Category Archives: traditional

JUST FOUND – A PERFECT 1980’S DOES 1940’S DAY DRESS

Great “true vintage retro” find! It’s just a perfect go-to-town classic shirtwaist dress for 3 seasons. Elegant in its simplicity. Liz Roberts for Liz Petites was a better mid-priced brand in the Eighties. The dress is well-made and styled. The polyester fabric is a good imitation of the synthetics used in the Forties. I love the knife pleats in the midi skirt.and, of course, modest shoulder pads that are retro-correct but also make the silhouette better on many of us. The print is almost atomic, too, with irregular black shards instead of polka dots. The original belt is missing but, depending on height (I still have to decide), there’s probably excess in the hem that could cover a matching one. You can see that there is an older-style hem allowance – sweet!

So that’s it for my most recent investigation. Tomorrow we’ll return to the mid-century cocktail dress run-down. Stay tuned . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

A PROPER BLACK TEA OR COCKTAIL DRESS FROM THE POST-WWII ERA

Frilled up a little by the lace inset at the neckline and lace trimming at the hem, this dress would have been accepted at any semi-formal gathering, cocktails or not. Although it’s a little bit “secretary, librarian, school teacher” in it’s modesty, the cap sleeves, peek-a-boo neckline and nipped waistline are a bit flirty. The ever-present black crepe fabric gives it the figure-skimming drape. Elegant, even though it wasn’t the most expensive frock.

Back when dresses were always the expected attire for any gathering that was professional or vaguely formal, this dress was an easy, comfortable design to meet the need. Styles were loosening up a little, though structure was still important and tailoring very elevated. In the 1950’s things changed hugely in Western society and, of course, in fashion. I’ll be investigating during the next few days but we’ll continue the cocktail fashion timeline 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

TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S DRESSY FROCK – ANOTHER FINELY HAND -TAILORED GARMENT FROM BRITISH HONG KONG

This dress is such a treat! I was so thrilled to uncover it. Look at the marvelous tailoring details and ingenious construction – A basic sheath style, with a heavily-decorated blouson top that appears to be separate, but is attached at the shoulders and fully-lined with a white silk under-blouse. Both layers close with a metal zipper. Hooks and eyes secure the neckline for good fit. The shoulders have strap-holders sewn in. The acetate skirt is also lined with black rayon and has a wide hem allowance plus a walking vent in the rear seam. Hand-finished all over.

In the ’50’s and 1960’s a woman of moderate means could save for the occasional purchase of clothing made this way and more prosperous women had closets full of nothing else. These were the standards of better-made garments during the mid-century. Now even very expensive clothing is sometimes constructed poorly and hardly ever as well as this dress is. The attention to detail and hand-done stitching made clothing fit better look more polished.

Tomorrow I’ll show you another frock from this decade. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

START OF A SERIES: TRUE VINTAGE PIECES FOR COOL, DRESSY EVENINGS

We’re now heading into the season for indoor parties, special occasions and events after the long, lovely summer; Cocktail parties, dinners, dances, recitals, holiday galas – you name it. I’ll be starting a series of posts of pretty, dressy and semi-formal garments in my collection from the 1950’s – 1990’s which will take us into the Fall and even Winter. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

JUST FOUND! A BEAUTIFUL TRUE VINTAGE ACCESSORY IN CLASSIC TOOLED LEATHER

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I always LOVE discovering these gorgeous handmade leather accessories from the mid-century. As they become rarer, it’s a huge thrill to uncover one by surprise! In this case, the wallet is so classic and early mid-century that I love the design. An added bonus is the near-perfect condition. A small amount of common greenish corrosion can be seen on the metal snap closing the coin pocket but it works perfectly. I will remove the corrosion with a bit of vinegar. Other signs of light use are very minor – looks like it was cared for lovingly.

Let’s start the evaluation with the exterior, which has a traditional rosebush motif. This is an early pattern, seen on some of the older items I’ve found. It’s amazing to find the leather lacing around the edges unbroken and in such pristine condition. On the inside, I adore the additional features such as sleeves for a drivers license and other cards, receipts, etc. This billfold was probably made for a man in spite of the rose design, likely before the time of common credit cards, but has such an unusual addition of the coin purse inside; Multi-tasking before the modern era of man-purses and other pocket accessories. However, the bi-color interior is also an unexpected feature to see in an older men’s accessory. Who knows the sex of the original owner? I always love a mystery!!

This beauty will have a gentle massage with leather lotion to extend it’s lifetime even more. Back at Headquarters, I’ll look in the files to see which of my tooled leather purses may need an additional accessory – I always try to match the finishes and designs, if possible. If there’s no good match, this billfold can stand on its own, with spaces for all money-related items (excepting a checkbook).

So, two surprise discoveries in my brief investigation two days ago and both of them unusual and wonderful! See my other find in yesterday’s post. You just never know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

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 LATE 1950’S – MID-1960’S DRESSES

Late Fifties saw slinky knit sheath dresses that carried over the new, easy-care synthetics from the 1940’s. The prints morphed slowly from geometric, atomic shapes back to cute animals, fruits and veggies. This fabric is amazingly comfortable and drapes beautifully but was economical. Common, moderately-priced frocks were made from it.

Just a few years later, lace overlay became the big thing. Dressy day-dresses were often made from it, as well as semi-formal and formal gowns. These were also generally made from synthetic or blended fabrics but probably required dry-cleaning. Better frocks often came from British Hong Kong, where the design and hand-made tailoring made them exceptionally elegant and of higher quality. These dresses were still within the reach of middle-income ladies but were more expensive. See the black dressy sheath with a beaded over-blouse above. The straight black high-neck sheath came from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Then, again from the Brits, came Mary Quant’s Tent Dress in 1964. Although the Mod style had started in the 1950’s, it’s appearance in clothing was totally revolutionary. It brought with it radically shorter hemlines and easy-to-wear, casual shapes. See the light blue, home-sewn version above.

Some styles retained their classic, conservative lines and stuck to neutral or basic tones while bright colors became ever more popular, even in formal garments. While political and social movements became radicalized and changed society, the Hippie, Boho and Prairie styles started to take over in the late 1960’s and carried over into the early 1970’s. Tomorrow we’ll look at some of the ways that popular fashion incorporated these trends into mainstream dressing. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE ASSORTMENT OF 1940’S TO 1950’S SEPARATES, LEISURE GARMENTS AND JEWELRY

Starting off with ladies’ uniforms for popular leisure and volunteer activities – women’s bowling and the Girl Scouts. Here are a team member’s uniform and a Scout leader’s. Many mid-century women took part in these activities during their spare time to enjoy and contribute to their communities.

Travel became a big part of 1950’s family life. What could be easier in order to take an “exotic” vacation than to go to Mexico or the new State of Hawaii? These were popular destinations and many women returned with a hand-painted skirt or traditional printed shirts like the ones above.

With the restoration of access to fine fabrics and sewing notions beautiful blouses were manufactured for retail again. Costume jewelry was abundant again. I love this accordion-style stretch bracelet design. So ingenious and convenient. One size fits all and no links or fasteners to break. This one’s perfect for celebrating U.S. 250th anniversary of independence from oppressive British rule. It was a time of hope and vision.

Despite surface appearances, today is the same. Let’s look forward that way. Tomorrow we’ll step into the 1960’s, also a decade of revolution and change. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM