The Multi-Strand Necklace

You’ve seen these before.  Any lover of vintage knows them well.  Made mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, they sometimes have matching clip-on earrings.  They come in every color there is and I have quite the collection myself.  I find them to be popular these days.  I have lots of them in my shop.  Here's a few:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LunaJunctionVintage/search?search_query=multistrand&order=date_desc&view_type=list&ref=shop_search

These were made back then for “Ladies Who Lunch”.  They were worn with dresses and skirt suits and were the height of vintage fashion.  They were seen in offices and at luncheons and special occasions as well as in church!

To wear them that way these days is………(you guessed it)

……BORRRR-RING.

Of course your own personal style is your own and however you want to wear yours is up to you. 

But if you like being less predictable here are some suggestions:

1).   They can add a lot of style to a plain white T-shirt, worn casually:

2.)  Again, casually, with a buttoned-to-the-neck button down shirt (model is wearing an orange one and a brown one together) :

3).  My personal favorite is wearing two or three at a time, in different colors, layering the beads and keeping them close to the neck  (model is wearing a red one, a blue one and a black one) :

4).  ….or not close to the neck.

5.)  If they have a fancy clasp, wear one backwards.
....and for goodness sake, they do not have to match what you are wearing! "Matchy-matchy" is no longer a good thing.... 

These all work for all seasons.  You can even do black and orange for Halloween, red and green…

….....oh you know what I mean, right?

Hey, just think about it…

When Labels are a Good Thing

When it comes to labels on vintage, sometimes I say “Don’t get me started”. That's a sort of warning, because I LIKE to get started on this subject (and probably keep going for a few days).

Labels are one of many ways that help you identify vintage. 

I have already given you the link to the label resource on the Vintage Fashion Guild, but don’t limit yourself to that.  There are ways to look at labels

First, labels are becoming a thing of the past.  More and more modern-day clothing is “tagless”, especially lingerie.  The manufacturer is now being printed on the inside of the garment, instead of putting labels in (a lot of us more sensitive types tear them out anyway, because they can be irritating).  SO, if you have a garment in your hand that is being touted as vintage and if it has screened-on logo, beware!  Not vintage.  These tagless pieces started in the early 2000’s.

So I went into a retail store and took photos of really modern-day labels.

This is what they look like:

Some have satin labels with fabric information and you will see that the font is very clear.  It is also printed onto the satin in a different method than vintage labels.

Talking Tyvek

Tyvek is a type of paper that is composition and it cannot be torn.  Older Tyvek labels were put in garment with fabric I.D. information, size and RN numbers as well as other information.  Tyvek in garments started it the late 60’s/early 70’s.  The older Tyvek is rough, with somewhat faded printing like this:

From sometime in the 80’s to recent day, Tyvek is whiter, thinner and very smooth, and the printing is very clear, like what's under the Liz Claiborne label above.

Earlier labels looked more like these:

a 1940's label:

A 1950's label:

A mid-to-late 1960's label:

A 1980s label (confirmed by the Chaus company):

So now you have a start.  Whether you buy vintage or sell it, these are important things to remember. 

But really?

File this under:
“BUYER BEWARE!” 

There are too many “vintage clothing”-sellers out there that do not know vintage.  Your first “head’s up” should be a lack of a decade in the listing.  Worse is when they say “50's or 60's, I’m not sure”.  Don’t buy it.  There are ways of pin-pointing a decade and if a seller isn’t sure, the item should not be listed.  Never take a seller’s word for anything.  Make sure you have all necessary information and if it’s not there ASK FOR IT!

This is exhausting….

I’ll be back.....

A SIMPLE VINTAGE GOWN AND A FEDORA

The new thing at Luna Junction today is a very simple gown.  Many would just say it’s boring.  Of course it had to be styled 2 ways.  Once for the traditionalists:

And then there’s MY way:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/203731682/evening-gown-vintage-1960s-fall-formal?ref=shop_home_active_3

This is much more interesting, don’t you think?  

A fedora is not the type of hat you would think of putting with a gown like this.  If I had a nice sparkly infinity scarf, I would have added that too.   The effect makes one take a second look at the gown, no?

Speaking of fedoras, the one on the model is vintage, a stingy brim, but I have several in my shop, some with their original hatboxes.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179225483/vintage-fedora-mens-1950s-grey-felt-hat?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/176209800/vintage-fedora-original-hat-box-1950s?

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/183361075/vintage-fedora-mens-70s-wool-fedora-size?

This brings up that whole thing about when a woman should wear a fedora, because heaven knows everyone is wearing them right now, from teenagers to….well….women of a certain age, and it can get redundant and predictable.

*GASP*  

I hate that word....

......"predictable"................THAT word.

I wear the one in the photos above, but these things are just getting around too much, so I am really picky about what I pair it with.

One’s first (BORRRR-rring) thought is to pair it with something frilly. 

I don’t do “frilly”.

How about wearing one with something Asian?  Not a cheongsam dress, but maybe a kimono jacket with a tube top or tank top under it??  

...and pants, don't forget pants! 

Or shorts. 

Or capris.

Maybe an Asian jacket with a Mandarin collar?? 

They look swell with a sleeveless Asian blouse, too (or one with sleeves).

Wearing it with the right military look is a bit unexpected. 

Then there’s the old "long-Boho-top" over flowy wide leg pants.

A Mandarin collar brocade vest and skinny jeans?

PEOPLE, IT'S BORING OUT THERE!  Lobby against "predictable".

(who said that?!!!) 

OK, I'll calm down.    

Hey, young people can get away with so much more, but so many young girls let the hat wear them.   Making it look like you were born with that hat on not easy....

Live "outside the box".  Make it your new address....

Be a Stickler

One of my fellow vintage-clothing-sellers on Etsy, Liz, from PassionateFlea, put a note about me in her (equally amusing) blog:

http://thepassionateflea.blogspot.com/

She called me a “stickler” for getting dates right on what’s in my shop.

I love that word.

I want everyone to be a stickler, so I try my best to teach vintage clothing-buyers/wearers/lovers how not to get stiffed.

I am a member of the Vintage Fashion Guild.   (I think it took me 4 tries over a year)  In the interim, I just kept learning and learning until I got this stuff right.  This kind of validation was always important to me and I thought I had it down pat, but I learned that I didn’t.  (Actually we never do, there’s always something to learn out there….)

So nowadays I do not list anything until I know exactly how old it is, and I’m able to substantiate that if I’m ever challenged.

There is so much info on the Internet to help with this, but some of it is not reliable.  You want reliable?  Go to the Vintage Fashion Guild site:

 http://vintagefashionguild.org/

You can check labels there:

http://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/

Learn about fabrics:

http://vintagefashionguild.org/fabric-resource/

…and a lot more.

There are so many ways to validate vintage.  I’ll eventually get to all of them.  This is just a start.

HALLOWEEN THOUGHTS

Want something unique that no one else has?  Vintage clothing can be a great inspiration, a great start-up for your imagination.  There are several items to inspire at LunaJunction.  I have a lot more coming in the next few weeks.

Oh look!  Here comes one now:

Halloween Idea - Vintage Satin Gown - 1940s Green Satin Costume - As Is - Small Size

https://www.etsy.com/listing/203461532/halloween-idea-vintage-satin-gown-1940s?ref=shop_home_active_1

I meant for that to be a little creepy....

The Big Welcome

Welcome to (yet another) blog about vintage clothing.  I assure you, this one will be different for reasons stated below but first this:

“What’s with that name?”  (you may be asking)

  The name of my shop in Etsy is LunaJunction.  When I was about to start my vintage clothing shop on Etsy, it was great fun trying to get a good name.  So I thought of all kinds of things and decided I love the word “Luna”.  Once, I found a Luna moth in my yard.   It was the most beautiful moth I had ever seen.   (yes they are nocturnal and I found it in the daytime, as it was injured)

  So what word do you put with “Luna”?  I came up with “Junction” because my shop was going to be an assortment of decades of vintage clothing, vintage jewelry and vintage accessories, all at this “junction”.  Plus there was something celestial about that word too.  So that’s the history behind the name….

BUT:

There’s this band in Ireland.  Same name.  Oh, I’m sure they (and their fans) know about me like I know about them.  There's no competition here.  This is not about music. 

Two off-the-wall words. 

Go figure…..

“OK SO WHAT’S WITH THIS BLOG?” (you may be asking)

  This blog is for those who prefer to run from any clothing that’s (I hate this word) “trending”.  This is for those with eclectic tastes in fashion and like to dabble in vintage clothing, vintage jewelry and vintage accessories because it’s something different.  However, this blog is for the most virulent Fashion Rebels!  It’s about vintage clothing (for men as well as women) but it’s not about THAT you wear it, it’s about HOW you wear it.

I often say “Luna likes a mix-up.”  I say this because vintage fashion is one great step toward having a style that is all your own, but are you going to go overboard with a 1940s look, doing that hair, that make-up and those accessories?  (which is still better than being “trendy”) or are you going to mix it with modern-day pieces that lead to a  much more creative look that is all your own? 

Bottom line?

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO LOOK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?????

  At this Junction, (see what I did there?) I’m going to share some personal info:

  I’M vintage.  I’m a Baby Boomer.  Yes….I would be considered a “SENIOR”.  (Oh man, that sounded so much better when I was I high school…).  Hey, just remember this:  My generation of ex-hippies is not your mother’s “old folks next door”.

  I still like to have a singular sense of style, all the while keeping it age-appropriate (not easy).  I can still turn heads when I’m zipping through the sidewalks of New York, which is saying a lot.  In my hometown here in the very south of New Jersey…..it just gets weird, but I’m used to it. 

Yet I persist!

  So right now, I’m going to leave you with a link to my shop on Etsy (below).   My model (she of a thousand wigs)  is styled in many different ways, many of them with an eye to the mix-up.   (and of course, I do the styling on these vintage looks)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/161547384/long-jacket-vintage-light-coat-steampunk?ref=shop_home_active_6

Future posts will concern different ways to mix it up and some vintage clothing philosophies (not necessarily to adopt but to consider).  Plus I want to share some of my own little secrets….

  LunaJunction Vintage is one home of vintage dresses, vintage gowns, vintage blouses, vintage sweaters, vintage tops, vintage skirts, vintage vests, vintage pants, vintage aprons, vintage outfits, vintage suits, vintage rompers, vintage jumpsuits, vintage capes, vintage shawls, vintage jewelry, vintage accessories, including vintage hats, vintage shoes, vintage gloves, vintage purses, vintage scarves, vintage eyewear (real vintage cat eye glasses, vintage rhinestone glasses, vintage sunglasses), vintage coats, vintage jackets, vintage lingerie, vintage sunsuits, men’s vintage jackets, vintage cuff links, vintage ties clip, vintage hats, vintage coats, vintage shirts and some miscellaneous vintage kitsch along with some other things you may love but have never before considered.

I have NOT left out Steampunk clothing and Halloween ideas for original costumes….

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/LunaJunction?ref=hdr_shop_menu

OK, now I'm really tired.....

Sunny