When the blog post about this haul didn't even exist yet, I thought it was too late for writing one, as I felt I was too far behind in the pictures and my first impressions/clear descriptions of the pieces. However, I got time to snap some pics a while ago, and then I started to write the blog post, so it became clear that I would want to complete it. Here's the result.
🎕 50s Purple Plaid Skirt (maggzh0 on eBay)
Let's start with this skirt I bought last December (yep, 9 months ago... though the other stuff is more recent, like from spring 2021...)
I had seen it about 1 month ago and loved it immediately, but it was quite expensive. I tried to forget it, but after regularly checking back if it was still listed, it was clear I really liked it and that kinda justified getting it in the end.
The first time I saw the skirt, the fact that it had a 27" waist was another reason that kept me from buying it. Eventually, I thought altering the waist wouldn't be such a big deal (and in fact, my mom only had to move the button a bit further on the waistband).
When I received the skirt, I was a bit disappointed by the number of loose threads (see above picture). My mom pointed out that the skirt was surely homemade (which would make sense since the seller mentioned that the skirt did not have tags).
Another unpleasant surprise was the dirt spots that hadn't been mentioned by the seller, and I don't recall reading a statement that despite a thorough inspection, the garment may come with small defects.
The stains may be washable, I'm not sure. I should wash the skirt if it doesn't pose a risk for the fabric.
Nonetheless, the pattern and colour were exactly as expected, and I was relieved to see that the skirt was in a generally good state. I would've preferred the price to be fairer for the product received, but eh.
My mom made some small repairs to the skirt; she fixed the waistband and the belt loops that had loose threads and ironed the pleats. The skirt looks much better now. I'll try to pair it with a purple belt or an ivory one.
🎕 50s Sheath Dress (lovebugvintage on eBay)
I bought this dress in February. It is my first sheath dress.
I've always been a fan of fit & flare dresses and A-line skirts, but I had been looking at pretty sheath dress patterns at the time, and I think seeing this listing was the trigger that made me get one. I thought the dress was reasonably priced, moreover, it still had its original tags (they've been removed before taking the following pics).
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Because it's impossible to take nice flat-lay pictures of knee-length dresses, I had to leave the dresses on their hanger for their pictures. It's uglier, though much more simple. (The fact that these dresses are more arduous to photograph may well have been the reason why I procrastinated so much on taking the pictures.)
In the listing's pictures, the dress was displayed on a mannequin with its matching belt and it looked super nice. Undoubtedly induced me into buying it.
The colour of the dress varied in the pictures, from a seafoam colour to a bluer shade. It was described as "blue" in the listing, so I was hoping that the seafoam pics were simply the result of bad lighting. However, when I saw the dress in person, the colour was what I hoped not to be... honestly, it reminds me of a hospital gown. I'm a bit disappointed, but it's not like the colour makes me not want to wear the dress anymore.
Since the waist was bigger than 25" (I don't remember the exact measurement), I had to go get the dress altered. Some bits were taken off at the waist and the hips.
The dress fits okay. I had hoped for a Mad-Men-secretary-like look, though it's more like I'm wearing a school uniform. The fit reminds me a little of the blue pinafore in Malaysia, which isn't ugly but doesn't look very fashionable.
I think it's the extreme simplicity of the dress that makes it look a bit conservative, but I'm not sure.
By the way, this is the dress that damaged my new full-slip.
🎕 L'Aiglon 50's Fit & Flare Blue Dress (ManisteeVintage on Etsy)
My first dress from L'Aiglon! I was very happy to own one. This brand carries such beautiful dresses. I see them online quite regularly and they always look lovely. Unfortunately, they're either sold out, too expensive or not in my size. So when I saw this dress, in a fairly good condition, in my size and at a great price, I couldn't pass up.
I believe it's my first dress with lace stripes on the bodice. I've seen a lot of these bodices patterns in 50s and 60s magazines, and I wasn't sure if I'd get to find such a dress today.
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The dress came with holes under both underarms, which wasn't specified in the listing (it was only mentioned that the underarms had some yellowing).
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Fortunately, the seller was understanding and kindly agreed to give me a small compensation.
The sleeves were wrist-length, but I got them altered to a 3/4 length (long sleeves look awful on me – I wasn't sure I'd go for this alteration when I bought the dress, but upon trying it on, it was obvious I needed to).
My mom then stitched the extremities of the hem together (the very extremities, otherwise it'd be too tight), and sewed two buttons on each side.
I liked the 3/4 sleeves so much that I went to the seamster to alter the sleeves of this blouse (from long to a 3/4 length):
🎕 60s Fit & Flare Pink Dress (carlasuevintage on Etsy)
Well, I don't know what to say about this dress... not that I dislike it, but it doesn't bring up strong emotions or memories in my brain.
I don't remember if I saw it on IG or Etsy first, but I bought it rapidly. I loved the sailor-like collar on the front and the pretty pink colour. The pleats also looked cool (there's a close-up shot among the pictures below). Furthermore, the price was reasonable (for a vintage dress in this condition on Etsy).
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The packaging was really cute, though. Most items I receive from Etsy come charmingly wrapped, but I don't always think of taking a picture.
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Only thing is that in their photos, the seller made the dress look very light pink, so I was a tad disappointed when I saw it was actually a bubblegum pink. I'm aware that lots of pictures have their lighting/luminosity jacked up, but I didn't know the difference would be that much for this dress.
🎕 Butterick 50s Duster Sewing Pattern (22Curtis on Etsy)
If I remember well, I was googling duster patterns and found this one. I instantly fell in love with the one that had a bow at the back (see the red duster on the cover). A quick search on Etsy and I found the pattern in the size I wanted and fairly priced. The "search & buy" process for this item was exceptionally simple.
Again, lovely packaging of the item.
I haven't made the duster yet... and it probably won't be until next year since I've been focusing on work and school.
🎕 Sweater Guard (vintagecassandra on eBay)
I spent a lot of evenings looking for sweater guards both on Etsy and eBay. Not because they're rare or looked ugly, but because they're quite expensive... I never expected this type of jewelry to be that costly. Unfortunately, I never got to see someone selling a sweater guard in an in-person store, so I'm not sure how much they go for when not listed online.
Also, the fact that I was picky with the look of the crocodile clips didn't help. I was particularly worried that bigger clips (with bigger teeth) risked damaging my clothes.
While looking on eBay one day, I saw this Barbara Lee sweater guard – still with its original card! – auctioned on eBay.
It wasn't cheap cheap, but it was definitely lower-priced than the ones on Etsy. Plus, the condition was much better and it came with its original card. I didn't hesitate to place a bid and ended up winning it.
The only thing I was hesitant about was that the pictures didn't show the crocodile clips of the sweater guard... arg and it's not the only one where the clips aren't shown! I should've asked the seller about it, but I was lazy and thought that if the clips did happen to be giant, I'd try to figure out a way to correct this...
This sweater guard is in amazing condition. Some pearls have been lightly "scratched", but it isn't noticeable unless you look at them carefully. Very satisfied with this purchase and I haven't been furiously looking at sweater guards whole evenings again.
🎕 Black & White Dress to Skirt Only
I previously talked about a beautiful black x white dress I got, for which I expressed my disappointment over the fact that the top didn't fit me.
Well, my mom unstitched the bodice from the skirt, and we brought the skirt (with its petticoat) to a seamster to have it made into a single skirt:
This was such a great decision. The skirt fits even nicer, the amount of volume is perfect and I'm so happy I can now wear it.
I felt sad to throw the top away but remembered that it isn't as unique as the skirt and that it's fairly easy to find/make a similar top (and made of a better fabric). In my opinion, the skirt is what really made the whole dress stand out. Plus, having only the skirt means I get to pair it with other tops, blouses or cardigans (black or white mostly). This is pretty much even better. It provides many more outfit possibilities.
Note that I kept the matching bow/knot brooch on the top's collar (it would've been a disgrace to discard it along with the top...).
Concerning the waistband, there was enough hem at the bottom of the skirt to use some to make it, but since I plan on wearing the skirt with a belt, I told the seamster that a black waistband would look perfectly fine.
The skirt would look FABULOUS with the sailor top in black from Fi.n.t. I bought the one in white and it has become one of my favourite tops. I'm not a fan of black fabrics prone to lint, but I had made an exception for this top. Since it didn't seem to sell well in all three colours (it was in stock for like one year on the website?), I didn't feel rushed to get it. Then during last summer, it turned sold out. Another thing I'll have to look for on Fril and Mercari, oh joy.
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