Category: 1930’s

Field Trip: Halcyon and Bygones, Richmond, VA (at Jammin’ on the James)

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This 1930's tuxedo was the find of the day - the only part of the ensemble we couldn't find was a pair of shoes.
This tuxedo was the find of the day - the only part of the ensemble we could not find was a pair of shoes

This past Saturday I embarked on a birthday vintage shopping trip of epic proportions. Along for the ride were fellow Jammin’ on the James attendees and fellow vintage queens Elizabeth Aldrich and Elizabeth Tietgen, as well as dapper gents Victor Celania, Maurice O’Brien, and Matthew Pait. Our first stop was Halcyon, which was having a rummage sale outside, in addition to the regular wares inside the store. Victor immediately found a coat for me and for himself – me, a lovely wool coat with a mink collar; him, a plaid overcoat (if I remember correctly). The damage? $15 for me. Elizabeth T. scored a sweet 1930’s waterfall radio. Then we went inside. 🙂

There’s nothing quite like having Lindy Hoppers who love vintage clothing in a vintage store. Add in the fact that Victor actually dresses people for a living, and you have an all out game of let’s-play-dress-up. What’s that song on the radio? Can you turn it up? Sure, but only if you dance for us. Dancing ensued to a selection of excellent vintage jazz tunes, upon the request/permission of the Halcyon staff. We love you gals!

Elizabeth T. managed to build an entire outfit around a lovely black 1960’s cocktail dress, complete with gloves, hat, and jewelry. Elizabeth A. was drawn to Halcyon’s selection of lovely coats and a fantastic green turban/cloche (did you go back and get it?). Matthew picked up a sweet blue wool jacket with a belted back. Maurice left with an entire 1930’s tuxedo, which fit like it was made for him. Victor was all over the store, checking in on the dressing rooms and putting together Maurice’s tuxedo ensemble. The Halcyon staff scurried to find whatever Victor could think up and never came up empty-handed. We spent over two hours at Halcyon and I think everyone left with at least one vintage item.

Next, we headed to Bygones, which has a mix of vintage and vintage reproduction clothing. It was great to browse their selection of Trashy Diva and Leluxe dresses, to actually see them in person and try them on. There were some other great reproductions and, if I had been paying attention instead of being distracted by the feather fans, I would have written down the brands. Bygones also had an extensive selection of Aris Allen dance shoes, which I’ve never seen outside of the internet or the Aris Allen store. Bygones had some lovely vintage clothing from the swing era, but none of it was in my size.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Bygones was the window display. I’ve been told they go all out for the window dressings and this season’s feature vignette was a Victorian spider lady, ensnaring a dapper gentleman in her web.

If you find yourself in Richmond, you must visit one or both of these stores – that they co-exist in the same town and have such amazing selections is remarkable. I can’t wait to go back!

The ladies' wall at Halcyon
The gents' wall at Halcyon
The fabulous green turban-cloche hat, modeled by Elizabeth A.
Victor's loot
Elizabeth T. admires a lovely fur capelet
Elizabeth T.'s loot
I was in love with this dress, but was informed that it used to belong to an opera singer with a giant rib cage.
Former home of a top hat.
Bakelite!
Elizabeth A. modeling a lovely coat
The display behind the counter at Halcyon
The window display at Bygones - check out the extra booted legs on the spider lady!
Looking into Bygones from the front of the store
Victor's fan dance
One of the great displays in the store
A wall of Aris Allens!
And....we're done! Time for a nap before the Saturday night dance!

Son-of-an-ironworker on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

EBay seller son-of-an-ironworker popped up in one of my searches for vintage ties. To my delight, I found not only a clever collection of vintage bow ties, but also some other great accessories, like 1940’s/50’s patterned socks, deadstock socks, and a 1930’s Planter’s Peanuts necktie. Check it out…

Flowers, but not too girly
Pink, but not too girly, eh?
I always thought the peanut guy was classy...
Lindale socks in their original packaging - as seen in LIFE magazine!
Blue Lindale socks with chevrons
Plaid S-T-R-E-T-C-H Socks

Vest and Knickers

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Polish up the nine iron because it’s time to get your knickers on and hit the links…or the dance floor. EBay seller hotclubduparis (location: Savoyville, Italy) has posted a matching vest and knickers set in a lovely menswear stripe with a little red in the stripe. Knickers are perfect for showing off your clever socks, no? Whoever wins this auction will be my hero.

Emerald City Vintage on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This 1950's jacket is nerdy and awesome

I am very impressed with the selection of clothing that eBay seller Emerald City Vintage has posted, for both men and women. If Emerald City is from Seattle, then it comes as no surprise to me that this seller has excellent threads, as my own excursion to Seattle last year yielded three critical wardrobe items.

The selection is primarily 1930’s through 1950’s clothing and the starting prices are generally around $20.00. Some of the items for sale are buy it now – whether or not some of these items are reasonable is open to interpretation, but some of the buy it now items are what you would pay in a decent vintage store and others are a bit pricier.

Randomly, there are also several dirndls in the store, if you are looking for something befitting Oktoberfest.

Overall, this is a very focused selection of garments for swing era ladies and gents, with lots of great basics for both men and women. Here are my favorites from this week’s selections (but I would encourage you to browse the eBay store, as there are lots of different sizes available in similar items, such as pants):

1950's black sweater
1940's three-tone rayon dress
1940's Tuxedo
1936 three piece suit
1930's belted back suit
1940's double breasted suit
WWII uniform
1940's or 50's striped pants

The Vintage Shirt Company

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

I’m a firm believer that you can find just about anything on the internet, if you search diligently.  The Vintage Shirt Company, based out of the UK, supplies shirts and accessories for use in period costume dramas; everything from the 1700s to the present day.  A huge thanks to Lindy Shopper for pointing out this site to me.

According to their “About Us” page, “All the stock is adapted from original garments to ensure an authentic period look. Close attention has been paid to the detailing and standard of finish which means they can confidently be used in film work. We also stock a range of traditional underwear and useful accessories.”

This company features a ludicrous number of stiff, detachable collars.  Detachable collars?  According to the common legend, the detachable collar was invented by Hannah Lord Montague in Troy, NY in 1827; she found that the only soiled part of her husband’s shirts were the collars, so she snipped off the collar, washed it, then sewed it back on.  Nowadays, detachable collars are largely unnecessary as they are very formal and very tedious.  If you’re looking to dress in a 1920s to 1940s style, detachable collars are a bit old-fashioned, even for you; detachable collars are more of a turn-of-the-century style.  The World Wars forced more practicality into men’s clothing, so attached collar shirts became the norm.

an example of a detachable collar, the Standard Wing Stiff Collar

It’s interesting to see shirt designs from the 1920s onward, if only so you can notice that things have remained largely unchanged since then.  The “dress shirt” as we know it, was standardized by that time.  Only the fabric, patterns and proportions have oscillated with the times.

just a regular dress shirt, right? This is described as a "1920’s Spearpoint collar attached shirts in White with Blue/Black stripe"

As you can see, this is a pretty simple striped dress shirt, one that you might be able to find in a dozen different places.

The true advantage of this store, then, is that it is a great one-stop shop for vintage inspired accessories.  They’ve got a killer collection of braces (suspenders), sock garters, scarves, handkerchiefs and gloves.  These are the sorts of details that can take your looks to a higher level.  Keep in mind that this one-stop shop is going to be on the pricier side, especially since they’re shipping from the UK.

Here are some of my favorites:

I prefer braces with white fasteners because they match all colors of shoes (though few people are that picky about it), Henley stripe button braces, starting at £35 + VAT.
These are a bit whimsical, but I like them. Reading Glass Monocles, £45 + VAT.
Arm Bands can really bring together a vintage look. £7.5 + VAT
They also carry some handsome pocket squares, £8.50 + VAT.
Forgive me for geeking out, but they carry Panthrella socks, some of the nicest (and pricier) socks that are made made in the world. They're hard to find. £8.25 + VAT
If you want to be the most uniquely dressed guy at a sleepwear dance party, you could wear a nightshirt. (if you do this, we want photos)
If you're putting on some Shakespeare or plan to do some swashbuckling, this is the frilly shirt for you. Square cut frilled cotton lawn period shirt, £54 + VAT.

For more on detachable collars, check out this site.

1932 Tuxedo

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I can’t resist posting a tuxedo on here, even though most of you will probably never be seen in a tuxedo at a dance; however, in the off-chance you are feeling dapper and festive, here’s a lovely tuxedo that popped up on eBay from 1932. It looks pristine. The tag on this tux reads “Kennedy’s” and is dated October 10, 1932. I wonder who was buying a tuxedo in the middle of the Great Depression…

Check the measurements for sizing, but the seller is posting this is approximately a 33 inch waist on the pant and a 36 jacket. Note that the seller will not re-list the item if not sold. With two days left on the auction, no bidders, and a $49.99 start price, this could be a fantastic deal!

Trashy Diva for Fall

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Jenny dress short sleeves

Trashy Diva goes back to basics for fall, with a collection of basic black dresses in a poly/rayon/spandex that has “the look of vintage wool jersey without the scratch.” With added spandex, these dresses should be extra danceable. My favorite is the Jenny dress, which comes in short sleeves and long sleeves, and has these amazing darts at the waist that look like they will give you a lovely hour-glass, wasp waisted shape.

Another recent collection features two fabrics dotted with the fleur-de-lis, a symbol of New Orleans, which is the home base of Trashy Diva. The more graphic of the two prints is featured on their 1950’s and 1960’s inspired dresses and the smaller print is on their classic 1940’s and 1930’s pattern dresses.

If you missed out on earlier Trashy Diva goodness, check out my last blog entry on this obsession-worthy clothing company.

1940's dress
Audrey dress
Jenny dress long sleeves

1930’s Tweed Pants and Vest

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Up for grabs on eBay is this great tweed vest and pair of pants in a lovely tweed with hints of orange, green, and rust. The vest has four pockets and the pants have buttons for suspenders and a high waist. The seller, timeless, has not guessed at a size, so check the measurements carefully for fit. To give you a hint as to size, the seller believes this set was made for someone “tall and lanky.”

Cap Toes Galore

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’m not sure how eBay seller justin711 came into this many pairs of men’s cap toe shoes from the 1920’s through the 1940’s, but he has listed eight pairs of them, all in wearable condition. My favorite pair are the two tone brown and white, with the scuffed up boots coming in a close second. Here are the goods, in sizes ranging from 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 and a $19.99 starting price:

Fresh From the Cleaners

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It’s always nice to slip into a freshly pressed shirt, but what if that shirt was pressed in 1939?

This week, eBay delivers to the public two men’s dress shirts in white, still in their pre-war paper laundry wrappers, size 16 x 34. One shirt is labeled Carson Pirie Scott Chicago and the other is Tookason 5. Both shirts will have to be laundered again, of course. The auctions note that both shirts appear to have been mended, as it was customary to mend holes rather than replace the entire shirt. There are several other 1930’s/1940’s shirts this particular seller, chesneywold, has listed, all from the same estate in a similar size.

Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This weekend I will be heading to the Big Apple for the bi-annual Jazz Age Lawn Party, held on the grounds of Governors Island, which is just a short ferry ride from the lower tip of Manhattan. I’m not sure how many years this event has run, but for the past couple of years I have pined over the gorgeous photos of people in vintage clothing, dancing vintage dances to a vintage band, with vintage cars in the background…well, you get the idea. I’m going to get it all out of my system over the weekend at this picturesque event.

There will be vendors at this event, selling vintage clothing and hats – hopefully, I won’t be too distracted so you can get a full report (with photos) when I get back.

In the interim, you can enjoy photos of the July 2010 Lawn Party from The Sartorialist, Metromix, lensjockey, Time Out New York, Citizen Couture, New York Post, a video from the New York Post, and a 3-D interactive mini-site courtesy of Martin Lenclos. Cheers!

Fraulein Marlene on Etsy

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Hello Fraulein! That is the greeting at the top of Fraulein Marlene’s Etsy shop, welcoming you in to look at her lovely vintage goodies. Almost half of her selections are divine vintage shoes from the 1930’s and 1940’s in neutral tones, like brown, black and beige, so they’ll go with everything in your fall and winter dance wardrobe. The shoes also look like they are in solid condition and are reasonably priced.

Fraulein Marlene says simply, “I love clothing and accessories from the 1920’s-1950’s. Vintage is my first passion —> but i am no professional seller…it is a hobby.”

Here are some selections from this excellent hobbyist:

Very much in love with these shoes that are not in my size - 1930's t-straps with gorgeous textured fabric
1940's reptile sandals from Spain in original box
1940's brown suede platform heels
1940's brown suede heels
Black Art Deco pumps - the hotness
1940's brown peeptoes

1930’s/40’s Green Velvet Party Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It is so hard for me to resist vintage velvet – nothing is softer, silkier, or more delectable. It drapes like charmeuse and feels like a kitten. The season for wearing velvet seems so small in comparison to the amount of time I would like to be wearing velvet.

Perhaps you are contemplating your New Year’s Eve outfit for Lindy Focus or a special holiday dance? I would recommend this lovely dress (and if I’m posting this kind of love, you know it’s not in my size), a 1930’s/40’s green velvet party dress from eBay seller love_kats. The draping, the sleeves, the rhinestones on the bodice…and the twirl potential on this skirt looks really promising! There are a few noted minor flaws and some mending, but I can tell you from several vintage velvet purchases that these kinds of repairs and conditions have been universal for my purchases and have not detracted from the garment, nor been difficult to repair. Love. This. Dress.