Vintage fashion blog
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How to shop for vintage lingerie. Expert advice!
How to shop for vintage lingerie and what to do to make vintage clothes fit properly are two of the most frequently asked questions I receive from my readers.
Well, the answer to the latter is quite simple. Always buy clothes in the right size, mind you that it’s better if a vintage dress is a tad too big than too small, and always wear proper foundation garments!What really does the trick for me, is a pair of high waist knickers, a longline bra and my beloved Orchard corset, which I put over a slip, be it vintage or contemporary one. You see, I love to mix vintage lingerie with contemporary brands inspired by the 1930s-1950s and since I truly believe that what underneath counts, I can never pass on yet another gorgeous piece of undergarment. What can I say except that it’s beyond my control!
The answer to the first question, how to shop for vintage lingerie, is best left to the expert and who better to give advice on that very topic, than the owner of the extraordinary Daggers and Dames vintage shop, specializing in antique and vintage lingerie!
How to date vintage clothing
Establishing the year in which a particular vintage garment was made, can be a very tricky and daunting task, especially when there are no tags attached, as is the case with a lot of garments made in the 1930s-1950s which were often handmade or the tags did not survive the wear and tear of time. Some of my most valuable 1940s suits were clearly made to measure by a seamstress and judging by the fabrics used, as well as the incredible craft that went into making them, the clients were undoubtedly very well to do.
As much as the topic of the history of vintage clothes is a never-ending learning curve for me, there are certain ways by which I’m able to identify and date most but not all of my collected pieces. I’ve been asked many times by readers to write a post about that very topic and I hope my tips will be useful!
The Value of Vintage Clothing: Demystifying the Modern Cost of Vintage!
I’m neither a fashion historian nor a fashion journalist rather I’m a real aficionado of vintage fashion with a proclivity for conducting extensive research on the topic of fashion from 1930s-1950s. So let’s just say I’m fashion journalist adjacent. Though I don’t think that I would ever introduce myself to someone using that description of what I do, what I would offer, without question, would be that I’m a very savvy vintage shopper, always on the hunt for yet another 1930s evening gown, a 1940s skirt suit or 1950s bolero and as I’m on a budget I leave no stone unturned to find vintage gems for a bargain.
How to take care of vintage clothes!
A few months ago I was devastated to discover that my favourite authentic Victorian funeral cape, bought in near mint condition several years earlier at a vintage fair in London (you can read about vintage fairs here), had seemingly overnight, developed brown spots all over. Doing some online sleuthing, I was able to ascertain that my mistake had been to store it using a recently purchased plastic garment cover. This was a crime! As it transpired that what I thought were spots, was actually a layer of silk that had deteriorated because of a reaction with the plastic.
If you are a true vintage aficionado in awe of exquisite clothes from the 1930s and 1940s, you are surely familiar with Jade Stavri-Radcliff’s shop, Scarlet Rage Vintage. She is an extraordinary lady known for her prodigious collection of clothes predating the 1960s and for finding more than one Holy-Grail of vintage fashion for her discerning clients.
Jade is also the founder and Editor in Chief of The Vintage Woman Magazine, of which I’m a big fan. She has a widely successful and very addictive YouTube channel where she entertains and educates-with great panache-about all-things-vintage.
I’m thrilled to present Scarlet Rage Vintage as my Vintage Shop of The Week!
French Sole AW19 collection is the perfect reason to kick off your high -heels and swap for flats! Not an easy statement for me to make as there was a time when I would only wear 5″ heels. Times have changed, however, and I can’t imagine my shoe-closet without flats.
Sir, for me every day is Halloween.
That’s how I usually respond when someone compliments me on my Halloween costume, even though it’s not a costume but what I wear on a daily basis.
Well any time, any place, anywhere that I go
All the people seem to stop and stare
They say “why are you dressed like it’s Halloween?
You look so absurd, you look so obscene.
Well I let their teeny minds think
That they’re dealing with someone who is over the brink
And I dress this way just to keep them at bay
‘Cause Halloween is every day
It’s every day.“(Every Day Is) Halloween” by Ministry
Abbie Walsh accessories are the perfect match, for both, vintage and modern garments. The limited collections, as well as one-off pieces, are all handmade and embellished with beautiful beads and dreamy embroidery. And what makes them even more special is the original artwork created by the tattoo artist Heather Moore.
The most stylish sneakers that go with everything, regardless if it’s a pair of slacks, shorts or a dress, are the creation of SPITZ. This independent German brand focuses on quality as well as comfort and prides itself on creating sustainable and very feminine footwear. I’m a huge fan of their 1950s inspired saddle shoes, that are in my proud possession and I’m already salivating over a pair of the lilac sneakers from their Original line!
Children’s clothing from the 17th to the 19th century – Wilanow for Young Talents. The exhibition runs until the 31st of October and you definitely don’t want to miss it!
Why I fell in love with sequins!
Some people need sequins, others don’t.
Edith Head
Shirley Ross, in the picture on the left, wears a dress designed by Edith Head for The Big Broadcast of 1938. Marlene Dietrich, in the picture on the right, wears a gown designed by Edith Head for Foreign Affair (1948).
Little and Large antique dolls and dresses is an exhibition which opens today at The Fashion Museum in Bath. It’s one of my favourite museums in the UK and the first one that I visit when travelling to the enchanting county of Somerset.
Saddle shoes – definition
Saddle -Piece of leather on a shoe, usually in contrasting colour, stitched from forward shank, at one side, over vamp to the other side.
A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion: Historic and Modern by Mary Brooks Picken
In the pictures, by Gregory Michael King, I’m wearing: the 1950s Handmacher skirt,1940s inspired blouse from House of Foxy. I replaced the modern buttons with Art Deco ones, SPITZ saddle shoes, SPITZ patent leather sock belts and Gerbe Bobby socks designed exclusively for SPITZ.
1906 A.G. Spalding catalog
French Sole SS19 collection is finally here!!! I'm very excited to share their latest out-of-this-world image campaign shot by my husband Gregory Michael King. I've been a big fan of the stylish and very comfortable FS flats for a long time now. The Henrietta style, with a sexy toe-cleavage, is one of my favourites, which explains why I have them in abundance. ...
Old Hollywood inspired lingerie from Layneau is the perfect boudoir wear to channel your inner Rita Hayworth or Jean Harlow. The latest collection called Millefeuille is made of sumptuous silk and lace in very elegant colours, that will never go out of style. Delicious chocolate brown, rich pistachio adorned with gold and the lightest pearl pink are making it difficult to choose only one piece. The lingerie is like a box of macaroons and once you have one, you will yearn for more!
Millefeuille: thousand leaf. Originally referring to the floral backgrounds of tapestries.
Applied to a pastry composed of many layers of contrasting elements.
The perfect metaphor for a woman.
Each piece is hand sewn using the finest silks and laces in our Atelier using haute couture technique. We blend Old Hollywood glamour with modern athleasure to create a unique aesthetic. Created for a woman to inhabit. Where you wear it is up to you.
I’m the creator of It’s Beyond My Control vintage fashion blog with a modern twist. I love, wear & write about fashion from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
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