Category Archives: Eighties

TRUE VINTAGE 1980’S (?) NEW WAVE TIGER PRINT SHIRT JACKET BY ABS

TRUE VINTAGE (?) 1980'S (?) TIGER PRINT SHIRT JACKET BY ABS

NEW WAVE 1980’S SHIRT JACKET

This shirt/jacket is an unusual one for me to include in my collection – is it true vitage or not?  The A B S clothing company was started in 1982, so it might be 30 years old and animal prints were iconic at that time (again!).  If it was made in 1982 or 1983, I’d be willing to call it true vintage and I’ll explain why.

Animal prints have been a significant fashion trend at one time in the 1940’s, mid/late 1950’s, late 1960’s and again in the New Wave early 1980’s, as far as I know.  They show up at other times, too, but were a bigger deal in the fashion world at these specific times.

When I saw this item, I immediately thought of the early ’80’s and was also impressed with the quality of the garment.  I have since learned that the A B S company is known for making better-quality clothing than most of what we find now.  This shirt was also made in the U.S.A., which is unusual (if not unheard of) in modern clothing.

The deciding factors for me were the quality construction – 1. the fabric is heavy, with a nice hand (feel).  2. The pattern is really well-matched at the seams, so that it isn’t broken up across the garment (an important tell-tale sign of high quality).  3. The buttons are very nice black plastic faceted to look like jet beads.  4 .The shirt/jacket has french cuffs with button cuff-links (which, fortunately, were not missing!)  Overall, it is a garment of significantly better quality than most.  My size – excellent condition.

So, I have included it and described my thinking that justified buying it.  Sometimes you can’t be absolutely sure and some knowledge and skills to make smart decisions come in handy.  This is a time when price can be the final deciding factor, as well as how much you love it.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

1940’S SLEEVE TREATMENTS – WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1940’S POUFY SLEEVES – ALMOST EDWARDIAN
1980’S DOES 1940’S PIRATE SLEEVES AND TRUE VINTAGE FORTIES LADY

This post was inspired by the fabulous Theodora Brack and her post of a few weeks ago on the blog, Paris: People, Places and Bling.  Shirt sleeve styles are, again. doing some very interesting things with pleats, gathers and puffs.  Here are a few from my  own true vintage collection which show how these styles cycle through the decades.

Pictured here are 1930’s and 1940’s blouses excepting, in photos #1 and #3, the right-hand and left-hand examples are retro Forties, which were made in the early 1980’s. Cotton, silk, rayon and poly.  Kimono, pirate, Western-inspired and prissy designs all had their day in the 1940’s and have wound their way up and down runways every decade or two since then.  Of course, some decades were known for their beautiful craftsmanship, gorgeous fabrics and special tailoring details so these aspects will always be showcased in true vintage garments from those times.

Modern blouses which follow these style trends will not be nearly as beautiful or as well-made but, I love my finds.  Thanks for the opportunity to put them in the spotlight again.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

 

TRUE VINTAGE BRAND DOES THE ” ’80’S DOES ’40’S ” THING

ANOTHER RECENT FIND! TRUE VINTAGE BRAND DOES THE

Imagine my surprise (this is always SO much fun!) – I came across a true vintage label, Lady Carol, but in one of their 1980’s incarnations, before the company was sold for good.   I have one of their 1950’s/early 1960’s frocks, which I love, but had never run across any of their later items before.  Classic ’40’s style, but with ’80’s fabric and tailoring – they got in on the retro trend of that decade.

There are several old companies that are still in business, but they are just “modern” manufacturers now making modern styles in a modern way – I don’t pay attention to what they are doing.  In this case, a true vintage dress by a true vintage maker (now gone) doing a specific true vintage fashion trend (Forties retro) was worth picking up.

It’s a bit too big for Madge (and moi), but in a style that is easy to alter.  Just another example of the truth that when you’re on a sleuthing mission, you just never know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE NEW WAVE 1980’S RETRO 1940’S JUMPSUIT

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More fun!  I like some of the corduroy 1970’s jumpsuits, but the 1980’s version is much more over-the-top and, of course, has BIG shoulder pads in BRIGHT electric colors.  New Wave fashions have a real in-your-face quality that, I think, is more appealing than the 1990’s Dallas glitz was.  After that, everything REALLY went down the tubes . . . . . . . .

So, while we’re away from the best mid-century fashion, might as well take advantage of how much girls just wanna have fun.  Although the best of these jumpsuits are not a dime a dozen, when I find a good one I’ll grab it.  This one was made by a California company, to that adds to it’s pedigree . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

MORE DRESSES! 4: 1980’S NEW WAVE RETRO POST-WAR LEOPARD BELTED CAP SLEEVE SHEATH

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Nothing says New Wave ’80’s like leopard print and shoulder pads!  Love this slinky beauty – what fun to wear!  This is one of my favorite styles.

If you can’t have the true 1940’s, it’s the next-best thing.  Stay tuned for the next best thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

1980’S HILO HATTIE HAWAIIAN SHIFT DRESS – I BOUGHT THIS FOR THE PEDIGREE AND THE FABRIC

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Nothing special about this dress, excepting that this maker is a respected label when it comes to more recently-made Hawaiian vintage.  However, the fabric is really nice – a rayon with a good hand, lovely colors and a great print.  Since it’s too big for me, I think I’ll be making some curtains for my bathroom with it!

There are lots of reasons to love true vintage clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

ANOTHER TRUE VINTAGE MEN’S CLASSIC – MID-CENTURY WESTERN-WEAR COWBOY HAT FROM A DENVER, CO STORE

ANOTHER TRUE VINTAGE MEN'S CLASSIC - WESTERN-WEAR COWBOY HAT FROM A DENVER, CO STORE

Wool felt with leather interior and exterior hatbands – it’s a quality item that was sold by a western-wear dealer in Denver, Colorado.  This one could be several decades old or just a couple – that’s how durable and stylish true vintage apparel is!

When it’s taken care of, it lasts and lasts and never goes out of fashion.

What could be better than that? Tomorrow we’ll see . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

NEW ACQUISITION – CLASSIC TRUE VINTAGE RETRO 1940’S SHIRT DRESS FROM THE 1980’S

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Made in the U.S. by The American Shirt Dress company, this is not an unusual find – I come across these dresses now and again.   They are faithfully-made to the basic design of true vintage shirt dresses from the wartime and post-war days, so they are not a bad buy, but the tailoring is not anything to write home about.  The reason I picked this one up is because of the fabric.

Although it’s a cotton/poly blend, the finish is marled and glossy like many fabrics in the Forties and early Fifties were.  It’s fun to see what can be done with standard materials when a specialized weave or finish is applied.  This gives it an extra ‘elan which most retro fashions don’t have.

So, I’ll enjoy running around in this one on an everyday basis – just like my female relatives from generations back used to do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

1980’S DOES 1940’S RETRO FINDS IN BLACK & WHITE

It’s hard to imagine that true vintage garments (over 30 years old) could also be retro, but it’s true from the 1970’s onward when clothing makers started to reproduce 1940’s and 1950’s styles for the general market.  That’s just about when the superb tailoring of the mid-century and before came to an end, so many of these items are not very nice.  But, there are sill well-made examples worth picking up from the Seventies – Eighties time.

In this case, a coat dress and tuxedo-style jacket caught my eye.  No labels remaining, but the shoulder pads and cut make the fit flattering.  Both are fully-lined and elegantly styled.  There will be times when they will come in handy or be fun to wear.

I don’t purchase these often, but, when you know what you’re seeing it’s sometimes a good buy that will be easy to say good-bye to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

JUST FOUND – NEW WAVE DOES FORTIES DAY DRESS

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A very fun side-zip-waist poly/synthetic frock that was home-sewn – much of it by hand – in the styling of wartime and postwar day dresses  This is a retro re-make from maybe the Sixties up to the Retro years with a ’60’s – early ’70’s Talon zipper.

Love the art print fabric.  If not for various signs, I might have taken it for 80 years old. Anyway, it’s a great find with lots of evidence for it’s story.  With a nice black belt cinched at the waist and some ’40’s – ’50’s pumps, I’ll enjoy it!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM