June 21, 2018
by Winters Past
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Easy Summer Style: Tie a Vintage Silk Scarf in your Hair

Hot. Humid. Summer. Florida. Also, mosquitos.

Happy solstice, y’all!

Clearly its far too muggy for complete sentences. We wouldn’t want to overly exert ourselves right now, would we?

Here’s a very easy style idea that takes mere seconds, will elevate your look and will actually make you feel cooler.

There are but 3 easy steps. 1.Pick up some vintage silk scarves. 2.Gather your hair into some semblance of a bun. 3.Tie the scarf around the bun. There you have it!

Ladies with cropped hair can do the scarf thing, too, minus the bun.

Now get yourself a cold beverage, one thats not too sweet. Right now I’m enjoying Passion Fruit tea from Tazo, iced. It’s like an updated version of the classic hippie Zinger teas but less pucker inducing. A chilled La Croix is alway nice, too. I like the Pamplemouse, which is apparently French for grapefruit, and not only for the name.

Add a paper fan from the Asian market and you’re good to go.

Here’s that scarf-plus-bun combo in action:

A messy bun looks fresh when wrapped in a vintage silk scarf

Tuck the scarf ends in or let them trail.

You can wrap the scarf around the bun or around your head to hold back the strays.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

Stay vintage. Stay cool.

vintage loungewear at Winters Past in Micanopy

May 31, 2018
by Winters Past
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Vintage Hostess Wear

Recently I came across this gorgeous garment. It’s a floor length, in a crisp taffeta fabric, with dramatic collar and cuff detail. It’s got a wonderful late 1940s feel and a bold paid print:

It’s kind of a gown, yet kind of a robe. After a deep dive into the turbulent waters of Lake Google, I solved this sartorial mystery. It’s a hostess outfit, a special category that existed from the 1920s into the 1970s. These pieces are not sleepwear or streetwear; they are lounge attire, worn by the lady of the house for entertaining. It’s a category of clothing called “at home clothes” that has since gone extinct.

In the 20’s and ’30s, “at home” clothes were very elegant. Hostess garments were either silk lounging pants, beach pajamas or fancy wraps. In the 1940s, hostesses often wore a long belted robe like my plaid one. In the 1950s,”cigarette” pants with an open skirt or overdress were considered a very chic outfit when having guests. Lucille Ball wore one of these in an I Love Lucy episode and looked very stylish.

By the mid 1960’s, the Maxi Dress era was upon us and hostesses wore lots of polyester in bright prints or black.

The 1970s were, of course, the Caftan Decade. From Marrakesh to Miami, ladies and a few brave men lounged in these exotic garments.

After the 1970’s, hostess wear disappeared and long with it, a certain elegance.

The idea of pairing comfort and a bit of elegance is an appealing one, along with a life in which we take the time to turn drinks or dinner with friends into an event.

Although I tend toward nostalgia as a default response, I do know the “athleisure” trend does not actually signal the end of civilization as we know it.

It is possible to live fully in the modern world while still holding a space in our lives for a more gracious social experience, one encapsulated by the idea of “at home” clothes. I like the idea of clothing that isn’t what we exercise or sleep in to wear when we are in our homes.

Lately, even if my evening involves the couch and the second season of Mad Men, I’m trying to wear something other than last year’s yoga pants. I found a great mod caftan with a seventies socialite vibe that I’m wearing as an “at home” outfit and I’m on the lookout for more.

May 24, 2018
by Winters Past
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Vintage Weekends, UK Style

As the owner of a vintage shop in a small rural Florida town, I have had a surprising number of British customers come through. There are even a few UK based vintage sellers who buy from me.

They tell me that “Vintage Weekends” are a huge big deal among a subgroup of English people, and it looks like so much fun.

Here are a few posters for British retro festivals I’ve seen on-line:

British vintage weekends

These weekend festivals have a big emphasis on retro music with roots in the US. They celebrate swing, R & B, boogie-woogie, rockabilly, jazz, blues, doo-wop and bluegrass. In fact, it looks like the Brits may have a deeper appreciation for classic American music than we have.

Music is only part of the story. There is a real mid century American carnival feel to these vintage events. They’ve got hot-rod racing, roller-skating, drive-in movies, classic car shows, and retro burlesque.

For me, of course, it’s all about the vintage clothes, hair and make-up, which are stellar. I see a mix of true vintage and reproduction garments, mixed with style and flair.

So, why are vintage weekends such a big thing in England?

I have a few thoughts that I’d like to explore further but for now, I’m enjoying keeping tabs on these vintage extravaganzas and their marvelous melange of styles.

May 13, 2018
by Winters Past
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Wearing Vintage Statement Earrings in a Modern Way

This is Jenny Walton.

She’s an illustrator, a fashion stylist and she’s a vintage earring savant. Behold:

Wearing mostly vintage pieces, including statement earrings

In fact, her take on vintage is absolutely on-point. She offers a fresh new way of combining eras, deftly pairing vintage with modern. She accessorizes with a few signature pieces including a swoon-worthy collection of vintage earrings.

That touch of bling makes the whole outfit sing

Wearing vintage statement earrings in a very modern way

Here’s what Jenny has to say about her style:

“You shouldn’t be afraid to wear crystals during the day—they’re good for taking something casual to a much more special place.”

“The bigger the earring, the better! Longer styles draw attention to that space between your jawline and your shoulders (which is quite flattering).”

“It’s OK to be obvious and pair sparkle with a little more sparkle.”

“These big round baubles are even more fun when you pair them with other exaggerated shapes”

Jenny tends to pull her hair into a simple bun to better focus on her lovely lobes.

If you’re ready to try some bold vintage earring, here are just a few lovelies I have in the shop right now:

May 7, 2018
by Winters Past
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Dressing Vintage for Dapper Days

The modern era is a casual time. CEOs of major corporations wear jeans and hoodies to work. The lines between athletic attire, sleepwear and everyday clothing have blurred.

And yet, people still crave a reason to get dressed up.

I have quite a few customers who dress head to toe in fancy vintage clothes and go to Disney parks for a big festival two times a year.

The gathering is called Dapper Days and it looks something like this:

Wearing their vintage finest to Dapper Days

When Disney Land opened in 1955, people wore their best outfits to go there. Now people wear tee shirts, flip flops and baggy cargo shorts. Where has the sense of pageantry gone?

People who ask themselves that question have developed loosely organized club. They come up with a modern riff on the party clothes of previous decades. Often their outfits allude to the fifties, when the theme parks were new. They meet up with other like minded folks and, from what I hear, they have a blast.

It’s a very creative project for them and they have so much fun with it every step of the way.

It’s also a bonding thing between friends, couples, and families.

Here are a few of my customers in their Dapper Day best:

A mom & her daughters

Sisters

Ray and Joanie are a couple who fully embrace creative self expression in their clothing. I’ve written about them before. This is what they have to say about Dapper Days:

“Dapper Day was originally founded at Disneyland in California as a day where people would dress up like Mr. and Mrs. Disney would have dressed in the 1950s. It has evolved into a weekend where people put on their best vintage attire and enjoy looking stylish.

We do our best to dress in accurate vintage attire, using as many original pieces as possible to complete our outfits. Joanie sews most of her clothes, sometimes using vintage patterns, but all of her accessories are vintage and picked to enhance the period authenticity of her outfits. Ray prides himself in finding vintage suits and hats and adds vintage accessories if possible to complete his outfits.

We use old movies from the 1930’s, ’40s and ’50s as reference for our clothing.”

Joanie has a nice collection of vintage hats, purses, gloves, jewelry , some of which she inherited from her mother and grandmother. She and Ray noticed that some other Dapper Day participants also wear inherited pieces, bringing a very sweet dimension of family history to their event.

Ray and Joanie at Dapper Days

Like Ray and Joanie, many Dapper Days participants strive to remain authentic to their chosen era. Others add elements of fantasy or costume to a vintage silhouette.

There are, of course, layers of nuance that come into play when one strives for authenticity.

When Mr. Disney created mini world with pretend castles and a faux main street 45 years ago, did he imagine that it would become a very real part of people’s lives?

Like the Velveteen Rabbit, does a created environment become real when filled with the genuine love of actual people over time?

April 29, 2018
by Winters Past
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The Golden Age of Vintage Costume Jewelry

Did you ever think about the art forms that are uniquely American, like jazz music, baseball, tap dancing and comics? From where I sit, the costume jewelry made in the US from the 1930s to the early 1960s falls into that same category.

Is it too much for me to view vintage clip ear rings, brooches and other sparkly things as part of our American cultural patrimony? Well, probably; just bear with me here.

But first: a very exciting thing happened last week. I bought this vintage suitcase and it’s absolutely FULL of 20th century American costume jewelry. Yowza, mama!

There are probably 150 tiny wearable works of art in this treasure chest. It’s going to take me a while to work my way through all of it, but I though I’d share a little of the excitement.

Here we go:

Just a suitcase full of love

I’ve written about the wonders of vintage costume jewelry before. You can scroll ahead in this post to see the pretty shiny things if you’re so inclined or you can geek out with me for just a moment

The golden age of costume jewelry parallels the classic American film years when Hollywood became a major influence on style here and abroad. It began in the 1930s, which was a period when the US began to celebrate it’s own unique style in fashion and in other art forms.

At the same time, immigrants arrived who had specialized skills in casting metal and cutting and setting stones. Influenced by fine arts, by Hollywood glamour, and by changing ideas of style, an art form developed which emphasized design and craftsmanship more than the intrinsic value of gemstones and gold.

American costume jewelry designers used high quality materials including Italian and Czech glass, known for it’s purity of color and crisp facets. The glass was set with prongs just like fine stones.

Along with the craftsmanship, the absolute best part of vintage costume jewelry is their wildly creative designs.

These jewelers with old world skills were able to be more artistically experimental with costume jewelry than they could with precious gems and metals.

What they created was delightful then and now.

I’ve just focused on the brooches this time…some of the necklaces will be posted here very soon.

April 25, 2018
by Winters Past
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Vintage Cocktail Hats

Here is our next installment of the series in which in which I gently leading you toward your hat-wearing best self.

Here’s the deal: you don’t have to be a royal or a racehorse owner to feel great in vintage headwear. If you’re willing to be a just little bit bold, you, too, can become a confident hat wearer.

In previous posts, I’ve championed the beret, the pillbox, the cloche and the structured straw hat.

Today, lets talk about those small works of millinery magic I’m calling the Cocktail Hat. These petite 1950s chapeaux are sweet, sexy and-I promise- easy to wear.

First, check out these modern ladies sporting vintage dainty mid-century hats:

The common thread here is their diminutive size and lack of brim. In these examples, the women are keeping their hair, makeup and overall look modern.

You can see for yourself how alluring these small, embellished wonders are are:

To put these hats in the context of their era, think about the drama of 1950s fashion. All the proportions were exaggerated; the skirts were wide, the shoes pointy, the bust line emphasized. The lips were red, the jewelry was bold and copious. They wore gloves. Everything matched.

As a counterpoint to all that, hats weren’t the stars of the show, they were a complement. While there were no lack of embellishments, the shapes were modest and close to the head.

You’ll find crescents and shell shapes that hug the head, sweet Juliette caps that sit toward the back, and “beau coifs” or whimsies that are a kind of glorified headband. There are flat round tambourine shapes and lots of flirty, eye-emphasizing veils.

In the modern world, their proportions are perfectly suited for dressy occasions. Play around with the placement until it feels comfortable. I’ve seen some customers place them more toward the forehead while others wear them toward the back of the head, keeping in mind how they plan to do their hair.

If you haven’t got a fancy event on the horizon, perhaps you’ll want to host one just so you can wear a vintage cocktail hat.

Here are just a few I have in the shop right now:

April 9, 2018
by Winters Past
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Fanciful Forties Frocks

Recently I became the proud (though temporary) owner of some breathtaking 1940s day dresses.

Be still my beating heart!

Here are some snaps of them on my clothesline:

Pretty maids, all in a row

Each one is unique yet the overall silhouette is the same

The details:

Peplums and flounces and ruching, Oh My!

The prints:

And the colors! Swoon!

The edges of fashion decades are fuzzy, meaning that “the forties” style didn’t literally start on January 1, 1940 at the stroke of midnight.This dress style started in the late thirties, lasted through WW2 and morphed into something else-something with a fuller skirt- by about 1947.

The overall shape of these day dresses is womanly, timeless, easy to wear and very flattering:

defined but not exaggerated shoulders
jewel or modest vee neckline
fitted bodice
bloused (not tight) top
short, draping sleeves
nipped in waist at the natural waistline
knee length gently flared skirt

Sometimes limitations can lead to greater creativity ; this is certainly the case with 1940s fashion. There were shortages of materials such as silk and wool. There were also restrictions on fabric quantity and skirts became slimmer and shorter as a consequence.

At the same time, American fashion was coming into its own. The US had always looked toward Paris for fashion inspiration, but wartime changed France’s role as a trendsetter. Hollywood became the major style influencer that designers copied and women emulated.

These dresses were available in many price points and were as accessible to shop girls and secretaries as they were to society ladies. In the 1940s, women needed to get things done on the home front and this was expressed in dresses that allowed women a full stride but addressed the fun part of fashion with very playful elements.

These simple day frocks had practical silhouettes but were lavished with creative details. There was some very innovative cutting, piecing and draping, along with ruching, gathers, peplums and layers that tie.

Then, there are the colors. This era was a perfect moment for printing on fabric. Synthetic dyes which gave vivid, clear hues were being developed. Rayon, a natural fabric made from wood pulp, had been perfected by the late 1930s. Its takes dyes really well.

The availability of so many color options led to wonderful fabrics. The fanciful prints tend toward dreamy florals or bold abstract designs and brought a sense of fun to dressing.

Fabulous forties frocks, indeed!

April 5, 2018
by Winters Past
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Vintage Charm Bracelets

Vintage charm bracelets are quirky, kitchy fun; there is something innately “charming” about them.

First, they announce their presence by the jingle that happens when the wearer moves her wrist.

Second, they invite conversation. To really appreciate a charm bracelet you really need to examine each individual tiny treasure and hear its story.

I’ve noticed two main eras of 20th century charm bracelets: pre and post WW2. The earlier ones tend to have a theme, like this prohibition era beauty I came across recently with (mostly) cocktail related items:

Tiny alarm clock, top hat, cocktail shaker, ice tongs and shoe

Then you have the charm bracelet’s heyday, when American teenagers and young women in the 1950s and early 1960s collected tiny mementos to record events in their lives.

There are hobby themed charms such as bicycles, horses, ballet shoes, thimbles and musical instruments.

I see lots of lots of travel related charms like state maps, flags and tiny replicas of famous buildings.

Perhaps most magical are the mechanical charms, the ones with a moving part, like a wee ferris wheel that turns or scissors that open.

These memory filled charm bracelets revealed so much about the people who originally collected them.

Filled with tiny figurines collected over the years, charm bracelets chronicled small moments in a life and formed a visual, wearable autobiography.

All vintage pieces come with their own history. This is even more evident when acquiring someone else’s charm bracelet. It is both very personal yet mysterious and unknowable, which adds an interesting layer to the experience of wearing it.

March 19, 2018
by Winters Past
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Fifties Fashion as seen in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Fifties fashion is a an interesting contradiction. On the one hand, it’s a study in wonderful excess: voluptuous curves, wide full skirts, dramatic swing coats. On the other hand, it’s all about control: the need to match everything, wear figure-defining undergarments, and follow strict rules governing appropriateness.

This is beautifully expressed in the Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

The main character, Midge, manages to straddle these two poles neatly, in clothing that perfectly evokes the era but manages to feel modern at the same time. Her wardrobe is just gorgeous and very lustworthy.

Have a look:

Fifties fashion from the Netflix series Mrs Maisel

Those swing coats! and peignoirs!

I had to watch Mrs. Maisel twice, once for the witty dialog and well crafted story and once just for the wardrobe, which will leave vintage lovers breathless.