Tag Archives: 1960s

I’M OFF TO OLD CHINATOWN

Finding this dress was a real sleuthing success!  I’d been hunting for a vintage silk Cheongsam  style in my size for years, then uncovered this one at a teeny, teeny price.  The original color was a yellowy beige and there were several brown stains and a little rip near the hem.  But –

The Magicvintagespy knows what to do.  So, I mixed a couple of dye colors that I had leftover from another job and expected to have a soft, neutral brown.  Instead, I got this WONDERFUL lavender/bronze color!  LOVE IT!!!  The stains are history and the hem needed raising anyway et voila’.

The moral :  Put out the vibes and never give up.  KNOW YOUR STUFF, and the perfect find will materialize in your wardrobe.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF AT-HOME JACKET – EMBROIDERED, FROM THE FAR EAST

This is such a beautiful thing – I wish it weren’t  too big for me.  But oh, well, I love it all the same.  Not way old, because it’s poly satin, but the embroidery is to die for and it’s not completely colorfast so may not be too modern.  I’m not always sure about the construction and fabric qualities of garments made overseas.

Anyway, what a gorgeous item to wear around the house and, also, out.  I have a fantastic  embroidered red silk jacket from China that I often wear with black pants when dressing up is the thing.  Looks ab fab.

Tomorrow I’ll show a very recent discovery of the same genre, but older and more the style of Mata Hari.  Something I’d been searching for for a long time . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

MID-CENTURY BLOUSE FINDS. I’M ALWAYS THRILLED BY THEM!

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These are all great,  but I always love peasant blouses and Sixties cotton blouses.  The true ones are becoming more and more rare and are so fun to encounter.  They are always a go-to for me in the summer.

Nothing could have been more iconic in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.  Some of the little-white-blouses had embroidery on them, too, but not big and bold like the peasant variety.  Although popular back to the Forties, these examples come from the Sixties and, maybe, early Seventies.

Yes, another trio to find closet room and happy wearing come next May . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

PRETTY NYLON GOWNS FROM THE 1950’S TO EARLY 1960’S – SOMETHING I ALWAYS LOVE TO FIND

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So pretty and feminine, so slinky and comfy.  Mid-century lingerie sleepwear just can’t be beat for quality and style.  Wearing it always makes me feel like I’m in a film noir or an early 1960’s sit-com.

The details on older lingerie are so beautiful and artfully-made, much of it truly by hand even on commercial gowns and robes.  We’re so lucky that these items can still be discovered, with a little persistence and discrimination.  With care, they’ll last you the rest of your life and that’s a long time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

ANOTHER “NEW” – 1960’S HOUSECOAT WRAPPER

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I always pick up these old cotton or cotton blend housecoats when I find them.  Although there are similar ones being made now, the older ones tend to have the best quality and most interesting styling and decoration.

Such fun to know these little differences that make a big impact on your satisfaction when you wear them!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

SO UNUSUAL – 1960’S VELVETEEN MINI MATERNITY DRESS!

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What a surprise to come across this custom-tailored frock.  It’s got many clues that told me of it’s age and how it came to be, but the styling was the real delight.  SO unusual to discover a maternity dress or a “tent dress” from the mid-1960’s.

Tent dresses were all the rage for a while during the Mad Mod Sixties.  Fortunately, the style didn’t hang around too long.  But, what could be more perfect as a maternity design?  This one is meant for fall and winter partying in heavy velveteen.  I have to say, it is cute on Stella.

After discovering a treasure like this, I wondered what could be next and it didn’t take long to find out.  Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

FABULOUS UNUSUAL FIND! MID-1960’S VELVETEEN MATERNITY TENT DRESS

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Wowee!  Someone custom-tailored this cute mini-dress that falls from above the bust-line and is a really flattering shape for someone whose waistline has temporarily disappeared.  It also could have been a “tent” style, which was all the rage about that time.  In any case, it’s perfect for Fall no matter how or why she wore it!

All kinds of “new” stuff, including a wonderful hairdo for Stella.  She’s psyched!  So am I.  We’ll be spreading a lot of rockabilly vibes and more.  Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE GINGHAM HOUSE – DRESS FROM 1961, WITH PRETTY VINTAGE LACE

IMG_1490 IMG_1491True vintage house-dresses are some of my favorite finds because they are always so cute, easy to wear all year long and each one has different details to discover.  Gingham fabric is always top of the list.  It’s fun to find so many different colors besides the wonderful, classic red/white and blue/white combos!

The most outstanding feature of this dress is the lace around the collar – it’s just different from anything that is made now.

I really love 100% cotton fabric in blouses and dresses like this, but often find that even the older ones are a cotton-poly blend.   Clothing makers were creative with blended and synthetic fabrics in the Forties when some of the usual materials were diverted for use in making things for the WWII effort.  In the Fifties they began concentrating on making fabrics easy-care – less or no ironing needed and easier to wash – but I still find wonderful 100% cottons, too.

So, we’ve benefited and lost from these changes in the marketplace over the past few decades.  There’s nothing like the true vintage fabrics, no matter what type they are, but I love the innovations that made improvements in them, too.  Each decade has it’s own wonderful fabrics!

It’s been so much fun to learn all these things from my experience in the field – always looking forward to the next investigation . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

JUST FOUND!! A BEAUTIFUL TRUE VINTAGE LOUNGE DRESS FOR SUMMER – PATIO PARTY, HERE I COME . . . . .

IMG_1481Despite the gradually-cooling temps, I’m ready for the BBQ – maybe not the volleyball or badminton game.  This gown was custom-tailored of a beautiful fabric (look at those colors to die for!)  Though synthetics are often not the most desirable material, that’s one thing that most have going for them – the way they take and hang on to colors.

Probably polyester, but it’s got an uncommon finish that feels almost like moleskin and a nice drape.  This is a perfect outfit for the iconic American entertaining genre – the Patio Party, inaugurated in the early 1960’s along with the basement party room with built-in bar.  Pretty soon, the days of the chic living-room cocktail party were over – replaced by the Cha-Cha party downstairs and the Patio Party & cook-out in the back yard.

Save those LBD’s for dinner dates.  It’s easier to do the Twist and the Limbo in shorts, capris or a long, loose skirt, not to mention a bikini – but I’m not exactly sure where the Pool Party got started.  Probably Hollywood, or Miami, or . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

MID – CENTURY TRUE VINTAGE ELEGANCE: WHAT REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

IMG_1400IMG_1403In these few photos IMG_1404from an early – 1960’s needlework magazine, the styles are very plain and, in some cases, they are so generic that they’re very boring!  BUT, every woman pictured looks smart, elegant, fashionable and attractive.

Obviously, it’s not mostly about their clothing.  Sure, they’re all slim and attractive people but that’s not the main thing, either.  Take away the good fit and quality of what they are wearing (super-important as a base for everything else) and what is left that REALLY does it?

It’s their grooming, posture and ACCESSORIES.  None of those ensembles would look half as good without the accessorizing touches – imagine each of them without the necklace, bracelet, gloves or handsome handbag.  Makes a big difference, doesn’t it?

So, as much as I love fabulous true vintage style and details I also know that I can easily stand out in a room dressed in a plain ’50’s skirt and sweater, or even a pair of jeans with a great true vintage shirt.  Our grandmothers understood that perfectly.  And today, it’s VERY easy NOT to stand out . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM