Category Archives: shopping

TRUE VINTAGE RED VELVETEEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Both of these garments were custom-tailored in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s.  Here’s the holiday dress from last year properly modeled on Stella, finally – just look at those wonderful rhinestone buttons and belt buckle.  Try finding those now!  I’d tend to wear it at Christmas, but it would be beautiful at a dressy Thanksgiving dinner, too.

The skirt is a new find, in a slightly deeper red, which I love.  Dresses are great, but I’m always happy to find separates because of their versatility.  Now I have something true vintage to wear with pretty blouses and sweaters.

Black is always superb, but I love red and these unusual finds just put me in the holiday spirit!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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BEAUTIFUL TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S WOVEN WHITE SUMMER HANDBAG

IMG_1725I’ve just found several lovely handbags and will show them to you over the next few days.  Remember, I promised that there will be several warm-weather items coming along with the more seasonal (for the northern hemisphere) kinds of things.

This one is a macrame’ type of weave (the kind of thing that women were really keen about doing at home in the 1970’s), but was done commercially, with not a mistake to be found and on a small scale.  Most home-made macrame’ (not all of it) is much larger so it’s wonderful to find a hand-made item in a small, elegant size and style.

The purse is fully-lined in white fabric, with a small inside pocket and the maker’s label inside, too.  This was the way that they made these bags in the Fifties and Sixties.  The outside is the important part, as the inside is almost always very plain.

Nothing looks nicer with a Spring or Summer frock, casual or dressed-up.  In every true vintage wardrobe, a small selection of white bags is a must!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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RABBIT FUR TOQUE HAT FROM THE SIXTIES

IMG_1722Here’s a fun find which is different from anything I own (so far). I’d put this on with my black wool sheath and some black leather boots!  It’s a perfect partner to the dress shown earlier today.

Can’t say who made it as the label has gone missing, but I suspect that it was a from women’s dress shoppe or a large department store when they used to have specialty departments for millinery, shoes and furs.  Ladies enjoyed buying a new hat  the same way we focus on shoes today.

As I always say, I never buy modern fur but enjoy the old, old ones while they last.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTGESPY

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TRUE VINTAGE END-OF-MOD WOOL SHEATH DRESS

IMG_1737The cut and design of this frock, as unremarkable as it looks (especially in this picture), told me immediately from when and what it was!  It’s a soft wool knit from the late 1960’s.

Beautiful fabric!  And, like the wool dress from a couple of days ago, no itch factor here.  Of course, I’ll still enjoy a gorgeous lingerie slip underneath on a cold, wintery day.  The crocheted trim breaks up the plain lines and the fit is lovely.

So glad that I’ve discovered so many  in-season items recently that are appropriate for this cold that most of us are experiencing now.  For those of you who are not, I’ve still got several summery finds coming up, too.

Later today, I’ll post a little rant about design with pictures  of the true vintage tailoring tools I recently found and how they’re a help to sewing and altering, if that’s something you like to do.  If not, it’s still good to know some of the things that make the difference between  real deal vintage and the copy-cat retro fashions.  Stay tuned . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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LONG-SLEEVED WESTERN-WEAR MEN’S SHIRT FROM THE 1960’S

IMG_1484I’ve been on such a roll finding women’s blouses and shirts these past two months; it’s nice to be able to show a men’s shirt now, and one that’s suitable for the weather.  Classic Western wear styling by a company that specialized in this kind of clothing.

In the western U.S., men wear these shirts and bolo ties to almost every kind of event.  If it’s dressy, the jacket, pants or the fabric will change but a Western shirt can always be a dress-up style.  That’s not quite so true for women, but a Western-style outfit will often be business attire for them, too.

With a well-made version, you can’t go wrong with at least one or two of these garments in your wardrobe.  Some of the true vintage women’s styles have beautiful embroidery, also.

I stay away from modern versions that aren’t so nice.  Some are decorated too much and have lost their classic elegance.  There’s only one way to be sure he’s a real cowboy . . . . . . .. ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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VINTAGE HANDMADE SOPHISTICATED LEATHER PUMPS WITH APPLIQUE’ DETAIL

IMG_1724These are some of the most beautiful shoes I’ve seen in a while.  I’ll be able to wear them year-round.  That’s a nice thing about this color . . . . . .

High-quality leather with leather design details and insoles, too  The soles are of Vibram and will last forever.

Although they were made in the Nineties, the craftsmanship is like many decades ago, done by hand.  It’s worth it to look up the Aurora company in New York.  If I ever need a custom job done . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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EIGHTIES DOES FORTIES DRESSY SILK DRESS – IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

IMG_1679This frock would do nicely for Thanksgiving dinner or a December celebration.  Properly displayed on Stella, you can see the 1940’s cut and tailoring.

Silk makes the drape perfect and the shoulder padding is just right – not too much or too little.  3/4 sleeves and a classic below-the-knee hem length will allow me to go anywhere with approval from ALL the family members.

It’s rare for me to pick up something this “new”, but when I have wardrobe needs, I’m happy to find a piece with well-done, classic retro style.  This dress is by Maggie London and is, technically, true vintage.

You’ve already seen my green velvet treasure finds – there’s more velvet and sparkle to come . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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TRUE VINTAGE MID-CENTURY SPRING HAT – SOPHISTICATED AND A LITTLE BIT MOD?

IMG_1750I could see Doris Day in this, about 1960, or a dressed-up Twiggy in 1965.   I suspect that the first guess is more accurate, but you can see some modern elements starting to show as fashion began saying good-bye to tradition.  Kind of between a toque and a pillbox style.

The fabric is more modern, too, with sparkly threads, but the construction is very traditional.  The color is fresh and definitely says Spring or even Easter.  It was a fun hat for women who still bowed to convention, at least on special occasions, but didn’t feel enslaved by it.

Perhaps it was a more mass-produced item, since there is no label from a small designer or specialty shop.  Probably it’s owner picked it up in a department store or women’s clothing chain store.  Specialty hat-makers were on the decline as demand for ladies’ hats began to fall even more than it already had.

Big things were happening in women’s world then . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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PRETTY IN THE BLUES: A TRUE VINTAGE COTTON HOUSE-DRESS FROM THE FIFTIES, WITH MORE TAILORING TRICKS

IMG_1754IMG_1749Another beautifully-soft cotton print day-time house dress with fun, plastic sculptured buttons.  This one wasn’t made with a belt, but I think I’ll add one. The most interesting thing about this frock is that, like yesterday’s, it tells another story. . . . . . . . .

I don’t know if the seamstress ran out of fabric when cutting her last piece, or whether this was a repair or alteration made later to widen the shoulders in back but these extra pieces of another material were put in very expertly.  When I see the patching and stitching and creative add-ons that mid-century seamstresses used to do at home, it really amazes me!

Little details like this make a find even better, as far as I’m concerned.  And, it’s in an unusual color palette – this kind of all-blue print is not common, so it’s a good addition to my wardrobe and more fun to wear.  Wow, I’m on a roll – love these!!!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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OUT-OF-SEASON TRUE VINTAGE FINDS – I’VE GOT SEVERAL!

file0001209214386-ebook-cover-1-1111121Yes, I’ve recently uncovered about half a dozen Spring and Summer items that didn’t slow me down a bit just because they are out-of-season right now, and I’ll be showing them to you over the next few days.  Who knows where I’ll be when it’s actually the time to be wearing them!

FINDER’S TIP:  DO YOU IGNORE OUT-OF-SEASON ITEMS WHEN YOU’RE ON THE HUNT?  TSK,TSK AND SHAME-SHAME!  YOU’LL NEVER BE A SUCCESSFUL SLEUTH IF YOU THINK THAT WAY.  “WHENEVER”, “WHEREVER”, “WHATEVER”  AND “HOWEVER” ARE SOME OF THE BEST GUIDING PRINCIPLES WHEN YOU’RE SCOUTING FOR CLUES . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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