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!

More from my "crusade"

So, more to update on my "crusade"! I just got the next reply, which turned out to be a two-in-one! It came from the shop chain from whose shop we'd picked the magazine up. Again, a very nice message, apologizing for the content and that they had no influence on the content of the magazine, but that they distance themselves from this and don't approve of such things. Also, they had taken consequences, which I guess refers to withdrawing the magazine from their shops. What's even more interesting, she was able to forward to me copy of e-mails that the publisher of the magazines had sent to me in reply to my two messages!
I swear, I never received them, they never landed in any of my spam filters, and I couldn't find that e-mail address in any of my blocked lists! But the only explanation is, that they got stuck somewhere in some filter - be it from the sender's side, or be it from Yahoo on my side, though I was able to check that! So, without further ado, his reply: 
He apologized for the "unfortunate word-play" (well, that's putting it a little mildly in my eyes...), and said that they distance themselves from any such ideas or ideology. They had also already taken consequences (not further explained - did they already have the mag withdrawn everywhere? That would explain why it seems to not be available anymore), and that they were going to publish a statement in their next issue. Well, I'll be very interested to see that, and I hope I can get it!
I'm still wondering how that thing flew by everything, if the publisher has classed this as a no-no too. I mean, this must have been written by someone and certainly been approved by someone else, so at least two people thought this was quite okay? Questions, questions...

Update on my "crusade" - part one!

So, today I got the first serious reply back regarding the article I posted about yesterday here.A chain of higher end fashion stores that operates in several countries, they replied very nicely, saying that of course they couldn't know what's in the free magazines they have at their stores, but of course such an article is indiscutable, and that they are going to remove all issues of this particular magazine from their stores. Well, it's definitely an improvement to what I got yesterday! My letter of complaint is still on the magazine's Facebook page - it really seems they don't give a care on what's being published on their page - or nobody is actually checking it. Well, that says a lot about them too...

On another note, a dress I bought in Vienna two years ago, and that I like very much, has gotten a few comments here, and now I actually know when it is from exactly! This is ever so cool - there really seem to be collectors of this label around. Check it out here: http://dollsfashionart.blogspot.ch/2010/08/super-dresses-from-vienna.html

Unsavoury... fashion magazine extolling the coolness of the "fascist look"

This is not a political blog, however, here's a story that I just want to put out there as it has angered me so much. Besides, it does have something to do with fashion as well, but in a very unsavoury way. And I feel it puts anybody who likes the 1940s look in the wrong place too.

Whilst I was on my holiday in Vienna, my pal and I picked up a free fashion magazine at a cosmetics store. It looks like any mainstream fashion mag you can get at the news stands, minus the stories - so it's just fashion - and lots of ads. How to wear this trend and that etc. The intellectual content is about zero, I'm not kidding myself there. However, I think this doesn't mean whoever publishes it shouldn't show a bit of responsibility and a minimum of political correctness, or at least common sense.

There was an article in it about the comeback of the 1940s look. From my perspective, it was a piece of fluff and they could have shown better examples, and been more precise about style elements etc. But nothing to offend anybody. Only, on the next page, there was a separate text insert titled "Cool im Fascho-Look" (Cool in the fascist-look). That boxed text basically implicated that since World War II "is so long ago", it' ok to find the Nazi-Look fashionable, and that Nazi uniforms look ever so dashing on men - even today. Therefore it mentions a German actor and an actress in Nazi roles as looking so elegant, and also claims that all that is needed for the look can be found through the "well sorted specialist trade". That really only implies one thing to me, and that is unsavoury to say the least.

This is a spit in the face of anybody who survived that time, and completely irresponsible, misguided and wrong. I was disgusted to say the least, and so was my friend. It's one thing to like the look of 1940s fashions, which I do too, but it doesn't mean I condone anything the Nazis did, or that I would even think of finding their uniforms something to copy! And no, it is never too long ago to not remember! There are countless wonderful 1940s Hollywood films that show the fashion of the time off to it's best that they could have cited.

Anyway, I was so put out by this, that I sent the magazine's publishers an e-mail. It's now a good two weeks since I did that, and they haven't replied. Well, I thought it's been long enough, and I'm still angry. So I sent another message to them, then I wrote to the Austrian press council to alert them to this, to the cosmetics chain where we picked the mag up (who would want to be associated to something like the?) - and all the other cosmetics or fashion shop chains, airlines, café chains and more that are listed as partners where the mag is available. Some of them are even international companies.

I see this now, besides working of my anger and disgust, which I think is the only thing one can feel in such a case, as a kind of experiment - who will reply, how fast, and what. 

So far, one e-mail has come back, claiming I was sending spam. Well, any client of theirs who has a Yahoo e-mail address will be very happy then!

The press council has replied, thanking me, and saying they'd like to look into this, however they needed the article. Of course I don't have that anymore, we threw the mag out. And they say they can't get it anymore anywhere near them. Oh dear!

One of the distributors has replied, basically telling me that I shouldn't have gotten myself so worked up, since this was obviously a magazine of not very intellectually highstanding content (really? I wouldn't have known...!). At the same time he admitted he hadn't read that (of course). And that was from the company's CEO. Very reassuring! Well, I'll make sure never to set foot into any of their outlets anymore.

So this is where we are at the moment. I will keep posting further developments.