. Sometimes they’re in the same color, and sometimes contrasting, as in this case.
Here, we have a medium lavender color under the blue. Quite uncommon. I love finding these quirky things! The two layers in the skirt have the same contrast, but the chiffon on top is heavy enough that very little of the lavender comes through. Perhaps just enough to draw a little attention when the wearer moves.
And, the under-layer is a taffeta, so it swishes. . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
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Traditional, classic lines keep coming back, decade after decade.
I guess it’s just the high neckline. Lots of dresses from the early ’70’s (except the hippy/prairie/boho styles that were popular then) have a very innocent, girlish look about them. Have you seen the Prom dresses from that time? Watch the movie Footloose.
This one is unremarkable in its tailoring, but it was just that ’70’s cache’ that made me bring it home. I must admit, it is a very classic style and can be done beautifully if it’s with quality materials and exceptional workmanship. But this one just takes us on a daydream journey back 40 years.
It’s fun to watch old movies from that time (or That ’70s Show, I guess), just to see how awful some of the clothing was. Uh, oh – I’m going to get myself into some big trouble here.
But seriously, the dance scene from Footloose is a good tutorial on ’70’s Prom dresses…
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This will always be a favorite . . . . . .
This one was a FABulous surprise find! I always have my eyes open and my antennae up, but this blew me away!
A sheer layer over plain liner, and fitted drop-waist hourglass shape – the colors are for Fall but work beautifully in Spring and Summer for someone with the right coloring. It reminds me of a dress that Grace Kelly wore in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Rear Window. Just a fabulous film – highly recommended.
The style is a bit different and the colors are, too. The cris-cross neckline is something not usually seen. I love it – it’s so fun to find unusual items.
Watch that old movie if you can. It’s a great one and the clothing is wonderful. I have at least one other dress that was, in fact, modeled on one of the frocks that Grace wore in Rear Window. I’ll show it later on…
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Magicvintagespy 