Category Archives: toque

UPSCALE TRUE VINTAGE 3-SEASON FAUX FUR HAT. SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE ABOUT THIS!

About the last thing I expected to encounter! There I was, looking for some chains for crystal pendants I’ve been buying and a dangle for the end of my 1960’s chain belt (which I found, by the way) and what was propped on a nearby hat-stand?; a quasi-luxe faux beaver fur hat, made in Italy for the iconic Simpson’s department store chain of Canada, which finally phased out in 1991!! More about that a bit later. First, the hat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Boy, do I miss my models who are having time free at Headquarters. They would do a much better job of showing this off, but you can get the essentials from these photos. Looking almost like new, with just a little storage crush. This baby is at least 35 years old and could be more like 60. The rayon-like liner is pristine, with the original label. Classic Russian toque style with a slim fabric hatband for best fit. It’s very flattering and super-practical – will fill an empty niche in my hat collection perfectly!

And, what a pedigree! Made in Italy, to their high standards of that time (some makers still seem to have them). Simpsons Department stores were historic vendors, started in 1872!!! They were in stiff competition with the Eaton’s chain and evidently tried to upscale their merchandise for a winning position. All the Eatons stores finally closed in 1999, so these two were head to head for well over 100 years. The first Simpsons store was in Toronto, Ontario, and could be compared to the iconic Marshall Field of Chicago in terms of the elegance of the store itself and its merchandise. Like Field’s, they also did the elaborate Christmas windows that families would travel far just to see. 80 years later, they teamed up with Sears, Roebuck & Co., becoming Simpson Sears. Like Sears in the U.S., they also offered a catalog service. In another 24 years, the Simpsons element was purchased by the Hudson’s Bay Company and the store name became The Bay in 1991. In the Northeast U.S. and Canada, all three of these names were very well-known and depended upon for high quality and fashionable merchandise. In the States, we could compare Eaton’s, Simpsons and The Bay to Marshall Field’s, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue, to name a few. You can see why I’m so thrilled with this true vintage find!

So, as I always say: You just never know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stay tuned. I am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE 1950’S – 1960’S DESIGNER AND HIGH-QUALITY ACCESSORIES

Now that we’ve reached the Spring Equinox, let’s start off with a Calvin Klein Easter hat in Spring pastels. A continuous flat tube of fabric is woven into a toque shape, overlaid with netting. A Mod-ern take on a traditional style. A lucky woman could look like an ice cream cone.

Some dressier handbags continued to be made of traditional tapestry-design fabric. Both of these above are small, one with a rigid leather-covered handle,, leather trim and metal feet on a covered metal frame. The other is a soft bag with a decorative closure and snake chain handle, sold with it’s own protective cover.

Classic pumps for everyday evolved in the early – mid 1960’s to mid-heel height with a slightly rounded toe but stilettos were still more popular than chunky heels – a necessary Rockabilly accessory. A pair of white pumps was an essential part of Spring – Summer wardrobes, even though pastels to match outfits and classic neutrals, beige, gray, navy, black and brown, still held their places. Miss Wonderful was a fun, mid-priced brand.

This has been a fun review of some of the files since December. Guests have arrived and international travel is looming. Daily transmissions over this airwave will be suspended, though periodic bulletins may continue. Archived posts in the public domain will remain available. Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S TRENDS IN DRESSES, HOUSEDRESSES & ACCESSORIES – TO THE START OF MOD

Casual cotton and cotton blend housedresses and model’s coats became really popular as styles started to become less traditional. Some of these dresses would even be seen at the grocery store or for other casual errands in warm weather. The shirtwaist dress was still around, of course, but was starting to take a back seat for everyday. The culotte mini/play-dress was also a new take on the 1940’s/’50’s romper. Casual designs like those shown above were still very well-made, generally, and had cute and pretty prints and tailoring elements.

Dresses with little matching jackets became very popular for everyday wear when a step up the dressy scale was called for – an important appointment, special event or church. The shoes, purses and hats are examples of those which might have been worn with dresses like this. The blue & green example above was home-sewn in the color combo that defined popular design in 1963. The prints on the two blue dresses in center are a harbinger of the MOD trend that was just about to erupt.

Stay tuned for a trip to the mid-1960’s tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE FUR HAT BONANZA – A TOQUE IN CURLY LAMB

This was another one worth nabbing, because though I have similar curly lamb hats in black and marled grey, I didn’t have a luscious chocolate brown like this one.

It’s got a beautiful, architectural design that makes me think of the 1940’s.  It’s true vintage but is so classic that I can’t date it exactly.  Again, in near-perfect condition.

Curly lamb seems to be one of the furs that is easiest to replicate in imitation form, so go for it if you can’t find a real one made in the 1960’s or before.  Leave anything modern on the racks or, preferably, on the animals’ backs.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

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

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

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

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM