Vintage Birthdays: 5/13 – 5/19

Billie Dove: May 14, 1903 (d. December 31, 1997)

Billie Dove

Billie Dove

Billie Dove

Billie Dove

Billie Dove

Billie Dove

Maureen O’Sullivan: May 17, 1911 (d. June 23, 1998)

Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane

Maureen O’Sullivan as Jane

Maureen O'Sullivan

Maureen O’Sullivan

Maureen O'Sullivan circa 1938

Maureen O’Sullivan circa 1938

Pierre Balmain: May 18 1914 (d. June 29, 1982)

Pierre Balmain

Pierre Balmain

Pierre Balmain

Pierre Balmain

Pierre Balmain circa 1957

Pierre Balmain circa 1957

Vintage Vogue: A Rose By Any Another Name

April showers bring May flowers and there’s nothing prettier than a rose. Except maybe a vintage rose.

vintage 90s cream knit rose print princess dress xs s by vintspiration

vintage 90s cream knit rose print princess dress xs s by vintspiration

SAILOR STRIPES mod mini dress - red rose - Ruth of Carolina XXS by  johnnybombshell

SAILOR STRIPES mod mini dress – red rose – Ruth of Carolina XXS by johnnybombshell

floral heels / floral shoes size 7.5 by  allencompany

floral heels / floral shoes size 7.5 by allencompany

FUNKy RED AnD bLUE SwEATER vEST WiTH ARGyLE ROSE PATTERN by ShastaBrookVintage

FUNKy RED AnD bLUE SwEATER vEST WiTH ARGyLE ROSE PATTERN by ShastaBrookVintage

1950s Blouse - Rose Print Shell Top by OldFaithfulVintage

1950s Blouse – Rose Print Shell Top by OldFaithfulVintage

Vintage Birthdays: 5/6 – 5/12

Anne Baxter: May 7, 1923 (d. December 12, 1985)

Anne Baxter

Anne Baxter

Anne Baxter

Anne Baxter

Anne Baxter

Anne Baxter

Jacques Heim: May 8, 1899 (d. January 8, 1967)

Jacques Heim design circa 1956

Jacques Heim design circa 1956

Jacques Heim Sun-Dress - 1958 L’Officiel De La Mode - 435-436

Jacques Heim Sun-Dress – 1958 L’Officiel De La Mode – 435-436

1935 - Bathing Suits and Shade Hats by Jacques Heim - Photo by Horst P. Horst (German-American, 1906-1999)

1935 – Bathing Suits and Shade Hats by Jacques Heim – Photo by Horst P. Horst (German-American, 1906-1999)

Mariano Fortuny: May 11, 1871 (d. May 3, 1949)

Mariano Fortuny

Mariano Fortuny

Mariano Fortuny

Mariano Fortuny

Mariano Fortuny

Mariano Fortuny

Katharine Hepburn: May 12, 1907 (d. June 29, 2003)

Katharine Hepburn by Christopher Strong circa 1933

Katharine Hepburn by Christopher Strong circa 1933

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn - Philadelphia Story stage shot

Katharine Hepburn – Philadelphia Story stage shot

Abode + Beyond: Forest Friendly

About 6 months ago I moved to Upstate New York from NYC. Even before I got here, I had a strong attraction to natural materials and an overall affinity for the outdoors in design. I’m not actually about to go camping. Trees, linens, stoneware, neutral colors, woods and woodland creatures like owls and deer just find their way into my aesthetic.

I’ve been trying to accumulate all sorts of things my style to include in my new (and MUCH larger) apartment. While I have a million little things to finish off the space, I really need to get my butt in gear about purchasing some furniture. I still don’t have a couch. Yeah, you try owning a couch in a 5th floor walk-up studio in Brooklyn. I didn’t think so.

Even though I’ve curbed my spending for the time being on decorative items for myself, I can still share!

vintage tiny blue owl flower pot by fairandfreckled

vintage tiny blue owl flower pot by fairandfreckled

Mid Century Wine Rack by boxofhollyhocks

Mid Century Wine Rack by boxofhollyhocks

OTAGIRI Ceramic Mug Hand-painted Trees by keysNparrots

OTAGIRI Ceramic Mug Hand-painted Trees by keysNparrots

Vintage Wooden Salad Bowl Set by RewindPlayWear

Vintage Wooden Salad Bowl Set by RewindPlayWear

Label Love: Carlette

Carlette label

Carlette label

When I found this super cute vintage dress, I immediately had to start looking up the label. Most of the time I don’t come up with much on these general kind of name labels. There’s so many of them and most have long lost the history of their origins. Every so often I’ll read a blog post out there that unearths some great grandchild of the legacy of a lable and I always find it fascinating. Check out my friend Lizzie’s blog The Vintage Traveler if you’re fond of historical stories about vintage. Especially her interview with Vera Neumann’s nephew and Enid Collin’s son. Both excellent reads!

Sadly, I don’t have the killer detective skills of Lizzie, but I do love vintage labels and researching them a little for my own curiosity. This time around I took a gander around for Carlette. Turns out Emmanuelle Khanh was one of the lines contributing designers. I’ve had another Khanh piece in my possession some years ago. That one was for Youthquake and included her name on the label, so we know it was her design.

Emmanuelle Khanh

Emmanuelle Khanh

Emmanuelle Khanh was born in Paris in 1937 and started in the fashion industry as a model for Balenciaga and Givenchy in the 50′s. She started designing ready-to-wear in the 60′s and collaborated with another ex-Balenciaga model, Christiane Bailly, to design their own groundbreaking Emmachristie collection in 1962. And Missoni in 1965 when she met Rosita on a trip to New York.

Sometime in the 60s she also did work for Youthquake, Cacharel, Krizia and our own little Carlette! I bet she even designed one or more of these great examples.

vintage 60s mod mad men blue linen and lace dress m by vintspiration

vintage 60s mod mad men blue linen and lace dress m by vintspiration

1960's Carlette "Mary Jane" Knit Vintage Wedding Dress

1960′s Carlette “Mary Jane” Knit Vintage Wedding Dress

CARLETTE // Rayon Linen Dress // Drop Waist // Large Plaid by lindaowen

CARLETTE // Rayon Linen Dress // Drop Waist // Large Plaid by lindaowen

vintage 1960s to 1970s dress / carlette yellow drop waist mod shift horizontal layers pleated skirt by SHESABETTIE

vintage 1960s to 1970s dress / carlette yellow drop waist mod shift horizontal layers pleated skirt by SHESABETTIE

Lovely Lilly

Designer Lilly Pulitzer passed away yesterday at the age of 81.

Lilly Pulitzer was one of those labels that early on in my vintage hunting career was one of those top labels you knew were a real score when you snagged one. Lilly’s fun prints and great preppy vibes were always a hit on the online action circuit. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve picked up a vintage Lilly in a thrift shop so it goes to show that the masses were totally picking up on the labels value.

Lilly Pulitzer, the fashion designer known for her tropical print dresses, in Palm Beach, Fla., circa 1955.

Lilly Pulitzer, the fashion designer known for her tropical print dresses, in Palm Beach, Fla., circa 1955.

Reading Lilly’s New York Times obituary, there’s one line that just crushed my soul as a vintage lover – “Although Ms. Pulitzer occasionally consulted with the company in recent years, once she retired, she threw out most of her archives and went on with her life, quite privately, in Palm Beach.” Ahhhh, that’s heartbreaking.

Vintage 80′s Dress, LILLY PULITZER Novelty Print Mini Dress by luvofvintage

 

1970s Floral Maxi Skirt / Lilly Pulitzer Inspired by DollyMaeVintage

1970s Floral Maxi Skirt / Lilly Pulitzer Inspired by DollyMaeVintage

Vintage LIZA by LILLY PULITZER Wrap Skirt by GreenandGroovy

Vintage LIZA by LILLY PULITZER Wrap Skirt by GreenandGroovy

Vintage Lilly Pulitzer Dress / 1960s Ruffled Sundress Pale Yellow Pink Peach Sherbet by zestvintage

Vintage Lilly Pulitzer Dress / 1960s Ruffled Sundress Pale Yellow Pink Peach Sherbet by zestvintage

Vintage Birthdays: 4/8 – 4/14

Vivienne Westwood – April 8, 1941

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Mary Pickford – April 8, 1892 (d. May 29, 1979)

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford - Ziegfeld - c. 1920s - by Alfred Cheney Johnston

Mary Pickford – Ziegfeld – c. 1920s – by Alfred Cheney Johnston

Ann Miller – April 12, 1923 (d. January 22, 2004)

Ann Miller grooms her French poodle Millie during the filming of The Opposite Sex circa 1956

Ann Miller grooms her French poodle Millie during the filming of The Opposite Sex circa 1956

Ann Miller

Ann Miller

Ann Miller

Ann Miller

Julie Christie – April 14, 1941

Julie Christie

Julie Christie

Julie Christie circa 1968

Julie Christie circa 1968

Julie Christie

Julie Christie