Tag Archives: red

True Vintage early 1950’s Wasp – Waist Party Dress for Holiday Celebration

This RED beauty is pure 1950’s. The skirt is a full circle, or nearly, and could be worn with a crinoline. Love the boat neckline and 3/4 length sleeves. Simple elegance with no decoration – just fabulous fit and style. The fabric is substantial, but not a taffeta. It’s unlined and still allows for lots of movement in the skirt, especially if it is worn as in this photo without stiff undergarments. No label, so it might have been custom-tailored.

Just like Scarlett O’Hara’s entrance to Melanie’s party in Gone With the Wind, show up in this frock and you’d create a scandal. I wonder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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True Vintage 1940’s – early 1960’s Red Velveteen Party Dress for Christmas Holiday Celebrations

A fun little frock while the parties are still free-wheeling with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing. You could also bring it out again at St. Valentine’s Day. This dress is a pure home-sewn creation made or commissioned by some gal who was definitely in the party spirit and looking forward to a great time. Some clues date the dress as early as the 1940’s, but I suspect it’s not quite that old. That skirt is definitely styled for dancing, though.

The festive holiday clue is the sequin decoration on the bodice, which makes me think more of the 1950’s. No other clues to the details of the stories that it has to tell, but I’m sure we can invent quite a few . . . .. . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

MORE RED! VA-VA-VA-V00M TRUE VINTAGE 1950’S LINGERIE SLIPS

MORE RED! VA-VA-VA-V00M TRUE VINTAGE 1950'S LINGERIE SLIPS

Here are some ultimate underthings to wear whenever and wherever. No one can resist this color!  Don’t wait for next Christmas or Valentine’s Day!!

Look at the beautiful lace and detailing. Each one is a little dress in itself.  And, with wonderful true vintage quality that makes them really exquisite.

It always pays to have slips of various lengths, as shown here.  At far left would be the perfect one to wear with the ensemble posted yesterday.  The proper length for any dress or skirt is important – best just 1 1/2 – 2 inches above the hem to avoid sagging below, but maybe still giving a little glimpse when your skirt moves . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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TRUE VINTAGE 1940’s – 1950’s RED VELVETEEN PARTY DRESS

TRUE VINTAGE 1950'S CHRISTMAS RED VELVETEEN PARTY DRESS

Staying in the spirit – looking back on the Christmas Dance (or ahead to the Valentine’s Day Dance)!  I just love this little circle skirt dress from the 1940’s – early 1950’s with sequins on the bodice.

Probably custom-tailored, with little cap sleeves and a skirt meant to swing.   Just right for dancing.

This is one of my favorite colors – good any season, but especially right when everything is white and gray outside.  Velveteen is also such a feel-good fabric.  You can’t beat rayon for drape, but velvet, silk, nylon and poly have their own lovely ways.

Zip up the back, waist-hugging style – there’s nothing too remarkable about the tailoring but it’s unmistakably TRUE VINTAGE, and  only the real thing that has that “look”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

TRUE VINTAGE 1950’S WIGGLE DRESS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

TRUE VINTAGE 1950S WIGGLE DRESS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

Oooh!  Wish I had a party to go to – you can be sure I’d wear this.  By Jonathan Logan in cherry-color velveteen.  Deep V-neck front and back, back zip.  The straight sleeves have short zippers at the wrists – a surprise feature that I’ve rarely seen excepting on wedding dresses.

Looks good on Madge, huh?  You can be sure that there are no pockets! Nothing shows off the figure like a “50s wiggle dress or 1930s bias-cut gown.  Women wearing these look nothing but elegant because they are cut and made so well.  Let’s bring back the days of high-quality, elegant AND alluring clothing again (but till then, I’m thrilled to be the Magicvintagespy. ) And, you just never know . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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DRESSY AND FRILLY FROCK FROM THE 1960’S

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So, here’s an earlier version of the dinner dress genre that I showed a couple of days ago.  See again the sheer sleeves and over-skirt and classic design elements (the bow tie, self-belted waist and ruffles).  Though not a specific retro style, it harks back to special occasion frocks that have been made just about forever.

However – and it’s a big however – this design does not have the level of elegance and true timelessness of the black style I just showed.  When you look at it, you know immediately that it is dated.  Pretty, if that’s your taste, but dated.  A truly elegant garment strikes you first with it’s attractiveness and then takes you a while to decide whether it’s new or not, even if you can decide.

Yes, true vintage for sure but the best of the best?  In my opinion, No.  That’s just my style bias and fashion arrogance for the day.  I still nabbed it and consider it a worthy culprit in the True Vintage Intrigues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE SPECTATOR PUMPS FROM THE 1970’S

IMG_0911A classic!  These are just a run-of-the-mill example, probably made in the Sixties or Seventies, but they just go to show how enduring this style is.  Spectators have been showing up in fashion since the early 1900’s, at least.

Although black/white and brown/white are the most common, true vintage styles have been made in all the basic colors, including red, tan,, navy and, probably, grey.  If you’re looking for a good city shoe, a pair of spectator pumps is an excellent choice.  A true vintage pair is a fabulous one!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

 

UPTOWN MOD GIRL FROM THE 1960’S – TRUE VINTAGE IN THE CITY

IMG_0287UPTOWN MOD GIRL FROM THE 1960'S - TRUE VINTAGE IN THE CITY

Here’s something THAT GIRL Marlo Thomas might have worn in her city life. Cute and sophisticated – that’s the feel lots of fashions had at that time. We were breaking away from the traditional.

This one is of a beautiful glossy woven rayon, but not at all like those luscious crepey ones from the 1940’s. It’s perky and substantial.

Classic style, with a mandarin collar, which were very popular then. The rhinestone buttons at the waist let you know that this is a garment with some status.

The tailoring is more or less what you would encounter today, though the hem is done more nicely – with hem tape – and is about 2″ deep. We hardly see that anymore, nor a hem that is nicely finished.

This is, overall, just a really well-made dress that a woman with very good taste might wear to a swanky party or out to dinner. But, don’t try to go incognito in this one . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

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BRIGHT RED GIRLY DRESS FROM THE EARLY 1960’S – LOVE IT!

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Even though it’s way too prissy for me, yes, I do love it.  There’s a certain genre from that time that this frock fits right into; and, what could be better than a bright hollyberry-red dressy dress right about now?  Below-the-knee length and just right for dancing.

Some women love the bow ties, ruffles and flouncy skirts, and why not?  Sometimes I do, too.  The long, sheer sleeves are pretty.  Just depends . . . . . . But, regardless, this dress was just too perfect to pass up.  It has many of the nice construction details that I appreciate in a quality garment and that are so characteristic of true vintage fashions.

So, Ho Ho Ho and all that.  This one’s going to party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

MORE FINDS! HERE WE GO . .. . . . ..

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TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S FROCK FOR A HOLIDAY GALA IN VELVET & BROCADE

Isn’t this one a pretty thing?  A perfect 10 – vintage size 10, that is.  Of course, it’s got the classic styling of the early Sixties but with a fun touch of beaded fringe at the midriff.  All the required tailoring touches make it a well-made garment – full lining, hanging loops, hooks and eyes and a deep hem, however . . . . . . .

the nicest thing, to me, is the beautiful fabric.  Plush, sumptuous red velvet on top and a lovely brocaded material in the skirt.  I can just imagine Jacqueline Kennedy hosting a Christmas party at the White House 55 years ago, dressed in a style like this.  So glad that someone else loved it enough to keep it preserved in such wonderful condition for this sleuth to uncover today.  The investigation continues – stay tuned .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM