1930s fashions from Record - the sewing magazine from Vienna

A different kind of sewing magazine post for today... Besides my year of Meyers Modeblatt, I have been acquiring quite a few other vintage sewing magazines too lately, to add to my existing collection. So I want to share some other fab magazines with you as well.

Up for today is "Record", a magazine from Austria. This issue is, judging by the fashions, ca. mid-1930s, however, the magazine continued after the war, as I have a 1950s issue as well, which I will be showing in a separate post. This monthly magazine contains little else beyond wonderful fashion illustrations to promote the patterns, that you could then order by mail. There are a few ads, but it's not a fully-flung women's magazine like Meyers - or like Brigitte. As an added bonus, it contains a sheet with patterns though, all for outfits that are depicted in the magazine. I love the illustrations, they are beautiful and clear, showing 30s fashion at it's best. This issue is in wonderful condition, almost like new, and I will treasure this!

The cover is already gorgeous:

 

 The pattern sheet - looks no different than later ones.

 Promoting further seasonal issues of "Record".

  Summer dresses made from washable fabrics!

 Dresses for teenagers on the right page.

 New blouses and light summer coats.

Even better - some pages are in color!

Evening wear too!

Beach wear - playsuits, coverups, beach pajamas - and "practical garden dresses". One of them has a zip down the front - how modern!

 Larger size fashions.

 Suits, skirts, blouses - and a bevy of pretty dickeys and collars!

How fun is that - a lederhosen suit in crochet!

 And some dirndls - because you just can't do without them in Austria.

Round-up: great finds, great stuff in the shop, and more vintage fun.

Ok, so I've been lazy of late. Just no time to write... sorry! But - I have a new project. Just wait!

First on - my "crusade". First, after the other replies I'd mentioned, I had only one more, from one of the big-big chains, apologizing and thanking me for bringing this to my attention. The other international (Scandinavian) companies didn't care a tick. So much for that. What did come up though was that the publisher of the magazine had replied to me! His reply was forwarded to me by the very nice lady of the above-mentioned chain. I swear, I never got any of his e-mails. They must have landed in some spam filter. This never having happened to me before, I honestly doubt that the spam filter on my side was the problem... Whatever, they apogized etc. and it seems the magazine was actually pulled out of the shops, because not even the Press Council could get their hands on it anymore after they got my message. The publisher has no promised me that there would be an apology in their next issue, which I think should be out soon, as autumn has started. I do hope they do it!

If you visited my Etsy shop in the mean time, you may have noticed some fabulous sewing accessories and other accessories there. In fact, it has quite been the summer for accessories!
 I was able to get my hands on a lot of utterly fabulous 1920s-50s buckles, collars and dickeys, all new old stock, this summer! Well, some buttons too, but more about that later. Some of the collars and jabots have already gone, sold almost immediately to someone who said this was one of their favorite looks. Well, I'm glad they went somewhere where they're appreciated and worn. However, there are still some dickeys and modesty panels that are absolutely fabulous: http://www.etsy.com/shop/willynillyart?section_id=10533906. And if you still need a fab 1930s Art deco belt buckle, check them out now: http://www.etsy.com/shop/willynillyart?section_id=11883326! Aren't they just awesome? There's also a heap of Vintage Vogue sewing patterns, all uncut, if you need to make that chic outfit.

I of course also bought some things for my own collection...

  How about this pristine 1920s dress insert? So chic! Or a cheecky jabot? And THE most fabulous 1930s plastic buckles. Not bakelite, they are all very light, but aren't they great? Also, there were some fabulous glass and metal or plastic buttons:

I also went to Vienna again for a week, and there my friend got her hand on a big bag full of buttons, from the estate of a lady who was a seamstress. We spent some two hours sitting on the floor and sorting them out... I took these home in the end:

Some are glass, but most are plastic, and some of them feature quite the same style as some of the buckles! It was just so fascinating to see all these things coming together!

For more vintage fun this summer, I also found some incredibly fab vintage to wear in Vienna. In fact, I think this was my best haul ever! True to the old adage that you never know with Humana, I found all the good stuff bar one piece in those shops that do not usually carry vintage per se - vintage pieces older than the 70s turning up at those is not the rule... But then it's the same as with collectiong dolls - the thrill of the hunt is what makes half the fun, not just the wearing it or having it!

Ca. 1960s blue nylon tricot slip by Gara of Italy. Every Humana shop had a bevy of these in all colors of the pastel rainbow - they must have come out of some old shop stock. All paper tags were still attached.

A super tiny looking 1940s summer dress, that I didn't even dare to try to wiggle into at the shop, where I found it on the last day. But the price was too reasonable (for once) not to take it. The material is probably some rayon/cotton blend, with embroidered-on flowers. The dress speaks of material shortness all over - it's quite short, though it was probably made for someone shorter than me, with very narrow seams, and a blue zipper (which looks original) in the black dress... I paired it with a pair of Chie Mihara platform sandals, that look a bit retro. It's very flattering with a swingy dress, puffy sleeves and a well-accentuated waist. Just what I love about 1940s looks! 

This incredible dress hung on a rack full of crazy 1980s evening wear - lots of black poly, stretch, velvet, gold and other color lamé... The side opening with the small snaps was on my side of the rack, and was what actually made me look twice! It didn't look like a lot on the hanger, but when I put it on, I knew I had a winner! It's a very sexy black evening dress, nicely made, ca. 1930s-40s, with a slinky bias-cut skirt. It may have been that this once had long sleeves that were removed at some point. Plus in the back near the hem, there are a few small holes - somebody must have stepped on it! However, I think I can fix this and I am holding on this, as it is the perfect black evening dress! And with my secondhand Ferragamo evening shoes, there will be no danger of me treading on the skirt too ;-).

Ultimately wearable for work is also this blue sheath dress, ca. 1960s. So comfortable and good looking! The material is probably some mix, I had no luck with the burn test... There's a few small holes that needed mending (and yes, it has been to the freezer to make sure nothing happens!), but otherwise it's perfect.

Also, for the first time, I have dared to buy two vintage dresses just for the purpose of re-selling! They were too nice (and too nicely prices) not to take! From the same dubious rack as the black evening dress came this black 1950s crepe dress. It is super-elegant and gracious I think - and an unusual XL size! Probably made by a seamstress, with self-covered buttons decorated with glass beads. Wow! Now available in my shop here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/105555155/1950s-graceful-black-crepe-evening

And here's a late 1960s brocade evening dress, also incredibly beautifully made by a pro. Check it out here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/104943226/1960s-glamorous-gold-and-blue-brocade

To top it all off, it was of course also Indianapolis in Oerlikon again! Of course I was wearing vintage! You already know this dress of course. There's nothing like a vintage cotton frock for a hot summer's day...

 

And for more vintage transport geekery... it was also the big celebration (Pistenfest) at the regional airstrip at Birrfeld. And there my dad and I got the chance to go on a scenic fligh on a Junkers JU-52! How great is that? She's a bit of a metal can, good old "Auntie Ju", but considering the recent exploit of another of Ju-Air's Jus, in flying all the way to L.A. and back without a bit of trouble (see http://www.rimowa-in-the-air.com/northamerica/logbuch/), this just goes to show how well solid old engineering can go! And it was great fun, wow!

Something new on my kitchen wall... and I've been blogged again!

Now, for something different than the last few days! Something really cool actually: I've been asked if I'd submit some photos of my personal styles wearing vintage to Louise's Personal Fashion Blog. We know eachother from the VFG Forum (wherelse?), and she has a "Stylish Ladies" section, to which I'm the first addtion - see it here: http://www.personal-fashion-journal.info/stylish_ladies.html. Thank you so much for including me!

And... something's changed on my kitchen wall...

I've replaced the page of ads from then 1926 "Le Petit Eco de la Mode" on the right with a this October-November 1939 cover of Harber's Bazaar. I saw this in a book and found a website that sells photo prints of it, so I ordered one. It's just so incredibly chic and modern - that short raincoat, timeless handbag (Gucci? it seems to have a bamboo handle) and the fairly short and slender skirt. The Paris opera in the background, and two sailors, cigarettes in their mouths' corners, looking appreciatively at the model (or rather her legs *g*). I just like it - it's so positive, even though these weren't happy times. Funny enough, the Coke ad in the middle is just ten years later, from 1949, and shows a New Look-like style in the middle - it shows nicely how styles changed completely between those years.

 

Sew retro - and some scarf ideas

As you may have noticed, I've been posting lots of sewing patterns on my Etsy shop lately. Most of them are Vintage Vogue sewing pattern re-issues. Ca. 1999 Vogue started re-issuing sewing patterns from the 1920s to the 1950s roughly. In case you ever wondered if they really were the "real deal" - meaning actual re-issues, yes, they definitely are! For example, Vintage Vogue V1043:

Now, check out the original at the Vintage Pattern Wiki - it was originally Vogue Special Design S-4382 from 1953: http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Vogue_S-4382

Vogue did obviously not reproduce the exact illustrations one to one, but kept the poses, colors and fabric prints from the original illustrations. Going back a little further, there is Vintage Vogue 2495:

Originally: Vogue 6111 from 1947: http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Vogue_6111. Again, they "fleshed out" the drawn models a bit more, but kept the other details "as is", even down to the accessories. The drawing of the back view seems to be the exact same.

One of the first Vintage Vogue re-issues to appear must have been a particular favourite of whoever decides which patterns they choose. Before the "real" re-issues, way back when Gene doll ruled the world of 16" fashion dolls, Vogue started issuing sewing patterns for Gene and her pals (or enemies... as if Madra would ever accept anything but her own sewing patterns, which she did get from Vogue!). Some of them were quite intricate and not too easy to execute. They were not simple "doll clothing" but really miniature versions of real clothing, and made in that way. One of the first patterns issued was Vogue Craft 7106:

 

A long evening dress, in two versions, the main one having an Asian-inspired look about it, with a long self-shawl thrown over one shoulder. Pattern's copyright year is 1998, so it came out that year or in '99 latest. Soon after that, Vogue started with their "real" vintage re-issues, and lo and behold, one of the first ones was Vintage Vogue 2494:

It's identical to View A of Gene's outfit (sorry, these are not for sale...)! The cut is exactly the same, down to the darts. I guess they invented the second version for Gene's pattern to give people a little more "value for money". Gene's pattern also includes the bag, snood and gloves, so that one could make a complete outfit. And now, for the original: that was Vogue Special Design S-4765 from 1947: http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Vogue_S-4765

Fascinating, isn't it? The Vintage Patterns Wiki certainly holds many treasures, it's a little hard though to find something without knowing the original pattern number. Being a bit of a nerd, I would generally have appreciated it, if Vogue would have mentioned the original pattern number somewhere on the envelope of the re-issues. It would also make searching easier for those who, say, maybe have a vintage one or seen it somewhere and wonder if there's a modern re-issue. The advantage of the modern ones of course is that the instructions are probably a bit more detailed, the instruction sheets aren't crumbling, the patterns are printed - and they come in several sizes. Vogue seems to issue most of them in size ranges 6-8-10, 12-14-16, 18-20-22, which of course offers more possibilities to modern-day sewers.

Speaking of doll sewing patterns, you'll find some of those in my Etsy shop too under http://www.etsy.com/shop/willynillyart?section_id=10828918 , as well as some modern "real life" sewing patterns at http://www.etsy.com/shop/willynillyart?section_id=11912447 . All are uncut and have at best been used to copy a pattern. The thing is, if you are planning on using a pattern more than once, or may have to use a pattern piece more than once, you're always better off just copying it, which is what I do with all commercial sewing patterns. It also makes small variations in size easier, as you can first trace it and then make the changes before cutting out the copy.

Since I've been talking about scarves a lot here last year, for those looking for a way to make something out of that big scarf (or maybe two) , this blouse/top pattern is just the ticket:

I do have a lovely, sunny 1970s silk scarf on offer as well at the moment. It's top quality, beautiful heavier silk, made by Kreier - I would not suggest cutting this one up though!

A short round-up

Just a quick one today... in a few hours, I will already be on my way to Frankfurt and from there on to Australia, on my second trade conference trip. The reason you haven't heard from me for so long was that I was on a 2-week trip to New Zealand, and then doing all the follow-ups on that and preparing for Australia took just too much time. Still, I like it, I admit, and I love traveling. Okay, unless a plane gets into violent turbulences, as experienced on an A-380 on the last trip. That's no fun, I admit.

Though I had some free time, there was no vintage shopping over there - though I did pack some vintage to wear, like my grey "power"-jacket, which I think still makes for a nice piece of business wear. I did spot some secondhand/charity shops though, that certainly looked like good options if you're looking for well-known brands for less. Queenstown has a very nice and well-stocked Salvation Army store that sells mostly clothes and shoes, but also books. There was also what looked like a consignment store in a small shopping complex on Shotover Street, but I can't remember the name of it for the life of me!
Napier, the Art Deco City, didn't yield and vintage shops either, though I admit, there wasn't much time to poke around there on my own. It is a sight to see though and one that I would recommend to everybody to visit! The buildings are so beautiful and decorative, and there is so much imagination that wen into all the decoration. I really loved it. The culmination was of course to be driven around town in a 1939 Packard as part of my Art Deco tour. The volunteers giving these tours are all locals, and they all dress up in 30s style for work. Not kitschy, but fun. The second night in town, at a small tourism networking function at one of the hotels, two not-so young gentlement turned up in dark blue pin-stripe suits and hats, looking like they could give Al Capone a run for his money - what a sight to see! They looked so sharp!

 Art Deco Napier.

The town's most incredible building, the National Tobacco Company. Lots of Art Nouveau decorative features as well!

Otherwise, the Hawke's Bay region surprised me with the great variety of wine and produce they grow, it's general green-ness, everything being close by, stylish accommodation, incredible restaurants - it is a gourmet's slice of heaven, no question!

I've also made it to the African art exhibition at the Rietberg Museum. I know very little about African art, but it was stunning - and quite interesting. The variety of styles was pretty big, and it was very well set up, giving even people like me a good clue about traditions, meanings etc.

I have also been to the opera again, probably the last time for some time, as it looks like the new intendancy starting soon is going in quite a different direction. Lots of singers that we enjoyed here will leave from the look of it. Anyway, I enjoyed this Die Entführung aus dem Serail a lot. Okay, the music is... not always "mine", but it was so well acted, and well done in a more modern way, and with a lot of humour, without veering off into kitsch. Long-time ensemble member Alfred Muff certainly got the "star" part as Osmin. Michael Laurenz as Pedrillo looked like Waldo with his nerd-glasses and beanie hat, but he too was exceptional - a natural as a comic actor - and making it all seem so natural not like he was acting.
As it was so hot the other week, I took the opportunity to wear one of my fave vintage cocktail dresses, which is so light that it takes temperatures like that to wear it. It would just be too much of a shame to cover this up with a jacket!

The dress is from Bonwit Teller originally, 60s for sure. The delicate fabric is shot with golden threads that make up flower shapes, and the gold braid is set with three rows of Aurora Borealis rhinestones. It glitters all the way! Shoes are as usual, S.Oliver sky-high heels, and my fave evening bag by After Five.

Good news - but not so good news for my wallet... the Caritas store around the corner now takes credit cards. Oh dear! And to top it all off, I found two great vintage dresses there yesterday!

 

This early to mid-60s dress might have been a bridesmaid's - or just a formal for a young lady. The label it seems is from a shop and which is still in existence - at least this Schellenberg boutique in Winterthur has almost the same logo! I love the simple shape with the pleats in the back that creat a bit of a bustle effect. There's also a stiff tull layer under the skirt, giving it a nice shape.

The second dress is a bit less dressier and more boho:

It's a fully lined, floate acetate-poly mix dress, almost floor-length, with a beautiful print. I haven't been able to find out anything about the label either, except for several hits on auction sites, showing dresses with the same label ranging from the 60s to the 80s.

So, this is it from me for the next couple of weeks!