shop preview: 1920s lingerie, maxis from the 40s and 70s, and 1950s workwear

A colorful and varied bouquet of vintage fashion is coming to the shop this week!  Everything from 1920s exercise wear to a 1950s lacy prom dress to a mod and colorful maxi dress to a piece of 1940s-50s workwear that could easily double as a cute summer dress!  All items begin arriving in the shop today.

1940s hat print seersucker maxi dress, by Vali.

1960s blue and gray floral print cardigan.

1950s Swirl wrap dress with floral applique.

1950s blue and white polka dot pedal pushers, by Jantzen.

1960s spring green dress with scalloped hem and bow, by Vicki Vaughn.

1940s-1950s red denim workshop apron/coverall, Erwin Blu Surf Sport Denim Styled by Rockland.

1970s Mod Ellipse maxi dress, by Jack Bryan.

1910s-1920s crocheted leaf lace camisole.

1950s pink lace and tulle prom dress with lace capelet.

1950s red, chartreuse, and yellow floral print circle skirt.

1960s lavender floral print dress.

Late 1920s-1930s gym suit, by Betty Brooks.

xo

K

Sally Draper: "I'm so many people."

I just love Sally.  Not only can she mix a mean cocktail, she simply does not have time for your adult bs.  "You say things and you don't mean them.  And you can't just do that," she says early on in the show.  Truth is pretty much what Mad Men is all about, and Sally acts frequently as the show's moral compass.  "Just tell the truth," she tells Don.  But adults don't value truth the way Sally does. About Betty's domineering parenting, Sally says, "She doesn't care what the truth is, as long as I do what she says."  An older Sally, with a more nuanced understanding of truth and adult relationships, tells her father, "It's more embarrassing for me to catch you in a lie than it is for you to be lying," 

Teenage Sally gives me heart, and shows signs of growing up into a person with a pretty good head on her shoulders.  Yes, she is suspended from school when she gets caught buying beer.  But she also kisses the geeky young astronomer, and not his douchey jock brother.  She sounds like she could be a budding feminist:  "Yeah, I know, because where would Mom be without her perfect nose?  She wouldn't find a man like you.  She'd be nothing."  (She is still very sassy.)  She is tired of being asked what she wants to do in the future, but she does know that she wants to be different from her parents.  We know from watching the show that Sally is not entirely different from either Don or Betty.  But maybe, probably, hopefully, she can be something better than they are.  And in a line of dialogue uncharacteristic of both Sally and the show, she tells her father, "Happy Valentine's Day.  I love you."  Sally is possibly the only character on the show to unironically and honestly tell someone she loves them.

* That time when Sally got her period at the Museum of Natural History, and she went home to Betty and they actually shared a tender moment! | 1950s B.F. Goodrich hot water bottle from WhimzyTime

* 1960s blue plaid girl's dress | BabyTweeds

* "I wanna get on a bus, get away from you and Mom, and hopefully be a different person than either of you." | 1960s mod floral suitcase from TheNewtonLabel

* One of my favorite moments in the series is when Don takes Sally and Bobby to see the house he (as Dick Whitman) lived in as a child. | 1970s Norman Rockwell "A Family Tree" collector's plate from agardenofdreams

* Sally has a close relationship with her grandfather, who gives her driving lessons. | 1963 Matchbox Ford Zephyr from RedRavenCollectibles

*  1960s plaid poncho | TimandKimShow

* That time when Sally makes Don French toast and mistakes the bottle of rum for Mrs. Butterworth's.  And he likes it. | 1960s Old Oak Rum bottle from NWAttic

* From "Are you and Daddy doing it?" to "This conversation is a little late.  And so am I." | 1920s birth control book from HappyFortuneVintage

* Sally cutting her own hair is just one of the many ways in which she rebels. | 1950s school scissors from HilltopTimes

* large 1970s mod daisy stickers | QueeniesCollectibles

* Some of my favorite Mad Men dialogue is the banter between Sally and Roger in the "At the Codfish Ball" episode.  Of course, that ended on a rather icky note.  But Sally wore her first grown-up dress and go-go boots! | 1960s white go-go boots from SplendoreBoutique

xo

K

shop accessories preview: 1940s-50s shoes, eyewear, and Coach bags

Here's a preview of a solid little collection of accessories coming to the shop:  1940s-1950s shoes, brass belt buckles, 1950s eyewear, and some great 1970s-1980s Coach leather bags.  All items begin arriving in the shop today!

1940s black velvet pumps, by QualiCraft.

1950s suede and leather slingback heels, by Jacqueline.

Late 1970s-1980s brown leather Coach bag.

Late 1970s-1980s white leather double sided Coach bag, originally a Bonnie Cashin design . . . ?

1940s black corde bag with brown satin lining, by JS Genuine Cordé.

1950s silvertone floral aluminum eyeglasses, by Artcraft.

1950s etched brown and gold glasses.

1980s chunky brass Mike belt buckle.

1980s brass tree belt buckle.

xo

K

shop preview: southwestern embroidery, a 1950s leaf print, and early 20th century blouses

An eye-catching shop preview this week with beautiful embroidery from the 1960s, cotton dresses from the 1950s, early 20th century blouses, and much more.  All items arriving in the shop starting today.

1960s embroidered Leona Caldwell shift dress.

1910s pale celadon green blouse with lace and pintucks.

1950s gray and yellow leaf print cotton sundress.

1980s rainbow buffalo plaid skirt with big pockets, by Ecco Bay.

1960s abstract print shirt dress.

1960s lime and orange floral print sleeveless cotton blouse with pintucks.

1960s mod dot print dress.

1950s golden rose embroidered kimono/robe.

1950s gray nautical stripe sundress.

1950s satin long line bra, by Gossard.

1960s sunflower and polka dot print cotton mini dress, by Cos Cob.

1900s white embroidered eyelet lace blouse.

xo

K

Betty Francis, formerly Draper: "I am thankful that I have everything that I want and that no one else has anything better."

You'd think Mad Men is all about men.  It's the title of the show.  Don's the central character, and the ad business circa 1960s is most definitely a man's world.  But it doesn't take long to realize that what this show is really all about is the women, and it's the women who are most intriguing and well-drawn characters.

Betty is a prime example.  She's been raised and trained to be a perfect wife and mother ("As far as I'm concerned, as long as men look at me that way, I'm earning my keep.")  But "perfect" for Betty is always going to be unattainable.  Sally gets hit in the face?  "It was a perfect nose.  And I gave it to you!"  Bobby gives away Betty's sandwich?  "It was a perfect day and he ruined it."  Forget being a perfect mother.  Once her babies are out of infancy, she is over it.  ("I'm here alone with them all day.  Out-numbered!")

Is Betty sad?  "No.  It's just my people are Nordic."  Okay, Betty.  Betty is sad, clearly sad, and it's this that gives the viewer some compassion for her.  But that compassion can only go so far.  As though she's learned nothing at all, Betty is determined to raise Sally with the same backwards, repressive rules that she had to grow up under:  "You don't kiss boys.  Boys kiss you."  But Sally has clearly shown that she's not going to be a mere reproduction of her mother.  

Is there hope for Betty?   In this last season, it does seem as though she may at last be breaking out of the mold set for her.  "You're sorry you forgot to inform me what I'm supposed to think!  Guess what, I think all by myself."  Yes, the woman who formerly scorned therapy, is going back to school to get a masters in psychology.  Yay!  And also--yikes!  Frankly, I'd love to watch a Dr. Betty Francis spinoff.

* "I know it's beyond your experience, but people love to talk to me.  They seek me out to share their confidences." | Gossip, an original collage, by Catwalk

* 1950s turquoise heels | pastoria

* That time when Betty was eating her emotions. | 1950s ice cream soda fountain glasses from ThirdShift

* 1970s yellow chiffon formal dress | AnatomyVintage

* Birdy poster | FishermansPorch

* "It's an antique." | Victorian chaise lounge from MaisonDogLondon

* "I'm not stupid.  I speak Italian." | vintage Italian language guide from ShopHereVintage

* 1960s floral dress | dethrosevintage

* vintage riding boots | SaffronColoredPony

* "I hate this place.  I hate our friends.  I hate this town." | 1960s 9 karat gold charm bracelet | TreasureIncUK

xo

K

shop preview: a lion, mushrooms, and corn (oh my!)

This week's shop update is full of amazing prints--spinning tops, mushrooms, fruit and flowers, corn!--and some wonderfully dramatic dresses, from a 1920s black lace number to a Marimekko-esque maxi.  Oh, and the gold lion belt buckle/decoration on that Howard Wolf dress is just the bee's knees, isn't it?

All items are arriving in the shop starting today.

1950s Spinning Top print rayon blouse and skirt set.

1950s speckled green sweater, by Kerrybrooke.

1950s green gingham dress with lace trim.

1950s Penny Corn print cotton blouse, by Russ.

1960s pink and orange floral print maxi dress.

1950s fruit and flower print blouse, by Carol Brent.

1970s green and white linen maxi dress with accordion pleat skirt and lion belt, by Howard Wolf Boutique.

1960s mushroom, flower, and ladybug print cotton blouse with pintucks.

1920s Raven Feathers black sheer lace dress.

1950s tattersall check sleeveless Confetti Hearts blouse, by Dapper Duds.

1960s marine blue and lime green polished cotton shift dress, Rhapsody by Glazier.

1960s Berry and Bloom print cotton blouse, by Miss Fashionality.

xo

K

Roger Sterling: "It's a mistake to be conspicuously happy. Some people don't like it."

Roger Sterling.  So suave, so naughty, so old school, and yet . . . kind of modern.  Roger is a contradiction.  He can be stuck in the past (ask him about his Navy days), but he embraces the future, at least in the form of very modern office decor and acid tripping (both thanks to his second wife, Jane).  He's a hard drinker who seems to hate to work ("Well, I gotta go learn a bunch of people's names before I fire them") . . . but he's usually the force behind all the major deal-making that occurs in the office.  He is a serious womanizer ("When God closes a door, he opens a dress"), but seems to have real and deep love (respect, even) for all the important women in his life, including his daughter.  I imagine there are people who would likely disagree with me on this point, but I always think of an early scene he has with Peggy, where she asks him for her own office.  He is simultaneously patronizing and admiring of her, telling her both that she's "cute" and "has balls."  I feel like that's Roger in a nutshell.  (She gets the office.)

  Roger not only has the best office decor, he also gets all the best lines on the show ("Why don't you take a nap?  Your face looks like a bag of walnuts").  It makes sense: this is, after all, the author of Sterling's Gold.

* "And you always said I never take you anywhere!" | The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe from BEATBOOKBONANZA

* 1960s mod Viking Glass ashtray | retrosymphony

* When I see a jacket like this with an ascot in the pocket or at the neck, my brain automatically sticks Roger's head on it. | double breasted men's jacket from CompanyMan

* 1968 Madison Avenue Datebook | CollectionSelection

* op art print | DELTANOVA

* "I can't say I know my furs that well.  I know my mother had a chinchilla; I was always on the verge of a romantic relationship with it." | 1960s Barbie fur stole from CalloohCallay

* "Have a drink.  It'll make me look younger." | Guzzini acrylic ice bucket from PopBam

* "Have another.  It's 9:30 for God's sake!" | mid century cocktail glasses from AlegriaCollection

* "It's incredible what passes for heroism these days.  I'd like ticker tape for pulling out of my driveway and going around the block three times." | 1944 U.S. Naval Training Center graduation photo from ElsieSaysSo

* Roger doesn't cry when he finds out his mother has died, or at her funeral.  But he does break down when he finds out that the building's shoeshine guy, Giorgio, has died, and that Giorgio's family had asked that Roger have his shoeshine kit. | 1960s shoeshine kit from WhimzyTime

 * 1960s Galaxy lounge chair attributed to Alf Svensson and Yngvar Sandström | 20cModern

xo

K

 Updated to include photos of Roger!  I can't believe I forgot them.

xo

k