New Today at PastPerfectVintage.com: Rudi Gernreich Maxi Dress

New today:ca Fall 1973 knit maxi dress from the mad master Rudi Gernreich in black polyester and black wool knit. It's an astounding combination of colors, patterns and motifs, even given that it's a Rudi Gernreich and from the 1970s. The full flared and gathered skirt is a heavy weight black wool knit with huge wool knit machine appliques. The top is a T shape mock turtle in black poly. Labeled

Designer du Jour: Edith Small

While there were certainly California designers and manufacturers in the 1940s and 1950s who achieved a both national following in their day and the status of Major American Designer ( Adrian, Irene, Galanos, Howard Greer, etc), there were many who, while highly respected in their working years, have faded from view almost completely. Edith Small was well known in her day, receiving East as well

New Menswear Additions to Past Perfect

Oh yes, we have added a few new things to Past Perfect Vintage: The Etsy division. This our place to make available tot he public some of the affordable and wearable vintage garments we find along the road. And a it's a braider venue for wearble Vintage Menswear than our main site, www.pastperfectvintage.com. Just another friendly venue from the fine folks here are Past Perfect. Here's a sample:

An Ode to Department Stores

The local department store has gone the way of the dodo for most of us. And it's a shame, too. Yes, yes, I know the mall experience made obsolete a store that had every possible department, a restaurant and hair salon. Why would you go to just one store, when you could visit dozens? And yet that was alot to be said for locally owned clothing stores that had alterations departments, had their own

Those Summertime Dresses

I have done a number of Decade du Jour posts, but haven’t tackled the 50s. It’s just too daunting. There’s high fashion, American Ready -to Wear, European fashion, American sportswear, teenage styles, menswear, movies, Television, The New Look, all those Dior Alphabet Lines, Arggggh! It’s just too much. It’s a master thesis. Been there, done that. It all gives this girl a headache. Many decades

Designer du Jour: Ben Reig

I have just found my third Ben Reig dress in the last few hunts. This seems to happen to me. I never see a label, then I see it a lot. And then, never again. It’s VERY odd. But I have learned to roll with it. I am starting to enjoy the sequence of events actually. I never know what it will be.So to commemorate the latest finds, here’s a bit about Ben Reig and some of what is out there from this