Knit Picking - Collecting and Wearing Vintage Knitwear

I've become sort of focused on dress knitwear from the 60's lately. It was a huge part of the fashion business in the 50's and 60's, with chic women wearing knit suits and dresses as an alternative to more restrictive woven garments. But far from the relaxed casual dressing of today, these knits were delightfully dressy and totally coordinated. I've been collecting a few for myself and also have a few for sale on eBay right now. This is one that I'll be keeping.

Isn't it charming? I love how the double breasted detail appears to be a jabot at the neck and is reflected in the pleat detail in the skirt. I plan to wear it with black patent shoes.

This one is a Butte Knit. They were an extremely popular knitwear company in the 60's and 70's. Almost every woman owned a Butte Knit outfit of some description. This one is from the early 80's. I love the chemise cut and electric blue color. The details are nice as well - self bound button holes!

The Italians were particularly adept at knits. They made some extremely beautiful suits and dresses. This is one of them. Instead of being wool, it's a linen/acetate blend. I love the little double breasted vest with the hip belt. It's such a 60's mod detail.

This one is the piece de resistance. I've had it for several years and have worn it a few times. It's also an Italian knit - very fine gauge wool and trimmed with genuine polished branch coral. I was really floored when I found this set. It's so unusual! Look at how lush the coral is.

This piece has some really beautiful hand sewn couture details. It's such a beautiful outfit.

Knitwear is a fun category to collect. Things to look out for are moth holes - they tend to be more prominent on knitwear than wovens and felting under the arms. Stains and spots can be carefully spot treated with resolve carpet cleaner applied sparingly with the blunt end of a flat toothpick before dry-cleaning and hanger marks on shoulders can usually be steamed out with an iron - especially if the garment is wool. With care, vintage knitwear can be around for several more generations!

I have a few more knitwear pieces up for auction right now, among other things. Have a look!

Gowns of the Past - My History as a Couturier

When I was younger, I used to go to a formal affair every year. This was also around the time I was in school studying fashion design, so I would make a new dress for myself for the events. Now that I'm doing a grand purge of all my belongings I've come across all those dresses again and have decided to get rid of them. Some of them were really beautiful and I thought I'd share them with you here.

This one of the first ones I made. It's white silk taffeta and it's trimmed at the bust and back waist with artificial flowers of every color and description.

This one is a big wedding cake of a dress. The bodice is pastel plaid silk taffeta and the skirt is a huge 6 layers of different colored pink netting and tulle. It was not easy to maneuver in, but was stunning to look at!

This one is quite dramatic. It was made as an homage to Charles James, who I was quite taken with at the time. It's made of red silk taffeta and features a midnight blue tulle skirt. I love the asymmetrical bodice and taffeta drape at the waist. It's trimmed with rich red roses.

This one was made from a vintage 1960's pattern and features a bell shaped silhouette. It's made of a really lovely pink and gold lamé fabric with a floral print - lots of metal in that lame, it's very heavy.

This one, though not a gown, was my final project at FIT. It's a wedding suit with very curvy 50's styling to the waist and hips. The top of the jacket stands away from the body and is filled in with peach and pale yellow roses - giving the effect of the bride being the centerpiece of her own bridal bouquet.

I hope this little trip down my memory lane was fun. If you're interested in any of these little numbers they're all available this week on eBay. Have a look!

Feminine Hygene & Fabulous Fashion - The Kotex Box of the (Past) Future

While I was rooting around in storage a few days ago, I ran across this delightful little item.

It was a gift from a friend - Cator Sparks. He found it in a general store out in the country somewhere. It had been on the shelf since 1969 when it was new and he just had to have it. I don't blame him, it's quite the deadstock item.

I'm really enamored of the graphics on the box and it's contents just make it all that much better. That the Kimberly Clark corporation thought using space age imagery and avant garde fashion to sell feminine hygene products was a good idea is a real testament to the time. There's so much to talk about here.

This is the main face of the box. The windblown model is wearing such a festive cape. I love the double zipper that allows you to zip it open up to the collar. What makes it absurd, however is the space helmet in the lower right hand corner. I suppose even fashionable lady astronauts need protection at that time of the month.

This is the box top, and I'm loving the sequined hood. Just look at that eye makeup too.

The last image resides on the sides of the box and it's probably my favorite. I love the Whiting and Davis metal mesh dress and head piece and the head set with the antenna on it. Again, the makeup is truly remarkable.

Collecting vintage packaging is quite an interesting hobby. There are so many different styles, periods and eras to collect, and finding an unopened box of something consumable is always such a delight. Things like these can be found on eBay and occasionally at yard sales, and they make such a delightful addition to a retro home.

While you're shopping, check out the Brini Maxwell auctions on eBay. There are lots of fun things up this week.

Time Travel Made Possible - A Trip to New York in 1971

I live on 23rd Street, across from the Chelsea Hotel. Today, they're shooting a film with the hotel as a backdrop. It's Cinema Verite, due to be released in 2012, about the lives of the Louds - the subject of America's first reality television show in 1971. Lance Loud lived in the Chelsea Hotel, so they're doing a lot of different set ups. It's fascinating to see what they've done to 23rd St!

They're using so much of the street for background and they've redressed the store windows to reflect the period.

This one is normally an ink cartridge store. I love the stickers that say they accept Bank Americard and Master Charge

This one is a salon.

I've been having fun photographing the changes, and if you frame the shots just right it looks like you've shot a period photograph. The only giveaway in this shot is the extra holding her iPhone.

The period effect is exaggerated with a little work in photoshop. This photo of extras in front of a bank with a VW in the foreground looks period enough as it is, but remove the color and add a bit of blur and some grain...

...and it's like a news paper image from 1971

Here's another remarkable shot. I took this one from my fire escape during one of their shots. The cars are all period. The only giveaways are the crew members in shorts and the new stroller on the sidewalk. Give it the same treatment and...

...after a bit of a crop you have a 70's film still.

It's been fun to see all the hard work they're putting into this film. I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's a fascinating subject!

My Garden of Brooches - Fabulous Flower Pins

Hello people! Sorry for not publishing this yesterday. It's been a busy few days...

I just love flower pins. I have many of them. They're so bright and cheery and perfect for spring! Here area few of my favorites.

This is one of the ones I wear most often. I love the simple restraint in rendering the daisy and it's got such clean, clear enamel, even after so many years! It dates back to about 1967 and has matching earrings!

This lovely blue flower with subtle shading is from a bit earlier - perhaps 1964. 

This one is my favorite color of pink - Shocking! The detail in these pins is one of the nicest aspects of them. Look at the hand applied dry brushing of black on the tips of the petals.

On a more somber note - a flower broch for film noir - this pin is plated in a gun metal finish and features a single stone as its center.

Another bright and cheerful daisy pin - this one is a cluster made up of plastic daisies and beads. It's like a little tuffet! It also has matching earrings, but, remarkably they were bought at completely different times and from different vendors.

This charming yellow bloom has cupped petals and a salmon pink center.

This is the prize of my collection. The "petals" are made of fibers and the pin features an enameled leaf, stem and center. Notice the center is dry brushed as well. I saw this pin in a different color way in a museum exhibit once. It's was fun to see it and know I had one at home.

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Sartorial Splendor for the Mile High City

Hi People! You may remember my mentioning that I'll be going to Denver to do a demonstration for the Denver Public Library - a Tassel and Pompon-a-Thon. I'm really looking forward to it! Tickets go on sale tomorrow, for those of you who are in the area. Be sure and join me!

For the trip, I want to make myself a new suit. It's important to always look your best! I found a fun vintage hat a while back on Etsy and when it came I was inspired by it to put this outfit together.

The hat has a very peculiar texture to it. Here's a close up of it:

It reminded me of silk noil. Noil is a fabric that was popular in the 70's and 80's. It's made of the ends and scraps of silk fiber left over from making other types of silk and has a rough, nubbly texture and in the natural color, it has some flecks of brown in it.

It's a very nice weight for a suit and has a casual quality while still looking smart. I decided to use noil for my suit. Now this choice is "forward thinking" for the 1960's style I have selected to make to go with the hat, noil wasn't used regularly until the mid 70's, but that's fine. I've always been a trailblazer... I had some trouble finding silk noil in the market today. It's fallen out of fashion, I'm afraid. None of my favorite stores in the garment district stocked it in the colors I wanted. So, I turned to the internet. I eventually found it at a silk importer called Thai Silks. They have a wide variety of silk fabrics, and a nice collection of noils. They also have a 1/2 yard minimum, and their prices are very competitive. If you're looking for silk, it's a good source. (This is a genuine review of the company. I paid for my fabric purchase there)

The style I decided to make is a smart, boxy 60's suit. The jacket will be cut with a kimono sleeve. I looked for this pattern for quite a while. A kimono sleeve is cut in one with the body of the jacket, and I wanted a pattern that was fitted to the body with princess seams and an underarm seam. I eventually found it on eBay. I was lucky enough to find a pattern with the trimming detail I was looking for, so I didn't have to create it myself. The jacket will be cut in the natural color and trimmed with contrast piping in one of the colors. The sleeveless blouse will be made of the other color and trimmed in the natural. The skirt will be a simple straight skirt in the same natural as the jacket.

My first step is to make a muslin of the jacket, to make sure the pattern fits me well. Then I can cut and sew the fashion fabric. I'll be sure and check in with you to show you my progress in the coming weeks, and you'll see the final effect at my appearance in Denver - in person if you're in town, if not then in the subsequent video we shoot out there!

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Fashion A La Mode - Modes Royale Patterns

There's a lot of joy for me in the art and craft of sewing. I've been indulging in it quite a bit lately and have been buying not only vintage fabric, but vintage patterns as well. I've come across a brand that I hadn't heard of before, and it's become a mini-obsession. The brand is Modes Royale.

What's so wonderful about these patterns is the attention to detail. The styles frequently features 3 or 4 dressmaker details on one dress alone. Flaps, bound buttonhole slots through which scarves are threaded, peplums, odd shaped pockets, the creativity boggles the mind! I've been looking on eBay and Etsy for examples of them and recently came across some of the pattern books from the late 60's.

By that time, the brand had become somewhat more subdued than in it's heyday of the 40's and 50's, but there are a few fun styles in the catalogs that I thought I'd share with you.

One of my favorite styles is the shift. It just looks good on me, so I tend to make a lot of them. These two feature details that are common for the brand - slot seams and a flange on a side closing

Another shift with a dramatic keyhole back and attached scarf.

Here's a fun halter with a pert little collar.

I love this chic tunic with the low belt.

This little dropped waist number has port hole pockets!

I love a chic shirtwaist and this one has very nice lines.

Modes Royale patterns can be found on auction sites and if you're lucky in thrift shops. The more outrageous ones can be quite sought after by collectors and can fetch a pretty penny. If you're an experienced pattern maker, you can use the illustrations as inspiration for your own garments. If you're interested, MyFrockShop.com has a PDF file of several of the catalogs from the 40's and 50's. It's great resource material for the flashier garments of the period.

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Forget the Carpet, Does the Dress Match the Drapes?

Last week I featured a craft project from 1001 Decorating Ideas - the magazine from the 60's featuring Conso trimmings. As I was leafing through them looking for projects I came across some of the fashions they created. They're a little... Well, judge for yourself:

Swathed in mushroom ribbon, this chic model is just the thing for a casual lunch. Is that Maude Adams behind those enormous sunglasses?

Hit the courts in this snappy tennis outfit lovingly trimmed with tassel fringe in blue and green - note the matching racket cover and sock pompons...

What better way to greet your guests for alfresco dining than in this yellow brunch coat? What hostess doesn't want to match her pillows?

...Or her drapes? This middle eastern inspired hostess caftan is made of the same fabric and trimmings as her draperies. Just the thing for the woman who never knows what to wear.

For those nights when you have to play Juliet, what could be better than this stunning white Empire gown?

And where for art though Romeo? Right here! Note the matching trim on the shades. I have to say, I love the creativity involved here. Can you imagine the joy these stylists must have felt going into a room completely stocked with every kind of trim imaginable and being told to use as much of it as humanly possible in every project? Sometimes restraint is a good thing...

Do, Do, Do... What to Do - Musings on Hairstyles

Hi people. I've been thinking of changing my hairstyle. My friend Thanos will love this post. Among other things, he does this sort of thing on Blythe dolls. I'm particularly fond of asymmetrical styles and have found a few examples to show my hair dresser.

These are rather pretty, simple styles that might be fun for every day.

Speaking of Asymmetrical, how does she keep this up?

This is a fun style. I love sausage curls and if styled into a fall you can just pin them on and off you go!

Speaking of falls, I'm thinking of getting one. What do you think? Long or short?

Maybe I should go with a medium length one?

I'll let you know what I decide. It's fun to change up your look sometimes. How often do you change your hairstyle? Is it traumatic? Thanos, when are you coming to New York to give me the Blythe treatment?