1920s - fashion with fun, whimsy and chic

[Mojito]

A 1920s beach carry case and an advertisement for similar cases:

These turn up fairly regularly, and are often misdescribed. This one, for example, was said to be a 1940s makeup or train case. It's not in perfect condition, but $20 I wasn't complaining!

 

[lolly_loisides]

Another recent fair find - a beaded purse with a carved celluloid frame (at a brilliant price!). This is an area I could almost go into collecting exclusively, as I love these handles. I also have a weakness for orientalism in the fashion of the teens through to the 20s.

Oh boy, they are all very nice, but I love the purse. Did you get them from the Love Vintage fair (Canterbury racecourse) ? I missed it this year.

 

[Mojito]

With my new Florence Walton cloche.

This one is a real find - a mint condition panama weave cloche, c. 1929-30. The Florence Walton label threw me for a bit - I didn't know of a milliner in Paris working by that name, but there was an American dancer who had made her name in the teens and worked into the 1920s called Florence Walton. She was perhaps most famous for a version of the Apache dance with Maurice Mouvet. A bit of research, and it turns out she did open a Parisian millinery business in about 1927

 

[Mojito]

Yes! It was a very successful fair for us - a friend picked up a very nice 30s dress, I also found a well priced 1930s parasol and a lovely velvet 20s dress with gold bullion embroidery, and another friend found a black assuit shawl that was a great buy.

 

[Mojito]

One of the dresses bought in a lot at the Lisa Ho auction - really a showstopper. It's a French made 1920s dance dress with gorgeous beading on a cotton base, so quite sturdy. Just need to reinforce some of the beads and replace some on the shoulder (they're clear bugle beads, so we have plenty of those).

 

[Mojito]

Also fron the Lisa Ho auction, which had more 1920s/30 gowns assembled in one place for sale than I've seen in a while! This one was sold individually and not part of a lot...and it nearly passed in! I bit on it and the price was so low it had to be referred to the seller, but they accepted the bid so I won it for a ridiculously low hammer price. It's another 1920s French made beaded dance dress on a cotton base. The silver lining on the bugle beads has tarnished over time, hence the dark stripe effect, but I quite like that.

 

[Mojito]

Slight change of pace from the cotton based French dresses...this one is silver bugle beads (that have largely escaped tarnishing!) on a silk velvet. Classic early 20s tubular chemise style gown.

 

[Mojito]

And it's back to the 1920s French beaded dress on a cotton base This one is incredibly heavy, as it's smothered in beading. Beautiful gold sequined stylised flower motif on the hem, too, and two or three different types of bead work. One reason I love these French made gowns is they're so much stronger than the ones on silk - a dress with this much beading would have been a rare survivor if it was on, say, a chiffon base.

 

[imoldfashioned]

So dreamy to slide into those

 

[swinggal]

My blog re the recnt Lisa Ho auction. Some great 20s beauties to be found, many bought by Mojito!

Lisa Ho Auction - part 2

 

[Mojito]

A good time had by all! I think we finally wound up with something like 20 - 30 pieces, mostly 1920s and 30s, and some absolute gems in there including a 40s dress by an Australian designer who is just coming into her own in terms of historical recognition.