The magic of Missoni

Hi all,

Today I posted a Missoni dress to my site that I have been holding on to for a year. It took me that long to let it go. I had to hold on to it for a while...because I really love Missoni and very seldom do I find it and I just liked having it in my possession.

Compared to the rest of what we know as "status fashion", the Missoni label has a unique history, not your typical haute couture story. It's roots are in the world of sports wear and knitting mills. Husband and wife design team Ottavio Missoni and Rosita Jelmini Missoni are the founders and while I was researching I read some interesting tidbits about the history of the company. I'll share a couple of the highlights...

Before Ottavio met Rosita he was was an accomplished athlete as well as a partner in a small sports, knit wear company. In 1948, the same year he went to London to compete in the 400 meter hurdles, his company designed the Italian Olympic teams track suits. Rosita had a textile background as well, along with an eye for design and skill in the sewing arts. They married in 1953 and set up a small knitwear workshop.

In the beginning they sold their pieces to other designers. In 1958 they presented their first collection in Milan which they called Milano-Simpathy. Since it's heyday in the 20s and 30s, fine knitwear had fallen out of favor and the public was not accustomed to associating it with high fashion. The Missoni's colorful designs and unique patterns were not immediately embraced and it took a while but in 1966 Italian journalist, Anna Piaggi began celebrating their work in her articles. By 1967 they were well on their way when an incident of "scandal" catapulted them into the limelight. At a showing in Florence, Rosita was unhappy with the way her models bras interfered with look of her creations, so she had them walk the runway bra less....bright lights and filmy fabric....well you know, and being the 1960s the response was total shock. Whats that old saying...any press is good press? and in this case it was very good.

Missoni has seen the ups and downs of any great name but one thing no one can argue is the eternal appeal of their designs. Very few designers can boast that their garments never go out of style and I honestly believe this to be true of iconic Missoni. Their knits borrow from tradition but transform into unique fabric creations. The colors they use transcend trend and their silhouettes are simple exercises in flattering drape. Although some Missoni pieces have been and continue to be dramatic, most are easy to combine with most any wardrobe. On the Fashion Encyclopedia website I read a quote by Rosita Missoni as told to Elsa Klensch, writing for the New York Post (24 May 1978), "Our philosophy since we went into business has been that a piece of clothing should be like a work of art. It should not be bought for a special occasion or because it's in fashion, but because a woman likes it…and feels she could wear it forever."

What a wonderful philosophy.

Till next time, take care and best to you all.
Melody

New York AND Chicago Vintage!!

Life has been a whirlwind and I'm late in getting this out but better late than never!

Over the past few weeks we did the Manhattan Vintage Show and the Chicago Vintage Show ....both were wonderful. We've been doing Manhattan for a number of years now and so far each show has been inspirational. Fashion and New York are synonymous so it's no surprise, that a show featuring the very best vintage would be embraced whole heartedly. Approximately 80 dealers come from all corners to sell their primo wares and for two days it's pure vintage heaven. It's all there.... under one roof, from historical couture to yester-years dime store ready-to-wear. The customers are always excited and happy...honestly, you would think it was a holiday, but what you may not know is how much of a treat this is for us dealers as well. Let me tell you all about it....
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....My husband Bob has managed to squeeze everything into the van, all the clothing and racks, bins, boxes and bags... every last thing I packed and there isn't an inch to spare. I'm always amazed when he does this. I've spent the last two weeks picking the show, cleaning and mending, staging displays.... It's 2:00 am on Friday and we are finally on our way. The drive to NYC is 4 hours and it's a drizzly night. Thankfully the roads are nearly deserted and the miles stream on by. We enter the city around 6:00 am. In the dim light, before sun, the buildings have no color, just bluish shades of gray. The van is soon parked in a great space close to the loading area! auspicious beginnings.

Before we unload I check into the hall. An ocean of chalk marked spaces and empty tables belie the festivity to come. We are one of the early birds. The show does not start for another 7 hours but I like having this time to set my up my booth just the way I want it, taking time to greet the other dealers as they arrive. Elaine's son is coming home from Hawaii and Judy's puppy is such a scamp..... We have some good friends here.

The racks and boxes roll in and slowly the hall is transformed. We are all itching to see what the others have brought. I steal a few minutes to sneak a peek and fall in love with a pretty 1950s cashmere and fox sweater. I can't resist..... only one purchase though, lets see how the show goes....

An hour before the doors open I begin to feel the excitement. Time to put the finishing touches on the booth then off to the ladies room to change. The mirrors are crowded with hopeful faces...we wish each other well while plying lipstick and tussling with tangles.

David, one of the show producers hurries up and down the aisles announcing that we have 10 minutes left. A fellow dealer just took a look out the front door and tells me they are lined up to the end of the block. We both can't help but grin. It's going to be a good show.

Bob and I always set up in the back row. It's our spot and most of our friends are there. When the doors open there is a lag before the crowd reaches us but a few savvy customers beat the rush by starting with us. In the first couple of hours the shoppers tend to be a little frantic. They dart from booth to booth, often asking for specific items. A lot of the early shoppers are high end dealers and designers. For them this is business. They know what they want and don't take time to linger. This year there was a lot of interest in bias crepe dresses from the 1930s as well as designer clothing from the 80s and even the early 90s. They go for the artsy stuff rather than the classic looks. Loose and textured sheaths or tunics that could be belted. Flowing layers and dropped waists....dealers wanted jewelry that was big, bold and signed, gold rather than silver.

It's mid afternoon and the atmosphere has changed. The crowd is thick, but customers are taking their time. I love this part of the show...you see....vintage attracts the most creative people. Sometimes I get completely sidetracked while watching the kaleidoscope of ensembles strolling in and out of my booth. Vintage is the common thread, mostly used to accent but sometimes as a complete identity. It's all good.

The shows are where I see whats Goin' on. Sure, fashion magazines feature vintage from time to time, especially if it's on a celebrities back and there are some great vintage bloggers and sites out there but nothing comes close to seeing whats actually happening on the "street". You get to see vintage trends in their infant stage. I make quick note of any non-trendy piece that gets tried on or picked up numerous times. Sometimes an adventurous soul will buy it, but often enough it stays on the rack until some future show where it becomes the thing they all want. This fall I had an 80s cocktail dress...simple black sheath with a riot of feathers on the shoulders. I can't tell you how many times that dress was taken off the rack, everyone loved it. I had another black 80s sheath with HUGE red satin shoulder accents. Same thing. The silhouettes had the same look. Simple and fitted in the body with exaggerated shoulder details. Both dresses went home with me... this time... but something tells me I should keep an eye out...

Most of the time though, people buy what strikes them or what's "hot" at the moment Highlights this fall were...big belts, long delicate chains with accents, funky boots...over sized tunic sweaters, 1950s shirtwaist dresses ( a perennial) , sequined sweaters.... all kinds of coats and hats (yeah!) and cool 80s handbags.

For two wonderful days I sold vintage, shared my passion, watched a never ending fashion parade and got to be with friends. The show closed at 6:00 pm on Saturday, customers hurried to make final purchases and requested business cards for items they had to think about. As the last person left my booth I kicked off my pretty show-shoes and slipped my aching feet into comfy old sneaks. Chatter about the show went back and forth as we we all packed up our booths. By 9:00 pm the van was loaded and our goodbyes had been said. Tired beyond description but pleased and content Bob and I headed out of the city.



.....two weeks later we did it all again in Chicago... a new show! Since that show is just getting off the ground attendance was not like New York but the promise was there. Chicago is a fantastic place, with it's own vibrant personality. The people are so friendly and of course style is alive and well. Trends were similar to New York and most importantly, vintage is celebrated. Although the crowd was new to us the enthusiasm was the same AND we were asked over and over to please come back next year. How could I not love that?

Well, we are home now and our next show is not until Feb. It's a long stretch but that will give me time to work on my poor neglected website AND Blog! So until next time, take care and thank you for visiting!!

Melody

Show Time!

A good part of my business takes place at trade shows like the Manhattan Vintage Show and the Sturbridge Textile Show. There are all kinds of outlets for buying vintage... websites, web auctions, bricks and mortar shops....and all have their pluses, but for me, the most exciting vintage venues are the big shows. Dealers come from far and wide with their very best merchandise. Imagine dozens and dozens of booths filled with the finest vintage on the market. If you love vintage it's like a dream come true. Each dealer has their own niche so you will find every style from 80s punk to original Victorian... labels are just as diverse, a high end dealer with numbered couture might be set up next to a trend savvy booth, chock full of swinging 70s department store dresses. Not everything is silly-expensive either. Prices are often competitive (not cheap but reasonable for what you get). Check out the slide show on the Manhattan Vintage site.

This weekend we will be in the back row at the Manhattan Vintage Show (booth # 77) plying our own wares. I can't wait. I just LOVE watching and meeting the crowd. Literally thousands of style lovers, parade through, dressed to the vintage nines and everyone with their own creative look. AND you never know who will show up. I've seen Vogue editors and lots of important designers, film costumers and even the occasional Movie Star! I hope to see YOU there, if you make it, come by and say hello!

Til next time! Best to all. Melody

The Value in Tailored Vintage

Cashmere and mink coat from the 1950s

Without a doubt, I consider tailored vintage clothing to be your best value for the money. Before I go on let me define tailoring. According to my 1973 Vogue Sewing Book...

Tailoring is a "construction technique requiring special hand sewing and pressing to mold fabric into a finished garment"

These techniques are mostly used in coats, suits and jackets and they require great skill and patience. Fine tailoring not only makes a garment look beautiful it also helps it remain so for life. Lapels and collars maintain their shape, shoulders roll smoothly, linings don't shift, seams stay straight and true.... Beneath the surface of any well tailored garment is a complicated under structure of underlinings, interlinings, facings and TONS of handwork. The modern garment industry has had to eliminate or compromise many of these techniques to keep their prices competitive but in years gone bye even modestly priced, tailored clothing, boasted fine handwork. One of the most noticeable features that you never see anymore are cloth bound buttonholes. Buttonholes are almost all machine stitched today. Cloth bound buttonholes are tedious to make but they look beautiful and are very sturdy.


Beautifully tailored shoulder on a 1940s coat

Besides the beautiful construction that went into tailored vintage, the materials used were also extraordinary. What we consider couture level fabrics today were readily available to the mainstream years ago. Some were quite expensive but not unattainable. Mongolian cashmere, Scottish tweeds, lush bouclés, novel plaids...all high quality and many hand loomed. Some design houses had custom created textiles like Lili Anne who imported their woolen goods from France. Older fabrics almost never pill and seem to wear forever. Fur trims were commonplace.. mink, fox, mouton lamb. Buttons were unique, some were even jeweled with rhinestones.


Wool pile, faux leopard fabric from the 1950s. Wool looks more natural and wears better than todays acrylic faux furs.

Today many designers borrow heavily from vintage styles. Often they do a marvelous job capturing the essence of an era and reinterpreting it for the contemporary market but unless they are very high end the demand for inexpensive clothing places strict limits on their manufacturing techniques. A modern coat that looks fabulous on the hanger often looses it's shape, sometimes before the season ends! Fancy fabrics pill, others look generic. Buttons fall off easily. To be fair, vintage coats can have this problem too, but that's because the button has put decades of pressure on the thread, not because they were not sewn on right. I suggest you check the buttons on any garment you buy and reinforce if needs be.


Hand bound buttonholes on a 1950s blazer.


You can still find affordable, nicely made dresses, blouses, skirts and pants on the modern market. I like pretty classics so every year I buy a couple of Anne Taylor blouses and Maggie London makes lovely summer dresses. Levis is still doing great jeans but when it comes to suits, jackets and outerwear I generally stick to vintage. You CAN buy a new tailored garment with the same quality of fabric and construction as vintage but the cost will be in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. For this reason I consider tailored vintage to be your best vintage value!





Till next time, best to you!





Melody

The seduction of black...

A vintage, black sequined, Lili Rubin gown

Fashion week is here again and it looks like color was off the pallet for a number of designers. Valentino was all about inky drama. Armani was doing white and black and Elie Saab did an all white collection. Black seemed to dominate though and I found that refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I love color but it was nice to see fashion design pared down to form and silhouette. It got me to thinking just how much I really do love basic black.

I'm not alone, black has always been a fashion favorite which is why an abundance of it to still be found in vintage. From Victorian mourning clothing to mid century "Audrey" dresses, it's easy to find AND easy to wear. One of my personal favorites are the classic 1940s rayon dresses with their sculpted shoulders, form fitting torsos and swingy skirts. These flattering frocks are the perfect foil for accessories and can be worn from day into evening. As for formal wear there is nothing more elegant than an all black gown. The timeless element of black is another plus. If you wear vintage you almost never have to worry about looking "costumey" in black.

Black pumps, the perfect black turtleneck, a classic black purse....these are just a few of the essentials a well rounded wardrobe requires. All are available on the vintage market in a variety of styles depending on their era. It's agreed that vintage is THE place to get creative but don't overlook the simple treasures, sometimes they are the best!

Bye for now! Melody

Be Adorned, a love affair with vintage costume jewelry.

Costume jewelry by Coro, from the 1956-57 Fall Winter Montgomery Ward catalogue


I have an early memory. My grandmother's top drawer...a whisper of powdery perfume. On tip toes I carefully remove an old cardboard candy box and quietly sit. The cover comes off to reveal treasure. Strands of crystal and pearl, festive beads and jeweled brooches. A trove of earring pairs, in all shapes and sizes. This covert act has been carried out countless times, always with the same results, pure awe and delight. I fill my eyes but never touch, that might lead to discovery and I am without a doubt, in forbidden territory. Moments pass and soon the candy box is safely back in it's rightful place.

Since I can remember I have loved costume jewelry. My grandmothers modest collection was my first exposure. I bought MY very first piece at the age of 11. There was a little shop in our downtown that carried all kinds of accessories. This was the mid 60s and large showy rings were popular. In the front case was a whole tray full, $1 each......rhinestone and filigree in every color... but my favorite was a lithographed glass cabochon with a Fragonard-esque scene. The setting was heavily detailed in antique "gold". I remember the amused smile on the lips of the sales lady as she adjusted my purchase to fit. Later in my teen years I discovered "junk" shops. Nicer than the flea market but not as expensive as an antique store. This is when my serious collecting began. Every junk shop had a display case of used or vintage costume jewelry. Brooches became my favorite and to this day I still wear some of the fabulous pieces I acquired way back when.

At that time I knew nothing about signed costume jewelry but quality always stood out, so by default I ended up with some very collectible pieces. Times have changed and demand has skyrocketed, the public is much more knowledgeable than before so it is difficult to find rare and valuable vintage costume for short money. You can however pick up high quality unsigned pieces at reasonable cost. Most folks, like me, who buy to wear are more interested in the look rather than the name. Some of my favorite pieces are unsigned. Quality on the other hand is always important. Better rhinestones and crystals with sharp facets can be spotted from across the room. If rhinestones are prong set, all the better. Hand knotted simulated pearls can often look just like the real thing and high quality gold plating will not tarnish if properly cared for. Look for Rolled Gold or Gold Filled. Sterling silver costume is undervalued at this time, so you can really find some great values. Large sterling or vermeil brooches from the 1940s always make a stunning statement. Since vintage costume has become so popular there are lots of informative books on the market. Three that I like Warman's Jewelry by Christie Romero (fine jewelry and costume guide), Costume Jewelry by Judith Miller and Collectible Costume Jewelry by Cherri Simonds.

Til next time, Best to you Melody

Pre-order our book The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping

I'm so very excited! My book The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping is at the presses right now and early copies will be arriving next month. The book will be on the shelves this coming October but if you want yours in September (and signed) you can pre-order right now from our website. Orders will be shipped towards the end of next month.



I want to thank Quirk Books for being my publisher, and especially Mary Ellen Wilson, editor extraordinaire! Our little guide focuses on how to buy vintage clothing and accessories but it also includes a bit of fashion history, as well as practical advice on caring for and cleaning your vintage wardrobe. Quirk always puts out wonderful AND affordable books. Ours is just $18.95 (plus shipping) but don't let the low price fool you, it's so loaded with tips, tricks and advice that even the veteran shopper will learn new things. PLUS there are lots of great pictures. Since vintage is all about celebrating fashion I tried to make it a fun read, nothing stuffy about this book!

One last thing. If you order copies from our website, as gifts, or for yourself, they can be signed and/or inscribed with a personal message. Just indicate that on the order form.

OK... enough with the sales pitch. Stay tuned for our next blog on vintage costume jewelry.

Till then Best to all!

Melody