Tweed Ride Inspiration #1

My lovely friend, Heather, and I met yesterday to discuss tweed fashion (Raleigh Vintage is helping with the first - and hopefully annual - Triangle Tweed Ride) and decided to make a few "modern" inspiration boards for the occasion.  This was my first Polyvore venture and I do believe it might just be addictive!  Now I just need to do this with my vintage goodies.

Sneak Preview: 1930s 1940s Shoes

Probably like most of you, I have a serious "issue" (addiction, lust - call it whatever you want) with shoes...mine just seems to focus on beauties from the 1930s/1940s - oh the lines, the detailing, the superb construction (most are still very wearable - and danceable - even though they're 70+ years old!).  And, like a proud parent, I wanted to show off a couple of pairs that are new to my ever growing shoe family.

 An amazing pair of 1930s Art Deco pumps.  The upturned/squared toe on these almost makes me cry with joy.  I have such a "shoe crush" on these that I carried them around with everywhere I went for a couple of days after I got them (yes, I know...strange).

A striking pair of late 1930s/early 1940s fire engine red peep toes.  While a fairly common style, the color and the beaded detailing make these special.

I haven't yet decided if these lovelies will go into the shop or into the vault of 1920s-1940s goodies collected for our booth at this year's Eastern Balboa Championships event.

The Flapper Era House Dress - a rare bird indeed

I was so excited when this late 1920s/early 1930s beauty unexpectedly came into our collection.  These house dresses (or, more technically, Hoover Aprons) are extremely rare - most were worn into rags.  Many, such as this one, came with a stamped design ready to be embroidered.  

 If you look closely, you can see the faint blue line of the embroidery guide.

The last two images are from the Fall & Winter 1920/1930 M.W. Savage Company

Bakelite Baubles

The more I learn about bakelite, the more it seems it seems to come into our collection.  

Here are a few of our recent finds...

 Top: Brown brooch (coming soon)

Left: Butterscotch earrings (may go straight to my personal collection)

Right: Rose brooch (in the shop now)

Bottom: Amazing orange bakelite and nut bracelet (coming soon)

Left: Deeply carved dress clip (coming soon)

Right: Gorgeous "end of day" hoops (coming soon)

Bottom: huge pendant (any suggestions on how to best utilize this?)

For some great information and a generally good read, check out Temperamental Broad

Vogue 1938: Fall Color Palette

Such gorgeous jewel tones!  I love the mustard/grey and mustard/teal combo and - oh my - the plums...all my current favorite colors and all so very "now".  

1. For your dress, bold pink stripes on Crestwood's black jersey of DuPont Rayon; Altman.  For your coat, a beautiful black Botany wool with a gentle nub and subtle stripe.  2. The new colour "teal" for your coat in a Hockanum wool with a flat nub; cCutcheon.  Combine it with a dress of mustard DuPont Rayon jersey; Altman.  3. Deep wine and pale blue - an enchanting colour team.  The wins is Forstmann's virgin wool coating, "Neelepoint"; Altman; Marshall Field.  The blue is a Celanese dress crepe.

4. Elephant-grey and mustard - another new colour twosome.  The grey is Forstmann's virgin wool crepe; Lord and Taylor.  The mustard is Botany wool in suit or coat weight.  5. Autumn will see lavender and purple tones.  Juillaiard made the lavender wool crepe.  The purple is a Celanese twill.  6.  Deeply crinkled crepes return.  The black is an American Enka fabric.  Arnold's blue silk twill; Lord and Taylor.

1. Here's an effective trio of colours for an autumn scheme.  For your top-coat, Stroock's blue-and-white wool; Altman.  Under it wine Hockanum wool (Lord and Taylor), combined with a blue mossy crepe of Crown-Tested Rayon.  2. Another attractive colour threesome.  A Fieldcrest plaid of the MacLeod clan for the jacket; Bloomingdale.  Its colours repeated in the blouse of red DuPont Rayon jersey (Altman), with a skirt in green Hockannum wool; John Wanamaker. 

 3. Olive, beige, and plum - a distinguished trio not many will think of.  Forstmann's green virgin wool coating; McCutcheon; J.W. Robinson.  Stroock's chiffon-sheer wool in beige; Altman.  Duplan's Crown-Tested Rayon in plum.  4.  For your coat, Forstmann's superb brown virgin wool.  Make the dress of the beige Crown-Tested Rayon woven with large dots (Lord and Taylor), with a gilet or blouse of rust-coloured Cohma rebbed fabric; from Macy's.

Vogue August 15, 1938

Fashions for College - Furs - Fabrics

In the bag...

     One of our vintage fairies (you know, those wonderful people who are always bringing you vintage goodies simply because they know you'll appreciate it) dropped of a "bag of sewing scraps".  Much to my delight, it was filled with gorgeous lace collars from the 1910s/20s, vintage hankies, and yards of amazing lace trim.   I've always had a passion for lace, so I can't wait to get these beauties cleaned up and ready for wear.