50s Retro Wedding Gown

I came across this ebay seller, ladyamma,  that makes reproductions of a 1950s wedding dress from an original pattern for $198. The seller has 100% positive feedback. Right now there is a size 16 already made, but they take commissions.

They also have a sleeveless flared dress (size 10) that screams 50s Barbie to me. Same price range.

It also looks like they include a free veil with each dress.

Double check the measurements for the ready made dresses because they look a tad bit smaller than off-the-rack sizes you normally buy in the store.

What's On Sale- Sailor Suit Romper

I found this adorable Stop Staring Sailor Suit Romper on Modcloth. I would buy it in a heartbeat, but the largest size they go up to is a 43" bust. If you are that size or smaller, snatch this up quick because these tend to sell out and then they are gone. It is a chunk o' change at $134.99 and normally I don't post about things that expensive, but I don't see a lot of this style so I will let you decide if it is worth the extra money.

Pink Bathrooms

Close friends of mine recently bought a 50s bungalow from a relative and they asked me if I knew how to clean the pink swirl tile in the bathroom without stripping the swirl. Well, of course, I start researching 50s bathrooms (which is something I hope to own some day soon) and I come across the awesome blog Retro Renovation. On this blog people post about various aspects of restoring and upkeep of vintage homes, with a whole lot of 50s goodness. Need to know how to find vintage or repro supplies? Chances are you'll find it on this site.

Not only is the blog wonderful, but they started the web site Save the Pink Bathrooms, which is all about...well... pink bathrooms! I drool everytime I look around on the site and I am hoping to get my friends to showcase their bathroom which has this cool wavy glass half-partition between the tub and toilet area.


(picture above from Save the Pink Bathrooms flickr pool)

Whats On Sale- Vintage Sewing Supplies

I don't know about y'all, but I end up having to sew a lot of my own reproduction vintage clothes because it can be difficult to find in my size. SO, I am always keeping my eye out for suppliers of vintage and retro sewing supplies. One of my favs is a cute little shop on etsy called 5dollarfrenchmarket. Everything listing in their shop is (you guessed it) $5.

The thing that they have that makes me go ga-ga is vintage seam binding in various amazing colors. Seam binding is a great way to hem in a vintage style and I use it quite a bit to strengthen seams in the vintage clothes I am able to find that fit me. You'll also see it pop up on the hair flowers in my shop, Tart Deco.

5dollarfrenchmarket also has handmade trinkets and crafts. The shop is adorable, so be sure and visit!

What's On Sale? Vintage New Years Party

Presents are great during the holidays, but let's face it- it's all about the New Years parties! Now is the time to find that special thing that helps make this year kick every other years' ass. Any of the etsy goodies below will ensure festive admiration from your fellow party-goers.

(Picture from squareamerica.com)

 Tinseland Trinkets

Vintage Cardboard Horns

$4.00

5andDimeMemories

1950s Tap Dancing Lady Noisemaker

$8.95

PrimitiveWhiteHouse

1940s Litho Noisemakers

$12.99

Luckydumpster5

Vintage Party Hats

$15

Holiday Party Food

Now is the time to stuff your face with food to celebrate the Holidays. If you are going to put on 10 pounds in a month, it might as well be with vintage recipes! Here are a couple of sites that have vintage appetizer and party foods recipes. Bon Appetit!

Paperpast.com- 50s Party foods
Retro Housewife- Vintage Appetizers
Retrovintage Collectibles- Cocktails and Canapes

Of course, there are always the faithful stand-bys- food on a toothpick and sandwiches without the crusts cut into mini squares. YUM!

Anyone got anymore vintage recipes to add?

(picture from antiquetrader.com)

Proper Undergarments

There's an interesting discussion going on at Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing about what undergarments to wear under vintage and repro clothing. Check it out here. Be sure to follow the link to Couture Allure's article about foundation garments in the discussion, which includes pictures of four vintage looks and the undergarments (like the one on the left) needed to create the correct silhouettes to pull them off.

UPDATE: One of the comments on the discussion from Brabarella includes a link to a 4 part article she wrote for women who want to start wearing foundation garments but don't know where to start. Keen!

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY (closed)

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

For my readers who sew, here is a nifty giveaway.

Rock n' Roll Holiday Revue!

If anyone is going to be in the Milwaukee, WI area this Friday please come see my rockabilly band Sidecar Steph & the 7-10 Split at Vnuk's Lounge! The show starts at 9pm, door is $6 and we are splitting the night with the ever lovely Jodi Jean and the Revenuers from Chicago.

Wanna hear our sound? Go to our myspace page for full song samples.

50s Bombshell Face

Want to learn how to apply make-up like Marilyn Monroe? Daniela Turudich gives some tips in her Vintage Face book (which is unfortunately out-of-print).  I was lucky enough to find a copy and have included the scan for Marilyn below, plus how to apply 50s eye makeup. Click on the thumbnails for larger views.

If you run across a copy of this book and it isn't too expensive, pick it up. It is amazing! Another option is to borrow it from your local library.

What's On Sale- Vintage Sweaters

It is seriously COLD outside in Milwaukee. So I thought it best to find some cute vintage sweaters on Etsy. The best part? They are all under $30.

GreenGingham
Bust 44-46"
$12

27ogle

Bust 46"

$17.50

Thrush

Bust 40"

$24

DIY Glitter Ornaments

I saw this post on Pink Avenue Bride and think these DIY ornaments look adorable and would make a great addition to a vintage tree. Of course, if you are getting married in the winter, what an easy way to add some snap to your ceremony or reception.

I don't know what it is about glitter that appeals to me, but thank goodness it is cheap to buy! BTW, the key to working with glitter is to use an old show box or gift box with some paper in the bottom to make it easier to put excess glitter back into the container to reuse.

What's On Sale- Vintage Wiggle Dresses

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, but it is finals so I've been preoccupied :) I'm hoping this post makes up for it! Here are some sexy wiggle dresses on ebay that are at decent prices right now in decent sizes. Enjoy!

 

Bust ~ 46 inches

Waist~36 inches

Hip~46 inches 

Length~44 inches

Current bid- $31

Time left- 4 days

 

Bust~ 48 inches

Waist~38 inches

 Hip~50 inches 

Length~47 inches

Opening bid- $24.99 

Buy it now- $265

 Time left- 4 days

Bust~ 46 inches

Waist~ 36 inches

Hips~ Full

Length~ 49 inches

Current bid- $24.99

Time left- 5 days

Okay, this last one isn't vintage, but still super cute!

Bust~ 44 inches

Waist~ 35 inches

Hips~ 44 inches

Buy it now- $37.99

Time left- 5 days

What's On Sale- Hair Flower Hangers

I am very addicted to hair flowers and have amassed quite a collection. In order to keep my hair flowers in good shape and away from my cats, I made myself a hair flower hanger. I had enough people ask me about mine that I went online to see what else was available and I was surprised to find that everything was geared towards children.

So starting a few days ago I added a couple of rockabilly hair flower hangers in my etsy shop Tart Deco with adults in mind (although it can be used for hip children). The hanging space is approx. 12" long and you can fit 10-16 clips, depending on size, sometimes more.

They are going for $20. However, right now I have the one pictured at left on ebay and the auction starts at $13.99, so you have a chance get it for less than regular price.

I am also taking custom orders and can make them twice as long for just a little bit more if you have a lot of flowers like me. I will be adding more if I get enough interest in them, so let me know if this is something you'd like to see more of.

Sorry for the less than stellar pictures but I still haven't had a chance to set up my photo area since the move!

"The Fifties" Video Review

I just finished watching "The Fifties" by David Halberstam, which was a TV series produced by The History Channel. For those of you who don't know, I am currently getting a coordinated degree in library science and music history and my area of research is women in rockabilly and the social constructs of the 1950s. I have written two papers already and having not seen this series I was amazed at how closely the the special followed my previous papers on the subject. I have read a few reviews by people who lived during the time that they felt this series concentrated too much on the negative aspects of the time and how it fed into the sixties, but I feel that Halberstam did a great job of stepping back and trying to put the decade into context despite having lived it himself. There is a lot of information assembled into this 8-part (6 tape) series, but I felt each topic was covered sufficiently and gave me enough to research more on my own, if I desired. I plan on acquiring the book that the series was based on as it should delve a bit deeper into each subject.

As far as how the series covered the topic of women, it could have spent a little more time talking about the role of women and how they were used to keep the family unit together to combat "the red scare." I was pleased at how they talked about the boom of consumerism, but again, little was mentioned about how the media would try to manipulate women, who were the major buyers of the time. Also, any mention of music of the time was spent on Elvis Presley, which is an incredibly narrow view of the history of rockabilly and rock n' roll. Some of this is probably due to Halberstam's concentration of major social issues and the fact that he is not a music historian. I am hoping the book covers more of this and I will make sure to follow-up once I have read it.

If you are interested in learning more, you can view reviews and abstracts, as well as available copies, by clicking on the covers below.

Grading Vintage Patterns

One of my new favorite blogs Wearing History just posted about a vintage pattern primer on a blog which I am sure I will be devouring the entirety of- Casey's Elegant Musings. The primer has tons of practical advice on how to work with vintage patterns, as well as links to other sources to find patterns or other advice.

Be sure to go to the Threads Magazine link for grading vintage patterns. Wow, it is a thorough explanation with pictures (like the one shown) on how to upsize a pattern to keep the original line of the garment.

Whats On Sale- Red Gingham Dress

I came across this adorable plus size dress on ebay while looking for something to wear at my upcoming holiday show with my band Sidecar Steph & the 7-10 Split. This is the 2nd dress I've posted that has a wide difference between the bust and waist size, which leads me to think that some of these gals were wearing corsets and not girdles. Hmmmm... Anyhoo, here are the details on the dress, which ends Nov. 29th.

     44" chest, 28" waist, 46" hip, 17" shoulder to waist, 29" waist to hem, 
     17" sleeve (underarm to cuff), 17" shoulder seam to shoulder seam. 
     Opening bid is $34.95 or you can "buy it now" at $54.95

Plus-size Vintage Patterns

Gertie from Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing just did a guest post on BurdaStyle.com about vintage patterns in plus sizes, some up to a 48" bust. Of special note are 2 websites, Decades of Style and EvaDress,  that have true reproductions in larger sizes so they stay closer to the original styles, like the pattern to the right.

My favorite is a 40s cowgirl blouse from Decades of Style for $20. This one is going on my holiday wishlist for sure!

Upcycling and Recycling Vintage

I have read many different opinions about using vintage pieces to create new pieces. One thing I want to stress is that I use the tag "vintage" to mean anything in the 20th century, particularly after 1910. Anything older than that I consider antique and have a whole other set of rules I apply.


Some people are adamantly opposed to modifying vintage items, even if they are damaged, because they feel the item has historical significance and should not be altered in any way. Then there are the people who believe that they are creating new art and view the vintage piece as a medium.

I am somewhere in the middle. While I agree that tearing into a vintage item purely to make a profit is not cool, I do believe that things are to be used and it does no one any good if they are locked up in a box collecting dust. If there is a perfectly good vintage item, like a dress, that can be worn, then it should be worn. If it has sentimental value to it, then find a way to display it or have a seamstress recreate the pattern (this can be done without taking it apart) and have a reproduction made. There are infinite possibilities available to utilize a vintage piece.

When it comes to a damaged item, I revel in the fact that it has been loved in its original form and I try to find a way to recycle or upcycle as much of the item as I can. This does not mean ripping it apart and using it for kindling! It could mean adding a few panels to the skirt where the seams have ripped, or making the dress sleeveless because the underarms have disintegrated. Both of these examples I took directly from a Make Do & Mend book I have from 1953. Yes, make-do continued long after World War II because women still wanted or needed to be thrifty and altering old garments was a great way to do it.

So I ask- how is recycling or upcycling any different than make-do and mend? In 50 years, how are we to know that someone won't look at my modifications of damaged goods as a vintage masterpiece? Of course, there are always exceptions, but on a whole I don't see anything wrong with saving a damaged vintage item so it can actually be used.

Thoughts or opinions? I'd love to hear them!

Vintage Bride 40s vs 50s

I haven't posted anything for weddings in a while. I think I needed to glory in my own from July a bit :) However, I can see that I am still getting quite a few hits for weddings and since I have tons of resources that I used to plan my own, I will keep posting until I get through them all.

One resource that I found incredibly helpful in deciding on my dress silhouette was a book called Vintage Weddings by Daniela Turudich. Unfortunately, the book is out of print, but I was able to get a copy to use through my local library. I still have a few scans from the book and I thought I would post them for you to give you an idea of the book contents.

The neatest thing about the book is that it covers 1910 through 1950, giving various details on each era and it's accompanying accessories. This is extremely helpful to someone that knows they want to have a vintage wedding but doesn't know which style they like the best. By breaking each decade down, Turudich helps to outline the traits that a bride may find suits her personality the best. Below are the dress details from the 40s and 50s, so you can see the difference. You can click on the images to enlarge them.

1940s

1950s

What's On Sale- Crinolines

My mind has been on crinolines and petticoats lately. I love them, but they are sometimes a pain to make, so I prefer to buy them when I find a good sale. Here are some cute ones on etsy for good prices:

auntcarriesattic
waist stretches from 16" to 32"
length from waist to ruffles is 9"
total length is 26"

$25






cheapfrillz
Waist: 26" stretching to 38"
Length: 20"
25 yards of fabric

$29

(check out the rest of the store for some more crinoline goodies!)

rubescent
Elastic waist stretches from 14" to 19"
Five layers of tulle with black satin ribbon trim and hem line
Length 30"

$29.95

Tip Top Atomic

In the town of Bay View, WI, which is known for it's strong support of the rockabilly lifestyle, is a cute little shop called Tip Top Atomic Shop. Owned by Jim and Lisa Dutcher, this shop is THE place to go if you seek anything rockabilly, hipster or tiki.

I may be slightly biased because they also carry my hair flowers, but I was a customer long before that. I have purchased a variety of items, from dresses and sweaters to a sewing pattern box. Looking for bacon-flavored toothpicks or vintage lamps? They got em! As you can see from the pictures, they have great taste and I often visit them just to see what hip displays they have going on.

Quite honestly, I think of Tip Top as a personal boutique. They have set hours, but they are also available for appointments. Are you a hard to find size or looking for something specific? Just give them a call and they will pull from their collection (in-store and at-home) and have it waiting for you. These kids are the real deal.

Are you addicted to online shopping or can't get to the area? Not a problem, Tip Top has an ebay store. They also buy vintage items, concentrating on 40s-60s eras.

Do yourself a favor and check them out. You'll thank me.

Corsets and Girdles- Oh My!

As a curvy girl (and singer who likes Gilbert and Sullivan) who has used corset and girdles for various occasions, I could appreciate the cartoon above that I found on corsetiere.net. This was taken from a page on "stout" women and corsets. I was surprised to read how prevalent curvy gals were, even in the 30s when I thought everyone was tiny, tiny, tiny and flat-chested. Perhaps I am just biased because I can never find vintage clothes in my size when I go shopping...

Thanks to the Glamour Daze blog for turning me on to the corsetiere site in this post.

Pictures taken from corsetiere.net

For the Boys

I haven't posted anything for the rockabilly cats in a while. I was going to write about pomades as my husband has about 5 cans laying about (He ain't no FOP man!), but I found this lovely post on Atomic Radar that pretty much sums it up. Why reinvent the wheel, right? (edit- I have linked to a cached version of the post as there seems to be a problem with the site right now)

Guys, want a vintage cut but not sure where to go or what to ask for? Or maybe you are nervous about the lingo? There is a comprehensive Hudson's guide on FTM Resource website that covers vintage and modern cuts, including lingo and what you can expect at a barbershop.

Circle Skirts & Petticoats Tutorials

What rockabilly gal doesn't love a circle skirt? I haven't met one yet and I am no exception. Circle skirts are flattering and fun! They are easy to sew, which is made even more clear in the article given by the lady who reportedly "invented" them, Juli Lynne Charlot. The super fun blog Here's Looking Like You, Kid has a nice couple of postings on the history of circle skirts.

Want to make one? Here is a decent tutorial on the Madame X website. The Whirling Turban website also has a nice description of the different kinds of circle skirts and how they lay on your body. While you are there, be sure to check out their delicious repro dresses.


Of course, if you have a nice full circle skirt, you need a petticoat or crinoline to go with it. Otherwise how will you achieve the oh-so sassy look on the right? The woman in the pictures is Alice Lon and she worked on Lawrence Welk (one of my favorite TV shows when I was a kid). She had an article in T/V. Guide in 1956 explaining how her mother made them. Pettipond.com has recreated the article here.

Both pictures taken from pettipond.com

What's On Sale- Gingham Dress

If I could fit into this dress it would be MINE, all mine! But alas I cannot so you my readers get a tip off on a sweet deal for a sweet dress. You see those flower designs? Yep, rhinestones are hand sewn on those babies. Sigh...

Details: Measurements: bust 40, waist 28, hips full, bodice 16, skirt 27, overall length 43, sleeves 5, shoulder 15.

$34.99 

It is on ebay with no bids right now and ends Nov. 16

Vintage Repro Labels & Decals

One of my favorite blogs Welcome to Deluxeville just blogged about Sweet Gal Decals, an online store that has amazing vintage reproduction decals and labels like the ones pictures in this post. There are labels for the kitchen, kid's room, bathroom and pretty much anywhere else you want to stick some ultra-hip coolness. Make sure to check out the kitchen linens page too! The best part is that most of the labels are only $11.99.


Hey brides-to-be, wouldn't these labels look spiffy on some medium-sized vases holding petite flowers? I thought so...