The Most Amazing Vintage Skirt I Ever Did See

On a random afternoon I ducked into one of my favorite vintage shops in LA and happened upon a late 40s circle skirt. At first glance there really wasn't much too it, it's pale maize yellow with faded doodles all around.

BUT THEN... upon a closer inspection...


Names of people, of places, and even dates! "How curious!" I thought. "What a strange and fantastic textile pattern." I wore it the very next day and was peering down at the dates when I noticed spots along the hem which appeared like ink spots. And a few signatures barely legible.

Could these be ACTUAL signatures? Not a textile print? Later that afternoon I rushed back into the vintage shop and inquired about the origins of the skirt. And here is what I was told...


"The skirt was purchased at an estate of a lady who had worn it during her travels, and when she traveled, if she met some interesting and friendly folks, she would have them sign her skirt. The illustrations were all hand drawn and hand painted. Some of the signatures have faded away since she didn't always have the right pen. But, yep, all those signatures are authentic!"

Now... as someone who has always answered the question "What do you love about vintage?" with "Because I become a part of the story of this garment of clothing"... this little back story to my vintage skirt made me feel like I had sprouted wings and was dancing on cloud 9 with the vintage gods.

I flitted and floated on home and was very extremely tempted to twirl my way down the sidewalk past curious onlookers as I literally skipped home.

For those that sell and collect vintage, this is what it's all about isn't it? That happy magical feeling when you know you now possess something so special to someone at one point in time and you'll treasure it as much as she previously had.

And yes, I will be adding my signature to the skirt. :)

Vintage 1950s French Perfume Advertisements

These vintage French advertisements for perfumes from the 1950s are so lovely and pretty. They would be amazing to frame and put in your bathroom or dressing room.

You can find great vintage perfume advertisements on Etsy and on Ebay!

Image Credits: All vintage ads are from Ondiraiduveau Flickr.

Vintage "Bella Hess" Clothing Catalog Scans: Spotlight on 1957 Winter Coats

"Shine or Shower, you'll be right in fashion in our all weather wonders."


I absolutely love old catalog copy! So, for a change of pace, and perhaps to inspire some of you vintage sellers who write descriptions for your vintage wares, here are snippets from this vintage catalog scan.

SNAPPY STRIPED ACCENTS
"Glamor raincoat, hat and umbrella will shine fashionably in any kind of weather. Snappy combination of rich gabadine and candy-striped taffeta..."

BACK-INTEREST COAT
"In all kinds of weather, the year round, you'll love wearing this water-repellent cotton tweed ensemble that's really in fashion! Back bowed-and-pleated coast is so stunning with its pointed collar, push up sleeves, vertical welt pockets."

MIRACLE MILIUM LINING
"All-purpose water-repellent corduroy companions to wear in any weather... any time of day! Boxy coat has unusual Empire-back tab detail, Puritan-type collar, adjustable turnback cuffs, vertical welt pockets. Milium-insulated rayon-and-acetate lining gives warmth without weight."

Dating Vintage: Vintage Sweaters, Twin Sets, + Cardigans from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s

There is something about rainy cloudy days that makes me wish I had more sweaters in my closet. Particularly vintage sweaters and to get even more specific, vintage sweaters from the 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s.

I never seem to spot them on my many vintage adventures, or perhaps it's because I am not really sure how a sweater prior to the 60s should look. So, to help me, and to help you I hope, here are some advertisements, vintage knitting patterns, and other wonderful images of vintage sweaters from the 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s.

/// Vintage 1950s Sweaters


One of the things I noticed about sweaters in the 1950s are the popularity of dolman sleeves and towards the late 1950s into the 60s the shapes got a bit more boxy. (But that's another post!) Cardigans and twin sets were also very popular in the 1950s especially embellished styles with fur collars and sleeves or delicate embroidery or fancy beading.

/// Vintage 1940s Sweaters


Sweaters and knitwear in the 1940s were a lot more fitted usually with puff sleeved details and ribbed waistlines. Most of the advertisements and catalog images and knit patterns I have seen for 1940s sweaters they almost always are fitted at the waist and broader along the shoulders. Vintage 1940s sweaters also were cropped shorter in comparison to later versions. A popular sleeve length for 1940s sweaters appears to be right above the elbows.

/// Vintage 1930s Sweaters


One of the aspects I noticed about vintage sweaters from the 1930s was the looseness in shape along the bodice. Most of the knitting pattern images I found were more blouson in shape and there were definitely a lot of bow and sailor tie inspired details on the neckline (which I love love!)

Vintage Fashion Video: 1952 "Sweater Girls"

"Remember girls when you wore a sweater just to keep warm?" This delightful vintage video showcases a few vintage cardigans and sweaters "all fancied up" and embellished with "velvet leaves" and mink for collars and cuffs because "gals love mink, even in small doses!"

Credit: Vidcat via Youtube.

Vintage Vogue 1955 | Mary Jane Russell Cover | Vintage Coats + Furs Advertisements

The September 1955 issue of Vogue is filled with advertisement for luxury coats most notably fur coats. I never realized how prevalent fur was in the 1950s!

Dating Vintage Tip: Browsing vintage advertisements is a fantastic way of dating vintage especially if you know the source of the advertisement! For instance, these vintage coat ads were all featured in 1955, therefore you can gather that coats of similar shape and style were probably popular the year before and the year after. And if the ad/editorial is in VOGUE you can pretty much guarantee similar styles made of less luxurious materials were common several years after. (Remember, Vogue was one of the pioneers of forward thinking fashion... therefore it took awhile for the styles to trickle down to the masses...)

Vintage Streestyle | Vintage Fashions from the 1950s

WEAR & SEEK: Golden Poplars Maillot & Yellow Walnut Blossoms

A new feature for the AV Blog, "WEAR & SEEK" will be a pairing of one of our beloved vintage items with a beloved photograph. Vintage textiles can be so inspiring sometimes! We chose this image because it reminds us of the arbor print on this vintage 1950s bombshell maillot.


WEAR: Vintage 1950s Golden Poplars Maillot, $168
SEEK: Yellow Walnut Flowers, Flickr

What is a Maillot - Defining Vintage Fashion Terms

A Maillot is a one piece bathing suit and was first used in the 1920s to describe tight fitting swimwear. Remember, bathing suits in the earlier part of the 20th century looked more like sundresses with full skirts and sleeveless styles.


Usually when I see the word "Maillot" to describe a bathing suit I imagine a strapless or heart shaped bust bathing suit or one with vintage inspired details such as ruching at the waist. To me, a Maillot is synonymous with the bathing suit styles of the 1950s.


Now a days we just call it a one piece. But if you want to be a bit more fancy, you can say you're planning on sun bathing in your gorgeous maillot bathing suit instead of sunbathing in your one piece. *hehe*

Image credits: 1.] Vintage Maillot Advertisement by Catalina Swimwear, 2.] Yellow Maillot With Matching Swim Cap, 3.] Maillot Pin-up at the Beach, 4.] Modern Maillot, 5.] Vintage Inspired Maillot, 6.] Anthropologie.com

Vintage Pin-Up Heels & Ladylike Accessories from Aldens Catalog 1955

Vintage peep toe slingbacks, so darn cute! I love the chic little details on these, especially the tiny bow on the back of the ankle. I'm simply dying over the navy blue slingbacks with the white dashed threading, can't you just see those being remade today?

All of these shoes are quite classic and if you can't hunt down the vintage pair, a quick pop over to Endless.com will probably result in a vintage inspired pair. I'm not quite sure about gloves, I've never cared much for them, although I still think they are quite appropriate for the opera. I do however, ADORE the white "double nylon" pair for $1.09 (save .40!) those are just so cute!

Image Credits: All scanned catalog images from Cemetarian -Alden Catalog 1955

Je t'aime: Vintage illustrations from the 1940s and 1950s Depicting Amour

I simply adore vintage illustrations depicting love and happy couples (in advertisements mostly). They are a little cheesy, but so very romantic. Don't deny it, you know you've fantasized about being swept off your feet (wearing a gorgeous vintage dress, of course!) and being kissed as if you were in a TCM movie.



A snippet from the poem "Camomile Tea"
"We might be fifty, we might be five,
So snug, so compact, so wise are we!
Under the kitchen-table leg
My knee is pressing against his knee."
- Katherine Mansfield