The 1980's

I wasn't big into fashion in the 1980's. Being a young mother with two children under 6, I wasn't big into fashion, period! But I do remember falling in love with the full skirted dresses that were based on 1950's styles.

I would have looked longingly at this dress back then, but since I didn't have anywhere to wear it, it would have stayed on the rack at my favorite department store. Now I can offer it to you as vintage fashion!

A strange thing has happened lately. "80's dress" is the number one search term on my website for the last 2 or 3 months. So, for those of you looking for a bit of 80's style, we've heard you loud and clear!

See these dresses and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

1930's Original Fashion Illustrations

Recently at auction, we came upon a portfolio of original 1930's fashion illustrations by Dot Levin. Ms. Levin also signed her work Iris, Irissa, and Iris Levin. We were told by the auctioneer that Dot Levin was an artist and illustrator whose work was featured in many magazines and newspapers in the 1930's and 40's.

We have 10 separate lots of these illustrations going up for auction tonight on EBay. Most are worked in pen & ink with a few watercolors and pencil sketches among the lots.

These are great for framing for all you vintage fashion enthusiasts! I've kept a couple for myself and they'll be gracing the wall of my office soon.

See these illustrations and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Versatile Little 1950's Jackets

The Land of Lost Jackets...it's that place where vintage suits get separated. The dresses go one way, the skirts another, and, sadly, the jackets get separated from their mates. Alas, your chances of finding an exact match are almost nil.

We don't know how it happens. Perhaps the skirt was worn more often than the jacket and wore out before it's mate and so was sent to skirt heaven. But the jacket was in great shape, so it stayed in the back of the closet.

Maybe a favorite dress came with a jacket that just didn't work, so it was given away or hung separately from it's mate, while the dress became the life of the party.

Whatever the reason, these lost jackets have a new life to lead! They look great paired with your favorite jeans or trousers. Co-ordinate them with a plaid or tweed skirt from your closet. Throw them on over a sleeveless sheath dress to keep you warm on those cool autumn mornings. Finish your outfit in style!

See these jackets and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Looking for Plus Size Vintage?

Finding great vintage clothing in plus sizes without looking dowdy is not easy. At a recent auction I attended, there were 3 racks of plus size vintage clothing from the 1940's and 50's, most still with the original tags attached! Believe me, I fought long and hard to win those racks of dresses for you, and I've listed a few today in my EBay store. Many of them are summer styles, so I'll wait to list those in the spring, but here are a few of the fall and cocktail dresses listed now:

All of the dresses were clipped to the mannequin to approximate actual fit. They all have bust measurements between 49" and 51".

See these dresses and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

My Favorite Decade

I love the fashions of the 1930's. The silhouette was long and lean with lots of intricate details and elaborate seaming we just don't see anymore. Take this dress, for example. This is a simple black rayon crepe dress, but look how dramatic it becomes when the upper bodice and shoulders are accented with sheer black chiffon. 1" wide bands of the crepe are appliqued a scant 1/4" away from the edge of the seam where the chiffon and crepe meet. Those bands are perfectly straight with no ripples or uneven seams, as they would be if I tried to sew them!

As if that is not enough, the lower sleeves also have angled insets of the sheer chiffon with the decorative bands at the upper edge. Maybe one of the reasons I like this dress so much is because, as a seamstress, I can appreciate the hard work that went into the details. They just don't make 'em like they used to!

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Ah-Choo! Artist Signed Hankies

Before the onslaught of Kleenex, proper ladies always had a hankie or two at hand. Whether slipped into a purse or pocket, one always needed a hankie to deal with such indelicacies as sneezes, lipstick smudges, or Junior's sticky hands. But the hankie had another purpose. In a world of proper, ladylike solids and prints on her clothing, a woman could express a bit of her personal style with a printed handkerchief in an unusual and artistic design.

Several textile artists became known for their signed prints on ladies hankies in the 1950's. Tammis Keefe is perhaps the most prized, as her designs were prolific and unusual. The example above is one of her famous antique furniture prints.

This hankie by Jeanne Miller has a lovely Fall design of squashes and gourds with cattails and sheafs of wheat.

And this one by Betty Anderson has a sweet design of roses worked in an unusual bright vibrant orange.

Who needs a calendar on the wall when you can carry one on your hankie? While this one is not signed, I just love the uniqueness of the design. This one is from 1960, by the way.

See these hankies and more vintage accessories at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

The Big Gamble - How to Protect Yourself When Buying Vintage Clothing on EBay

Have you every been disappointed with an item of vintage clothing you purchased on EBay? I'll bet the answer is, "Yes!".

I sell exclusively on EBay and have one of the largest vintage clothing stores on the EBay site. I consider it my job to be aware of what is happening in the vintage clothing categories on EBay, so I set out to discover why customers of vintage clothing are so disenchanted with buying on EBay.

For the last 6 months, I have been conducting an experiment. I have purchased over 100 vintage clothing items on EBay for my personal use. I used a different EBay account to purchase these items, so the sellers I purchased from did not know who they were selling to. I only purchased items described as being in excellent condition. I purchased from experienced, well-known sellers as well as new and inexperienced sellers.

I was appalled at the results of my experiment! More than 50% of the items I purchased were damaged in some way! These pieces could not be considered to be in excellent condition by any stretch of the imagination. I received a dress covered in mold and mildew, a dress that overwhelmed me with the smell of moth balls, and a dress that had been washed and shrunk so the lining hung 2 inches below the hem of the dress itself! I received items with actual measurements up to 2" off from what was stated in the listing. I received items with moth damage, iron shine, stains, fading, popped seams, broken zippers, splits in the fabric, underarm odors, tears and holes, alterations, and cut off and shortened hems. NONE of these issues had been disclosed in the listings so I could make an informed buying decision.

It's no wonder buyers of vintage clothing no longer trust EBay sellers! But, take heart! There are many professional vintage clothing sellers on EBay who offer wonderful merchandise and can be trusted. The trick is to find them. An easy way to be assured you'll be happy with your purchase is to shop with Vintage Fashion Guild members. Sellers who are members of the Vintage Fashion Guild have gone through a rigorous review process and meet the standards set forth by the Guild. Couture Allure has been a member of the VFG for over 4 years. We highly recommend all sellers who are members of the VFG.

In light of my dreadful experiences buying vintage clothing on EBay, we're announcing a major policy change at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion. We are so confident you'll be happy with your purchase from us, we now accept returns on most of the items we sell. You can find the details on our Policies Page on EBay.

There are many other ways you can you protect yourself when considering making a purchase of vintage clothing on EBay. I've just written an EBay Guide with several tips which you might find interesting.

Shop for vintage clothing on EBay with confidence at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Playing with Princess Seams

In the mid 1960's, when the simple shift dress became popular, designers began experimenting with seams to add some visual interest to what could be a pretty basic style. This 1960's coat is by a company named Irvama-Carmel. I don't know who the designer was, but I love the ingenious use of the S curve in the front Princess seams.

The seam starts at the neckline under the collar, and curves out over the bust, back in above the waist, and then out to the side seam. That seam incorporates the bust shaping and also provides placement for the faux pocket flaps. Why use a straight dart when you can do something so much more pleasing to the eye?

See this coat and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Vintage Coats II

As promised, here are more vintage coats from our 2007 collection, now available in our store.

1960's Mohair Boucle Coat with Mink Trim

1950's Karakul Coat with Mink Trim

1950's Navy Cashmere Swing Jacket

See these coats and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

When's the Best Time to Buy a Vintage Coat?

NOW! We're listing our 2007 collection of vintage coats this week, and we've got some beauties for you! Shop early for the best selection. We're usually sold out early!

1970's Rust Wool Coat with Mink Collar

1960's Mohair Plaid Clutch Coat

1940's Purple Velvet Beaded Evening Coat

1950's Baby Blue Clutch Coat

More tomorrow!

See these coats and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Purple Shoes!

Where were these shoes when I was in 8th grade? In 1967, these chunky heeled shoes were all the rage. We wore them with our neon colored mini dresses and bright tights. I would have died and gone to heaven if I could have had purple shoes!

I had the perfect hot pink dress that just cried out for these shoes. I would have worn them with matching pink tights, or maybe yellow ones..... Leave it to me to find the perfect shoes 40 years too late! Of course, I no longer wear a size 5 1/2 shoe, nor do I wear mini skirts, but purple is still my favorite color. I know you understand.

See these shoes and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

1940's Chenille Robe

Cozy, comfy, snug, and secure - that's how I feel when I wear a vintage chenille robe. Made from soft cotton, chenille was first popular for bedspreads. And a robe like this gets better each time you wash it.

But how can you be sure its vintage? Well, this one comes with the original cotton filled shoulder pads. You can't get more Joan Crawford than that! And, it's new, old stock, with the original tags still attached!

See this robe and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Vintage Marimekko Knits

I've always loved the distinctive look of Finnish company Marimekko's bold patterns. What I didn't realize was that this company has been designing their clothing line since the 1950's. Did you know Jackie Kennedy wore Marimekko? Recently, I was lucky enough to purchase two rare vintage 1980's wool sweater dresses from a local estate. Both dresses were designed by Marja Suna about 1984. Suna joined Marimekko in 1979 and was hired to work on the company's knitwear. It was Suna's job to make the knitwear collections consistent with the distinctive Marimekko look and she achieved this with patterned sweater knits.

Both dresses feature an oversized cut with deep dolman sleeves. Soft and cuddly, they look great belted or not.

If you're a devotee of Marimekko, don't miss your chance to own one of these dresses, available now at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion!

Passion for Purses

Hello, my name is Jody and I am addicted to vintage purses. I have so many in my stash, I can't keep any more. But I also can't resist buying them. I mean, someone has to save all the vintage from those dark closets and attics. Someone has to bring these marvelous handbags back to life, right?

These are recent estate finds, and it is really hard to let them go, but it will be good karma to share the wealth.....right?

And so, it is my sworn duty to offer you this incredible 50's faux leopard fur purse. It's a beauty and it's huge!

Or how about this deliciously sweet box purse, in a unique oval shape, also from the 50's.

But wait! How can you resist this pearlized pink teardrop shaped bag from the 1960's????

Or this unusual green alligator bag from the 50's?

Do you see my dilemma? They're like potato chips! If I keep one, I have to keep them all. Please help me! Purchase these poor lonely purses and give them a good home! You'll be so glad you did when strangers on the street ask, "WHERE did you get that bag?"

See these purses and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

More from Maybelle!

Several months ago, we featured some of the hats from the Maybelle Farrell collection in our blog. Maybelle had such flair when it came to hats.

We've recently pulled another load of vintage hats from storage and there are several more from Maybelle's closet in the selection. Those of you who follow the fashion runways know that hats were featured prominently in several designer collections for Fall 2007. We think hats are the next big trend, but more on that later......

See these hats and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Another Alix dress

In a serendipitous juxtapostion of two recent posts, today I listed this gorgeous vintage 1960's dress in my EBay store. It's another beauty by Alix of Miami. Didn't I tell you all their dresses are incredibly sexy? This one is fashioned from off-white lace over matching taffeta and the whole thing is covered with swirls of irridescent sequins. And doesn't it bring Marilyn to mind?

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

For those of you who may have wondered why I haven't posted in awhile, I just got back from sitting under that palm tree on the far left on a beach in Jamaica. It was a much needed break from our long, cold Boston winter. The weather was perfect, the water warm, and the beach uncrowded. But now I'm back, I'm rested, and I'm ready to get back to work! I'm adding new vintage daily! Come check us out!

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

In May of 1962, Marilyn Monroe made a splash when she sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy at his birthday celebration in Madison Square Garden. Ms. Monroe wore a skin tight flesh colored dress by Jean Louis which was covered with 2500 sparkling rhinestones and beads. That dress sold at Christie's Auction House in 1999 for $1,150,000.

This 1960's beaded dress captures the essence of Marilyn's sultry evening gown. Fashioned from pink silk, it is covered with silver beads and irridescent sequins. This is a true wiggle dress, as the width of the hem is much narrower than the width of the hips.

And from the same estate, another 1960's dazzling evening gown in chartreuse green crepe, covered in silver beads and sequins. Have some fun the next time you sing "Happy Birthday" to that special someone!

See these dresses and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .