Hollywood Patterns 1945

Every month I share a vintage fashion scan in my digital newsletter and this month I scanned in an extra page for all of you!  This one is from a Spring 1945 Hollywood Patterns booklet that I digitally restored.

Hollywood Patterns is one of my favorite vintage pattern lines.  It actually was owned by Vogue and used Hollywood starlets to sell part of their line.  Some of these patterns were used as tie-in products as a way to further promote that star's current film.  I'm obsessed with Classic Hollywood tie-in items.  My collection includes everything from match books and bottle caps to rare Latin mini flyers theaters used to help advertise the film.  Maybe one day I'll share some of my favorite pieces.  Would you guys like to see that?

*Feel free to pin this image or share the link.  Please do not re-post, redistribute, or sell in whole or part.  Image copyright Livin' Vintage / Emily Schwartz 2014*

Saving Style: 1940s Women in Pants

It's been a while since I've done one of these!  I miss it!  

Like much of the Midwest, it's still cold and snowy here in the Mitten.  I am really looking forward to spring this year, seeing that Monday night's snowfall broke a 130+ year record for the state of Michigan, bringing in nearly 95 inches of snow this winter.  Needless to say, bring on spring!

I love these ladies' pants, don't you?  I love that they both are using large clutch bags too.  I guess it's time to pull out mine and take it for a swing!

1946 Spring Lines from Hollywood Patterns

Last week, one of the ladies at the post office I frequent mentioned that her daughter was working on a project about 40s fashion.  I thought that was SO exciting and offered to send her some scans from my library of vintage magazines.

This Spring 1946 Hollywood Pattern booklet was among some of the things I scanned in.  I liked that it hit on a few of iconic 40s trends, such as large shoulders and tilt hats.

1755 and 1750 are my favorite looks from this page.  What are yours?

Free Pattern Friday: 1940s apron how to from a men's dress shirt

The 40s were all about making do with what you had and up cycling where you could.  This apron project is perfect for modern eco conscious gal.  And with spring cleaning right around the corner, I see all kinds of aprons coming in handy.

This is for your personal use only.  If you love this apron and want to share, feel free to pin on pinterest, link to this page, or send your friends here.  Please do not repost, redistribute, or reproduce pattern for sale.  Pattern may be used to make aprons for sale.

Saving Style | a 1949 winter

1949

I wish this photo was clearer so you all could see the fantastic coats and bags these ladies have.  While I adore the light colored coat's large fur collar, I must admit that I am quite smitten with the other lady's look.  The hat, saddle shoes, white gloves, and clutch bag -- very much a cool collegiate look, no?

Are you Signed Up? A One Time Sneak Peek Inside the Livin' Vintage Newsletter

Tomorrow is a big day for Livin' Vintage!  My first ever newsletter hit's your inboxes!

Are you subscribing?  Sign up for the Livin' Vintage Newsletter HERE

I thought I would share a one time sneak peek inside the newsletter.  This content is designed to be exclusive newsletter only material, so this is a special glance!

In every issue you will find a spread from a vintage magazine on fashion forecasts for that given month.  This month's fashion spread comes from the January 1948 Screenland magazine, which showcases the new longer hemlines of the New Look trend.

I'm already flipping through my February magazines to pick out next month's fashion spread!

Saving Style | Happy Veterans Day

In honor of Veteran's Day, I am sharing some of my photos with soldiers/men in uniform.  Like many vintage lovers, I have a soft spot for WWII photos, especially those that depict a man in uniform standing next to a pretty gal.

It's always fun to speculate who the woman is to the man.  His wife? Sister? Friend?  I'm willing to bet most of them are wives/girl friends or sisters.

This photo above looks like the couple just got married.  The woman is wearing a really nice suit, corsage, and a veiled hat.  Maybe a leave nuptials?  Regardless, they sure look happy!

What I find most charming about this photo is how the man is holding the purse and how the woman is looking down at the baby -- so sweet!  Plus check out that gal's shoes!

What's New

I'm so excited about the new stuff that has hit the shop in the last two weeks!  And, I'm even more excited about beginning to offer vintage menswear.  For now, there are just going to be a few pieces scatted in throughout the regular ladies offerings, but if it does well, you can expect to see a whole lot more!

                                        50s White Sequin Skirt                                                  50s Plus Size House Dress

60s Mens Suede and Wool Sweater

                                           60s Mens Shirt                                                           60s Mod Sundress

40s Yellow Platform Heels 

Like something you see?  Readers can save 10% with the code: READERS13

Milwaukee

A few weeks ago I had to go to Milwaukee, WI for a film conference where I presented my work on Dana Andrews.  In between listening to panels, I checked out as many vintage shops as possible.  Right in the heart of the city is a giant antique mall in a converted factory building.  Antiques on 2nd boasts three whole floors jam packed with at least a hundred or more vendors.  Jesse and I spent a few hours strolling the aisles and both came away with several stellar finds.

One of which is this dress, found in From Regal to Retro's booth.  I was too excited to wait to wear it, so I wore it our last day to a Brewers game.  Right adjacent to the ball park was this tranquil stream, perfect for some quick blog pictures.

I'll be back later with a few of my finds.   

Baby its Cold Outside

Is it feeling like winter by you? It sure is here!!

I wanted to answer some questions about my faux fireplace and logs from my last post. The logs are electric and are a separate piece from the fireplace itself. This will allow me to take them with me if and when I move. And, although they are pretty, they do not offer up any heat. They do, however, mock a real fire by "crackling" and slightly changing colors as the wheel turns. If you like mine and want your own, check out this listing on eBay.

Moving on, isn't this dress great? I got it for $1 at an estate sale. It was a total surprise find. I had seen the listing for the sale online, but it didn't really look too promising. But, since the sale was only a few blocks from my house, I decided to go anyway.... and boy am I glad that I did! I came away with several bags full of vintage goodies, this dress being among them. It's super warm and comfy -- the perfect winter dress.

Emily

P.S. In case you are wondering, that wonderful vintage slate tile lines the entry into my house. Just love it!

40s Dress: Estate Sale

Bakelite Bracelet: Adams Antique Mall, PA

40s Heels: Garage Sale

3 down, 1 to go

That's right, lovely readers, I only have one semester left of graduate school.... and boy am I happy! I have been a student for nearly 20 years, that is if you count preschool, and I sure am excited to no longer be a student come the end of April.

Anyway, as I turn in my final papers for this semester, here's a look at one of my outfits from a week or so ago. I have been so bogged down with paper writing that my little blog has had to take a backseat. However, I have been taking lots of photos of outfits, my house (which now has freshly cleaned vintage furniture in it), and my holiday decorations that I have been putting up in between all this writing.

This grey dress is one of the ones I bought on my trip to PA. I got it in a cute little shop called Yesterday's News in Pittsburgh. I belted the sweater and wore my favorite black velvet pumps. Good thing I got to take these for a spin before all the snow!

Emily

40s Dress: Yesterday's News, Pittsburgh

Belt: Off another dress

Sweater: Target

40s Velvet Pumps: Estate Sale

Perfect Weekend Dress

I wish the weekend was longer. It always seems to fly by so quickly, probably because I normally try and pack as much as I can into these two days. I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Here in Michigan, we were treated to summer-like weather, with the temps in the high 70s and low 80s! Because of this, I was able to take a few of my summer dresses out for one last spin before the colder weather arrives.

This is one of the dresses I acquired at the Midland Flea Market for $10. It's a sweet little 40s wrap house dress that I am sure was some lady's favorite, due to some holes, faint stains, and repairs. None the less, I love the dress and feel it is the perfect thing to wear out to the farmer's market and to estate sales. The pocket on the hip is perfect for holding some cash and my cell phone while out, eliminating the need for a purse. And, while I love purses, I love the ability to just throw the essentials into my pocket and have my hands and arms free for shopping.

Emily

40s Wrap House Dress: MIdland Flea Market

White Tennis Shoes: Target

A Forgotten Dress

One of the nice things about moving is rediscovering things you forgot you had. Such was the case with this dress. I bought this dress last year to have something new to wear when I was in Chicago visiting Leilani. Since then, this dress got shuffled to the back of the closet and hasn't been taken out for a spin. It was a nice surprise to find it and create a new outfit around it. Last time I wore it, I paired it with different shoes and a different belt. This thinner white belt and 40s peep toe pumps look much better than my last attempt (sorry no pics of that).

Have you rediscovered anything lately?

Emily

P.S. I bought some new glasses and they finally came in the other day. I splurged on a pair of Ray Bans! I wanted a pair of glasses to match my vintage style and I felt these fit the bill.

40s House Dress: Lost and Found Vintage

Belt: JC Penny

40s Peep Toe Pumps: eBay

Date Night

On Saturday evening, after a long day of thifting and shopping at Eastern Market, my beau took me to see What Ever Happened To Baby Jane at the Redford. I have to confess, I LOVE campy movies, which is probably something someone with a film degree should not say. ;)

I wore my new smock and I think this is going to be one of my most favorite outfits this spring! It was so comfy and yet I kind of felt a little dressed up. Maybe it was the black pants that was tricking me into feeling this way. I don't have much green in my wardrobe, so I expect to wear this again tomorrow for St. Patty's Day.

Don't forget, tomorrow is Nasty Jello Day!!

Emily

40s Smock: The Getup Vintage

Black Cigarette Pants: Kohls

Black Flats: JC Penny

Southfield Antiques Show

Yesterday, my beau and I went to an antiques show in Southfield, MI. It was kind of a bust...everything was priced super high. I was really interested in adding some bakelite to my collection but I was not willing to pay the $100+ price tags. Sometimes I wonder if these dealers don't realize that with places like eBay and etsy (the internet in general), people can get items for much, much less than what they are asking. The bakelite I am wearing here I found at an estate sale and only paid $1 each. Definitely one of the best deals I have gotten this estate sale season! Anyways, the day wasn't a complete loss, I did find two things to take home with me that were very reasonable!

Jesse (my beau) spotted this for me. He knows how much I love The Wizard of Oz and thought I would like this. It's a color-by-number coloring book that has never been colored in. I am going to scan in the images so the little girl I am a nanny for can color some of the fun images. I probably will end up sharing some on my blog too, so you vintage mamas out there can enjoy these as well. I paid less than $2 more than the original 59 cent price tag.

I was really excited to find these, since I have been looking for one for a long time. I bought them from a sweet old lady who loved my bakelite that I was wearing. She let me have both of them for only $8! I plan on keeping one and sharing the other one with my mom. These little pin cushions remind me of Cinderella's shoes..... just love them!!

Don't forget, there's still time to enter my giveaway and get your extra entries in! :)

Emily

Vintage Pendelton 49ers Jacket: Mother Fletchers

Bakelite Bracelets: Estate Sale

Carved Bakelite Earrings: eBay

Jeans: JC Penny

Flats: Payless (years ago)

Last Outfit Post of 2010

Two evenings ago, my family and I went out to celebrate my mom's birthday. Like always, I take any event outside the home to be an occasion to dress up. I really love this dress, but it is too big for me now and decided this to be the last time I would wear it. There is only so much one can do with a belt to hide excess. I might put it up on etsy, if anyone is interested in it, shoot me an email or comment and I can send details.

I have been suffering from an awful cold, which has given me a chance to catch up on my movie watching -- something I have so missed while school is in session. I never thought I would long for the days when I had to watch movies for homework. Reading novels is fun, but I would much rather do that in my leisure time. For me, watching movies are fun all the time! :)

I am so looking forward to 2011. I have big plans for this blog and can't wait to start blogging more. I also want to try to dress better on a daily basis. It's so easy to get caught up in wearing jeans and hoodies when you have to deal with Michigan weather. Each year I get better at making more of an effort to dress well, but I really want 2011 to be a new year, a new decade of positive changes in my life.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years Eve!!!

Emily

Dress & Hat: eBay

Shoes: Ferndale D.I.Y.

A New Beginning....

Sorry I have been gone for the past week or so. Last Wednesday I started grad school and my graduate assistantship. To say that I was/am a bit overwhelmed is an understatement. It definitely was a bit difficult to get back into the swing of things, but now that I have started both classes, I have a better feel for things and my new schedule.

I wore this two weekends ago, while it was still hot enough here to wear a summer dress; it has since cooled off considerably. This is also the last photo of me with long hair -- I got a haircut the day after this photo was taken. I am also sporting my new bakelite bracelets that I found at an estate sale for $1 each!!! My first time finding bakelite in the "wild!!"

Emily

Dress and Bakelite Hoops: eBay

Sweater: Target

Bakelite Bracelets: Estate Sale

Zoomance

Most of the time, I love living in the Metro Detroit area. We have a lot of old movie palaces, some great downtown areas, decent vintage shopping, and a great zoo. Last week, the zoo held a special event for adults called "Zoomance." The zoo was open from 6-9 p.m. just for adults 21+ to walk around, sip some wine, and enjoy the animals and lovely atmosphere. It had been about ten years since I had been to the zoo, so the beau offered to take me to Zoomance. I decided I wanted to channel the look of what a gal in the 40s might have worn to walk around the zoo. I've had this dress for a while and never knew quite where to wear it to, so a trip to the zoo seemed like a perfect place to debut it.

We had lovely weather that evening and almost all of the animals were out and about!

Emily

Dress: Mother Fletchers

Shoes: Re-Mix

Earrings: Great Aunts

I Love Yellow!

Have I ever mentioned that yellow is my favorite color? I just love how bright and cheery it is. Putting on something yellow always brighten my day and puts me in a good mood.

I got this dress a while back for a major steal on eBay, but had been putting off wearing it since I am not a huge fan of sleeveless tops and dresses. The hot Michigan weather convinced me to let go of my sleeveless fears and be a little bit cooler.

I am still working on getting down victory rolls. I fear I might never be able to really do them correctly. I have been watching Ashley's videos on how to do a victory roll, and they have been helping. Hopefully I will someday be able to do them with ease.

Emily

Earrings and Shoes: Estate Sales

Dress (knockoff Swirl!!): eBay

Red and Yellow are so cute together!

I have been meaning to share this new dress with you all for a while now. A few posts back, I asked if any of you had a pattern for a vintage pinafore dress and I was super happy when I found this dress on eBay. That is, until I received it in the mail. I bought it knowing that is wasn't in the best shape, but I was a little disappointed to find more holes than noted in the listing. But, to be fair to the seller, they did say it wasn't in good shape. I just thought that it couldn't be as bad as they said it was, but it was. I decided to give the dress a go with a yellow slip on underneath and that did do a lot to disguise the holes. Plus, I was only going to a flea market and people don't normally dress up as much as what I was wearing, at least around here they don't. Anyways, I plan on taking this dress apart and using it for a pattern to make another one, although I do hate to do it. The print is so cute! Maybe I will put it back together when I am done. :)

Emily

Dress and Earrings: eBay

Sweater: Target

Shoes: A gift from Rosie

Sunglasses: JC Penny Optical