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Ask Ms. Vintage |
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Written by The Vintage Peddler
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| Nadine asked:
Hello Ms. Vintage,
I have attached pictures of a pair of amber-colored shoes I recently purchased. The label says, "Supreme Fashion Shoes." with "Enter on Air" on the instep. They have gold sequins embedded in the heel, as well. The sole's are screwed into the heel. Could you shed any light on the origins of these gorgeous shoes?
Thank you so much.
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Dear Nadine,
To answer your question I enlisted the help of my friend Jonathan Walford. He is also a member of the VFG and the author of The Seductive Shoe-Four Centuries of Fashion Footwear.
Jonathan answers:
Her shoes probably date from the mid 1950s. Lucite was developed in the late 1930s and some very early examples of lucite heels do appear as early as c. 1940, however, the war interrupted their use and improvements in clear plastic, including Perspex (or Plexiglas) were developed during the war for use as airplane windscreens. Vinyl was also developed during the war for military needs. After the war the search for novelty brought clear plastic and vinyl materials into commercial production. After Disney's Cinderella movie was released in 1950 the idea of a glass slipper inspired the use of clear plastic and vinyl shoes. The earlier examples used a screw to attach the heel, which was better camouflaged in amber than clear plastic, but was considered unattractive at the time. The Herbert Levine company found a way of attaching clear heels with a suitably strong glue in the late 1950s but by that time the stiletto heel was coming into fashion and the thin stiletto heel was too thin for clear plastic, which would have snapped. Clear plastic heels and vinyl upper shoes continued to be made until about 1960 but with less interest from the public with each year after 1957. They were revived in the late 1960s, with low heels, and again in the 1970s with wedges and platforms of clear plastic.
I don't know the label in her shoes -- it sounds like its from one of the volume manufacturers who probably made this for department store and shoe chain-stores.
Hope that helps.
Jonathan
It sure does! Thank you Jonathan.
Jonathan Walford has held curatorial positions with several institutions, including the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto of which he was founding curator. He has lectured and published widely on the subject of historic costume and social history and is now the artistic director of his own company, Kickshaw Productions, which promotes the history of fashion through a variety of media and venues.
You can visit Jonathan's website at KickshawProductions.com.
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Janell asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
My name is Janell and I was wondering what to wear to a themed party dedicated to the 1970s fashion era, including accessories. And would it be a problem for me to find clothes from that year to fit a woman of a curvy figure?
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| Dear Janell,
Oh, this sounds like fun. I remember going to parties in the seventies. Well, at least some of them.
The seventies brought us lots of fashion trends so you have plenty of choices.
The first thing that comes to mind is the hippie look. I am sure that there will be plenty of hippies at your party. It’s an easy ‘costume’ to put together. Think tie dye tee shirt, bellbottom jeans, floppy hat or headband, big round sunglasses and beads. Very casual.
Another 70’s trend was the Bohemian look. This look can be pulled together with a long gauzy skirt and peasant blouse in earthy tones with sandals. Long scarves, crocheted shawl, ethnic prints and bangle bracelets can also be worn. A 70’s Gunne Sax maxi dress would be a good base for this kind of costume.
Watching Saturday NIGHT Fever might inspire you to deck out for disco. Lot’s of polyester, spandex and lycra. Wear body glitter, platform shoes and show lots of skin. |
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Fads of the seventies include:
Hippie, bohemian, disco, mini skirt, empire waist, hip huggers, floppy hats, maxi skirts, platform shoes, pointy collars, shiny boots
Movies to inspire you:
Saturday Night Fever, Spirit of 76, Boogie Nights, The Last Days of Disco
Television Shows:
Charlie's Angels, Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Mork and Mindy. Plus That 70's Show!
Books:
Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Mid-1970s
The 1970s (Fashion Sourcebooks)
70s Fashion Fiascos: Studio 54 to Saturday Night Fever
Have fun at your party!
Ms. Vintage
www.thevintagepeddler.com
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Mary Ann asked:
1940's style and how to accessorize
How to accessorize:
What are the rules, should your shoes match your coat or dress? What about your hat. Say I am wearing a navy suit and red blouse- if the shoes are navy, should the hat be navy as well (perhaps with a red trimming). How about the bag and gloves, should they match the blouse?
What would be the proper way to accessorize.
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| Dear Mary Ann,
Oh my-RULES! I cannot say that I am a big fan of rules. Especially when it comes to fashion. But back in the day, since you asked, it was taught in finishing school that you should match your shoes to you handbag and coordinate from there. That's a good starting point, I'd say. But accessorizing is where one's own personal style shines through. It's how you takes an ordinary dress off the rack and makes it your own!
Now since you asked specifically about the 1940's I started looking through all my old magazines and catalogs from that era. What I noticed first is that yes, they were matching their shoes to their purses and that most often both would be in a very neutral color like black, brown or white. In one catalog I noted that out of 10 pages of shoes there was only one page, about 8 pairs, that were in colors other than neutrals. And no, I wasn't looking at a black and white catalog. Ha.
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I have included some pictures to illustrate that even back in the forties there were many different ways to accessorize. Notice that the suits in bright colors are being shown with neutral colored shoes. You were more likely to coordinate colored shoes with dresses. As I said before the accessories you choose and how you accessorize should reflect your own personal style. Whether you use matching, coordinating or contrasting colors or any combination there of is up to you. Keep in mind that over accessorizing or to much matchy matchy is never a good idea.
Have fun. Express yourself!
Ms. Vintage
www.thevintagepeddler.com
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Kimberly asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
I have a white cotton dress with red embroidery from my grandmother who referred to it as her 'patio dress.' Can you tell me what this means and for what occasion a '50s woman might have worn it? Is it literally a dress to wear on the back patio?
Also, what accessories would have gone with the dress:
Heels, sandals or flats?
Hat or scarf?
Jewelry?
Stockings or bare legged?
Gloves?
Purse, fan or parasol :)?
I am participating in a vintage fashion show soon and I'd like to present the dress in the most authentic way possible.
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Dear Kimberly,
Great question! The term 'patio dress' in this context is used to describe a frock that is a little more dressy or formal than the average day dress. You would don a patio dress in the spring or summer for casual daytime parties or cocktails on, yes, the patio. Some other events might include a summer dinner party, vacations at the beach, a cruise, afternoon bridge-you get the picture.
How you choose to accessorize would, like today, depend on your own style, the occasion and climate. For footwear heels, sandals or flats could be worn. I like espadrilles with a patio dress. If you want to wear a hat choose a casual outdoor hat like a little straw sunhat or headband.
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A patio dress can be nicely accessorized with fun plastic jewelry like big bang le bracelets, clip on earrings and a string or two of beads. Sunglasses, of course and a fun summery purse will help pull the look together.
Bare tan legs would be my first choice but if the event is a little less casual or the weather is cool than by all means you can wear stockings -especially if you'll be wearing high heel pumps.
Gloves were part of every ladies' wardrobe in the 50's and a patio ensemble could definitely include a cute little pair in a contrasting color but gloves are by no means a necessity. The same thing applies to a scarf. I'm going to say no to the parasol and fan.
One thing that you do not want to do is over accessorize. Keep it simple and follow your own sense of style. Have fun-it's summertime!
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I hope I have answered all you questions and you enjoyed the pictures I've used to illustrate. Thanks again for writing.
Ms. Vintage - www.thevintagepeddler.com
Special thanks to FuzzyLizzie from FuzzyLizzie.com
Linda from VintageClothesline.com
Maggie from DeniseBrain on Ebay
and Leigh from CosmicCowgirl on Ebay.
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Helen asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
I am a leader with the 7th London Guides. We are planning on completing our fashion badge at our upcoming camp. Part of the badge asks the girls to find out about fashions of 25 and 50 years ago. I'm having some trouble in finding pictures and useful information. Can you help or do you have any suggestions as to where I might find some information? Thanks
Hello Helen,
Thank you for your question. The Vintage Fashion Guild has an excellent resource that you can find here:
Vintage Fashion Timeline
The vintage fashion timeline is divided into decades beginning with 1800 all the way through 1970. Each decade includes pictures and descriptions of the clothing of the time.
I am sure that this will help you teach your girls about the history of fashion and have them well on their way to earning their fashion badge.
Good luck!
Ms. Vintage
Chris asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
I have a Kerrybrooke Faux Silver Fur Coat my mom bought at Sears in Texas in either 1960 or 1961 that I would like to have cleaned, however, it has no cleaning instructions. I carried it to a furrier and they wouldn't touch it. Our mom passed away last March and some of our fondest memories as children is seeing Mom wearing this coat to formal Air Force functions with our Dad. She was beautiful in it. Any ideas?
Dear Chris,
First let me offer my sincere condolenses. I lost my dad last year and items that trigger memories of him are very special. I have his favorite straw hat and the flag from his boat hanging in my house and when I pass by them they I recall the good times we had together.
If your mother's beautiful coat is like that to you then cherish it forever. Most faux fur that I have seen has been labeled 'dry clean using furrier method'. I would suggest that you take it to a professional dry cleaner that you trust and ask them if they can clean it for you. Good luck to you.
Ms. Vintage
Cara asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
I love vintage clothing and styles, but am very new to this. I love the hairstyles of the 40's and 50's but haven't a clue as to how to recreate them even when I have a great picture. Those finger waves and somehow perfectly placed curls allude me. I like the rockabilly/greaser look of the 50's too, but am completely at a loss. Any advice?
Dear Cara,
Don't be discouraged. Ms. Vintage is here to help. There are so many wonderful "hair dos" from the 40's and 50's that just choosing the right style for you can seem like a daunting task. But once you find the "do" you want, it's just like Momma said. "Practice makes perfect."
Below is a list of my favorite links for vintage hairsyle. There are some fabulous pictures as well as step by step instructions.
Nocturn.com
Rockabillyhairstyle.com
Hairarchives.com
Ebay guide - Recreate the Movie Star Look
Ebay guide - How to do 40's Hairstyles
Have fun!
Ms. Vintage
Carlyn asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
I recently bought a silk bonnet-early 1800's. I would like to display it but I know that silk is very fragile. What steps should I take to make sure it stays in good shape?
Thank you!
Dear Carlyn,
For help in answering your question I went to two of our VFG members whom I know to have much more experience than I in 19th century clothing.
Hollis from Past Perfect Vintage offers some basics:
"Do not display it on a wood head form. Display in a darkish area, out of direct sunlight and not too much incandescent lighting. And it is best if you rotate the display - don't leave it out too long, no more than 3 months. A glass case that gets air circulation would be good as it would protect the bonnet somewhat from dust. Be sure to store it in acid free box and stuffed for shape with acid free tissue when not on display."
Jonathon from Kickshaw Productions advises:
"I would suggest to the writer that silk is a very fragile material. Ideally it would be best stored on a head form to avoid any folds in the silk as the fibres will be weakened along a crease. If displayed, it would be best to have it inside a glass case where light and dust are minimal, otherwise it will fade and dust will alter the colour, and damage the fibres." When displaying vintage textiles it is important to protect your item from too much light, changes in temperature and humidity, chemicals and dust. Ms. Vintage suggests that if your bonnet is precious to you then you may want to consider consulting with a textile conservator for best result. I also recommend the following articles:
How Do I Store Antique Textiles At Home - Smithsonian Institute
Textile Conservation - Minnesota Historical Society
Caring For Textiles - American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Good luck!
Ms. Vintage
| PJ asked:
Dear Ms. Vintage,
Do you know where I could find a pattern for the halter dress by Travilla that Marilyn wore in the Seven Year Itch? I am looking for one exactly like the original or a picture of the original dress not flowing upward so I can see how it was sewn together.
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Dear PJ,
Ah, the famous subway grate scene! This classic dress has such a flattering cut. I do not believe the original Travilla pattern was ever made available for sale. Simplicity did make a costume pattern much later that featured that dress as well as the pink dress from Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.
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That pattern is out of print but often comes up on eBay. It is Simplicity # 8393.
A vintage pattern that I like is Butterick pattern # 6993 and you can sometimes find it on eBay also.
Folkwear Patterns also makes a pattern they call 'Blonde Bombshell' that is available on their site.
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As famous as that scene is from the movie I was only able to find a few images where the dress wasn't being blown up. Hopefully these will give you a better idea of the structure of the dress.
You didn't say what you needed this dress for but if you are looking to buy a reproduction there are a couple of sellers on ebay that sell repro dresses and there is also a website called StopStaringClothing.com and they have a similar halter dress.
It may be worth picking up a copy of the book Hollywood Costume Design by Travilla which features his original sketch of this dress on the cover. Of course, if you are just looking for a costume most costume stores on the web have their own version of this dress. Just google 'Marilyn costume'.
I hope I answered your questions.
Ms. Vintage
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| PS - Profiles in History, a Beverly Hills based action house, auctioned off an exact duplicate copy of Monroe's famous white dress made by Travilla as a backup during production of The Seven Year Itch on December 10, 2004. It brought $60,000.00. |
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