Tag: 1940’s

New Vintage Lady on Etsy

1930's Cape Sleeve Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’ve written in the past about finding vintage clothing in a size larger than tiny, or any size, really, but even for those who find vintage more commonly in their size, it can be a burden of a task to find vintage dresses that fit that also suit your style. While vintage clothing does exist beyond the tiny realm, it is much harder to find, especially when eBay sellers list L/XL as anything from a size 10 upwards – that’s quite a range of sizes to pilfer through! I’ve been touting the benefits of reproductions (ready to wear, made for you, or make yourself), but haven’t found a lot of resources for women who wear over a size 12 or 14.

New Vintage Lady on Etsy has seen this need and done something about it. New Vintage Lady is “proud to stock one of the largest rotations of original plus size vintage patterns and reproductions. I specialize in plus size vintage patterns (but carry items of all sizes!), reproduction patterns 40″ bust and over, clothing, notions, and vintage inspired creations often of my own design.”

I am so in love with New Vintage Lady’s aesthetic – I am actually more enthralled with her own pattern designs than the original patterns she has listed, primarily because she illustrates her own patterns with whimsy, color, imagination, and style. Her patterns are adorable, with thoughtful details like buttons, tucks, contrast panels, belts with buckles, and scalloped edges. She even has hat patterns, and an entire pattern devoted to different types of sleeves that you can add to any dress – imagine that, designers-who-produce-clothing-for-any-mall-retailer – SLEEVES! If anyone has worked with vintage patterns before, you know that the arm holes/sleeves tend to run on the small side, so this add-on pattern is a genius idea.

New Vintage Lady has other great items in her shop, like vintage patterns of all sizes, sewing books, and some vintage and reproduction dresses. Here are some of my favorite items from her shop:

Knot Bodice Day Dress pattern
Knot Bodice Day Dress complete and styled
Kimono Sleeved Flapper Dress pattern
Kimono Sleeved Flapper Dress styled and flat
1940's Sport Dress with deep back, optional sleeves and bolero
The 1940's Sport Dress in eyelet, available for purchase

Bows and Bars

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Independence Day Weekend, which is a great time to sport some colorful and patriotic vintage for picnics, cookouts, and outdoor festivals. This red and white 1940’s dress, with bow applique detail and stripes above the hemline, would be perfect for this weekend – if this dress were in my size, I’d be sporting it on the 4th to something outdoor and festive, with a wide brimmed straw hat. So adorable!

Field Trip: Sweet Lorain, Cleveland, OH


This post was written by Lindy Shopper.


Sweet Lorain (formerly Suite Lorain, now under new ownership) is one of those rare places where there are entire racks devoted to 1930’s and 1940’s clothing, rather than being relegated to a few rare items on the wall or stuck in the middle of a mound of polyester. In fact, Sweet Lorain skirts the issue by focusing exclusively on “Deco to 1960’s.” It’s a huge store, with tons of furniture, housewares, knick-knacks, clothing and accessories, and maybe some random items from a past era you’ve never even thought about. The dresses, evening gowns, coats, and other swing era garments are comparably plentiful and in an array of sizes. There were so many things to see that my partner in crime, Elizabeth Tietgen, and I spent several hours there, long enough for the store owner to offer us each a bottle of water!

We were told that the store had been hoarding swing era items for the ABW participants and people were dropping off things to sell to the ABW’ers the morning of the day we went to Sweet Lorain, namely a pair of 1940’s low heeled sandals that Elizabeth took home and a green 1930’s raincoat that came home with me.

I have heard stories about Sweet Lorain for years from my vintage tailor/couturier, Laura Boyes, who grew up in Cleveland. She and her daughter have had great luck in this store during their visits and Laura has even seen buyers from Anthropologie using their corporate card to purchase items from Sweet Lorain to copy or as inspiration for their designs. Understandably, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this visit to Sweet Lorain and it did not disappoint.

Did I think to take photos of what we bought? No, of course not, but Elizabeth left with a bevy of blue and white items, including a 1950’s sundress, a 1930’s day dress with matching bolero, black 1940’s shoes, tap shoes, and an aqua velvet 1930’s gown, and I left with a gray 1920’s dress, a seersucker romper of unknown decade, the 1930’s raincoat, a tie for the Boy, and a Bakelite bangle. Quite possibly the best trip to a vintage store EVER. Did I mention the prices here are amazing? This store will be a must-do for all subsequent ABWs.

Here are some of the other goodies I found at Sweet Lorain (I apologize for posting photos from my phone, I forgot my real camera):

Read the signs, ladies - this is the place!
A wall of slips, with cheerful bloomers hanging above the dressing room area
Wonderful coral crepe print dress
Navy and red crepe dress
Purses under glass
The 1940's shoes we found for Elizabeth
Tie clips galore, including one from the 1933 World's Fair
Ties!
A selection of men's hats
Oh, the bakelite!

Trashy Diva Summer Prints

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

My love for Trashy Diva and their rayon print dresses knows no bounds. Their latest collection of dresses is no exception, with bright and cheerful summer prints in their classic dress shapes that are so flattering on so many figures. Here are some of my favorites from the collection:

"Day Dress" in Pearl Harbor rayon print - love the Asian toggles on the front and the clean shape of this dress
The "Obi Dress" gets a tropical twist with this leaf printed rayon and a vibrant purple sash
This color is just fantastic - the "Trixie Dress" in wonderful aqua rayon dotted with parrots

Under the Sea

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I found two dresses on eBay today with a sort of…aquatic theme. The first is this hilarious yet fetching off-white dress with lobster detailing, a cut out midriff, and a matching lobster hat. I’m with the seller on this one, if it would fit I might consider picking this up for a 4th of July gig. The other dress is a wonderful blues-and-greens cocktail dress in a scale patterned rayon. I love that the skirt has two layers and the fabric is just gorgeous!

Remix in Nines

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

There’s been a small influx of Remix shoes on eBay this week in or about a size 9. Take a look!

Bloomsbury in red, size 9.5
Myrna in brown, size 9
Kate in gray and blue, size 9

Powder Room Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Emerald City Vintage on eBay has done it again, this time offering this fantastic 1940’s rayon dress with a print of ladies in gowns in silhouette, with a background of fans. How girly is this? The scene depicted in the fabric sort of screams gossip in the powder room, with the ladies checking their hair and bustles. I think it’s a really interesting piece because of this unique fabric and the way it is used on the bodice and at the hem. Pockets are also helpful and I like the way the skirt pleats come down from the pockets.

Walk on Water Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

After posting these shoes I thought long and hard about what you might wear with them – a solid dress, separates with those colors, but I never thought I’d come across a vintage dress with this same color wave. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this late 1930’s/early 1940’s dress on eBay with those lovely blues detailing the neckline. Finding matching pieces in vintage is already difficult, if not impossible. So disappointed that this is also not in my size. Surely there is someone out there to fit into this 28 inch waist dress AND wear a size 6.5/7 slightly narrow shoe!

What Katie Did – Reproduction and Vintage-Inspired Lingerie

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Last week I embarked on a quest for nude seamed stockings. I have little patience for wading through lingerie websites, so I solicited Facebook for ideas. When Kate Patsky declared “This is like finding the Holy Grail…” I knew I had a real shopping challenge on my hands; thus, I headed to the Stockings HQ chat forums to ask the experts/fetishists where I could find the Holy Grail. Stockings HQ is a lingerie website based in the UK that also hosts chat forums where people can share stocking info, pictures, and talk about…anyway, they were most helpful during my last hosiery dilemma, finding stockings for a Sally Bowles costume that would be period appropriate and fit my short legs, and they delivered yet again. One of the forum regulars recommended What Katie Did and I’ve been in love ever since.

What Katie Did makes beautiful reproduction and vintage-inspired bras, panties, girdles, corsets, stockings, slips, swimwear, and much more. I loathe most “vintage-inspired” undergarments because they are skimpy and not at all what was actually worn. What Katie Did has gone to the heart of the matter, reproducing things that are such rare finds, like fully fashioned stockings, bullet bras, 1940’s bras (which were just coming into the modern age of the bra), and different kinds of girdles so you can get your Joan Holloway on. If you really want a vintage look, then the next step beyond just the clothes are the foundation garments. Think about how your underwear selections change with what you wear and how that affects your shape and the way the clothes fit, then apply that to your dance dresses. What Katie Did goes further and actually improves the reproduction by eliminating discomfort and taking garments, like that 1940’s bra that probably did little to lift and support, and upgrading them to modern standards. If this sounds dull, like a conversation you’ve had with your grandmother, never fear! There are also plenty of skimpies and pretties on the website for everyone, and I know some burlesque girls who might find some goodies here.

From the website: “Founder and head designer Katie Halford has had a deep and abiding love affair with 1940s and 1950s fashion her entire adult life, but though the clothing was always fairly easy to come by, the appropriate undergarments were not. Her quest for the perfect bullet bra, the most authentic stockings and the firmest foundation garments, led to the development of her own collection, over ten years ago. And since then, thanks to her abiding passion, What Katie Did has been at the very forefront of the vintage revival that’s only recently come into the public eye.

On this website, in our London boutique, and in the glossy pages of our catalogue, retrophiles, vintage queens and lingerie lovers who appreciate the art of a circle-stitched cup, a wasp-waist, or a flash of fully-fashioned seam, can find everything their hearts’ desire.

We create and produce beautifully cut, high-quality and affordable undergarments, corsetry and hosiery inspired by the 1940s and 1950s. Our designs are based on vintage patterns, adapted only slightly for modern figures, using authentic fabrics and even old-fashioned production methods wherever possible. We’re proud of our close-knit team, high standards and enthusiasm for great customer service, all of which which have earned us fans worldwide, and led to What Katie Did being worn by stars as lofty as Claudia Schiffer and Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks. But really, we make our beautiful lingerie for every woman, so she can look and feel like a bombshell, any day of the week.”

I don’t often get excited about underwear, but I am excited to try out some of these gorgeous things. Here’s what I’m loving:

From the Harlow collection - deep suspender belt and bullet bra
Hollywood collection slip
Stretch nylon seamed stockings
French knickers
Glamour girdle and underwire bra - yes, I hate girdles, but I know some of you love Spanx, so here's the real thing

Walk on Water

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Raleigh Vintage on Etsy has delivered another winner, this time in the form of these gorgeous 1940’s shoes with a blue swirl/wave across the toes. This is such a unique pair of shoes that they almost look too modern – but for the shape of the shoes I’d claim they were a remnant of Miu Miu’s 2008 suede shoe collection. Estimated at a size 6.5/7, but check the listing for actual measurements. If they were in my size I would plan an entire outfit around them…

Contrast Buttons

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’m heading up to DCLX this weekend, but before I abandon the blog for another dance weekend (you understand, right?) I’ll leave you with these two dresses. Red with green, green with red, but the real detail here is the contrast – most dresses try to match buttons, but I love these solid dresses with contrasting buttons. It really makes the buttons pop and becomes even more of a decorative detail than a functional necessity. This is definitely something I’d like to see more of (paging ModCloth, Anthropologie, Trashy Diva…).

Further, check out the neck detail on the green dress – it’s two dresses in one, with a keyhole neckline or a v-neckline. So in love…I was definitely one of the losing bidders on this auction.

Solid Gold

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This pair of 1940’s gold heels is about as glamorous as it gets – seller FrauleinMarlene has restocked her shop to include this amazing specimen of vintage footwear. Now that we’ve seen the sparkle, consider the practicality of such a pair of heels – gold is a metallic neutral so it can go with many things, and the mesh insets on the outside of the foot allow for breatheability and a little give on the side for your pinkie toes. I bet that gold leather is super soft…and the price? This gold will only set you back $59. I’d have snatched them up myself, but I already own a similar pair. That said, if you don’t snatch them up, I may reconsider. 😉

Johnson Shoes

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

"A Brogue" oxford in brown and snake

I’ll keep the shoe theme going for another post…I stumbled upon Johnson Shoes in one of those lists of vintage clothing and shoe resources where most of the links are no longer working. Fortunately, the Johnson Shoes link still worked and I discovered a wonderful resource for 1930’s through 1950’s shoes for men and women. Based in the UK, Johnson Shoes has been selling hand crafted shoes since 1983.

From the website: “We always carry black, brown and white dance shoes, but all our ranges come in all colours. Different soles are available according to your needs. Whilst some styles and colours are in stock due to the fact we offer high quality handmade footwear so it can take a number of weeks to produce your shoes. We offer quality not speed.

Whether you want to dance all night or be comfortable all day we make quality footwear that caters for your needs. Whether you choose from one of the many designs you see on our site or design what you want it’s all in with the price.

Johnson shoes are dance orientated. We have jazz, rock and roll, swing, balboa and lindy-hop shoes, ballroom, and latin shoes, 40s jive, ceroc, leroc, salsa and jive shoes.

You can choose from a wide range of materials including, leather, suede, nubuck, patent, pony, non-leather and a choice of soles, leather, eva, suede , crepe and non-leather. We do all the above footwear from size 3 including half sizes to a ladies size 9 in selected styles and up to mens size 13”

You had me at Balboa…

In addition to custom footwear, Johnson Shoes carries some styles in stock, which are sold through the Rock and Roll Products website. The styles available in stock are also the styles you can customize.

Here’s what I’m loving from the site (there are no individual links, for some reason – sorry!):

Penny Loafer in black and white (I remember someone bemoaning Aris Allen discontinuing their white loafers...)
"Telephone" heels in gold and silver - I can't even begin to tell you how much I am in love with this pair of shoes
White bucks to go with your seersucker suit
"Spanish" shoe in purple with teardrop cutouts
Saddle shoe in brown and beige
"Clio" heels in brown croc

Men’s and Women’s Shoes on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This is definitely a good shoe week on eBay, so here are a couple of finds for the gents from the 1940’s and some more Remix shoes for the ladies:

Brown and white cap toes with wonderful broguing, $49.99
Brown Nettleton wingtips, size 8D - $24.99
Remix "Balboa" in gold, size 7.5 - $88
Remix "Pleated Toe" wedge, silver, size 11 - $39.99

Oh I’m Evil

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and the wearing ‘o the green, I couldn’t resist posting this amazing green 1950’s party dress from Etsy seller pinupdresses. It’s a bit more expensive than I like to have on Lindy Shopper, but ohmygawd look at it! If Pamela Isley were “disguised” as Suzy homemaker/hostess for a night, would this not be the dress? Paging all villainesses, this dress is for you!

Check out pinupdresses’ store for some other good 1940’s and 1950’s finds, but the real jewels in this store are the 1980’s prom dresses, which are even better than what you’d dig up at your local Salvation Army.