The older I got, the older I liked my clothes. I loved to dress up in my aunt's prom dresses. I would go into the back of my mom's closet and pull out pieces from the '70s and wear them with 80s pieces. I once found a bright blue cowl necked flocked top. I put it together with big black belt and black vinyl pants. I thought it was 'totally awesome!' Hey-don't judge. It was the '80s and vinyl pants were cool!
My love for vintage clothes has grown and the older the piece I find, the better. Many find their way into my Etsy shop. Some find their way into my personal collection. And if they really are spectacular, they find their way onto my wall as art.
These are some of the vintage dresses I have hanging on my wall. They are beautiful and to me, they are art. They also carry with them a very personal connection.
This dress from the '50s era, belonged to my aunt. She was the oldest of four children. According to my mom, my aunt would get all 'gussied' up on Saturdays when the family made their weekly trip into town. When she would walk down the street, the boys would whistle at her! This outfit is two pieces with a sleeveless dress underneath the jacket. It is simply beautiful.
This beautiful '40s dress was found in a rag pile in the 'rubbish' room of my grandparents' farmhouse. It was in need of repair. I did not trust myself to fix such a valuable find, so I enlisted the help of a friend who is a seamstress for wedding dresses. She is the Yoda of sewing to me. She fixed it and renewed it to its beautiful state. I think it belonged to my grandmother, though I cannot be certain as she is no longer with us to ask. My grandmother was a beautiful person, inside and out. She was valedictorian of her high school class and attended college for four years during the depression to be a school teacher. She was extremely creative. She made up stories to tell her children and later to her grandchildren. And when there was no money to buy new clothes, she took old pieces and remade beautiful new things from them for my aunts to wear.
I hope I have a little bit of her kindness and creativity in me.
This was my mother's wedding dress. She made this dress herself. It was 1971 and it is a true sign of the times. She was a 'tall, cool drink of water' in this dress. As the marriage did not work out, she was reluctant to save the dress. I didn't see it as something that was to be reminded of failure. I saw it as something my mother created that she looked beautiful in. It means everything to me and I love to see it on my wall every day.
I love her hair in this picture!!! She is the strongest woman I know. When people tell me I look like her, I am sincerely grateful.
When I find vintage clothes, be it at a thrift store or a rummage sale or anywhere else, I am not only excited for the simple find, but also for finding someone's little piece of history. They made it this far into the future, so they were saved for a reason. Wedding dresses, cocktail dresses, house dresses-they were saved for a purpose. Eventually they make their way into someone else's hands. I am all the happier when they are mine. These clothes tell a story, just like a painting, book or any other piece of art. I always check the pockets of coats or purses. Sometimes, you find a remnant of a memory tucked away.
Sometimes, it is just a wadded up kleenex. Eew....
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