Vintage ABCs, part 2

 



D is for Dior







E is for Eisenberg (and Estevez) 







F is for Fogarty 







 

1960s Variety Pack

 



It's so tempting to sum up the fashions of a decades as one look, and in a phrase - "hems got shorter, waist went higher."  I am as guilty as anyone. Yes,certainly there were themes and silhouettes that ran true through fashion in every period. But teens age girls don't wear what married 30 year old women wear, and they don't wear what 60 year olds wear. And that's just  age differences.

Dresses, Dresses, and Oh Look - Another Dress!

The September additions to Past Perfect Vintage are all in. And my goodness, there's a lot of new inventory. There are hats, suits, and hair combs, but today, it's all about dresses. And a jumpsuit. And a blouse and skirt set. But they look like dresses, so that counts. The date range? 1930s - 1970s. For you Victorian, Teens and 1920s fashion lovers, we have some 60 lovely things on the way.

Designer du Jour: Malcolm Starr

 
Malcolm Starr (1924 - 2008) was a popular American dress manufacturer and head of the ready to wear company  that bore his name at 530 Seventh Avenue. From a March 21, 2008 article in  Women’s Wear Daily: 
“The dress company he operated, Malcolm Starr, was started in the Forties by his father, Frank, a well-known figure in the textile industry. During that period, the family was one of the

Designer du Jour: B.H. Wragge

Designer du Jour: B.H. Wragge

This was a NY ready to wear house, run by Sydney Wragge and active from 1931 to 1971. The clothes are referred to as ‘affordable’, usually the kiss of death when it comes to quality, but every piece I have handled with this label was beautifully made of fine fabric with a lot of hand sewn finishes. This would be a time when 'affordable' clothing did not bring up

Orlon Cardis Can be Sophisticated

This just won't wait till Easter. My fellow dealers at As Time Goes By always save neat bits of advertising they find in their purchases. I can't tell which newspaper this was clipped from. But these decorated Orlon cardigans are mighty fine. The top one came in navy, pink or blue with chalk beads and white grosgrain trim. The bottom one came in navy with white trim or solid pink or powder blue.

And Now for Something Completely Different: Hawaiiana

Some of my most popular blog posts have been those on Victorian Bustle Dresses. And First Lady Inaugural Gowns. And the numerous posts on 1920s fashions have been a hit, too.And Now for Something Completely Different!It's spring. Yesterday felt like summer. The sun is shining. And I just had to post these today. Vintage Hawaiiana is a bit of a departure for Past Perfect Vintage. The Vintage

Leser is More

1960s - 70s Silk Twill Dress by Tina Leser,now available at Past Perfect VintageInspired by a recent acquisition of a Tina Leser piece, I wandered about the web a bit and found these lovelies from my fellow Vintage Fashion Guild Members. I must say, Ms. Leser was not shy when it came to pattern and color, bless her. She liked ethnic patterns and fabrics, she like florals, she likes graphics. And

Party Time! In Vintage Fashion, Naturally

It's January, and yes, New Year's and Christmas have passed, but Valentines is on the way. And you could also have an actual birthday party for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln - oh heck, make it two! Actually, my grandmother did bake cherry cakes with white icing for Washington's Birthday, so hey - why not? Then there's spring proms, and weddings, so yes, party dresses know no season. And

Dresses, Dresses, Dresses & Some Are Red

It's time for wool. Even though it was 72 degrees today, as soon as the sun went down, the temps dropped fast and it was very cool. And next week the highs here will be in the low 60s and 50s. I can get out my fall clothes at long last.I must say I am really, truly ready. And I am into wool this year, even though I am allergic to it. Camisoles, T-shirts, turtlenecks - I have vowed I will do

2 Designers, 2 Dresses

Two very different dresses, yes? The first, a custom original by Howard Greer, who had a distinguished career in film costume design before a long career in fashion design. In this c. 1959 - 1960 superbly made dress, he combined red silk chiffon and red silk faille with bugle beads in rows and in pave bands. The chiffon over blouse is scooped to reveal a heart shaped interior bodice edged with a

Beep Beep!

"Beep beep" the roadrunner said. "Beep beep" as he went by on his scooter. The red and black roadrunner rode a black scooter all the way home. He wasn't as fast or as agile as the other roadrunners, so he needed a scooter to get...........Okay, that's as far I can keep that going. Sorry, Not my style. Great pants, though. They were by Novis Denne, an Arizona maker of resort and summer clothes

Rain+ Sunday+ Spring = Vintage Florals

It's a Sunday. A Sunday that can't decide between sunshine and rain. Typical March. Typical Ohio Vally March But the daffodils are still out, the tulips and lilac have buds, and a few trees are starting to have that wonderful green haze.So onto Spring. And it is time! They say florals are hot for spring. Well, Of Course. What else would be? Black wool tweed? We aren't crazy out here you know.

Philippe Tournaye

I do enjoy finding a 'new' designer I haven't seen before, even if the designer isn't well known. Call me a nerd, but I like the research, the discovery, the delving into new to me information. Philippe Tournaye, (1924 - 1995), certainly doesn't qualify as a major or currently well-known Belgian/American designer, but he was well known in his day and did get fashion media coverage. I do like this

Fresh Vintage Available at Past Perfect, the Etsy Division

Oh yes- we have added vintage treats to our etsy.com division. And as you can see, it's Spring at long last. I really didn't think it would ever get here. Really. Truly. February was unremittingly cold and grey with snow on the ground. So a few warm days and we are ready to see the flowers and sunshine .I have been saving the cottons and linens for just such an ocaasion. The wonderful thing

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

A First Lady A Day : Nixon/Johnson/Truman Update

It’s only the 12th, and we have plenty of time until Jan. 20th, so thanks to the help of Vintage Fashion Guild members, I have full length photos of some of our MIA Inaugural dresses. from www.time.com Bess Truman 1949, Gala Dress. we saw this beofre, but it was a half length shot. I know that Time credits it as the Inaugural Ball gown, but the Truman Library says it's the Gala, and I am going

A First Lady A Day: Jackie

Well I had to do this one sooner or later. It very hard to even have an original thought, much less express anything new, about someone whose style has been discussed, written about, photographed, and analyzed to the nth degree for 48 years. She is a Fashion Icon. A real one, not one of those people who did a popular clothing ad once, or wore a costume designer’s cute clothes on a television show

First Lady a Day: 1965

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, best known as Lady Bird. Today, she would be called an environmentalist. She was active - big supporter of Head Start and Vista. Lady Bird was made of sturdy stuff. To be married to LBJ, and survive with personality intact, one would have had to be. I always though she got a bum rap. Being First Lady after Jacqueline Kennedy was a tough act to follow under the best of

If It Only Fit Me: #1

There is so much vintage clothing I would love to buy if it only fit.Part 1 of a long, long series.I am a believer in vintage wool suits. This of course from a woman who is allergic to wool ( one of the tragedies of my otherwise happy life) and who admittedly doessn't wear suits when working at the keyboard.But it is a tenet of my fashion beliefs that Suits are Great. Suits are Stylish. Suits are