Vintage Style Files

Posts Tagged ‘vintage fashion’

I’m Ba-a-a-a-ck! New Arrivals at Blue Velvet Vintage

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Well, it’s back to work. Not that I wasn’t working while I was away. You think it’s easy searching high and low for fabulous vintage stock to sell? Hell no! Every year it gets tougher and tougher. Not only are there many dealers out there competing for the same good stuff, but a lot of the big fashion designers(not mentioning any names) send out their minions to gather up vintage clothing so they can use it for inspiration in future collections. That leaves less for the rest of us who just want to wear cool one of a kind fashions.

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

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.

ct0042v1

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.

dr2082v1

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!

Mad Men Casting Call Contest

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

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

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

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

Available at Dorothea’s Closet

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

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

Offered at the Frippery Vintage Boutique

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

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

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!

Just added-Two fabulous 50’s vintage sundresses

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Well, am still on my vintage  buying trip.  So my blog is suffering from severe neglect.

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

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

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

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

Off in search of more vintage!

Ladies Home Journal-June 1945 Summer Fashions

Friday, June 11th, 2010

It’s the merry month of  June and I just happen to have a June 1945 issue of Ladies Home Journal in my possession. So I thought I’d do a few posts featuring some of the content in the magazine so you can see what the trends were  in  fashion, beauty, food and home decor  65 years ago, at a time when World War II was almost, but not quite over.

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

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 wearing a halter dress-1945

Mrs Howard Hawks in a striped shirtwaist 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

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

Ella Raines wears tropical print halter top and sarong-1945

Stay tuned for beauty 1945 Style!

Vintage Fashion at the 2010 Golden Globes

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Have finally gotten around  to writing about which actresses wore authentic vintage dresses for this year’s Golden Globe awards.  I’m always interested in seeing which celebrity opts for the alternative to current designer fashions.

My favorite vintage dress was worn by Rose McGowan to the InStyle/Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party.  According to Hollywood Life this elegant 1950s sapphire blue strapless beauty was originally owned by Ava Gardner.  And apparently Rose  took her pooch out to potty while wearing it. I wonder if she had a matching pooper scooper to go with it!

Rose McGowan wears Ava Gardner's dress

Rose McGowan wears Ava Gardner's dress

My next favorite is the black vintage armani gown worn by Penelope Cruz.  A few of the blogs I’ve read claimed they thought she looked matronly. Personally I thought she looked very chic, sophisticated and feminine.

Penelope Cruz in vintage Armani gown

Penelope Cruz in vintage Armani gown

Julia Roberts wore a basic  black vintage Yves St Laurent cocktail dress, which many have criticized for  not being dressy enough for such an important event.   And I say, perhaps she just wanted a simple blank canvas against which to showcase that amazing citrine and diamond necklace from Van Cleef and Arpels!

julia roberts golden globes

Julia Roberts in vintage YSL little black dress

Julia Roberts in basic black with Van Cleef and Arpel neckace

Julia Roberts in basic black with Van Cleef and Arpel neckace

Leopard Print Coats-An Enduring Trend

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Every year or so designers send models out onto the runway wearing their latest animal print collections, claiming it’s the next hottest  fashion.  I think by now we can all agree animal print clothing, especially leopard, is a timeless trend that is here to stay.   It was actually fashion icon Jackie Kennedy  who was originally responsible for making the leopard coat  one of the most coveted and copied styles of the 1960s.  Unfortunately it nearly caused the extinction of the leopard species.

Jackie Kennedy in chic leopard coat

Jackie Kennedy looking chic in her leopard coat

Luckily there are fabulous faux leopard fur coats available so one can still get that classic chic look without harming any innocent animals.  Below is an authentic vintage faux leopard fur coat from the  60s that was just listed on my website.  Because a leopard print coat is such a statement piece, it looks best worn with basic black pants and top or a fitted pencil skirt or dress.  Red clothing is also a stunning complement to leopard.

1960s faux leopard fur wrap coat

1960s faux leopard fur wrap coat

Vintage faux leopard fur coat-M/L-  $155.00

And from left to right here are photos of celebrities, Alexa Chung, Nicky Hilton and Kate Moss looking spot on in leopard!

Celebrities spotted in leopard

Celebrities spotted in leopard

The Space Age Fashions of John Kloss

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Coty Award winner, John Kloss,  studied architecture before deciding to study fashion design at the Traphagen School of Design in New York.  In the late  50’s he apprenticed in Paris with American couturier, Bob Bugnand.

Though he is better known  for his 1970s body skimming lingerie and fluid  jersey evening gowns, his ultra modern clothing from the  early to mid 1960s is especially fabulous .   Like works of abstract art, his designs  incorporated sculptural silhouettes, with generous use of graphics and colorblocking.   These earlier creations are rare and collectible.  The pink and yellow minidress pictured below sold at  auction in England recently for 750 pounds!

Here’s a cool advertisement  for Frigidaire(no pun intended!) from the January 1966 issue of McCall’s Magazine.   They used models wearing John Kloss’s  futuristic designs to showcase their space age  state of the art frost free refrigerator.

1966 John Kloss designs used to advertise Frigidaire refrigerator

1966 John Kloss designs used to advertise Frigidaire refrigerator

Before it was sold at a  Kerry Taylor Auction this past September, this John Kloss mini dress, circa 1965, was included in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s 2006 “Swinging 60s Exhibition”

John Kloss mini dress circa 1965

John Kloss mini dress circa 1965

Here are three more John Kloss designs from the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

John Kloss dress circa 1967

John Kloss dress 1967

John Kloss evening dresses 1967

John Kloss evening dresses 1967

Red & Green Vintage Holiday Fashions

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Have been surfing around on the “internets” , as one of my favorite funny men,  Stephen Colbert, likes to call it, looking for fabulously festive red and green vintage fashions that are perfect for wearing this holiday season.   I love looking at stuff and blog posts give me a perfect excuse to do it!

My first pick is this amazing 50’s dress from Fast Eddie’s Retro Rags with gorgeous red roses and green leaves that really pop against the white background.  Just add a little red cardigan, red jewelry,  and of course, red heels and lipstick and you’ll be the classiest doll on Christmas Day!

Red rose print 50's dress

Red rose print 50's dress-34b 26w $10.00

Now,  for the fancy schmancy shindig,  like an honest to goodness white tie event, how about this incredible red satin 50’s ball gown from Couture Allure Vintage? Definitely calls for opera length gloves and really glittery necklace and earrings.

red-gown

50's red satin gown - 36b 26w $450.00

And if you prefer the sleek lines of the 70’s, here’s a slinky rhinestone embellished  deep forest green jersey halter gown from Blue Velvet Vintage.  The style is a nod to the 1940s era, which was very common to the styles of the 1970s.   The waistband is rhinestone accented with the words “La Vive” , meaning  bright or vivacious, which is just what you’ll be when you  sashay out the door in this sexy little number!

70's green jersey knit gown-34b  262  $165.00

70's green jersey knit gown-34b 26w- $165.00

In Vogue November 1963-Fur Fashions

Friday, November 27th, 2009

My third installment of fashion highlights from the November 1963 issue of Vogue Magazine is fur.   It was not yet politically incorrect to wear it, as the anti fur movement wouldn’t start gathering steam until the latter part of the decade .  So in ‘63  you could still flaunt your fur without fear of it being spray painted!

Below is an ad for leopard fur accessories. Leopard was a very desirable fur to wear in the 60s, which is why it is, along with many other animals,  now on the endangered species list. Today even vintage leopard fur is illegal to sell over state lines.

Is it just me, or does the woman in the fabulous pill box hat bear an uncanny resemblance to Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan Holloway on Mad Men?

1963 ad for leopard fur accessories

1963 ad for leopard fur accessories

These images show how in 63 the very glamorous, timeless look of full length mink coats and fur stoles worn for evening was still popular. But furs were also starting to be designed for the world of sportswear.  In this instance for an apres  ski outfit.  You know those jetsetters,  they  had to look the height of fashion and affluence,  even while sipping  their Brandy Alexanders  in Aspen!

vintage fur ads

vintage fur ads

Stay tuned for hair and makeup trends in Vogue, November 1963.

In Vogue November 1963-Evening Dresses

Friday, November 13th, 2009

The season finale of Mad Men aired this past Sunday night and it seems like the show  just started! How I wish it ran all year round.  I’m already missing the slick acting, the stylish sets and all those swanky guys and glamorous women who always manage to look  so chic no matter what crisis or drama they’re embroiled in!

This past season’s episodes took place in the fall/winter of 1963, and I just discovered I actually  have a November 1963  issue of Vogue magazine.  So in honor of my favorite show I’m going to write several posts this month featuring all kinds of beautiful fashions that were popular from that time period.

The November 63 issue focused a lot on evening wear for the upcoming holidays.  Here are some of my favorites. Which dress can you picture on which woman of Mad Men?  Bombshell Joan, the Grace Kelly like Betty Draper,  Pete’s socialite wife Trudy or Rogers Sterling’s gold digging wife, Jane? It would be tough to imagine Peggy in any one  of these unless Don gives her a big raise so she can afford one.

On the cover-Very Space Age Evening Suit by Yves St Laurent

On the cover-Very Space Age Evening Suit by Yves St Laurent

Silk crepe two piece cocktail outfit with bugle beading from Saks

Saks ad for a silk crepe two piece cocktail outfit with bugle beading

Saks ad for a chiffon cocktail dress with leopard spotted belt.

Saks ad for a chiffon cocktail dress with leopard spotted belt.

vogue-1963-madame gres gown

Magnficent chiffon jersey gown by Madame Gres

Dior gown in brown tulle, with gold and silver embroidery and lurex threads.

Dior gown in brown tulle, with gold and silver embroidery and lurex threads.

Chiffon gown by Sarmi has an ermine bodice! Worn with satin wrap.

Chiffon gown by Sarmi has an ermine bodice! Worn with satin wrap.

Brocade full length cocktail suit by Givenchy

Full length brocade two piece cocktail suit by Givenchy

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