Fun in the sun, tropical style!

...because, I've got the perfect vintage dress for whatever tropical locale you're visiting! Here's a peek - more coming!


Big Hed Bold Red 80's Tropical Print Sun Dress






70's Tropical Print Malia Sun Dress XS





70's Tropical Print Frederick's of Hollywood Pin Up Two Piece Skirt & Halter Dress S






Fun in the hot, hot sun!

Vintage or BUST!

Okay, I'm a little late on blog tag...eeek! Better late than never I guess!

1) Show us your favorite vintage slip in your inventory!
Currently, it's this one...a black Van Raalte deep pleated Suavette Nylon slip


2) Lace trim or chiffon trim? Whats your favorite?
Favorite is a combination of both...
WOWOWOW! like on this pink Van Raalte...WOW!




3)Colors or neutrals, whats your preference? Definitely, colors. Neutrals are pretty too but I'll never pass a chance to pick up slips of many colors! I love them.



4) Favorite label in vintage lingerie? I have several favorites. Van Raalte, for one their nylon is ultra luxurious and super soft. Vanity Fair, two for their silky nylon and anything 30's or 40's bias cut is wonderfully delicious.



5) Full slip or half? Most of the time, it's full slips for me but I do on occasion find myself a half slip that fits right in with my style Yummmy!



6) Slips worn as dresses in public? I personally don't, but if you have the body, and the color is right and you have the right accessories, you can pull it off I'm sure!


eHappy tags That Jersey Girl!.

Let's Go Swimming!

VINTAGE OR BUST!~Blog Tag Wednesday~ Swim With the Fishes

Its time for Wednesday blog tag again! The temps are on the rise and its time to think about swimwear….what better way to stand out on the beach than in a vintage swimsuit? Lets hit the beach!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SWIMSUIT OR BEACH WEAR OFFERED IN YOUR INVENTORY?
It absolutely has to be this Cole of California pin up worthy leopard print bathing suit. WOWeeee! Wish I could wear it!
Cole of California WILD GIRL! Leopard Bathing Suit


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ERA IN SWIMWEAR, TO SELL OR WEAR?
Likely, 50's because of the flattering draping, designs, etc. PINUP stuff is what I love!

FAVORITE DESIGNER OR LINE?
I have lots but currently it's Cole of California, Rose Marie Reid, and DeWeese has some cute things too. Oh, and for 80's swimwear, I Looooooove Serena.

FAVORITE BEACH RESORT?
Great question! I'm thinking somewhere in St. Thomas...blue waters, fine sand, and sippin' on a Coco-Loco. Good times! Hey, when's vacation?

FAVORITE POOLSIDE, TROPICAL COCKTAIL (WITH OR WITHOUT ALCOHOL)?
Haha, I just answered that. :-) Coco-Loco please!

FOR YOU, BIKINI OR ONE PIECE?
My wish is a bikini and my reality is a one piece.

eHappy tags That Jersey Girl!.

Dandy Candy Wednesday!

Over at eVintage Society, the blog tag train keeps rollin! It's Wednesday again I can't believe it!

We're talkin' about candy today....the colors of candy and vintage...all rolled into one delectable little morsel {for your pleasure}

1) What’s your favorite candy colored vintage piece in your collection?

Well, not clothing - but still vintage, I have a little sugar! Sugar beads, that is! In a nice, olive green color and metallic gold combination - sugar beads are plastic, acrylic, lucite beads that are covered in clear bits of 'sugar' aka teeny tiny clear micro beads or frit to give it that sugary coating. Popular in the 50's, but I've seen them in jewelry as old as 30's. Mine is from the 50's...sweet huh?





2. What’s the sweetest accessory you’re offering right now, or if you don’t have one for sale, tell us about one of your own!
The sweetest, most tempting accessory I'm offering has go to be this aurora borealis red-pink choker necklace. Sweet, inviting, shimmery, tempting. Just lovely!





3. Sweet tooth? What’s your favorite candy?
Aaaah, so hard to decide! On those PMS-y kind of days, I'll take Ghiradelli or Dove {little bits of heaven I tell ya!}
and on the other days, I'll take Cinnamon Bears. Which I can't find ANYWHERE! Wah!

4. Ice cream…..chocolate or strawberry, and why?
This is another depends on my mood kinda thing. I've never just been stuck on liking one same thing all the time I guess...sometimes it's vanilla, other times it's chocolate, then strawberry. And sometimes I just want a Neopolotin bar.

5. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, classic film or Johnny Depp re-make….and why?
Johnny Depp is certainly brilliant, a magnificent actor of the finest sorts...but I typically don't like how remakes are remade. I'd take the classic tale over the new any day. Johnny should be left to his own unusual, one-of-a-kind, sexy, original vices.

6. Is your personal style sweet or salty? Explain!
Sometimes sweet {I might feel like wearing a simple dress and sandals} and sometimes salty {the next day I might feel like wearing disco attire and sky high heels}. Either way, it's all me and I'll take me just the way I am. Sweet and Salty. Naughty and Nice.

http://ehappyvintagejoy.blogspot.com tags http://dvintage.blogspot.com/ {The Jersey Girl} next in this fun round of dandy candy!

XOXO
Angie aka Renee aka www.ehappyvintage.com

Why do people want what I want? lol

So, I tried to bid on this loverly, loverly 50's dress by Frederick's of Hollywood {filmland creations}

I really really liked the stretchy fabric with flared shiney skirt....perfect for bombshell pinup look!

Alas, I got beat out. It went for 83.99. Someone else wanted it more, I guess. BOO!

I'm keeping an eye out for more 50's Frederick's dress...everyone else is too!

eVintage Blog Tag! Maxed OUT!

eVintage Blog Tag - Maxed Out!

This week's eVintage Blog Tag theme is the Maxi Dress.
We’ve been hearing it nearly every Spring the last few years….the maxi dress is back! Vintage sellers rush to their stashes of full length 70s dresses ready to supply the fashion forward with the real deal. A newer spin by the industry touts the maxi length as a “patio dress”.


MAXI OR PATIO DRESS, AND WHY?
Gosh, patio dress sounds much better than maxi. When I think of maxi, I think of pads and well...that's not appealing in a dress name right?

FAVORITE MAXI DRESS IN YOUR INVENTORY?
I only have one! It's pink, floral and very delightful! Gotta love it!





AS A TREND, WILL IT BE A HIT OR A MISS?
The 'trend' kind of wanes over the years, you would think a classy lookin' patio dress style would have caught on by now! There's just so many of us 'shorties' maybe {like me!} that don't necessarily look suave in floor length attire.

PROS AND CONS?
Great for tall, leggy gals! Not so great for the shorties in the world. boo!


I was tagged by Vintage Bulletin, and now I'm tagging
Jersey Girl!

Color My World!

eVintage Tag - Color My World

Time for the eVintage Blog Tag and I was tagged by Jersey Girl!.

This week's theme is Color!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
I can't pick a favorite color, per se. I have lots of favorite colors, though! At the moment, it's gold and red. Inky, indigo blue is also a favorite.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BRIGHTLY COLOURED PIECE IN YOUR INVENTORY?
My favorite brightly colored item has to be this 60's bathing suit by Jantzen. Bold, bright yellows, blues, and pinks are sure to get noticed!You can find it here...



WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO ADD COLOUR TO AN OUTFIT?
Adding color is easy with the addition of bright accessories like shoes, a purse, or even jewelry. Of course, my favorite way would the jewelry.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOUR TO WEAR?
My closet is filled with an array of colors from burgundy to green. I'm blessed with a skin tone that will look a-ok with multiple colors. I do tend to shy away from bright or even muted shades of yellow.

WHAT COLOUR ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
I'm wearing a bright turqoise wrap top, turqoise jewelry, black capris, and black ballet flats.

WHAT COLOURS DO YOU DECORATE WITH?
Depends on which room you're in. :-) My bedroom is reds and golds. Living room is taupes and browns. I love color!

Now follow the tag over to Diary of a MAD Vintage Addict
XO Angie aka Renee aka www.ehappyvintage.com

Tag Time!

• 
  
  Well, time for another round of eVintage Society tag! One blogger asks the questions, then tags another blogger to answer...and on and on! This week, I've been tagged by Fuzzy Lizzie!
  
  
  
  
  
  1) WHAT ITEM DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE FOR SALE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORN IN A MOVIE?
  
  
  
  
  
  Okay, if ever you've seen the corniest roller skating disco movie from 1980 called Xanadu,
  
  
  
  starring Olivia Newton-John...and you actually remember it, I love you. HAHA! I feel like I'm talking to myself when I talk about this movie - like I just get blank stares and expressionless faces. But it was one of my fave movies when I was a kid. I've gone and watched it again, and it did seem much better way back then...with an adult perspective it definitely comes off as corny now. Oh, well!
  
  
  
  
  
  Here's the synopsis from imdb.com:
  
  
  
  
  
  The Greek muses incarnate themselves on Earth to inspire men to achieve. One of them, incarnated as a girl named Kira, encounters an artist named Sonny Malone. With the help of Danny McGuire, a man Kira had inspired forty years earlier, Sonny builds a huge disco roller rink.
  
  
  
  
  
  Okay, so although the movie's a bit cheesy, I think this item would go great in it!
  
  
  
  2) WHICH MOVIE STAR DO YOU SEE WEARING THE ITEM & IN WHAT MOVIE?
  
  In Xanadu, I'd love to see Olivia Newton-John skating around in it!
  
  
  
  
  
  3) WHAT MOVIE STAR QUALITIES DOES YOUR ITEM HAVE TO MAKE IT PERFECT FOR YOUR STARLET?
  Hmm, well it's
• floral
• ruffley
• makes you want to dance
• disco era
• innocent yet sexy
  
  
  Yep, definitely.

Okay, it's time now for Jersey Girl to have her say...cuz she's it in the game of tag!

XO Angie aka Renee aka www.ehappyvintage.com

Taggerific! A friendly lil game of tag eVintage Style!

I'm it now! We're playing tag, thanks to Tressieof Funkoma Vintage Style Recycle Blog, who happens also to be a proud member of eVintage Society.

1. What is your favorite piece of spring vintage wear in your inventory?


It absolutely has to be this Serbin sundress with green four leaf clovers, PINK lady bugs, pink trim and green buttons down the front. Cutesy, no?


2. Why is it your favorite?
Well, whenever I wear people tend to smile. I like smiles. But really, lady bugs are my favorite. I even have a lady bug tattoo. They just signify happiness, wishes come true, and love to me so to have found some pink ones on a dress along with four leaf clovers...well, just know that I'll probably never give it up!

3. What is your favorite spring flower?
By and large, it's a honeysuckle. That sweet smell and even sweeter nectar simply holds so many childhood memories for me. It's divine!

4. Favorite memory of spring?
Well, when I was a school aged kid, I always looked forward to spring break because I was out of school...now that I'm into adulthood, I think my most favorite memory looking back was definitely meeting my bestest of friends in May 1990. What a blessing to have met her. She remains my best friend to this day, and May (spring) will always hold a special place in my heart because of her.

5. When does spring arrive where you live?
Well, I'm in Kansas. Spring usually means tornado season...yay! Kansas has really weird weather patterns. Until you're mid season, the weather tries to hold on from the previous season. So it could literally be 30 degrees one day, and 70 the next. But usually beginning of April starts our 'spring' weather...with no 30 degree'ers in between like March.

6. Most exciting fashion trend?
Hmmm, I tend to not follow 'trends' and mostly go with what I like. It works! So, selling vintage allows me to kind of have an eclectic mix of everything that just 'works' together.

Who's the next to be tagged? Well, let's see what
kitsch-y-cool Vintage has to say!

Olga history

I'm looking to find more history on the Olga lingerie company, and here's what I've found so far. Please let me know if you see anything amiss or want to add more information!

• Olga Erteszek, founder
• The company was one of the pioneers in designing comfortable, supportive undergarments and bras for fashionable women
• Olga, as she was known professionally, is credited with several design innovations, including the seamless bra and the nightgown with a built-in bra. The nightgown evolved from a hospital stay for a slipped disk, she explained in an interview in The New York Times in 1966. She tested it during her convalescence, found it satisfactory and made it part of her line. It was an immediate success. ''This is comfort, security,'' she said at the time. ''This is hospital tested. I know.''
• After years of "support" of woman's breasts, with sad irony, Olga succumbed to Breast cancer in 1989 at the age of 73.
• The designer had immigrated to California from her native Krakow, Poland, in 1941 with her husband, Jan Erteszek, a lawyer. Shortly after arriving, they started a business with $10 and a rented sewing machine. Their first product was a lacy garter belt she had learned to make from her mother. Bullocks-Wilshire bought all the samples and the young couple were in business.
• Between 1950 and 1973, Olga secured twenty-three patents for girdles, brassieres, and lingerie combinations, initially testing the designs on herself.
• Many Olga styles have been in production for over 15 years
• Sold in 1984 to Warnaco for $28 million
• Style names: French Secret bras and girdles (1955-1960), Polonaise girdle (1950), Olga Sweet Flattery full figure & padded bras, Lure of Lace by Olga, The Perfectionist, Flowering Lace, Simply Perfect Olga, The Best of Everything, Simply Classic Olga, Body Tapestry, Sheer Tapestry, Secret Shapers, Invisible Shapers, What a Body, Shimmerlace, Sensuous Solutions Bodysilk, Reflections, Bodysilk Classics, Suddenly Smooth, Secret Hug *patented scoop design panties*, Body Contour
• "Behind every Olga there really is an Olga" advertising campaign ran from 1964-1978
• Olga appeared in advertisements for her own company as early as 1952

The JOY of jewelry...specifically, crystals & rhinestones

Some of you that know me already know I ADORE vintage jewelry. It's like a second love...I'm like a magpie and I pick up all things sparkly, regardless of the name. I have a vast collection of jewelry, and recently my favorite jewels to collect are crystals and rhinestones. Let's review the history of rhinestones, then we'll talk about crystals. Perhaps I'll get to it all in one night? Who knows!

Rhinestones were originally referred to as Czechoslavakian or Bohemian glass dating as far back as the 13th century in Bohemia and the Czech Republic.

Rhinestones:

• man made artificial clear or colored stones that are intended to simulate diamonds or precious gems


• made of glass, paste, or gem quartz (the best rhinestones are cut from quartz crystal)


• natural crystals from the bottom of the river Rhine in Germany were early substitutes for diamonds (thus the name rhinestone)


• often foiled on the back which increases their brilliance


• paste is ground glass which was molded then melted, producing an opaque dense glass frosted stone


• paste had many air bubbles and marks


• can also be called strass and diamante


• in 1891, Daniel Swarovski created a new glass cutting machine which could cut faceted glass in a very short time


• Swarovski rhinestones are recognized as the highest quality in the industry


• over 80% of rhinestone jewelry manufactured in America use Swarovski rhinestones

I'm always on the lookout for stunning rhinestone jewelry, and I've found this one by Born Too Late Vintage over at Specialist Auctions...

WOW! Is it stunning or what? A great, classic rhinestone bracelet that will make any vintage outfit sparkle with joy...who could resist?


More on rhinestones throughout fashion history later!

The Joy of....Van Raalte

Truly, you just don't know what you're missing until you feel the supremely soft fabrics and designs by Van Raalte...lingerie at its finest!

The company was started by Emanuel Van Raalte in 1913 and was first known for it's gloves, veils, stockings, and underwear. Eventually, the company transitioned into nightgowns, slips, peignoirs, and 'underthings'. Their tagline became "Because You Love Nice Things". An in-depth timeline and history can be found here at empressjade's blogspot.She has done extensive research and the blog is fabulous for helping to date your vintage Van Raalte piece.

One of my personal favorites is the petalskin line from Van Raalte. The nylon feels just like rose petals sweeping across delicate skin. Wow! You've got to try it for yourself...and this is the perfect place to start...

A Coral Pink Van Raalte Nylon Gown in Size 36 by Affaire d'Amour Vintage...ballet length gown features lovely embroidery, chiffon banding around the bust, fitted inset waist, and the color is woah! Valentine's Day is fast approaching, loves...get this!



I'll be back with more Van Raalte dreamy things later!