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TO MY FOLLOWERS:

Thank you so much, everybody!  I love seeing your I.D.s pop up regularly in my g-mail notifications and I’m so glad that you are enjoying what is so much fun for me. Although I don’t have the info to communicate with you all individually, I’d like to give back a little more for you and thank you for your loyalty,  Here’s a heads-up that I will post a Finders’ Clue every 2 weeks on a Monday.  These are just some of the little insights that I have built up over time that help me to find wonderful vintage fashion stuff almost every day.  Thanks again for joining me in the FUN!

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

ANOTHER FABULOUS FIND, AND A FINDERS’ TIP

Yesterday I went to another city to do a personal errand and had a little time to kill before catching a ride home.  I took the opportunity to step into a secondhand shop and guess what I found – a 1940s true vintage rayon dressing gown ‘a’la Joan Crawford (vintage movie star).  It has only one issue, which I can fix.  Beautiful!  Just about my favorite era.  I’ll show it on the blog later.

FINDERS’ TIP:  Whenever you have an extra hour, go hunting!  This is especially true when you are away from home or can go to a shop you’ve never tried before because you just never know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy                                                                                    

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THE REAL REASONS WHY I LOVE TRUE VINTAGE

Got up early this morning to watch some inspirational videos on YouTube and just be in the magical world for a while – and I started thinking again about what it is that really attracts me to clothing and accessories that were designed, made and worn decades ago.  I always talk about quality and workmanship and elegant design that set true vintage apart from almost everything that is sold today, but what’s deeper underneath those things?  As Rhonda Byrne explains in her second book, The Power, it is LOVE.

Love is not just what we usually think it is (hearts and flowers, sex, even kind acts and caring for others) – it is passion and joy and desire and inspiration and happiness and  excitement and value and conviction and ideals and what everything that is most important in your life means to you.

 When these vintage items were designed, made, sold and worn, they were elegant and beautiful visions in the minds of designers, pride and self-reliance in the people  who manufactured the materials needed or actually put them together with their own hands, and the hopes and dreams of the women and men who bought and wore them because each purchase was a special event.  Their clothing was well cared for, loved and kept for many years, like the memories that were attached to them.  Each piece is like a classic film that has a big story behind the making of it and tells a big story just by being what it is.  

What’s not to love about that?!   Maybe I should get up at 3 a.m. more often. . . . . . . .

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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FINDERS’ TIP:

Here’s a little tip that can save you lots of time and frustration .  It may seem like common sense, but it really helps .

Things are changing fast these days and vintage dealers sometimes change their addresses, merchandise, or names all of a sudden.  Sometimes they give up a physical address and become internet-only or vice versa.  I have experienced the frustration of searching for a store and finding that it didn’t exist as my information said it should.  That can throw a kink into your day!

When you can and, especially when you are far from home or pressed for time, call ahead or check on-line to get the current details. Do this no matter where you got the info – been there before, someone told you or you read it in a publication or a book like mine. You can even have a conversation with them about what you’re looking for.  No matter what, you will always come away with more information.

But, don’t give up your adventurous spirit if you can’t make contact.  Go anyway because many of the best places are off the radar and when you’re on a mission, you just never know . . . . . . .

A FINDER’S TIP

Serendipitously (a word I love and wonderful experiences I love even more!), I just found a dress with a label name I’d been trying to remember to include in the list I posted a few days ago.  Magic always happens.

The label is R&K Originals.  They have made really nice ladies’ clothing for decades, and they still are!  How do you tell the difference between more modern items and one that is true vintage, especially if you are not an expert at spotting it? The label is always red and gray, embroidered on white.  Before about 1980, there is a small-print line below the company name that says “FOR THE GIRL WHO KNOWS CLOTHES”.  Isn’t that precious?!

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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A PARTIAL LIST OF THE TRUE VINTAGE LABELS THAT I FIND

It’s true that many of the true vintage (pre-1980s)  items that I discover don’t have labels.  Sometimes the label is missing or has been removed and or these items have been custom-made.  Sometimes a commercially-made item never had a label.  It’s the quality of the materials, the workmanship and design which are the most important to me but it’s always fun to find maker’s names that I know.

There are times when I don’t recognize a name and it may be difficult to find reference to it on-line.  Other times, the brand is well-known and those are the ones I’ll list below.  Although some of these brands are still in production, their vintage products are different and better, generally, than what they make now.

Naturalizer and Air-Step (shoes and purses)

Bobbie Brooks (sportswear)

Red Cross (shoes)

Princess Gardner (leather wallets)

Carol Craig (dressy dresses)

Frank Starr (dressier dresses)

Lanz (women’s clothing)

Stetson (hats – mostly men’s)

Fashionbuilt (coats)

Trifari (jewelry)

Koret (women’s clothing)

Coro (jewelry)

Sarah Coventry (jewelry)

Napier (jewelry)

Hudson Bay (car coats)

Gunne Sax (dresses)

Swirl (casual dresses)

Jantzen (sportswear, swimsuits)

Deliso Debs (women’s dressy shoes)

Morris Moscowitz (handbags)

Ande’ (purses)

Barbizon (lingerie & sleepwear)

Vanity Fair (lingerie & sleepwear)

RayBan (sunglasses)

Nellie Don (dresses)

Marshall Field (department store brand – Chicago)

Stix Baer & Fuller (department store brand, midwest)

Sax Fifth Avenue (high end store brand – Chicago)

Monet (jewelry)

Bulova (fine watches)

Keds (tennis shoes)

Skips (tennis shoes – Montgomery Ward brand?)

Carol Brent (Montgomery Ward brand)

White Stag (sportswear)

Ship ‘n Shore (blouses)

     There are well-known names that I can’t think of right now, and many others. Always a pleasure to uncover one, and it’s always a delightful surprise!  You just never know . . . . .

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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DOES THE TENDENCY OF VINTAGE CLOTHING TO BE SMALL DISCOURAGE YOU FROM GOING OUT AND HUNTING? DON’T LET IT!!

Granted ,many women were smaller back in the day – sometimes incredibly tiny compared to modern averages.  Especially if you are hunting for bargains, it might seem like everything you see is impossibly small (They really meant it when they coined the term “wasp-waist”?)

However, don’t believe it.  If you are fortunate enough to wear a small or x-small size, you will have lots of success.  Still, I regularly  find items of all types which are medium to large, too.  If you need a special item right away and haven’t been able to discover one in your size, you can visit a specialty vintage dealer and pay the market price.  There are lots of reputable people whom I have found whose prices are reasonable and their service is expert and trustworthy.  

If you have more time, a clear idea of what you want and some skills will find it for you eventually (maybe sooner than later!) Accessories, too, usually work for any size figure and many clothing items can be altered or adapted to fit.   

So, don’t let size discourage you because magic always happens when you believe in it.

 

Morgana Martin, the magicvintagespy

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TRUE VINTAGE (BARELY) VS. RETRO – WHY DOES IT MATTER?

TRUE VINTAGE (BARELY) VS. RETRO – WHY DOES IT MATTER?.

TRUE VINTAGE (BARELY) VS. RETRO – WHY DOES IT MATTER?

TRUE VINTAGE (BARELY) VS. RETRO - WHY DOES IT MATTER?

i was prepared to pitch this photo and the one that I will post next, but then I changed my mind. This little outfit is from 1981. It looks just like things being sold today at first glance. So why would I say that there is anything special about it? It is just barely true vintage – 33 years old. But, it’s still a favorite outfit of mine and I still wear it.

The pants are by Stuart Lee. I bought them from the Spiegel catalog, which was a favorite of mine. They are a lightweight denim and fit really nicely. Love the color!

The blouse is silk in an animal print that was very popular then (also in the late ’60s and came back a bit in the late ’70s. Not to mention, of course, the ’50s and the ’40s!)
At that time, silk clothing was usually only high-end and was expensive. The company that produced this, Royal Silk, was one of the first to make popularly priced silk shirts and blouses. I had several and will show another one of a completely different style later.

So, ordinary fabrics and ordinary style – but they have held up well and are completely current fashion NOW. The pants, especially, fit better than what I can find at retail today.

What’s the point? 1. If you find things that you love, take care of them and keep them. 2. The clothing made since the mid-seventies (excepting some disco-wear and some designer things) are very similar to what can be found now. They differ from modern clothing only in the quality of the materials and workmanship. If you’re very good at spotting the difference, you can snag some wonderful things. Otherwise, it all looks the same. Take a look at my next post, from the ’70s, for another example.

ARE YOU FRUSTRATED BY: YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. . . . . . . . . .?!!!

The magic of vintage-spying for me is the unplanned surprises, the phenomenal discoveries and the fabulous savings that I encounter all the time.  I have built a great wardrobe that lets me mix and match in a really unique and personal way, as well as looking elegant, striking and appropriate in vintage clothing almost anywhere. (I MIGHT buy something at retail when I am invited to visit with Queen Elizabeth).

But, . . . .  I know that there are times when you have a specific kind of vintage item in mind or a special outfit to put together in a hurry and that requires a very focused shopping strategy.  I haven’t talked about that when showing off my closet, because I find most of my wardrobe by using my skills and experience and I own clothing that will work almost anytime.

 When I do want to find a specific thing, I know of lots of stores and on-line boutiques that specialize in vintage clothing . I can visit them because I have done so before or I have talked with them and I know that they have quality merchandise and know their business really well.  I don’t have a degree in costume design (though my sister does).  My confidence comes from lots of time spent looking and learning.  I always say “You just never know . . .” because that is my everyday experience and it is SO FUN!  I always find the most wonderful true vintage stuff.

So, don’t be frustrated.  I used to be sometimes, too.  It IS out there, and it’s waiting. You really just never know . . . . . . .