Which vintage piece do you wonder about most?

[ohairas]

Ok, many of us mentioned in the turning point thread that we often wonder about the people who wore our vintage items. Is there a certain piece that you *really* wonder about? We probably wonder about all of them, but surely there are some that stand out.

Mine would be the 1910 ball gown, and a recent purchase of this:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=120094962385&rd=1&rd=1

First I wonder who could've worn such a beautiful ball or evening gown, where they lived, etc..

And for the sundress, it's so cute and froufrou. I wonder if it were a teen?

How many of you ask ebay sellers and such where the items were found?

Nikki

 

[Shearer]

I'd love to be able to hear about everything I've acquired... who knows what went on in those clothes... and it really does make you think twice about buying frilly vintage lingerie! In the case of the latter, I just hope it was put to good use

I've got some jewelry from my great-grandmother who was a wardrobe mistress at Paramount back in the day. The set was given to her by Pola Negri after a fight she'd had with Rudolph Valentino... it's earrings and a pendant made from Falcon's claws. I've actually been meaning to start a thread on FL asking about them because I haven't been able to find any info on them whatsoever. But if someone would know, they're probably a FLounger

Now THAT jewelry saw some interesting moments I'm sure!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Nikki, that dress is lovely, and what a great price too. Well done

Shearer the jewelry set you speak of sounds incredible. I'd love to see some pictures. I'm sure those pieces saw some very interesting moments!

I have 3 dresses from the early 1900's that I often wonder about. One is a boiled wool, incredibly heavy black dress. It's very simple looking but the work that must have gone into making such a garment amazes me. It has this intricate orange trim and little details that one doesn't see too often on modern dresses. The other two are both navy blue heavy beaded Edwardian day dresses made of silk. The beading is so incredible on both. One of them has removable cuffs and collar made of the most beautiful lace.

I don't just wonder about who war these dresses but where they wore them to. The two Edwardian dresses are dressier than the black wool. I wonder if some well to do lady wore them to afternoon garden parties or to high tea. They are lovely. I have only worn one of them out in public. All three pieces are in pristine condition and still very strong. All seams are in tact, every bead is still in place. I just haven't had the opportunity to wear the other two yet. Although the heavy wool dress would be incredibly hot and very itchy to wear for any prolonged period of time.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Back in 1995, the town where I was living at the time threw a big do to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of VJ Day, and I was part of the entertainment. For the occasion I got hold of a 1944-dated WAC summer uniform -- and I have always wondered whose it was. All I know about her is that she was a staff sergeant, and was overseas for at least six months -- but other than her laundry mark, she left no other trace of her identity.

I still have the uniform, although it no longer fits -- and I guess I'll never know who wore it before I did. So I keep it as a memento of *all* the women who served, especially those who've been forgotten.

 

[MoxieGrl]

I too wonder about all my peices, but some really stand out. One is a 1890s wool gown, which going by the measurements the woman had a 22" waist but stood about 6 ft. tall. So, it really boggles my mind about how old and how she looked. It's very fancy, so I assume it's her wedding dress (being white as well), but I've never met someone in real life that is that slim around the waist and that lanky.
Ah, the secrets my acid-free boxes filled with goodys will never share. ;-)

 

[Snookie]

Honestly, I rarely stop to think about the actual person(s) who owned my garments. I do think about the type of person, i.e. the "market", that the garments were meant for, but rarely do I think about the individual. I am starting to sit and think about it now, though...

I think my mentality is indicative of my partiality for reproduction garments, as opposed to vintage. I don't need the old fabric on my back to feel like I'm harnessing the old styles.

 

[ohairas]

which going by the measurements the woman had a 22" waist but stood about 6 ft. tall. I've never met someone in real life that is that slim around the waist and that lanky.

Just a note that women would average a 2-6 inch waist reduction with a corset. So it's very reasonable that the original owner had a 26-28 inch waist. Tho I'm still sure she was very slim for her height at 6 ft! I have a girlfriend who is 5'7" with a natural waist of 25, so would be a "cinch" for her! And the coveted 17 inch waist would be no prob for my petite sister with her 23 inch waist. (she's 5'2").

The 1910 gown I spoke of also has a 22 inch waist. A few more pounds and I should be able to corset into it.

I still have the uniform, although it no longer fits -- and I guess I'll never know who wore it before I did. So I keep it as a memento of *all* the women who served, especially those who've been forgotten.
Wow Lizzie, that is a great find. Here's to all of our soldiers! :cheers1:

Shearer I would love to see that jewelry too, how neat!

It is so neat to inspect these garments and all of the hand sewing or beading etc. Just amazing workmanship.

Nikki

 

[ShooShooBaby]

the item i wonder most about is this salmon-pink dress i have that just SCREAMS WWII. i'm guessing it was made around 1942. it looks homemade, it's extremely well-worn, and it's been mended to high-heaven. it looks like the collar may have been redone at some point too. it's like the poster-dress for that "Make and Mend For Victory" book! obviously the woman who owned it was making the best of a period of scarcity by making it last as long as possible. what was her wartime experience like?

i keep telling myself i'll take the dress apart and make a pattern from it, but i just don't know if i could bear to! no matter how poor of shape it's in, it tells a story.

 

[Shearer]

Daisy and Nikki -

Soon as I get off my lazy bum, I'm going to start a thread to see if anyone has any info They're quite striking when I wear them out and the earring talons are actually really sharp.

It's kinda frustrating not being able to research them properly.

 

[dandelion-vint]

Not a good photo, but the green and yellow dress on the left is a favorite of mine. I bought it at a thrift shop, over 15 years ago along with the green floral hat that is hanging with it. The dress is very tiny, like 22 inch waist, so I've never worn it. I also bought a white chiffon dress, same era, same size along with a few other hats that same day. It seems like they were all donated from the same estate. They've just always been favorite pieces of mine, and I wonder about the lady who had owned them, what occasion did she wear this pretty dress to?

When I'm selling, I try to find out some info about the clothing's previous owner to include with the items, because many customers ask about the history. Probably my favorite purchase was from the estate of a lady who was a hatmaker in Harlem in the 1940-60s. I was lucky enough to get some photos of her too. I think alot of people enjoy knowing the history of the clothing.

Carol

 

[Fletch]

Probably the commander who wore my 1951 Navy flier's green blouse. Was he in Korea? Undoubtedly he was in the Big One.

Navy greens were only for wear on or near a flightline, and they are well worn in spots. Was he carrier? air station? fighter jock? multiengine? ground ops?

 

[Laughing Magpie]

What lovely stories! I find them intriguing.

This is one of the reasons I like vintage clothes so much. If they have happy memories, I'm pleased to share in them. If they have unhappy memories, maybe I can try to spread a little happiness while in them and while not exactly righting the wrongs, maybe rebalance the scales a little. I also like to think of the places they've been, and think about whether I'm bringing them back to their old favorite places, or maybe on new adventures their owners only dreamed of.

I have a designer 40s jacket that I bought here in town, and I wonder about what stylish woman that lived here who managed a trip to the States to buy it.

The other piece is a handmade skirt by my grandmother. She died when I was 3 years old, so it's wonderful to go over the mends and stitches on this skirt done by a woman who I -almost- remember, but who I'm told loved me very much. It's such a party skirt - a full circle black and white checked taffeta and velvet - and I'm sure she made it for the holidays. I love to think of her in her red hair and pearls and this skirt, singing and feasting with my great-aunts, wrapping presents for my mom when she was a baby and joking around with my granddad.

Jen

 

[Paul]

I think powder compact are interesting, imagine the handbags they must have been in and the stories they could tell every thing a lady would go through.
I have one that is unused from the 20's so that must have been put in a drawer and not used why.. a unwanted gift, the wrong shade, just plain forgotten about who knows.
A necklace or ring, these were not just worn but given hopefully with love for someone to someone.

 

[thebadmamajama]

I have a gorgeous little Art Nouveau ring that I found at an antique fair in the Loire Valley in France. It's a one-of-a-kind that was poured into a wax mold...I'm dying to know the story behind it, who made it, and how I relate to whoever might have had it before me. I think about it every time I look at my hand.

 

[Paul]

I have a gorgeous little Art Nouveau ring that I found at an antique fair in the Loire Valley in France. It's a one-of-a-kind that was poured into a wax mold...I'm dying to know the story behind it, who made it, and how I relate to whoever might have had it before me. I think about it every time I look at my hand.

Sounds great......Take it to be valued, they might find a hallmark, sometimes it so small you cannot see them yourself.

 

[KaitlynDawn]

I always wonder about ALL of my old things. That's part of growing up as an antique dealer's daughter. I have a late 20's salmon pink satin number that I'd love to know the story behine. It's simply AMAZING.

-Kaitlyn

 

[Grace]

My wedding dress! I had to spend over $100 to alter it so I could wear it.

The original owner was tall, had a 23" waist, and a 36 bust (one a B and one a D!!)

It came from Texas, and was told that it was used for some big festival/carnival down there? The name of the even escapes me right now...

i would do anything to have a picture of the original owner in it! It's from the 50s and dripping with rhinestones, pearls,and glass beads. I'm convinced it is the most divine creation on the earth.

I also have a loooong 60s gold clutch purse with a fortune cookie fortune in it. I often wonder about the lady who ate that cookie...

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Grace, both of those are amazing stories! And how unique to have a purse with a fortune in it! She must have felt it was important enough to save!

 

[Miss Dottie]

I also only know a bit about one owner and it was my wedding dress. The owner wore it in 1938 and was married to the fellow until her death.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

That's one lucky wedding dress.