This one was hiding in an out-of-the-way spot. You just never know!
It’s a lovely dress in unusual colors. The blue is not a common one, and flattering only to just the right skin and hair tone. The interesting part is the top.
Like many dresses made at that time, a rayon-type under-layer with a lace overlay dresses it up. Sometimes they’re in the same color, and sometimes contrasting, as in this case.
Here, we have a medium lavender color under the blue. Quite uncommon. I love finding these quirky things! The two layers in the skirt have the same contrast, but the chiffon on top is heavy enough that very little of the lavender comes through. Perhaps just enough to draw a little attention when the wearer moves.
And, the under-layer is a taffeta, so it swishes. . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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This beautiful polished cotton frock – Kay Whitney by Huntington – is absolutely gorgeous. The fabric and the tailoring are top notch.
Naturally, it’s got a fabric-covered belt, the full skirt and a generous hem allowance. It’s not a one-off design, I found, when I saw another identical to it on eBay – but it’s wonderful anyway.
However, this one is one-off now! As beautiful as it was in its original design, it was a bit too conservative a style to be flattering on me. The shoulder straps were wider and it had a fabric tie sewn completely around the neckline which you would tie in a bow in front. Pretty, but not me.
I removed the tie, making the shoulders skinnier and the neckline wider. I used some of the leftover tie material to make little flat bows at the shoulders. Of course, if you are a purist, you would never have changed it. That’s something I rarely do, but I liked it so much and wanted it to suit me.
So, I now have an original – and without sacrificing quality or elegance. The best of both worlds.
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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Disco Days again! This silver-sparkly knit dress and jacket are for dancing the night away.
The dress is bare shoulders with rhinestone-studded straps and trim, back zip and a side slit for doing the boogie. The jacket has rhinestone-studded buttons. I have some silver and black platform sandals from the same era that go perfectly!.
This is another of those specialty outfits from a small shop in South Beach Miami, Florida. It has the hallmarks of the late ’70’s – mostly in the fabric and some of the construction details.
Not a high-end garment this time in terms of its quality, but I’ll bet it was expensive because of where it was sold – even back then. Fortunately, all the rhinestones in the buttons and trimming are in place so we can’t fault the value of those items – they didn’t tend to fall apart.
I’m always pleasantly surprised to see how well decorative trimmings and buttons on true vintage fashion hold up over many years. It’s a blessing, because they’re irreplaceable! However, I have found a couple of stores that specialize in these authentic vintage items where you can look . . . . . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM
BOOK: HOW TO FIND THE BEST IN VINTAGE FASHION – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
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