Old, Old Combs

In order of age:

First, a horn comb. These combs are an early American treasure. They date 1800-1830s, and were hand made, sawed out of pressed and clarified steer horn. They are often plain and sometimes stained dark to imitate tortoiseshell. The shape is always similar - a large comb with a wide band and many, many teeth. Occasionally, like this one, they were dyed with stains in a decorative pattern, usually a floral one. I have read these were made by itinerant comb makers as they worked from town to town. These are a rare find these days. And even rarer to find them with all the teeth. The teeth are just so long and thin, plus the small cuts that may be at the top of each tooth from the sawing. A small, but real piece of American history.
Although large, this comb actually is a tad smaller than most and has much finer decoration than the others I have seen.

Second, a smaller, but still weighty, hinged comb with horn teeth and a brass crescent overlaid with a heavy piece of mother-of-pearl held in place by three brass medallions. It is hinged to fall over a chignon at the back of the head, or to be used as a small tiara like front of head decor. I date this to the 1860's. The sensibility is decorative yet serious and a far cry from the later exuberance of colored celluloid and rhinestones.

For more information and photos: Past Perfect Vintage

The Morrissey Garage Sign

I understand that the c. 1919 Morrissey Garage on 3rd St. is one of, if not the, oldest parking garage in Louisville. It certainly looks like it is was planned for older, narrower cars. It is located right next to the old Falls City Theatrical Equipment Co. Since that was originally a theatre, I can see how this was a good location. Both buildings are empty and endangered. I have no idea how long these mural signs have been on the side and back of the building. I am guessing it's 1970s Deco Revival. The graphic of the 1920s car making a hard turn painted onto the curved wall is wonderful.

Two Very Disparate 1940s Prints

I racked my brain trying to see what these two garments might have in common. Womenswear? 1940s? Check. Print? Check. Floral? Check. And that is as far as I could get. It's like that some days. The brain won't go as far down a road as one might wish.
The dress:
Late 1940s rayon with shoulder pads and over skirt in a autumn toned tropical print. Very much a good dress to wear with hat, gloves, big necklace and a good purse. And maybe even some platform shoes. Most people would go with black accessories, but I think the rust or gold would be stunning.

The early to mid 1940s sporty play set:
Two piece pants and blouse in a spring floral linen. Very much a casual , run around cool set to wear on a hot summer day. This wants espadrilles. And a big red plastic bracelet. Added bonus: A Name inked in. 'Beulah Jones'. Now that's a 1940s name.

details on both at Past Perfect Vintage.com

Neon Signs - Bridges- Smith

Another downtown Louisville business closed. This time it's Bridges-Smith Paint on Main. I swear, all that will be left downtown soon are high rises, hospitals, restaurants and bars. Yesterday, a local auction house sold off the stock and contents of Bridges and Smith. So here is a photo I took last year of their great sign in tribute.

Bridges Smith & Co. Paints Since 1875, 118 - 122 E. Main St.

I am a big fan of vintage neon signs, and this one is great with the 3-D paint bucket. I hope it goes to a good home.

A Contrast in 50s

As frequent readers know, this is not an authoritative blog on vintage clothing. It's not even a terribly well organized look at past fashions. This is a blog for pretty and/or interesting garments, a few observations, the odd whimsy. Whatever strikes the author on a given day. In that vein, the contrast between these two dresses made me muse a bit today.

Item the First: Earylish 1950s black tucked silk organza dress with lace insets. Nicely made dress, good store label. Youngish in style, but sophisticated Black. It's pretty and even elegant, but not sexy. Would move well, in a Southern Belle way. All about the bodice fit, not about hips or legs.

Now available at Past Perfect Vintage

Item the Second: late 50s pink silk chiffon cocktail dress. Lots of shirring and draping, this one is also about bodice fit, but now also about hips and legs. Skirt movement? Yes. But a totally different kind of movement in this skirt. The back skirt is two free floating panels of chiffon over a tight chiffon over taffeta underskirt. This time the color is young, but the fit and style are sophisticated. Just one example of the variety of period clothing in the 50s. Thank your stars it ain't all poodle skirt and beaded sweaters.

Now available at Past Perfect Vintage

A Tale of Two Dresses

The Tale:

Both dresses are a lightweight silk chiffon in a lovely blue and green watercolor floral print over blue crepe lining.The skirts are circular and were either made as handerchief hems or have hung out identically.

The dress on the left was my mother's in the 50s. I always thought it was from 1952 - 54, or before she married. There is no label. With the birth of two children, I doubt she would have been able to wear it much after that. My sister found it in her teenage years and did some alterations - she lowered the neckline, took in the side a scotch and took the decorative chiffon waist band off.

The dress on the right - I just found in Bloomington, IN last month. Yes - it's the identical dress in it's original form! Certainly a find I would never,ever have predicted. I do love the synchronicity of the vintage world. It is a size smaller. But it's all there. And now I know what my mother's dress would have looked like in the day. But here's what is both cool and a mystery. This one still has the labels. It's a Mort Schrader Jeunes Petites. It also has the 1955 - 1962 ILGWU label.

Now I am confused. This means my mother bought this dress after she was married and between the birth of two children, which means she was far smaller then than I thought! She hated having her photo taken, so there is little to go by.

That or this is my grandmother's dress and she was buying in the Junior Petites department. Which is very possible. I have a red Emma Domb dress of hers that is very swingy.

hmmmmmm.

Now, if only my sister and I would fit in these, we could go out as twins. Twins who don't look alike and aren't the same age!

A Potpourri of Vintage Accessories

The range of vintage accessories out there is overwhelming. Shoes, hats, purses, gloves, scarves......and then there's the menswear. The great thing about accessories is that if you are into vintage or like the unique, but have trouble with fit or work in a non-vintage friendly environment, accessories are still available to you. Vintage purses, shoes or scarves mix beautifully with modern clothing as do vintage ties.

Indeed, it's so much of a good thing that selection can be difficult. And we are about to make it more difficult. Here's just a few of the new accessories at Past Perfect Vintage:

1950s Lewis Purse at http://www.pastperfectvintage.com

1950s Floral Embroidered Pumps also at http://www.pastperfectvintage.com


1950s Wembley Ties at pastperfectvintage.etsy.com

1950s Cavalier Ties at pastperfectvintage.etsy.com

Signs of the Times: Neon

This is part of my small photo project capturing old painted and neon signs in downtown. I took this one yesterday from the top of the Starks Parking garage. We used to purchase from the old Falls City Theatre Equipment Co. at 429 S. 3rd Street back in my days at the university. They haven't been out of business all that long, really. The building itself is quite old - I read recently it was an 1880s theatre. A wonderful sign. With any luck this building will be rehabbed into something.

It's Right Here in Black & White: The 30s

We just added three1930s items to the website. And my, my, how it is getting to find interesting things from this era. I grant you, many dresses from this era can be matronly and drab. It wasn't the happiest time. They don't call it: The Great Depression: Return of the Smile! But , man there were still some stunning fashion trends going on. The sleek lines are grand.

And it must be serendipity as I just received a gift of 1930s dress patterns, with great details and lines. I can't decide if I want to copy them to make some day ( I know, an unrealistic dream) or just archive them for research. The sleeve details are amazing ,too.

Well, without further ado:

c. 1939 Black silk chiffon dress with cire satin collar and rose appliques on the bodice and sleeves

c. 1935 Cream Lace Wedding Dress

c. 1934 Black Velvet and Silver Lame Knit Mesh Dress with slight train

For more photos and details: Past Perfect Vintage.com

Pretty Girls all in a Row

I have always been struck by plaster millinery display heads. It's the glamour. Clearly these were sculpted and painted to be a version of the current fashion ideal. I am struck by the stylization. The closet thing out there today are wig heads, which are composite and of course have to be bald. It's just not the same.

These are 4 of my 6 display heads. The other 2? A 1950s dark brunette, very Joan Crawford in style, whose shoulders take up to much space to go on the shelf. And a 3/4 scale 1930s platinum blond jewelry display head who lives on my desk. She doesn't actually work very often, but she is pretty enough to sit idly while the others perform the onerous duty of modeling hats.

All of my gals came to me is disarray. The 20s one was split in half lengthwise. The 50s brunette has a broken nose and peeling paint. The 40s red head - painted orange and a hole in her head! And the 40s blonde - a dinged nose, too. The brunette and blond are very close to their original color scheme. The 20s gal close, but not quite. But the redhead pure invention.

The Past Perfect Vintage team on a shelf

For the Fans of Vintage Hats

The conventional perception is that we don't wear hats anymore, although that isn't really true is it? We just don't wear pretty, fashionable hats. Baseball caps, visored work caps, stocking caps, western cowboy hats; these are still immensely popular. It's the pretty fashion hats that are hard to come by. Two exceptions are the church hats and Kentucky Derby hats, but those are very specific occasions for a very specific style chapeau. For a few glorious years in the 1980s, felt hats were popular again. I had several that were stylish and great for winter.

All that said, Vintage hats have their own appeal. As a wearable for every day , they make a unique statement. For special occasions - perfect. And for many, they make a grand collectible. Please enjoy this grouping we just added at Past Perfect Vintage. In reverse order of dates:

1950s Peach Felt & Ostrich Plume Hat from Macy's

1940s Blue Felt Hat with Two Tone Ostrich Feather from G. Fox

1910s Wide Brimmed Two Tone Straw with Wreath of Plumes


1880s Bustle Era Wine Velvet Bonnet from Mrs. A. E. Porter, Louisville, KY

Real Flowers, Real Garden

There's new vintage on the website, the house is clean, we have visited Tennessee with friends, the garden is weeded. Even the peas and beans are picked from the garden. Today was a Take a Break Day. Don't worry - I'll start posting about the new vintage pieces at Past Perfect Vintage tomorrow.

But for today, a few photos of the buddleias, snapdragons and daylilies. The snap dragons are almost done blooming, I missed getting a photos in their glory. But the big dayliles are just really getting going. The buddleia bush is the first of out the three to bloom. And the butterflies have found it right away. I believe this is a frittilaria, but don't hold me to it!

It's easy to get absorbed in the studio with vintage printed florals. What a treat to get outside and enjoy the real thing.