Grace & Manners

Vintage - This Month's Purchases

Yesterday's vintage hunting and gathering on etsy revealed a host of beautiful, quirky and unique pieces. Thankfully, I have gotten better at resisting impulse buying and usually manage to analys a purchase in terms of how it will fit into my existing wardrobe (if it is a piece of clothing), condition and price and whether it will actually suit me.

For example, I used to get extremely distracted by "romantic", slightly girlish pieces and while I still love to look at them and admire them on other people, I know now that those kind of clothes will make me look like a schoolgirl of 16 - not the aesthetic I aim for, to be sure! I have come to like a certain rigour and structure in my clothes - a streamlined cut or sharp tailoring just works better on a petite frame.

But enough preamble, let me share my two May vintage purchases.

 
Pictures from Petrune on etsy

I can't wait to wear this stunning 1940's dark blue rayon dress. It has a draped v-neckline to give a peek of collarbone and a small side train - very chic. This dress could easily go from day to cocktail hour with the addition of some delicate drop earrings, brooch and my favourite LK Bennet nude heels.

Petrune has an amazing selection of vintage dresses - I was contemplating this (worn with slicked back hair and a red lip to avoid any hint of the saccharine) and this dress (love the zingy colour) for purchase as well.

 Picture from Practice in Time on etsy

With summer (supposedly) just around the corner, I have finally found a replacement for my ill-fitting modern sunglasses: this stylish Ray Ban model from the 1950's in faux tortoiseshell. I had quite a shortliste of possible purchases but I managed to whittle it down to this pair. I still got my eye on another pair of slighly extravagant white and green striped cat-eye frames from the early 50's though...

On my vintage wishlist for next month: some more vintage silk slips for my collection, an Art Nouveau insect brooch, a turban hat and a set of daguerreotype photographs.

Vogue Pattern Book

In a weak moment, I did a bit of pre-Christmas browsing on etsy (very dangerous in terms of sticking to my Christmas gift budget...) and snapped up two vintage Vogue Pattern Books from For The Bettys.

I love everything about vintage women's magazines: from the slightly musty smell, to the advertisments, model's poses and, of course, the fashion. Below are a few of my favourite pages from the October/November 1959 isssue.

Beautiful jacket, I particularly like the collar - perfect frame for the multi-strand pearl necklace.

I adore this chic jersey dress, so stylish! It looks comfortable, elegant and could easily be adapted from day wear to a night out. This goes straight onto my (ever growing) sewing list.

My favourite, collar bone grazing neckline style, ending in a plunging low back (unfortunately unseen).

It's always nice to find sketches of different styles or silhouettes in vintage magazines as they are great for inspiration and reference purposes.

Work of Art

 
These shoes are so unbelievably amazing! It's the Black Iris Platform Sandal from Alexander McQueen and they could be yours for a mere $3000. Yes, that's right... I know it is ridiculous and stupidly extravagant to spend so much money on a pair of shoes but something tells me I would, if I could.

1950's Lace Evening Dress

 

Here comes another of my recent stellar vintage finds - a pale gold 1950's chantilly lace halter neck evening dress with a matching bolero bought from this etsy seller.

The bodice of the dress is boned and has a sweetheart neck line. Unfortunately, due to my lack of "bust", this doesn't show as nicely when the dress is worn. Still, I really love the silhouette of this dress with the slim bodice, low back and full skirt.

 
I like that the colour of the fabric looks almost washed-out and faded; it speaks of melancholy and times gone by. It sounds ever so slightly demented to talk of a piece of clothing as "melancholy" but I do think that clothes exude moods. Well, I told you I was bonkers…

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. The dress comes with a matching bolero which is beautifully cut and conveniently has removable shoulder pads. I don't think I will be wearing it with the dress though since I am not a big fan of matchy-matchy outfits. Pulled together, yes, but not coordinated to death.

 
Picture from Revolving Style at etsy

This dress really transports me right to the warm months: balmy evenings, promenading on the river bank, strappy sandals, copious amounts of ice cream, large-brimmed hats…Oh summer, where art thou?

Vintage New York

Luck would have it that the Manhatten Vintage Clothing Show was taking place during the time I was in New York. There were about 90 dealers, selling everything from hats, shoes, jewellery to, of course, clothes. It was paradise.

 

I very nearly lost my heart (and money...) to a breathtaking 1930's black silk evening gown that had the most beautiful and intricate cut and amazing lace/net sleeves. At $600, it was a true collectors item...I wish I could have taken a picture!

 

In the end, I bought four wonderful pieces at Another Man's Treasure. Their stall was so neat, the clothes extremely well edited and the lovely stall owner couldn't have been more obliging and helpful. They had quite a lot of pieces in smaller sizes, which was a huge bonus since those are harder to find (at least in my experience - despite the fact that sizes used to run smaller). Anyways, here's what I bought:

 

 

Clockwise from top left: 1940's dress with lace neckline and rhinestone decoration; detail of neckline; 1950's velvet opera/evening cloak with ostrich feather cuffs; detail of 1940's skirt suit; navy 1940's skirt suit (bought from another dealer, Matinee Idol).

 

My favourite piece of the lot, however, is this stunning velvet and white satin evening dress which is, unbelievably, from the 1980's. Essentially, the 80's were just doing a (usually very bad) interpretation of the 50's and I have to say, I really hate the 80's, fashion-wise. This piece, however, had even me fooled - it is so well constructed and in a way that is very reminiscent of the 50's. Velvet can look tacky really quickly (especially if in an 80's incarnation...) but the fabric used for this dress is of an extremely good quality and has a wonderful drape. The pictures really don't do it justice - it's demanding an outfit post!

 

I also bougth a lovely Victorian inspired silk and lace blouse which in my enthusiasm to get this post up, I forgot to photograph... All in all, the show was a fantastic experience - almost on par with the Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair which I love. Fairs are such a great way to shop for Vintage, especially for someone new to the game and/or who is just starting to build a signature look or focusing on a particular era. You'll be inspired!

House of Bianchi Cocktail Dress

 
Last weekend, I finally got round to shooting some of my newest vintage clothing purchases…

I can't even begin to say how much I love this beautiful 1950's cocktail dress from the House of Bianchi - it is one of my best finds so far. It's in absolutely pristine condition and apart from a bit of roominess in the bust area (to be expected…), it fits like a glove. The satin fabric is so beautiful and luxuriously heavy and crisp; it really highlights the wonderful box-pleated bustle and bow at the back.

 
Picture from Flour Clothing

 
Worn here with a pair of lace gloves - a kind gift from a seller on etsy - and one of the five pairs of shoes (yes, I know…) that I bought in London recently. They are getting a lot of wear - I have a bit of a weakness for wedge heels at the moment and these are right on the money; surprisingly comfortable to wear too!

 
Dress: Vintage, from Flour Clothing at etsy
Shoes: New Look
Gloves: a gift

Incidentally, featuring as extras are my 1950's sofa (its sister armchair is just out of shot) and beloved 1940's bar/radio/record player. I thought it only suitable to shoot the dress in a "cocktail" surrounding - although the nearest I ever get to a cocktail at home is a simple Gin Tonic… Here's to more vintage dressing!

Polka Dot Love

  
I am totally in love with these gorgeous satin-twill plateau sandals from Miu Miu. Although I mostly dress vintage now, I like the contrast of a contemporary shoe. In this case, there's even a nod to days gone by - 50's revisited in an eye-popping colour. Oh, if only they were mine!

Picture from Net-a-Porter.com

Vintage 1960s Mohair Coat

 
My recent online vintage clothing "rummaging" has unearthed a whole host of treasures and it is high time a shared them here. Etsy is usually my main port of call; for one thing, it is such a great place to just brows and discover new things and also, I have found some wonderful sellers on there who have consistently good stock and whom I like to support.

I found this beautiful 1960's mohair coat with faux fur collar at RevolvingStyle. It is so luxuriously heavy and soft and has an amazing peach coloured satin lining. And - considering that I never buy clothes for practical or functional reasons - it does exactly what a winter coat should do: keep you warm.

Condition is flawless - so far, I haven't found a single stain, spot or moth hole. Somehow, I find it touching to think that someone took such good care of it over decades and treasured it.

 
 

 
 

Home Treasures

 
Say hello to my cute little, switched on (forgive the pun) friend: Mercutio. I instantly thought of that name, when I first set eyes on him. Probably because Mercutio is known as such an amusing, affable and witty character and it somehow seemed to chime well with the dog's expression.

Pathetically, I already find myself making random comments to him, like one sometimes does to a real pet...Oh, the joys (and evil) of living by oneself!

This weekend, I also picked up these beautiful, delicate 1960's Ercol chairs which I had spied on the ever-tempting Bogen 33 website. They are really comfortable and marry well with my well-loved, old wood table. I like that two of them have arm rests - reminds me of those chairs one often sees in country cottages.

 
Next on my home improvement to-do-list is the revision of my 1940's bar/Imperial record player /radio, which will see the additon of an i-pod jack. Yes, even I can't do without certain modern doodahs.

Shoe-bi-du

To distract my mind from my vintage camper obsession, I am channelling my thoughts into another one: shoes.

You might remember my post about the perfect pair of boots a few weeks back. Well, as with so many things - and in confirmation of the observations I made about shopping for a specific item - it turned out to be a pie in the sky. Deceptively, the photograph I saw of those boots didn't show that the lacing at the front was only partly there to adjust the size: it is mainly opened via a zipper on the side. This meant that, once again, the boots were too wide for me around the calf.
 
But never one to despair - at least not when shoes are concerned - I quickly spied a new object of desire, these divine 'Quechu' boots from Chie Mihara:

Hard on its heal - forgive the pun -  is the 'Lunera' model in beautiful lilac/grey suede.

 

In fact, the whole A/W collection by Chie Mihara is utterly desirable. Like an exquisite selection of jewels they are, with quirky shapes, wonderful materials and pretty embellishments. Below are my favourite 'gems'.

 
Clockwise, from top right: Festin, Biel, Cometa and the AMAZING Arizona.

 
Clockwise, from above right: Catame (I WANT), Clotilde, Bacardi, Blom

Oh, for a purse full of money and a closet full of shoes! Hang on, methinks I do have a closet full of shoes...

All images from Chie Mihara