VintageVixen.com Vintage Clothing Blog

Model Mothers of 1944

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

On Mother's Day of 1944, Life Magazine highlighted the busy and beautiful lives of fashion models who also happen to be moms! The captions are telling, with each woman's name written second in line behind her married name. Note the vintage clothes and playthings too. Lots of fun!

Mrs. Eugene Cronin Jr is a hazel-eyed brunette who is known professionally as Sabina. Her maiden name was Sabina Weber. Married in 1941, she has a 20-month-old daughter, Sabina III. She occasionally has to get her mother or aunt to mind the baby while she goes off to work. Sabina III did some modeling for Vogue Pattern Book when she was four months old.

Mrs. Saul Vogel is sleek Bijou Barrington whose phenomenal success as a fashion model started after the birth of her son Bobby nearly 3 years ago. Bijou commands top rates - $15 an hour or $70 a day - and is often booked solid for weeks in advance.

Mrs. R.J. Riordan is Francine Counihan, sister of famous model Anita Colby. Last year Francine went to Hollywood to appear in the movie Cover Girl. Columbia Pictures kept her there for six months and she resigned four times because she wanted to get back to her children.

Mrs. Emerson Dickman Jr is Connie Joannes with a son 18 months old and another baby due. Connie is as beautiful as when she toured country in 1941 as the "Coty girl".

Mrs. Jut Kent, who is Carol Kent, has an 8-month-old son Jon. Carol's modeling specialty is making funny, but attractive faces. Once a week, on the nurse's day off, she stays home with Jon and enjoys it.

Mrs. Edmund Johnstone (Margaret Horan) returned to work after having a second daughter, now 4 months old. Her older daughter is 3. Margaret brags about the time she modeled in a fashion show when six months pregnant.

Mrs. Robert Davis is Bettina Bolegard whose cameo-like face makes even zany hats look elegant. She lives seaside in New Jersey and often gets up at 7 AM to keep her New York appointments.

Mrs. Francis T. Dickson began to model soon after her marriage two years ago. Her son Douglas is 8 months old, has eight teeth, none of which show in this picture.

A fascinating look behind the scenes of some beautiful, motherly vintage fashion models. And to all the moms who love vintage clothing, have a fabulous Mother's Day!

Last Chance! Vixenettes $50 Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:23:00 +0000

If you'd like to win a $50 gift certificate to VintageVixen.com today, now's your chance! We're drawing our first lucky winner randomly at 5:30 PM EST.

To enter, become a Vixenette and join an exclusive group of vintage-loving fashionistas the world over. You'll even get a coupon when you join, like $15 for posting the Vixenettes official seal (below) on your blog. We'll gladly accept new entries until 5 PM EST today. Good luck!

100 Years Ago: Fashion on the Titanic

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:38:00 +0000

It was a century ago this evening that an epic tragedy, the sinking of the Titanic, began. Among the first-class passengers aboard that famous ship was Lady Duff Gordon, also known as Lucile, a British couturier. She survived the disaster, but not without scandal.

Lady Duff Gordon photographed about the same time as the 1912 tragedy; at right, a 1917 robe du soir in her signature style.

Another Titanic passenger was Edith Russell, an American fashion reporter who recounted her experience for the BBC in 1970.

Ms. Russell remembers that at the moment the iceberg struck, she was entering her state room. At that moment she heard only a series of bumps, and called a friend nearby to go on deck and investigate. At first, her companions were amused by the iceberg's presence and made snowballs from the iceberg's shavings. At the time, she was wearing a white satin evening gown as the guests had just enjoyed an evening gala. After the impromptu snowball gaiety, Ms. Russell soon re-entered her state room and went to bed.

In the middle of the night, she was awakened by a man and was told to arise and leave the ship. Ms. Russell had only one dress suitable to be worn at the moment - it was a woolen sheath dress with a hobble skirt, "only half a yard" width at the hem and very difficult to walk in. She also wore a wool cap, a thin broadtail coat and two fox furs, with silk stockings and velvet slippers with diamond buckles.

An example of a hobble skirt from a 1913 fashion illustration.
The severely narrow width was considered a status symbol of well-kept women at the time.

Before leaving her state room, she took time to lock all the trunks and windows and then waited rather grumpily in a chair on deck, believing the precautions to be unwarranted. In those locked trunks were a large number of French couture fashions bound for American clients. In contrast to that safety measure, Ms. Russell chose to leave all her jewelry and money in the ship's safe, believing she would return in the morning to the ship. This assumption caused her to continue afterward in three years of "acute starvation" upon arriving in America, as she'd lost a large sum of money due to the hasty decision.

Before leaving the Titanic on that fearful night, Ms. Russell in her hobble skirt felt assured that this unsinkable ship was nothing to abandon. Upon hearing that she urgently must board a lifeboat, she relayed to a sailor that there was simply no way she'd be able to step into one with such a narrow skirt - "Not me, I'm not an acrobat" she said unsteadily.

The sailor and another gentleman proceeded to literally throw her "head foremost" into the lifeboat, where she was the next-to-last passenger accepted on the very last lifeboat. Despite her fashionably narrow skirt and its (literally) hobbling effect, she survived the ordeal and arrived nearly empty-handed in New York, sans money, jewelry or her clients' couture designs.

Such a massive disaster makes the loss of sundry clothes seem so very trivial, which it is. These luxurious trappings are, however, part of what makes the Titanic tragedy so riveting for so many, as extant jewelry and similar remnants line the halls of many a Titanic museum exhibit. And for those experiencing the event in pre-World War I society, the heartbreakingly somber stories and the dramatic losses, both human and material, seemed to mark the end of the Gilded Age.

References:
Lady Duff Gordon photo - http://www.legag.com/titanic/person/cosmo.htm
1917 Lucile dress - Fashion: the Kyoto Costume Institute : from the 18th to the 20th century, Taschen.
1913 fashion illustration -Men and Women: Dressing the Part by Claudia Brush Kidwell & Valerie Steele

Haute Style On A Budget

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:13:00 +0000

A bit of wisdom from a 1960s fashion guide:

Often an inexpensive dress or suit can be upgraded with an expensive accessory.
But if you have an expensive dress, and wear cheap accessories,
your good dress will be cheapened as a result.

Case in point:

This 1958 Vogue model wears a slim shift dress that cost (at the time) only $13 from the moderately priced Koret of California, an everywoman's ready-to-wear label from the 1960s. Her bag however, is Josef from Bergdorf Goodman, the renown upper crust New York destination. A smart pairing for a completely new look on a budget!

Reference: Instant Fashion by Graphic Enterprises Inc, published 1969 in the US.

Ask The Vixen: Discolored Sequins

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Q: Help! I have a 1970 sequined dress, it is covered with sequins, it has a white background with the New York skyline in black around the dress, beautiful piece.

However, the white under the arm and around the high collar have gone yellow how do I clean these white sequins? Please help.

A: Thanks for your note! If the sequins themselves have turned color, there is unfortunately no way to clean them. When a plastic turns color, it's due to chemical reactions between the plastic and the surrounding environment, probably due to perspiration as it's at the underarm and at the top of the collar.

If you attempt to change the color of a plastic sequin, it will possibly become brittle or melt to the fabric nearby. You could attempt a dry cleaning to solve this, but it would not be a likely solution.

The best solution I would recommend is to find a match to these sequins, purchase a quantity of them, remove the discolored ones and replace with new ones. You would also need to stabilize the sequins around the work area because there will be loose ends to their securing threads once the others are cut.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:45:00 +0000

...and here's just the thing to ring in spring!

This charming set of scatter pins is a visual treat made just for this time of year.

What's a scatter pin, you say? It's a pair (or more) of pins that go together, and are worn 'scattered' over a blouse or sweater. Think Doris Day, sweater girls, mohair sweaters and such. Scatter pins were popular in the 1960s and are irresistibly wearable today.

We have a variety of scatter pins on our site at any given time. Take a look and snag a few - before they scatter like the wind!

Little Known Labels: Nat Kaplan

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:36:00 +0000

The Nat Kaplan label is quietly one of the priciest labels we've seen in vintage deadstock, with hangtags in the hundreds of dollars per dress. When you apply inflation to those vintage dollars, these are expensive designs, ranging to prices that equal thousands of today's dollars.

The Nat Kaplan look is conservative but occasionally sexy, meant for ladies who lunch and who had large budgets for clothing. Most of the items are either dresses or suits, impeccably elegant and impressively tailored and finished. The items above are pure silk dress and coat sets from the 1960s.

Nat Kaplan's labels are either "Nat Kaplan/ New York" or "Nat Kaplan/ Couture", which were probably two distinct lines from the same New York-based company. The hangtag below has a 1960s price of $250. In vintage clothing shops, today's retail of the same item is usually much less than the original vintage price.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, this company focused increasing on synthetics (as did much of the fashion world), but its prices remained just as high. Often the finishing was more likely done by machine during these years, but sometimes hand-finished details were expertly executed in a 100% polyester garment.

We usually see Nat Kaplan garments mixed into the same deadstock racks as haute labels like Oleg Cassini, Pucci, Estevez, Mollie Parnis, Diane von Furstenberg and similar designers. The look is just as chic, but this label is still little-known among vintage fashion collectors - a prime name to start seeking out.

Find our latest selection of Nat Kaplan originals and start your own haute label collection!

Vintage Resurrection: 1950s Silk Satin Ball Gown

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:53:00 +0000

This beautiful Charles James-inspired ball gown arrived at Vintage Vixen a flattened, wrinkled, unwearable mess. Because it was in such rough condition, it has literally hung around for awhile. Once off the rack, we found knots in the shoulder straps, random snaps added to the waist (with nothing to snap onto it), and some spots throughout the skirt.

To add to its troubles, the back bodice had been altered with the addition of a green satin panel. This was a welcome alteration as it made the dress larger, though its existence looked odd and out of place in its current position.

So we Vixens got to work! First, we sourced some gorgeous spinach green silk chiffon panels from another dress that was unfortunately not salvageable. We dug through our trims for a matching pink bloom in similar satin. And we began adapting the dress with criss-crossed layers...

...and by draping the green chiffon around the back & waist...

We did this with hand-applied snaps placed by draping on a dress form. Then we carefully positioned the corsage for a beautiful back detail, and wrapped the waist with the chiffon to obscure its obvious flaws. And voila!

This beautiful gown is now available on our website. Thanks for following along as we resurrect another exquisite vintage design!

Shoe Design Circa 1939

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Found this link and couldn't help but get excited. My favorite era (the 1930s) combined with some fabulous surrealist influences... and some awesome futurist styles as well. I'd never heard of Steven Arpad before, but now he's on my vintage radar. Enjoy!

Adeline Leonard Seakwood: Powers Model, Actress & Film Production Coordinator

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:01:00 +0000

One of the most notable ladies I've met in my job is Adeline Leonard Seakwood, an indomitable talent and at 89, a bustling force of positive energy. I had heard she once was a model, and upon asking her, she tells me, "Oh yes, and I was the production coordinator on the first Superman movie!" As one might expect, this bright-eyed lady has a marvelous history both on and off the screen.

First a model, then an actress, Adeline first became involved behind the scenes in films after an urgent call for office help brought her quickly to the studio of John Graham, a production manager. Her ability to turn the whirlwind mess into a manageable atmosphere caused Graham to say, "I don't know who you are, but never leave me."

As you can see, this lady's an exception. But let's start at the beginning - Adeline was a precocious child at the piano, as her mother discovered she could play by ear at the tender age of 2. Her mother wrote, produced and acted in off-Broadway plays in the 1920s & 30s, which was a lucky thing for Adeline as she enjoyed the spotlight immensely. Adeline herself was a part of one of these plays, "Lest We Forget", with speaking lines at age 9.

At age 15 a friend suggested Adeline ought to model, and so she tried it out. In 1938 she became a Powers model with photos in hand, and as a young adult she modeled for various publications. Because the Powers agency did not offer classes, I was curious to know how Adeline learned to pose. She replied, "I don't know how I learned to pose; it just came naturally to me I guess." The fashion publications were "nothing of note" Adeline says, but she has polished and beautiful photos to show for it. The photo at right was one taken for the agency. And her mother was a wonderful support, designing clothes for her photo shoots and supporting Adeline in her creative endeavors.

Because she grew up in Brooklyn, the film industry was nearby, and Adeline auditioned for many commercials and movie projects. Today her piano is covered with framed photos including one of Adeline posing with a Coca-Cola bag circa 1950s. Commercials like this brought Adeline into the world of film, and as she had some secretarial skills, she also grew in demand thanks to the needs of busy production managers like John Graham.

On-screen, Adeline was often an extra in the movies. As an extra, the clothes she wore were "nothing of particular consequence", but described in advance by the studio to inform you how your clothing should fit the film. In one famous scene, she wore a smart blue suit standing behind none other than Cary Grant.

The film was "North By Northwest"; the scene was in the elevator. Originally Adeline was slated to be an extra on the street during a farewell cab scene with Grant. Director Alfred Hitchcock deemed Adeline "too pretty" for the street scene, and instead sent her to stand amidst the pressing crowd in the elevator. On the first take, Mr. Grant stood in front of Adeline so that she couldn't be seen. At a pause in filming, Adeline coolly whispered into his ear, "My mother will never forgive you."

And Mr. Grant stepped to one side.

Off camera, Adeline developed extensive experience as a production coordinator, managing "the nerve center" of the many and varied requirements of a film production. In this role she was a part of dozens of films and TV shows, including The Patty Duke Show from 1962 to 1965. A complete list of her impressive film career is located at IMDB (note to Adeline: this will create a link to a website that shows your movie credits). Even behind the scenes, her encounters with movie stars were still an occasional part of working life. During a production with Paul Newman, the office staff moved off-site for an impromptu meeting. As Adeline lugged a heavy typewriter to the meeting location, Mr. Newman graciously intercepted the bulky equipment, saying, "Let me help you with that."

While working on Three Days of the Condor starring Robert Redford, the production team struggled with a last-minute script change. After much delay, Adeline rushed the final version of the script onto the set. As her production jobs were nearly always confined to an office, Adeline's face was unknown to many on set. Crowds of public spectators were lined up along the set to get a glimpse of the famous names. When Mr. Redford spotted her, he picked her up and gave her a big hug in thanks for the new script, much to the curiosity of those crowds of people, who all wondered "Who's that?!"

Head shots for SAG-AFTRA.

Despite this memorable display of public affection, Adeline lived a quiet life mostly outside the spotlight, although her first meeting with her future husband Herb Seakwood was indeed like something out of a movie. Mr. Seakwood was an attorney who needed temporary help at his office, and Adeline answered the call to take a letter for him. Although she did not remember shorthand, she ambitiously wrote as he dictated page after page of difficult "legalese." It was a harried ordeal for Adeline, and due to hours focused on the legal pad, Adeline did not even remember his face afterward.

After this temporary job, Adeline and her future beau had no connection, and it was more than a decade later when Cupid struck. This time, Adeline met him accompanying her aunt to his office to create her aunt's will. Not two weeks later, this aunt passed away unexpectedly, and Adeline found herself back at Mr. Seakwood's office to manage the estate. Adeline and Herb fell in love, and they have been doting companions ever since.

Their deep sentiment is displayed in their clothes, as the dress and suit they wore in 1980 at their wedding are still in the closet, carried out and worn every anniversary. Likewise, Adeline wears the same vintage dress each year to commemorate their first meeting decades ago (see photo below). They are utterly charming, and the among the most loving couples I've ever met.

Back at the piano, other framed photos show Adeline smiling with the likes of Christopher Reeve, Robert Redford, William Shatner, Carroll O'Connor and Peter Falk. Adeline's impressively able at the piano even today. Due to decades of playing by ear, she has at her fingertips a world of tunes, both old standards and her own original works with effervescently positive lyrics. She graciously played some for me during our interview, much to my delight.

And today Adeline brings delight to many more than me. She's the Sunshine Lady for three local organizations, offering a smile and kind word to countless people new to our area. Her bright charm is a gift once cultivated both on and off stage, behind and in front of the camera.

Little Known Labels: Vijack

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:30:00 +0000

Lots of glamorous black jersey, metallic sequins, alluring ruched seams... it's Vijack! The Vijack label is usually seen in 1970s vintage clothing, though it existed into the 1980s and perhaps even the 1990s. The look is sometimes late disco, though its heyday seems to be that posh status-seeking period in the early 1980s. Think Dynasty or Falcon Crest!

The signature Vijack look is definitely sleek and forward-thinking, yet some of its designs have a hard-edged Deco, 1930s or 1940s appeal.

The Vijack label always has a name above it in our experience, suggesting there were continual collaborations between Vijack and various designers. These two are common ones:

Check our site for more vintage Vijack labels... they'll be almost exclusively black, and always a fabulous choice for a Vintage Vixen!

Little Known Labels: F.M. Bistany

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:04:00 +0000

In vintage clothing, there are hundreds of labels we see once and never again. It's due to the small-scale dressmakers and cottage industries that thrived throughout the 20th century.

One of the loveliest small shop labels we've seen is a Lawrence, Massachusetts business called F.M. Bistany.

We've been lucky enough to offer a variety of this shop's dresses:

This 1940s summer jacket shows that the F.M. Bistany shop did sell others' wares, as its label has a second manufacturer's label:

But most of their dresses are hand-sewn without factory finishing. Beautiful one-of-a-kind designs, all 1940s era... the stuff vintage dreams are made of!

Until next time, Vixens, happy shopping!

Q & A: Removing Musty Odors From Old Wool

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:22:00 +0000

Q: I used to be a designer several decades ago and over the years have collected some wonderful but valuable pieces of yardage. Many pieces are wool that have been stored in plastic bins with other yardage and they all have a musty smell. Will simply having the yardage dry cleaned make these pieces acceptable or is there another trick to restoring the freshness to these pieces? None of these pieces appear to be damaged, just smell old and musty.

I hope you have a good solution for my problem...

A: Dry cleaning would help these items, but if they are pressed or steamed while at the cleaner's, the heat can set the musty odor and make it permanent. You might want to try airing them first, and for several days if possible. The more they can air out unfolded, in shade to avoid fading, the better they'll smell. The ozone present in the air after rainfall is a natural odor eliminator if you can arrange airing then.

You could also try setting them in a closed box with charcoal or baking soda adjacent, as these products will eliminate odors. I'd try these methods before dry cleaning, so that you can minimize what odor remains before the dry cleaner works on them.

Rise & Fall Of A Fashion Empire

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:58:00 +0000

I chanced upon a gentleman the other day who happened to say something that rang in my ears:

His father was once the largest manufacturer of ladies' coats and suits in America.

While he mentioned it in passing, I had to describe to him my keen interest and my background in vintage clothing which spurred the subsequent questions.

I learned that his father was a clothing salesman who founded Burstein & Company, and this developed into a partnership called Myron Lewis - Myron being a twist on his father's name (Mickey), and Lewis was Mickey's brother. The two worked as a team, with Mickey heading sales and Lewis managing the factory where the garments were produced. The company began post-World War II and existed until the mid-1960s, when the business was sold to Handmacher Fashions. Later on, Handmacher merged with Jonathan Logan.

A 1949 advertisement of Handmacher's more casual Weathervane line of suits, created about the same time Myron Lewis began.

I listened with excitement as he described how his parents would travel to France, purchase examples of the latest Parisian couture, and bring the clothes home to the business. Mickey would "give it to the cutter", meaning that his patternmaker would take the garment and copy it line for line. He'd then create the same item in a moderate price range to make the mode accessible to the masses.

The fashion history embedded in these anecdotes thrilled me, but for this businessman they were simply lines from his father's resume. No trace of the business remains in the family except these stories. When asked about the clothes themselves, the gentleman could relay vaguely that his father did a lot of clothes with big buttons. That was all.

A Handmacher design in 1968. Handmacher purchased Myron Lewis in the mid-1960s.

In his father "there was no great love" for fashion, he told me, just a keen entrepreneurial intent and a wonderful success that developed from that simple desire. Indeed, Mickey Burstein only had to work twenty years thanks to the exponential growth of Myron Lewis. A splendid tale to hear, if only in scant outline, from decades past.

Shameless Plug: Bargain Bin

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:21:00 +0000

This 1940s men's Hawaiian shirt shipped a few days ago... and its price on our site was only $12.50!

It was originally priced $125.00 at VintageVixen.com. This rare men's shirt is bamboo & floral print rayon, unusual to see with a Mandarin collar. The Aloha look is very evident, though (as you can see by the label) it's a cool California design.

For more bargain bin items, check our sale sections for men's vintage, women's vintage, and children's vintage clothing. We have hundreds of treasures from 30% to 90% off!

Lingerie Catwalk Circa 1962

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:57:00 +0000

A photo like this is not risque` today, but when you consider the period in which it was taken... ooh la la, that was a brazen lady! She's modeling lingerie, it's strapless and bareback, and she's strutting well above the crowd to do it.

One of the coolest things about fashion history is watching women push the envelope of what's acceptable. This woman was part of a European show for Aubade lingerie circa 1962. She's perky, charming and selling the line beautifully, despite what scandal some might've perceived at the time.

If you like her bustier, check out our collection of authentic vintage bustiers & corsets. There's something for every vixen!

Reference: 1000 Dessous by Gilles Neret, a Taschen publication

Note: The source states that this "catwalk parade" happened in 1952, but the Aubade brand did not exist until 1958. We have taken the liberty to assume the date was meant to be 1962, judging by Aubade's history and the styling of this model & her audience.

I Hear Wedding Bells...

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:13:00 +0000

A lovely customer called today and her pursuit of just the right wedding dress for a vintage fashion show reminded me of this photo:

I just love the happy charm of these people. And that reminds me of something else - we just posted a new collection of vintage wedding gowns at Vintage Vixen!

Come visit and say "Hi", whether you're looking for a dress for The Big Day or just browsing for something wonderful. We have lots of both those types of things.

In Memoriam: Pauline Trigere

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:16:00 +0000

Pauline Trigere passed away ten years ago this week. I happen to remember it was just after we'd acquired some exquisite Trigere designs from a Miami entertainer's estate. Although working in vintage clothing is understandably tied to estate work (and thus people's deaths), the emotion of it doesn't diminish, and it was a poignant moment for me. Trigere was (and still is) a favorite.

A 1959 Pauline Trigere suit, includes spiralled S-curve jacket & narrow wool dress, lined in leopard-print Italian lambskin.

When individuals die, there's a household to disassemble. But when a world-renown designer passes on, there's a legacy that remains. Its staggering presence, suddenly made hollow, can be overwhelming. Trigere was one of the most enduringly elegant labels of the 20th century, and one of the best for couture quality and timeless beauty.

Little Known Labels: Gino Paoli

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Just as vintage clothing fashionistas today look to Italy for posh labels and luxurious materials, so did fashion-savvy women of decades ago. And when you look beyond labels with longevity and household names like Italian companies Gucci or Pucci, there are many more labels that once existed and created a signature style and quality unsurpassed since.

One such label is Gino Paoli, an Italian company that thrived on beautiful knitwear and leather, hand-finished and often in rich jeweltone hues. Classic Gino Paoli clothing includes two-piece knit suits, sweaters, dresses and leather paneled jackets. We usually see the suits with suede panels in a hue perfectly matched to the knit. The jackets are either suede or leather, sometimes two-tone as seen above.
Though they're often seen in neutrals (like bone or camel), some have vibrant colors that grew increasingly trend-focused into the 1960s. Paoli knits exist from the 1950s through the 1970s, with most made in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. They're inevitably wool knit, sometimes suede/leather, but later in the 1960s they diversified to produce less expensive woven A-line casual skirts. By the 1970s Paoli did not seem to be as popular as we see it less often in this era, and its knits were synthetic to follow the polyester trend of its day. Paoli labels do not appear to exist after the mid-1970s.

Gino Paoli is not especially rare, although its expensive price tags in the 1960s indicate it was not a mass-quantity line and it's not often found today in large quantity. Paoli labels, while costing hundreds per ensemble in the 1960s, are also not yet expensive in the collecting world today. This makes it a smart choice for the vintage clothing buyer who's seeking haute style for the price of ready-to-wear.
Paoli garments are readily wearable in most cases, with a few points to consider that are inherent to their design:

Knit - We suggest hanging Paoli garments on a thick shoulder-like hanger similar to those you'd use for the best and heaviest overcoats. A knit garment in a medium-thick weight can stretch out of shape over the shoulders if stored on a too-thin hanger. Alternatively you can store knit Paoli items flat, with the fewest folds possible if it has leather/suede panels.
Wool - Wool items by Paoli don't need particular attention beyond the average wool garment, except to note that when shopping for wool, notice if there are any holes due to clothes moths. An excellent vintage clothing dealer can repair these holes, often with little sign of its repair.
Suede - Suede requires some special care as it will stain if moisture reaches it, and must be cleaned by a leather care expert. That being said, it's an exceptionally soft and beautiful material that many collectors covet for its quality, and of all vintage suedes, Paoli created some of the best.

View our current selection of Gino Paoli vintage clothing to dress well at beautiful prices. Until next time, Ciao!

Straight out of the 70's... It's Barbie and Ken!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Brisendine) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

In choosing what's best to wear, Barbie and Ken Paper Dolls sure have it easy. They're just a fold away from fabulous!

Is Barbie going on a date with Austin Powers? She's going to look groovy baby!

Ken's going to fight for his girl so he's pulling the best out of his closet. He will be sure to catch her eye.

Barbie can't resist Ken when he's wearing his powder blue leisure suit. She's taking her man out dancing.

Ken can once again hold Barbie in his arms and feel like the stud that he is.

To dress like a stud check out our 1970s men's vintage clothing.
To dance like a disco diva browse our 1970s women's clothing.

Have a groovy day! Peace out.

Vintage Barbizon Label Library

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:15:00 +0000

There are a few vintage clothing labels that truly chronicle a company's styles, usually by assigning interesting stylized names to their designs. Barbizon Lingerie is among the most creative!
Its signature nomenclature is spelled out on every label, including not only the name of the style but also the name of the fabric.

After fifteen years cataloging vintage clothes, we've accumulated quite a list of Barbizon styles & fabrics:

Robes

Denise
Fleur At Ease
Lady At Ease (one of the best Barbizon labels we've ever seen!)
Pegnoir (a version of the French peignoir, which means a nightie + robe set)

Half Slips - These are a play on the word "petticoat" for a full-skirted half slip.

Petti Dance
Petti-Penny
Petti Pet
Petti-Sweet
Petti-Whirl

Bed Jackets

Ariel
Cadet
Claudia
Dainty Puff (the "puff" labels were used for quilted bed jackets)
Jodie
Pretti Puff
Puffett

Nightgowns

Bon Claire
Capricious
Celeste
Devonshire
Flattery
Meta
Pennell
Symphony

Full Slips

Acclaim
Ariel
Bryn Fair
Bryn Fit
Bryn Mawr
Endear
Elegant In Nylon
Encore
Jaunty Fit
Rhapsody
Trubeau

Pajamas

Lazy Sue
Skipper-At-Ease

Teddies

Roxbury

Even the proportions of the item were sometimes described on the label, with petites labeled as Little Lady or Little Miss, compared to an average height item marked as Medium Miss.

Besides the style names, Barbizon prized its custom fabrics created just for its own collection. Example fabric names are:

Batiste - Usually seen in summer-weight house coats & nightgowns

Blendaire Batiste
Glendaire Batiste
Zephaire Batiste

Crepe

Crepe Remarque
Crepe Gartiere
Josette Crepe Avant
Rayon Crepe Lagere

Satin

Satin Dosche
Satin Seraphim
Satin Sylfaire

Taffeta

Taffreda (likely Barbizon's most popular fabric)

Quilted Fabrics

Recollection Quilt
Seraphim Satin Quilt

If you've seen another Barbizon style or fabric name on a vintage label, let us know!

A Page From A French Fashion Magazine, April 1956

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Ooh la la, mademoiselles! Torn from the pages of Plaisir de France:

Jeanne Lanvin suit ensemble in black rayon canvas.

White two-piece ensemble by Christian Dior.

Two-piece ensemble in white pique by Hubert Givenchy,
a favorite designer of Audrey Hepburn's.

Christian Dior robe du soir in white tulle and point d'esprit.

Au revoir, until next time Vixens!

Eye Candy: Malcolm Starr Circa 1967

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Malcolm Starr was a high-end name in the 1960s, and it's a label still sought-after today by vintage fashionistas in the know. This glamorously avant garde pose was taken in 1967.

The gown is crepe-backed satin with pave` bands of beadwork. Originally sold at Miss Bergdorf of Bergdorf Goodman. Ring by David Webb.

View our current selection of Malcolm Starr for your own elegant vintage find!

Reference: Bazaar, September 1967

Hunting for Vintage Clothing?

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

With vintage clothing online, do you ever wonder where to shop first? Who might have something cute & affordable? When it comes to unique clothes like vintage it can be a labyrinth of choices.

Our site has one of the best vintage clothing search functions available, where you can narrow your search based on such variables as price, size, color, type of item and decade. You can even whittle down items by fabric content and fabric print!

In the coming weeks, we are also sharpening the focus of our basic search box - the small text box you see on the top of our pages at VintageVixen.com. The goal is to provide more predictable and desirable results based on your keywords.

Beyond our site, there's a nifty list of vintage clothing shops provided by She's A Betty. This blog is about living well on a budget, and being the excellent writer that she is, she's culled the best of vintage clothing sites based on price range.

View the directory by price, or A-Z, and get a Betty's eye view of vintage clothing on the web.

Disclaimer: We don't know this Betty personally, and we have no connection with her. We just like her. :)

The Next Best Thing To Paris

noreply@blogger.com (April Ainsworth) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:25:00 +0000

A friend of mine on Long Island once told me this wonderful anecdote:

Her aunt lived in New York in the 1920s & 30s. As a young woman, she was a fashion buyer of sorts. Her crafty mission was to shop Bergdorf Goodman for the very best designs, purchase one of each, and take them back to the sewing department where she worked at a lesser-priced department store. Then the seamstresses would copy each gown, line for line, and make up copies of the designers' originals.

Such investment in "the latest from Paris" was once a matter of course, when French fashion was the pinnacle of style. It wasn't until mid-century that the notion of an American designer climbing the ranks was even considered here in the US. For example, this 1940s suit speaks volumes about the French influence:

Its label is clearly inspired by Paris, yet just below "The French Shops" it tells us a much more mundane origin - Filene's Department Store in Boston. Yet the look is exquisitely Parisian, wonderfully executed. Back in the 40s we could wish for a French name to the point of emulation like this, even if we Americans couldn't technically create it or afford it.

A 1921 advertisement for a "millinery copyist". Such plagiarism of fashion
was more blatant before branding and licensing grew in importance.

Even Hollywood starlets were hard pressed to purchase French originals. Marsha Hunt, an ingenue signed by Paramount at the tender age of 17, had the difficult task of existing in the limelight with a limited budget for her personal wardrobe. It was 1934, and the cameras were focused on her. She writes "the choice arose: whether to splurge on a very few fine originals, or for the same money to buy a much greater variety of less expensive things".

Marsha Hunt in 1937, wearing a pretty frock probably from her own wardrobe - and probably a copy!

Of course our friend from Long Island could've copied all the "fine originals" and made a wardrobe for Ms. Hunt for much less. And this is indeed the direction Marsha went. She shopped "often and carefully" at department stores and smaller shops, always seeking and finding more than she could afford. Indirectly, the couturiers must have been dismayed at such activity. But at least, thanks to the copyists, there was even the possibility!

Source: The Way We Wore: Styles of the 1930s & '40s and Our World Since Then by Marsha Hunt