Fifty-year-old garments suffer from age; their material and stitching decay over time. Also, the limited selection of vintage dresses rarely include any big enough to fit a large gal.
My friend Jessica is the maven of vintage clothing. Her blog (Chronically Vintage) is a fabulous exploration of the subject. If you haven't read it yet, you should. Jessica entertains and educates. She taught me that clothing made today using authentic vintage designs are properly called "vintage reproductions." The term "vintage" is reserved for clothing that's actually at least 50 years old. A related category is "vintage appropriate" which covers modern items that resemble vintage but aren't real vintage designs. Jessica explains the distinctions among these terms in a video.
During my visit to Woodstock last week, I discovered a clothing store whose owner, Molly, makes vintage reproductions. She sold me a dress that she made herself, using a real pattern from the 1960's. The fabric and print were popular at the time; I saw them often. Spying the dress last Friday, I snatched it off the rack, bubbling and elated at my find.
The depth of my attraction to this dress can't be overstated. Back in my youth, I envied girls who wore this style. My emotions back then had an intensity you can't imagine. I wanted to BE a girl more than anything. I wanted to wear clothes like this. But, alas, that was forbidden.
Now, when I put on this garment, I'm amazed at my freedom. I never thought I'd be allowed to wear this pretty dress. What you see in the following pictures is not merely a clothing outfit but a display of astonishment and gratitude.
Thank you for letting me share this with you.
OH. MY. GOSH.
ReplyDeleteIt's even better than I had pictured in my head!!
There were (hopefully are still around somewhere) scads of clothes in my grandma's old closet in prints similar to this. But not even a cut as cute as this. I love the collar and how you simply paired it with white shoes, and then you add the sunglasses, and it's even better.
This is an amazing find!!! And you look amazing IN it.
Thank you, Jen. I share your enthusiasm for the dress.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous print! The collar and buttons are a nice contrast to the whimsical print, and your accessories let the dress shine. It's wonderful that you got to wear something you admired for so long.
ReplyDeleteYup, the prim design works nicely with the bold print.
DeleteThis is such a pretty dress and you excuse joy in the pictures. It suits you beautifully and shows off your very long lean legs!!!x
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful dress! I can see why you love it so :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an adorable dress! Perfect for your extra long gams.
ReplyDeletebisous
Suzanne
It's short on me because of that leg-length. Molly included a pair of matching shorts in case the wearer wants modesty, but I don't have any!
DeleteI love reading Jessica too ! and I came to her blog because of you :)
ReplyDeleteThe dress is so very 60's classic - I am so glad you found something you adore and that it makes you look and feel so good.
I will have to check out Jessica's blog! As I responded to you, I'm not using "vintage" in a specific way - my thrift stores call anything that's not within the last 20 years as vintage.
ReplyDeleteOMG! You are SO lucky to have this dress. You have no idea how badly I want it lol. It looks amazing on you. The 60s was a fabulous time for fashion. I love everything (well, almost everything) about that era.
ReplyDeletexo Azu
www.raven-locks.blogspot.com
The idea of YOU being jealous of ME blows my mind. BOOM!!
DeleteThat is one of my favorite styles of dress ever. I used to look for those when I was first getting into thrifting- Samantha from Bewitched or any of the Monkees girls were my inspiration when I was a teen! I love this on you.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I agree.
DeleteLegs for days!!!! I love the collar, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna use that as the title of my autobiography!
DeleteOMG I adore this outfit so much! It looks lovely on you :) Thanks for the post card too! :3
ReplyDeleteOh, Ally, what a fabulously fun repro dress and way to celebrate your trip to Woodstock. The moment I saw this photo, I swear, "California Dreamin' " started playing in my head and I could easily see you sitting in a field making daisy chains, swaying to some far out tunes, and feeling groovy. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm honoured by your awesomely nice words and hope that I can continue to inspire, educate, and delight you with my blog for a long time to come. Vintage, like fashion itself, is a topic that one never runs out of things to write about on and there's so much more I want to say when it comes to this passion of mine.
♥ Jessica
You're the best, Jessica!
DeleteLove it!! I used to wear this kind of stuff in highschool all the time- I found the best retro stuff in thrift stores. This is such a cute dress!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jodi. I wish I could have dressed like you did in high school. That was always my dream.
DeleteHoly legs, Batman!! If only mine were that fabulous! This dress is so perfect on you and you look so super happy wearing it.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
www.fashionfairydust.com
You know I adore this :)
ReplyDeleteI love the 50s inspired look! Reminds me of all the cool dresses they wore on the Brady Bunch :) dating myself LOL
ReplyDeletewww.dressed2dnines.com
Oh my goodness you look adorable and those legs are the envy of blogland! Now, the very first question that pops into my mind is, can you actually safely bend over?
ReplyDeleteGood question! I bend at the knees like a proper lady.
DeleteCheck out those gams! You look so cute! This dress is awesome. Such a great find.
ReplyDeleteMarsha, Marsha, Marsha!
ReplyDeletei would have loved to wear these dresses...so fun! yes (as hollie said above) i totally thought MARSHA at first glance! perfect shoes to go with it!
ReplyDeletewhat a happiness you are radiating. You have matched the eyeshadow perfectly and finished the look with the ballerinas and glasses. Well done.
ReplyDeleteGreetje
Wow! Love the pink/mocha/orange color combo and the white collar and button placket. It suits you to a T. I can see why you had to have it. Let me know when you're in Boston and we can scavenge for groovy clothes.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
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