vintage clothing – bekahcubed

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Not too long ago, I was bemoaning the lack of vintage clothing in used stores. I knew that old people were still dying (I work in long term care, you know)–but you couldn’t tell by looking in the used stores. Where once I could find a plethora of beautiful vintage, I was now experiencing a veritable famine.

Until last week when, on a whim, I decided to take a look at the Halloween costumes.

What I discovered there was definitely NOT Halloween costumes.

This week I’m thankful for…

…a navy and white polka dot dress

Navy and White Dress

…an adorable orange 20s shift

Orange 20s Dress

…my very own Jane Austen style get-up

Cream Colored Dress

…another fabulous shift, this one from the 60s

Black Floral Dress

…an orange dress I can’t date, which looks shapeless but is anything but when on

Orange Dress

…a Cher maxi, which needs only some renewed elastic in its neckline to be a perfect fit

Cher Dress

…another maxi, this one in hot pink with a lovely drape

Hot Pink Maxi Dress

…a beautiful silver coat dress (very formal)

Silver Coat Dress

…a hat that ties under my chin

Hat that Ties under my chin

…a rather ordinary hat

An ordinary hat

…a quite extraordinary hat

Pillbox hat with veil

And I’m thankful for the Lord of love, who gives to me so much more than I need–who allows me to enjoy an abundance beyond what I could imagine.

Clothes horse. Fashion plate. Trendy. Style watcher.

Words you won’t hear used to describe me.

I’m a classic dresser, a fairly formal sort, with just a touch of whimsy. Unlike many women, I don’t generally take pleasure in clothes shopping and couldn’t care less about the latest styles.

But vintage clothing is one of my weaknesses.

I have dozens of dresses culled from used stores that I proudly wear. A 1940s gown, which I rarely have occasion to wear, not being used to formal dinners. A 1950s housewife’s dress. A 1960s Jackie O sheath. A shirt dress from the fifties or sixties. A maxi (that doesn’t quite make maxi status on me and is therefore slated for conversion to a modest “mini”) from the sixties/seventies. I just adore vintage.

So when I read Bermuda Onion’s review of Dreaming of Dior, I knew I wanted to take a look. Thankfully, my library had a copy and I snatched it right up.

The book contains illustrations of the stunning gowns from Doris Darnell’s collection–along with anecdotes about the former owners of each outfit. The illustrations alone are worth looking at–but the stories only make it better.

The stories feature a jet-setting crowd, traveling the world, meeting foreign dignitaries, dropping names left and right. It’s a world completely foreign to me, but one that I enjoy reading about nonetheless.

Many of the anecdotes reminded me of a favorite memoir of mine–Letitia Baldridge’s A Lady, First. I love those stories of diplomacy and etiquette and dinners that require fancy dress. Dreaming of Dior is just the sort of book for a story-loving, vintage-clothes-obsessed dreamer like myself.

Rating: 4 stars
Category: Fashion History
Synopsis: Charlotte Smith displays the fabulous collection of vintage outfits she inherited from her godmother–and tells the stories that go along with the gowns.
Recommendation: Lovely illustrations of lovely gowns with entertaining anecdotes to go along. This was a beautiful little book.

Visit my books page for more reviews and notes.

Thankful Thursday: Vintage

Book Review: “Dreaming of Dior” by Charlotte Smith