Verna, part 1

Lately, I've been loving the vintage haul photos that people have been posting on Instagram, so I thought I might try to do something similar here on the blog. I'm always curious what other people find at estate sales, buying appointments, and flea markets, what condition the clothes are in, and how they go about bringing them back to life.

The clothes in this post came from the estate sale of an opera singer named Verna who performed in Germany and Switzerland during the 40's and 50's. My sister Amy and I purchased 13 pieces (some for us, some to sell) as well as two souvenir hankies from Europe and a stack of Verna's personal photos. I'll definitely be making a second post with scans of the photos and more about Verna herself, but for now, here are the clothes I purchased and what I'm doing to make them wearable again.

We found four suits--blazers and pencil skirts--from the 40's and 50's. (Not pictured is a red and black plaid set that looked blown-out in every. single. photo.) The skirts are fairly basic, but the jackets have incredible details: embroidered arrows, unusual buttons, and wool that looks like multicolored television static up close. They're in such great shape, but two of the blazers have discoloration inside their collars. I'm always reluctant to take vintage wool to the dry cleaner, so I may attempt to spot clean them. (Or not; you can't really see the discoloration when the blazers are being worn, and I'd hate to ruin these.)

I almost left this black 50's dress behind because it's made of a funny synthetic that feels like nylon. Now that I've had time to think it over, I have to admit that the material drapes really beautifully, and the dress fits like a dream. Unfortunately, this one needed/needs a lot of work. I spot treated a few large brown stains on the skirt, then hand washed the dress in a mild detergent. The stains came out (yes!), but there are seam breaks under each arm that need repaired, and the skirt will have to be taken up at the waist and hem to get rid of several small holes.

We found a bunch of great separates at the estate sale (some in better shape than others) and ended up buying two skirts and one sweater. I don't have any photos of the first skirt--a sturdy black cotton one from the 50's--because it's currently soaking in a basin in the sink. But I was able to take photos of a soft-as-clouds pale blue angora sweater and a black wool skirt with pintucks. I spot treated the skirt (more brown staining), then hand washed it in a detergent designed for wool and cashmere. The skirt's hem still needs repaired in a few spots, but it looks a whole lot better, and I think the sweater will be good as new after a quick steam.

I don't buy a whole lot of clothing from the 60's, but I really like this brown plaid wool dress. It's accented with metallic gold threads, doesn't seem to have a single hole, and will be good to go as soon as I steam it.

The main reason this photo is so close-up is because I wanted to avoid shooting the crazy underarm staining. This dress is definitely a project, but we couldn't leave it behind! Look at those tiny matching fabric-covered buttons (never mind that one is missing). I have a hard time saying no to printed cotton 50's dresses, because they respond so well to soaking, but one 8-hour soak later we don't seem to have made any progress...

And finally, a little bit of magic in the form of a floor-length plaid taffeta 40's gown. This was the first thing I grabbed when I walked into the sale, and it is made even better by the fact that I have a photo of the original owner wearing it! (I didn't take photos of the matching black velvet bolero or another long 40's gown made of black and white lace and accented with rhinestones!)

Surprise estate sale

I hadn't planned on posting today, but this morning my sister and I got a phone call about an estate sale with vintage clothing from the 20's and 30's. (Of course we dropped everything and made our way over there!) The sale was run by the late woman's daughter, who told us that her mom was an antique dealer with a soft spot for vintage clothing. While she had an amazing clothing collection, with Victorian blouses, Edwardian underthings, and 20's shift dresses, my sister and I found a lot of accessories and housewares as well.

The best part about the sale was talking with the family. Sometimes family-run estate sales can be a little bit sad and uncomfortable, but the folks at this sale were so joyful and excited to encounter two girls who love vintage as much as my sister and I do. When I got back to my apartment, I snapped a few photos of our purchases, and I wanted to post about them with the sale still fresh in my mind.

A 1950's green velvet fascinator, a floral papier mache tray, two 1920's photographs, a 1920's crocheted handbag, a leather wallet from the early 20th century, and a pile of vintage hankies.

A closeup of the 1950's fascinator.

An Edwardian step-in that I couldn't leave behind in spite of a few stains and pinholes! I also bought a slip dress from the same era, and both will be getting a good soak once I finish up all my end-of-the-semester schoolwork.

I didn't even take photos of everything I came home with; there's also a 1940's rayon blouse and skirt set, a pair of 1920's heels, two vintage picture frames, and an old advertisement for a hat shop! I still feel a little high on vintage, and hopefully, I can redirect that excitement into all the final papers I've yet to write... I may be a bit scarce over the next few weeks, but I hope to be back soon with more photos and maybe even an outfit post in that 40's blouse and skirt.

Betty Hart

A few years ago, Anja of Clever Nettle wrote a post about the estate sale of a professional ballerina from Anna Pavlova's era. I remember poring over the photos Anja posted, and I even bought one of the blouses she picked up at the sale. I've always hoped that eventually an estate sale like that one would happen here in Pittsburgh, and while the one I attended over the weekend isn't quite there, it's awfully close.

I'm not sure about the particulars of the woman who lived in the house, but the listing promised "opera costumes," and I did find old pointe shoes and ballet costumes, so I can only assume that the woman was a performer of some kind. My sister and I walked away from the sale with a pile of items--ranging from a 50's party dress with a sage green chiffon skirt to a velvet swing coat with the owner's name (Betty Hart) penned inside the collar. We even went back the second day and nabbed two more 40's-era blouses and a pink velvet bow belt.

The rest of the items we bought at the sale, including a straw-stuffed panda who is currently spending a few days in the freezer and a 60's dress with an undone hem, will likely make their way onto the blog soon enough. They just need a little work first.