Hanger by hanger, moving on through my closet, a true vintage atomic print skirt in a lightweight cotton, so it really moves. That’s an advantage of the circle cut, especially for dancing.
Nothing could be nicer on a hot summer day or any other time from Spring to Fall, with the right additions. The top shown with it is a nice faux linen thing but is not true vintage. I paired them because of the color match, which can be tricky with aqua.
It’s blue, green and black with little satellite-looking things on a white background. Side metal zipper and button closure, with a built-in side-seam pocket for convenience.
Embroidered label says “Nelly de Grab New York”.
This is one of the few items which I have found on the Internet. Online is not my first choice for shopping, because I love my feet-on-the-ground investigating, but it is certainly a…
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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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A PERFECT HANDBAG FOR SPRING, SUMMER, FALL . . . . . . .
Another of my favorite things is vintage hand-tooled leather (in purses and belts, etc.). I have a ton of these, too. This one is a special example because of its unusual design.
The motif here is trillium flowers. They grow in the northern U.S., parts of Europe (I think – is that right?) and are a symbol in Canada. They are a beautiful white flower that blooms in the forest.
This purse came from Canada and, I’m sure, was made there. It doesn’t even seem to have been used. Is it true vintage? That I can’t tell you. Some people are still quite skilled at doing this as a hobby.
Most commonly, at least here in the U.S., we see true vintage handbags with traditional motifs that were popular on Western-wear – even saddles and such. Many are floral, but not like this.
Some tooled leather purses from Mexico made…
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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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Love sweaters and knits? Our grandmothers wore them year-round! Here’s a beautiful example . . . . . .
These types of sweaters/capes/ponchos were popular in the ’60’s and a lot of women knitted them themselves. This one is made by the Banff company, which produced a lot of really nice knits. I have a beaded sweater, knit dresses and suits by them, too.
The greatest feature, to me, is the armholes that allow you to have hands free. Any cape with this design is wonderful because it raises the convenience level big time!
Another nice thing is the button front. Also convenient. The fringe is lovely and the acrylic yarn also great because it washes so nicely and gives warmth but doesn’t have the weight and care issues of most wool items.
Sweet little sweater things, whether cardigans, pull-overs, jackets & coats, dresses and skirts,etc. were really popular in the ’60’s and early ’70’s and are very different from the things made now.
I love finding these beautiful…
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Love it, love it, love it! What a cute little day dress in charcoal, with white machine embroidery all over and white accents. With the decorative pockets and a couple of pleats in front, she’d be stepping out in style.
The belt-keepers are also charcoal, so I put a black belt on just for display. However, I think that a white tie belt similar to the neck tie would look sweet. A matching belt could always be made from extra fabric in the hem, if that works, too. We’ll see.
So, late 1950’s or very early 1960’s for this one – just right for a movie date on Saturday afternoon or a little shopping trip. Take a close-up look at the embroidery. It’s really special. . . . . . .
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