mid-century pastel summer dresses.
Friday I ventured out to the second estate sale I’ve braved this year. I’ve been stalking the listings on Craigslist and other websites for months, but either always chicken out, decide it’s too far to drive in morning rush hour traffic, or have something else ruin my plans. So it was kind of a miracle I managed to get to this one, though it helped I had planned my morning errands to be in that part of town! I have to admit too that driving to the house, I nearly chickened out again; it was in a sketchy part of town (reminded me too much of the rather unsavory parts in and around DC), but when I saw other people coming and going, I figured it was “safe”. lol. Boy, am I glad I did stop–as I said to my mother later in the day (I had to call her to share about my finds!): it was sure a case of beginner’s luck!
A pretty floral satin bedjacket and girdle.
Four lovely slips I found in a box of other lingerie odds-and-ends. The pinkish one is my favorite!
Let’s just say that an elderly lady had recently passed away, and she must have been quite a pack rat. She saved all kinds of amazing things: mostly late 40s through the 70s. I think if I could have bought the contents of the house, I would have–there was lots of that vintage “granny chic” knick-knacks, dishware and furniture I adore. Alas, I was on a bit of a budget at this sale, so I chose to focus on the two bedrooms packed with vintage clothing. Yes, packed. I could not believe my luck–and that there was only one other gal going through the clothes with me (she struck me as a dealer, although one of the more polite ones I’ve run into while shopping such things!). The two bedroom closets were stuffed with $1 clothes from the 40s on up, the beds were covered with knitwear, gloves, purses were piled around the rooms, and there were boxes of lingerie and stockings. I mainly stuck to the dresses and such in the closets (only $1 each!), as well as the lingerie. There were so many beautiful things… I really wish I could have brought more home, but like I said, I was on a pretty strict budget (my usual method for thrifting/vintage shopping: set a limit and don’t go over! It helps me focus and be choosy; I have a bad tendency to go wild and forget that I have limited space to store all this.).
A bright teal blue sweater and skirt set–I had ironically just started stalking Ebay/Etsy for one!
Some more pretty dresses. I can’t wait to wear the light blue sailor dress…
The ladies running the estate sale were so sweet too–I think it paid off that I woke up at 5am so I could do my makeup and hair before I left the house (silly, but true). We had a great time talking about vintage style and they thought it was too cute that I wore these sorts of clothes. Plus they sweetly gave me a tie I had spotted for Sailor Husband (who has recently taken to pestering me to keep a lookout for 40s and 50s ties at thrift stores–he’s trying to put together a 40s/50s suit look). So after coming home and recovering a bit from the shock of finding this amazing sale (not to mention the multiple trips from my car trunk to the house… lol.), I sorted through everything and took some pictures to share with you all! I’ve gotten quite a few emails lately about finding affordable vintage, and I think this demonstrates pretty well that if you’re patient and diligent about hunting (or just apt to moments of “dumb luck” in life like me…), you can slowly acquire vintage on a budget! Don’t give up hope!
I also forgot to photograph one dress that I cleaned over the weekend and is hanging in my closet now. So I think that will be destined for an outfit post!
see more pictures of my other finds here!
October 13, 2010 ·
42 lovely thoughts
posted in thrifting + vintage
· tags: happy things, thrifting + vintage
I haven’t done a thrifting/vintage finds post in a long, long time! I used to do these a lot more regularly; partly because I’d hit the thrift stores at least once a week (more so when I was living in Virginia), and also because the pickings have been slim. At least in the thrift stores here; I’m lucky if I come away with one thing. Rather discouraging for a self-professed thrift-fanatic (and considering I rely heavily on these shops to supply my wardrobe). But I’ve been through lean times before with thrifting, and am hoping that eventually it’ll pick back up again! So this is definitely a mix of things I’ve found at antique stores tucked in dusty corners, lucky thrift scores, and a serendipitous vintage “garage sale” over the past three to four months…
[ early 1960s boucle suit with faux fur trimming. I love the texture of the fabric! ]
[ golden yellow 50s linen-like coat. isn't the brand name so fun?! I could see a modern riff on that with a cute fox logo... ]
Anyway, here is a mix of things I’ve found lately. One of the highlights in the past month was a fantastic “garage sale” my favorite vintage store in town was having. It was one of those events that people like us (who adore vintage) dream about: a large storage unit full of vintage clothes and accessories, each for $5 or less! Certainly, some of the clothes were in need of repair and the majority skewed towards the 70s/80s, but there were treasures to be found. I tried on quite a few things, but only ended up with the late 50s clutch coat, early 60s boucle suit and two hats (also because I had a strict budget of $20, so I had to pick and choose!). I still need to send the suit and coat to the cleaners (unless someone can suggest a way I can clean these at home? Advice will be appreciated on this matter!), so excuse the wrinkles. The suit is trimmed with faux fur cuffs, which I absolutely love! I can’t wait to wear it–although I need to let out the skirt a bit over my wide hips first (thankfully, the seam allowances are more than ample!).
[ a little 50s pleated toque; I added the pin to it. can't wait to put together an outfit to wear this with! ]
[ soft pink straw "pagoda" hat. the angles are so different from most 50s hats I've seen. cute! ]
[ 1940s shiny black straw "pancake" tilt hat. this is probably the find I am most excited about from the standpoint I've been stalking Ebay/Etsy for ages for just such a hat! ]
I also have found a few other treasures, several hats including this 50s pleated hat (I mentioned a bit ago), a 40s corde-style handbag, and this darling little beaded bag! The hats are really fantastic; the black shiny straw one is a 40s “pancake” style that just perches on the top of the head. I adore it! It needs a few stitches to repair the straw, but not too shabby overall. The little pink number is really cute–it reminds me a bit of a pagoda shape; plus it sits close to my head, and I’m finding I prefer hats that are close-fitting.
[ purses! the little beaded bag was a thrift score, and the "corde" 40s handbag was an antique shop find. ]
I really love the beaded handbag; although it’s a bit dusty and I still need to soak it in something… I usually carry around bigger bags, but I have a rather large collection of smaller ones for the times when I decide I can get away without carrying my “life around in my bag” (as Sailor Husband likes to say about my super-big purses!).
So tell me: have you had any amazing thrift/vintage/fashion finds lately? Do tell!!!
On another note… Thank you so, so much for the sweet comments on yesterday’s post! I am always so excited to share my newest sewing adventure, and you all are just so nice to share in that excitement with me!
September 8, 2010 ·
29 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,thrifting + vintage
· tags: happy things, thrifting + vintage
[ a little vintage eye candy, from 1945. ]
Just a quick note to say I hope you all have a delightful weekend! I’ve got a packed schedule the next couple of days, but am planning on squeezing time in to prep some fun new posts for next week. Namely a much-overdue tutorial! This week I did try and work on not one, not two, but three, and epically failed because for each one I lacked some supply that I needed. lol. A quick shopping trip to the fabric store should fix the issue and get the tutorial ball rolling. Also: more scans of the 1944 catalog as well, some knitting, and hopefully an outfit post. This week, in retrospect, was kind of “blah”, so I’m looking forward to wiping the slate clean and starting afresh!
Until Monday!
July 16, 2010 ·
7 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,vintage inspiration
· tags: happy things
Saturday I had some free time to make a quick visit to one of the local antique stores. Mostly to look for vintage glass buttons (needed for a knit cardigan that is 97% done; but I’m being a Button Snob), but also to have a good rummage. The button hunt turned up nothing (did I mention I’m feeling particularly picky? Not to mention there really weren’t a lot of vintage buttons to choose from period.), but I did light upon a couple other treasures! Firstly, there was a cut little 50s hat that reminds me a bit of this hat, only navy. It needs a few stitches and a soak in some Woolite, and then it’ll be blog-worthy. But my favorite find–the one that had me jumping up and down–was this:
[ cue excited exclamations. ]
Yep. The thing I’ve been coveting for years. They go for quite a bit on Ebay and at most antique stores, but I’m assuming because the economy is still so crummy here that the dealer priced it to sell. Because it’s pretty much in perfect condition (aside from the usual foxing/age marks). To think I nearly walked past the booth it was in too–it’s normally just full of overpriced kitchen wares that I skip it. Boy, am I glad I didn’t! This is so much fun to look though–especially all the women’s fashions. And the shoes. Oh my–let me tell you that my friend E. came over Sunday afternoon and we were squealing over the adorable shoes. If I could figure out a way to rig up a time machine (or bribe a mad scientist), I would go back and pillage all the department stores of the era. lol.
[ click for a larger view. ]
[ all the details in this outfit--I love it! ]
{ click here to continue reading this post }
July 13, 2010 ·
26 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,thrifting + vintage
· tags: happy things, vintage inspiration
[ nail polish ad from 1945. ]
I was flipping through one of my 1940s magazines when I noticed an ad for “Chen Yu” nail polish. Now I don’t know about you, but when I think about the 1930s through 50s, red is the color I associate with nail polish. I tend to shy away from many of my more outre colors that I have stashed away in my box of polishes when wearing my distinctly 40s outfits because I always thought it seemed a bit out of character for the outfit. So I was utterly delighted that not only did the ad show colors that we don’t normally associate with the 40s, but color samples too! How about bright yellow (“Ming Yellow”), cotton candy pink (“Sea Shell”) and even black (“Black Lustre”)?! Talk about a world of possibilities for some fun… (You could also get matching lipstick for some of the shades too!)
This little fashion revelation came on the heels of going through some old snapshots I had saved over the years of average people going about their daily lives. Just looking at the images, expressions, clothing, and poses made me just all the more aware that even though there was more of a pressure to conform in previous eras, there were (and will always be) the distinctive personalities. While most women may have veered more towards the conventional shades of red for their nail polish, I like to think that some woman out there was a bit theatrical and liked to sport colors on her nails that weren’t the norm. We tend to so often just group people together when looking back at history, and expect they had more of the “conform mentality” than we do in the 21st century. But it’s amazing when you start to peel back the layers and go beyond the history books, how many variations there were (just like today–on a smaller scale though!).
[ two 1940s nail polish ads. sources here and here. ]
After I saw this article, I went and dug up my dark blue nail polish (MAC’s “Blue India”); with a bit more determination to do something a little “vintage unconventional” myself. (On the topic of unusual nail colors from previous eras, you might enjoy this post by The Vintage Baroness.) However, I think black shall be the one color I don’t try. I went through my black nail polish phase a few years ago, and it really is a ghastly color on my nails! lol.
Are you more adventuresome when it comes to nail polish colors? Or do you not bother with it at all?
June 14, 2010 ·
33 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,vintage inspiration
· tags: beauty, happy things
