Building a Vintage Wardrobe: Halloween Colors

 

It would be so easy to write these posts if I just threw theoretical outfits on the mannequin. But the goal here is to show looks I have actually worn in the ‘normal’ world. Not as costumes or for “dress up day” at work, or even to actual parties. But every day , go to the store, go to lunch, or in this case, go to the genealogy seminar outfit.
I was pleased in that this was comfortable, the

Building a Vintage Wardrobe, One Step at a Time

One of the wisest ways to build a flexible wardrobe is to take advantage of vintage clothing. Vintage garments bring everything to the fashion table: good design and  high quality construction at very attractive prices, and far better fabrics than those used in the vast majority of ready to wear. Plus there is the environmentally positive Reduce-Reuse-Recycle aspect of vintage fashion. 

The

Musings from a Day on the Road

The team ( read Mr. Past Perfect and I) went on a a shopping expedition yesterday. Not saying where. Sorry about that, but I have to protect my sources as they tend to dwindle away. And it led me to muse about why good vintage clothing costs what it does as different levels. And why it costs more at a good Vintage shop. First off, I suppose I should define Good Vintage. At this business, 1980s is

August Additions: The Last Fling of Summer

It has been a summer of record heat. Fortunately, no drought as of yet, but my goodness, the heat and humidity. And in the Ohio River Valley, it takes a lot of humidity for us to even notice it. August is the time to start showing the Fall and Winter woolens, which we did - more on those tomorrow- but with this heat I decided I had to add these summer pieces. There's still time to wear them here

Fresh Edwardian Vintage Fashion

Pretty things have shown up at Past Perfect Vintage this month. First up , we have 3 lovely Edwardian pieces from a Southern Indiana estate. Oh yes, the rare and special Fresh From the Closet Fashions! It was a wonderful shopping day, and we will have so much more to show you this week: 1940s bathing suit, Pucci purse and the first of the winter coats. But these finds made my day.c. 1914 Camel

New Doings at Past Perfect

We have been busy. First, we had a sale at our Etsy store,then a Summer Sale at PastPerfectVintage.com. Then a private 'to the trade' sale, and then a local sale!! Goodness, we have been having inventory clearance. Why all the sales? Because new inventory is coming! Very, very soon. As soon as Mr. Past Perfect finishes a major linking project on the main website. And we do not hurry Mr. Past

The Vintage 'Voice'

A true collector of vintage clothing remembers the circumstances around every find. Where the dress was found, why that was special, the odds against finding anything, funny coincidences, all the odd details. Well, for those of us who moved into selling from collecting, that is still true. And the longer we hunt for these pieces, the more we learn to listen to the inner Voice that says - Go There

The Annual Past Perfect Vintage at Etsy Summer Sale!

The Annual Past Perfect Vintage Clothing Summer sale starts now on Etsy! 50% off sounds good, doesn't it? Oh yes - we do this every year. And it starts now. First up - all vintage clothing ad accessories at our etsy site are listed at 50% off. Vintage Sewing Pattern markdowns will follow tonight! Here's where the action is:

Flappers A-Go-Go (Part 5): The Finale!

At last. The ubiquitous 1920s opera coat. I must wonder just how many people were going to the opera in the 1920s and 30s? Was it the heyday of opera attendance in the 20th century? Were farmers and miners across the USA suddenly getting decked out and taking their wives to see Aida? Madame Butterfly? I know polo has a sudden burst of popularity, but I tough everyone was going to the movies.

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

Earthtones = Fall

I grudgingly admit that fall will be here soon. People are asking about suits and coats. Not that it is anywhere near time for wool, but it's on the horizon. Now the good thing about earthtones and all those autumal colors is that in lighter fabrics and accessories, you can achieve that autumn feeling sooner and more comfortably. And if there is anything Vintage Clothing can provide, it is earth

Two September Vintage Fashion Auctions!

September brings two wonderful vintage clothing and textile auctions. First up will be Leslie Hindman's Vintage Couture and Accessories Auction on Wednesday, September 2 at 3PM at Hindman's gallery at 1338 West Lake Street, Chicago, IL. The catalogue is online and it's a gorgeous assortment of fashion. As usual at this house, the selection is heavy with mid century and later designer labels, but

Melody Fortier & The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping

I am delighted to have the opportunity to interview Melody Fortier, author of the new book: The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping, which can now be pre-ordered here.Melody Fortier has been in the vintage business for some time. She has a shop in Gardner, Mass., a Website, a Blog, she writes articles on vintage clothing, and she is a active member of the Vintage Fashion Guild. Clearly, she has a

White on Vintage White

There is something so crisp and clean about vintage whites. And not just the Victorian cotton lingerie dresses and undergarments, lovely as they are when they are laundered and pressed. There's a wonderful warm tone to vintage white leather and white textiles that new white fabrics and leather don't have. They are stark. Clinical. Vintage is Soft. It Glows.It isn't easy to find vintage whites

A Weakness for Ladies' Tailoring Rears It's Head

Some women love lace, some ruffles and frills. Others find joy in satins and feathers. And then there's the gauzey, floaty chiffon crowd. All good, all fine. For me, it's good wool and tailoring. Is it because of the clean lines? The technique demanded? Because there is no room for error in tailoring. You can hide behind a ruffle or gather. But not a tailored lapel. It certainly isn't because I

July is Here & That Means New Vintage at Past Perfect

We are excited. We just added 16 new (to us) items at Past Perfect Vintage Clothing. We will feature more in the coming days, but here's a small preview :Lovely c. 1910 White Cotton Lingerie Dress in a Wearable Size with pintucks, lace insertion, applique and tiny crocheted buttons, @ pastperfectvintage.com/thevictoriansandedwardians.htm Charming 1940s Floral Taffeta Dress with shirred bust in

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,

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

The Return of 20s at Past Perfect Vintage!

Oh yes - the 20s are back here at Past Perfect Vintage! Not that the Jazz Age is ever terribly far from our thoughts. It's an era of which I am very fond. Maybe it's the complete break with the Edwardian Era and the Teens. And yet I am a traditionalist. Maybe it's the combination of very simple clothing shapes with intricate beading and embroidery. And yet I am a huge fan of complex tailoring.

Leslie Hindman Vintage Clothing Auction

There really aren't that many auctions geared specifically to vintage clothing and fashion, especailly west of the Alleghenies. So if you can, you may want to get to Chicago soon for the Leslie Hindman Vintage Couture and Accessories Auction April 19th. We can't make it this time, but we have attended this in the past. It's well run, with full color catalog, a well lit preview with lots of time