The Votes are In!

No,this is not about Al Franken.The Big News? Past Perfect Vintage Clothing makes Lulu's Top Ten!Thank you to all who voted for us - it's a special day here at the ranch,let me tell you. Although I will not do my Academy Award speech. I am saving that for another day.

Vintage Shopping: Buyer Beware Edition, Part 3

Condition WoesIn person: Look the garment over very thoroughly . Hold it up to light to see if there are any holes. If the shop is dark, take it to a window to check the armpits and shoulders. The two places to always check are the shoulders for fading and the armpits for stains. These are the most likely areas for problems. If the shop is both dark and has no windows then take the item to the

Vintage Shopping: Buyer Beware Edition, Part 2

Secret AlterationsThese are sneaky. Now let me be very, very, very clear. I am not talking about legitimate repairs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with securing loose buttons, sewing popped seams, re-securing loose trim, or stitching a loose hem. You actually should pay more for a vintage dress that is in ready to wear condition.It’s the things that are hidden that I am getting at. Alters and

Vintage Shopping: Buyer Beware Edition, Part 1

In 30 years of buying vintage clothing, I have painfully found a number of the pitfalls. Let me share them with you, the dedicated buyer, and perhaps you will avoid some of the pain.DatesWhile clothing is actually quite hard to reproduce well enough to actually pass as Vintage or Antique, there is nonetheless a lot of misdated fashion in shops and stores, both brick and mortar and online. Ebay,

Before &After - Warning- A Non Vintage Post!

I hereby claim the blogger's prerogative to wander off topic.Many people have written far better then I ever will about the benefits and joys of gardening.They go on and on. The fresh air, the satifaction of growing plants, the exercise. The fun of getting your hands dirty in the soil. Then there's the personal growth section. Peace of mind. And patience. And humility. Just try to make the sun

About Mr. Mort

I found this elegant little black dress one day in an unlikely spot. I also found a wool Thierry Mugler suit there, too. I won't tell where. Everything else was polyester. So you can imagine my delight when I actually felt good quality rayon tissue faille in my hands as I worked my way down the aisles. Then, I saw the metal zipper. Oh, good. Then the wrist zippers - another good. Then a label!

A Bouquet of Davidow

I do the colors of Davidow suits. In a world where tweed generally connotates drab or subtle to the point of boredom, these tweeds are so wonderfully vibrant. Spring suits. Spring Coats. Remember those? All I see now are rain coats and trenchs.I wrote this brief blurb for the www.vintagefashionguild.org Label Resource:"Founded in the late 19th Century, the William H. Davidow and Sons company

Oh, to have SZ 7 1/2 Feet

I found four pair of wonderful 1950s stilettos. Here's the most recent pair added to pastperfectvintage.com. 1950s De Liso Debs in navy blue doeskin. Oh to have sz 7 1/2 feet again. But I was about 12 years old when I passed that size, and I seriously doubt my mother would have bought pointy toe stilettos for me to wear to grade school. Or anywhere else for that matter. It's the line that is so