A preview - Lots more is yet to be photographed and listed.
Over the last year or so I have gradually been acquiring a large private collection of American lingerie. As the interstate owners could manage sorting through their collection, laundering it, and saying goodbye to it, they mailed it to me in bundles over several months.
This magnificent negligee reminds me of an Edwardian tea gown, but just a bit more see through (:
Mr and Mrs M. have been collecting American nylon negligees, peignoirs and babydolls over the decades and are now downsizing, so regrettably they decided to part with their collection. Mr M. says he started collecting vintage lingerie because modern lingerie was unattractive and unappealing. My task is to find good homes for all their treasured items. The lingerie dates from the 1950s to the 1990s. All of it is nylon, most of it is lacy and totally sheer.
One of the older pieces in the collection, from the 1950s
Mr and Mrs M. bought most of the pieces separately from a variety of vintage stores. Some of the more recent pieces were bought new. Mrs M. has worn most of it, much to the delight of Mr M.
Because this collection came from one owner/wearer, it's all the same size - a generous medium. However most of the pieces can also be worn smaller or larger due to the style.
Nylon was invented in 1927 but was not commercially available until the 1940s, when it was immediately requisitioned for military use during the war, mostly for the manufacture of parachutes. It was anticipated that nylon would replace silk, being stronger and cheaper to produce. It certainly replaced silk stockings after the war. Nylon clothing began to appear in the late 1940s but clothing was still rationed in the UK and Australia as late as the early 1950s and nylon items from this period are scarce. Nylon was extremely popular for lingerie and sleepwear during the 1950s and 1960s. It was much easier to launder than silk or rayon, it's predecessors, and did not require ironing! A godsend for the 1950s housewife. One negative aspect of nylon is that it is highly inflammable and largely for that reason it has been superseded by polyester.
Coffee coloured peignoir by Intimé - SOLD
In Australia, we tend to call a sheer and sexy boudoir gown a negligee. In the US, a sheer and sexy front fastening robe is called a peignoir. I'm using the terms interchangeably here, tending towards peignoir if it opens down the front. A number of these gowns and robes appear to have been worn as sets, even though technically, they do not exactly match because they have different brands or lace trims.
It's going to take me a while to photograph and list all of these, many not yet shown here for that reason. So watch this space - Lingerie
Black negligee with train - SOLD
Beautiful sleeves on this 1960s peignoir
Pink peignoir by Ro-Vel of California
Fredericks of Hollywood were inspired by old school glamour for this peignoir - SOLD
The sleeves! From Sakowitz Department Store
Dead stock white peignoir with pink ribbons by Val Mode
I called this one a Goddess gown. It just pulls over the head, with slit sleeves falling from the shoulders. A 1980s Canadian piece by Cahill - SOLD
1960s Aqua Peignoir With Ecru Lace - SOLD
This gown by Tosca is the most fabulous green. It snaps closed at the side neck. Shoulders are exposed.
Pretty Aqua peignoir by Elissia - SOLD
Fabulous sleeves on the '70s number by Deena - SOLD
1990s Robe with lacy sleeve headers and pointed sleeves from Frederick's of Hollywood
I got the impression that Mr and Mrs M.'s collection of babydolls was the hardest for them to part with. I can see why.
Tosca babydoll, matched with lacy bikini panties - SOLD
Heart to Heart Sleepthings - SOLD
A bit longer, but I think this still qualifies as a babydoll - SOLD
Many of the 1960s gowns have eyelet holes in the side seams beneath the bust where a tie could have been used. Most of the ties has been lost but this gown still has one. You tie it in a number of ways. I've gone for the Grecian look here.
Ice Blue 1960s Nightie - SOLD
Crimson Nightgown - SOLD
Red '60s Gown, sold with nearly matching peignoir
Long Pink Nightgown - SOLD
Long Blue Nightgown - SOLD
Cute '90s piece by Fredericks of Hollywood, has a matching robe - SOLD
Well, there you are. I managed to get through the whole post without using the word sexy - Oops!
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A lot of 1950s dresses have diamond shaped gussets at the underarms, so I thought, why not put a diamond shaped piece in here to replace the damaged underarms? Easier said than done.
Firstly, I am not a professional dressmaker. I was taught basic sewing skills by my mother, my high school needlework teachers and myself.
Secondly, it's one thing to make a dress with underarm gussets from a pattern, inserting the gussets as the dress is made, although how to achieve the nice pointed corners on the gusset is a skill I do not have. It's another thing completely to insert a diamond shaped patch into a garment which has already been made up, especially when you have an irregularly shaped damaged area to cover, and no pattern.
So I had to make a pattern to cover the size and approximate shape of the damaged area. I started with a paper template of a diamond and tweaked the size till I thought it would fit. I had to do maths! I even asked hubby for a protractor (imagine his surprise!), but I worked out how to make a nice diamond.
Then I cut out a practice patch to test for fit.
I pinned each patch into place on the dress. The two holes were not the same size, so I had to make two differently sized patches. I also had to cut away some of the damaged area to make it fit the shape of the patch, (more maths!).
Then I pinned the patches in, two sides at a time.
In the view below, you can see the kind of problems I had getting it to fit. It was looking as though I needed to make the patches a little bigger.
The fit didn't look too bad, so I now felt confident to cut the real fabric. The dress has a 5 cm hem, so it wasn't going to give me enough fabric to make the whole patch, it had to have a seam.
In retrospect, I should have cut both patches the same and cut the hole in the dress to match, but cutting the hole in the dress was quite intimidating.
I cut the patches, pinned, tacked and machined them 2 sides at a time.
Getting the corners nice and pointy seems to be an arcane art and I failed completely. It was extra tricky because it is a dolman sleeve, so cut in one piece with the bodice and having no sleeve seam to incorporate the point into. In fact, I ran out of patch at the point.
But yay, the dress now has underarms!! I tried to line up the seam in the patch with the seam in the dress, but once again the shape of the patch and the hole dictated the position, so it's not quite in line, but who is going to see it under your arm?
Now to patch the hole I made inside the hem.
And to turn back and finish the cuffs.
And we now have a dress that is wearable. I'm not happy with the lack of diamond points, but I think that the dress was well worth the energy of saving, and will look gorgeous on a petite woman.
Here is the finished dress...
with underarms. (:
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Always known as Bud, his acting career began in 1939, and after a break of a few years that saw Tingwell serve in World War 2, it was resumed in 1946.
Air Force Days
Tingwell appeared in more than 60 movies and 20 television shows. He moved to the UK in the late 1950s where he appeared in many British productions, including playing the role of Inspector Craddock in Murder, She Said (1961) and three other Agatha Christie classics, as well as numerous films and TV appearances in the 1960s.
Dracula (1966)
He returned to Australia in 1973 and appeared in the long running police series Homicide, as well as in the The Sullivans, during the 1970s.
At right - Homicide (1973-1976)
His movie appearances included Australian classics such as The Shiralee (1957), Breaker Morant (1980), Puberty Blues (1981), Evil Angels (1988) and The Castle (1997).
At right - Breaker Morant (1980)
Centre - The Castle (1997)
He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1999 and after his death in 2009 he was farewelled with a state funeral.
Bud was also a dapper dresser. Several of the pieces I have date to the period when he lived in the UK and ordered bespoke suits at London tailors. Most of the items are a size 42 short, give or take a cm.
Double-breasted Dinner Suit (1958) - See it here
I just love it when I find a label like this, bearing not only the owner's name, but the date at which he bought it. If only all vintage clothing was so helpful.
HEAVY wool overcoat for those London winters - See it here
Top brand
This one has a definite Mod feel - Very 1960s - See details here
And it's Italian
Back to Melbourne now, it's the 1970s, but no flares in sight for Bud. He's shopping at the classic Australian menswear store - Peter Jackson. See it here.
This dinner suit is showing a little '70s style though. See it here
With fancy figured lapels.
It's unusual to find a double-breasted jacket with notched lapels rather than the regular peaked lapels. This number from the now defunct department store Ball & Welch in Melbourne, has a few darns but is looking great.
Another Australian classic here from the late '70s - See it here
Fletcher Jones - another Australian institution
And another obligingly informative label
Beautiful 1970s navy pin-striped suit - See it here
There are a few more pieces that I have put aside for repairs, so will post at a later date. Watch out for these items hitting the menswear department, aka Sir Salvage, over the next few weeks.
Contact me for information about any of these items.
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However, there can be problems. You need to be open minded about the vintage piece you are searching for, because the chances of you finding exactly the same outfit you have imagined or have seen in an illustration in your size are very small. The vintage store is not going to have a rack of "THAT DRESS!" in different sizes.
Butterick 6529 - SOLD
One option is to buy reproduction vintage clothing. Another option is to sew your own vintage outfit from a vintage pattern. Patterns come in all ability levels from beginner to advanced. So perhaps this is the time to start honing those skills.
McCall's 2177 - SOLD
Vintage patterns also have some features that you may not be familiar with if you have only sewn using modern patterns.
1. Vintage patterns generally only come with one size in a packet. Multi-sized patterns did not become available until the latter part of the 1980s. This means that searching for your ideal pattern can be almost as frustrating as searching for that individual vintage garment. You may find a pattern of the EXACT thing you have in mind, only to find it's three sizes too small for you. A great resource to help with this problem is the Vintage Pattern Wikia, a wiki with records of tens of thousands of vintage patterns, including illustrations, descriptions, links to blogs and links to vendors selling the patterns.
Weigel's 1815 - SOLD
2. Vintage patterns may be unprinted. This means that alteration lines, dart markings, etc may not be printed on the pattern pieces like they are on modern patterns. They may just be plain shaped pieces of tissue paper. Depending on the brand, an unprinted pattern may be found occurring as late as the mid 1960s. Other brands have been printing on their pattern pieces since the 1940s.
3. Vintage patterns may have minimal instructions. Old patterns assume a working knowledge of sewing techniques. Some old patterns as late as the 1950s may only have a few brief instructions printed on the back of the packet. Patterns from the1960s onwards have explicit instructions. Many 1950s patterns also have full instructions.
4. Very old patterns may not have seam allowances. Some old patterns as late as the 1950s may not include seam allowances on the pattern pieces, so when you cut you may need to allow 1.5 cm extra around the edges of the pattern piece. If seam allowances are not included, it should say so on the packet, so read the packet carefully to avoid wasting that precious fabric.
Pauline 5110 - SOLD
5. Most vintage patterns have been used. Check that the seller has checked the pattern and states that all of the pieces and the instructions are still there. A missing piece or two may not matter. If it's a facing you can always use bias tape instead, or if you feel confident, trace a facing piece from the other pattern pieces. However, if you pay $$$ for a vintage pattern and when you receive it you find that some of the main pieces are missing, you should ask to return it. If you pay 50c for a pattern in a thrift store, it's a chance worth taking.
You may have trouble finding fabric in a modern store which looks appropriate for a vintage garment. Vintage stores sometimes sell lengths of unused fabric, but this can be hard to find. Alternatively, like our ancestors did, you can look to repurpose some vintage curtains (think Scarlett O'Hara), sheets or a full skirt. Prior to the 20th century it was common for women to save the skirts of outmoded dresses and cut them down to make a more fashionable garment. Considering the amount of fabric in an 18th or 19th century skirt, and the cost of imported silks, for example, this was good practice. Also consider that vintage garments were likely to be made in cotton, silk, wool or rayon. By all means use synthetic fabrics, especially if you want to machine wash, but be aware that this may affect the overall vintageness of the look.
Who can forget Scarlett fingering the velvet curtains and thinking "Hmmm...?" when amidst the poverty and destruction of the war she has to pretend she is flourishing and come up with a fabulous outfit in an attempt to win the man with the money that will save her estate (Gone With The Wind). Yes, this used to be the curtains.
Unless you are experienced with sewing stretch fabrics, these are better avoided. You can progress to stretch lingerie and swimsuit sewing, but these are more advanced projects.
If you are a purist and you want the authentic vintage look, consider looking for genuine vintage buttons and trims. There are lots of these available on Etsy and Ebay. If you are a real purist, you may even want to use vintage metal zips in 1940s or 1950s dresses rather than modern nylon zips.
Beginner Sewers
Look for a simple pattern that is not very closely fitted. Be wary of vintage patterns that say "Easy" on the packet. What they mean is relatively easy. 1970s and 1980s patterns that say easy probably are easy. Consider the kind of closure that is required. Can you put in a zip or will you go for a style that pulls on? Can you sew buttonholes or should you avoid them?
Experienced Sewers
Vintage patterns sometimes include helpful instructions for altering the pattern for a better fit. If you are exactly the size described on the packet you are lucky. Alteration lines are marked on most patterns from the 1950s onwards. It may be a simple length alteration or something more complex.
So well armed with all this information, why don't you have a go? Check out some of my patterns here:
Louisa Needle on Etsy and also different patterns on Ebay
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I have an extensive collection of vintage knitting books and the pattern books tell the story of the bed-jacket's popularity. The heyday of the bed-jacket appears to have been the 1920s to the 1940s. They were still worn in the 1950s but by the mid 1960s their popularity was in decline. The bed-jacket survived into the 1970s and even into the '80s, but would have only been worn by elderly women. Why was this?
My theory is heating, or lack thereof. In the '20s, '30s and '40s, houses were cold. People wore long woollen underwear and long wool knitted dressing gowns. In the post war years home heating improved. Some people even had central heating. Children's clothing of the period echoes this change. The Liberty bodice, a child's woollen under vest that had been popular for decades, also began a decline in popularity in the 1950s for the same reason. People no longer had to wear their thermals at home. Patterns for knitted woollen underwear no longer appear in books published in the 1950s.
The bed-jacket, also sometimes called a dressing jacket, was usually lacy and feminine, hand knitted, waist length, and worn over one's nightgown or pyjamas for warmth while sitting in bed reading or having breakfast in bed. The cape was also a popular style for the boudoir. They were usually made in pastel colors or white. It could also be worn while sitting at one's dressing table, doing hair, applying cosmetics, reading the mail, or just getting organised for the day. The dressing gown was the full length version of the dressing jacket, and I also have patterns for hand knitted dressing gowns, often lacy and knitted in very fine yarn. They must have taken months or even years to knit and have been difficult to launder, but they would have been warm. No polar fleece in those days. In Australia and the UK we still use the term dressing gown for the garment donned between the bed and getting dressed for the day. Americans favor the term bathrobe.
Not all bed-jackets were knitted. Many were designed for the warmer seasons and were worn for reasons of modesty as well as a little warmth. These are real lingerie pieces and were made in silks, satins, rayon florals and later in nylon. These may have been embroidered, smocked, quilted or made of lace.
The bed-jacket was also worn by convalescents and by new mothers. By the late 1940s bed-jackets appear in books of baby knitting patterns, clearly aimed at expectant mothers. New mothers had strict rules for staying in bed after birthing their babies, as long as two weeks back in Victorian times. This "lying in" period continued into the first half of the 20th century, though maybe not for quite as long. One had to look pretty in hospital and at home with a new baby, and the bed-jacket served.
In the 1960s brushed Bri-nylon bed-jackets with a sheer overlay were very popular and these are quite commonly found.
By the 1970s and early '80s the bed-jacket was usually only worn by older women for convalescence or visits to hospital. I remember making one for my grandmother at about that time as her eyesight had failed. And only a couple of years ago I remember selling a vintage bed-jacket to a woman who needed it for a trip to hospital. When my own mother was in hospital a few years ago I found her a beautiful knitted bed-jacket in my store. She told me that the nurses said "What IS that? Isn't it beautiful, and where did you get it?"
Having shown so many knitted bed-jackets, I have to note that like all knitwear, it's not very common to find knitted bed-jackets from before the 1960s in decent condition. Moths and poor laundering mean they have relatively short lives. However, there are LOTs of nylon bed -jackets about and a reasonable number of the silk or rayon summer pretties. So, luckily we have the patterns so that we can knit repro vintage bed-jackets. There are a fair number of patterns for sale on Ebay and Etsy.
Today, there are so many beautiful vintage bed-jackets around and I for one cannot resist them. They make beautiful little evening jackets and cardigans for day wear over a "frock", or paired with jeans for a bit of edge. Call it a bed-jacket, dressing jacket, boudoir jacket, lingerie jacket or just a jacket.
Too many to choose from
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Photo: Getty Images
I was lucky enough to finally get to Bendigo to view the Mary Quant exhibition at the Bendigo Gallery. My young friend, attending with me, had never heard of Quant, and before we went she asked me why Quant was referred to as a fashion revolutionary.
Quant was one of the first designers to aim designs at the youth market. She designed the clothes that young women wanted to wear. Up until this time, with a few notable exceptions such as the bobby soxers, young women dressed like their mothers. Look at old photos of teens and more than likely you'll think they're in their thirties because of the way they wore their hair and dressed - just like their mothers. It was just what the acceptable thing was. Look at this photo of my father, aged 15, with his first girlfriend, taken in 1949.
My Dad and friend, both aged 15, in 1949
The top models up until the 1960s were also mature women in their 30s. That was the market for fashion designers.
Quant said she didn't want to dress like her mother, and so began designing the clothes that women in their teens and 20s would like to wear. She also wanted to design garments that were obtainable for the average working girl. More and more young women were entering the workforce and creating a growing market. A Mary Quant dress would have been a week's wages for an office girl in the '60s, but it was doable. Until the early '60s, Paris was the headquarters of fashion, and a dress from a Paris designer was out of reach of most women, catering only to the rich and famous. Quant helped to switch fashion's headquarters to London for a while. It was Carnaby Street for men and the King's Road, home of Quant's store Bazaar, "an open air cat-walk"(1) for women.
The Rolling Stones, with Pattie Boyd wearing Mary Quant, 1964 (Photo: John French)
"A creative influencer of her time, Quant popularised miniskirts, tights, waterproof mascara and other products women take for granted today". (2) Quant was an astute business woman who embraced mass production and merchandising. Her daisy logo was instantly recognisable.
Photo: Benjamin Evans
This exhibition included not only garments designed by Mary Quant, but shoes, tights, make-up, handbags, sunglasses and a whole series of fashion dolls - and of course their clothes. In the 1970s Quant also branched out into home furnishings. The cosmetics and hosiery industries were particularly lucrative.
Quant appealed to sub-cultures such as the Beatniks and her name is synonymous with Mod style. She challenged traditional stereotypes, and her designs were always fun.
Quant "borrowed from the boys" (3) , subverting menswear staples to create fun pinafore dresses and wardrobes for young women wanting a bit of edginess.
Butcher-stripe dress
Waistcoat & Tie Dress
Man's dress shirt re-imagined
"Rex Harrison" dress, his famous cardigan look S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D
Quant incorporated ideas from children's wear such as Peter Pan collars and smocking. Antique details were given a modern twist and Liberty and William Morris prints were also given a fresh spin.
Liberty Print Smocked Dress
Pantsuit in a William Morris print
Liberty print dress with Peter pan collar
These started off at knee level and just kept heading north!
Photo: Benjamin Evans
Photo: Benjamin Evans
In the 1960s it was common for women to wear pants for casual wear, but many restaurants and clubs banned entry to women wearing pants. Pants were an integral part of each Quant collection, pushing for acceptability in all social situations. Quant once said "I didn't have time to wait for women's lib."
Circular zip pulls are a Quant trademark
And lounge wear
In 1966, Quant launched a wet collection, featuring garments made from PVC.
Queen of merchandising.
Glitter tights and rubber shoes
Photo: Benjamin Evans
The curators summed it up this way: "by bending the rules and testing different gender roles and identities with affordable, well-made clothes to enjoy, empower and liberate, [Quant] predicted the opportunities and freedoms of future generations". (4)
My young friend summed it up this way: "It's SO cool!"
(1) Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary, 2021, exhibition notes.
(2) Exhibition notes.
(3) Honey, 1965
(4) Exhibition notes.
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These days the bride and groom stay to enjoy the party and the going away outfit has become obsolete. Social customs have changed. Many married couples have been living together or having sexual relations prior to marriage much more often than occurred in the past, so the wedding night excitement is more focused on the party and celebration than on the rite of passage. Whereas the white wedding dress traditionally symbolised a young woman's purity and virginity, the going away outfit represented her new status as a young married woman. It was stylish, respectable and suitable for travelling.
A happy couple, "just married" in 1953
Queen Victoria is reputed to have started the fashion of the white wedding dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840, and it's likely the tradition of the going away outfit dates to this time. One just could not have travelled far in a coach wearing a wedding dress. Before this time, women were simply married in their best dress, or a new best dress.
Sometimes, circumstances made it practical to do away with the wedding dress altogether, and to be married in one's going away or travelling outfit.
1915 wedding. A war meant you had to grab your opportunity to wed and run with it.
Up until the1970s the going away outfit was de rigueur. During the war not everyone could manage two dresses for a wedding, but for the most part it was an entrenched tradition through the first half of the 20th century.
Grace Kelly's going away outfit by Christian Dior, 1956
I currently have this dress in the store. The woman I bought it from told me it was her mother's going away outfit in 1954.
Jill Kemelfield, the designer behind Melbourne's Jinoel label, wore this dress for her going away outfit in 1957. Jill designed the dress and it is made from Dior fabric. Here she is seeing the dress on a model at the Jinoel retrospective in Melbourne in 2018.
The tradition of the bride and groom "going away" from the wedding was continued until the 1960s but appears to have fallen out of favour during the 1970s.
Here is my friend Raema in her going away outfit at her wedding in 1966. The dress was by Australian designer Norma Tullo and Raema tells me it was duck egg blue. She had the hat made to match.
Raema still has the shoes, bag and hat from the outfit, but sadly not the Tullo
A notable exception to common behaviour is that bastion of conservatism and tradition - The British Royal Family, where the tradition of the going away outfit has been maintained. Princess Diana wore a peach confection by Bellville Sassoon as her going away dress in 1981 and even Kate Middleton was obliged to uphold the tradition, albeit in a relatively casual way, when she married Prince William in 2011 (The Royal Family does not do casual).
I remember having an argument with my mother over "Going Away" from the wedding when I was married in 1979. There was no way I was going to miss the party. Mum said the guests would be waiting for the bride and groom to leave before they were able to leave themselves. I said they'd work it out. And they did. Frankly, I should have gone away and left the groom there as well.
]]>I recently acquired this elaborate sequined silk cheongsam which was described by the seller as "vintage". I wasn't sure. It's such a classic style, it could have been made at any time, I thought. Unable to find much about vintage cheongsams online I went to the go to experts at the Vintage Fashion Guild. If you haven't been to their website you must check it out as it has some wonderful resources for dating vintage clothing and accessories, such as the Labels resource and Fur and Fabrics resources. In addition, there is a public forum where anybody can post a question about their vintage item and experts from around the world will reply. So I posted my thread - does anyone know much about Chinese vintage and can anyone actually read the Mandarin on the label?
I received a number of very helpful responses. I was not the first one to inquire on this subject and was given links to the previous discussions and to a very interesting website.
This is what I had already observed for myself:
The very helpful respondents taught me this about my dress:
All these facts considered together, it appears that this is a 1930s qipao. It is extremely ornate and I have not been able to find a picture of another like it. I wondered if it may be a theatre costume, but it seems unlikely that a costume would be sold in a department store. It is certainly for a very special occasion. If anyone is able to give me additional information about this style of dress I would appreciate it.
It's certainly a show stopper of a dress, or as I've called it, a firecracker!
The Vintage Fashion Guild helpers also referred me to this interesting website which has some interesting general information on the history of the qipao.
]]>I have recently been watching the British TV series "Secrets of the Museum", set behind the scenes with the curators and conservators at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. I found the series fascinating and am picking up tips on restoring garments from the conservators. But all this is beside the point. It's not what I'm writing about today.
The V&A have published a wonderful series of books called Fashion in Detail, with a new edition published by (Thames & Hudson). I tried and failed to get my hands on the Lingerie title earlier this year. It does not appear to be available in Australia, although other titles in the series are available here. I ordered it via Amazon back in May just as all the international post went haywire and crashed due to COVID and it never arrived. Finally, I got a refund, so I bought another title in the series which I was able to get locally.
I have read "19th Century Fashion in Detail" by Lucy Johnston literally from cover to cover. For anyone with any interest in historical costume, this is a must read. I just wish I could remember everything I read. The book takes items from the V&A collection and shows a full page photo concentrating on a key aspect of the garment. It may be a half rear view, a sleeve, a shoulder trim, a fastening, the boning inside a Worth gown. On the page opposite is a line drawing of the entire item, sometimes a full length photo, (although many of the items are too fragile to mount and a full shot is not always available) and a description of the garment explaining the significance of the focus, with historical context. The donor and date of donation is also given, with the name of the original owner if known.
Passementerie trim on a silk jacquard gown - 1845-50
You need to use your imagination at times when the photo is a detail. But what a detail!
I was engrossed in this book and various visitors to the house have also picked it up and disappeared inside. Here are some of my favorite items.
The 19th century is not just Victorian fashion as the period from 1800-1836 is also included. The dainty Napoleonic and Georgian fashions are fascinating to see close up and to see the secrets of how they were made and put together to form an outfit. All stitched completely by hand of course.
Muslin dress with puff trim and reed-smocking, 1816-21
A significant amount of menswear is also included and is equally fascinating. I find myself discovering a new appreciation of the tailor's skills. And check out the fastening on this dressing gown:
The gown is wool flannel, embroidered to look like ermine
A dressing gown would have been worn over pants and shirt instead of a jacket while relaxing in the home, not just over sleepwear.
Gown - 1885. Look at the way the seamstress has matched the fabric in the pleats so the design is barely interrupted. Apparently, the invention of the sewing machine made it easier to achieve this effect.
Mantle of white down, stitched into bobbles - 1860s
French silk gown, 1869-70
Synthetic dyes invented in the mid 19th century made vibrant colors possible. Purple dyes included traces of arsenic, and slowly poisoned the wearer. Hatter's also used arsenic in the treatment of furs for hats, and unfortunately arsenic poisoning and the ensuing madness it caused was an occupational hazard - hence the Mad Hatter.
Detail of a silk velvet opera gown, believed to have been embroidered after purchase, 1900.
Woman's Hat, French, 1884 - with stuffed honeyeater, extra wings and feathers and chenille trim
Man's snakeskin slippers, Scottish,1850s-60s. Made from the golden or olive sea snake, native to Australia.
I am equally fascinated and appalled by the fad for using bits of wild animals in fashion, which was prevalent from the 1870s. Today, it seems grotesque to us to exploit wildlife in this way. One warehouse in London received a shipment of 32,000 stuffed hummingbirds in the 1890s. And that was just one shipment! The fad continued through to the 1940s to a lesser extent.
I have just ordered two more titles in this series - "20th Century Fashion in Detail" and (hopefully, from the UK) "Lingerie - Fashion in Detail". I would also dearly love "18th Century Fashion in Detail" and I want to to visit the V&A in London. But I want to go behind the scenes and look in the vaults.
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(i) Prue Acton in Germany, 1970
Black Wool Mini Dress, 1967 - Museums Victoria collection
Until the mid '60s, the fashion industry was aimed at the mature woman. Models were also often more mature women and young women and teens weren't a market that was catered for. This began to change in the 1960s with a huge swing in the industry towards a youth market. This was the time of Beatlemania, Mary Quant, Biba, Carnaby Street and Twiggy. Prue Acton dived straight into this new movement, producing fun, bright designs that young girls and women loved to wear.
Wool mini dress, 1968. Museums Victoria Collection
Matching coat, 1968. Museums Victoria collection
The coat in action, photo courtesy Museums Victoria
Prue Acton describes herself as "an artist who chooses to work in the field of fashion" (1) The artist Prue is evident in the bright colors and bold prints she used. She completed a Diploma of Art (Majoring in Textiles) in 1962 and set up her own fashion business in 1963. I remember hearing a story about how she got her break in the American market. As a 19 or 20 year old girl, she took herself and her portfolio to New York, where no-one would see her. Not to be deterred, she pursued the fashion buyers of the big department stores, and after being refused an interview, she simply jumped into the back of a taxi with one of the big wigs and showed him her portfolio. The rest is history (and I hope this story is true!)
Blue Hot Pants, 1969. Museums Victoria collection
In the late '60s Acton launched her line of cosmetics and perfumes, and Prue Acton accessories, underwear and shoes helped to create the Prue Acton "Total Look".
Sandals, 1971. National Gallery of Victoria
Described by the press as "Australia's Mary Quant" (2), Acton and her team regularly travelled to Europe to be up with the latest styles by Quant, Courreges and other Mod designers. Acton's signature looks included A-line shift dresses, hipster skirts, culottes, mini coats, Peter Pan collars, pretty prints, bold colors and "connotations of cute, modern, school/business girl sexuality". (3)
Jumpsuit, 1969. Museums Victoria collection
Bikini, 1970. Museums Victoria collection
Acton has been described as part of a "new wave of designers", who "established herself as Australia's leading celebrity designer, in the process converting her young girls' fashion label into a national and international brand enterprise with an annual turnover of around $6 million." (4)
(ii) Late 1960s, wearing her trademark flower logo
Her designs from her heyday - 1964-1972, are highly collectible. Acton closed her business in the early 1990s. Museums Victoria has a comprehensive collection of her works. Occasionally, I am lucky enough to find one of her pieces.
White maxi dress, 1970s. Louisa Amelia Jane - SOLD
Quilted Mini Dress, 1970s. Louisa Amelia Jane - SOLD
Striped Jumper, 1970s - Available at Louisa Amelia Jane
Embroidered Knit Jacket - available at Louisa Amelia Jane
Acton's designs through the 1970s and 1980s became increasingly "more sophisticated and exclusive" (5).
Outback Deserts, handpainted dress, 1975. Museums Victoria collection
Evening dress, 1988. Museums Victoria collection
Here's Prue talking about her designs and fashion in the '60s:
Prue Acton has won numerous fashion awards, including five Australian Wool Board Awards, three David Jones Awards for Fashion Excellence, four Fashion Industry of Australia Lyrebird Awards, and has been awarded an OBE. She now describes herself as "practising as a professional artist and colorist". (6)
References:
(1) Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964-1975 http://www.milesago.com/People/acton-prue.htm Accessed 29 August 2020
(2) The Touch of Youth, The Sun, 8th January, 1964, quoted by Denise Whitehouse
(3) Whitehouse, Denise: Prue Acton: Youth Fashion and the Emergence of the Celebrity Designer Brand, 1964-1972, DHARN (Design History Australia Research Network), http://dharn.org.au/prue-acton-youth-fashion-and-the-emergence-of-the-celebrity-designer-brand-1964-1972/ Accessed 29 August 2020
(4) Ibid
(5) Reason, Michael: Prue Acton, Fashion Designer (1943-) in Museums Victoria Collections, https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2377 Accessed 29 August 2020
(6) Quoted in Reason, Michael, Op Cit
Photo Credits
(i) Press photograph, Prue Acton Archives, FBTRC (Frances Burke Textile Resource Centre), RMIT
(ii) Photographer unknown, Prue Acton Archives, FBTRC (Frances Burke Textile Resource Centre), RMIT
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So when I say purses, I mean small bags, evening bags and coin purses. I'm aware that in the US the term "purse" means any kind of handbag, but in Australia we have large handbags or bags and small purses.
Beaded purses are top of the list with me. Most of my small collection is beaded.
I picked up this little treasure at a local garage sale. It has a celluloid frame and chain and a push button closure. Late 1910s or 1920s.
I was so curious about this next item that I spent quite a lot of time researching it. Sometimes incorrectly referred to as a miser's purse, it is actually a Victorian string purse.
It's tiny, only 5 x 8 cm, and beaded with bronze colored metal beads. But inside is what makes it so curious.
It's crocheted so that the handle strings thread through the inside at the mouth of the purse, making it quite tricky to extract you coins. You can see why it might have been called a miser's purse. This was sold to me in an antique shop as a 1920s purse. It just goes to show that while antique dealers may know loads about furniture and china, they don't always know about fashion items, and there are sometimes bargains to be had.
I don't have a Victorian miser's purse, unfortunately, but I read up on them. Laura Camerlengo has written an interesting thesis on the history of miser's purses for her Master of Arts in the History of the Decorative Arts and Design, called "The Ubiquitous Miser's Purse" (not so ubiquitous because I don't have one). I was absorbed with the history - who knew you could do such fun things for a thesis? Thanks Laura. I notice this is now available as a Kindle ebook.
Trivia 1: Green was apparently the most popular color for a miser's purse, and the color most favoured by men, followed by blue and red.
Trivia 2: Women would commonly wear their miser's purse pushed over a garter, which they would reach through a pocket.
Here is Laura demonstrating how a miser's purse worked:
But I digress. Back to my collection.
I have a second little string purse:
This one is a little larger, but even so, just designed to take a few coins. Maybe this size could take a ticket or a hanky, if you could get them out.
I call this one my gingerbread purse. It's a handmade silk purse beaded all over. I think it's a 1920s or '30s pochette, or pocket book, the forerunner of the clutch.
I have a number of beaded 1930s evening purses. I call them dance purses because they have a little finger strap on the back, just so you can slip 2-3 fingers through and continue to hold your partner and dance. No worries about anyone stealing your lipstick while you nailed the fox trot. There are also a few of these for sale in the store.
So Art Deco
1930s Czech purse with wooden beads available here
1930s dance purse available here:
1930s dance purse available here:
Some more interesting antique items include this sweet little Edwardian coin purse.
I love the 10 shilling and 20 shilling buttons and I wish I knew how to repair the catch.
Here's another Edwardian purse from the store. This is a homemade embroidered linen purse on a silk ribbon, just sturdy enough to hold a ticket and a hanky.
Embroidered Edwardian purse available here:
This purse is beaded with steel beads of different colors. You can see the faint remains of a design on the back. 1920s I think.
This was the first purse I accidentally collected. Micro beaded with little blue stones on the clasp - 1930s, I think.
1940s beaded purse available here:
This sweet little beaded purse is likely 1940s, based on the type of strap.
Here is another 1940s evening purse of the kind made famous by the brand Corde. Soutache ornamentation, but this one was made in Australia by Park Lane.
1940s soutache trimmed purse by Park Lane available here:
It was very common for bags from the 1940s and 1950s to come with their own little companion coin purse, and often a little mirror as well.
Petit point is a style of needlepoint stitching, like a miniature tapestry stitch, petit point literally meaning little stitches. The best pieces certainly have tiny stitching. It was commonly used on evening bags and other accessories in the 1950s. I also have a cigarette case, hand mirror and make up compact from this period decorated with petit point stitching.
1950s petit point bag available here:
And one final beaded bag. This is a 1960s bag and I love it because the design gives it an Art Deco feel.
1960s Art Deco style purse available here:
Yes, it's a random collection but I guess that's because it's accidental. And one of the things I love about vintage fashion is it's eclectic nature. So there we are.
]]>In addition, I would like to share my latest cleaning discovery. Vodka. Not just to drink when the laundry list gets too long for your liking, or to cope with lockdown fever.
Having bought some vodka to try a tip I had read for removing body odor smells, I had some on hand. I did not have any success with using it to eliminate BO on vintage clothing. However, I was looking for something to remove white mildew stains from a black coat. I had used both vinegar and lemon juice for this job in the past, and they both removed the mildew, but I ended up with faded patches on the black fabric. I didn't want to risk this happening again, so I was after a new idea. The vodka worked very effectively and left no mark or smell on the garment. Encouraged by this, I have since used it very effectively to remove other random spots from garments. It's now my favorite go to spot cleaner.
In my very unscientific way, I deduce that vodka must be basically dry cleaning spirit. No way I'm drinking it, I'm sticking to the wine.
]]>As an online seller I was impressed by their declarations of dedicated customer service and their policies. It's just what Etsy and Ebay encourage us to do these days - full refunds if not satisfied, and fast dispatch. To be (really) precise, they promise to dispatch in 14 3/4 hours!
Additionally, they swear that they have a 3% profit policy to keep the prices down!! And here are their reviews from happy customers...
Not much has really changed business wise, just the minor advent of the internet, but the principles are all the same.
And the fashions are amazing.
The Chicago Mail Order Company boasted being able to deliver the latest Paris fashions at the lowest prices. They even employed their own French expert, Paul Carét, to select the clothing on offer. Lucky American ladies!
Styles were even selected for a range of figures. They had a large selection of garments available to suit the larger figure "at no extra cost".
I want to know where all those "stout" women hung out. A bridge party for larger ladies?
Having just re-watched the fabulous House of Eliott series, I can't help thinking of Tilly doing all the hand beading and the toll it took on her eyes.
Of course the underwear pages are fabulous. Corsets were shaping for the straight up and down look of the '20s rather than the Edwardian pigeon silhouette or the Victorian hourglass.
I've had a few of these in the store. I've always called them step-ins, but here they're referred to as "envelope drawers" or "bloomer drawers". It's interesting how we sometimes adopt our own contemporary names for garments from the past, when they were originally known as something different. My mother always looks at me blankly when I refer to tap pants, because in Australia in the 1950s they were always called scanties.
It's not all glamour. It was mighty cold in houses with rudimentary heating, and work places often didn't have heating at all, so all members of the family needed their woolly under things.
I've had a few of these nightgowns. More often, only the crocheted yokes survive.
And oh my goodness!! The shoes! The hats! and the stockings!
Stockings rarely survive a few years of wear, let alone 95 years, so we hardly ever see originals these days.
How adorable are the Chinese slippers? This must have been at the height of the fashion for Chinoiserie, or things Chinese.
Here's my boudoir cap, I can't resist sharing. It's so exciting to find the things in the old catalogues.
You could even send in a piece of your own hair and buy a matching hair piece.
Difficult though it is to drag one's attention away from the women's fashions, the adorable children's items can't be missed.
And even the men's gear is snazzy. These "jazz" pants have a natty square pearl button trim at the leg edge.
So lots of homework for me, studying all the items. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.
]]>Zippers
To make a metal zipper run freely, run a candle up and down the teeth.
If you need to replace the zip, Op Shops (Thrift stores) often have metal zips in their haberdashery section.
Green 1950s Dress, with fully operational zip (and pockets!) in the store
To Remove Marks from Shoes, Bags and Leather Clothing
Use a slightly moistened microfibre sponge. Be very careful, as rubbing too hard can take out the color.
(Clean) Gherardini Mod Designer Bag in the store
To Reshape a Straw Hat
Dunk it in water and reshape as you choose. It should maintain the shape as it dries.
'50s/'60s Straw Hat in the store
To Remove Body Odour Smells
Don't waste your money on dry cleaning, it doesn't help. Only washing helps. Even woollen garments can be carefully hand washed, dried flat and pressed and steamed back into shape. I recently read that people have had good results from hanging the garment with a sachet filled with activated charcoal in a confined space. This is top of my list of hacks to try next time I get a smelly dress!!
To remove and prevent musty smell in bags and shoes
I collect the little air drying, dessicant, silica sachets that come in boxes of new shoes or bottles of vitamins etc and store shoes and bags with these inside. Of course you can buy boxes of new packets. If your bag smells musty, hang it in an open space with the silica sachets inside. Leave the bag open. It may take a few weeks, but the smell will eventually go. Or try the activated charcoal.
Washing a 1940s Dress
One of the best tips I received when I was starting out in the vintage clothing business was from Nicole Jenkins of Circa Vintage. She said to ALWAYS remove the shoulder pads from a 1940s dress before washing it. Now, a rayon crepe dress will shrink a bit, but can usually be pressed back to the original size and shape. Of course, a cotton garment can be washed. But why remove the shoulder pads? In the 1940s, during and after the war, supplies were scarce, especially in the UK, and people made do with whatever they could find. Regular stuffing like cotton wadding was scarce, so all kinds of interesting things can be found inside 1940s shoulder pads. Nicole says she found recycled (clean) bandages in one pair. I found unravelled rope in another pair. So just to be sure, remove them first. It's easy to tack them back in place after washing.
To Treat and Prevent Clothing Moth
Any new woollen item, including hats, goes into a zip lock bag and into the chest freezer for at least a week before storing in the wardrobe. Washing or dry cleaning will also kill moth larvae. I make drawstring storage bags from thrifted sheets and all woollen and silk garments are stored in these, either on the hanger or stored flat. I label my bags for reference, but you could easily attach a photo to help you remember what's what. I also hang camphor in the wardrobes as I find the smell more bearable than moth balls. I hang clothes in the fresh air for 10 minutes when I take them out to disperse the smell. If you have furs, I also recommend this treatment.
To Treat Marks on Velvet
To treat crush marks on velvet, try steaming and brushing with a clothes brush.
If Your Waistband Button Doesn't Meet the Buttonhole
Only good if the button is not in obvious view, as in a waistband. If you need a little more room, try making a loop from hat elastic (roll elastic) and sewing it next to the buttonhole. Using this loop instead of the buttonhole may give you just enough room to fasten.
If There's Damage to Your Collar or Cuffs
If you are slightly handy with a needle, you can do what our grandmothers used to do and take off the collar/cuffs, turn them and restitch.
I turned these cuffs - good as new
To Remove Scuff Marks From Suede
Use a little water on a nail brush and gently brush. You will have to brush the whole item or you will just leave a bigger mark. I've done this successfully with bags and shoes but I would not recommend tackling a coat. Vodka is also good for removing marks from suede.
To Remove Mould and Mildew Marks
A little vodka on a soft toothbrush works wonders, particularly with removing mildew from black garments. I suspect isopropyl alcohol would also work, but I have not tried it.
I'm going to post these tips to a permanent page on the website under Resources, and add to them.
Please comment and leave me any hacks you may have and I'll add them to the page.
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I'm currently having a wonderful time rewatching the 1990s BBC TV series The House Of Eliott. Now that we're celebrating the '20s again, it's not only wonderful inspiration for 1920s fashion and great drama, it's also a reminder of how far we've come in 100 years.
If you've never seen the show and you love 1920s fashion you have to lay your hands on a copy.
Here's a trailer on Youtube:
The show is about two sisters Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott, who are suddenly left without means of support after the death of their father. It begins in 1920 and continues into the latter part of the decade. Determined and creative, they battle to get started as seamstresses and eventually have their own couture fashion house - The House Of Eliott.
Bea and Evie are stars and there are generally fine performances all round from the cast. It's not just a starry eyed view of the past with pretty fashions. Their friend Pen works for social justice and devotes her life to helping the poor. The obstacles in the way of the women trying to be independent and set up in business seem never ending. No banks would loan money to single women. Social stigmas still attached to women who didn't follow the rules in society. As the '20s progress, we see some of these restrictions relax a little.
The insights into a couture house with designers, seamstresses, a vendeuse, the interactions with clients are fascinating. And the clothes! All hand finished, hand beaded, the intricate trims and fastenings. The costume department must have had a wonderful time creating the fashions. Louise Lombard, who plays Evie, says they worked full time on the show for three years, and she saw more of her stage sister Stella Gonet (Bea) than she did of her own family at that time.
You also get a great view of how the fashions changed in the early '20s from the definitely Edwardian flavoured early '20s to the spectacular flapper style fashions of the mid 1920s.
The Edwardian flavour of the early 1920s
I love Evie's Bohemian style smocks
If only the BBC would sell us the costumes.
Note the piano shawl on the table and assuit dress Evie is wearing. Assuit is an egyptian inspired fabric embroidered with little metal discs and was popular in the 1920s during the craze for everything Egyptian after the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922.
In summary, it's constantly jaw dropping and stunning fashion. You can buy series 1-3 on DVD. It comes with a warning. The BBC cancelled the series after the end of series 3 in 1994, so there is no really final ending. But it doesn't really matter.
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In Melbourne we are very lucky to have a gallery of the calibre of the National Gallery of Victoria, aka the NGV. And we are especially fortunate because the NGV has an extensive fashion collection and holds frequent excellent fashion exhibitions. In 2019, the NGV exhibited "Collecting Comme", an overview of the work of Rei Kawakubo, the founder and key designer behind Paris based designer label Comme des Garcons. The NGV has been gifted an extensive collection of Comme garments, largely from a donation a from private collector Takamasa Takahashi, who has also loaned items from his private archive to augment the exhibition.
You can view the trailer for the exhibition with the background story here:
Cloak from the Blood & Roses collection, 2014
Comme des Garcons designs were first presented in Paris in 1981 and they continue to push the boundaries of fashion and how we think about clothes. The introductory notes from the NGV say, Kawakubo has "defied convention to redefine fashion. Her designs have subverted norms of garment shape and function, reframed ideas of beauty and proposed a new relationship between body and dress."
The first word that occurred to me as I viewed the designs was "sculptural". Takahashi commented that it's impossible to imagine what many of the designs look like when viewing them on the hanger in the store. Many are three dimensional and are totally transformed when viewed on the body.
1997 - "Body Meets Dress- Dress Meets Body" collection - "questions the boundaries of the so-called fashionable body" and "contested traditional social definitions of ideal femininity" (NGV)
Not all Comme designs are 3D and disproportionate, but all are interesting and different. Kawakubo is quoted as saying "there is no point in designing something that is predictable".
1991 - "Chic Punk" collection
In the group above and in line with the Punk theme, the garment on the left shows a conservative traditional dinner jacket subverted by the addition of red plastic lapels and skirt.
Half coat, 2011 - "Hybrid" collection
Although I really wanted to see what this garment looks like when worn, it was also interesting to see some of the garments presented flat.
2010-11 - "Inside Decoration" collection
The black dress is a circular shape when not being worn. Garments like the visceral padded shorts and top "confirmed Kawakubo's resolve to redraw the contours of the fashionable body with abstract garments that blurred boundaries and amplified physical proportions". (NGV) There are removable pillows in the lining of the garment.
The pieces that fascinated me the most were those that played with garment construction.
At first glance this looks like a coat slung over the shoulder but it is actually three identical tailored jackets stitched together. Using the different sleeve options the wearer can create totally different looks.
I was fascinated by this skirt made from a patchwork of bodice pieces.
2008 - "Africa" collection
Jeans morph into skirt.
2012 - "Crush" collection
Takahashi says that when he first saw this collection he thought "Kawakubo is crushing all the existing concepts of clothes and suggesting a new start".
There were even a couple of garments that may give you a clue that the designer is Japanese.
And some clothes even looked wearable! But always with a quirky difference.
2002 - "Object" collection - Designer is Junya Watanabe, one of Kawakubo's proteges
Of the dress on the right, the curator notes "the dress is light and pretty but Watanabe's use of webbing to secure a parachute style backpack to the dress and to draw up the front gives it contemporary context".
The NGV website quotes Kawakubo saying that her intent has always been "to make clothes that didn't exist before", no mean feat, but one at which she appears to have succeeded.
For those wanting more, you can view Comme des Garcons' 2019 Spring Summer collection presentation here
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
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Here is Auntie Des marrying Uncle Martin and wearing the gown on her wedding day in 1950. The gown is barely recognisable today.
My Auntie Des had had the gown altered to a dance dress after her wedding. In those days, having survived the war years, the "Make Do and Mend" ethos was still strong and it was common for a dress to be repurposed. The length was shortened, the sleeves removed, and it was dyed pink. It came with the fingerless gloves Des had worn with it, also dyed pink. Time had not been kind to the gown. The full skirt was covered with brown oxidation marks and moths had feasted on the shoulders. I told Glenda that I would try to fix the gown and then she could decide what she wanted to do with it.
Pretty good from a distance, but...
The first problem I attacked was the staining. The yoke and skirt of the gown are rayon and the lace bodice is cotton. My fall back method for "nothing to lose" items otherwise headed for the bin is laundry soaker. I used Vanish Oxy Action. I was worried that it would fade the dye in streaks, but it came out 95% clean with little or no effect on the color. There are still one or two marks but being such a full skirt these are well hidden in the folds.
Secondly, the more challenging problem of the ruined yoke. Amongst my stock I was fortunate to find an old nightgown from the early '50s in a similar fabric and color. The nightgown was far from perfect so I had no qualms about shortening it from floor length to below knee. Now all I needed was a pattern. I planned to unpick the yoke from the lace and use it as a pattern to cut the replacement fabric. That proved easier said than done, and I ended up cutting most of the lace away from the original yoke. I had to leave the sleeve binding in place as I had no fabric (nor inclination) to cut more bias strips. Also, it would guide me in putting the bodice back together. Yikes!
Note the rouleau button loops. No way was I attempting to reproduce those, so I cut them off attached to a strip, planning to sew them back in place on the new yoke.
Yokeless
The new yoke pieces were cut and sewn together and I carefully pinned all the lace in place and reattached it. I made new binding for the neck and reattached the armhole binding, putting it back together like completing a puzzle.The rouleau loops went back on, and I sewed on all the little buttons. Presto! Good as new (sort of).
I had a couple of buttons left over, so I didn't quite get it right, but it's close. I hope it's not too much smaller as it was already about an AU6.
Auntie Des was very good to me when I was a teenager and I stayed regularly with my cousins, sharing a number of family holidays with them. This is my thank you to her.
Update - August 2020
The dress is to be sold. For sale together with the slip and gloves here:
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Last week we visited Coonawarra in South Australia for some wine tasting and buying. It also turned out to also be an unexpected vintage experience, and I don’t mean wine! Unable to find accommodation in Penola, hub of the Coonawarra, we opted to stay at Myall Cottage in Lake Mundi, about 20 minutes down the road and just over the border into Victoria.
We met the owner, Ree, at the intersection of the main road and the gravel road, then followed her to the entrance of a cattle farm, through the farm gates, past the bulls (yeek!) and to Myall Cottage.
The cottage belonged to the farmer's Aunt Daphne, who lived there from birth until she died aged 95. One step inside and I'd entered a time warp. Completed in 1907, Daphne lived in the cottage with her parents, and then after their deaths for the rest of her life, successfully running sheep on the property as an independent single woman. The cottage is full of the original furniture and Daphne's belongings, many of which had belonged to her parents before her.
Daphne
The parlour - British Racing Green was the only color they could get during The Depression, but it suits
The third bedroom - with drawers full of treasure
The owner, Ree, wants people to explore the cottage and to get an idea of what it was like to live on a farm in the early 20th century. I spent the next three hours looking in every box and tin on every shelf and in every drawer in the house. I felt a bit cheeky looking in other people’s cupboards but I couldn’t resist. Treasures! - a Bandaid box full of collar buttons, a tin of broken jewellery on the mantlepiece, a box of teeny tiny cotton reels, a bakelite pencil sharpener in a tobacco tin!! I felt like a child at Easter, playing hunt the treasure. Every drawer and cupboard in the house was filled with interesting paraphernalia. The book shelves housed not only a lot of interesting old books and photo albums but also a lot of Daphne's hand written recipe books, and a few from her mother as well. It was obvious that Daphne loved to cook - the cupboards were also full of baking utensils. I thought it was sad that Daphne loved cooking and baking but only had herself to cook for.
Tins and boxes to tempt the curious - Guilty!
A sampler
The top drawer
Daphne had told Ree stories of the Afghan traders who passed through, selling bolts of cloth and household utensils to homesteaders. Daphne and her sister would choose beads which the trader would fashion into necklaces for them over his campfire at night. Ree believes that some of these items, especially the trinkets, are amongst the hidden treasures in the house.
And then my partner came in and said "You've got to have a look out here, you'll go nuts". I followed him to the shed adjacent to the back of the cottage, to find the remnants of the original kitchen from the 19th century, and two adjacent rooms - the larder and the dairy. The older buildings incorporated the historic chimney and hearth dating back to the 1860s. The original red gum slab walls had been replaced with corrugated iron over the years. The old buildings were the place where the farm workers were fed, and Daphne continued this tradition and used the outdoor kitchen for most of her life. All the meals were cooked there and the farm workers were fed there, although the family used the dining room in the cottage. A leg of lamb and dozens of scones were cooked every day for the workers. I was glad to learn that Daphne had indeed had an appreciative audience for her cooking skills after all.
The original wood fired stove in the outdoor kitchen
Flour bins
The next day I was a golf widow for a couple of hours and I set out to find any unexplored spaces. In the glass bookcase in the parlour I found a copy of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management from 1869. Browsing this I learned the duties of the lady's maid, parlour maid, butler and first footman, but searched in vain to find the best method for cleaning kid gloves, which I really need to know. (If you know, can you please tell me?) I also explored the outbuildings and discovered the old blacksmith's forge and the two gigs in the chaff shed. Ree later told me that Daphne’s zinc bath tub is also still out there in Bobby’s Hut.
There's no TV or WiFi in the cottage, and that evening, we sought alternative entertainment. Ree had a sign on a box we found in the cupboard beneath the bookcase saying "Please Play Me". It turned out to be a piano accordion. I wasn't game for that, worried it would fall apart, but then saw "And Me" on a nearby box. It was a gramophone! We wound it up and played Aunt Jemima singing "Can't Help Loving That Man Of Mine" from Showboat on a 78 speed record. "Old Man River" was on the flip.
There is no lack of modern comforts at Myall Cottage. There was a kitchen and bathroom reno done around about the late '70s, I'm sure it was to help an aging Daphne to continue to live in her own home, although apparently she was not pleased with the kitchen (Daphne: "This was a nice room once"). However, it did make it more comfortable accommodation for us. I'm so glad I didn't have to trot down to the back of the garden to go to the "dunny", or bathe in a tin tub. Two fireplaces keep the little cottage cosy in winter.
Front view - blue wrens hop about the garden
Front porch
Staying at Myall Cottage turned out to be the highlight of the holiday for me. It was like an interactive vintage playground. Thank you Ree for not only preserving this little piece of history, but for sharing it in such a generous manner.
Myall Cottage is available for bookings on Air BnB
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
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Some of you who have been reading my blog for a while may remember that I love pre-code Hollywood movies. These are movies made in the late 1920s-mid 1930s before Hollywood was forced to enforce the Hayes Code - a censorship code designed to stamp out perceived immorality in the movies.
Bolero, c.1934, was directed by Wesley Ruggles and starred George Raft and Carole Lombard. The costumes are to die for. A strange mishmash of Belle Epoque and 1930s fashion, I found them endlessly fascinating. I wonder where they all ended up and whether any of them still exist.
Publicity shot for Bolero
The movie tells the story of Raoul (Raft), an ambitious professional dancer, and his string of partners, culminating most successfully with Helen (Lombard). Raoul's character is (loosely) based on the french dancer Maurice Mouvet, who Raft had known. Like the music of Ravel's Bolero, the movie theme, the movie builds towards the climax of the ultimate dance performance, a sensual interpretation of the music and a display of the characters' passion for each other.
The movie is set mostly in 1914, ending in 1918. The music, Ravel's Bolero, did not premiere to the public until 1928, so we have to forgive Hollywood for a little anachronism here. Ravel's friend, Russian dancer and actresss Ida Rubenstein, had commissioned him to write a Spanish flavored ballet piece for her. After it's premiere in Paris in 1928 Ravel's best known work was received "by a shouting, stamping, cheering audience in the midst of which a woman was heard screaming: “Au fou, au fou!” (“The madman! The madman!”). When Ravel was told of this, he reportedly replied: “That lady… she understood.” (1)
But back to the costumes. The costume director was Travis Banton, who was uncredited. Set in 1914, the first scenes feature some glorious Belle Epoque fashions. However, when the glamorous women appear, first Frances Drake and later Carole Lombard, their outfits have a lot more about the 1930s to them than the 1910s. 1930s hats, collars and cuffs trim gowns that could be loosely seen as Edwardian. It was as if Banton, or maybe the director Ruggles, thought that they couldn't possibly let their leads be seen in dowdy Edwardian fashions when there was Art Deco!
Raft with Frances Drake, sporting a dashing 1930s hat in 1914
In this clip from Bolero, Raft and Drake tango. How amazing is her tasseled gown! Bell Epoque split skirt and tassels, but the cut looks so '30s.
Bolero was the first movie in which Lombard danced professionally and a double was used for many of her scenes. The long distance shots of the pair dancing were mostly of professional dancers Veloz and Yolanda, who were also uncredited.
This amazing dress is clearly a 1930s gown, but the shorter over layer does hint a little at the fashions of the Belle Epoque. Ostrich or swans down? Fashion in those days was certainly dangerous to bird and beast.
Lombard was the highest paid Hollywood star in the late 1930s. I can't look at her without thinking of her famous romance with and marriage to Clark Gable, and of her tragic death in a plane crash in January 1942. Gable was devastated by her death and it spurred him to enlist in the US Air Force.
Clark Gable and Carole Lombard with Lombard's mother, who was also killed in the accident
In July 1934 Hollywood began enforcing the Hayes code. We wouldn't have seen Sally Rand's erotic and almost naked Fan Dance, which is featured.
We wouldn't have seen Lombard auditioning in her underwear, and we wouldn't have seen Raft's hands across her breasts in the Bolero. The women dancers in the film are all looking for rich men to keep them or perhaps marry them, and the censors wouldn't have liked that either. Whew! Just made it through on the calendar!
The finale - finally, they dance the Bolero. How she stayed in that dress in the days before double sided tape I do not know
In 1984, ice dancers Jane Torvil and Christopher Dean based their Olympic gold medal winning performance to Ravel's Bolero on the dance routine from this movie.
If you want to watch the whole movie, and please do, it's available here, although the quality is not good enough to go to full screen, and you have to put up with French subtitles.
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
References
(1) Classic FM; 2019; London; https://www.classicfm.com/composers/ravel/guides/story-maurice-ravels-bolero/
]]>I've set out upon what is proving to be the ambitious task of creating an illustrated glossary or companion to vintage fashion. After spending the weekend compiling a modest number of entries covering letters A-C I realise that this is going to be a labor of love and will evolve over a longer period of time. I've made it a fixed page on the website rather than a blog entry that may get lost down the list over time. It's one of a list of fashion history resources I am beginning to compile, and you can find it on the website's main menu under Resources.
A-C is now published, so check it out.
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Today I was at Bendigo Art Gallery to view their current exhibition - Tudors to Windsors - British Royal Portraits.
Firstly, I have to make it clear that I am not a Royalist. I took in the current and recent royal portraits in about 5 seconds. And I am not even slightly interested in either Princess Diana or the current Duchess of Cambridge. My only interest is with the dead royals pre 1960. And surprise, surprise, as I made my way through the entry and the first gallery of Tudor monarchs, it soon became clear that I was only looking at their clothes. So this is not a British history lesson, it is some observations on the wardrobe department.
Little Edward VI was the first to catch my eye. He was Henry VIII's heir, who became king at the tender age of 9, and died aged 15 in 1553.
Child's three-quarter suit of armor
This armor was made for King Edward. Noble boys learned to wear armor and to fight in it, usually with sticks. It looks heavy, but the exhibition notes assure us it's not.
The Five Children of Charles 1, after Sir Anthony Van Dyck - 1637
This portrait shows the future Charles II in the centre and his brother, the future James II, second from left. The enormous dog is thought to be their guard dog as their father had many enemies by this time and was soon to lose his head. It shows how children were dressed as miniature adults, and also how young boys like James were dressed exactly like girls. The only difference I can see is that James is not wearing a pearl necklace and earrings like his sisters.
Silk baby robe worn by the future George IV - 1762
Having seen so many silk garments from the 20th century just falling apart, I was amazed to see this gown in apparently perfect condition. It has no doubt been stored in optimum conditions by experts for the last 250 years. It looks to be an uncomfortable garment for a baby to wear, but then all clothes were uncomfortable then. The bodice is quilted and fitted. The sleeves are attached only at the shoulders and the long skirt has a pleated trim with rosettes.
Elizabeth I by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger - 1592
Queen Elizabeth is sporting the fashionable farthingale at its most extreme in this famous portrait. This whalebone frame was an early kind of hoop that sat higher at the back as the wearer also wore a padded roll over her buttocks. The chest and front bodice were completely flat - She is wearing a board, called a busk, down her front. It's unlikely that she would have been able to sit easily. I recall reading that a bench stool was made for her.
Elizabeth is also wearing an enormous amount of lace. Lace was not only fashionable because of its beauty. It was extremely expensive, being all laboriously handmade, of course, and it was a show of wealth and status on behalf of the wearer. Apart from the enormous lace collar, she is sporting two lace wings like a fairy queen. I'm sure there was another name for this garment, I just haven't found it yet.
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham - William Larkin and Studio, 1616
This portrait disturbs me as it seems his head is levitating above his body. Again, the lace. Buckingham was the "favourite" of Charles I and was believed by many to be a corrupting influence on the king. The occasion of the portrait is Buckingham's investiture into the Order of the Garter, and he is sporting a wonderful example of that garment.
The garter is beaded with pearls and bears the motto of the order: "Honi soit qui mal y pense", or "Shame on him who thinks ill of it". The Order of the Garter is the most prestigious order of chivalry, founded by Edward III in 1348. It still exists today. Notice that Buckingham's shoes are also frothing with lace and pearls.
Court Suit and Breeches - 1780
This suit for wear at court is silk and is lavishly hand embroidered with flowers in very fine detail. Even the buttons are delicately embroidered. Pink was a fashionable color for men in the 18th century and only became associated with girls and femininity in the latter half of the 20th century.
Once again, it appears to be in fabulous condition for silk. Those maids and valets really knew how to look after their lords' and ladies' garments. The rest is down to museum conservators.
Ermine, the winter coat of the stoat, is the fur that has become to be associated with royalty. Many of the figures in the portraits wore ermine trimmed dresses and capes. This is apparently due to a myth:
"A popular European legend stated that an ermine, pursued by hunters, would allow itself to be killed rather than soil its beautiful coat with mud." (1) By extension this then became a symbol for moral purity and integrity.
There was a multitude of ermine on display at this exhibition.
Detail - Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - Sudio of Alan Ramsay, 1761-62
Here is George III's Queen Charlotte bedecked in an ermine trimmed gown. The black spots are the tips of the creature's tail.
Queen Anne - by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1690
The last royal story to interest me is the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936. Edward fell in love with American socialite (and, horror! shock! a divorcee!) Wallis Simpson and in 1936 he abdicated his throne after ruling for less than one year. They married and became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The Duchess of Windsor was well known for her elegance and style. I thought this was a delightful portrait of her:
Wallis, Duchess of Windsor - Dorothy Wilding, 1955
Evening Suit, "Hunting Lord of Isles" tartan, worn by HRH the Duke of Windsor, 1951
The Duke of Windsor was also a fashion plate. The exhibition notes state: "This suit shows the cutting-edge, fashion-forward, extravagant duke...the jacket is made by his favourite London tailor Scholte, his waistcoats were Hawes & Curtis, his trousers were always made in New York"
It's probably just as well he wasn't king, there might have been another revolution!
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
1) Sax, Boria, (2001) : The mythical zoo: an encyclopedia of animals in world myth, legend and literature, p.32
]]>Mum said to me a few weeks ago "Are you going to see that Miss Pretty thing at the Gallery? "Who, what, when?" I said. Then I remembered. My advice to you - If you live in Australia - Go, go, go, and leave yourself plenty of time as it is extensive. It's worth travelling interstate for. And if you're in Australia on holiday, add it to your itinerary. There are about 150 amazing garments from 1890 to 2019 - most of them designer dresses, and the majority are unworn display samples from couture houses in fabulous condition. The exhibition is FREE!! There are also free guided tours available three days a week.
130 pieces were purchased as an entire collection of French haute couture garments which had been on display in the fashion houses and not sold or worn. The purchase was generously funded by fashion lover and gallery benefactor Krystyna Campbell-Pretty. Mrs Campbell-Pretty has continued to add to the collection, which now comprises approximately 250 garments, with about half of those currently on display. The curation is excellent, with the garments placed within the galleries of the permanent collection, often with paintings behind commenting on the period or style.
My passion is for the early garments up the the 1940s, and to see so many of these in pristine condition is just mind boggling.
Here are some of my personal favorites:
This period is dominated by the House of Worth. Worth was the first couturier to put his label on his creations. Many of the evening gowns would have been viewed by ladies in his Salon de Lumiere, a salon lit by candlelight so that ladies could see how these garments would look in the evenings when they would wear them.
Afternoon Dress - House of Worth, 1890
Day Dress - House of Worth, 1895
The collection is dominated by Worth but there is also a wonderful trio from Callot Soeurs, the French sisters with a penchant for lace.
Afternoon Dress - Callot Souers, 1900
This brocade beauty is appliqued with chenille. I was extremely relieved to find that with its minute waist, it was only made to go on a mannequin and not to be worn by a real woman.
One of my favorite periods - The time of the sinking of the Titanic, The First World War and the Suffragette movement.
Three Evening Gowns - House of Worth, 1912
Jacket by Chanel, 1913-17, Divided Dress by Paul Poiret, 1911, Walking Dress by Jeanne Paquin, 1912
Poiret's divided dress is just that, the skirt fabric runs in a continuous piece from front to back between the legs, a bit like very loose harem pants.
Detail of Paquin's Walking Dress, 1911
There's a wonderful collection of 1920s dresses. There are no less than five of Chanel's signature little black dresses from the late teens and 1920s.
Chanel - Dress, 1919
I was amazed to read the date on this dress as it looked so 1950s to me. Chanel was just way ahead of her time. In fact, timeless I believe.
Chanel - Evening Dress, 1922
Unknown designer - Evening Dress, 1922
This dress is a tunic style beaded chiffon over layer which is mostly open down the sides and worn over a matching slip. It reminds me of this dress I have, which must date to about the same time.
1920s Beaded Silk Chiffon Dress at Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage
Paul Poiret - Day Coat, 1921
I love the way the curators placed this in front of the Red Coat soldiers in the painting.
It was wonderful to see two glorious Robes de Style from Boue Soeurs on display. Having attempted to restore one of these myself and unable to find any advice on line about how to do so, it was wonderful to see them in their full panniered glory. I really wanted to look underneath to see if the boning was whalebone or wickerwork like mine, but of course, tempting as it is, it's strictly hands off.
Boue Souers - Romance, Robe de Style, 1925
Detail of ribbon embroidery
By the way, I digress, but here's my restored Robe de Style wedding dress, I think I did pretty well considering I had to work it out for myself.
Robe de style wedding dress, mid 1920s, at Louisa Amelia Jane
The 1920s collection is augmented by some of the wonderful shoes acquired as a "job lot" by Mrs Campbell Pretty in Paris. A vintage seller can only dream of such a thing. So drool worthy.
Seriously amazing
Turkish Influence, reflecting the fad for Eastern fashions in the 1920s
Diamante encrusted butterfly heels? Why not?
The NGV's fabulous Old Masters' gallery is home to much of the 1920s and 1930s collection. In this gallery, Madeleine Vionnet and Madame Gres joined Chanel as the major players in this time period, although many others are also represented.
There is a wall of Madame Gres creations, showcasing her signature look, the Grecian drape. Her look changed little over time, and I was surprised to see that when I thought I was viewing 1930s gowns, I was actually viewing her 1980s gowns.
Madame Gres, Gowns, 1930s-1980s
Madeline Vionnet is famous for cutting her garments cross wise on the fabric - or on the bias. This gives garments not only a beautiful drape, but also some stretch. It's a very clingy look for slim women - and fabulous.
Vionnet - Three Gowns, 1930s
The embroidered chiffon gown in the centre is tiny and so delicately worked by Vionnet's specialty embroidery supplier - Lesage of Paris. There's a sample swatch of this fabric on display too. It was specially worked exclusively for Vionnet.
The highlight of this gallery for me was Schiaparelli's famous Hall of Mirrors evening ensemble, inspired by the hall of that name at the Palace of Versailles. It's a silk velvet full length skirt and jacket with elaborate gold metallic thread and mirrorwork embroidery and applique work, and it's just amazing to see it in real life. Elsa Schiaparelli was friends with many arty types, including Salvador Dali, and many of her garments reflect an interest in the surrealists and their art, including this one.
Schiaparelli - Hall of Mirrors Jacket & Skirt, 1938
Madame Gres - Hostess Dress, 1948-49 and Maggie Rouff - Evening Dress, 1940
Dior dominates this period but the master Balenciaga is also well represented.
Christian Dior - Mexico, Cocktail Dress, 1954
Christian Dior - Dress & Jacket, 1956
Balenciaga - Evening Gown & Wrap, 1963
And then the culture of youth set in. In the latter half of the '60s, when they famously started to swing, the fashion world started to cater to the burgeoning youth market. Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin and Yves St Laurent's Rive Gauche line reflect this new direction.
Paco Rabanne - Mini Dress, 1967
'60s meets Gladiator
Pierre Cardin - Dress, 1969
Space Age king.
Yves St Laurent Rive Gauche - Ensembles, 1971
I liked these from YSL, I thought they had a real throwback '40s vibe.
The 1980s was a time for some amazing fashion, and for some amazingly terrible fashion. Fortunately, not much of the terrible was on display.
Christian Lacroix - Suzanna, 1987
Yves Saint Laurent - Evening Gown, 1990
And I can't seem to find any photos for Issy Miyake, Commes Des Garcons, Alexander McQueen or the other modern and contemporary designers - there's my bias showing through, sorry.
The collection also includes an enviable mass of supporting material - designer sketches, numerous copies of Harpers Bazaar and Vogue from the early years of the 20th century, women's magazines from the 19th century and on. I'm considering posing as a research student so that I can be allowed to don the little white gloves to pore over these fabulous books.
Can I pull it off? Imposter!!
The exhibition is on display until July 14, and did I mention it's FREE? Free guided tours Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
]]>Recently, this photo made its way into my Facebook feed, and my comment was "The Holy Grail", because for me, I can't imagine finding anything better than an Edwardian garment in Irish crochet.
Edwardian bodice - 1905.
Today this arrived in the mail.
Let me tell you, these Priscilla books are hard to find. This book is dated 1909. Most of the Priscilla items for sale online are digital downloads of these books, and as a collector, a digital download is of no interest at all. Currently, I have four original Priscilla needlecraft books, two of which are about Irish crochet. The Modern Priscilla was a women's magazine published from the latter 19th century to the early 20th century. The Priscilla needlework books were a spin off from the magazines.
Irish crochet was particularly popular in the first two decades of the 20th century. There are some wonderful garments still around in reasonable condition dating from this period.
Gown circa 1905.
This tea gown was sold by Augusta Auctions for $US3105. I like to think it was bought by a museum, but who knows.
When silk gowns from this period are notoriously prone to shattering and wool gowns prone to be full of moth holes, the cotton Irish crochet gowns survive, and my book explains that "it is the most durable, serviceable and popular" (1) of Irish laces. "Irish crochet has this advantage also over every other kind of handmade lace, that it can be taken to pieces, altered into new shapes, as fashion dictates, and any motif that gets worn out can be replaced at will by a new one" (2)
Irish crochet is traditionally worked in a very fine thread, almost as fine as sewing thread, and with a tiny hook. Here are some tiny vintage crochet hooks in my collection, with celluloid container.
Note the little covers that slide over the pointy end of the hook. These are lethal weapons, almost like pins. Here's a close up:
Yes, apart from interminable patience, a lace maker also needed extremely good eyesight.
I hate to disappoint you all, but I am not going to be making any of the wonderful garments in this book. My crochet skills are mediocre at best, and my eyesight is woeful. I will, however, share them with you:
Here is a much simpler little bag from the same period in my store, but featuring the padded bobbles and tassels:
Antique drawstring purse in Irish crochet
I would love to see this "waist garniture" being worn. It occurs to me now that this is probably not to be worn at the waist, but a "waist" was the Edwardian word for a blouse, so this most likely would have trimmed the neckline of a blouse.
There are three kinds of Irish crochet, says my book : "one is slightly padded, one is heavily padded, while a third has no padding. The heavily padded lace is considered the most valuable" (3) The heavily padded effect is seen in the little baubles pictured in the last photo.
Irish crochet is comprised of motifs worked separately and usually three dimensional. The crochet is worked over a cord to give a 3D effect to the flowers and leaves, and in addition many pieces are also padded as we have seen. Once the worker has completed the motifs, the whole design is stitched in place over a heavy piece of fabric and the worker completes the linking crochet. When the whole panel is completed it is removed from the backing and eventually crocheted together with other panels to form a garment.
Here is how it's done:
And here is someone actually doing the work:
So, is Irish crochet still worked today? Indeed, and here are some modern interpretations of garments:
Eastern Europe seems to be the place for modern interpretations of Irish crochet. Check out this wonderful work from Sveta Pushkina in Russia on Etsy:
Personally, the colored work doesn't do it for me, I'm a purist and I love the white, or maybe black. I'll keep searching for that antique piece that is out there somewhere, just waiting for me to find it.
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
References
(1) Priscilla Irish Crochet Book No 1: Boston; The Priscilla Publishing Company; 1909; p.3
(2) Ibid
(3) Ibid
]]>I've had a bit to say in the past about my maternal grandmother, Louisa Amelia Jane Silva (nee Smith) after whom my vintage store is named. Today I'm thinking about my other grandmother, Ella May Thompson (nee Earl). I never met Ella, she died before I was born.
Yes, I know it was my grandfather's wedding too. But weddings seem to be so much more about the bride. I did know my Pop, Roland Timberlake Thompson. He stayed with us regularly when I was a child, and died when I was 12.
Here is their wedding photo, which hangs on the wall in my hallway.
They were married in 1920. You can see that the fashion is very much still that of the war years, especially the fabulous button up shoes. I can't make out much of the detail of the dress, but it appears to have a square neckline, elbow length sleeves with lace edging and by the reflections in this and the other photo I have, I would guess the fabric is satin. Note the little wax flowers on the veil, worn close down over the brow. She is also wearing a heart shaped locket.
Pop is sporting a wing tip collar, no doubt a detachable stiff collar, a white bow tie and white gloves.
Ella was the daughter of a gold mine manager in Bendigo and most likely had a middle class upbringing. She played piano. She was a lady.
Here is my favorite photo of Ella, as a young girl.
She looks to be 13-14 in this photo, so that would make it 1905-1906. That is most likely a two piece dress she is wearing, her Sunday best.
Here she is a few years later with her family:
That's her at the back right. This photo would be 1911.
And her wedding again.
I have two souvenirs of this wedding.
Firstly, Ella's gloves.
They are in poor condition, soiled and torn. The way the points on the back of the gloves are stitched distinguishes them from kid evening gloves from later in the 20th century. I like to think they're soiled because she had fun at her wedding, but this is my fantasy.
Here is the bride's hand drawn place card for the wedding. Presumably she made them for all the guests. It's quite large, about A5 size, and painted in silver.
Sadly, this wasn't to be a happy marriage, although they did manage to produce six children. Family legend has it that when their four year old son, also Roland, was ill with diptheria in 1933, there was an argument about sending for the doctor. Ella wanted the doctor, any doctor, as soon as possible. Roland senior would only allow the Freemason doctor to be called and he wasn't immediately available. Sadly, little Roland died and Ella never forgave her husband. They did, however, manage to produce two more children after this date. Ella died in 1953.
After World War 1 ended in November 1918 people began the long journey back to normality. Many couples separated by war were reunited and able to marry. Many returned soldiers were too injured to marry or lead normal lives. Many never returned. A whole generation of men had been wiped out and many young women never married. The 1920s was a time of rebellion and celebration. Young people thought let's have fun while we can and forget the war years. Here are some wedding photos from the time.
This bride is wearing a robe de style, with side panniers.
From the mid twenties, hemlines became shorter and poses more casual. Unusually, this couple is actually smiling!
1928
This dress in Louisa Amelia Jane is most likely from 1925-1928. Not only is it short, but it is also a robe de style with side panniers.
It belonged to an American lady called Gladys.
1920s Robe de Style Wedding Dress
And if you want more inspiration, here is some actual film footage of 1920s weddings:
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People often say to me "I love the 1950s" or "I wish I lived back then". There is no way I would want to have been a young woman then. You may be sentimental for the elegant fashion, but so much in life then would be unpalatable to a modern woman.
(1)
What I would like about living in the 1950s:
What I would NOT like about living in the 1950s:
and I could keep going, but I won't.
During World War 2, with men away fighting, jobs in essential services had been filled by women. After World War 2, soldiers came home and found that women were working in jobs that had previously been considered men's jobs. After the war, governments wanted women to stay home again so that men could have their jobs back and there were huge advertising campaigns that tried to make staying at home look glamorous and attractive to women who had tasted independence. This was reinforced throughout the 1950s.
Here are some ads from my collection of vintage women's magazines that show what I mean:
(2)
(3)
Especially whilst wearing high heels
(4)
(5)
(6)
And just in case you thought those women were dressed like that because they were only looking at an ironing board - no:
(7)
(8)
I have not been able to find any photo or drawing of a woman doing housework from this period where she is NOT wearing high heels
My mother has told me of the pressure she felt to be perfect. Her house had to be spotless and neat. Her children had to be clean and presentable by the time her husband came home. She had to look attractive when her husband came home. I still remember Mum putting the dinner on to cook and then bolting upstairs to put on her makeup before Dad came home, every night. Then, a delicious and nutritious two course meal had to be served. And Mum always washed up. We had to dry the dishes as we got older. My father was not a tyrant, that's just what men were brought up to expect then, and that was the image of women the media portrayed and that they felt they had to live up to.
Here's a humorous look at the situation - it turns out to be an extended and strangely fascinating advertisement for Hoover. The soundtrack is muffled but it does improve as it goes on.
Last week I bought a book called The Book For the Home,edited by Marjorie Bruce-Milne, published in 1956. It's part 2 of a publication, and it's chapters cover home beauty and health, family care, laundering, home dressmaking and handicrafts. Chapter One is called "The Housewife and Her Job." I was surprised to read this comment:
"Her family are people, not merely objects for her ministrations of cooking and darning. No matter how well cooked the meals, how exquisitely polished the floors, these will not compensate her husband and children for the loss of a friend, receptive to their confidences, interested in their schemes, ready to laugh or to sympathise, making, above all, time to enjoy life with them. The housewife who can only cope with her routine at the expense of all leisure and restfulness, is more than halfway to slavery. Better to concentrate if possible on the things the family most values, as well as on the things she enjoys doing and does well, and let some of the less essentials go hang...and is there any reason why some chores around the house should not be shared by father and the boys as well as by the girls?" (9)
So, I say "yay" to tracky dacks, t-shirts and messy houses as my partner is cooking dinner and I am writing and enjoying a glass of wine!
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
References:
(1) Vanity Fair; London; April 1956; p.79
(2) Australian Home Journal; Sydney; December 1, 1958; p.43
(3) Australian Woman's Mirror; Sydney; January 4, 1956; p.33
(4) Australian Home Journal; Sydney; April 1, 1957; p.31
(5) Woman's Weekly; London; February 5, 1955; p.361
(6) Australian Home Journal; Sydney; April 1, 1957; p.13
(7) Australian Home Journal; Sydney; December 1, 1958; p.9
(8) Australian Home Journal; Sydney; December 1, 1958; p.14
(9) The Book of the Home, Volume 2; Melbourne; Caxton; 1956; p.3
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I'm thinking about the oldest piece of clothing I own that I actually wear. As a dealer, I own many older pieces, but they don't count for today's discussion.
What's the oldest piece in your wardrobe?
In my wardrobe there are two 1930s dresses. One, I haven't worn yet, but I intend to. The second has been worn several times but her days are numbered. Today's dress is a dress with a history - it's like Blanche Dubois (A Streetcar Named Desire), a faded beauty only just holding together. It's a collection of old mends but due to the very busy print these are not noticeable until you get really close. The last time I wore her, to the theatre in Melbourne, my elbows went through in both sleeves. She's hanging behind me as I write, awaiting yet another mend.
The thing I love most about this dress is the Art Deco print. It's so difficult to photograph and just tends to come out in a blurr, so I'm showing you the close up first. My Wardrobe Department would definitely not let me wear this on TV.
It always reminds me of a deck of cards. I love the way it gives the illusion of being pleated. Notice that princess seaming at the front. To emphasize the line, the dressmaker has inserted a contrast textured fabric along the seam. I love this kind of detailing on vintage dresses.
I added the red belt for this photo. I quite like it. Might wear it next time.
The skirt has box pleats and the fitted sleeves button at the wrist with lots of little loops. Unfortunately, I had to remove the original covered buttons as they were falling apart. I'm still looking for the perfect vintage bakelite buttons to replace them. The front still has the original buttons.
Cool bakelite buttons on the front
What is the story of this dress? Don't we always wish our vintage garments could talk to us and tell us their history. This girl is living her (at least) third and probably last life with me. Back in the 1930s, the original owner chose the fabric and pattern, had her fittings at the dressmaker, and wore her. Perhaps she was a talented sewer and made the dress herself - many women were competent sewers in those days and made the clothes for all the family.
Sometime after the original owner discarded the dress it was bought by a costumer. The costumer's name was written in red marker pen on the inside of the collar. Although it wouldn't have shown there, it annoyed me, so I took off the collar, turned it and reattached it. I wonder what stage shows and perhaps even movies this dress played in.
The collar, after turning. Note the large hole beneath the collar, cleverly patched.
The red marker pen is now beneath the collar at the back. Once again, note all the holes, patched by the other side of the collar.
As I was turning the collar, I noticed that the yoke of the dress was actually an enormous patch. All along the shoulders and the top of the sleeves were holes. The dress is rayon crepe and the fabric is quite fragile. Somebody, Ms Clever Sewer, has taken a large piece of matching fabric and sewn it over the original dress yoke and the top of the sleeves, covering all the holes, and in effect creating an enormous patch. I have since used this technique on my other 30s dress. If there is enough length in the hem, this is where the fabric comes from. This dress is short for a 30s dress, only just below knee length, with a teensy hem, so this is where the fabric was harvested. Vintage dresses usually have very generous hems and this often comes in useful for repairs.
Notice how the dress yoke (across the shoulders), really a patch, extends right down over the top of the sleeve. It's covering a multitude of sins.
Aside from this major repair, I have literally stuck many of the worst tears back together with iron on patches on the inside. As vintage lovers are recoiling in horror at the idea of this, in my defense I say firstly, that the patches do not show at all from the outside, and secondly, that it was a last resort. I will need to apply the patches to the damaged elbows too. I bought a white iron on patch and rubbed it all over with a tea bag so that it matches the beige of the print.
Apart from this there are numerous other darns, mends and small holes, as well as a few age spots.
This lady would have been binned years ago but for the costumer who salvaged her, and who I suspect was responsible for the repairs. Thank you Rose Chong, and thank you to Nicole Jenkins at Circa Vintage Clothing who later acquired her and sold her to me. She probably languished in someone's attic for a long time in between.
Not bad for a lady in her 80s. The dress I mean, I'm not quite there yet.
]]>My partner bought me this book as a surprise. He'd read a review, he said "It's about all that vintage and fashion and stuff you like - and hats. I thought it sounded like you." Well, I told him if it's meant to be a surprise, you don't order it through my Amazon account then get disappointed when they spoil the surprise by sending me emails about it, but that's beside the point. I did enjoy the book very much, even though I'd never heard of Bill Cunningham before. He may be a fashion icon in the US, but he's not so well known in Australia. Now I want to know a lot more about him.
Fashion Climbing? Cunningham maintains that before World War 2, wealthy New Yorkers were social climbers, but that after the war they became fashion climbers, wanting to be seen not with the most high ranking society lady, but in the most fashionable clothes.
Young Cunningham making hats. For years he camped in whatever studio he could rent. He probably had a stretcher bed in the bathroom or a mattress under the bench.
This chatty memoir, full of interesting and amusing anecdotes from Bill's life up until about 1965, was discovered amongst his personal effects after his death in 2016 at the age of 87. He had not told anyone he had written it. He was always a very modest and self effacing man. Americans remember him fondly as the iconic street photographer - he always loved to see clothes in action. He used to entertain himself by observing what women were wearing in church and at parties. The book deals mostly with his early career as a milliner and, towards the end, with the beginning of his career as a fashion reporter covering the shows of the big fashion designer houses in Europe in the early 1960s.
Bill later went on to become famous as a fashion photographer, inventing the idea of "Street Style" as a fashion concept.
Bill's family never understood his love of women's fashion and it's sad that he felt he had to hide his work from them. When he started making women's hats after World War 2 he used the name "William J" on the label to spare his family the embarrassment of associating the Cunningham name with an industry they felt was unworthy of him.
Many people who are familiar with Cunningham's photo editorials don't even know that he began his career as a milliner. Cunningham's hats have been aptly described as extravagant and whimsical. He loved the theatricality of hats and he drew on his experience making fancy dress costumes and masks for New York society functions, which he gate-crashed shamelessly and repeatedly, often climbing in through fire escapes and hotel kitchen windows.
Cunningham worked in cramped, cockroach ridden tenement rooms in New York producing hats which challenged the New York socialites. He had to make more mainstream hats to eat, but even then he learnt early not to accept funding and become beholden to financial backers. He preferred to be poor and true to his art. Above all, it's his passion and love of fun which shine through in his hat designs.
Clam shell beach hat - 1950s
Continuing the theme
Cunningham said : "With each season I gave the critics something to talk about, and talk they did. Too bad they didn't shut their mouths long enough to buy something new and different. Some of my critics eventually apologised for trying to bully me out of y own ideas. Of course, it's always easier to see the light ten years after the explosion - but that's fashion: an idea that is elegant art at its time is an outrageous disgrace ten years earlier, daring five years before its height, and boring five years later" (1)
Unfortunately, few of Cunningham's hats have survived. One person bought all 23 known extant hats by William J. at auction in 2012. The buyer is apparently a patron of the Arts who knew Cunningham and plans to donate them to a museum in his honour. (2)
Article at Fashionista.com
1950s Cabana beach hat. He said he didn't want his friend to get sunburnt.
Cunningham closed his last hat shop in 1960. Young women just weren't wearing hats anymore. He could have been kept in business catering to hat wearing matrons, but they were too conservative and he just wasn't interested.
Chandelier hat, one of the hats sold at auction in 2012
Pheasant hat
Cunningham's hats were Art in Fashion
Cunningham spent the early 60s covering fashion shows for magazines such as Women's Wear Daily. His reports of what it was like to be at these elite fashion events are fascinating. How different are the Italian shows from the French. How uncomfortable the viewings were, how shamelessly the buyers stole the designers' ideas without buying at all.
In 2011, a documentary film called Bill Cunningham New York was made, directed by Richard Press and profiling Cunningham.
You can watch the trailer here, and if you are in the US you can watch the whole movie on Netflix. Unfortunately, the film is not available on Netflix in Australia. ):
I found the memoir fascinating, and funny. One scene in particular shortly after Cunningham was drafted into the army and keeping positive about being in uniform had me rolling around laughing. One criticism of the book is the quality of the photographs. Firstly, I would have liked to see more photographs. Secondly, the photos are just printed on the standard paper and the quality is poor. They would have looked so much better on glossy paper. Also, the last two chapters of the book appear to be random essays about fashion by Cunningham, just tacked onto the end of the book as filler. The publisher needed to make it more obvious that the memoir had ended and the essays had begun as I found the change of pace and tone a bit confusing when I was expecting to read more about Cunningham's life.
Overall, a most enjoyable read and insight into a fascinating life embroiled in fashion.
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
References:
(1) Cunningham, Bill; Fashion Climbing; 2018; Penguin;New York; page 113
(2) Fashionista; 2012: https://fashionista.com/2012/04/one-person-bought-all-of-bill-cunninghams-hats-for-20000-plans-to-donate-them-to-a-museum
]]>Last week I found this copy of Australian Bride To Be from 1977 amongst a pile of old magazines and patterns I bought from the op shop. Initially, my reaction was "OMG!" and I was going to call this post Amazingly Awful Wedding Gowns, but on second look, I actually like quite a lot of them. They certainly don't compare with the wedding horrors of the 1980s. So this will be more of a thumbs up or thumbs down. Except for the men, they're almost all awful.
1. Medieval - especially huge sleeves flared from the elbow, capes, hoods and Juliet caps. Charming when done with some restraint, but often, it's just TOO MUCH.
2. Fur trim - usually on capes, hoods or sleeves.
3. Edwardian - like medieval, it's a case of less is more.
4. HATS! - Big floppy sun hats. NO!
5. Tiered dresses - NO
6. Men - Colored suits, wide lapels, velvet trim, and flares - Hilarious!
I'll start with the positives.
The best pics and funkiest styles come from (no surprise) The House of Merivale. All thumbs up!
House of Merivale, 1977
This is the only styling in the magazine that makes a floppy sun hat or a handkerchief dress look good, in my opinion. I just love the 20s themed bride with a boa. And the groom is wonderful.
The House of Merivale, 1977
I'm less keen on these hankie dresses, but she's wearing the only good veil in the mag.
The House of Merivale, 1977
I LOVE the chiffon jumpsuit for the bridesmaid, bring it back! And their take on the cape is interesting.
Other looks I found interesting are:
Jean Fox of Parramatta - 1977
The fur trimmed hood and sleeves - over the top but awesome.
Deons of Brisbane - 1977
The best of chiffon ruffles - love it!
Canns - Sydney - 1977
For the bride who wants an alternative to white. Love this look - pleated chiffon cape overlay.
Katies - Sydney - 1977
Classically simple without embellishment - Love the cape.
And it's from Katies!!! Who knew?
Jane Peel - Melbourne - 1977
For the bride who wants a traditional look - the best take on the Juliet cap.
Here's a Jane Peel bridal gown from a few years earlier I have for sale in Louisa Amelia Jane - This time it's Juliet sleeves!
So they're my favorites.
The next list - while I can't actually give these the thumbs up, each has some aspect which I find interesting.
Sugar House - Sydney - 1977
The aptly named Sugar House has gowns which I find a bit "tizzy", although I don't mind these with their Edwardian feel. What interests me is the hat, which seems to be a cross between a hat and a veil.
Peppers Bridal Storey - 1977
I like the Edwardian style dress but the hat's just not doing it for me, she looks like the maid. The groom looks great, the only one to do so in the whole magazine.
I can't find the salon responsible for this interesting take on the bridal veil, but I love the pic!
I like the Jacques Heim dress, but crochet dangles in the hair? Reminds me of a Christmas tree.
Sugar House - Sydney, 1977
Red satin flares and shirt were an interesting alternative to the white wedding.
Anna Marie & Mr John Formal Hire - 1977
While I find this totally over the top there's just something about THOSE SLEEVES that I can't resist. Hate the hat though.
I have to start with the men. They're 99% awful.
Ha ha!
Socialwear Wedding Hire - 1977
Dress Circle - 1977
All I can say is, these outfits would be the ultimate test of a man's love!
Anna Marie & Mr John Formal Hire - 1977
The color is more sedate, but it's still awful. The medieval bride is about to be swallowed by her sleeves.
Family Florist - Bathurst - 1977
Just no, no and no. Park Avenue, bottom right, has a bit more charm.
Bridal Penthouse - Brisbane - 1977
They stole this from the church vestments.
Bridal Penthouse - Brisbane - 1977
Left: Jersey two piece of awfulness, and right just tizzy yuk.
Canns - Sydney - 1977
What can I say?
Rose Marie Bridal Boutique - Toowamba NSW - 1977
Canns - Sydney - 1977
Those floppy hats and parasols are doing my head in.
Aaaarrrrrgh!!
And just in case you've ever wondered what wedding invitations looked like in 1977, here's an example:
I was actually married about 18 months after this magazine came out.
January 1979
I chose a two piece Edwardian style lace number with tiered skirt. I think I made a wise decision to have flowers in my hair and forego both the traditional veil and fashionable floppy hat.
I still have the blouse but I switched the husband.
Now it's a styling prop.
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
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I thought I'd share with you some of my tiny treasures. One of the great things about buying and selling vintage fashion items is that so many little gems come my way that I just cannot part with. After all, they don't take up much space, and they are delightful. Here are some little things from my personal collection.
1920s Lip Gloss
This little gem was a free gift that came with another item I bought. The dome shaped lid unscrews to reveal a finger tip sized pot of lip gloss. There is still some left, and it smells lovely, though I am not game to use it. Here is the label underneath:
The term "Concreta" worries me, probably why I am not brave to use it.
This little bundle contains ten packets of sewing needles, each containing ten needles. I could hardly hold one of the needles, let alone sew with it. Each is wrapped in a pack of black paper to prevent rust. Each packet measures 3 x 1.5 cm.
Antique sewing needles
The brand is Prinzess Victoria. Not sure if this is a reference to Queen Victoria when young, or to her eldest daughter, or neither.
This is a much more personal piece, being a part of my own family history. I am the current custodian of this family heirloom. It's a Victorian mourning locket. It contains a window to show a photo of the deceased loved one - this one has a window front and back and has three photos in it.
Victorian mourning locket
This is a photo of Henry Thompson, my great-great uncle, who was killed at Ypres, Belgium, in World War I. He is only 10 or 11 in the photo, as his mother loved to remember him. Inside are two locks of hair. I wonder whether his mother thought to cut a lock before he went off to war. So sad.
This little tin, only 3.5 cm in diameter, holds some handy Victorian boot buttons. Should I ever be fortunate enough to own some Victorian boots and they happen to be missing a button or two, I will have just the right thing.
Victorian Boot Buttons
The little lady riding side saddle came to me from my grandfather. It's lead, and it would have been a toy in its day, it's about 8 x 8 cm. The arm holding the riding crop moves up and down.
Toy Riding Lady
I'm a bit concerned about lead being used for toys, but I guess they didn't know the health risks.
These knitting pins would have been used to knit lace. There are five in the set.
Lace Knitting pins
Not for my eyes.
This very old hat pin was given to me by a neighbor who knows my love for vintage.
Antique Terracotta Hat Pin
The shell at the end appears to be made of unfired terracotta, and it's quite fragile, so I decided to keep it. The little bead is marbled glass. If you have any ideas on the era of this hat pin I would love to hear from you. I can only say 1920s or older.
Of more recent vintage and very special to me are my father's cuff links, commemorating the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. If only all vintage was so easy to date.
Melbourne Olympic Games Cuff Links
I will give these to my son one day, but I'm not finished with them yet. Look at the photos of men's shirts with french cuffs in my store - you will see these cuff links.
So, just a little glimpse at some of my bits and pieces. These are not for sale, except for the shell hat pin. I am open to offers on that one.
Mine.
]]>For a long time I didn't realise how risque and risky the 1920s were. When you consider that a decade before women were encased in corsets and still very much wholly homemakers, some of the things to come out of the '20s have really surprised me. They were definitely the Roaring '20s. World War 1 had tipped the world on its head and of necessity had drawn women out of their houses and their strait laced lifestyles and put them into the factories and the world of work. After the war ended at the end of 1918, a generation of young men had been decimated. The younger generation developed an attitude of let's have as much fun as we can, while we can. Men wanted to blot out the horrors of war. Although Australian women were granted the right to vote in 1902, American women had to wait until 1920. Women flaunted their newly acquired independence and freedom.
Boudoir is just a sexy French word for bedroom. In the '20s many women did experience sexual freedom. Censorship was introduced and restricted what could be shown in the hugely popular movies, but this was not enforced until mid 1934. Many movies of the 1920s and early 1930s are quite risque, and I have written about this in an earlier post - Vintage Knickers and Panties
I have also mentioned the story of Auntie Ev, my partner's great aunt, in an earlier post. He remembers her as a stern old woman who left her property to the Catholic Church. We were amazed to find this photo of her posed in her underwear.
Auntie Ev in deshabille
She never married despite a number of male friends appearing in her photo album, and she may have even worked as an artist's model. See Ev's story, along with some other naughty 1920s women, here: From Bohemian to Pepper Fiend - Auntie Ev
I wish I had a better view of Ev's underwear. I can make out long legged knickers, a loose fitting top and lace. My bet would be that she is wearing some camiknickers or step-ins, an all in one garment that one literally stepped into at the top. I do not know how they managed to go to the toilet. Perhaps these were only worn in the boudoir!
Details here: 1920s Silk Step-ins at Louisa Amelia Jane
Details here: More 1920s Silk Step-ins in the store
I suspect this pair are just a few years older - Details here: Edwardian Step-ins
Early in the 1920s, women were still wearing the camisoles and nightgowns of the previous two decades, often with crocheted yokes worked by the woman herself as part of her "glory box" - the trousseau and household linens she prepared for her married life. The boudoir cap was a glamorous version of the traditional night cap and worn throughout the early '20s.
This set has a tatted lace yoke and trim
Don't forget the pearls!
These photos are from a crochet pattern book from 1920
I was delighted to find this boudoir cap recently. Judging from its condition, I doubt that it was ever worn.
Check it out here: 1920s Silk and Lace Boudoir Cap at Louisa Amelia Jane
Here's a slip from Louisa Amelia Jane with a crocheted yoke from a little later in the '20s, judging by its shorter length.
See details here: 1920s Petticoat With Crochet Yoke
In the lady's boudoir in the 1920s boudoir dolls could often be seen. They often had a lot of attitude - smoking or looking like a "bad" woman, sort of like the Flapper Barbie for young women. Boudoir dolls were hugely popular and they are highly sought after these days by collectors.
Try a google image search for boudoir dolls. The result is mind-boggling, although many are reproduction dolls in the style of the 1920s, as I suspect are these:
The may have lain on a bed or sat on a chair up against an ornate little pillow like this one:
1930s boudoir pillow, in my Etsy store -
The 1920s saw the birth of sexual freedom for many women. It was still largely underground, where it had to stay for many years, but it had awakened. Blame it on the movies - the Establishment did.
Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store
References:
Brown, Lillian Frances; Dexter Crochet Yokes, Book No.8; 1920; Boston
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