Friday, October 14, 2011

The 60s Are Back!

The hip new trend for Fall? 60s inspired fashion!

Personally I love the 50s the most, I feel like if I had to step back in time that I could pull off the style of the 50s easier than any other and I tend to buy the most vintage in that era, but the 60s were fun! Peace, joy and free love ya'll!

Hitting runways this Fall there were four main trends that you could put a vintage spin on: Color Forms, Spots and Polka Dots, Crazy Bright Furs and The 60s. Here's what you need to know!

Color Forms

 Think the 80s, big bright blocks of color, ultra violets and blocky patterns.When searching for vintage go with single, bright colored skirts, dresses with big blocks of bright colors and accessories that are bright, but different colors. Match oranges and pinks, yellows and greens or blue and purples with reds.
Crazy furs! Vintage fur is killer! Furs were so much more popular in the past, before people were concerned about animal depletion and raising animals for coats... So there are tons of vintage fur to be found. My recommendation? Find a coat, cowl, hat or gloves that fits well in either a white or light gray fur and get it dyed to the color you want. Vintage upcycle!
60s Inspired. Think mod squad. Oranges, patterns, more structured hippie. Don't go flowy though. Stick to strong shapes, strong patterns and strong colors, but don't go as bright as the color blocks trend for this. When looking for shoes find the ones with t-straps, they're back!!


Polka dots! Again something vintage does well. Polka dots in white and black are fashion forward. Also look for dark blue polka dots and mix it up with stronger colors like pinks, reds and purples. The 60s produced a lot of polka dot jewelry too. I've got some bangles and earrings at my case in the Wallach House that are top notch for this trend!







All the trends in one photo! Study and go shopping!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Vintage Hats and How to Measure Your Head

This weekend I scored some awesome vintage hats at estates sales and thought I'd share a few with you, as well as tips to measuring your head to make sure that awesome hat you order online is going to fit you!

1950s Rabbit Fur Winter Hat
 The first step to buying any hat online, vintage or not is to measure your head, or the head of the person you are buying for. An easy guide for that can be found here.But the basics are grab a soft tape measure, put the edge of it at the center of your forehead, wrap it around and record the number where it meets.

For example my head size is 22in - that makes me a standard size 7 in US hat measurements. View the handy dandy chart at the end of this blog to figure out your size.

Ro-Mae Exclusive Green Felt and Feather Hat
When I measure a vintage hat the main thing I'm measuring is the inside circumference to figure out the size. Now not all vintage hats are made to go around your head. Many are meant to sit on top of your hair on on top of your head, not around it. For those head size isn't as important as your vintage style or the style of the era you're portraying. I try to wear the hats I sell as they were styled to go so you get an idea of how it would look in practice.

Keep these tips in mind as you search out vintage hats and you're sure to find just the right hat, or hats for you!

Valerie Modes Red Velvet Hat - US Made
And if you're in the market for a vintage hat, please check out my Etsy shop, as I'll be adding hats in the next few weeks from my findings this weekend!
1950s Betmar Black Velvet Hat with Band
Winter Rabbit Fur Hat, No Brim