shop preview: masterpiece prints, wool, and Harris tweed

This week's shop preview has a number of lovely prints, which naturally brought to mind a few artists:  Matisse, Pollock, and Haring.  And for those of you looking to warm up your wardrobes for autumn and winter, the cozy wool knits and Harris tweeds are starting to make their way to the shop, too--including some classic men's jackets.

All items begin arriving in the shop starting today.

1960s silk Matisse Rose print dress.

Blue honeycomb knit sweater with lace collar.

1930s print rayon dress with belt.

1970s sheer chiffon floral print blouse.

1960s Pollock brushstroke print dress with linen collar by Carol Brent.

1980s Haring print wide neck t-shirt.

1940s coral wool chenille knit belted sweater and skirt set by Lofties.

1950s lipstick red Orlon sweater with bow.

1950s The Botanist fruit and leaf print dress with chartreuse leaf pocket and piping by Princess Peggy.

1970s plum plaid wool women's blazer.

1940s apple print dress and jacket set.

Hand knit wool whale sweater vest.

Men's herringbone wool Harris tweed jacket.

Men's light brown Harris tweed jacket.

1960s red and black checked wool Hudson's Bay jacket.

xo

K

i spy: dark forests, fairy tales, and a young beauty queen

Lots of drama and darkness catching my eye this last month (as always, really).  I can totally picture someone running through the forest in that Dior dress, pursued by something frightening!  I guess I'm getting in the mood for autumn.

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clockwise from top left:

*Actor Rudolf Rittner in costume for Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen, Part II, 1924.  The set and costume design were inspired by Carl Otto Czeschka's Die Nibelungen book illustrations. | Truus, Bob & Jan too! on Flickr

*Beautiful stormy photograph of San Francisco's Cliff House, ca. 1900. | Wikipedia (and more incredible Cliff House photographs here)

*A lovely found photo of Geneva, who went to the World's Fair as a beauty competition contestant, ca 1933. | The Wayfaring Dreamer on Flickr

*Dress by Mme. Eta Hentz, spring/summer 1944. | Metropolitan Museam of Art

*Still Life with Bouquet of Flowers and Plums by Rachel Ruysch, 1704. | Wikipedia

*Cocktail dress by Yves St. Laurent for House of Dior, spring/summer 1958. | Metropolitan Museum of Art

*Caspar David Friedrich, Tagenszeitenzyklus: Der Abend (Times of Day: The Evening), 1821-22. | Wikimedia Commons

*Cover of Uilen Geluk (The Happy Owls), illustrated by Theodorus van Hoytema, 1895. | My Owl Barn on Flickr

*Eugen Krüger, Stag. | via

*Heinrich Lefler illustration of Schneewittchen (Snow White) for a 1905 fairy tale calendar. | via

xo

K

shop preview: 1930s dresses, scarecrows, 1940s tulips and a cartography print

This week's shop preview is small but mighty:  1930s dresses, an adorable scarecrow print, and an interesting and chic crepe evening shrug.

All items arriving in the shop starting today.

1960s Mr. & Mrs. Scarecrow print dress by Alice of California.

1950s cartography print full skirt.

1930s red dotted swiss dress with rick rack trim.

1950s Tudor Garden print cotton blouse, By Petti.

1940s pink tulip print on black cotton dress.

Deadstock 1960s men's print Thai Siam silk shirt.

1930s posy print day dress with belt.

1940s black crepe evening shrug.

xo

K

shop accessories preview: bags, jewels, and a dog driving a fire engine

Coming to the shop:  a great collection of accessories including some bags, a couple necklaces, a pair of cool blue shoes, and a fantastic early 1950s Vera Neumann dalmatian print scarf!  All items arriving in the shop beginning this week.

Large tooled leather bag with birds and flowers.

Floral needlepoint bag.

Wooden mushroom bag (with a tiny three dimensional ladybug on the lid!).

1980s sapphire leather pumps, made in Spain.

Faceted glass bead necklace.

Double strand of citrus colored beads.

Southwestern silvertone metal link belt.

1950s extra large silk ballerina print scarf.

Early 1950s dalmatian driving a fire engine scarf by Vera Neumann.

xo

K

shop preview: autumn leaves, polka dots, pulleys, and rule breaking

Coming to the shop this week:  dresses with great details from lace to embroidery to a snappy scarf collar, hardworking separates (including the coolest ballerina wrap sweater), a very interesting print for the mechanically inclined, and an autumn leaf dress!  Oh yes, and also two white dresses.  Post Labor Day.  Fashion rule makers are spinning in their graves.

All items arriving in the shop starting today.

1960s Wintergarten embroidered dress by R&K Originals.

1940s brown skirt with buttons, Styled by Jackie.

1960s white linen dress with cocoa polka dot scarf collar by R&K Originals.

1950s celery green ruffled shirtwaist dress by Toni Todd.

1950s rosy pink floral print blouse by Shapely Classic.

1950s autumn leaves print dress.

1960s rosette print sleeveless blouse.

1960s yellow shift dress with butterfly appliques.

1970s pulley novelty print blouse.

1960s Anne Fogarty white linen dress with cream lace.

1960s forest green dress with Peter Pan collar and pintucked bodice by Old Greenwich.

1950s brown striped huckaback folk skirt.

1960s sky blue paisley crepe dress.

1950s Romanticism dress with two-tone sash belt.

1950s black wool ballerina wrap sweater with fringed sash by Dorothy Korby.

1950s blue polka dot blouse and skirt set by Majestic.

xo

K

autumn fashion in Vienna, 1935: beautiful, but . . .

Since we are on the cusp of autumn in the northern hemisphere, I thought I'd share with you a little fashion inspiration from 1935, specifically the September 1935 issue of the Vienna-based fashion magazine, Die Moderne Welt.  1930s Vienna was a very dark to place to be if you were a Jew.  Hitler's Anschluss of Austria would not occur until 1938, but by 1935, antisemitic attacks on Jews were on the rise in Vienna.  I love Vienna and I love 1930s fashion, but it's hard not to look at these pretty images through a glass darkened by the suffering of so many.  I find it difficult to enjoy looking at fashion magazines today for some of the same reasons.

And yet. . . fashion can be so beautiful.  And I do love it.  So let's try to forget all the bad stuff for a minute and look at some pretty pictures!

Fall hats.  I particularly like the two in the center.

Shopping outfits!  My favorite here is the plaid suit on the bottom.  The maker is not stated, but the outfit with the cape is by Piguet.  The "stone green" (Steingrünes) suit with cherries on it is by Nina Ricci.  (Just a side note: sometimes the German words for colors in these old fashion magazines are evocative and beautiful, a la Steingrünes.  At other times, they are straight up racist.)

Walking costumes.  I think these all are very smart, and particularly like the decorative buttons and collar on the top suit.  However, each is made with a different animal pelt, from seal to "broadtail" (fetal lamb) to nutria (cute giant rats, rather like capybara).

Let's get out of disturbing fur territory and into--morning outfits!  These are all so great, but I particularly like the top two with the geometric pockets.  They look so modern.

  

Afternoon dresses.  My god, aren't these dreamy?  It's hard to pick a favorite, but mine is probably the one on the bottom right with the scalloping and sleeve details.  It's made of dark blue wool georgette with white and red silk insets and is by Hubert.  The top dresses are an iridescent silk dress with soutache trim by Bernard, and a blue low-neck dress with brown satin trim by Piguet.  On the bottom left is a dark brown Marocain (crepe) tea dress with pink satin waistcoat by Bernard.

Gowns for the theater.  The purple dress on the left is by Piguet.  Interesting, romantic Renaissance-style bodice on the top right dress, and I like the slightly bohemian feel of the center dress, which is made of black velvet trimmed in satin; it is by Helene Hubert.

Dresses for dancing.  The far left gown and black gown trimmed in purple are both by Piguet.  I am curious why Piguet is so heavily represented here, and not other more famous designers of the day.

Fashions for girls.  I can't help it; I love the dress on the far left and would love to wear the adult version.  With the leather bag, which you know is beautiful.  (Why did kids get the best bags?)

And a page of that ultimate fashion accessory, the adorable puppy or kitten.

xo

K