Category Archives: Thirties

Oops – HERE’S ANOTHER 1930’S PARTY FROCK!

Several elements here from the decade between the two World Wars. Drapey rayon fabric, geometric beading decoration a la’ art deco and a dropped waist/peplum effect, a la; the 1920’s and the early 1940’s. The length also doesn’t know exactly where and when it is – looks pretty short on a tall gal like Stella but would be midi-length on a woman of short stature, or even medium height at that time when average height was shorter than it is today.

As “upscale” as this looks, it was apparently a massed-produced design. That makes it a little easier to understand why the styling was as confused as the times. Marketing always follows social trends. Think about it; we were still recovering from WW1, Prohibition was effecting the economy and the culture, The Depression was strangling almost everybody, war was fomenting in Europe and it was looking like WW2 might happen any day.

Yes, it’s a pretty and fun dress but the historical and cultural overtones are even more fascinating. Just another day in the life of a true vintage sleuth. We ARE going to cross the Post-war border between the 1940’s and the 1950’s by early next week. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

THE PERFECT TRUE VINTAGE COAT OVER 1930’S LBDs

The standard and traditional mid-century classic: a wool coat with fur collar and oversize buttons. Perfect and elegant in black. Wartime in Europe hadn’t yet impacted women’s fashion with rationing, but the economic Depression was being felt by almost everyone. Though the fur collar is not fine, the owner of this coat was a lucky lady.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

THE “LBD” FROM THE 1920’S AND 1930’S

These two are certainly not designs by Coco Chanel, who came up with the Little Black Dress in 1926, but they still might have been seen at a cocktail party. They’re both oh-so-proper in spite of the loosening restrictions on women’s dress that were happening after the Edwardian 1910’s. The dress on the left, from the Thirties, is not terribly interesting to me but the bodice has those Deco-style pleats in the sheer lace panel that elevate the whole design. It was so amazing to discover it with the original floral ornament in front.

The midi-tea length lace dress from the 1920’s is pretty and would be very swishy over a rayon slip worn underneath. It was discovered in an antique wardrobe at a farm sale. The dropped waist is iconic. This frock was meant for a dressy special occasion rather than a night dancing the Charleston in a speakeasy.

How amazing it was discovering these pieces in such wonderful condition after almost 100 years! Most textile clues don’t last as well over so many decades but there are more to come . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

JUST FOUND: MID-CENTURY MEN’S(?) LEATHER KEY CASE ACCESSORY

Practically “new”; just a little corrosion on the metal parts. I couldn’t pass this up since it is an iconic true vintage personal item. This fine accessory is an example of a key case style that had been made for decades and decades, mostly before the 1970’s. Always in leather, and with a simple fold-over design and with these little metal hooks that can hold old-style car keys, house keys, post office box key, storage box key, office key, etc,, etc. I’ve seen many of them, and they’re always a good clue – especially if the keys are still present. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The design is meant to lie flat when the keys are tucked inside, so best for a pocket only. That’s why I have always guessed that it’s mostly a men’s accessory. When other types of more modern and prettier key-rings were not available, though, one of these could tuck securely into a lady’s handbag and they do allow the owner to carry all their important keys in one tidy place. Many of them, like this one, contained a card on which the owner could write their name and address in case the keys were lost. Often, people ignored these and they were still left tucked inside.

It’s another example of the elegant and high-quality items that our ancestors owned and used almost every day. I just never know what might turn up. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

MORE WONDERFUL TRUE VINTAGE 1940’S SPRING DAY DRESSES AND ACCESSORIES

Some of my very favorite frocks. Wonderful rayon and blended synthetics. Pretty cotton. One sheer, the others opaque and drapey. Don’t you love these prints? Atomic, abstract and floral – big wartime and post-war favorites. Here, also, are some of the handbags, scarves and pumps that might have been worn with them.

Iconic styles, rationing-compliant and “modern” plastic alternatives to leather and wool. Silk and silky synthetic scarves were constant purse accessories. A few items carry over from the 1930’s – a few point toward popular styles as we go into the 1950’s. Since we’ve had such a long, cold winter, tomorrow I will show a few of the coats and outdoor accessories which might have accompanied 1940’s dresses outside the home. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

1940’s WAR-SHOCK DRESSES & WARTIME FASHION TRENDS

Before 9-11 it was hard for young U.S. Americans to understand the shock and fear that the attack on Pearl Harbor caused in December 1941. The government’s decision to join WWII, which had been happening in Europe and seemed remote to most everyday folks in the U.S., suddenly brought it close to home. The news and the movies began to open the doors on Asian culture and the curiosity of Americans and popular culture started to make this theme trendy. These dresses are from some of my most interesting investigations.

From the 1940’s on, Cheongsam dresses like the lavender one above gained popularity. Mata Hari and Charlie Chan became cultural figures in the media. The beauty and flattering fit of Chinese and Japanese traditional frocks brought interest in Chinatown areas of many cities and non-Asian women began to shop there. Above, see also a Japanese tea dress – fabulous find dating from the 1930’s, made in Hawaii. The purple native traditional gown from Hawaii also found a home in some American woman’s closet after people began traveling again.

But, before that time, women stayed at home. They worried about their family members and friends who were fighting in or living in war zones. They joined the war effort in whatever way they could through their work, volunteerism and spending habits. Of course, some kind of escape was necessary to maintain their sanity. That’s where the movies and dancing filled a void. Whether homemade or found at retail, dancing and cocktails required special dresses and women were very creative despite the restrictions caused by rationing.

Synthetic fabrics were most available and affordable, so this red jacquard frock with puffed sleeves and an elasticized neckline which allowed cold shoulders was home-sewn. A similar style in black was local couture from a specialty shop in Texas and has ruched 3/4 sleeves and shows off the luxury of velvet piping decoration. The pink knitted and crocheted 2-piece cocktail dress was another unusual find which somehow found it’s way to Argentina. It’s made of a heavy, glossy/shiny yarn that allowed some gal to make a glamorous outfit on the cheap.

So fascinating! Such a fun bunch of clues these are. The delight is in the details. More tomorrow – stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE WWII LADIES’ BLOUSE AND TOP TRENDS

These blouses and sweater all came from the war years spanning the late 1930’s to the very early 1950’s. The first blouse is a women’s-wear version of the Western-wear trend. Perfect for square-dancing. Gingham and sculpted plastic buttons were popular. This example might have been home-sewn by a skilled seamstress.

Cashmere cardigan sweaters also were seen worn as blouses, sometimes with the buttons in back if it were a plain knit. This trend was especially popular among co-eds. A beautifully-decorated one like that above would have been front-facing, of course. Pringle of Scotland was a known brand and higher-end.

Before and after rationing, lace and other embellishments on tops and dresses were very popular. Tailored styles were also made, but lots of the designs before and after the war were quite fussy with many details.

Tomorrow I’ll show my newest discoveries. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

1940’s Western-wear Fashion Trend, Inspired by the Movies

Cowboy movies, which actually began a decade or so before the 1940’s, gained popularity and caused a major fashion movement in the Forties and Fifties. This beautiful men’s shirt, which belonged to a family member, is one of the favorite pieces I’ve ever seen. The colors are vibrant and who doesn’t love red and turquoise together? Look at the detail! There are even small pockets tucked under the yoke piping in front. Some of these were custom-tailored.

Cowboy hats also became very popular. This one is a well-preserved woven straw but wool felt hats by Stetson, in particular, were the most often seen. Bolo ties, made of leather with silver slides and aiguillettes replaced fabric neckties in Western-wear dress-up.

I have a pair of 1940’s women’s high-waist wool slacks with wide fabric belt loops finished with pearlized snaps. What a rare find! Don’t have a picture of them handy, but take my word that some of the Western fad did cross over into women’s-wear. I’ve got a cowboy-style shirt with floral embroidery and a fringed leather jacket from this era. This mother-of-pearl brooch is an example and, of course, silver and turquoise jewelry made by Native Americans was the real deal. I also have many examples of that, some that were owned by family members, too.

Naturally, the popularity of Western-wear has not decreased over the decades. Although there is a niche market for the very authentic and work-oriented designs, the style shows up in retail fashion all the time. A very pronounced trend really hit in the early 1950’s – that was Southwestern-style cotton dresses, most of which were 2-piece, and heavily decorated with colorful ric-rac and ribbon. Some Native American women wore these and they were heavily marketed for tourists in the southwestern states. 1940’s versions had 3/4 length skinny sleeves with metal zippers to the elbow. Later, short-sleeved versions and even cap-sleeve style dresses showed up in the genre. I’ve shown many of these in past blog posts. Add to that soft leather ankle-length boots and beaded moccasins. So glad that my family alive during the ’30’s – ’50’s enjoyed traveling to the the Southwest and did so many times!

Very fun, collectable and wearable. Tomorrow I’ll be showing women’s blouses & tops from this era. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE 1940’S BETTER DAY-DRESSES AND ACCESSORIES

I had planned to show more dresses this morning, but my computer suddenly won’t upload more pictures. So, we’ll stick with these beautiful frocks today. The one above is from the Post-war period, I would guess, though some longer hems were also present before WWII started.

A lovely nylon slip like the one above might have been worn with it.

The mid-blue dress is made from a stiffer fabric and is from earlier in the decade. Cute and more girlish, but both are special – dressier daywear.

Mid-century costume jewelry pins and brooches like the ones in this picture, especially those on the left side, might have been worn with dresses like this and a dark navy handbag like the one above is a nicer 1940’s style with a fabric body and strap.

This final black frock is probably meant for cocktails, dinner or evening, though very tailored. It comes from the early Forties or perhaps the Thirties, with it’s Deco-style decoration with metal studs.

So, this is a little wardrobe trip from the pre-war and, possibly, the post-war 1940’s. Some of the costume pins also span the decades from late Thirties to early Fifties. Tomorrow I’m sticking with the same era, but focusing on more casual styles. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

SPECIAL WARTIME AND POST-WAR STYLES FROM THE 1940’S

Classic designs made subtle changes over the decade which reflect the evolution of style and the social and historical events taking place at that time. Party dresses for special occasions have always been a “thing”. Skirt suits from Utility-style in the mid-’40’s to embellished designs were more like couture garments in the Post-war years. A matching hat was always essential.

High-school Prom tradition is about 100 years old now. The popularity of skirt suits for women began about the same time. Since about 2000, traditional styles in both these categories have shifted in major ways, so the focus on these types of garments in my investigations has gone from around 1920 through the 1990’s, with the spotlight on 1930’s – 1980’s. The Forties through the Sixties have been my favorite decades for classic structured suits, as they were more like two-piece dresses before and after and very trendy in design. Good luck finding a true vintage suit or Prom dress from the 1920’s or even the ’30’s but after 1940 the clues are still out there.

Although there were some very nice styles from the 1920’s and 1930’s, the prettiest suits and formal dresses, in my opinion, came from the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Lots of attention to detail, flattering fit and high quality. In decades after that, frocks were not as interesting and suits were generally more boring, too. Tomorrow I’m going back to late 1930’s – 1940’s for dresses with one or two ’80’s WWII retro styles thrown in. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM