Though newer than most of my collection, these chic vintage shoes by Pappagallo were too stylish and well-made to pass up. They are leather inside and out, with a Vibram sole (the BEST, next to leather). Absolutely LOVE the leather ruffle. Although I have seen the ruffle done in leather on older shoes, I have not seen it on any newer ones so far.
Mid-heel pumps and the taupe color will go practically anywhere with practically anything. any time of year. This is a great accessory to have in your wardrobe because of this versatility. The style also spans several decades. In other words, a classic.
Tres bonne. Que jolie!
Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
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This beauty is one of my favorites. I really had an OMG experience when I found it because alligator skins had been outlawed in North America for decades. If I did see a purse in a shop that sold vintage it would be very expensive but, I was able to buy this one “for a song”, and with a song in my heart!
It shows it’s age a bit, but is entitled to. I like to think of Mata Hari carrying it while on one of her undercover missions. Lined in leather, the maker’s stamp in gold tells that it was made in Panama. Love the interesting clasp.
True vintage alligator, crocodile, lizard and snake skin purses are good any time of year and with almost any outfit because they are a classic. I always use a good leather conditioning product on my collection at least once a year . That will help to keep the skins supple and prevent cracking and drying
What a history these older items have! I wonder about all the places that this one had been during it’s life in some fashionable woman’s wardrobe. Did she buy it in Panama or some other tropical locale? What was she doing there (and who was she with)? You just never know . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
It’s so frustrating not to be able to post a photo every day, but with traveling so much it’s difficult to take along enough pictures to cover the whole time that I’m away from my vintage closets. However, I never stop thinking about them and recently have been thinking more about ACCESSORIES.
Now that the heaviest coats are coming off and everyone is dreaming about spring outfits, more colors and lighter-weight clothing, accessories will show up and show off more, too. I think that women made more use of them in decades past than we do now, wearing hats, gloves and scarves with most ensembles and much more jewelry. Mens’ accessories also seemed to take more of a leading role than they do now, especially for day-to-day wear – remember the ever-present hat in the 1940s and ’50s.
Where do I begin? There are so many categories – handbags and purse accessories, wallets, luggage, belts, gloves, hats, headscarves, neck scarves, ties, handkerchiefs, watches and all types of jewelry and ornaments for clothing, bodies and hair, SHOES, slippers, stockings and tights, umbrellas and rain-gear, glasses and sunglasses – what else?. Any one of these items can make (or break) an ensemble all by itself. That’s why it’s so important and so much fun to collect well-selected items and investigate the ways to use them in your wardrobe. The creative variations are endless and deserve careful consideration, rather than just throwing things together.
I’ll be posting photos of my true vintage accessories in among the photos of clothing and sometimes will do a series of accessory photos to highlight a particular type. True vintage accessories are easy to find when you are looking in the right places and know what to look for. They tend to hide in obscure spots and sometimes in plain sight, often turning up when you least expect it. You just never know . . . . . .
Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
Facebook.com/magicvintagespy, Google+, Twitter & Pinterest
First off, I want to thank everyone who follows me here, on Facebook, Twitter and at Google+ for joining me and enjoying what I do. I really appreciate your comments, LIKES and Pinterest re-pins because it lets me know I’m helping and spreading the fun!
Although my blog is not made up of pages from my book, you can still learn a lot from it. If the photo some day doesn’t appeal to you as something you would wear, take the time to read about it anyway. I’ve been collecting true vintage since before I was out of high school, so you’ll see what the real deal looks like and get a description of what makes it unique, lovable and special. I also give ideas about how to wear things that may not have occurred to you before – really expands the possibilities for something that might have looked limited to you at first. All this helps you to think about what you would like to look for that will work for you and let you make your own personal fashion statement.
You’ll see lots of items that you won’t see anywhere else, because that’s one of the things so great about true vintage – most of it wasn’t mass-produced in a jillion copies of the same thing and a lot of it has gone by the way-side since its original time.
Although I’d have to say that I write mostly for people who don’t have a lot of experience at collecting true vintage and want to learn from my adventures, there’s something here for everyone from newbies to experts. I know that I enjoy posts by other experienced collectors, too. There’s always something new to see and you just never know . . . . .
Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
If you’ve been watching while I share my closet, you know that some of the items are astounding, some may not appeal to you, some might look better modeled by a person, rather than Madge or Stella (my mannequins – they work very hard), or that some could use a steaming or a press to look their best.
Keep in mind that I have loved true vintage clothing and accessories forever because of their special characteristics, and even the most humble item has some very unique qualities.
In decades past, consumers looked for excellent design, quality materials, fine workmanship, durability and value when they shopped and manufacturers produced goods to these standards. It was more important to have a few lovely, well made and dependable things that felt good to own than a couple dozen mediocre items that were economical but lacked real style and wouldn’t last. Today we seem to have settled for cheaper, flashier, disposable fashion with the result that everyone looks more or less the same (even those who are trying to be different) and few people are truly stylish or elegant.
That is why I have loved to collect and wear true vintage since I was in college and really enjoy sharing my passion. There is no comparison to the quality of materials used, the beautiful designs and superb workmanship in even very simple styles. The humblest garment is a champion of durability and has a certain cache’ that can’t be found elsewhere. Most everything you buy will be one-of-a-kind, at least for all practical purposes. You’re unlikely to see anyone else wearing your outfit and some were truly one-off when they were made.
When I post my photos, I’ll tell you about the lovable features of these pieces and share the magic and excitement of finding and wearing them. When you’re on the hunt for vintage fashion, amazing things are always just around the corner . . . . you just never know!
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
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