vintage pattern lending library

if sewing and vintage styles are two topics that tickle your fancy, i would highly recommend you familirise yourself with the vintage pattern lending library. their mission is to preserve and archive vintage patterns ranging from the 1840's to the 1950's, making for easier access and use. reproductions of these vintage patterns can also be purchased through the website. please visit the vpll and lend some support to an organisation that is aiding in preserving our past.

the ubiquitous cloche hat

the ubiquitous cloche is a hat that remains stylish after decades, first gaining widespread attention for being the preferred headgear of the newly independent 1920's woman. the word cloche has its origins in french, meaning bell -- and what an appropriate name it is for this bell shaped accessory. this millinery jewel that was popularised by flappers emerged from close fitting toque hats of the 1910's. these hats underwent an evolution during the decade to what we associate with the iconic cloche hat -- fitted with a deep crown and a miniscule or non-existent brim. the depth at which the hat was worn required the wearer to develop a nose-in-the-air, haughty posture, which exemplified 1920's elegance.

1920's cloche with colourful floral soutache and gold bouillon trim

1920's wide brimmed cloche with silk, felt, and yarn trim

the cloche hat underwent a resurgence in popularity during the 1960's and 1970's, remaining an appreciated style and instant classic today.

1920's day dresses

morning (not to be confused with mourning), or house dresses, were common articles of daytime attire for doing housework and chores. as time marches on, technology allows us to achieve tasks with little effort and minimal soiling, thus contributing to the extinction of activity specific clothing. gone are the house dresses of yesteryear, with play clothing following a similar fate. i'd like to pay homage to these humble frocks that played a unique role in history yet aren't photographed or appreciated quite enough:

pink and green plaid cotton dress

this homemade creation is by no means a masterpiece in construction, but the print is astounding

pink floral cotton dress: love, love, love the overlapping petals and double collar

incredible deco cretonne dress with zigzag dropped waist

this clever design gives the illusion of a dress with apron

"the national" money-saving style book, spring & summer 1921

bathing beauties

historically, bathing (or sea bathing) has its origins not in leisure, but in health. submerging the body in salt water was believed to possess therapeutic qualities, comparable to visiting a sauna or a health spa. the act of bathing evolves into the fashionable bathing beauty of the 19th century. bathing beauty contests became common spectacles on boardwalks across america throughout the 20th century. parades of unmarried young women in bathing costumes garnered much protest from conservative groups at the time, but these early beauty contests left a lasting impact on society today, as the blueprint for the miss america pageant.

bathing costume, 1910's

bathing costume with floral appliques + scalloped hem, 1920's

bathing costume with green embroidery + scalloped hem, 1920's

bathing costume with attached belt, 1920's

bathing costume with blue insets, 1920's

bathing costume with red deco monogram, 1920's

all the above bathing costumes would have been donned with matching bloomers, stockings, and bathing shoes. unfortunately, my dress form does not accommodate pants, so only the tunics are displayed. of course, when heading to the beach, let's not forget the water wings and parasol.

novelty prints

i'll be the first to admit that i've numerous weaknesses. sometimes that quick drink with friends on a wednesday night turns into four or five all too quickly. although i try my darnedest to eat organic, macrobiotic, and whatnot, a deep fried ball of macaroni will inevitably slip through the cracks. i would list novelty prints amongst my worst vices; it matters not whether the purchase is vintage, new, or for a child a quarter my size -- if i spot the print that makes my heart squeal "BUT IT'S GOT KITTENS!!!!" that textile is going home with me, going home and doomed to spend eternity in the shadows of my bulging closet.

clearly, the hoarding dilemma remains my cross to bear, but i have a sneaking suspicion i'm not the only one. who with a pulse can NOT smile at the sight of a jeremy scott coat printed with books or a 1930's dress with scotty dogs? some of my all time favourites include 1940's garments of printed rayon. the bleakness of the second world war produced some of the most marvellously whimsical and imaginative textile designs to ever grace clothing. i'm still kicking myself for not purchasing that 40's pink rayon dress printed with oversized flies -- after half a decade! but alas, you know what they say -- focus on the now. so, with this in mind, i present to you a few of my beloveds...

late 1920's balloon + confetti print cotton day dress

1920's blouse printed with athletic flappers in exotic locales

1940's umbrella print rayon capelet

happy thanksgiving!

happy thanksgiving to you all!  the slight chill in the air this morning made me think it would be the perfect day to have a post dedicated to vintage sport and winter headgear.  enjoy the day glutting yourselves! 

victorian ice skating hat 

1910's knit hat -- the pattern for this is very simple, just a rectangular pocket with the sides folded down and secured with buttons.  adorable!

1920's knit tam

1920's red suede sporting cloche

shopping for vintage

i've been rather lax in the past few weeks about updating, but days have been hectic around here.  sorting through mounds of meticulously stored sportswear seems like a very daunting task at this moment, but i promise things will come together and this blog will not go neglected!

topic of the day this friday -- shopping for vintage!  shopping (and shopping for vintage in particular) should always be a joy instead of a burden, but can be baffling to the newcomer.  i'd like to offer a few helpful tips that will hopefully make you a professional in no time!  first, some rules of thumb pertaining to age:

1. clothing made before the late 1930's will not have zippers.  although zippers were initially introduced in the early 20th century for footwear, they were not widely used on apparel until the 1940's.  clothing of the 1910's tend to have very elabourate snap, hook, and eye asymmetrical closures with attached cotton bodice linings.  1920's and 30's dresses often have an opening on one side seam with snap closures.  select dresses of the late 30's will have the identical side opening, but with a thick metal zipper instead.  the back zippered garment we are familiar with today was not in heavy rotation until the 1960's.

2. familiarise yourself with fibres and weaves; educate yourself on the hand of different fabrics.  i constantly see examples where people confuse 1960's garments for 1920's.  knowing the difference between a silk and polyester organza will settle this matter.  an ability to identify period appropriate trims can also be of aid -- plastic beading and pearls will never occur on a 1920's beaded flapper dress.  look for signs of age such as tarnishing of the real silver commonly used to coat the interior of clear bugle beads.

3. be on the lookout for hand finishing, french seams, and other signs of superior construction.  lined garments and bound buttonholes are also good indicators of a quality garment.

4. inspect articles carefully for holes and seam rot.  small holes or areas of weakness may not be readily apparent, but holding a garment towards the light can make the process much easier.

5. know your measurements and have a tape measure handy when going treasure hunting!  it is imperative to understand your shape, since most vintage pieces will not have a size tag.  when they do, the vintage sizing is completely obsolete.  being able to gauge your size by eye will come naturally after some practice.

so next time you're in the mood to uncover some vintage finds, keep this information in mind.  if you are fortunate enough to live in the los angeles area, there is a flea market every sunday to keep you occupied:

1st sunday: pasadena city college 

2nd sunday: rose bowl, pasadena

3rd sunday: long beach 

4th sunday: santa monica 

every sunday: melrose trading post on the corner of melrose and fairfax

vintage halloween costumes

in case you are wondering what we're dressing as this halloween -- the mister and i will be at our bi-monthly dance club downtown donning these costumes from the 1920's.  he'll have to be a bit more careful with items of this vintage.  the pierrot blouse had a pair of matching pants back in the day but let's just say the dance party was in full swing last year when wardrobe malfunctions ensued.  this charming little neck ruff belongs to a separate clown costume, but i think it would make an adorable head piece for the evening.

have fun out there tonight and be safe!

happy halloween!

halloween is a holiday near to dear to my heart for many reasons.  what's not to love about gorging on candy and playing dress up?  several years ago i became obsessed with crepe paper costumes, which was all the rage for children and adults throughout the 20th century.  the dennison manufacturing company, later to become avery dennison (of school and office supply fame), published numerous how to manuals ranging from crepe paper costume making to decorating with crepe paper.  researching and collecting these delightful bits of vintage ephemera led me to discover the wonderful world of halloween, circa 1920's and 30's:

i was fortunate enough to get my hands on these lovely bound editions of weldon's fancy dress, which remain some of the most cherished pieces in my collection.  these were printed in england during the 1920's.  the costumes are sold in pieces and assembled at home, much like predecessors to our modern day costumes in a bag.  i particularly adore all the colours used and the pierrot costume with the eye and lip print -- how decidedly schiaparelli!  a few of the costumes are quite controversial, as we see below with the "ku-klux klan for boys 8-16 years ", black face, and bizzare chinese clown examples -- surely a reminder of how far we've come!

military influence on fashion, WWI (part two)

i've excavated my archives and photographed a few of my favourite pieces from the time period discussed below.  every garment posted is part of my wardrobe rotation -- and every time these lovely ladies see the light of day, people are astonished to hear their story (and age!) since the styles are surprisingly fashion foward.  below is a woman named agnes bickel on her wedding day, 1922:

here is the wedding suit, a delightful creation of the darkest blue wool with exquisite hand embroidery, tassels, and asymmetrical cummerbund belt closure.

black wool walking suit with incredible embroidered petal detail.  labelled "hamburger's, los angeles, cal".  hamburger's department store opened on 8th and broadway in 1908 and was celebrated as the "biggest department store in town".

charming blue wool coat with teal contrast, trimmed with celluloid buttons large and small.

whew!  taking military button trim to an extreme with this black wool walking suit jacket that would take the wearer ages to close.  luckily, it looks equally stunning worn open.  labelled "exclusive wearing apparel, the stern and mann co., the woman's store, canton, ohio".

lastly, it is not uncommon to find these walking suit jackets are lined with vibrant patterned silks, intentionally done to offset the understated exteriors.  unfortunately, many of these extraordinary jacket linings were constructed of weighted silk, which disintegrates rapidly even under the most favourable storage conditions.