What more could you want in a holiday?!
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Showing posts with label dresses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dresses. Show all posts
Friday, March 29, 2013
Easter Favorites
What more could you want in a holiday?!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Shop Update || Buying Trip
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Identifying Vintage: Tags, Part 2
Now that we've covered the basics of the design on the tag in determining its vintage authenticity, let's dive in a little deeper to look at the other tag components generally attached to a garment such as a union tag, the style/lot number tag, and clothing care tag.
Clothing unions were very prevelant in the United States from the early 1900s up until the 1980s when massproduction of clothing sent a lot of jobs oversees to be produced for less. Not saying that this exportation of jobs wasn't done before the 80s, but this was one of the largest shifts in production to happen up until that time. Before this, however the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union or ILGWU was one of the most powerful and prevelant unions in the country, and you can see many of their tags on your vintage garments in the form of a white, square tag with a circle design, generally in a shade of blue with red. If you find this tag on your garment, you can use this guide or this guide to help determine the garment's age.
Some things to note about union tags: the ILGWU joined the CIO in 1937, the AFL in 1940, and the CIO and AFL merged in the mid-50s forming the AFL-CIO. Today, the ILGWU is known as UNITE, which formed in 1995. Tags will reflect these changes.
Once again in our modern world, computers and technology make keeping track of things very easy. In our vintage world, this wasn't so much the case, so manufacturers had to come up with an easy and efficient way to keep track of which style of what garments were going where. Enter the Lot and Style number and tag to a piece of clothing. The lot number is the number attached to a group going to a store, generally done by the size. The style number is the number for the piece's design.
For example, let's say a production of blue, bellbottom jeans were going to be sent to Macy's, Sears Roebuck & Co, and Montgomery Wards. They all want size 10 of the jeans. The style number for the jeans is #708015. So, they would get articles that read, "Lot Size 10 / Style: 708015," which would be put into their inventory and the manufacturers. Basically, the number just helped with the assembly line production and distribution of the garment.
Today, style numbers are still on most tags, especially higher-end brands. This is helped with the return process, as most style numbers are checked against the tags to make sure the correct garment is being returned.
Sometimes, it's what's missing that helps identify if a garment is vintage. Before the 1960s and the pass of the Textile Production Identification Act, which mandates that, mainly for customs duties, a garment must be labeled with its fabric content in percentages, clothing wasn't required to have a tag in it that said what it was made of. The same goes for before the Federal Trade Commission passed the Care Labeling Rule in 1971 which states that all clothing tags must have at least one safe way to clean the garment listed. This was also when clothing care icons were introduced. If you see a care or content label or both on your garment, chances are it was created sometime after the 1960s.
However, one must remember, that some companies, especially those that used finer fabrics such as silk and wool, generally advertised the use of these products in their garments, so don't completely rule out an earlier era just because it has a content label, and, generally, this label would be a nicely designed label sewed into the lining of a jacket and not a printed and stitched in label like those we see today.
One last way that the tag can hold the key to vintage authenticity is by looking at where it was made. If it was made in countries such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia, it's pretty safe to say that it's vintage, as these countries were disbanded in 1992.
Obviously, as with anything, these are just guidelines in determining your clothings originations. Many other factors are involved in truly getting a proper reading and feel for a garment's age, but looking at the tags can provide a quick way to glance at a garment in a pile and see if it's worthy of adding to your vintage collection. So have fun finding them!
Clothing unions were very prevelant in the United States from the early 1900s up until the 1980s when massproduction of clothing sent a lot of jobs oversees to be produced for less. Not saying that this exportation of jobs wasn't done before the 80s, but this was one of the largest shifts in production to happen up until that time. Before this, however the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union or ILGWU was one of the most powerful and prevelant unions in the country, and you can see many of their tags on your vintage garments in the form of a white, square tag with a circle design, generally in a shade of blue with red. If you find this tag on your garment, you can use this guide or this guide to help determine the garment's age.
Some things to note about union tags: the ILGWU joined the CIO in 1937, the AFL in 1940, and the CIO and AFL merged in the mid-50s forming the AFL-CIO. Today, the ILGWU is known as UNITE, which formed in 1995. Tags will reflect these changes.
Once again in our modern world, computers and technology make keeping track of things very easy. In our vintage world, this wasn't so much the case, so manufacturers had to come up with an easy and efficient way to keep track of which style of what garments were going where. Enter the Lot and Style number and tag to a piece of clothing. The lot number is the number attached to a group going to a store, generally done by the size. The style number is the number for the piece's design.
For example, let's say a production of blue, bellbottom jeans were going to be sent to Macy's, Sears Roebuck & Co, and Montgomery Wards. They all want size 10 of the jeans. The style number for the jeans is #708015. So, they would get articles that read, "Lot Size 10 / Style: 708015," which would be put into their inventory and the manufacturers. Basically, the number just helped with the assembly line production and distribution of the garment.
Today, style numbers are still on most tags, especially higher-end brands. This is helped with the return process, as most style numbers are checked against the tags to make sure the correct garment is being returned.
Sometimes, it's what's missing that helps identify if a garment is vintage. Before the 1960s and the pass of the Textile Production Identification Act, which mandates that, mainly for customs duties, a garment must be labeled with its fabric content in percentages, clothing wasn't required to have a tag in it that said what it was made of. The same goes for before the Federal Trade Commission passed the Care Labeling Rule in 1971 which states that all clothing tags must have at least one safe way to clean the garment listed. This was also when clothing care icons were introduced. If you see a care or content label or both on your garment, chances are it was created sometime after the 1960s.
However, one must remember, that some companies, especially those that used finer fabrics such as silk and wool, generally advertised the use of these products in their garments, so don't completely rule out an earlier era just because it has a content label, and, generally, this label would be a nicely designed label sewed into the lining of a jacket and not a printed and stitched in label like those we see today.
One last way that the tag can hold the key to vintage authenticity is by looking at where it was made. If it was made in countries such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia, it's pretty safe to say that it's vintage, as these countries were disbanded in 1992.
Obviously, as with anything, these are just guidelines in determining your clothings originations. Many other factors are involved in truly getting a proper reading and feel for a garment's age, but looking at the tags can provide a quick way to glance at a garment in a pile and see if it's worthy of adding to your vintage collection. So have fun finding them!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Summer Sun Beats the Winter Blues
This week's update is brought to you by the season Summer.
Our weather here has been so crazy! It will be 50 degrees one day, then in the 70s the next. I have no idea what coat to grab when I leave the house in the morning, especially because the sun is very deceiving.
Also, all I want to do is go see a Sand Gnats game and eat hots dogs with the guys, plus sit out at the beach and have pizza at Huc-a-Poos.
Have I mentioned I'm really settling into my Southern Life?
Either way, I decided to cheer myself up this week by listing the brightest items I have in the shop. I hate dreary weather, it reminds me of growing up in Michigan, so I had to rebel against it and remind myself why I moved to the South. Plus, I've been cleaning out the back room, which contained two huge boxes of 1970s bridesmaids dresses. Let's just say, they will scare away any winter blues with their brightness, as well as silence any modern-day bridesmaid from complaining about her dress. Some are horrible, but some are pretty great, and those pretty great ones you will see in the shop!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Hookless Fasteners - Identifying Vintage by the Zipper
Even with smart phones, iPads, and all other technology we have at the tips of our fingers at any given moment, no one wants to stand in the middle of a thrift store trying to figure out if a piece of clothing is vintage and what year it was made.That's why one must train their eye to vintage, and with the quickest of glances be able to tell if it is or not. You're probably thinking, "Quickest of glances? Yeah, right," but really, I'm being serious.
Is it metal or is it nylon?
If it's metal, you most likely have a vintage garment. If it's nylon, you might have to do a bit more researching (but there's other, easier ways to tell before having to break out the iPad, don't worry!).
A little history on the zipper. The earliest version of the zipper was invented in 1851 by Elias Howe. For over 60 years after, the zipper was basically a flop. They just couldn't get it right. Enter Otto Frederick Gideon Sundback. He finally got the idea right enough to be able to market it, and in the 1920s, the B. F.Goodrich Company gave it the name "zipper," and it began to be used in the production of boots and other industrial things. Finally, due to a children's campaign and designers finally putting them into clothing, the zipper began to gain fame in the 1930s, and by the end of the decade surpassed buttons and hooks as the most popular and preferred method of fastening, even today.
In the 1960s, the company YKK invented the DuPont nylon zipper, a lighter alternative to the commonly used metal zipper of the time. It's light-weight, more flexible design made it perfect for the synthetic materials that would begin to become prevelant in the late 60s to 70s.It can be generally concluded that metal zippers can be found in clothing from the late 30s to the 60s, and nylon from the 60s to present.
Obviously, there are always exceptions to the rule, such as if a metal zipper was replaced by a nylon one or vice versa, so it is always important to take in other apsects of the garment, such as cut, construction, and tag.
But just a glance, that's all it can take to conclude a piece's general construction age.
Images
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What a Waist!
The waistline of a dress is your key to solving fit issues. Many different waistline styles can fit the same person, yet some are meant to stay away from. Depending on your body type, where the waistline falls can help accentuate your bust, make your torso and legs seem longer, and hide your hips. However, choosing the wrong cut can do the exact opposite.
Below are the five basic waistline cuts for garments, highlighting what each emphasizes and diminishes and how it will look on you when you wear it, as well as which decade the cut was most prominate in.
Natural Waistline
The waist is the skinniest part of a person's torso, falling just below the belly button between the ribcage and the hips. If a dress is cut at the natural waistline, it falls right on this line for a person. This look is perfect for hourglass figures, as it provides a balance between the bust and the hips. However, whose midsections are as wide or wider than the hips will want to stay away from this look, as it will just bring attention to the midsection's thickness.
Most popular: 1950s
Drop Waist
A drop waist features a waistline that falls at or below the hips, creating a lengthening effect for the torso.
Perfect for: Slim, boxy women as it gives the impression of having an hourglass figure.
Stay away: Long torsos will appear even longer. Petite girls will look like they have even short legs.
Most popular: 1920s. Repeated in the 60s till today in fashion.
Empire Waist
A gathered waistline that sits just below the bust. Gives a long, slender look due to the draping of the fabric caused by the gathering.
Perfect for: Everyone. Adds curves to smaller framed women. Hides the hips and stomaches of heavy-set and pearshaped women. Enhances the bust on all.
Stay away: Larger busted women, as it will draw even more attention to your chest.
Most popular: Jane Eyre times. And the 1970s.
Basque Waist
Generally starting around the natural waist, this waistline dips about 2-3 inches in the center to create a u-shape or v-shape (also called the v-shaped waist or the Antebellum waist).
Perfect for: Those with notable curves. Petite girls as it elongates the torso.
Stay away: Boxy shaped figures (equal waist to hips) as it will make the wearer look even boxier. Pear shapes as it will draw attention to the lower belly.
No Waist
A-line silhoutte dresses contain no waistline. This cut creates a long, slimming look to the wearer as it does not cut the body at any certain point.
Perfect for: Boxy, hourglass, petite tall.
Stay away: Pear shaped (large hips).
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