These past few days have been filled with vintage fun! Yesterday was Miss Bee's vintage wedding shower (more photos from that day forthcoming in the next post). Here's a peek at what I wore: 1930s polka dotted dress from Dear Golden, vintage cream & navy hat, and my favourite 30s cream shoes. This is by far my favourite 30s ensemble ever! I felt a bit like Jean Harlow in Bombshell :D
Ah, the 30s...when gowns often looked like lingerie and lingerie was so beautiful it could (almost) be worn out of the boudoir. Case in point, I just LOVE this 30s peach & ecru lace silk bias-cut night-gown I added to the shop. Somehow, I think Harlow would approve :)
Since today is Friday the 13th, a day known amongst the superstitious as one during which things have a tendency to go sideways or backwards, as the case may be, I thought I would share a little blooper I noticed in relation to a Jean Harlow gown which I had had the pleasure of seeing in person when I had visited the Hollywood Museum in L.A. back in November. The short of it is that, recently, I came upon a photo of Harlow in the fur sleeved velvet gown and noticed something which the curators of the Harlow exhibit apparently had not: the gown was worn by Harlow with the v in front, not in back! As further evidence, by sheer coincidence, I found a newsreel clip of Harlow in that very same gown (see below). To add insult to injury, as I was composing this post, I noticed there is yet another photo of Harlow in the gown displayed right in front of the actual gown in the Museum (see my photo just below). Clearly, the curators are displaying Baby's gown backwards. Oops?
To be fair, 30s gowns can sometimes be tricky in relation to determining which is the front and which is the back, often due to the fact that it was quite common to have a gown dip lower in the back and inset goring that modern wearers might want emphasizing the rear were designed to highlight the hips and so forth. How to avoid such glitches?
Look for any bust darts. This will tell you which side is meant to face front;
Look for side closures (in my experience, button/snap/hook/zip plackets typically sit on the left side waist of garments from the 30s);
Lay the gown flat or put it over a dress form if you have one and see if you see a difference in hem length (often the back hem will dip lower).
Sometimes, none of these clues will be there. In such cases, what's a gal to do? Try it on both ways and wear it how you want!! Btw, if any other 30s lovers have tips or tricks on this topic, I'd love to hear 'em!
Spoooooky....I had an overwhelming urge to blog some Jean Harlow "bathing beauty" images today. While gathering some pics, I came across a reminder that she had passed on June 7th, 1937. Goose bumps! So, here's to you, Harlean!
Continuing on with my previously noted obsessions with color and patterns (colorful patterns are even better), I think the later 1930s chevron striped dress from Vindemial Vintage is just delicious! Reminds me of that "Fruit Stripe" gum I used to buy as a kid. I wonder if the earlier 30s dress and matching hat worn by Jean Harlow in the first image was as colourful?!
30s feedsack and floursack dresses come in so many different forms. Some are humble and sweet. Some are homely and homespun. Others are nothing short of fabulous. The most mind-blowingly awesome 1930s floursack dress I've EVER found, and that is staying in my personal collection forever if possible is a white and navy sailor dress. Yes, guys and dolls, this was made out of flour sacks by some amazing Depression-era dame, possibly after seeing Jean Harlow's sailor dress in George Hurrell's 1932 photo "Sailor Suit Girl" or maybe in honour of Bette Davis's famous ice cream photo OR even after seeing Follow the Fleet? Personally, I think it's from 1933, so I feel like Jean inspired this one. One way or another, I definitely know how lucky I was to have found this dress...and for a STEAL I tell you! I feel sorry for the vintage dealer I got it from, actually. She had no idea what she had here. Okay, I'm heading back out to enjoy the sunshine. Have a glorious weekend!!
1930s flour sack sailor dress: top secret vintage dealer
