Tag Archives: vintage reproduction

A Note on Vintage Repro

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Thanks for all of your kind words in my last post.  I’m still sniffly, but I certainly feel like I’m on the up and up and was able to take just two snaps for this post.

Over the time I’ve had this blog I have gotten a lot of questions about plus-size vintage clothing.  So many people complain that vintage is all tiny.  And I’m here to say it’s not.  While plus size vintage may be harder to come by, it isn’t non-existent.  I don’t know about you, but I can flip through plenty of old photos and see some plus size gals – not everyone was tiny back then. However, since it is harder to come by, many retro loving plus size gals turn to vintage repro to fill their closets and I then get questions on which vintage repro/vintage inspired brand is the best.  But that’s a bit of a hard question to answer…until now.  So buckle up and get ready for discussion of vintage repro.

The truth of the matter is I rarely buy new (vintage repro or otherwise) and this is for a combination of reasons. There are a handful of items I do buy from vintage repro sites, because I can’t find very much of certain items in the vintage world, like pants for example. In all honesty I just don’t look at vintage repro sites often because I don’t want or need to.  I like the thrill of the hunt.  I like giving my money to a local shop.  I like having unique items.  I like the quality of real vintage.  And I like sewing my own clothes.  So this leaves me with very little experience in the vintage repro world…until now.  Recently I have been lucky enough to stumble onto some vintage repro second hand and can now give my personal opinion on it.

Stop Staring was one of the first large vintage repro companies to hit the market. Riding the Neo-Swing wave, Stop Staring was established in 1997 and offers up mostly dresses with a tiny selection of separates. All garments are designed by a female designer who wants to give women the chance to embrace their inner femme fatale by providing figure flattering and curve hugging garments.

Some Stop Staring dresses have stretch to their fabric, while others do not.  This dress has an insane amount of stretch to it.  Which I personally don’t care for since it often creates odd bunches (which you can see in the above image) that you’re constantly tugging it back down.  But I like their styles, the fact the garments have back zippers and I also love that their garments are made in the USA.

One brand that has really picked up popularity is Trashy Diva.  I was introduced to the brand by fellow blogger The Fiercest Lilliputian who has a few of their dresses and adores them.  I really loved many of their patterns and the cuts were amazing! Seriously, some of their dresses could be dead ringers for the real deal.  But most of their garments have side zippers (seriously, I could do a whole post on my side zipper problem).  So that and the price forced me to turn away from their items.  But recently I scored one of their dresses for less than half of what it cost new.

When I tried the dress on I was really pleasantly surprised by their side zipper.  Unlike most side zippers that stop an inch or so before the armpit, Trashy Diva zippers go all the through to the sleeve!  This makes the dress ten times easier to get on and off, and doesn’t strain the fabric like other side zipper garments.  (This strain often results in the zipper being pulled loose from the garment and/or causing the fabric to sheer.)

Some of Trashy Diva’s dresses have stretch, others do not, such as this one which is 100% rayon.  And some have linings, but some don’t.  For me, I personally don’t care for linings with the exception of a coat.  I much prefer to wear slips than deal with linings.

I do want to make note of one quality thing that I encountered.  Even though I did buy my Trashy Diva dress second hand, it still had its original tags and replacement button attached.  So I believe the dress was unworn.  However, I noticed that the fabric on the fabric covered buckle was already beginning to show wear.

Second hand or not, I really don’t feel like this should be happening yet and it’s disappointing.  But honestly I don’t care too much for the belt.  Partially because it’s not all that flattering due to the fact that even on the tightest setting the belt was still loose.  Also, the light fabric is applied to a black belt, which causes the whole belt to be a shade darker than the rest of the garment.  I may find myself pairing this dress with a different belt or no belt at all, it looks just dandy without.  With regards to manufacturing location, Trashy Diva garments are made in China.

I found both the Stop Staring and the Trashy Diva dresses to be immensely comfortable as well.  Especially the Trashy Diva one, which was lightweight and soft.  And the stretch in the Stop Staring made it easy to move in.

Furthermore, I find that vintage repro fills a nice, specific niche in my wardrobe – travel.  When traveling you run the risk of losing or ruining your garments. It’s just a sad fact. And I would much rather lose a new garment, that may be easily replaced, as opposed to a vintage, possible one-of-a-kind garment.

Other vintage inspired companies that I have highlighted are Freddies of Pinewood, eShakti (experiences viewable here and here) Collectif and more recently Bettie Page Clothing.

There are so many more vintage repro and vintage inspired companies out there. Here is a small list for you to check out.  I have noted where the garments are made for the companies that I was able to find that information.

Heyday – Made in the UK and New Zealand
Vivian of Holloway
Pin-up Girl Clothing
Boo Boo Kity Couture – Handmade in the UK
Jitterbuggin’ Clothing – Handmade in Portland, Oregon
Shabby Apple
Nicole Katherine
NudeeDudee – Made in Los Angeles, California
Bernie Dexter – Made in the USA

As always, any future vintage repro/vintage inspired garments that I purchase or collaborate with I’ll share my experiences with you.  But I do want to note, I am by no means a clothing quality expert.  I’ve never peeked into a designer garment to look at the stitching, and I don’t go into high-end shops and turn garments inside out.  But I can feel the difference between fabrics and tug at seams and give it my best, but sometimes the true quality of a garment isn’t shown until it’s worn and washed the couple of times, and that’s another reason I love real vintage – it’s been around the block a few times and holding on strong.

The BBR: What Katie Did CC09 Bra

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Up to this point, the bullet bras I have reviewed have been more of the 1950s and 60s nature.  But now there is a bra for the 40s lover…  Today on The Bullet Bra Revue we have What Katie Did‘s CC09 1940s Satin Bra.

What Katie Did has slightly modified an original World War II era bra pattern to accommodate for modern cup sizes, as well as the comfort we modern gals have come to expect from our bras.

The CC09 has a soft curve, and is obviously less bullet-y, yet not as “globe” or “melon” like as modern bras.  This bra still creates the lift needed to meet the darts of vintage garments.

One thing that I noticed with this bra in contrast to the Mairtresse and Padded Bullet was the band fit.  The CC09 bra lacks the small bit of elastic between the cups that add a tiny bit of extra stretch to the bra.  A tiny bit that I felt I actually needed for a certain comfort level, so I put a bra hook & eye extender at the end of the bra, giving me the less than half inch I needed for a more comfortable fit.

The CC09 bra is $50.00, available only in “Peach”, made in India and of polyester with matching adjustable polyester straps (so no stretch) and elastic near the hook and eyes.

More Bullet Bra Revues
The Maitresse by What Katie Did
The Padded Bullet Bra by What Katie Did
The Fully Support Bra by Exquisite Form

Bettie Page Comes to PDX!

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Ah, Bettie Page. The queen of pin-ups. Nearly anyone in the vintage scene has heard of the dark haired beauty who raised eyebrows in the 1950s with her scantily clad and fetish photos.  She’s become a pop icon, with songs mentioning her and even a few written about her.  She’s been immortalized in photographs, graphic work and illustrations (most notably by Olivia) and most recently in a clothing line.

For sometime Bettie Page Clothing was only available at the first Bettie Page store which opened in, where else? Vegas, baby! As well as various “alternative” shops.  I bought my first Bettie Page piece at a roller derby store!  However, many of the specialty shops only carried a handful of items, instead of the whole collection.  Which left you to purchase on-line.  But in recent years, the company has increased its brick-and-mortar presence across the country.  The latest shop? My current city, Portland!

I recently went in and immediately fell in love.  Pink walls. Leopard print. Pictures of Bettie herself. Not to mention racks upon racks of vintage inspired garments! What’s not to love?

I was able to chat with the store manager, Gwen, a fellow feisty redhead.  “It’s an awesome company.  I love shopping here and I love working here even more,” says Gwen.  When asked what she loves about the clothing itself, Gwen responded with “It’s the most flattering!  It’s feminine, sexy, but not vulgar.”   She also notes that the line is not just for the rockabilly crowd, “Retro [fashion] has a great modesty to it, it translates to the workplace to dinner with your mother-in-law.”  Gwen emphasized that the clothing is about embracing your body and your femininity. “The dresses are designed by a woman, Tatyana, and it shows.”  The dress are all about curves and Gwen says “we’re very body positive here.  It’s okay to be sexy.”

While most of my wardrobe is real vintage and I rarely buy new, I understand that vintage inspired has its place in the vintage fashion world.  First of all, new stuff is available in a range of sizes, offering up the answer to the gals who complain that they can never find vintage in their size.  The Bettie Page line offers sizes XXS to 4X, so you’re bound to find your size.  “I love the range,” says Gwen of the sizing, “We offer a lot of the hard-to-fit sizes, from real petite to the plus size women.”  Of the plus-sizes, Gwen mentioned how in many stores, the plus size garments are pushed into almost of corner of shame that offer very little options in both style and in being body positive, “People come in asking for our ‘Plus Size Corner’ and I have to say ‘It’s all over.’”

Additionally, some items are just too difficult to find vintage, such as blouses and most often of all, pants!  So this is where lines such as Bettie Page come in quite handy.  Furthermore, I find that vintage repro is perfect for traveling and events that run risk of major party fouls.  Because, let’s face it, if you are forced to lose or ruin a dress, you’d much rather it be a new dress that can be easily replaced than a unique, one-of-a-kind vintage garment!

What makes shopping at a Bettie Page store different than shopping on-line?  Gwen explains that it’s just “trying it on!”  Everyone is shaped differently, and some of us may have a little more in some areas and maybe a little less in others, and these things “are not accounted for in a size chart.”  An important thing to note is that the sizing of the garments can vary from garment to garment.  Some garments are made of fabric that include a lot of stretch, while others include no stretch at all, but the garments feel well made, and are comfortable.  Also, there is just the experience! What gal doesn’t want to stand in front of a three-way mirror in a shop of pink walls, pin-ups and leopard print?  “There’s a couch of the men to sit on and look at their ladies, and they love it!”  And how true is that? You can’t exactly get your man’s opinion on something on you from the internet!  Also you don’t have a wonderful staff doting on you! That size not working out for you? Let one of the lovely sales staff help you out and pick up the next size up or down for you!  “We’re here for them so they can look fabulous.”

As for myself, I bought this adorable jumper! A swimsuit for my trip to Palm Springs in a few weeks, and two of their bow belts! And Portland store bonus: They have cute Bettie Page Clothing reusable totes!

The Portland Bettie Page Clothing store is located at 818 SW Broadway in the heart of downtown Portland, less than a block from Pioneer Courthouse Square.

“Made In…” Disclosure
Bettie Page garments are made in China.

Vintage Must Have: Snood

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Okay, so this isn’t really a must have for all vintage-loving gals. But it is for those who love the 1940s.  Today’s vintage must have is a snood…

Snoods have a history dating back to the Renaissance, had a revival in the mid 1800s, and came back into vogue during the 1940s due to World War II for rather practical reasons.  Women entered the war effort in full force by working in factories, which required them to keep their hair out of the way and snoods were the answer.  But soon snoods found their way into everyday fashion during the 1940s and early 1950s.

One of my favorite bloggers really knows how to rock a snood, please check her and her equally fashionable husband on their blog Lost in the 50s.

Most snoods are simple and of this crochet design I am wearing.  However there are loads of patterns to make beautiful, stylish and complex snoods to go with your outfits, such as this pattern available on Etsy.  So if you know who to wield a crochet needle, you can make some yourself!  There were also fabric snoods as well.  As snoods became more of a fashion accessory as opposed to a working girl’s staple, many milliners began to incorporate snoods of either the netting kind or fabric kind into their hats.

Snoods can be worn with various hairstyles in the front; pompadours, victory rolls, and look great when paired with a hair flower too!

I buy most of my snoods from April’s Bag. She makes wonderful snoods and sells them at really reasonable prices.  Arthelia’s Attic is another stellar Etsy seller dealing in snoods, including the beautiful deluxe snoods.

Outfit
Snood: April’s Bag
Sweetheart Necklace: Gift
Sweetheart Charm Bracelet: Pieced together from various shops
Earrings: Expo
Sweater: Bombshell Vintage, Portland
Skirt: Buffalo Exchange, Portland
Vintage Stockings: …who knows…
Shoes: TJ Maxx…I think

The BBR: Exquisite Form Original Fully Support Bra

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Previously on the Bullet Bra Revue, I reviewed two bras by What Katie Did which were rather on the spendy side. Today I bring you a more inexpensive bra by Exquisite Form.

The Exquisite Form was the first new “bullet bra” I purchased, after a few months of hit-or-miss vintage bra purchases.  I had heard good things about it from a friend, and she also commented on how cheap they were!

The Exquisite Form Original Fully Support Bra is not marketed as a “bullet bra” or even as a vintage style bra, but more as a “full support” bra, which just happens to result in a bullet bra like silhouette.  In fact you will find many of the reviews on Amazon complain of the Madonna-esque qualities of the bra.  The silhouette of the Exquisite Form is a very soft bullet shape, akin to the Maitresse by What Katie Did, but maybe even a little softer, and lends itself to be a good late 1940s and early 1950s style bra, or even the “everyday” bullet bra, for those days when you need the lift that a bullet bra gives, but without being too bullety, if you will.  Like the Maitresse, the Exquisite Form has cups that are soft fabric and without padding.

The Maitresse and the Exquisite Form are very similar in silhouette, however the Exquisite Form does have a bit softer, less pointy curve than the Maitresse.

The downsides to the Exquisite Form is that the cup does come up rather high and is best suited for attire that is not low cut.  Additionally, the straps are rather on the thick side, with even wider cushions on the strap. The cushions aren’t too cushy to be honest, and just lend a bit of extra padding for comfort, but nothing fancy like those gel pads in some bras.  The cushions can however be easily removed by cutting them off.  The majority of straps themselves are made of somewhat stiff cotton that becomes softer with washing.  There is a small elastic portion about two inches long near the back of the strap.

I found the Exquisite Form to run true to size, and a 34C suits me just fine.

The Exquisite Form Original Fully Support bra is available at Sears or can be purchased on Amazon from $12.80 to $16.95, made in Sri Lanka, and has a body made of 65% polyester and 30% cotton, with elastic made of 80% nylon and 20% spandex with plastic adjustments.

More Bullet Bra Revues
The Maitresse by What Katie Did
The Padded Bullet Bra by What Katie Did
The CC09 Bra by What Katie Did

The BBR: What Katie Did Padded Bullet Bra

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Previously on my new series The Bullet Bra Revue, I reviewed What Katie Did’s Maitresse bra. Today I bring you another bra by What Katie Did, the Padded Bullet Bra.

Unlike the Maitresse, which is simply fabric that has been stitched to give support and shape, the Padded Bullet Bra is exactly as it sounds. This bra actually has foam support and shape (akin to modern bras) to create a very pointed silhouette that stays perky.

One thing that should be said about the page for the Padded Bullet Bra is that WKD does not give you a side profile, so you really do not get a perfect understanding of just how pointy the Padded Bullet Bra really is. Well, here ya go!

I feel like I should be in an Ed Wood movie or something!  But I love it! The light padding in this bra keeps the pointed, bullet shape without need for the bullet bra pads that some gals may need if wearing the Maitresse and it will not have that “deflated” look that other bloggers have complained about with other bullet bras.  For the most part, this bra is for 1950s attire, but some early 1960s garb may require something this pointed.

I found the bra to be comfortable and had a wonderful structured and secure feeling while wearing.  Not to mention it made my attitude change a little too. I felt like a character out of John Waters’ film Cry-Baby, and I could claim “our bazooms are our weapons!”

Also like the Maitresse, my traditional fit did not work, and I purchased a cup size up.  Additionally, this is one of the bras I purchased at The Foundation, and was able to try the bra on in person.

The Padded Bullet Bra is $55.00, made in India and of polyester with elastic straps, elastic near the hook and eyes and an elastic panel along the bottom of the front triangular cut out.

More Bullet Bra Revues
The Maitresse by What Katie Did
The Fully Support by Exquisite Form
The CC09 Bra by What Katie Did

The BBR: What Katie Did Maitresse

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Welcome to my new series The Bullet Bra Revue! Awhile ago, I wrote saying that the bullet bra is a “vintage must have”.  And offered up a handful of places to purchase bullet bras.  But what I did not supply were my personal reviews on the bras currently out there on the market.  Starting today I will be reviewing various bullet bras and offering up my personal experience with the garments, hoping to help you fellow vintage lovers make the best possible purchase to fit your wardrobe and budget. Today’s bullet bra is the What Katie Did Maitresse Bullet Bra.

I would like to note that I purchased this bra from The Foundation, not through What Katie Did’s website.  The first thing I noticed about the Maitresse bra was how similar it was to a vintage 1950s bullet bra I already owned. With its circular stitching and triangular cut out near the band, the Maitresse is almost a dead ringer for a period bra.

To hammer home the difference between a modern bra, and the Maitresse bra, I have gone with a sweater set (after all, we all love a sweater gal!)

You will notice that my breasts are elevated, which is what is so key to a period correct foundation when wearing vintage. Most garments from the 1940s through the 1960s were made with bullet bras in mind, thus bust darts are higher, and overall construction is suited to a bullet shape.  This bra is more suited to a late/New Look 1940s through 1950s garment, but could be worn with some 1960s garments, and therefore I think the most versatile bra for a vintage wardrobe.

I know some fellow vintage bloggers have had some complaints, finding the area on the top of the bust to be wavy and loose, having a “deflated” look. I however did not encounter this problem. There are two possible solutions to this.  The first is that the bra was not put on properly.  Bullet bras need to be put on bending over, and allowing your breasts to fall into the cups. You can also put on the bra, and then bend over, gently shaking your breasts into place.  Or it could be that you need bullet bra pads. These pads fill in the bra for you, and remain stiff and in place. What Katie Did also sells these.

Regarding sizing, I found the What Katie Did bras to run small.  I traditionally wear a 34C, and found the 34Cs to run a tad tight. I then tried on a 34D and it was much more comfortable.  At home, I compared my vintage 1950s 34C bullet bra and found the cups to be within two millimeters of the same size.  I recommend ordering a cup size up.

Overall, I am very, very happy with my Maitresse bra, and will be ordering at least one more in the future.

The Maitresse bra is $55.00, made in India and of polyester with elastic straps (which I’m personally not a fan of), elastic near the hook and eyes and an elastic panel along the bottom of the triangular cut out.

More Bullet Bra Revues
The Padded Bullet Bra by What Katie Did
The Fully Support by Exquisite Form
The CC09 Bra by What Katie Did