On Friday, January 8, I wore this really fun 1950s Paddle & Saddle Sportswear vest that I got at Dorothea's Closet Vintage recently.

Paddle & Saddle Sportswear vests in the '50s were often part of 2 piece separate outfits.  I found an ad from 1953 on-line that showed a vest very similar to mine worn with matching pedal pushers.

To complement my vest, I wore a necklace I made using vintage watch parts.

I also used several different kinds of vintage chain for the necklace, including watch fob & rosary.

And, I wore a pair of asymmetrical earrings I made out of vintage watch parts & watch fob clasps.

I really like working with old watch parts & old watch fobs -- I love all the detailed gears & parts.

To see more of Dorotheas Closet Vintage clothing, check out the website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

Thanks for reading!

On Friday, December 18, I wore this fabulous 1960s red velvet dress & patent leather Kelly-style bag. 

Both the dress & bag make me think of Audrey Hepburn.

With my dress & bag, I wore a not-so-vintage hat, & 2 pieces of my Christmas jewelry.

The first is a charm bracelet I made recently.

I especially like the little record "Christmas Party" album charm, & the "Merry Christmas" stamp that I think would actually work!

I also wore a pair of Christmas earrings I made recently.

I made these out of vintage lithograph tin & brass that I cut into circles & domed.

With it being just a week until Christmas, what better time to wear red velvet & Christmas jewelry!

To see more of Dorothea's Closet Vintage clothing, check out the shop's website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

Thanks for reading!

On Wednesday, December 2, I wore this really fun 1970s Miss JoAnn of California crochet knit midi that I got at Dorothea's Closet Vintage several years ago. 

I especially love the see-through cut-out detailing, the full skirt, & the hippie boho look to this dress!  I looked up Miss JoAnn of California on the internet & wasn't able to find out much information about "her".  From what I did see, the company specialized in crochet knit dresses during the 70s.

With my fun hippie dress, I wore a necklace I made with vintage silver & rosary chain, as well as vintage findings & a broken vintage pin.

And I wore this fun pair of earrings I made recently.

I made the earrings from vintage snaps & copper jump rings.  I like how light they are, the contrast between the silver snaps & copper rings, & the way they move with you.

I thought both the necklace & earrings fit the boho look of the dress!

To see more of Dorothea's Closet Vintage, check out the shop's website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

On Friday, November 27 -- Black Friday -- I wore this fabulous black dress from the 1920's & hat from the 1980s that I picked up at Dorothea's Closet Vintage!

One of the things I especially love about this dress is the amazing soutache around the necklace, down the front, & across the hipline.  (Soutache is narrow decorative braid used to trim clothing.  From what I could find online, it was used at least back into the 1800s.)  I also love the drape & cut of the hemline in the front!

With my outfit, I wore 3 pieces of my hand-crafted jewelry.  I made this necklace out of vintage rosary chain, crystal beads from a broken necklace, & part of a broken earring.

I especially like the art nouveau feel of the unusual rosary connector!

I also wore this steampunk style charm bracelet I made.

Finally, I wore this pair of earrings I made from an old tintype, crystal beads, & rhinestone key & heart charms!

I like the way the asymmetrical earrings connect & communicate with each other.

To see more Dorothea's Closet vintage clothing, check out the shop's website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

On Tuesday, November 3, I wore this super soft 1950s cashmere sweater by California Girl that I got through one of the Facebook vintage groups I belong to, a vintage sheer black jacket I got from Dorothea's Closet Vintage, & a fun black hat I got in Cedarburg, Wisconsin earlier this summer (from the owner of a bed & breakfast a friend & I stayed at).  And, I carried this super fun 60s black patent leather purse with amazing atomic print on it that a friend custom painted!  I think the purse really makes the outfit!

I tried to learn more about California Girl sweaters online, but couldn't really find much other than a few other sweaters on Etsy. 

With my outfit, I wore 2 pieces of jewelry I've made that complemented the colors in my atomic purse -- including this fun "A Woman Can't Have Too Many Shoes" charm bracelet.

Most of the shoe charms are vintage Cracker Jack or gumball charms dating from the 1920's through 1960s.

I also wore this pair of copper puzzle earrings that I made recently.

To get the texture on the earrings, I ran lace through the rolling mill with the copper; I also used liver of sulfer to get the patination.  The beads on the earrings are turquoise gemstones.

To see more of my jewelry, check out my webpage at http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

Thanks for reading & have a great day!

Today's vintage outfit is this really fun 1960s/1970s hippie dress with bright embroidery on the sleeves & down the front.

I love the bright colors on this dress & the butterfly wing sleeves.  The maxi dress traces its history to Oscar de la Renta creation in 1968.  By the 1970s, it was a "must-have" fashion item; however, by the end of the 70s it was no longer popular.  I picked up this dress recently at Dorothea's Closet Vintage.  It reminds me very much of dresses I wore in the 1970s!

With my maxi, I wore 3 pieces of jewelry I've made, including this necklace that I made out of old catalin game pieces I got at a garage sale & red plastic beads.

I also wore this brightly colored bracelet that I made out of old bakelite (?) game pieces I found at an antique mall here in Des Moines.

And, finally, I wore this pair of earrings I made with vintage buttons.

It pretty much rained all day today, so it was nice to be wearing a brightly colored dress & jewelry to offset how gloomy it was outside!

To see more of Dorothea's Closet Vintage clothing, check out the shop's website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

Thanks!

On Wednesday, October 14, I wore this fun 1940s dress that I picked up at Dorothea's Closet earlier this spring!

It's made by Hattie Leeds.  I tried to find out more about brand, but when I googled it, all I got were other Hattie Leeds dresses on Etsy.

With the dress, I wore 2 pieces of jewelry I'd made earlier this year, including this necklace.

I made the necklace out of vintage wood beads from a broken bracelet that I picked up at an antique mall just outside Manitowoc, Wisconsin this summer.

I also wore this pair of earrings.

I made these from vintage tin lithograph from an old tray.  I cut out the discs & then domed them.

To see more Dorothea's Closet Vintage clothing, check out the shop's website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

On Saturday, October 3, I wore this fabulous 1950s rayon jacket by Jean Lang that I picked up recently at Dorothea's Closet Vintage, a 1940s raffia hat I got at an Inn in Cedarburg earlier this summer, & a 1960s black patent leather purse by Garay that I got some time ago at Dorothea's Closet Vintage. 

The jacket has good sized shoulder pads, a peplum (which I love), & big bows with rhinestones on both sides of the collar!  I believe it once had a matching skirt, as there is "2 pieces" is hand-written on the back label. I tried to find out more information about Jean Lang & Garay as designers, as I've heard of both before (in fact, I think I may have other Garay purses), but couldn't find anything on the internet about them other than other fashion items on Pinterest or for sale on Etsy.

With my vintage outfit, I wore 2 pieces of my jewelry. 

I used a broken rhinestone fur clip for the pendant for this necklace.  For the chain, I used crystal beads, rhinestone rondelles, & chain from a couple of broken necklaces.  I chose this necklace to complement the rhinestones on the jacket.

I also wore a pair of earrings I made from black crystal beads & silver pieces from a broken necklace.  I chose these earrings to complement the black jacket & the silver in the necklace.

The jacket was perfect for this fall day with temps in the 60s.  I love the big brim of the hat, although I had to hang onto it at times with our windy Iowa weather!

To see more Dorothea's Closet Vintage clothing, check out the website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

My mother-in-law & I have season tickets to the Des Moines Community Playhouse.  On Sunday, September 13, I wore this fun 1960s novelty print dress to the Playhouse to see "Into the Woods", a musical by Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine. I found this dress over the weekend at a garage sale -- it has the best novelty print of musical instruments & wine bottles, etc.  !  I got the vintage hat recently through the Facebook group, Just Love It Vintage; & the yellow raffia purse years ago at Dorothea's Closet Vintage.

Belle decided she needed to be in the picture with me!

With my new vintage dress, I wore 2 of the new pieces of jewelry that I will have at next Sunday's Valley Junction Art Market.  I made this necklace from vintage half circles & spacer beads I picked up in July during my travels in Wisconsin.  I still haven't figured out if the half circle beads are made out of wood or plastic!

I also wore a pair of earrings that I wire-wrapped using vintage wooden & silvertone beads.

As always, the Playhouse put on a good show, & we enjoyed ourselves.  I enjoy seeing the shows & having the opportunity to dress up!

To see more fabulous vintage clothing, check out Dorothea's Closet Vintage website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

On Thursday, September 10, I wore this fabulous 50's dress & jacket, & hat!

This dress is another great example of Christian Dior's New Look, which featured rounded shoulders, a cinched waist & a full skirt.  I picked up this dress at Dorothea's Closet Vintage "as is" because it has a bit of fading in places.  I loved it so much, though, that I didn't care; as a friend says, it's "visibly vintage!"

The hat is a really fun example of a 50's mushroom cloche.  I think it's covered with bunny fur, although it may be some kind of feathers.  I got it in a box with 7 other hats from a friend at the September Fairgrounds Flea Market.  She had set them aside just for me, knowing how much I love vintage hats!

With my 50's outfit, I'm wearing 2 pieces of jewelry that I made recently.

I made this necklace out of an old cameo brooch that had a broken closure.

I also used amethyst gemstones, faux pearls, & prince of wales chain to complement the pendant.

I also wore this pair of purple & gold earrings.

I made the earrings out of vintage lithograph tin pieces that I domed, & goldtone beads.

I wore today's outfit to the September birthday party at Calvin Community continuing care retirement community here in Des Moines.  The hat, especially, was a hit!

To see more of Dorothea's Closet Vintage clothing, check out the shop's website at http://dorotheasclosetvintage.myshopify.com.  To see more of my jewelry, go to http://paulinesjewelrybox.com.

As always, thanks for reading & for supporting small businesses!