
Beautiful tangerine-red heavy knit coat,fully lined. this one has dyed-to-match sculpted plastic buttons. Very well-made.

Beautiful tangerine-red heavy knit coat,fully lined. this one has dyed-to-match sculpted plastic buttons. Very well-made.

This little cutie is not by a famous maker, but it’s got nice tailoring and style details. Look at the contrasting facing, the welts at the shoulders and the little false cuffs.
All-weather coats were really popular 40 or 50 years ago. Almost everyone had them for in-between seasons and just in case.
You can’t go wrong with a classic style like a trench-coat or a practically neutral color like light blue. I prefer black myself, or beige for day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Morgana Martin, the Magicvintagespy
Blog: Magicvintagespy.com
Google+, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest
Book: How to Find the Best in Vintage Fashion
This dress is one of my Mata Hari outfits and came from a shop in, probably, British Hong Kong – maybe Taiwan or somewhere in China. It has a label with the shop’s name, but no further info. It is possibly custom-made, as so many of the dressmakers will do in those countries.
Because it is a classic oriental style and a heavy jacquard material, I am unable to date it really closely – also has none of the identifiers that clothing made in the U.S. often will.
In any case, I love Eastern styles and the beautiful silks that they are often made from. The older dresses are still found. Some, like this one, are made from a synthetic blend. Many contemporary dresses are still being made in the traditional styles, so you have to know how to identify the older ones, if that is what you are seeking. Kimonos are lovely, too. I also find blouses, all with beautiful embroidery.
There is nothing more magical and mysterious to wear than Asian fashions, especially the vintage silks. They have been popular across the world for decades so, wherever you are searching, you just never know . . . . . . . . .
Virtually everything I show on this blog is something I’ve found in the last 15 years or so, since I’ve taken more time to go hunting and investigating. Most of them are recent finds, and I don’t break the bank!
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
Here’s a traditional letter jacket in the perfect colors for this weekend’s activities, of almost any sort. In the past, a letter jacket could almost replace a suit coat (for a student – not his dad). They seemed to have the status that military uniform jackets sometimes do.
Picture this with a shirt and tie, a V or crew-neck sweater at the Irish pub tonight –
This one has had it’s patches removed and looks like it never had many, it’s in such good shape. Although it’s big for me, how could I not buy it when it turned up? It would be fun to know its history, which might be possible to put together from the colors and the location where it was found. Maybe I’ll do that detective work someday. Mysteries are always fun, and you just never know . . . . . . . . . . ..
Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
Google+, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest

True vintage nipped-waist jacket with big shell buttons and a fabulous fit. Love it. This is a hopsacking-type rayon blend material loosely woven. When I saw it I grabbed it up because all the vintage hallmarks were there in the materials, workmanship and the label. Yes, Koret is still manufacturing clothing, but I have not seen a modern label which reads Koret of California. And, of course, it looks like a vintage label.
Even though I found this in recent years, I was still not highly experienced – I wasn’t quite the magicvintagespy yet. After I got it home, I almost gave it away because of issues which I hadn’t thought of and made it less wearable for me. I’m glad that I didn’t give in, because I figured out how to solve them all. A frustrating problem for me when I finally had more time to do vintage-hunting was that I often ended up with some things that didn’t suit after all and I didn’t know what to do.
Now that is not an issue. i can address almost any problem that used to make me think I was at a dead end. When I’m shopping, I’m really good at knowing when to leave something behind that I might have picked up before and regretted. And, so many things that I might have given to a thrift shop, sadly, I can now make a part of my wardrobe after all! I find a lot more than I used to, as well.
It’s been worth every minute. Although sleuthing for vintage has always been a lot of fun for me, now the excitement is through the roof! My intention is to be contagious – I really want to spread the fun!! It’s so energizing to wonder – what will I find today? You just never know . . . . . . .
Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy
Google+, FacebooK, Twitter & Pinterest
Amazon.com