Etsy Tuesday: Vintage Maternity Wear

In terms of ready-to-wear, form flattering retro 1950s and 1960s maternity wear the pickings are slim. (From all of the maternity wear patterns available on Etsy, it appears that many women had to sew their own attire. If this is true, where did they find the energy?) Worse is that many designers who once provided maternity options, such as Betsey Johnson,* no longer do. So what did this girl do for inspiration? Turn to Mad Men of course.

Inspiration (top to bottom): My Old Kentucky Home Episode 3, Mad Men Season 3 2009, spotted on TV Fanatic and Episode Unknown, Mad Men, spotted on Moosifer Jones' Grouch. Etsy Finds (top clockwise): Sleeveless black lace trapeze dress, c.1960, no label, $72 from Story Boutique; Aubergine lace empire waist dress, Arkay, $65 from Vintage Mouse, and Sleeveless hot pink A-line dress with duster, Toni Lynn, $95 from FruFruChicks. Any guesses to which of the three dresses I chose?

My one regret about getting pregnant before Mad Men Season 5 airs? I won't be able to use Joan Harris's pregnancy attire for inspiration. Most of the clothes I've come across have been trapeze or tent styles, suitable for Betty, but less so for Joan. I can't wait to see what she wears.

Who were your vintage fashion role models for your pregnancy wardrobe?

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Collage created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. Product images taken by their respective Etsy sellers: Story Boutique, Vintage Mouse, and FruFruChicks. Madmen screenshots found on Moosifer Jones' Grouch and TV Fanatic.

*According to Etiquette Girl, Betsey Johnson only designed the Jeanette line of maternity wear dresses for one year, 1974-1975. Etiquette Girl had an adorable maternity sundress available for sale earlier this fall, alas not in my size.

Tuesday Tips: Buying Vintage Shoes

It's no secret that I love vintage shoes - not for buying and admiring, but for buying and wearing. At first buying vintage shoes online without trying them on may seem daunting, but with a few tips it can be easier than buying new shoes.

My Latest Acquisitions (top clockwise): Vegan Red Patent Mary Janes by Naturalizer, Burgundy and Black Leather Mary Janes by Creation Dorian, Brown and Black Leather Mary Janes by Personality 

With my pregnancy, my feet have swollen. This means that most of my vintage shoe collection doesn't fit my feet at the moment, which makes me very sad. Rather than dwell on it, I decided I'd get a few more pairs of shoes that I can wear now.

1. Determine if the shoes are odor-free. You don't want a pair of shoes that smell of mothballs or cigarettes. These smells are almost impossible to get rid of. Check store policies and ask.
2. If a photo of the toe box is not shown, ask the seller for one. You want an insole that's in one piece. Loose insoles are easily repairable, so don't leave a pair of cute shoes on the shelf if that's the only flaw.
3. Ask if the shoes have been repaired previously. If they have, what repairs were made? If the leather has torn previously and been fixed, be cautious, it may tear there again.
4. Use the marked size as a guideline, go by measurements instead. If measurements are not provided, ask for the following lengths and widths:
• Heel height
• Length of insole from toe to heel
• Interior width of toe box
• Outer width of toe box measured from the sole
• Length of sole from toe to heel
5. One last tip: be sure to check a store's policies. Some, not all, will let you return your finds if they don't fit. 

To determine if a shoe's measurements will work for you, measure a similar pair of shoes you already own. For my recent Mary Jane purchases, I compared their measurements against a pair of Via Spiga Mary Janes that I owned.

Now that I've demystified shopping for vintage shoes, happy hunting!

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Etsy product images taken by their respective sellers (top clockwise): Secret Lake, Maryika Vintage, and Fox and Fawns. All other images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair.

Etsy Tuesday: Overshoes

Recently I binged on Mad Men, watching Season 1 to Season 4 in a marathon session, in anticipation of the upcoming season. Unfortunately filming was delayed so I'll have to wait until February for my next fix. But one thing I noticed when watching was how impeccably dressed and coifed everyone was. You'll rarely see some rushing from the house in a pair of sweat pants or with their hair casually pulled up in a pony tail.

With the beginning of Indian Summer here in San Francisco, I've been dreaming of cooler weather and wondering how Betty Draper would keep her shoes from being soiled. While today's finds aren't Mad Men era, they're from the 1940s - 1950s, I was amazed to see how women protected their leather shoes.

Finds (from top clockwise): Brown Rubber Galoshes, L'Enfant Terrible, $42; Black Rubber Overshoes, c.1940s-1950s, Spazzy Meal Ticket, $70; Gray Day Galoshes, c.1950s, Fanciness Vintage, $48.

What do you think? A fad you're glad is in the past? Or, something you'd try to keep your feet dry?

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Collage created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. Photographs taken by their respective Etsy sellers: Fanciness Vintage, L'Enfant Terrible, Spazzy Meal Ticket.

Tuesday Shoesday: I Miller Shoes

There are lots of shoes on Etsy. Some are from yesteryear designers while others are from discount outlets; the buyer definitely needs to beware. One of my favorite brands that I've yet to score a pair from is I. Miller Shoes - a high end designer.

The Finds (from left to right): Color I. Miller Advertisement, c.1951, $6.99, mirluck; I. Miller Advertisement, c.1961, $9.95, genpaper; 2-page I. Miller Advertisement, c.1954, $10, devocanada.

From Shoes A-Z: Designers, Brands, Manufacturers and Retailers by Jonathan Walford, p.116:

"Israel Miller was born in Russia and moved to the United States, where he was taught by an Italian shoemaker in New York. In 1880 he established what would become a family company, opening a store and factory on 23rd Street, making and selling theatrical footwear. By the 1940s the company had become known for its fashion footwear, created by freelance designers such as Andre Perugia and David Evins, as well as its own growing studio of talent, including Margaret Clark. The company is often remembered for hiring the young Andy Warhol in the late 1950s to dress windows and produce charming shoe sketches used for Christmas greeting cards."

The Finds (left to right): Color I. Miller Advertisement, Date Unknown, $10, devocanada; Color I. Miller Advertisement, c.1958, $10, devocanada.

"Expensive, but wait 'til you wear it."

The Finds (left to right): I. Miller Advertisement, c.1950, $10, devocanada; I. Miller Advertisment, c.1958, $9.99, 237; I. Miller Advertisement, c.1961, $10, devocanada.

"Light and Lovely" "Sleek New Mobility" "Built to Comfort, Coddle, and Make the Most of Your Foot"

In 1958, Millerkins, a walking-suit pump, cost about $20, roughly $154.35 today (calculated via DollarTimes). Today, vintage I. Miller shoes can be found from $24 to $120, or even lower in thrift shops.

The Finds (top, clockwise): Brown Gray Lizigator Purse, Deitsch with matching Pumps, I. Miller, c.1950s, $60, NorthStar Vintage; Tan Lizard Pumps, I. Miller, $110, Sweet Trash Vintage Clothing; Midnight Blue Suede Sandals, I. Magnin & Co. I. Miller Beauty Shoes, c.1940s, $58, Thirteen Bees Vintage; Navy Peep Toe Slingback Pumps, I. Miller, c.1950s, $24, Thunderbird Vintage.

Have any vintage shoe designers caught your eye?

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. All product images taken by their respective eBay: devocanada, genpaper, and mirluck; and Etsy sellers: NorthStar Vintage, Sweet Trash Vintage Clothing, Thirteen Bees Vintage, and Thunderbird Vintage.

Etsy Tuesday: Traveling in Style

For our wedding, we treated the men in our wedding parties to vintage Trav-L-Bars. I spent months searching for and sourcing them. (I'm far enough from - a year in a couple of weeks - my meltdown involving these that I can laugh about it.) As the men in our wedding and I have all been asked where I found these treasures, I'll reveal my process today.

I had a few requirements: all components must be present, the bar itself could not exceed $50, and the case color needed to match (or complement) our wedding palette. The stocking of each Trav-L-Bar was handled by my bridesman, "The Massive Bri," with a budget of approximately $100 per bar.

Our usher and official Tweeter's Trav-L-Bar midway through the reception. His bottle of Scotch had already been shared in celebratory toasts with fellow guests. Photographed by Vanessa Naylon.

Over the course of four months, I successfully located four Trav-L-Bars from the 1960s, ranging in price from $15 to $35 each, for an average price of $25.50. In the 1970s, Ever-Wear began making the bars with hard plastic molded cases and replaced the elegant utensils with bakelite handles with simple ones and the metal cups with plastic ones.

If you're looking now for a vintage portable bar, there are a few manufacturers to search for Trav-L-Bar by Ever-Wear, Platt, and The Portable Pub by Londonaire.

The Finds: Londonaire, $25, Pirate Cat's Treasures; Platt, $20 with all components and key, price reduced for damaged corner, Toadsies; Unknown, $25, FaithandHope10.

The Finds: Unknown, $28, Collectique; Ever-Wear, $35, Knockouts Vintage; Londonaire, $24.95, Baby Kiki Yaya.

Keyword combinations I use on Etsy to ferret out travel bars are as follows: Ever-Wear, Londonaire, Platt, Trav-L-Bar, travel bar, traveling bar, portable bar, and portable pub. You can also find travel bars on eBay though unless they're buy now, the prices tend to get inflated with bidding.

For our six-month wedding anniversary, I surprised cubes with his very own Trav-L-Bar, which just so happens to match my bridesman's Trav-L-Bar (this similarity was discovered at Priceless when both were present). NOTE: The Padded Top Grain Cowhide Strapping bars in brown with metal trim tend to be the hardest to find.

cubes' Trav-L-Bar fully outfitted. Note that my Irish Mist Whiskey (safely ensconced in the bar in our living room) has since been replaced with a bottle of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix Whisky. The coffee liqueur will also be replaced at some point with Bourbon or Scotch. Photographed by Eden Hensley Silverstein.

Now, you can buy Portable Bars new, if you're not excited by the idea of hunting for the perfect vintage bar. Kegworks and Picnic Time both make bars.

The Finds: Travel Bar by Kegworks, $69.95, Amazon.com; Deluxe Portable Travel Set, $119.95, Kegworks; Portable Travel Bar by Picnic Time, $129.95, Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

Happy searching!

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. Except where noted, all product images taken by Amazon.com, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Kegworks, or their respective Etsy sellers: Baby Kiki Yaya, Collectique, FaithandHope10, Knockouts Vintage, Pirate Cat's Treasures, and Toadsies.

Etsy Tuesday: Fairytale and Princess Dresses

Flower girls can easily steal the show at weddings, capturing everyone's gaze as they twirl around the dance floor or flit through the reception hall.

Flower girl at wedding in Belmont, CA
Eden Hensley Photography

And, if your flower girls don dresses from Vintage Precious Boutiques, be assured that all eyes will be on them!

Shabby Roses Girl's Dress, $160

Pink Princess Satin, $210

How cute are these dresses?

Athena makes all of her designs from scratch, from sketch to drafting patterns to the finished product. She works with serged seams and includes Vintage Precious Boutique & care labels on all garments as well as hang tags.

Custom Rose Dress, $160
Available in infant size 18 months, toddler sizes 2t, 3t & 4t, & child sizes 5, 6, 6x, 7 & 8.

With over 25 years of experience sewing, Athena will be sure your flower girls are looking their best.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: First image taken by Eden Hensley Photography; all other images taken by Vintage Precious. All images used with permission.