harpandsong2 posted: " If you were starting to wonder if I'd given up the blog, January and February have been rather stressful for me so I've had less creative energy for thinking and writing. However, I have been continuing some art and sewing projects which take less mental"
If you were starting to wonder if I'd given up the blog, January and February have been rather stressful for me so I've had less creative energy for thinking and writing. However, I have been continuing some art and sewing projects which take less mental energy for me and am getting pictures of them. The next few posts will probably be more oriented that way, but stay tuned for creative writing again when the season is right.
I bought five gorgeous vintage wool coats a few years ago at an estate sale. I remember that just standing with them in my arms while discussing a price nearly turned my arms to jello. They were each individually heavy and five together was a strain. They have been in my basement a while. I knew I didn't need all of them, but couldn't decide which to keep. This fall, I finally took them each out and to look more closely and try them all on again. I decided to keep two that were the highest quality and suited me best for the styles I like to wear. I sold the other three on Etsy.
These two make me happy and I'm starting to use them a little more often.
While the clothing of the late 1950s/early 1960s tended to be fitting (or at the least the bodice was fitting even if the skirt was full), the coats of the era are incredibly boxey. I don't generally prefer this style, but these two worked for me because they weren't as boxey as some others. Even though they weren't fitted at the waist, they did have a slight A-line. For the tan coat, the A-line effect was mostly an optical illusion created by the seam lines and top stitching.
The fur collar is in great condition. It actually can be hooked together to create more warmth around your neck. For other accessories, I already had the matching fur muff. I added white kid leather gloves. The burgundy shoes are vintage (80s/90s vintage, not 50s/60s vintage). I didn't have any winter hats that went with this color scheme, but I'll be on the look out.
The second coat is charcoal, so I had more matching accessories (including black shoes from the 50s/60s, black hat, gloves, and handbag. The label says it is from Madison's in Columbus, an Ilene original. I found a picture of the original department store building in this article here.
I feel like my great-grandmother in this picture.
On this one, you can see the silhouette gradually gains fullness toward the bottom. This worked better for me than a straight, boxey cut. This style is also called a swing coat. I heard a theory about one of the reasons they became extremely popular in the 50s and 60s. The baby boom was happening and it was easier to hide a pregnancy for longer under the loose shape, (especially at this time when pregnancies were kept private for longer). Swing coats made more sense than the fitted style of the 1940's, especially since good quality coats were an investment and you wouldn't necessarily have multiple coat options.
I enjoyed wearing this coat for a few special occassions this winter like going to a musical concert at Christmas with a friend.
Please enjoy these details! I love the buttons, the scallopped fur on the bell shaped sleeves, the curved pocket, just all of it! This gray collar also can be hooked for a closer, warmer fit (I forgot a picture). Though the sleeves are wide, there is an under sleeve which fits close so cold air can't get in as easily as it looks. This coat is very warm!
I hope you enjoyed these beauties. More vintage collections and art/sewing projects to come this spring!
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