THE REAL REASONS WHY I LOVE TRUE VINTAGE

Got up early this morning to watch some inspirational videos on YouTube and just be in the magical world for a while – and I started thinking again about what it is that really attracts me to clothing and accessories that were designed, made and worn decades ago.  I always talk about quality and workmanship and elegant design that set true vintage apart from almost everything that is sold today, but what’s deeper underneath those things?  As Rhonda Byrne explains in her second book, The Power, it is LOVE.

Love is not just what we usually think it is (hearts and flowers, sex, even kind acts and caring for others) – it is passion and joy and desire and inspiration and happiness and  excitement and value and conviction and ideals and what everything that is most important in your life means to you.

 When these vintage items were designed, made, sold and worn, they were elegant and beautiful visions in the minds of designers, pride and self-reliance in the people  who manufactured the materials needed or actually put them together with their own hands, and the hopes and dreams of the women and men who bought and wore them because each purchase was a special event.  Their clothing was well cared for, loved and kept for many years, like the memories that were attached to them.  Each piece is like a classic film that has a big story behind the making of it and tells a big story just by being what it is.  

What’s not to love about that?!   Maybe I should get up at 3 a.m. more often. . . . . . . .

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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TRUE VINTAGE 1960s COCKTAIL PARTY DRESS BY CAROL CRAIG

TRUE VINTAGE 1960s COCKTAIL PARTY DRESS BY CAROL CRAIG.

FINDERS’ TIP:

Here’s a little tip that can save you lots of time and frustration .  It may seem like common sense, but it really helps .

Things are changing fast these days and vintage dealers sometimes change their addresses, merchandise, or names all of a sudden.  Sometimes they give up a physical address and become internet-only or vice versa.  I have experienced the frustration of searching for a store and finding that it didn’t exist as my information said it should.  That can throw a kink into your day!

When you can and, especially when you are far from home or pressed for time, call ahead or check on-line to get the current details. Do this no matter where you got the info – been there before, someone told you or you read it in a publication or a book like mine. You can even have a conversation with them about what you’re looking for.  No matter what, you will always come away with more information.

But, don’t give up your adventurous spirit if you can’t make contact.  Go anyway because many of the best places are off the radar and when you’re on a mission, you just never know . . . . . . .

TRUE VINTAGE 1950s “KORET OF CALIFORNIA” LIGHTWEIGHT CASUAL JACKET FOR SPRING

1950s "KORET OF CALIFORNIA" LIGHTWEIGHT CASUAL JACKET FOR SPRING.

1950s “KORET OF CALIFORNIA” LIGHTWEIGHT CASUAL JACKET FOR SPRING

True vintage nipped-waist jacket with big shell buttons and a fabulous fit. Love it. This is a hopsacking-type rayon blend material loosely woven. When I saw it I grabbed it up because all the vintage hallmarks were there in the materials, workmanship and the label. Yes, Koret is still manufacturing clothing, but I have not seen a modern label which reads Koret of California. And, of course, it looks like a vintage label.

Even though I found this in recent years, I was still not highly experienced – I wasn’t quite the magicvintagespy yet. After I got it home, I almost gave it away because of issues which I hadn’t thought of and made it less wearable for me. I’m glad that I didn’t give in, because I figured out how to solve them all. A frustrating problem for me when I finally had more time to do vintage-hunting was that I often ended up with some things that didn’t suit after all and I didn’t know what to do.

Now that is not an issue. i can address almost any problem that used to make me think I was at a dead end. When I’m shopping, I’m really good at knowing when to leave something behind that I might have picked up before and regretted. And, so many things that I might have given to a thrift shop, sadly, I can now make a part of my wardrobe after all! I find a lot more than I used to, as well.

It’s been worth every minute. Although sleuthing for vintage has always been a lot of fun for me, now the excitement is through the roof! My intention is to be contagious – I really want to spread the fun!! It’s so energizing to wonder – what will I find today? You just never know . . . . . . .

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
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A FINDER’S TIP

Serendipitously (a word I love and wonderful experiences I love even more!), I just found a dress with a label name I’d been trying to remember to include in the list I posted a few days ago.  Magic always happens.

The label is R&K Originals.  They have made really nice ladies’ clothing for decades, and they still are!  How do you tell the difference between more modern items and one that is true vintage, especially if you are not an expert at spotting it? The label is always red and gray, embroidered on white.  Before about 1980, there is a small-print line below the company name that says “FOR THE GIRL WHO KNOWS CLOTHES”.  Isn’t that precious?!

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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A COLLECTION OF TRUE VINTAGE HANDBAGS FROM THE 1960s

A COLLECTION OF TRUE VINTAGE HANDBAGS FROM THE 1960s.

TRUE VINTAGE SHORT BLACK GABARDINE JACKET FROM THE 1940’S.

TRUE VINTAGE SHORT BLACK GABARDINE JACKET FROM THE 1940S..

A PARTIAL LIST OF THE TRUE VINTAGE LABELS THAT I FIND

It’s true that many of the true vintage (pre-1980s)  items that I discover don’t have labels.  Sometimes the label is missing or has been removed and or these items have been custom-made.  Sometimes a commercially-made item never had a label.  It’s the quality of the materials, the workmanship and design which are the most important to me but it’s always fun to find maker’s names that I know.

There are times when I don’t recognize a name and it may be difficult to find reference to it on-line.  Other times, the brand is well-known and those are the ones I’ll list below.  Although some of these brands are still in production, their vintage products are different and better, generally, than what they make now.

Naturalizer and Air-Step (shoes and purses)

Bobbie Brooks (sportswear)

Red Cross (shoes)

Princess Gardner (leather wallets)

Carol Craig (dressy dresses)

Frank Starr (dressier dresses)

Lanz (women’s clothing)

Stetson (hats – mostly men’s)

Fashionbuilt (coats)

Trifari (jewelry)

Koret (women’s clothing)

Coro (jewelry)

Sarah Coventry (jewelry)

Napier (jewelry)

Hudson Bay (car coats)

Gunne Sax (dresses)

Swirl (casual dresses)

Jantzen (sportswear, swimsuits)

Deliso Debs (women’s dressy shoes)

Morris Moscowitz (handbags)

Ande’ (purses)

Barbizon (lingerie & sleepwear)

Vanity Fair (lingerie & sleepwear)

RayBan (sunglasses)

Nellie Don (dresses)

Marshall Field (department store brand – Chicago)

Stix Baer & Fuller (department store brand, midwest)

Sax Fifth Avenue (high end store brand – Chicago)

Monet (jewelry)

Bulova (fine watches)

Keds (tennis shoes)

Skips (tennis shoes – Montgomery Ward brand?)

Carol Brent (Montgomery Ward brand)

White Stag (sportswear)

Ship ‘n Shore (blouses)

     There are well-known names that I can’t think of right now, and many others. Always a pleasure to uncover one, and it’s always a delightful surprise!  You just never know . . . . .

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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TRUE VINTAGE HANDBAG, 1950s TO EARLY 1960s WITH A TAPESTRY FRONT IN SPRING COLORS

TRUE VINTAGE HANDBAG, 1950s TO EARLY 1960s WITH A TAPESTRY FRONT IN SPRING COLORS

This beautiful bag was hanging on a rack with other very ordinary modern purses. I don’t think that the store personnel had a clue, but the magicvintagespy never fails to spot one . . . . . . .

Although it is faux leather and not top-of-the-line with no maker’s name inside, I love the pretty tapestry cover on the front. It is very well-made, as are most purses of that era, whether high-end or mid-priced. The colors are subtle and chic for Spring (or any season). It would be especially pretty with the season’s neutral colors like ivory, beige, or gray, as well as any solid color in the tapestry. It’s always great fun to find an unusual bag like this one.

My finds don’t always follow the weather, but I try to post photos of things that we would wear currently in North America. I know that doesn’t jibe for many of you joining in from some places in Europe, South America, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. Maybe the way the weather is changing, that’s not true after all!

Keep in touch and stay tuned because, you just never know . . . . . . . .

Morgana Martin, the Magicvintagespy
Blog: Magicvintagespy.com
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Book: How to Find the Best in Vintage Fashion available on Amazon.com