So, what’s a vintage loving dame supposed to do? Well luckily all this re-creating and inspiring going on means we can have new fashions that capture the vintage looks we all love. Even if it is not the real deal from whatever time period. At least with the new fashions you have more of a choice in sizes, colors, etc. Though it is always the utmost thrill to find that one perfect authentic vintage outfit that no one else will ever have. It’s also nice that there are so many more options out there these days for being able to pull off a vintage look, even if you don’t have authentic. And you know us dames, we love our options!

So, without further ado, here are some of latest vintage inspired evening gowns that were just added to the site.  The holidays will be upon us before you know it. And we want you to have a great selection to choose from. So we’re working  fast and furiously to get our new stock listed.

Two of my favorite styles, classic mermaid gowns that remind me of Old Hollywood movie actresses and floaty goddess gowns, a timeless style that has been reinterpreted throughout the ages. With their fluid fabric, draping, pleating and ruching they’re the ultimate in femininity and elegance.

Vintage style glamour gowns for upcoming Holiday events

1. Slinky purple gown with ruching and draping,Also comes in black.

2. Fabulously festive red beaded chiffon gown

3. Irridescent purple chiffon one shoulder goddess gown. Also available in a gorgeous shade of coral pink, and sage green

4. Beaded burgundy taffeta mermaid gown with shelf bust.

5. Champagne satin strapless Hollywood glamour gown

6. Peacock green chiffon one shoulder goddess dress. Also available in black and burgundy.

We also added some authentic vintage clothing.

How about this amazing reversible faux leopard cape from the 1960s? Camel color wool on the other side so you can wear it both ways.

50’s Mollie Parnis blue polka dot silk shirtwaist dress.-36/26

There’s more. Just visit our New Arrivals page.  And more goodies being added all the time!

]]> http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/2010/08/27/im-ba-a-a-a-ck-new-arrivals-at-blue-velvet-vintage/feed/ http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/2010/08/22/vote-for-my-model-in-the-mad-men-contest/ http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/2010/08/22/vote-for-my-model-in-the-mad-men-contest/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:48:21 +0000 admin http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/?p=2093 One of the lovely girls who models for me has just entered the Mad Men Casting Call Competition.

Because Jen’s job has her travelling for long periods of time(she’s a stewardess on a private yacht) she was a little late entering her photo for the contest.

Since semi finalists are chosen by how many votes they get, she does have a lot of catching up to do before the competition ends on September 16th.

She doesn’t even know about this blog post. But I wanted to try and help her out because she’s a real sweetheart, and I think she’s got a perfect look for the show. So I think she deserves a shot at this.  Many of the entrants are in “the Biz” and already have tons of votes.  So I’m  hoping some of my readers can help her out by giving her a vote or two(you’re allowed to vote once a day).

So, come on ladies, let’s see if we can help her catch up!

Just click on the image below and it will take you directly to the photo on the contest site. Just click the VOTE button and you’re done.   Eezy, peezy!

Please vote for Jenn in the Mad Men Casting Call Contest.

]]> http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/2010/08/22/vote-for-my-model-in-the-mad-men-contest/feed/ http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/2010/08/04/mad-men-casting-call-contest/ http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/2010/08/04/mad-men-casting-call-contest/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:51:41 +0000 admin http://www.bluevelvetvintage.com/vintage_style_files/?p=2072 Attention all you Mad Men Maniacs.  You may already know about the Mad Men Casting Call Contest sponsered by Banana Republic.  But if not, then allow me to fill you in.

AMC and Banana Republic have joined forces to hold a contest in which the winner gets to appear in an epidsode of Season 5, plus a $1000.00 gift card to BR.  How groovy is that?

Two runners up will also receive $1000.00 gift cards, as well.

All you need to do is submit a photo of yourself in your best Mad Men look.   How simple is that? So  if you’re in need of some madly marvelous   fashions for your contest photo shoot or want to look  60s super chic and sophisticated at your next fancy shmancy cocktail party,   then see my  picks below for channelling your inner Joan, Betty, or Peggy.

Available at  Rice and Bean Vintage

60s blue satin cocktail dress w/matching jacket-36b/29w

Offered at  Blue Velvet Vintage

Black soutache embroidered cocktail dress w/satin bow detail-34b/26w

Available at Dorothea’s Closet

Gold silk jacquard 60s cocktail dress-36b/25w

Offered at the Frippery Vintage Boutique

Pink Christian Dior three piece suit-34b/25w

For sale at  Blue Velvet Vintage

60s black silk damask cocktail suit with mink trim-36b/26w

Contest ends September 6, 2010.  Visit here for the contest rules. So hurry up and go Mad Men yourself!

My current stop is Martha’s Vineyard.  Couldn’t pass up an invitation from some friends to visit one of my favorite places.  I used to live here and love revisting this beautiful island.  Plus the shopping is great with many flea markets, yard sales and vintage shops to rummage through.  Hopefully I’ll come up with some more goodies!

In the meantime here are a couple of gorgeous 50’s  sundresses that I just added to the website.

This first is by Pat Premo, a designer of high quality sportswear.  Her fashions were noted for their interesting design details. This white strapless dress has bands of pink across the top of bodice and edge of hem that are covered in goldtone studs.  An adorable matching studded kerchief accompanies the dress.

I was thinking this dress would make a lovely choice for a casual  island beach wedding. Click on image for more information.

Pat Premo white strapless 50's sundress-36b/27w

Here is a picture of the same dress on a model from a 1953 issue of Vogue, except this one has a belt!

1953 Vogue photo of Pat Premo dress

This next beauty is a  1950s Cover Girl of Miami dress.  Some of the best sun dresses came out of Miami in the 50s.  There was a flourishing resort wear industry back then to accomodate the demand for stylish fashions for the jetset crowd who flocked to what was considered America’s Riviera.

Click on image for more information.

1950's Cover Girl of Miami Navy Blue and White Floral Sundress-38b/30w

Off in search of more vintage!

Every year it gets tougher to ferret out the best condition, really stylish stuff. But I’m happy to say I was still able to amass quite an impressive collection. And I’m anxious to get back and start getting it all ready to list on the website. There is some amazing stuff I can’t wait for you to see!

In the meantime, here are some items that were recently listed on the site.  I do have  the dames  back at the office handling the shipping and customer service while I’m away.  So orders are processed as usual.   Also, in case you didn’t know, there is FREE PRIORITY SHIPPING on all US orders over 100.00 for the month of July.

New Arrivals at Blue Velvet Vintage

1.Our own “coquette” 50s inspired swing dress in an ivory/red hawaiian print-small-Xlarge

2. Pretty floral voile 60s Abe Schrader fitted sheath dress-36/27

3.50s/60s  pink chiffon party dress w/lace jacket-35/26

4. 1950s pink full skirt shirtwaist dress-36/26

5.Bettie Page navy blue bow print Lucy blouse and navy blue sailor shorts-S-XL

6. 60s stunning white beaded crepe cocktail dress-35/28

7.  1960’s mod floral stripe Alex Colman day dress-40/38

8. Blue Velvet Vintage exclusive 50s style black hawaiian floral halter dress-S-XL

9. Sweet 40s/50’s pink cotton day dress-34/26

First let me say, food ads back then were a far cry from the type you see today in the likes of  Bon Appetit , Saveur and even Good Housekeeping.  When you see a food ad today, it whets your appetite.  These ads, not so much.

In 1945, food rationing was still going on because of World War II.  So food advertisements often did double duty as public service announcements.  This ad for the the infamous mystery cheese food “Velveeta”  includes a  recipe along with a little pep talk about helping out with the war effort by growing your own food.

The recipe is incredibly unimaginative.  Just melt a 1/2 lb of Velveeta and pour it over your  cooked vegetables, top with pimiento.   Can’t get much easier than that, except to maybe peel off the wrapper and just gnaw away at it in its pre-melted state.  Though I don’t really recommend this. Really, the color of the stuff is not found anywhere in nature.  That’s a good indication you shouldn’t be eating it.

Ok, moving on.  Even though Kraft is advertising their incredible spreadable edible, they also make sure to tell you to “Make your garden thrive in 45″ because “with many farm workers in the armed forces, it’s important for all of us who can, to have a Victory Garden.  Vegetables and fruits may be in short supply in markets. Play it safe and grow your own.”

With the abundance of supermarkets and  restaurants to satisfy our every culinary whim nowadays,  can you imagine what it would be like if all of a sudden we were told  that because of a war the government was going to start rationing our food and we had to start growing our own produce? Heck, just think of how many people practically subsist on just Micky D’s and BK.  I’m thinking things could get really ugly, really fast if people couldn’t get their fast food fixes anymore.

Velveeta Ad-Ladies Home Journal June 1945

Here’s an ad for some delectable grilled hamburgers in a can. This is a public service ad from the American Meat Institute that lets you know that the reason you can’t get any meat in 1945 is because it is being used for combat rations.  “Men don’ t stop hankering for good American hamburgers when they put on a uniform. Remember, a lot of the meat you are not getting now is making eating brighter and more nutritious for about 12,000,000 Americans in uniform.”  If this is the kind of meal that could make eating brighter, I shudder to think of what those poor unfortunate soldiers had to eat before they came up with these creepy canned meat patties.

Grilled Hamburgers in a Can Food Ad-1945

And my favorite food ad. The next time someone guilts you into bringing a dish to some pot luck dinner that you were dreading going to in the first place, just whip up this little culinary catastrophe.  They won’t be asking you again. Unless, of course, you live in Hawaii, in which case you’ll be a star. Yep, cause it’s made with Spam, that weird pink stuff in the can with all the slimy gelatin around it. Or as some like to call it “Spare Parts Animal Meat”. Hawaiians love it. Whatever.

The ad explains that is it fun and festive to make “Spam Upside  Down Pie”.  The recipe instructs you to line a well greased ring mold with spam slices,(as if there isn’t enough grease in the stuff already)  add biscuit mix and yet more Spam, then fill the center with Tart Cheese Sauce. You can probably use Velveeta.  I’m sorry, just typing that made me feel queasy.

Spam ad-Ladies Home Journal 1945

I pretty much love everything about this room, from the black ceilings, to the bamboo trim, wrap around sofas ,  leopard pillows and ottoman .  The ad says the room is “modern, suave and restful” which is a perfect description. But what about those strange ear lamps?  Not sure I’m crazy about body parts used as decorative accents.

Sun porch turned music room-1945

A scale model of a home design by architectural visionary Frank Lloyd Wright.   He named the design Opus 497, which supposedly indicated the amount of works he had produced up until that time.

From the Ladies Home Journal article. “The world’s most distinguished architect designs a crystal house, for town or country, which can have far reaching effects on future living for all of us.”

“The glass , metal, concrete and brick which its famous architect has indicated for its construction are not only available anywhere, at any normal time and basically inexpensive, but as Wright remarks “they make the house fireproof, verminproof, and pretty near foolproof.” However, it is Wright’s manipulation of these four simple accessible materials which gives his house the special kind of livability that carries it way beyond everyday comfort and convenience.”

Here is a view of the outside of the house with a picture of its layout above.

Opus 497-Frank Lloyd Wright house design

And here are pictures of the interior living/dining areas. As you can see, Mr. Wright was a fan of bringing the outside indoors by extensive use of glass to provide sweeping views, and also by the installation of indoor gardens.

Frank Lloyd Wright Opus 497 home design-dining area

Frank Lloyd Wright Opus 497 home design-living area

There is an actual Opus 497 house that he built  that was owned by Lowell and Agnes Walter. It was donated and is now managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  You can read more about this amazing house in this article.

Next up- Food and recipes from 1945. Hint-it ain’t pretty!

Summer dresses recently listed at Blue Velvet Vintage

1. 1940s inspired ruffle neckline wrap dress

2. Bohemian border print sundress

3. Big, beautiful blooms 50s inspired dress

4. 40s style floral print wrap dress

Oh yeah, and these too!

More pretty summer dresses available now at Blue Velvet Vintage

1. Bettie Page purple rose print swing dress

2. Trashy Diva cherry print 40’s style dress

3. Trashy Diva navy dot halter dress

4. Bettie Page white and red dot 50s style swing dress

We’ve also just added some beautiful, romantic vintage inspired dresses from Nataya. Visit our New Arrivals page to see the rest of  our retro summer fashions.

Very often famous actresses were  used to sell cosmetics and at the same time promote their latest film.  Here’s Donna Reed for Max Factor red lipsticks in Blonde, Brunette, Brownette, and Redhead. She was appearing in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”.

Donna Reed for Max Factor-1945 ad Ladies Home Journal

Here’s Paulette Goddard saying “Lux Soap facials every day make skin lovlier”. She was starring in the film “Kitty” at that time.  According to the ad “9 out of 10 screen stars use it!”  It also says 3 out of 4 complexions improved in a short time. Who knows?  But I do love her hair style and the orchid corsage pinned on her dress.

Paula Goddard for Lux Soap Ad-June 1945

Just in case you’re thinking red was the only nail polish color back in the 40s,  think again.  What girls consider trendy, high fashion shades in nail color today were already being worn back then. I love the exotic names, black lustre, blue dragon, royal plum, heavenly mauve, green dragon, black sapphire and ming yellow.  Or how about some dragon’s blood or frozen fire?

Chen Yu Nail Polish Ad-June 1945 Ladies Home Journal

And no amount of glamming yourself up with lipstick, nail polish, a swanky outfit and a lux complexion will  get you a beau if you have “halitosis”.

This dramatic ad for Listerine reads like a romance novel. “This was the night I had dreamed about for weeks, the gay places we would go,  the sweetness of seeing him, for three whole days on his first furlow since our love at first sight meeting. And now, what a rude awakening! Home before midnight, after an evening which began romantically enough and then grew strained and different! What had I said to him?…what could I have done to change his attitude from one of warmth and admiration to cool indifference?

The diagnosis- “When a woman attracts one day and repels the next, something must be wrong. The answer in this case, as in so many others, was halitosis(bad breath) This social offense puts one in the worst possible light and nips many a romance in the bud.”

Really? She’s got a hot date with some horny soldier on furlough and he’s going to dump her off because her breath isn’t fresh enough?  Hardly. But I bet this ad sold a lot of Listerine!

Stay tuned for  pictures of  mid century modern home interiors from 1945.  They’re so cool!

In 1945 clothing still reflected the rationing of fabrics due to the war effort.    So many styles tended to be on the more conservative side.   But luckily there was no shortage of fabulous accessories to keep women from glamming up their outfits.  There were eyecatching hats, elbow length gloves,  costume jewelry, unique handbags and even hairstyles that incorporated elaborate curls and rolls to spice up your look.

Here is a lovely, understated outfit consisting of a black crepe skirt with a black eyelet peplum blouse. Note the black mesh hat with the spray of daisies trailing down the side designed  by famous milliner,  Lilly Dache.

Model wearing Lilly Dache hat-June 1945

The American sportswear industry really took off  in the 1940s due to the fact that designers could no longer depend on Paris for their design inspiration coupled with the fabric rationing and the increasingly casual lifestyle of American women.  All the photos below feature chic, easy care casual  outfits for the summer of ‘45.

These first two photos are of Mrs. Howard Hawks, wife of the famous Hollywood  producer. She’s wearing a  lovely halter dress and a stylish shirtwaist dress. Both in rayon jersey.  Mrs. Hawks ended up being named one of the 10 best dressed women of the year in 1947.  She is also responsible for launching Lauren Bacall’s movie career. Upon seeing her picture on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar, she showed her husband who immediately flew Ms. Bacall to Hollywood and cast her opposite Humphrey Bogart in “To Have and Have Not.”   It’s obvious Mrs. Hawks had impeccable taste.

Mrs Howard Hawks wearing a halter dress-1945

Mrs Howard Hawks in a striped shirtwaist dress-1945

And for poolside and seaside women often wore playsuits with boy cut shorts or with skirts like the outfit below.  Isn’t this two piece black and white gingham bra top and swim skirt adorable?

Gingham two piece swimsuit-1945

Novelty prints on cotton and rayon were another way to add interest to sportswear. And with many servicemen coming back from the South Pacific with stories and souveniers,  anything with a tropical or Hawaiian motif became very popular.  Here is actress Ella Raines modelling a halter bra and sarong made from Hollywood pattern #1581.  I would wear this in a heartbeat!

Ella Raines wears tropical print halter top and sarong-1945

Stay tuned for beauty 1945 Style!