Thursday, February 11, 2016

I'd Buy it in a Heartbeat

 My heart is in the 80's. See what I did there?
 I see you rolling your eyes, by the way-just so you know.
I bought this 1980's Bonnie and Bill applique sweater for my collection as I think it is a very good example of the style. I decided to give it a wear before packing it away (in acid-free paper). To those of us that lived through the era, these are not the sort of thing we'd imagine anyone wanting to study thirty years from now-but I never imagined anyone would want the old paper dresses from the 60's, or jumpsuits from the 70's. I've learned my lesson, and I've started putting away 80's pieces. As a collector, I like to include not just the outrageous, or designer pieces, but the sort of thing people wore day-to-day. I collect vintage not for the future dollar value (though it is sometimes a consideration when making a purchase) but to have a representative collection.  I doubt this sweater will ever be a sought-after item, but it is the sort of thing I was wearing in the 80's (and well into the 90's).

 There's a good chance that I would have worn a top like this with a button-front skirt in the 80's. I had one in green, the other in blue, and one in a light denim. I wore them practically to death. The blue one finally had the elastic crumble last year, and I'm planning to replace it (the rest of the skirt is fine). Talbot's, Jantzen, and Land's End really knew how to make a good button-front skirt that would remain closed when you sat. They're worth grabbing if you see them in the thrifts as they're virtually indestructible (though you might need to replace the elastic). This one even came with extra buttons sewn to the inside seam. Am I nostalgic about 80's clothes? Sure. I might not miss the shoulder-pads, but I pine for the quality of those garments.

The perfect 80's outfit needs era-appropriate shoes. These could use a good brushing, and I'm not wearing them out in the rain today, but were the weather more cooperative, this is the footwear I'd select. My dad would only buy shoes at one place in Chicago (to be fair, they carried a wide range of sizes and he had gigantic feet). He went through work shoes quickly, so I'd tag along because I knew I'd get a couple pair of shoes, and lunch out of the trip to the West side. Chernin's had the craziest selection of women's shoes on the planet. My mum said it was where all the prostitutes bought their footwear- there was always a good deal of what we'd call, "fetish wear" today. If you needed over-the-knee boots in the 70's, there weren't that many places you could shop. Remember life before the internet? Work boots/gym shoes/hooker heels-Chernin's had it all, and I loved the place.

Outfit Particulars:
1980's Bonnie and Bill applique Sweater-New Life Thrift
Jantzen button-front 80's skirt-Goodwill
Heart Earrings-K Mart
Heart necklace-Shop Ko
1970's makeup case-Hand-Me-Ups
1980's suede shoes-Chernin's
Satin Neimann Marcus (needless markup) jacket-Thrift World
Fragrance-Paco Rabanne Eau de Metal (I'm sorry to say I had to scrub it. Even Cabotine sprayed over it couldn't clear the stench, and Cabotine is like an antiseptic cleaner)
Lippy-Loreal British Red

I probably won't last five minutes in a quilted, satin jacket before shedding it outside, but I hear my mum in my head saying, "Where's your coat?!" I suppose it is good to carry a jacket in case the sun burns out or something. 


Speaking of mum, I wore this "waterfall" ring she bought me shortly before she died. It is so huge, and raised-up that I rarely wear it for fear of ripping off a finger if it gets caught on anything. Still, it fit with the 80's vibe of the outfit, and it feels very Valentine's Day-ish to me. Somewhere I have a ruby and diamond heart pendant that would have matched perfectly, but I think it is in a safe-deposit box at the bank. I rarely wear anything but costume.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought I'd re-post this recipe so you can bake yourself something nice. Sure, you can bake them for someone else...but why would you? I bought Mr. ETB a selection of IPA's in one of those mix-and-match beers specials, and a pound of expensive cheese only he likes- biscuits are for me!
The recipe for these rosewater beauties may be found HERE

Really, you won't want to share these, much less give them away as a gift. Better bake a double batch.

9 comments:

Mim said...

Oh, SHOES!

I hadn't realised you archived your collection too, I thought you wore it. You've probably got some amazing pieces put aside, and collecting things people actually wore is a good idea. The Fashion Museum in Bath always has a 'dress of the year', but the people who choose it (they usually get a fashion celeb/expert to choose) usually try to pick something groundbreaking, and I find the dresses of the year rarely recall the year in question, which is a shame. Nostalgia is half the fun of fashion.

Beth Waltz said...

The ring is a gorgeous thing, rather like wearing pyrotechnics on one's finger! Definitely worthy of special occasions!

My own applique sweater of the 80s is also tucked away for some future "show and tell." The background is a black knit; the satin patches are in shades of blue. I wore it with skinny black jeans and high heels, and lots of hair. Woo. Hoo.

The button front denim skirts are still much favored by women of particular religious denomination hereabouts. Usually worn with heavy sports shoes and white socks, long-sleeved shirts and tired cardigans -- this is not my favorite look. I did, however, have a Bean version in safari tan I wore to a ragged hemline, attending functions of the aforementioned church as a guest. (Took willpower not to wear lippy. Like that red you're wearing by the bye!)

What was actually worn vs. what appears in the magazine ads makes an interesting contrast. Once worked behind the scenes in a museum that mounted women's fashions on a theme in the small gallery. We received "First Ladies at Home in the White House" and unpacked Lou Hoover's gold brocade with fur, marveling at this pre-Depression luxury. And then there was Eleanor Roosevelt's worn cotton muumuu nighty. Mended. Obviously treasured by the family as "what gran wore at the lake cottage." Mim is right: Nostalgia is a part of fashion fun.

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

Oh applique jumpers! I think there has been a bit of a revival recently; I'm sure I've noticed lots of people wearing them...

You look lovely in yours and the jacket is absolutely beautiful. I love the shoes as well. Those biscuits look amazing; I may have to try them but not for Valentine's Day as I'm going out for the day with a friend and a group of her friends; so I may have a go next week.

This is the list of birds this blogger posted during the Great Garden Bird Watch:


Blue tit 30+
Great Tit 30+
Coal Tit 2
Longtail Tit 6
Greenfinch 2
Chaffinch 12
Goldfinch 9
Redpoll 2
Blackbird 8
Field fare 2
Wren 6
Robin 4
Dunnock 2
Green Woodpecker 1
Greater Spotted woodpecker 3
Collard Dove 2
Pigeon 6
Jay 1
Magpie 2
Kestrel 1
Sparrow hawk 1
Pheasant 1
Jackdaw 2
Rook 2
Carrion Crow 6

I get blue tits and great tits, jackdaws,collared doves, robins, dunnocks, wood pigeons, sparrows, blackbirds, and the occasional song thrush, wren or chaffinch in my garden. We used to get greenfinch regularly but a couple of years ago a virus wiped a lot of the population out. I think I've seen one in my garden in about 3 years. Of course the blogger whose list this is lives in the wilds of the country and I live in a town!!

Have a lovely weekend

xx

Veronica
vronni60s.blogspot.com

Propagatrix said...

Apropos of nothing: today is the 42nd birthday of Bagpuss. ("We will fix it, we will fix it...")

Goody said...

@Mim
I have some iconic pieces from period designers (Shaheen,Blackwell,Dior, etc.) as well as a good chunk of Victorian and Edwardian items. My real interest is the 70's and 80's (Porter, Halston, St. Laurent, etc.) Sometimes it is more interesting to collect pieces inspired by the big designers. I recently acquired a pristine velour, rainbo-colour-blocked cowl-neck pullover that would have been too tacky to wear in the 70's, but suddenly looks so representative of the era. Because I don't want to open a museum (I already have a library FFS!)I try to limit my purchases for the permanent collection. I don't have room for a dozen polyester suits, even if that's what people wore. I have started archiving what I have so that if I drop dead tomorrow, the boys won't sell the Biba for a dollar at a yard sale (I've threatened to haunt them if they have a yard sale after I'm gone).

I DO hope to get it all on-line at some point but that will be a major undertaking.

@Beth
Yep-I saw Mrs. Eisenhower's bedjacket at the Museum in Kansas and felt slightly embarrassed for her, but I guess it was what she wore when she wasn't at state dinners.

You did gravity-defying hair and tight jeans too? I liked Sasoon jeans, sometimes Jordache, but never owned a pair of Calvins because I thought the Brooke Shield's ad was offensive. What was your denim of choice?

@Veronica
That is a wonderful checklist indeed! Danny's been counting from home today, but I'm planning to get him out to the lake this weekend. We're still a month away from the Sandhill Crane migration passing through Nebraska, so the bird-count makes for a nice distraction as he waits for the big event. Thank you for sharing that-he really enjoyed seeing what happens in your part of the world.

@Propagatrix
He looks better than I did at 42!

Bibi Maizoon said...

Everything Paco Rabanne does honks.
I have that same diamond & ruby waterfall ring! It was my mom's.
Those heart biscuits look divine, so does that satin jacket.

Oh good gracious, I'm posting my comments all sorts of bizarre places. Guess I'm not as much of a multitasker as I thought.

Ranting on onions again:

http://calmlycookingcurry.blogspot.com/2016/02/tips-tools-when-to-grind-grate-dice-or.html

Goody said...

@Bibi
Onions are important! I personally don't get wound-up over them, but I understand why it matters.

ThriftyParka said...

Shoes!! Button down skirt!! Applique sweater!! And THAT RING!!!!!

Gorgeous!

Personally I despair at some of the clothing that's available today...aside from things that have better 'technology', such as fitness wear and shoes. Fast fashion has NOT been a boon to people who appreciate quality. Give me a sturdy, twill skirt from the 80s, a Liz Claiborne top from the early 90s, and vintage jewelery any day!!

....oh, and those cookies!! YUM!! Maybe someday I can print them out using a 3D printer :)

happy thrifting ;)

Goody said...

@Thrifty Parka
You said it. I've really been saddened to see people dressed in what would otherwise be lovely outfits that don't hang correctly, are uneven, or the material is so cheap it clings to itself. I guess if everyone is wearing the same junk from H&M, maybe it looks less odd, but to someone my age it looks terrible.