For the first time ever, starting Monday take 60% off all items that are on the main floor! We’ve been busy adding new treasures so if you haven’t come by already please do! Score a chic summer turban, vintage swimsuit, fab jewelry and so much more. The summer sale continues through August 15! (Items on display or in the main floor showcases are excluded.)
Forbes recently caught up with The Way We Wore’s “vintage queen” Doris Raymond to get her book picks for learning about the vintage trade. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about vintage and the history of fashion, here are her reading recommendations to get you started:
Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century
Kyoto Costume Institute
AMERICAN FASHION: The Life and Lines of Adrian, Mainboche, McCardell, Novell, Trigere
Sarah Tomerlin Lee
Couture, the Great Designers
Caroline Rennolds Milbank
Breaking the Mode: Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Kaye Durland Spilker, Sharon Sadako Takeda
New York Fashion: The Evolution of American Style
Caroline Rennolds Milbank
Fifty Years of Fashion: New Look to Now
Valerie Steele
In recent years, Pucci has had a major renaissance with its signature psychedelic prints seen on scarves, swimwear, pillows and footwear, but many of today’s fashion fans are unfamiliar with the story of the Italian designer. Born in 1914 into one of Florence’s oldest noble families, Emilio Pucci was first an athlete who played tennis, raced cars and fenced. He attended schools in the U.S., joined the Italian Army and served as a bomber pilot during WWII.
After designing clothing for the Reed College Ski Team (where he had studied) he was asked to design skiwear for a story in Bazaar. His use of stretch fabrics led to a swimwear line, followed by brightly colored and boldly patterned silk scarves and later wrinkle-free dresses. By the late 1960s Pucci was a style star and everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Sophia Loren were wearing his designs (Marilyn Monroe was reportedly buried in Pucci).
Pictured is a 1970s Pucci geometric silk jersey jumpsuit. Visit 1stdibs for more information.
A recent “Back in Time” column in Women’s Wear Daily showcased the industry bible’s first photo shoot with Mad Men actresses January Jones, Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks from 2007.
In the photos, Jones wears a pair of vintage earrings and cotton gloves from The Way We Wore, while Hendricks donned a vintage bracelet and earrings. Get inspired by vintage fashion when the new season of Mad Men starts on July 25.
The Way We Wore is having its Big Bi-Annual Sale! Starting Monday, July 19, 2010 enjoy 50% off almost the entire first floor with many prices below $75. The sale runs through August 15, 2010 and new pieces will be added weekly! You’ll find pieces from Valentino, YSL, Kamali, Klein, Karan, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass and Halston, among others. There are also awesome vintage bathing and playsuits, lingerie, shoes, jewelry and accessories!
Don’t miss out! We hope to see you soon!
The Way We Wore’s New York City showroom is coming along swimmingly. Located in a beautifully renovated building on West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th avenues, the showroom is about 600 square-feet and has stunning views. We hope to open to the design trade on or around August 1, 2010 — we’ll keep you posted!
LACMA’s anticipated exhibition, Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700–1915, won’t debut until October 2, when it inaugurates the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion, but here’s a sneak peak courtesy of the Los Angeles Times Magazine, L.A. Costume and textiles department head Sharon Takeda pursued this incredible European collection, which spans 200 years. We can’t wait to see the comprehensive collection.
