Vintage Clothing - What We Wore Back Then

 

Taffeta Dress with Velvet Collar

Silk Dress

  After almost 14 years, I finally found the   online platform to sell clothes that my   mother and grandmother had saved   throughout their lifetime.  Most from the 50s and 60s - adult dresses and suits and children's school clothes.  

While some were purchased from   department stores, my grandmother, being a dressmaker and seamstress, also made dresses and clothes for her, my mother and us granddaughters.  

Going through these clothes bring back so many memories of our childhood.  I loved watching my grandmother sew and talking with her.  Makes me smile.  

Beige Suit with Beading Trim

Gray Suit with Beading Trim

I opened my closet on Poshmark several months ago - CAROLINABLULADY Vintage Collectibles.   Listing the vintage children's clothes now along with vintage home decor, collectibles and jewelry items.  Not quite ready to start listing the women's dresses and suits yet.  Still admiring them.  

Lots of cool things on Poshmark and the platform is easy to use.  Please visit my closet soon. 

 

Wild, Foxy and Lover Boy: Avon Fragrances of 1980

The Avon fragrances introduced in 1980 seemed to reflect casual outdoor fun during the day and intimacy after a night on the town. There were 7 Avon colognes introduced in 1980, 4 for the ladies and 2 for gentlemen.  Around Christmastime, Avon introduced the first ever cologne for young men called Rookie.  The cute model for this cologne was none other than Adam Rich, an adorable young star of ABC TV’s popular “Eight is Enough”

The first cologne introduced by Avon in 1980 was from Campaign 2 called ‘Lover Boy’.  This cologne was fashioned for the casual, fun-loving and mischievous men of any age.

"Isn’t every man really a LOVER BOY at heart? The fragrance as irresistible as he is."

‘Sportif’ was introduced in the Campaign 5 brochure for women of a daytime casual flair.  

"It’s the name of the game. Soft, but sure. Crisp and colorful. The signature scent for the woman on the move."

In the Campaign 13 brochure, Avon introduced the summertime scent for women called ‘Country Breeze’

"All the smiles of a summer’s day in one irrepressible scent."    

What was new with this introduction was that Avon also included powder, drawer lining and sachet in the line of products.

 And now we get to the good stuff - wild and foxy colognes for women

‘Wild Jasmine’ was introduced in the Campaign 17 1980 brochure and advertised as “a love story in a fragrance.” 

Sort of grabs you like an exotic romance paperback novel…………but, with class.  Doesn’t it?

Then, just as the nights start to cool down, Avon’s Campaign 22 brochure of 1980 brings us 

 ‘Foxfire’

"Fragrance that reveals itself as a soft subtle glow, incredibly intimate, totally irresistible; he’ll cherish every moment you wear it."

Yes!

Now, it’s the men’s turn to light up the fire.  In the Campaign 23 1980 brochure, Avon introduces a new fragrance for men called ‘Black Suede’

"He many never wear anything else again"

"A clean, lean scent with a sure sense of masculinity about it!"

And now for the first ever Avon cologne for Boys

'Rookie'

"Rookie's a hit with me"

From Avon’s Campaign 1980 25, Adam Rich, adorable young star of ABC TV’s popular “Eight is Enough”  Adam played Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son on the television series that ran for five seasons (1977-1981)

Visit CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles on eCrater for other vintage Avon colognes and after shaves

Wild Jasmine is still available

1981 Coming Up!

 All pictures were taken by me of advertisements in my Avon brochures

Avon Fragrances of the 1970s: Dreams to Love Stories

For me, the 1970s was sort of a transition period between the laid back, hazy 60s to the energetic, on the move 80s.  1980 was the start of a new decade and, for some, a new beginning.  Disco music was filling the dance clubs bringing with it glitz and glamour in clothing, make-up and jewelry.  Both men and women dressed to be seen.  There was a new energy.  The disco era was one of my favorite times for style, music and fun.  Let’s look back on the 1970s and the popular fragrances that were introduced leading up to the 1980s.

Avon always kept up with the new trends and changes….in a very stylish and sophisticated way for women everywhere.  Their products were affordable and made you feel a little more special.   I love reading their brochures – the beautiful advertisements and their use of the English language describing their products.

Their first brochure of 1980 showed some of their popular fragrances that were introduced in the 1970s – Candid, Emprise, Timeless, Unspoken, Ariane and their new fragrance introduced in their Campaign 23 1979 brochure, Tasha. The introduction of Tasha filled 2 whole pages

Tasha is described as “In praise of dreams, desires and fantasies” and “The newest most desirable ultra fragrance ever dreamed of.”  With the flowing long sheer dress and scarf, it just makes you want to purchase this brand new Avon fragrance, not to mention the beautiful glass decanters and decorated boxes – simply beautiful. 

By the Campaign 7 1980 brochure, the advertising phrase was slightly changed to “Inspires dreams, desires and fantasies”   

Some of the other fragrances introduced in the 1970s with their descriptive phrase: 

Timeless 1974 “Enduring…for all your timeless tomorrows”  /  “As classic as the American woman”

Unspoken  1975  “Too marvelous for words”

Emprise  1976  “Into a world not easily impressed”

Candid  1977  “Because today being beautiful is being yourself”

Ariane  1977  “All the things a woman has the right to be”

Tempo  1978  “Live in it;  Laugh in it  Love in it”

For the Campaign 11 in 1979, there were several Men's colognes and after shaves introduced for Father's Day - Brisk Spice  (it's naturally zesty), Light Musk (it's naturally mellow) and Cool Sage (it's naturally bracing).

 

Campaign 16 in 1979, Avon introduced Weekend for men as the first casual scent for men - clean, fresh and spirited.  

A fun place to check out is the Avon Fragrance historical commercial reel on the Hagley Digital Archives site.  There are commercials on about 14 Avon fragrances like Timeless and Unspoken.  It's a large database, so you'll have to do some searching and refining, but it is so cool to hear some of those vintage commercials.      

I do have some of these fragrances from the 70s available – Timeless, Candid. Tempo, the dreamy Tasha and romantic Wild Jasmine (paperback not included).  You can purchase at CAROLINABLUELADYVintage Collectibles

Looking forward to checking out the 1980s!

 All pictures were taken by me of advertisements in my Avon brochures

Hallmark Christmas Ornaments

Hallmark has a fabulous history which began back in 1910 when a young man, 18 year-old Joyce Clyde Hall, arrived in Kansas City, Mo with a couple of boxes of picture postcards to sell. The first Hallmark Keepsake ornaments were introduced in 1973. There are thousands of Hallmark ornaments that have been introduced since then and represent just about any theme you can think of - my favorite was Barbie. I also loved the Merry Olde Santa series. Needless to say, my mother and I bought our share of ornaments back in the 1990s.

Here are a few Hallmark ornaments that are currently for sale at

CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles

1992 - 3rd in the Merry Olde Santa series
and designed by Duane Unruh





2003 Hallmark Keepsake 4th in the Barbie Celebration Series   








1996 Holiday Barbie Collector's Series and designed by Patricia Andrews

1995 - 6th in the Merry Olde Santa Series and designed by Robert Chad 

1998 - 9th in the Merry Olde Santa Series and designed by Duane Unruh

1997 - 4th in the Nostalgic Series - 

Barbie Wedding Day Series and 

designed by Patricia Andrews

There are so many wonderful and collectible Hallmark ornaments, it's hard to pick just one. I have over 40 Hallmark ornaments for sale - please visit me at 

CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles  

and take advantage of the Christmas sale going on

If you would like to learn more about the interesting history

 of Hallmark, you may like to visit their website:

Hallmark

Vintage Sewing Patterns

Time sure does get away from me, but then that is probably my fault.  I keep going from one interest to another and then back again - reading, music and records from the past, sewing and vintage fashion, researching vintage items, family history, family pictures and letters, all sorts of collections - it just goes on and on and on.  

I have always enjoyed sewing since I was a little girl.  I would get into sewing kicks off and on throughout my adult years.  I would sew a lot for a year or two and then not touch a sewing machine for years.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was in one of my sewing sprees and began buying lots and lots of patterns, material and notions - just couldn't pass up a sale.  Of course, my sewing slacked off way before I used all the patterns, materials and notions.

Last week I started going through some of my sewing patterns and I also pulled a couple of boxes of my grandmother's old patterns, some of which I remember her using to make clothes for me back in the 1950s.  Some of her older patterns are in bad shape and I need to look at those to see if they can be salvaged in any way.  

I opened this Companion Butterick pattern from the early 1940s - #2197.  There were no markings like seam allowances, notches, grain, or darts on the pattern pieces - no indication of what piece it was.  There were just different sizes of round holes in different areas.  At first I thought all the markings had faded off and the pieces were useless.  Then after reading the instructions, realized that was how they were marked back then.

Just think of the skill it would take to sew like this.  




While all the pieces were cut, they were all there and after really examining the pieces, I could see the perforated numbers on each piece.  There was only 1 piece that was torn in 2 pieces, but could easily be fixed. 

























Here are pictures of the different pieces included in this pattern and the pattern perforations instructions.   Also a picture of the sleeve piece showing that it is #11.  It will be interesting to look at these old patterns.   

I will be putting most of my vintage sewing patterns up for sale on my eCrater store @ CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles  

I also discovered a wonderful site called Vintage Sewing Patterns.  It is a site where vintage sewing patterns (over 25 years old) can be documented and if available for purchase, it will show you the vendor(s) that you can click on to go and purchase.  Not only can you search by various means like garment type, decade, pattern company, etc, but there are also videos and copies of pattern books to view.  

If you are interested in vintage patterns, I hope you will visit this wonderful site.    

A Story of a Needle, Thread and Thimble

I was researching sewing thimbles in regards to collecting them.  There are so many beautiful and ornate thimbles and such wonderful history and stories that goes with them.
 

But the one story I found that I thought I would share was the story called Dependence and Indpendence. a story of "Needle . Thread and Thimble"  Little Folks.  I found this story in 2 different newspaper publications, Morning Oregonian (Portland, OR) dated August 24, 1888 and The McIvor Times and Rodney Advertiser (Heathcote, Vic. : 1863 - 1918) dated January 4, 1889, an Australian newspaper

A thimble, a needle and a piece of thread were all lying on a lady's work table together.  Now, the needle, had rather a nasty temper, and could give sharp pricks when it pleased, and this morning it was out of sorts, so it tried to pick a quarrel with the thimble, and said, spitefully:  "You gave me some hard knocks yesterday, and I wish you would be more gentle in the future." 

"It is true, I do push you hard sometimes," answered the thimble, "but you know it is only when you do not do your work properly, and our mistress makes me keep you up to it." 

 "Pray, don't you two quarrel," said the thread wishing to be a peacemaker. 

"You mind your own business," retorted the needle.

"My business is your business," said the thread, "for you are no use without me, and I am none without you."

"That's just it," said the thimble.  "A great deal of nonsense is talked in this world about being independent, but my own opinion is that people should try to help one another, for, from the highest to the lowest, we are all very dependent n the good services of our neighbors for something or other every day of our live."  

Check out our Pinterest board for thimbles.