1940s
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Sewing a Swing Dance Dress – Part One – The First Version
We decided to have a little informal party with some friends. I had about 1 1/2 weeks' notice, and since it is to be a swing dance and we all love to dress in costume, I decided this was a… Continue reading
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February Tutorial – How to Make a Vintage Fur Stole into a Boa
I enjoy recycling once-loved items and preserving the past. So when I found my interest this winter drawn to furs like my Lilli Ann coat, I was soon browsing Pinterest for pictures and inspiration for types of furs, both faux… Continue reading
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The Lilli Ann Fur Coat
Last week I posted about my almost-Lilli-Ann jacket (scroll down to see the post), a find at a thrift store which reminded me of a certain designer's 1940s and 1950s garments. Now it's time to give a a blog airing… Continue reading
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Holiday Hairstyle 1940s Style
I've noticed in photos from the 1940s that berries and branches, or branches of flowers, were common hair accessories, often used as headbands across the top of the head – even to the overboard kind that looked all twiggy. So… Continue reading
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For the Reenactor-at-Heart – 1940s Costume Examples
I found this wonderful image on Pinterest. I'm posting it extra large so you can see the detail. It's just ideal for a perfect encapsulation of three of the distinct 1940s styles that were worn then… Continue reading
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November Tutorial – Changing Vintage Earrings to Shoe Clips
Sometimes you can find great vintage earrings that you don't want to wear as earrings. These clip-on rhinestones were too large for me, but they were the perfect size for glitzy shoe clips. Of course shoe clips can be clipped… Continue reading
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Modern Shoes Suitable for 1940s Costumes
There are many articles about vintage shoe purchasing, finding the right size, caring for your finds, having them repaired, etc, and I have seen some blog posts showing “retro” style modern shoes, but rarely modern made shoes that are… Continue reading
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How to Make a Simple Retro Head Scarf
I quickly grew tired of wearing an elastic-edge satin sleeping cap when I have my hair in rollers overnight, so I came up with this idea – ever so much more becoming and comfortable! I started with a vintage rectangular… Continue reading
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October Tutorial – Converting Vintage Clip-on Earrings
This month I'm going to show you how to convert clip-on earrings to pierced. This process is quite easy and perfect for those of us who don't wear clip-ons but love vintage earrings which are almost always clip-on. There are… Continue reading
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Free Pattern for 1940s Style Crochet Double-Ruffle Brooch
As promised, here is the pattern for the 1940s style brooch I designed to wear with the Traveling Dress. Easy and quick, not only did it add the right touch of cream to tie together the look, it also filled in… Continue reading