The diva who owned these knew what she liked, in two colors. Sold by J.C.Penney’s back in the day; no well-dressed woman would be caught without her high heels.
These are sassy little numbers, aren’t they? Just right for the next cha-cha party. Highball anyone?
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Oh, I love these heavy nylon lounging robes from the Sixties! And, what better color? I’m in heaven.
The great things about these, after the fabulous fabric, is the easy zip-front styling and the gorgeous trim they often used. In this case, it’s beautiful embroidered ribbon with gold thread. Nothing says casual at-home elegance any better.
As you can see, these housecoats, when made as well as this one, can last forever and look just as beautiful every year. They’re also multiple-use garments – from covering up after a bath, to lounging at home to entertaining at a casual party.
Very festive – just right for the Holidays. Being an undercover artist requires impeccable timing . . . . . . . . . . . ..
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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A bit off-season, for sure, but who cares! This pretty frock has many hand-tailored details, though I suspect that it was commercially-made, in Fifties or very early Sixties.
I’m having so much fun! Who can resist a swingy, light-hearted dress like this? Cool and comfortable on the hottest days of summer. Great for leisure or work. There’s nothing like being cool as a cucumber even in the tightest situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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I love robes like this so much! The cool, heavy nylon and pretty embroidered ribbon trim is so stylish and luxurious. It just says “quality” all over, and it’s RED!!!!!
It’s an easy zip-up front. Modern ladies of the mid-late 1960’s loved wearing these for leisure and as hostess gowns. A little bit of at-home elegance . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Both of these garments were custom-tailored in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. Here’s the holiday dress from last year properly modeled on Stella, finally – just look at those wonderful rhinestone buttons and belt buckle. Try finding those now! I’d tend to wear it at Christmas, but it would be beautiful at a dressy Thanksgiving dinner, too.
The skirt is a new find, in a slightly deeper red, which I love. Dresses are great, but I’m always happy to find separates because of their versatility. Now I have something true vintage to wear with pretty blouses and sweaters.
Black is always superb, but I love red and these unusual finds just put me in the holiday spirit!
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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I’ve just found several lovely handbags and will show them to you over the next few days. Remember, I promised that there will be several warm-weather items coming along with the more seasonal (for the northern hemisphere) kinds of things.
This one is a macrame’ type of weave (the kind of thing that women were really keen about doing at home in the 1970’s), but was done commercially, with not a mistake to be found and on a small scale. Most home-made macrame’ (not all of it) is much larger so it’s wonderful to find a hand-made item in a small, elegant size and style.
The purse is fully-lined in white fabric, with a small inside pocket and the maker’s label inside, too. This was the way that they made these bags in the Fifties and Sixties. The outside is the important part, as the inside is almost always very plain.
Nothing looks nicer with a Spring or Summer frock, casual or dressed-up. In every true vintage wardrobe, a small selection of white bags is a must!
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Here’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
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The cut and design of this frock, as unremarkable as it looks (especially in this picture), told me immediately from when and what it was! It’s a soft wool knit from the late 1960’s.
Beautiful fabric! And, like the wool dress from a couple of days ago, no itch factor here. Of course, I’ll still enjoy a gorgeous lingerie slip underneath on a cold, wintery day. The crocheted trim breaks up the plain lines and the fit is lovely.
So glad that I’ve discovered so many in-season items recently that are appropriate for this cold that most of us are experiencing now. For those of you who are not, I’ve still got several summery finds coming up, too.
Later today, I’ll post a little rant about design with pictures of the true vintage tailoring tools I recently found and how they’re a help to sewing and altering, if that’s something you like to do. If not, it’s still good to know some of the things that make the difference between real deal vintage and the copy-cat retro fashions. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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I’ve been on such a roll finding women’s blouses and shirts these past two months; it’s nice to be able to show a men’s shirt now, and one that’s suitable for the weather. Classic Western wear styling by a company that specialized in this kind of clothing.In the western U.S., men wear these shirts and bolo ties to almost every kind of event. If it’s dressy, the jacket, pants or the fabric will change but a Western shirt can always be a dress-up style. That’s not quite so true for women, but a Western-style outfit will often be business attire for them, too.
With a well-made version, you can’t go wrong with at least one or two of these garments in your wardrobe. Some of the true vintage women’s styles have beautiful embroidery, also.
I stay away from modern versions that aren’t so nice. Some are decorated too much and have lost their classic elegance. There’s only one way to be sure he’s a real cowboy . . . . . . .. ..
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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SWEET SIXTEEN IN THE SIXTIES
I´d love to have Stella here now! This innocent, cotton-candy gown is just right for a petite figure like hers – made to fit a teen-age girl like Buddy Holly´s Peggy Sue, but about 10 years later. Lace and bows and sheer pastels, plus an ankle-length hem – all the things that used to be standard for a Prom dress back in the day.
It´s just so iconic of that time – in between some of the sophistication that was coming out in the late Fifties and very early Sixties, and before the Mod fashions hit hard. Less elegant or frilly, a little more casual, but VERY sweet and girly.
We´re so lucky that many women of the Sixties and before tended to hang on to their favorite ¨special¨ dresses for decades, preserving them for fashion archivists and those of us who adore true vintage today! The best treasure is usually buried pretty deep . . . . . . . . . ..
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Magicvintagespy 