Tag Archives: shopping tips

3 TRUE VINTAGE BLOUSES/SHIRTS FROM THE ’70’S OR BEFORE

3 TRUE VINTAGE BLOUSES/SHIRTS FROM THE '70'S OR BEFORE

3 favorite shirts of mine. Many take-offs have been made and are in the marketplace now, but these are  better.  I always say that, but it’s true!

Shirt #1 is from the late ’70’s. It’s a retro style in a really nice drapey rayon. I love the parrot and the vibrant colors, plus the way it fits. It has little shoulder pads and a flattering cut.  The stripes are reminiscent of vintage bowling shirts.

Shirt #2 has lost its label, but because of the styling I’ll guess it’s ’70’s but it might be ’50’s. It’s a
Western-style shirt with pearlized snap closures and yokes front and back. In gingham, of course!

Blouse #3 is by Ship’n’Shore – that old vintage stand-by maker of lovely cotton blouses. This one is printed with stylized scenes from Europe. Because of the design, I’m also sure that it was made in the late ’60s or early ’70’s.

Love shirts like these – not really old, but with distinctive style and fabric and very wearable every day.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

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

TRUE VINTAGE MOD HOSTESS JUMPSUIT FROM THE 1960’S – PATIO PARTY!!

TRUE VINTAGE HOSTESS JUMPSUIT FROM THE '60'S - PATIO PARTY!!

Now that it’s so hot again, feels like outdoor party time. This op art/flower power print is pure ’60’s and the style is late ’60’s to early ’70’s. I love the way jumpsuits look, but they’re not very convenient – like those culottes!

Anyway, this outfit is so cute I’ll wear it no matter what. It was commercially made – has a label – but nothing I recognize. The back zips up, so that helps make it easier to wear.

Some high red sandals and I’m off to the races – or the BBQ – or just on the town being seen. No incognito jobs in this get-up!

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

TWO TRUE VINTAGE BLOUSES IN IMPORTANT MATERIALS

TWO TRUE VINTAGE BLOUSES IN IMPORTANT MATERIALS.

TWO TRUE VINTAGE SUMMER BLOUSES IN IMPORTANT MATERIALS

TWO TRUE VINTAGE BLOUSES IN IMPORTANT MATERIALS

Here are two cotton blouses that are made of quintessential vintage fabrics. I haven’t seen others like them made this way in modern clothing (meaning since about 1975 at the latest).

The first blouse is made of cotton seersucker. This has been a trademark summer fabric since the 1920’s, I’d say – probably before. It is known for being cool and having a nice texture that stands up to heat and humidity.

The second blouse, with the Peter Pan collar and 3/4 sleeves that can be rolled up, is a lightweight cotton blend. These were super-popular in the ’50’s and early ’60’s and, as simple as they look, there’s not been a fabric that performs like this since.

Of course, I like the style details, too – the large buttons and banded scoop neck collar on #1 and the dainty collar and 3/4 sleeves on #2. True vintage blouses are often cut much better, also, so the fit is more flattering. Of course, adding Spandex and Lycra to fabric blends makes for killer fits, but they have their own care and wear problems.

The moral of the story always is: Lookalikes come and go, but there’s nothing like the real deal when it comes to true vintage fashion. It’s hard to fool a seasoned investigator . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

ONE OF MY FAVORITE (I SAY THAT A LOT!) DRESSES FROM THE 1970’S, BY COS COB

ONE OF MY FAVORITE (I SAY THAT A LOT!) DRESSES FROM THE 1970'S, BY COS COB.

BEAUTIFUL PALE PETAL-PINK FROCK – TRUE VINTAGE FROM THE 1950’S

BEAUTIFUL PALE PETAL-PINK FROCK FROM THE FIFTIES

From the ’50’s with a back center zipper, longer skirt and skinny, covered belt. White piping detail around the neck and armholes and lovely floral embroidery + applique’ on the skirt. Too bad it doesn’t show well in this photo.

This dress is very feminine and is another that can be casual or semi-dressy, depending on how you wear it. In any case, it always looks cool, classic and lady-like.

It has no label so who knows where it was made. Finds like this one are rare, but not for me . . . . . . . . . . . ..

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

TRUE VINTAGE HAWAIIAN SHIRTS FROM BACK IN THE DAY . . .

TRUE VINTAGE HAWAIIAN SHIRTS FROM BACK IN THE DAY . . ..

TRUE VINTAGE MID-CENTURY HAWAIIAN SHIRTS FROM BACK IN THE DAY . . .

TRUE VINTAGE HAWAIIAN SHIRTS FROM BACK IN THE DAY . . .

These shirts are authentic from Hawaii when they were very well-made and always a vacation souvenir. The shirt on the left, especially, is from the 1940’s or ’50’s – made of cotton with a bark cloth print. It’s also got buttons made from, I think, coconut shell.

The shirt on the right is newer – 1950’s to ’70’s. It is also cotton and is from the shop at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. That is (or was) a famous hotel on Waikiki Beach which had their own line of clothing with their label. The buttons are also distinctively theirs.

What’s so great about these shirts? The lovely cottons, the great prints and the “exotic” origin. I don’t have any of the fabulous rayon shirts from the ’40’s that were made there – maybe someday – noting better to wear during a tropical investigation on a hot summer night . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

A FAVORITE COTTON 1940’s – 1950’S SHIRTWAIST DRESS – HAPPY DAYS!

A FAVORITE COTTON 1940's – 1950'S SHIRTWAIST DRESS – HAPPY DAYS!.

A FAVORITE TRUE VINTAGE COTTON 1940’s – 1950’S SHIRTWAIST DRESS – HAPPY DAYS!

A FAVORITE COTTON 1940's - 1950'S SHIRTWAIST DRESS - HAPPY DAYS!

I love the colors of this dress. Blues and violets in a funny, abstract print that looks like computer cards from back in the day. It’s a happy dress that reminds me of the show Happy Days.

There’s no label, so it might have been home-made, but done so well that who would care? I was just watching a movie about swing dancing and saw a lot of frocks that looked like this.

Swing dancing is one of the most joyful things I can imagine . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM