Swim Wear 1939-1940

Although its raining today and only 12C the weather man has promised warm sunshine later this week and I'm off to Brighton. (Not that I shall be dipping my toes or anything radical). So it seems an ideal time to show some swimsuits. Although 2 piece suits had been around for a couple of years, for the most part they remained in the adverts and illustrations. One piece suits were worn by "Everywoman' as suggested by the editorials below.


Picture Post May 1940. 2 Piece in Fringed Towelling. Click for big.


Picture Post May 1940. Click for big.


Picture Post May 1940. Click for big.


Jantzen advert summer 1939.


McCall Pattern Leaflet for Vokins Dept Store Brighton May 1939.


Short Story Illustration Woman's Fair Summer 1939. Click for big.


Swimsuit Editorial Woman's Fair Summer 1939. Click for big.

Shining Brightly: Metal Studded Dresses 1939

Last year The Vintage Baroness blogged about these dresses with metal stud decorations and its only taken me 9 months to find the article which I KNEW was lurking somewhere in my magazine collection.


Home Chat 1st April 1939, send away for a ready cut dress and studs. Click for Big.


Home Chat 1st April 1939, at left Virginia Grey MGM star wears a grey wool frock spotted with studs. Click for Big.

This fashion had been introduced in about 1934 in a lighter style see this fab frock at Adelines Attic The beginning of the war soon put paid to the fashion however, with all metal decorations being strictly limited under the austerity rules. However, they returned briefly in 1945/46 as did many other styles and fads from 1939 when the rules were eased.

Get your own at Wickedlady Collectables

Fabrics of the Fifties: David Whitehead

Fabrics from the 50s are very very collectable and seeing these designs by David Whitehead it is easy to understand why. Very soon there were high street copies everywhere and they are still being copied today.


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine November 1952


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine November 1953


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine May 1954


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine June 1954


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine September 1954


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine April 1955


Advert in Ideal Home Magazine April 1956

Much as I love 50s decor (except those Knitting Needle coat stands) I can never look through the old magazines without thinking of Flanders & Swann's satirical song
'Design for Living'

We're terribly House & Garden at number 7B,
We live in a most amusing Mews, ever so very contemporary.
We're terribly House & Garden - the money that one spends
To make a place that won't disgrace our House & Garden friends.

We've planned an uninhibited interior decor,
Curtains made of straw,
We've wallpapered the floor.
We don't know if we like it
But at least be can be sure:
There's no place like home sweet home

for complete lyrics visit here

I Wake Up Screaming

Have had a bad computer week so all I can manage at the moment is some eye candy, hopefully its all sorted out now and normal service will resume soon.


I Wake up Screaming 1941, l to r: Betty Gable, Carole Landis, Victor Mature.
Click for Big.


Ginger Rogers 1939. Click for Big


Desperately need these shoes. Click for Big.

Gowns For Dancing and Dining 1939-40

Evening gowns from Weldons Catalogue of Fashions Autumn Winter 1939-40
Where are these patterns now?


I can see Miss Pettigrew in 130413. Click for big.


I'd make 131103 and 130323. Click for big.


Some lovely Edwardian and Victorian inspirations here. Click for big.

Open Air Entertaining 1936

Oops, missed Easter but never mind. The weather is good now for outdoor parties
even in Yorkshire, which is what reminded me about this article.


Click for big


Advert 1936

Her Husband Designs Her Clothes

From Everywoman magazine January 1950. Gene Tierney was married to dress designer Oleg Cassini from 1941-1952, she was in London when this article was published filming the superb film noir Night and the City starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and London.


Click for big.


Candid shot 1948


Publicity shot from the film Night and the City

New Stock at Wickedlady Collectables

Shoes Shoes Shoes


From Utility to New Romantic by way of New York & London Mod

Hairpin Crochet Shrug 1952

For evenings, for weddings, for everday if last years' summer was anything to go by.
From Everywoman magazine May 1952. You can get hairpin lace/crochet tools on ebay


Short bolero crocheted in strips then joined with chain stitch/double crochet.


Click for big.

Down to the Sea in Shorts

Beach wear for summer 1940, (many people cancelled their holidays and the beaches were populated by barbed wire and the Home Guard.)


From Woman's Sphere July 1940. Click for (very) big.

Festival of Vintage at York Racecourse

Popped out to a vintage fair yesterday, despite it being a bank holiday weekend. But it was a lovely day even though the wind wanted to steal my hat.



This was basically a vintage fair with some extras thrown in such as fashion shows,
a hairdresser, dance lessons and live music.



The venue is quite small but they managed to pack quite a lot into the small space.
Prices varied, there were some bargains to be had such as a 1930s Worth evening coat at £145 and a fab pair of 80s Charles Jourdain perspex slingbacks at £15. But some items were way overpriced such as a 60s cotton dress at £75 and re-styled hats between £20-30.


The festival was very popular, we had to queue for about 10 minutes to get in just after opening and when we left there was still a queue.

More venues at Discover Vintage