Vintage 60s Plaid Cape Knockabouts by Pendleton Poncho 100% Virgin Wool

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Vintage 60s Mod Scooter Black Aztec Dress

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Vintage 40s Sheer Rhinestone Blouse Crop Top

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Vintage 40s Sheer Rhinestone Blouse Crop Top

Oh So LUCKY!!

Just recently I was emailed through LUCKY Magazine that they featured Retro Threadz in their magazine. Such a exciting surprise, thought I'd share

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Vintage 40s Pintuck Peeptoe Heels

 To view these peep toes CLICK HERE

Marlene Dietrich - Morocco / Fashion In Film Friday

Fashions of every era have always been motivated by movie costumes since way before there was even color or sound in films.  For example the German stage and silent film actress Marlene Dietrich was a fashion icon of the 20's and was considered a scandalous rebel in her time due to her love of masculine attire.  She wore a top hat and tuxedo in the 1928 vintage film Morocco which raised eyebrows and more than likely began the dawn of sexual ambiguity in clothing styles.   

 In regards to her style she was quoted as saying...
"I dress for the image, not for myself, not for the public and definitely not for men"...

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Gettin' Checked Out...

Whether you refer to it as plaid, hounds tooth or simply checks, there's a rich history behind this pattern that has been referred to as 'Prince of Wales checks' for some time now, given this nickname because it was extremely popular when Edward VIII was Prince of Wales in the 1930's.  For forty years thereafter it became the fabric of choice for aristocrats & commoners alike.  Now that we're approaching 2012, we've long since evolved past the basic plaid/checkered shirt or blouse and have moved into new territory.

The British fashion designer, the late Alexander McQueen, received major kudos for his tartan collection when he mesmerized his fans with his modernistic approach to creating current fashions from the vintage fabric.

This Alexander McQueen Tartan poof skirt-dress is on sale at Neiman Marcus for only about $800.00...ahhh yeah right not on this fashionistas budget!

This past Spring Yves St. Laurent showcased their Fall line up for 2011 that included a variety of styles that incorporated the Prince of Wales check designs, with a contemporary flair befitting of the 21st century.

During Milan fashion week this year, Gucci even had the guys on board with this trend...

You can very well piece together your own 'Prince of Wales' inspired wardrobe with just a few simple clothing items accentuated with leather and chains to keep it fun & fresh!  After McQueen showcased his Tartan creations, the look was sought after in a big way as everyone wanted to get 'checked out'!

                                     ***In shop vintage plaids***

     
pics: fashionising.com, trendstyle4u.blogspot.com, flickr.com, glamazondianes.com, latimesblogs.latimes.com, 4bp.blogspot.com, catwalkqueen.tv.com,http://www.etsy.com/shop/retrothreadz

Vintage Tapestry Fashions

When you say or hear the word 'tapestry', I'm sure a wall hanging of sorts comes to mind but tapestry fabric has been worn as clothing as far back as the middle ages in the era of castles and chivalry.  Tapestry in layman's terms is an intricate loom woven textile art that has been around for centuries, even dating back as far as the 3rd century BC as Greek tapestries have been discovered and preserved in desert of Tarim Basen.  The usual medium of choice for weaving tapestry is cotton or linen, but for more fancier fare, silk, gold & silver are often used.  It's amazing to look back now with wonder an awe as to how delicate the whole process was with the detailed art work performed with basic means in comparison to what is produced today with technology.  In February of this year, during Milan Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2011, designer Veronica Etro went Medieval bringing a primitive vibe to tapestry styles...

There's such an absolute rich history behind the fabric that is tapestry and every once in a great while here at Retro Threadz, we are lucky enough to acquire a rare tapestry find.  Stop by the shop to see our new listings this week!  Featured as of yesterday, we are excited to add this 'Vintage 60's Tapestry Go-Go Boots & Handbag set to our collection!

: fashionwindows.net, Retro Threadz  

Designer Dish on Salvatore Ferragamo

Although he's been gone for over a half a century, Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo will always be known for his outrageous shoe designs, as pictured here with this pair of 1938, stacked, multi color platform sandals that were actually about forty years ahead of their time being that they could have easily be mistaken for styles we've seen worn circa 1970.

At the height of his career, his shoe designs were worn by Hollywood royalty such as Audrey Hepburn and he was considered to be the 'shoemaker to the stars'.  What set him apart from the many other up and coming designer competitors was his ability to custom make a shoe that felt just as good as it looked on the wearer.  He could fashion a shoe to fit any foot, just as well as a tailor could custom a suit.

Ferragamo or rather, the design house of the late Ferragamo has always been considered a family ran business being that it has been handed down from generation to generation and although shoes, belts and bags have always been at the forefront of the store front, around 1980 they began incorporating clothing into their mix of merchandise with their reputable designer label however, shoes will always be their mainstay.  Recently they showcased their 'Women's Resort 2012 Collection' featuring new designs of shoes and bags with a 'geared toward going on a vay kay' vibe & it was said that some notable ladies of Tinseltown made an appearance at the event such as Eva Mendez & Minka Kelly to stake dibs on their select fave pieces...

Given the past rich history of the Ferragamo line of extraordinary shoe designs, I am personally not very hooked on the Resort Collection.  I feel it's a bit muted/tame in comparison to what I've seen from decades ago which is now considered 'Vintage Ferragamo'....

Check back often as Retro Threadz has been known to find Ferragamo's every now and then! 


: anonymitynews.com , tumblr.com , cosmicallychic.wordpress.com , reuters.com , secondcitystyle.com , sewmanstore.com  blog.lulusvintage.com , shoesense.com , pennydreadfulvintage.com 

MOD Monday

Go-go boots first became popular in the 60's given the name that was derived from the 1962 slang term "go", meaning something that was "all the rage" and that was followed by the term "go-go dancer" in 1965.  Back then, a go go dancer wasn't necessarily a stripper as many well established night clubs featured mod mama's in retro frocks and go-go boots dancing in cages.  Initially boots were only thought to be worn during bad weather to protect us from the elements and not as street wear, but just like everything...fashions evolved...

The go-go type boots generally sits at the knee or above the knee with a lower flat chunky heel.  They were famous for drawing attention to the legs when paired with right mini skirt/dress.  You know you've found a 'vintage' go-go boot if it's made of plastic or vinyl and it's colorful, because the 'mod' go-go boots of the 60's came in array of colors!

Nancy Sinatra and Jane Fonda, both made go-go boots popular in song and film, as Nancy sang about them in her popular one hit wonder hit "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" and Jane showed us her sexy side in some space age go-go boots in the cult science fiction movie Barbarella.

Check out these sexy lace up boots worn by stewardess's in the 60's and for real with the hot pants?!

Retro Threadz 'LOVES' us some go-go boots & there have been many unique style and color variations that have came and went, but we are always on the hunt for that special find!  Currently, we have a few left in the shop...

hollywoodhangover.com , mydmt.com , bohemianmonk.com , backwardglances.com , lacaliqueen.blogspot.com , etsy.com/shop/retrothreadz

Cinco De Mayo en Etsy!

Ola' senoritas! & Happy Cinco De Mayo en Etsy!   In case you have no idea why May 5th is celebrated each year by the Mexican culture, here's the deets. It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla as well as in the U.S. to commemorate the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. So enough with the brief history lesson, on to the fun stuff!  Cinco De Mayo is all about ... 'Fun, Music, Dance, Fashion & Food!'

Of course, we're going to focus on the 'FASHION', so...If you're gearing up to partake in any festivities this evening, make sure you go bright and bold with colors!  A-line skirts & dresses that swing are perfect for jiving to the Mariachi! & by the way, they don't have to be long...  Here are some fab & flirty frocks from our personal vintage collection.


                      ***Retro Threadz Vintage 50s Ric Rac Dress***

                 ***Retro Threadz Vintage 50s Floral Cocktail Dress***

If you prefer to go for a more modern fashion feel for Cinco De Mayo, feel free to incorporate a variety of colors, textures and patterns, because mix-match is definitely in for May 5th 2011!

                                            Que' divertido! 




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MOD Monday

Enough of the Royal hoopla... it's time to get back on track here at Retro Threadz as we bring you Mod Monday once again!  Today we're going to talk about fashion icon of the 60's, Edie Sedgwick...

   
Edie was an American born actress, model, socialite and heiress who is mostly remembered for being Andy Warhol's 'muse' & was even considered a 'superstar' after appearing in several of his short art house films.   Edie's life was the epitome of the 'poor little rich girl' who had it all but had nothing really being that she came from an extremely troubled home.  All of this was said to have led to her battle with anorexia and substance abuse.

She met Warhol, the avante garde filmmaker/artist in March of 1965 and he immediately took a liking to her and set out to make her a star however, none of Warhol's films were commercially successful.

Edie may have failed on the big screen but she left her mark as a true fashion icon for her era as she was the epitome of the swinging 60's scene and a true founder of the beatnik style.  She was young and definitely hip and no one had ever seen anything quite like her daring to wear nothing but a leotard, with opaque tights & a sweater!  This fashion trend took off like wild fire!

It was reported in 1971 that Edie stopped abusing drugs and alcohol for a short time however, on November 15th, 1971 at the ripe old age of 28, she was said to have died from what was noted as 'undetermined/accident/suicide'.  She was definitely the life of every party and lived hers in the fast lane...


She became a vintage legend style icon and even today, women try to emulate her fashion statement with a more contemporary flair.

          *Random Fact: Actress Kyra Sedgwick is Edie Sedgwick's cousin

   
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