Tag Archives: accessories

20 YEARS BEFORE NEW WAVE, ELECTRIC BLUE STILETTO HEELS FROM THE EARLY 1960’S

Slightly more extreme silhouette, I’d say that these heels are a few years younger than the pink shoes from yesterday. The metallic blue color is very Las Vegas. They look like patent leather and you might expect that because of their age but I believe that they are some type of synthetic. The brand name was probably printed on the insole but has worn away so completely that I can’t depend on it to help me out. Soles are also a synthetic. Very durable, but not a mark of higher quality. These babies were definitely mid-priced but good to go for a long time.

They’re not as tiny as yesterday’s pink pumps and I can wear them! Great find because I have a sateen semi-formal cocktail dress in the same blue color from the same era. That’s one of the most fun things about sleuthing investigations – finding the clues that fit together. Solves the mystery for that outfit! Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

PRETTY LITTLE PINK PUMPS

Maybe Peggy Sue wore these to the Prom. Entirely possible – Life Stride brand shoes were mid-priced and available at shoe stores in town centers where everybody shopped in mid-century America. A very popular brand; they often sold purses to match the shoes. This was a big deal for women in the 1950’s and early 1960’s and tons of them were sold. Looks like the company, in some form, is still operating. If you shop Walmart, take a look there but I doubt you’ll find anything nearly as wonderful as these, and certainly not with the history . . .. . . . .

Let me know if you have any Life Stride stories. I’d love to have them for the archives and stay tuned.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

Another True Vintage Accessory – Fabulous Spanish-made Boots

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These beauties were made in 1979! Wow, do I ever love them!! Soft, supple glove leather with leather soles and heels. All the beautiful workmanship that was expected in European-made footwear. Shoes from Spain and Italy, especially. Not sure if that’s true now, but it certainly was up to a couple of decades ago. Still have the original everything and they’re going strong!

Oldies really are the best goodies! And, on top of that, they don’t contribute to animal cruelty or inhumanity in the marketplace today. True vintage purchases, especially from a reputable charity shop or individual (do your research) is VEGAN and responsible. That can go for anything made of leather, skins or fur several decades ago. We can appreciate and get service from these vintage items without doing any harm to life or the environment today. That’s how to enjoy the best of the best. Stay tuned . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

A FEW TRUE VINTAGE PURSE ACCESSORIES FROM THE 1950’S TO ADD TO FALL HANDBAGS

A FEW TRUE VINTAGE PURSE ACCESSORIES FROM THE 1950’S TO ADD TO FALL HANDBAGS

A FEW TRUE VINTAGE PURSE ACCESSORIES FROM THE 1950’S TO ADD TO FALL HANDBAGS

A FEW TRUE VINTAGE PURSE ACCESSORIES FROM THE 1950'S

Yes, September often means it’s time to switch out some of the Summer wardrobe for warmer clothing.  Traditionally, it was also the time to put away anything white, including accessories.  That means I’m looking over my collection of true vintage handbags and selecting a couple that coordinate well with my Autumn fashion choices.  Not only does that mean switching out a matching wallet, but other handy purse accessories from back in the day can be included.  What savvy dame would forget to equip her handbag with smart and handy accessories?  Here are just a few.

It’s so fun to look back into our mothers’ and grandmothers’ handbags to see what they used to carry on a daily basis.  These are just a smattering of the interesting items I’ve seen.  Mirrors, combs and tiny brushes, lipstick cases, foldable rain hats, key cases and key-rings all came in different sizes, styles and designs.  An emery board and an orange stick were usually tucked in somewhere.  Smokers also had special accessories – cases, lighters and interesting matchbooks.  Little pillboxes were very decorative and pretty.  I’ve got a few of those.

Above we see two note pads (with attached pen or pencil), a manicure set, sewing kit, mirror set (with normal and magnifying glasses), and an attractive case for a comb.

The intelligent and fashionable woman is always well-prepared when stepping out, no matter what her mission may be.  Efficiency and style – that’s my motto . … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

VINTAGE/RETRO-STYLE EYEGLASSES BY GENTLE MONSTER

This brand is a new one on me, but the style is so 1960’s that I had to pick them up and was pleased to learn more about them. Although I’ve seen only a few other modern frames with nosepieces, the look is always good and these are quite close to the true vintage style.

Another great thing to learn was that they are very well-made, in Korea (so no surprise). Good value! This company was founded in Korea in 2011 and makes lots of neat designs. The particular model is called Planet Blu. My research into Gentle Monster products turned up photos of some that are very similar, but not exactly the same. My best guess is that they were made about 5 – 10 years ago. Not true vintage by any standard, but the high quality retro chic makes them worth mentioning.

Gentle Monster makes a variety of ready-to-wear glasses for sun protection, reading and blue light blocking but the frames can apparently be purchased without lenses for your own prescription. This pair probably has prescription lenses which are absolutely in perfect condition but, unfortunately, aren’t suitable for me. So, the decision to keep or not is up in the air, but they’re still a worthy find and good to share. Very unexpected, but you just never know . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

Ooooh, FUN! ANOTHER ’60’S FIND

Although I have discovered several of these iconic soft handbags from the 1960’s and early 1970’s, this one is probably the nicest I’ve ever found. As often happens, I was just shopping for some everyday items when this beauty came into view. You just never know, though this powerful Summer Solstice surely didn’t hurt the good vibes today. Happy First Day Of Summer.

Why is this such a wonderful true vintage example? One, it’s in absolutely pristine condition. I doubt it was ever used. Second, I love the style. The bag is mid-sized so it’s roomy without being awkward. The tortoiseshell Lucite handles are cleverly shaped so that they snap closed at the top. It’s easy to carry in hand or over your arm. The full lining has a brown paisley pattern and the loose-weave “hopsacking” cover fabric is sturdy enough to last. These are materials that are very identified with the 1960’s.

Two unusual features really caught my eye: Unlike many purses in this style, this bag has a rigid base that gives it form and stability and makes items inside easier to find. The final touch is just a hoot! Remember all the mid-century purses that had little coin purses attached to the inside by a cord or chain? This bag has a chain with a clear vinyl envelope containing a plastic rain hat! Take my word for it – mid-century women almost always had one of these rain hats in their purses. They were often given away by businesses like key chains and pens still are. It was always a lurking fear in the backs of the minds of my grandmother’s generation that a sudden rain shower might catch them when they had their hairdo “just so”! Cute!!

Another sweet and oh-so-Sixties characteristic of this handbag is that I suspect it was homemade from a kit. Purse kits of this type were popular then, just like other needlework projects, and there is no brand label inside. All of the pieces and instructions would have been supplied. The maker did an excellent job.

So, another useful accessory for my closet. The navy blue color is perfect for my wardrobe and I’ll love it for years!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

EARLY 1950’S HOME-CRAFTED ACCESSORIES FOR THE NEW CASUAL LOOK. FINGERTIPS TO TOE . . .

Big decorated tote bags! These are often associated with the 1960’s, but the trend started long before. Whimsical, cute, pretty; whatever your fancy. Big skirts of hand-woven material; how Boho of you! This called for home-made colorful ankle-wrap sandals, designed to match your outfits – a bit of throw-back to 1940’s styles.

As always in mid-century magazines, the pages are also filled with special-interest advertisements and mail-order offers. Women were constantly encouraged to go into home-based business selling accessories and home-assembled items which they could start with a kit by mail or correspondence course – early front-runners to today’s online marketing.

While time and culture kept marching forward, we can continue to see the reluctance to give up previous ways of being and doing things. Just like today, there were big leaps forward that surprised everyone alternating with slow-grinding incremental change that almost seemed like no change at all. However, also like today, it was accelerating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

LOTS OF RESOURCE MATERIAL FROM THE ARCHIVED FILES – REMEMBER THE 1940’S SWEATER DRESSES I’VE POSTED?

You know me – I can’t stay out of the files. Just opened up a box with many mid-century needlework and craft magazines gifted to me by an elderly friend several years ago. As I reviewed the images, I came across several which show styles similar to some of mine that I’ve recently posted. The examples in my blogs have been from the 1940’s and these two are from the early 1950’s.

Both of the garments pictured above are made from needlework patterns in women’s magazines that many subscribed to. Most women still were not working outside the home. The new image of a suburban homemaker with a new house, many modern appliances and a luxurious life of ease had taken hold in the popular media. Therefore, it was believed that she had plenty of time to concentrate on crafts for pleasure or profit. It’s true that many, many women were knitting, crocheting, sewing and making their own clothing, hats, purses and jewelry during their spare hours if their partners had steady employment. But, of course, most of this was a dream machine.

However, lots of neat stuff from that era is out there and was made at home. Unfortunately, most needlework projects didn’t survive. This is especially true of dresses and coats, which got the most wear. Some of them were absolutely beautiful and I will be showing more pictures. Two-piece ensembles were especially popular right around 1952 – 1959 and into the early 1960’s.

I’m sure to keep on finding these magazine pages that will dovetail with recent posts and fill in the gaps between finds, so stay tuned to the airwaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

A TRUE VINTAGE COSTUME BRACELET FOR BETTY BOOP AND ONE FOR BETTE DAVIS

Latest jewelry finds! Love it – the one at the top was a dime-store purchase or maybe even from a mail-order kit to make at home. (These kinds of craft kits were heavily marketed to homemakers in the mid-century but that’s another story – maybe coming up) Anyway, it was something to put on on your way to the soda fountain or the races but absolutely just for some rockabilly fun.

You can see that the adhesive was unevenly applied and has yellowed over the years. The “stones” are plastic and the bracelet itself is probably made of pot metal. However, it’s exactly the thing that a modern teenage gal might have worn in 1955. It won’t go in the vault but too cute to pass up. And, don’t knock the 5 & 10! Women LOVED the dime-stores back in the Fifties when there was some stability again after the war and lots of goods became available. You could get almost anything there – like our Dollar Stores today.

At the bottom, here’s a different animal. No, not quite “Bette Davis” – it’s completely faux – but sophisticated and pretty, as well as being nicely made. Any time a bracelet or necklace has a safety chain it indicates a certain level of quality in the piece. Definitely worthy of her date for the Prom, or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM