WHAT I WEAR EVERY SUMMER – 1940’S OR ’50’S CIRCLE SKIRT AND BLOUSE

WHAT I WORE YESTERDAY - 1940'S OR '50'S CIRCLE SKIRT AND BLOUSE

I’ve shown a circle skirt or two before. Here’s one of my favorites! In a farm theme print, with colors that segue into Fall. Novelty prints on old fabrics are wonderful!!

Coral color is a favorite of mine. This blouse is not really old (1970’s or maybe 1960’s). I dyed it, because I had other blouses of the same hue. Turned out a PERFECT match for this skirt!

Soft cotton from years of wear and washing – I believe that the skirt is home sewn, but very well. It has an inside tab at the waist that buttons, with two choices for size. At the sides, there are tabs that pull through two rings, allowing you to tighten the waist to fit. One side pocket.

Simple design, easy wear. I really love the adjustability of the waistline.

The print shows horses and wagons and trees, a barn. I wear this all Summer, but it doesn’t look too summery to wear all Fall, until it gets too cold. Would go nicely with a sweater.

I found this one hiding at a friend’s place. It pays to check around because you just never know . .. . . . . .

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

ANOTHER TRUE VINTAGE WRAP-AROUND DRESS BY SWIRL

ANOTHER TRUE VINTAGE WRAP-AROUND DRESS BY SWIRL

Remember the red wrap-around by Swirl that I showed a few days ago? Here’s another of their creations, in the same basic design but with a very different feel.

Embroidered white flowers on china blue. It’s another one that I love and is so wearable.

These casual day dresses are some of the best things to find because they don’t require a “special occasion” to wear them and don’t need a lot of careful handling. My closets are full of dresses like this and I enjoy them daily!

Some of the most valuable things don’t have to be kept in a safe . . . . . . . . . . ..

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

MOST SIMPLE TRUE VINTAGE EVERYDAY GINGHAM DRESS FROM THE EARLY 1960’S

MOST SIMPLE EVERYDAY GINGHAM DRESS FROM THE EARLY 1960'S

Remember what I said about gingham a couple of days ago? Well, here it is again, in the simplest, cutest everyday dress from about 1963, give or take. In spite of the simplicity, look at the nice little details on the bodice and neckline. Yes, I would wear a slip with it.

Whenever I want to feel really cool, comfy, cute and lost-in-time I’ll put this one on and just be happy. It’s the right thing to wear to the Dairy Queen (if I ate sugar . . . . ). Small dipped cones are a good 7-year-old’s memory. And, no, I don’t own stock in the company.

Believe it or not, this one has an embroidered tag inside – “Stacy Anne” one of the four sisters”. I’ve never seen it again. Does anybody know that brand?

You could probably find something similar at a store today, but it still wouldn’t be the same. It would never make you get off your track in the middle of a paragraph . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

TRUE VINTAGE 1950’S – EARLY 1960’S SUNDRESSES

TRUE VINTAGE 1950'S – EARLY 1960'S SUNDRESSES.

TRUE VINTAGE HANDCRAFTED EVENING PURSE – PROBABLY FROM THE 1960’s

TRUE VINTAGE HANDCRAFTED EVENING PURSE – PROBABLY FROM THE 1960's.

TRUE VINTAGE HANDCRAFTED EVENING PURSE – PROBABLY FROM THE 1960’s

TRUE VINTAGE HANDCRAFTED EVENING PURSE - PROBABLY FROM THE 1960's

To change gears a bit today, here’s an example of a beautiful handcrafted item. It’s an evening purse made of black velvet and satin with metallic embroidery all over, front and back.

It was probably made in Hong Kong or Europe and took someone a long time to do by hand. These sorts of items were much more available back in the day. I suppose that you can still get them now, but only overseas or in very specialized shops.

Handiwork of this kind and exquisite workmanship used to be seen in fashion items that middle-income women could afford to buy, at least once in a while. Although it was generally done overseas, many of the major department stores sold it in their better departments. It’s difficult to find now. The hand-crafted items that are sold today generally can’t compare in terms of their quality.

Keep your eyes open for little items like this, hiding here and there. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

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

TRUE VINTAGE 1950’S – EARLY 1960’S CASUAL KNIT DRESS BY LADY CAROL

TRUE VINTAGE 1950'S – EARLY 1960'S CASUAL KNIT DRESS BY LADY CAROL.

TRUE VINTAGE 1950’S – EARLY 1960’S CASUAL KNIT DRESS BY LADY CAROL

Here’s a fun, very casual day dress from the same time frame I’ve been showing. It’s a knit for Summer, late Spring or early Fall.

This is just an ordinary frock that anyone might have in their wardrobe for everyday wear. Might have been purchased through a catalog, or have been at a store.  The Lady Carol brand is or was located in New York but I’m sure their garments were sold very widely.

It’s just one of those things we like to have on hand that are comfortable, very easy to wear, appropriate in most places and easy to launder.

One can still be elegant dressed in something like this, that doesn’t require any fuss or bother. Many women knew how to do this – it’s a great way to create a little mystery . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG:  MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

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

TRUE VINTAGE MID-CENTURY: A LITTLE MORE UP-TOWN, IN A LAID-BACK ’50S – EARLY ’60’S WAY

A LITTLE MORE UP-TOWN, IN A LAID-BACK '50S - EARLY '60'S WAY

This was a fabulous find – not too dressy, but certainly a step up from some of the little day dresses I’ve shown recently.

Cotton, again – one of the most versatile and perfect fabrics for most attire 50 or 60 years ago. No one was afraid of an iron, and most women expected their clothing to last a lot longer than one season.

This is a snazzy little number, though possibly custom tailored. It shows off the mentality of women who had gotten tired of war-time deprivation and modest conservatism a decade or so before.

Although it took us a while, girls have always just wanted to have fun . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

A FAVORITE TRUE VINTAGE DRESS FROM THE LATE ’50S – EARLY ’60’S BY SWIRL

A FAVORITE TRUE VINTAGE DRESS FROM THE LATE '50S – EARLY '60'S BY SWIRL.