One Woman's Taste in Shoes

1963-66 Balli Black Silk Evening Shoes with Rhinestones

One of the attendant pleasures of working as a Vintage clothing seller is the estate auction. Oh they can be are dirty. And are often musty. And so dark sometimes that a flashlight is needed. I admit, it is an acquired taste. But the reward of finding good clothing and even high style fashion in unlikely surroundings is a cherished bonus. The irony that the original owner would never have worn these clothes and shoes in the place they are now being sold isn't wasted on me, either.

The other continuing bonus is educational. It is an education to me to see one woman's wardrobe over time assembled in one place. Not necessarily in chronological order, but there it is. It says a lot about her and the times she lived in, her place in society and her financial means. I find it fascinating.

So now I offer you selections from one woman's shoes. There were many, many more. In the 70s she shifted back to high heels.

1950s I. Miller Two Tone Stiletto Shoes

1950s Black I. Miller Sandals coming soon to Past Perfect Vintage


1950s I. Miller Pumps, now available at Past Perfect


1960-1964 Yellow Patent Leather Stilettos by Herbert Levine recently sold


1960 - 1964 Stilettos from Joseph Du Val, now available


1963-66 Striped silk shoes by Balli coming soon to Past Perfect Vintage


1963-66 Red and white and blue pumps by Balli, also coming soon

Late 1960s I. Magnin Patent Shoes with Lucite trims, now available at Past Perfect Vintage

Click Here for size and price details

Pretty, Pretty Dresses

Today's Theme? Pretty. Dressy. Silk.

All three of these dresses have labels. The blue and green floral chiffon is a Mort Schrader. I blogged about this one a while ago. I have my grandmother's copy of this dress, sadly minus label, so now I know who made it. Nicely made, it was a good quality R-T-W in the day. Mort was the son of Abe Shrader and President of Abe Schrader, Inc. This line named for Mort was geared to the younger customer.

The next dress? A cream silk chiffon party or cocktail dress with sequin bodice. The rose appliques are quite lovely. And this maker? Syd Rappaport under her Rappi label. Another R-T-W- known for high quality party and evening dresses in the 50s - 60s.

And last , a really wonderful black silk dinner dress by Dorothy O'Hara, a California based designer. O'Hara could really work a draped dress, and this one is quite remarkable. And beautifully made as well.

Enjoy!

all dresses now available at Past Perfect Vintage

Just a Couple of Hats

Just back from a fruitless trip to town for an auction preview. Since we don't deal in fur, there was nothing for us today.That's how the vintage cookie crumbles some days. So instead of a recent finds post, here's a few hats we just added to Past Perfect Vintage this month.

I loved this Borsalino hat - very streamlined and 60s fashion conscious , very Mod and very Italian. And so did someone else - it sold almost instantly.

1960s Borsalino Black Felt Hat

Now this 1950s straw hat appealed to me for a different reason. It's pink and black, the classic 1950s color combination. And the juxtaposition of glossy large mesh and matte fine straw is also appealing to me. And in the midst of a long, col, snowy winter, a straw summer hat gives me hope spring will come.

1950s Pink Straw & Black Net Boater Style Hat

And this -it's a little doll of a hat, don't you think? A 50s feminine bonnet look in black velvet, veiling and rhinestones. Not a hat I could ever have carried off, but wonderful for an oval face with shorter hair.

1950s Black Velvet Doll Hat with Rhinestones

Musings from a Day on the Road

The team ( read Mr. Past Perfect and I) went on a a shopping expedition yesterday. Not saying where. Sorry about that, but I have to protect my sources as they tend to dwindle away. And it led me to muse about why good vintage clothing costs what it does as different levels. And why it costs more at a good Vintage shop.

First off, I suppose I should define Good Vintage. At this business, 1980s is the cutoff for vintage. And we prefer pre 1970. Not 1990s clothing, or last year's clothes from Cato or Target. I'm still wearing those, so they aren't vintage. Good Vintage isn't stained. It isn't torn. It isn't frayed.

Great Vintage? Excellent condition, Clean, Good fabric, good design, good color.

And that's what you pay for in a good quality shop whether online or brick and mortar. I hate to use an overworked word, but it's been curated for the customer already. You may even find examples of top designers of their eras.

Did I find Great Vintage yesterday? No. I found possibilities.

Possibilities that have to be gone over, buttons and seams checked, steamed, cleaned, (some hand washed, some dry-cleaned, and we have three levels of dry-cleaning: 1) cheapest local cleaner, 2) better but more expensive local cleaner, and 3) 30 miles away, but top quality, top dollar cleaner), sorted and inventoried, and stored. Labor and additional funds will have to be invested.

And that's all before the standard business expenses of rent, utilities, insurance, etc. that everyone has to a greater or lesser extant.

They just don't put that labor and expense in at thrifts and consignment shops. Understandably so. And most Antique mall booths can't or don't either. Odds are, it won't be cleaned. It won't be mended. It won't be steamed or ironed. It may be permanently stained or torn. And since there isn't anyone to ask questions or help the customer, it's pretty much Buyer Beware. And there may not be anything there that can even charitably be called vintage.

There are booth owners who do present their inventory beautifully and it's in great shape. And you will and should see a price difference for that. They have earned it.

So for those shoppers complain about the high cost of vintage - I say, you can pay less, but it will take a LOT of hunting, quite a bit of labor, and risking that a problem can be fixed.

But if you want the usual conveniences of modern shopping, are looking for primo vintage, and want service with that sale, consider paying a little more.

Leser is More

1960s - 70s Silk Twill Dress by Tina Leser,
now available at Past Perfect Vintage

Inspired by a recent acquisition of a Tina Leser piece, I wandered about the web a bit and found these lovelies from my fellow Vintage Fashion Guild Members. I must say, Ms. Leser was not shy when it came to pattern and color, bless her. She liked ethnic patterns and fabrics, she like florals, she likes graphics. And in times that favored a lot of classic colors and effects, these sure stood out.

from Catbooks1940s: Vintage Tina Leser Bold Full Skirt Jacket Set

in an Ethnic Border Print

And at Dress: the Art of Wearing Vintage, there's this
Vintage Tina Leser Hand Painted Koi Reef Dress

plus this Vintage Silk Dress Pants Designer Outfit by Tina Leser

Party Time! In Vintage Fashion, Naturally

It's January, and yes, New Year's and Christmas have passed, but Valentines is on the way. And you could also have an actual birthday party for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln - oh heck, make it two! Actually, my grandmother did bake cherry cakes with white icing for Washington's Birthday, so hey - why not? Then there's spring proms, and weddings, so yes, party dresses know no season. And vintage dresses - but of course!

On the left, a 1950s Silver Metallic Cocktail Dress with Mega Bow, on the R., a Pale Yellow Taffeta and Net Evening Gown, also with Mega Bow



A 1960s Aqua Crepe Jumpsuit w/ beaded collar and beaded tassel belt, made in Hong Kong

Gone, But Certainly NOT Forgotten

As we wind up last year’s business, we bring you a nostalgic peek at what went to good homes in 2010. Enjoy them - we did!

January


February


March


April


May


June


July


August


September


October


November

December

Dressy, Dressy, Dressy

Remember the degrees of formal dress? Formal Evening, aka White Tie and Tail coat, Semi Formal Evening, aka Black tie and Tuxedo, Formal Day, aka Morning coat, Cocktail, Dinner, Reception, Theatre, etc. Early 20th C. texts on fashion would have complex charts with headings: For a morning calls, For afternoon luncheon at a home, For afternoon luncheon at a home, for dinner followed by a ball.......

Now? We have Casual and Dressy. Yes, yes, I know, no one wanted to deal with all those Rules. And yet, we did know what to wear when, so men didn't show up in a business suit when a tux was called for, and women didn't wear floor length gowns when a knee length cocktail dress was more appropriate.

But in the more modern spirit of Dressy/Casual I present three versions of Dressy:

1960s Black Beaded Top on Net
1950s Henry Harris Silk Taffeta Strapless Dress

1950s Black New Look Dress by Bloomfield

all available at Past Perfect Vintage

Vintage Shops We Reccommend: Part 5, Indianapolis (Cont.)

Ah yes - we return to our ongoing series after a hiatus. We got back to Indianapolis and made a second visit to Indy Swank - and found a great Louisville label striped wool jacket from the 50s. And we were so happy to see Indy Swank is still looking good with a lovely selection of vintage clothing, accessories and modern local design. And this time, we did get into Venus and Mars, right across the street. A different feel altogether, but a clean, fun, nicely priced shop with 3 rooms of both menswear and womenswear from the 50s - 80s. We did spy a 1930s velvet dress and a 1920s chiffon dress, but both were study pieces. Our party did consider a hot pink 1950s velvet coat, but realized it just won't work for raking up those winter leaves in Ky. or strolling about Maine in Dec. However, Mr. Past Perfect found a natty tweed hat he wore the rest of the day and claims is his new favorite headgear. Success can be declared.
Venus & Mars Fashion Exchange 1022 Virginia Ave,Indianapolis, IN 46203

(317) 822-8255

IndySwank
1033 Virginia Ave., Suite 4 Indianapolis, IN 46203
(317)632-6440

On the Road: Museum Exhibits

It's December, so that means we were on the road for our traditional winter trips to Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Now we pack the day full on these, from art galleries to plant conservatories to antique shops, malls, restaurants, and museums. We always plan too much and run out of time, but that means we will go back.

This time we were lucky, and both the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Art had fashion exhibits. Great fun. As ever, we hit some vintage shops and antique malls in each city. And Mr. Past Perfect thanks Venus and Mars in Fountain Square for the tweed hat that kept him warm for the day!

Now, the exhibits:

At Cincinnati: there's Wedded Perfection: Two Centuries of Wedding Gowns, running until January 30, 2011. This is a very polished presentation of wedding dresses from 1800 to the modern day with the focus on the shift of the historical wedding dress from a symbol of purity and chastity to the centerpiece of a grand spectacle with many theatrical overtones.
Modern designers are represented, including Vera Wang and Geoffrey Beene, and the exhibit covers alternative wedding dresses as well. A photographic display of candid shots supplements the presentation. They even have a very nicely done glossy book on the exhibit available in the shop.

And it closes on Jan. 2, but we were very happy to see Thomas Gainsborough and the Modern Woman on our visit as well. The portraits were great with fascinating stories, and yes, there were 18th Century dresses on display in the gallery to round it out.

At Indianapolis Museum of Art: The Body Unbound: Contemporary Couture from the IMA's Collection runs until January 30t, 2011 in the Paul Fashion Arts Gallery. From the IMA:
"The exhibition will feature groundbreaking designs by Rudi Gernreich, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe, Thierry Mugler, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace and other avant-garde fashion designers. Body Unbound will explore how these designers used modern construction and unexpected materials to contort, conceal, reveal or mock their wearers." This one is both fun and serious. Being primarily modern, we got a kick out of how many of these designers were ones whose work we have sold. Mr. Past Perfect noted that most of the garments were ones a woman couldn't have moved in without revealing an awful lot, but then, if she had cared about revealing too much, she wouldn't have bought them to begin with. As ever, we liked the Moschinos best. It's the humor.

And downstairs, for an additional $5 fee - and do pay it, it's worth it and you're already there, is Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection, also running until Jan. 30. It's a great mix of antique, fine, craft and vintage brooches, all with a story, all with a point and almost all with humor.