Friday, May 27, 2011

It is Memorial Day Weekend!
You have a long, relaxing weekend to shop online.
Here's some offerings from the Reflections of Vintage Group. Please follow the links to our individual stores for more vintage fashions.

Wishing you a great holiday weekend...
.


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Fred Perlberg - My Kind of Guy

Well known Fashion Designer Fred Perlberg started his own design business in 1920 at 525 7th Avenue which now houses designers such as Ralph Lauren, Nicole Miller and Jones New York. Not much is seen of his earlier work up until about 1935 when he presented the first of his heavy high sheen satin gowns better known as liquid satin. He was known for simple affordable formal wear for women, simple on style and heavy on glamour. His earlier gowns from the late 30s and early 40s were used for bridesmaid and rumor has it wedding gowns. I have never been so lucky to find or even see one of his wedding gowns. Bridesmaid gowns were paired with matching satin gauntlets and picture hats. Once worn for the bridal party, budget savy American Women would reuse the gowns for formal affairs.

Photobucket

Colors that I have seen are celery green, pink, champagne and gold/yellow. This heavy satin fabric is easily damaged. Corsages were worn pinned to the waist or shoulder area leaving rubs in the fabric which is un-repairable.

My love affair with Fred Perlberg began many years ago when I discovered one of his gowns at a little antique shop. Captivated by this 1940's beauty I have always been on watch for more of his classic styles.. The sight of a Fred Perlberg label sends chills up my spine.

Today you can still find earlier Perlberg satin gowns but be careful. Many have been altered and have fabric damage due to improper storage. Unfortunately satin is not an enduring fabric. I suppose no different than other vintage clothing but then to lose a Perlberg........

He designed until 1968 and sold the label to Roger Milot in approximately 1970. Sadly he passed away at the age of 90 in 1991. He was named Man of the Year by the fashion industry in 1968.

Sorry girls but this beauty has been sold by Vintage Baubles

Photobucket

Friday, May 20, 2011

MAY 20 - EYE CANDY FRIDAY



Memorial Day, the first big Summer holiday, is right around the corner and the members of the Reflections of Vintage seller's network have the perfect dresses, hats, Bermuda shorts, and a fabulous Pali hand print rayon men's Hawaiian shirt for your consideration. Please visit our shops for more beautiful vintage clothes and accessories!


Vintage 70s Purple Hibiscus on Semi Sheer White Wrap Shirt Dress -- Size M to L from CATSEYE VINTAGE



Photobucket



Vintage 1940s Navy and White Dotted Swiss Summer Full Skirt Dress B36 from ALLEY CATS VINTAGE


Photobucket


Vintage 50s Designer High Waist Checked Bermuda Shorts, Rockabilly, XS Sm from MY VINTAGE COCKTAIL



Photobucket




Vintage 50s Mens Pali Hawaiian Style Hand Print Cold Rayon Tropical Floral Print Aloha Blue Hawaii Shirt - Made in Japan - Looped Collar - Size XL to XXL from CATSEYE VINTAGE



Photobucket



Vintage Navy Blue Straw Bucket Style Hat with White Roses from ALLEY CATS VINTAGE



Photobucket




Vintage Wicker Picnic Fruit Basket Box Purse Handbag from MY VINTAGE COCKTAIL



Photobucket

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Lucille Ball - Actress, Model, Businesswoman and Style Icon

Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. One of the most popular and influential stars in America during her lifetime, with one of Hollywood's longest careers, especially on television, Ball began acting in the 1930s, becoming both a radio actress and B-movie star in the 1940s, and then a television star during the 1950s. She was still making films in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ball received thirteen Emmy Award nominations and four wins. In 1977 Ball was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award. She was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989.

Photobucket


In 1929, Ball landed work as a model and later began her performing career on Broadway using the stage name Dianne Belmont. She appeared in many small movie roles in the 1930s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures. Ball was labeled as the "Queen of the Bs" (referring to her many roles in B-films). In 1951, Ball was pivotal in the creation of the television series I Love Lucy. The show co-starred her then husband, Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as Ethel and Fred Mertz, the Ricardos' landlords and friends. The show ended in 1957 after 180 episodes. They then changed the format a little - lengthening the time of the show from 30 minutes to 60 minutes (the first one went 75 mins), adding some characters, altering the storyline somewhat, and renaming the show from "I Love Lucy" to "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour", which ran for three seasons (1957–1960) and 13 episodes. Ball went on to star in two more successful television series: The Lucy Show, which ran on CBS from 1962 to 1968 (156 Episodes), and Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974 (144 episodes).

Photobucket

Ball met and eloped with Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz in 1940. On July 17, 1951, almost 40 years old, Ball gave birth to their first child, Lucie Désirée Arnaz. A year and a half later, Ball gave birth to their second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr. Ball and Arnaz divorced on May 4, 1960.

Photobucket

On April 26, 1989, Ball died of a dissecting aortic aneurysm at age 77. At the time of her death she had been married to her second husband, standup comedian and business partner Gary Morton, for twenty-eight years.

The sellers of the Reflections of Vintage network are pleased offer the following Lucy inspired fashions.

Vintage 50s Floral Print Full Skirted Polished Cotton VLV Party Dress Embellished with Bows from CATSEYE VINTAGE

Photobucket

Vintage 1950s Sundress Celery Green with Rhinestones from AFTER DARK VINTAGE

Photobucket

Vintage 1950s Lucy Hat with Floppy Bow, Fun and Quirky from MY VINTAGE COCKTAIL

Photobucket

Vintage 50s Peach Silk Jacquard Roses Full Skirted Cocktail Party Shirt Dress from CATSEYE VINTAGE

Photobucket

Vintage 1950s Full Circle Rockabilly Shades of Pink Skirt from AFTER DARK VINTAGE

Photobucket

Vintage 40s Whimsical Straw Tilt Hat Perch Hat w/ Bow, So Lucy from MY VINTAGE COCKTAIL

Photobucket


Some information courtesy of wikipedia.com.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Irene Saltern, Unsung Pioneer of California Design

I'm guessing most readers here have never heard of California apparel designer Irene Saltern. Which is, and you'll agree once you know more about her, very surprising, considering she is widely credited as a pioneer of the California sportswear industry. Other designers who were her contemporaries are more well known, but Ms. Saltern's influence cannot be denied.

Her story is incredibly interesting; she was a true Renaissance woman. She was born Irene Stern in 1911, in Germany. A multi-talented individual, she worked for a short time as a radio journalist. Among her neighbors while she was still living in Germany was Albert Einstein, who taught her to sail. Instilled with a lifelong love of sailing, many of her designs were nautical themed. She took fashion classes in Berlin, and when she moved to California with husband Harry Salinger in the late 30s, she became a costume designer for the movies. In the 40s, she was in charge of actress's wardrobes at Samuel Goldwyn Pictures, and was a contemporary of Gilbert Adrian, who was at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The Sept. 14, 1995, issue of the LA Times quotes her as saying, "If [Gilbert] Adrian was the king of designers, I was one of the princesses." She did the costumes for nearly 40 Hollywood films, including The Call of the Yukon and The Howards of Virginia. She was the favorite designer of dancer Ann Miller and actress Martha Scott.

In the late 40s, Ms. Salinger started designing commercially as "Irene Saltern," and became head designer for Tabak of California, one of the powerhouses of the "California Sportswear Revolution." The influence of Irene Saltern and Lou Tabak on the burgeoning industry was profound. Ms. Saltern designed lines of separates and coordinates--jackets, skirts, cigarette slacks, shorts, tops--that were sold with hangtags proclaiming they were "a Tabak Tie-in." She also designed classic dresses and suits, with lines that flattered the female figure. Her designs can be worn today and present as stylishly as they did decades ago. And the fabrics she used, particularly her wools and silks, and the workmanship are exquisite.

Photobucket

In addition to working for Tabak, she briefly headed up her own firm, Irene Saltern of California, and worked for other design houses, including Phil Rose and Lanz of California, from which she retired in 1978. In the 60s, she was noted for starting the trend of those big hardware-inspired chunky belts, after a visit to the hardware store! And, after a trip to India, she started creating Indian-inspired designs, which, of course, were
huge in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ms. Saltern passed away in 2005 at the age of 94. Her sketches are preserved at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and both her apparel and sketches are featured in the collections of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Los Angeles County Museum.

The Reflections of Vintage team pays tribute this week to this unsung pioneer and to the amazing California designers who came after her.

Saltern of California Full-Skirt Butterfly Dress, sold by Vintage Baubles:

Photobucket


Cute Vintage 1960s Pink Wool Knit 3 Piece Outfit Tabak B34 W25 from After Dark Vintage:

Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension


Vintage 80s Does 40s California Designer Karen Alexander Tropical Caribbean Vacation Novelty Print Sunshine Yellow Day Shirt Dress - Size XS to S, from Catseye Vintage:

Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension


Vintage 50s 60s Tabak of California Mad Men Blue Wool Pencil Skirt Suit, XS Sm, from Vintage Baubles Too:

Photobucket


Vintage 80s Does 40s California Designer Foxy Lady Nautical Black and White Day Shirt Dress - Size XS, from Catseye Vintage:

Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension


Vintage Taupe Silk Tabak Blouse Sz 10 B38 from After Dark Vintage:

Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Hats Galore by Jeanne Tete

Little is know about the personal life of Jeanne Tete except she was born in Indianapolis and adopted the name Tete to give her design line a French flair.

By 1939 she was already known in New York and was designing for Bonwit-Teller. Later in 1940 it was noted in an ad for the San Antonio store Wolff & Marx that she designed expressly for that store. This information was provided by the Vintage Fashion Guild.

Her designs are always something special. Over the top embellishments for ladies who want to be noticed.

Below is two examples of her creations, available for sale at After Dark Vintage on ArtFire.
Photobucket

Here's some more exciting fashions from our group.....

Vintage Baubles Too on ArtFire hosts these 3 ....
Photobucket

And Catseye Vintage on Etsy is loaded with glamour girl styles such as what you see below......

Photobucket