Tag Archives: novelty sweater

NEW FIND FOR THE GUYS – 1950’S LAKELAND WISCONSIN SWEATER & SUEDE JACKET!

IMG_3460

I’m over-the-moon with this one!!  Last year I found a wonderful sweater made like this, with soft, fine suede – but this one is a full jacket WITH A ZIP-OUT PILE LINING! – and braided leather buttons.  Just LOVE the quality and style of jackets made between 1940 and 1960.  What a fabulous mid-century vibe.

It was another magic moment for the Magicvintagespy because this coat is in virtually perfect condition.  Just like stepping into a Happy Days episode or going Back to the Future. What fun!  More to come . . . . . . . stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

ANOTHER RARE FIND – MEN’S MID-CENTURY LEISURE CARDIGAN SWEATER IN WOOL AND SUEDE LEATHER

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Fabulous condition, too!  It needs a button, but I can do that.  I may even have a matching one in my stash.  So fun to find one of these in great shape.

This type of sweater was such a common and vital part of a man’s wardrobe before 1965. After that, styles changed and these weren’t seen as often.  The classic golf sweater carried on the design, but is of a completely different genre.

College boys, Dad and Grandpa used to sport around in these cardigans during Happy Days and Mad Men times.  Sometimes they’d be worn with a casual shirt and tie.  Great- and great-great granddads had their versions, too.  I don’t find one very often but, when you’re sleuthing, you just never know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THOSE WINTER SWEATERS – MORE MID-CENTURY NEEDLEWORK PATTERNS FROM MCCALLS

IMG_1024 IMG_1020“My gosh – look at the time!   It’s coming up Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and I must think about winter sweaters – many of them may be Christmas gifts.”   Our grandmothers were likely saying things like this to themselves right about now, if they hadn’t been knitting since last July!

Such cute and sophisticated handmade beauties – no comparison to what’s in the stores (especially now).  Even if your family didn’t take an annual ski-trip to Vail, Colorado or the Swiss Alps, sweaters like these were popular wardrobe items.

If you love old movies and sit-coms, like I do, you’ll see plenty of them along with “stretch pants” and stirrup pants for everyday as well as being ski-wear.  If you can do this kind of needlework, Bravo!   I just have to keep my antennae alert for the real thing . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

EARLY 1960’S FUN AND GAMES – WHAT A DIFFERENT LIFE OUR GRANDMOTHERS LED!

IMG_1039IMG_1040These McCalls magazine needlework ads would make you think that our grandmas’ lives were all about simple fun in the kitchen and scheming to get their husbands to give in to their wishes.

That’s the stereotype, isn’t it?  I wonder how much of that is true?  Don’t think I want to go back there, but the sweater is gorgeous!

Hand-knits from that era are really special, sweet and innocent styles . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME! 1950’S/1960’S SWEATERS THAT MOM & GRANDMA WERE BUSY KNITTING . . . . .

IMG_1007IMG_1014IMG_1011IMG_1008IMG_1009IMG_1012IMG_1013IMG_1018

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  I don’t know how many of you had mothers or grandmas who made most of your wardrobe, all year long – BUT, it was not at all unusual back in the day.   And, aren’t these cute and good-looking!    I’ll bet no one else would have had one like it.

These kinds of needlework magazines with patterns were really popular and there used to be little knitting shops around that sold all the necessary supplies.   When I was cleaning out some of the OLD family stuff recently, I found a lot of knitting needles of every size and configuration you can imagine.   I couldn’t begin to understand how they were used . . . . .

In these old magazines that were given to me, I’ve seen ads for knitting machines, too – something small that you could set up and use at home.   Although I can’t imagine devoting the time it would take to make these garments really well, they are SO beautiful that it seems it was well worth it.

I’d love to hear about your own family stories . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S CO-ED NOVELTY SWEATER BY CAMPUS CASUALS OF CALIFORNIA

Source: TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S CO-ED NOVELTY SWEATER BY CAMPUS CASUALS OF CALIFORNIA

TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S CO-ED SWEATER BY CAMPUS CASUALS OF CALIFORNIA

Source: TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S CO-ED SWEATER BY CAMPUS CASUALS OF CALIFORNIA

TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S CO-ED NOVELTY SWEATER BY CAMPUS CASUALS OF CALIFORNIA

IMG_1670I just love this Sixties Mod sweater now that Fall is on the horizon.  In acrylic with fun fringes all over, bateau neckline and 3/4 sleeves. It’s got an open weave underneath, so it’s not as hot to wear as it looks. Just right for transitional weather.  The colors are, too – sort of a summer-sunshine-fall-leaves combination.

The Campus Casuals label may still be in existence but this item is the real deal from about 50 years ago – the last of my recent group of garments from friend Rosalie’s family.  I can just see Goldie Hawn wearing it on a Laugh-In re-run or in a Mad Men episode.

This was during the time when clothing was becoming more easy-care.  Acrylics rather than wool and machine-washable.  Of course, I’d still wash this by hand or put it into a sweater bag in the machine.

It’s unusual to come across true vintage knitwear in fabulous condition, so whenever you do it’s a treasure.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

A FUN SOUVENIR SWEATER FROM LAS VEGAS – 1960’S – 1970’S.

A FUN SOUVENIR SWEATER FROM LAS VEGAS – 1960'S – 1970'S..

A FUN TRUE VINTAGE SOUVENIR SWEATER FROM 1960’S LAS VEGAS

A FUN SOUVENIR SWEATER FROM LAS VEGAS - 1960'S - 1970'S.

Someone was tempted to remember their mid-century trip-of-a-lifetime to Las Vegas with a splashy embroidered sweater, before the time of T-shirts being worn every day and taking over as souvenirs of our vacations. Same idea, different era.  What happened in Vegas didn’t always stay there.

The most fun fashions have usually fallen somewhere along the spectrum of bad taste, and this one is no exception – how could you not love it?!  Like almost all souvenir items, it’s not of exceptional quality – but it still has lasted 50 years in good condition.  You won’t find anything exactly like it now.

Knit of acrylic yarn, for purely casual wear – our adventurous gambler maybe wore it to her weekly card games or just to advertise her trip to an “exotic” destination. Going to Vegas used to be a much bigger deal than it is today.  After all, it was Mafia territory, full of high rollers and shady ladies.  Some things never change  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BOOK:  HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM