Vintage fur and veganism

We received an interesting inquiry the other day regarding the material of a vintage item. Because of the customer's vegan beliefs, she preferred synthetic materials to natural ones. Eric suggested saying that whatever animal was affected in the construction of the garment died a long time ago, and probably doesn't hold a grudge - this coming from a vegetarian who only ate fish and soy based meat substitutes for over a decade.

I've thought about this subject before, because I was interested in purchasing a fur coat. I don't know if it's a holdover from my little girl days of dress up, but there is something luxurious and soft about the feel of mink or rabbit fur. And while a similar texture can be achieved with synthetics, it's just not the same thing, is it? But what happens when you add "vintage" into the mix? Does animal cruelty factor into a fur coat that was made 50 or even 60 years ago? Here is PETA's official stance on the subject, from their website FAQs:

Is it OK to wear used or “vintage” fur?

Fashion should be fun … and wearing a coat made from an animal whose skin was ripped off, even if it was decades ago, just isn’t fun at all. Whether you purchased it from a consignment shop or got it as a hand-me-down gift, vintage fur sends the same unacceptable message as a new fur—that it's OK to crush animals’ bones in traps, to stomp on their heads and snap their necks, or to anally electrocute them for the sake of vanity. Stylish faux furs are hip and humane, plus they are easier on your wallet and your conscience. To find fabulous fakes,click here for PETA’s “Shopping Guide to Compassionate Clothing.”

Indeed, I have seen high quality faux fur that looks and feels close to genuine. Another question to ask is whether the environmental impact in the creation of synthetic fur outweighs the negative message sent by wearing a vintage fur. Whatever the answer, fur does not seem to be walking off the catwalks anytime soon, if Prada's winter line is any indication.

Here's Stephen Patrick Morrisey's stance on vegetarianism.


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At what price, vintage?

I appreciate vintage clothing for its authenticity, style and durable construction. It is an eco-conscious choice and it seems like today's clothing in a similar price-range is disposable and destroyed after a dozen washes (I'm looking at you XXI and H&M). Obviously, vintage clothes in good condition are more rare than a garment that is manufactured today.

So how do you price it? A quick search on etsy.com will yield a range of prices for the same clothing / brand. When it comes to pricing a vintage item, there are many factors to consider, such as:

• Brand. A strong brand like Christian Dior will fetch a good price. However, a brand such as Pierre Cardin (who worked at Dior) has damaged his brand over the years by extensive licensing and is therefore less valuable (more on this later). No brand makes the item a more difficult sell; for myself, an object's provenance is calculated into the price.
  
• Age. Older is usually better. There is a trend toward 1940s, 1950s and 1960s clothing because of shows like Mad Men. The 1970s is more common (polyester lasts forever) and less desirable (polyester has a bad rep, see post "Polyester is King.")
  
• Condition. This one is obvious.
  
• Retail price of item. This takes research and guesswork. For fashion houses that still exist, you can compare to similar clothing (good for high end or luxury brands). Or look at old ads and adjust for inflation.
  
• Market price for similar garments. Related to retail price, and probably the most important. Why pay twice as much for the same thing?
  
• Style. Can someone wear it without feeling like they're in costume? Is it a current fashion trend?
  
• Rarity.
  
• Reproductions. How much will someone pay for the real thing versus a reproduction?
  

You think that Montgomery Ward shirt is cool? Or maybe that Sears Men's Store tie? Price it anyway you want, but the bottom line is, an item is worth what someone will pay for it.

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It's elementary, my dear Watson: The Modern Dandy

Sherlock Holmes - fashion icon? For hipsters and stylish gentlemen who favor three piece suits, houndstooth and magnifying glasses. An interesting article in the New York Times observes a modern men's fashion trend toward Victorian dandyism - possibly influenced by costumes in such films as "There Will Be Blood", "The Prestige" with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman and the upcoming "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey, Jr, Jude Law and Rachel McAdams. The look includes "tweedy vests, woolen trousers, henley undershirts, dark wool ties, scratchy cotton shirts." You can read the full article here.



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Plaid lads

Tartan or plaid fabrics consist of criss crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. They are especially popular for the fall, perhaps because of its association with woolen and flannel clothing. Tartan has close associations to Scotland and Scottish kilts. Famous plaid wearing men include:















From left to right: Grunge rocker Kurt Cobain, Groundskeeper Willie (Scot) from the Simpsons TV show, actor Ewan McGregor (Scot) and alt country rocker Ryan Adams.

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Hot ski sweaters

I love pretty 1980s knit winter sweaters. They make me think of ski lodges, drinking hot cocoa and the fantasy scene in one of my old favorite movies, "Dumb and Dumber":













You can enjoy the whole scene here:



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The girl can't help it (wiggle dress)

"If she walks by, the men folk get engrossed,
(she can't help it, the girl can't help it)
If she walks by, the bread slice turns to toast,
(she can't help it, the girl can't help it)"
-"The girl can't help it", Little Richard

The "wiggle" dress is a dress with a tight, tapered skirt that doesn't allow for normal-sized steps, forcing the wearer to "wiggle" as she walks. Popular among blonde bombshells like Jayne Maynsfield and Marilyn Monroe, the dress enhanced a sexy hourglass shape. The dress is experiencing a resurgence in popularity because of shows like AMC's Mad Men. Its appeal is no surprise if you look at Jayne's wiggle in "The Girl Can't Help It":


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Granny chic

Now, I don't want to anger the villagers of Cougartown, but when I grow older, I hope to dress and act my age. I find it strange to see 40+ year old women in college bars, or Facebook pictures of girls on their 21st+ birthdays taking shots of tequila with their mother in a Las Vegas night club. I've always imagined myself at that age wearing cashmere suits and pearls with kitty heels, not sequined Cache dresses, cake makeup and stilettos.

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A short aside: frugalista

The term "fashionista" has produced some evil wordspawn in the form of "recessionista", "frugalista", and "Maxxinista" (referring to fashionable TJ Max shoppers) to name a few. One Miami Herald blogger has even trademarked the word "frugalista" and is sending letters to other bloggers instructing them to cease referring to themselves as frugalistas. Hopefully that's where this word will die. If I hear another person other than these marketing geniuses refer to themselves or anyone else as some kind of value shopping-ista, I will go bananas.

I'm waiting for someone to coin a term for vintage enthusiasts. How about vintageocrats? Or vintagiennes?

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The indestructible coat

Today I found a men's wool coat that I am confident would survive a nuclear holocaust. The world would be on fire, and this coat would stand alone. It is solidly woven charcoal gray wool coat made by the Kleinhans in Buffalo, New York. I looked in one of the pockets and saw a faded label which looked like an old union label, except with an eagle on it and the words: "Produced Under the NRA Code Authority." I thought, that's weird, the National Rifle Association has its own manufacturing dress code? It didn't look like any hunting jacket I've ever seen. Eric needed a wool coat to wear over his suits in New York so I bought it for him.

I researched the manufacturing label when I got home. NRA didn't stand for the National Rifle Association, but the National Recovery Administration, one of the New Deal agencies under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. From Britannica.com:

"U.S. government agency established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to stimulate business recovery through fair-practice codes during the Great Depression. The NRA was an essential element in the National Industrial Recovery Act (June 1933), which authorized the president to institute industry-wide codes intended to eliminate unfair trade practices, reduce unemployment, establish minimum wages and maximum hours, and guarantee the right of labour to bargain collectively."

The NRA was declared unconstitutional in 1935 by the US Supreme Court and these labels were only used from 1932-1935! I hope I look this good at 74+ years.

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Moving Sale! Help lighten our load and get cool stuff!

We try not to shamelessly promote our store too often on our blog, but we are getting ready to move to NYC next week and need to reduce our inventory (as well as our overall stuff - where did I get all this stuff?!?!). So, we have temporarily (till we complete our move) slashed prices on most of the items in our etsy shop, such as those pictured below. Please go check it out and tell your friends: http://vintagesuits.etsy.com

Thanks!

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Amelia Earhart: Fashion Mogul?

There’s a new movie coming out staring Hillary Swank as Amelia Earhart, who was most famous for being the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. Seeing the below trailer reminded me of an article I read a couple months ago in the Huffington Post about how Earhart started a clothing line in order to fund her record breaking flying career.



From the Huffington Post article:
Earhart and her husband convinced the U.S. Rubber Company that her name would sell, and Amelia Earhart Fashion, underwritten by the tire enterprise, debuted in 1934. The clothes were offered in special Amelia Earhart shops in a single department store per city (in New York, Macy's and in Chicago, Marshall Field's). The label, sewn into each garment, featured the aviatrix's signature in black with a thin red line streaking through it to a little red plane soaring in the right corner.

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Everchanging clothes of the female form divine

One of my all time favorite films is George Cukor's "The Women." The movie features an all-female cast, while the story is all about the men in their lives. One interesting scene is where the women are in a department store to watch a fashion show and the black and white film abruptly changes to color, showcasing the 1940s fashion of the future:



The highlights:
- A mannequin hand "brooch" with a diamond ring
- Monkeys wearing similar fashions as the models
- A model with fur gloves, a fur back and a fur hat that made her look like a monkey from behind
- A halter reaching up into a turban and ending in a clear, conical hat.
- A woman with what looks like gilded egg beaters on the backs of her gloves closes the show

US retailers imported the fashion show concept from Paris in the early 1900s and gained widespread popularity by the 1920s, hitting its peak around mid-century. These shows were theatrical productions - hence the "picnicking Southern Belles" and "women at the opera" you see in this clip from "The Women." The models here are all smiles - compare that with the scowling coat hangers that walk the runway today.

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1980s: What used to clash now goes together

"Mainstream has hit the rocks, outrage has finally come of age...what used to clash now goes together" rasps Dr. John in "New Looks" written by John Bettis Music, featured on National Lampoon's European Vacation soundtrack. I challenge you to come up with a more poignant description of 80's fashion:



The scene's depiction of the average American Griswold family wearing Italian couture is priceless. The song and lyrics are awesome and to my knowledge is just in the movie - not officially released by the performer.

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Real men wear cardigans

Mental_floss blog did "15 Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever". Definitely worth a read - I had no idea that he was such an amazing guy and would be happy to have him live in my own house! He wrote over 200 songs, was exceedingly kind and tolerant. Maybe it's time to throw off those Ed Hardy jackets and Armani Exchange blazers for something a real man would wear - a cardigan knitted by your own mother. Apparently, Mister Rogers's mother knitted every sweater he wore on the show.



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It's a nice day for a (vintage) wedding

I've been buying vintage for myself for about 10 years . So when it came to planning my wedding, I had a good idea of the type of dress I wanted to wear: white, tea length (falling just below the knee) and corset top, off shoulder or three quarter length sleeve. Something garden appropriate and would translate into a good, comfortable reception dress. If I can't find one in person, I know I can find vintage Ceil Chapman or Priscilla of Boston online for under $1,000 - a decent price for a (hopefully) once in a lifetime dress.

Vintage weddings are becoming more trendy as eco and budget conscious brides (and grooms) think of ways to reduce their wedding budget and environmental impact while creating a unique and stylish event for their guests. I love browsing Etsy - the go-to website for handmade and vintage wedding items. I also love reading http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/. It has awesome photos from handmade and vintage weddings. These tell me that not every cake needs to be a white fondant covered monstrosity, nor does every bride need to be a princess in pearls and beaded bodice (not that there is anything wrong with that).

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