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 find of the day: 1950s Velvet Sequined Circle Skirt

Item description: This amazing skirt is a beautiful sepia-toned brown/black velvet, and gorgeous ! Sequined and hand-painted with sombrero, bullfighter and scenic motifs, it has "Guadalajara" in script on the front, and is a true, full circle. The back of the skirt is a duplicate image of the front. Shown here with a crinoline that is not included to show off the fullness of the skirt, there is a snap on the back of a 2" waistband. In excellent vintage condition, with just a few loose threads in the sequins, this is a beautiful holiday piece that would be fabulous belted with some heels or boots.
Price: $75.00 USD
Available at: Starlet Vintage

New Vintage Skirts + Skirt Inspirations

LOVING these vintage skirts! The colors are so perfect for your Autumn/Winter wardrobes, pair them with tights and ankle boots, so cute! Oh, and don't forget the pair of shorts from the 60s, the floral print on them is so sweet.

click image to view new skirts in the shop


I've recently started wearing more skirts lately (as opposed to my normal uniform of a dress and cardi), so here are some lovely outfit inspirations all with skirts!



Image sources: 1.] We♥It, 2.] Sebastian, 3.] Teen Vogue, 4.] Lichter, 5.] Edomed, 6.] Anna Amphigorously

How to date vintage clothing?

Today I will be showing you how to date vintage clothing in a quick and simple manner (this will help both vintage buyers and sellers to make sure you have an authentic vintage garment or at least have the proper era stated). I hope this simple lesson helps you bunches!

The Garment: A blue and white vintage pencil skirt.


What we know
+ There is a label that reads "Bobbie Brooks"
+ There is no care label
+ There is a metal zipper
+ There is no fabric content
+ The skirt is partially lined



Because the garment lacks a care label we know this skirt was made prior to 1972. Read more about care labels here. But now let's narrow down the years even more.

If you visit the website Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) you can search for when trademarks were filed and used.



1.] Click on " New User Form Search (Basic)"
2.] In the "Search Term" field, enter the tag label (Bobbie Brooks)
3.] Press ENTER and wait for the search results

You should get 4 listings for Bobbie Brooks. The last one is exactly the one we are looking for, the logo matches the one on the tag!



The information on the page lets us know that the trademark was first used in 1941 and the trademark was filed in 1952.

So now we know the skirt is before 1972 but after 1941. Still a pretty big window. But because of the style, the metal zipper, and the lack of a fabric content label, we can narrow it down to 50s-60s.

In early 60s is when this style of skirt was quite popular. And on the label it reads "Color-Coordinate" meaning at one point it probably came with a matching jacket or blouse. Which in the early 60s was quite popular to have matching skirt and suit jackets.



So the verdict... when this darling skirt gets added to the shop, it will be described as an early 60s vintage skirt.

I hope this information was helpful to you and have fun dating more of your vintage!

Vintage Skirt Inspirations

My daily uniform seems to consist of a dress and a cardigan, but recently I have branched out into wearing skirts and a cardigan (I know, what a little daredevil!)

I wanted to post some vintage photos of women from the 40s, 50s, and 60s wearing skirts. I get so happy looking at how lady-like they always looked. I love the skirt, blouse, and cardigan look. It's just so sweet and easy.



And for Shop News... I've added a bunch of new skirts in the shop (dating from the 50s, 60s, and 70s) I will be adding more throughout the week, so visit the shop again!