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Vintage Dresses, Suits, Separates Page: <1> <2> |
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Vintage Baubles |
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Designer & upscale special-occasion apparel along with high-quality pieces designed and priced for everyday wear. Timeless classics for today & tomorrow! |
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Vintage 50's Designer-Style Little Black Silk Cocktail Dress, Small / Medium |
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This dress is divine; alas, my photos don’t do it justice. Made of lustrous Shantung or Dupioni silk with a light, smooth hand and fully lined. Wear it for a daytime affair or dress it up for the nicest of evening functions. No labels present; likely designer inspired and made by a talented dressmaker. Has styling elements reminiscent of several noted 50’s designers/design houses (Gigi Young, Suzy Perrette, Nathan Strong, etc.). Features a modified middy-type collar with an inset at the neckline and a midriff bow. Waistline is slightly dropped, and the box pleats and large, inverted center pleat are loosely constructed to give a soft fullness to the skirt. Back metal, locking zipper starts just below the collar. Very nice workmanship and construction details: stitched & pinked seam edges, curved waistline seam (notched as needed), hand-stitched facings, and more. |
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Fabric: Silk shell, rayon or cotton lining Condition: Near mint. Apparently has been shortened, and the person who did the alteration made small vertical slits in the lining at intervals to let out the ease that would have resulted along the stitchline. This makes the hemline lie flat on the outside; it is not a defect. Size: Not labeled; see measurements. Should fit about a modern size 6 or 8. There is no stretch in this fabric, and the waist measurement is crucial—it can’t be let out. * Measurements Bust: 37" plus ease Natural Waist: 28" Dropped Waist at Seam: 30 1/2” Hip: Free Length from back neckline to natural waist: 14” Dress length down center back seam: 38” * See our Sizing Tips for how we measure. |
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¨ Silk Organza ¨ Fabulous 3-Dimensional Flowers! |
Vintage 70’s Arnold Scaasi Designer Couture Silk Flowered DressSize Small/Medium |
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Sale Price: $350.00 |
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Fabulous vintage couture-labeled piece from Arnold Scaasi, noted for his creative use of fabric to transform simple designs into beautiful fashion. This custom dress is especially unique due to the ribboned 3-dimensional flowers. (See add’l photos for close up of these.) It’s a work of art! Semi-sheer bodice is of silk organza with a slightly crinkled texture and is boned for a secure fit. Encased elastic straps allow you to wear it at the shoulder points or off the shoulder. Skirt is untextured silk organza; both pieces are lined in silk. Has a back zipper, over which the flowers snap to give an unbroken design at the back. A satin-covered slide belt with Lucite buckle completes the look. I’m unsure if belt was original to dress, but appears to have been made for it; has Velcro tabs to keep it from sliding when worn. |
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Item Number: SCA-611 |
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As you’d expect, there is a lot of handwork on this dress. Each flower “petal” is individually stitched to the skirt, and the bodice facings are hand stitched. Size: Not labeled, but appears a modern 6 to 8. Use garment measurements below. *Measurements: Bust: 36 1/2″ to 37″ (there is ease through the bustline, thus the play in measurements. I measured both around the inside and outside.) Waist: 30″ Hip: 38″ Length: 32 1/2" from underarm * See our Sizing Tips for how we measure. Condition: Excellent. Two faint spots of soil on the outside of the top, one in back, one on the front at bustline. Both very faint. I gently spot cleaned these, and can barely spy them now. If they worry you, the dress could be profess-sionally spot cleaned. I don’t have a cleaner that I trust, so I must leave that to you. Also, a few loose embroidery threads, probably not noticeable unless you look for them. |
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Shipping: Free Insurance: Included |
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Vintage 80's Designer Arnold Scaasi Black Cocktail Party or Dinner Dress; Size 8, Medium |
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¨ The Essential Little Black Dress ¨ Pure Elegance ¨Beautiful Fabric |
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Item Number: SCA-611 |
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Price: $235 |
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Shipping: Free Insurance: Included |
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Another wonderful dress by Arnold Scaasi, this from his ready-to-wear line. Even so, it would have been very expensive when new. All in black, with sleek, classic lines, this dress is elegant. Solid black; photo at right lightened for detail (see photo gallery for more pictures).
Features princess seaming on the bodice; fitted seamed waistline, and back nylon zipper. Skirt is a short, flirty length, with its hem lined with stiffening to keep it shaped. I’m a fabric junkie, and this dress is made of a rich, high-quality fabric. The rayon/ acetate/poly blend has the look of de-lustered satin—softly lustrous but not shiny. The heavier weight of this fabric makes it suitable for year-round wear. Fully lined. Matching satin belt.
Fabric: Shell— 47% rayon, 42% tri-acetate, 11% polyester; lining: 100% acetate Condition: Near mint, ready to wear with just a pressing or steaming (I’ve steamed it, but it’ll need it again after shipping). Has been professionally cleaned. |
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Size: Labeled size 8; looks true to size. But, go by the actual garments measurements below to determine fit. * Measurements Bust: 37" Waist: 29" Hip: Free Length from back neckline to waist: 13 ¼" Dress length down center back seam: 34½" * See our Sizing Tips for how we measure. |
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¨ Designer Detailing ¨ Very Versatile— Dresses Up or Down |
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Item Number: BSK-0531 |
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Sale Price: $95 |
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Shipping: $5.00, U.S. Contact us for international shipping costs. Insurance: Included |
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Vintage 30’s/40’s Pink Lace Evening Dress or Wedding Gown with Taffeta Underslip, Size XS or Small |
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Soft pink lace long dress, circa late 30s/early 40s, with original taffeta underslip. Excellent example of the period. Would make a lovely summer wedding gown! Bodice has soft gathers under the bust, inverted “V” waistline, and “V” neckline. Back features a nicely detailed, pieced yoke. Dress slips on over the head, attaches to the underslip with snaps. Skirt is made in 4 panels, with narrow godets at the bottom for a bit of flare to the hemline. Crisp slip is a slightly brighter pink; the combination is lovely! Each piece could be worn with other garments, and the slip could itself be worn as a dress (with snaps removed). Likely home tailored, as many dresses of the day were, but nicely made. Matching jacket included; in poor shape with many repairs, but could ( I think) be made into a small shrug. Size: See measurements. About a modern XS or Small. Fit my XS manni, but loosely (which works for the era). Some stretch to the lace, so I’ve measured unstretched to stretched. * Dress Measurements Bust: 32″ to 35″ max. Waist: 32″ to 34″ max. Hip: 35″ to 37″ max. Length from top of shoulder: 56″ * See our Sizing Tips for how we measure. Fabric: Lace shell (probably cotton), rayon taffeta underslip Condition: Very good plus. There were 3 or 4 small breaks in the lace, which I’ve carefully repaired ). Since doing the repairs, I can’t find any of them except for one (see photo). Overall appears in sturdy, wearable condition. One tiny pinhole in slip, not noticeable when being worn. |
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Item Number: PKG-613 Price: $115 |
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Shipping: $6.00, U.S. Priority Mail. Contact us for international shipping costs. Insurance: Included |
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Proud Member VFG, Vintage Fashion Guild |
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Vintage 50's Alberto Fabiani Couture Black Velvet-Ribbon Full Evening Skirt; Sm, Waist: 26″ |
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This 1950’s evening skirt by Italian designer Alberto Fabiani is exquisite. Not as prolific as some names of the era—which makes his work harder to find than many—Fabiani nonetheless was an outstanding designer. He and his wife, designer Simonetta, together ran a fashion house in the early 60s (they later split their design houses again and continued their individual careers); this predates that collaboration. Skirt fabric is a full-bodied satin that I’m fairly certain is silk (there is no place to snip a sample for a burn test). Softly lustrous, not shiny. To this were stitched individual wide ribbons of soft, rich velvet (rayon or silk). This full-circle skirt can be worn without a crinoline for a draped, sophisticated elegance or with one for a more festive, flirty look (crinoline not included). There’s more fullness to the skirt than pictured; my crinoline couldn’t fill it out all the way. A simple design made special with its richness of fabric and meticulous construction. Side nylon zipper (nylon zippers were used in the 50s, so this may not be a replacement). The velvet halter top is not a Fabiani design, but was purchased or made by its former owner, I believe, specifically to match the skirt. The velvet is as lush as that of the skirt. Side metal zipper. |
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Fabric: Satin and velvet (I believe both to be silk, but one or both could be rayon) Condition: Excellent to near mint. I see no flaws, and there’s just a bit of wrinkling due to folding & storage. Professional steaming would alleviate this. Size: Skirt not labeled, top labeled 13, but vintage sizing runs small; see measurements. Should fit a modern size small. * Measurements Skirt Waist: 26″ Hip: Full (to 42″ ) Length from waist to hem: 30½″ Hem Sweep: Approx. 115″ Halter Bust: 36″ to 37¾″ in total (due to the gathering under the bust, there is a lot of ease in this and some play in the fit); 15″ across the back Waist: 28″ (to fit over skirt waist) Length down side seam: 8½″ * See our Sizing Tips for how we measure. |
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Item Number: FAB-0715 Price: $235 |