Vintage Ski Sweater Style in DIY Del Ray

Did you see the great write-up we got in DIY Del Ray about our vintage ski sweaters? Fabulous pictures and some history on these hand-knit gems. Come on down to the store and see them for yourself.

1940s ski sweater

Ain't No Party Like a Gatsby Party - 1920s Fashion

It's that time of the year - Christmas then the big New Year's party. There's been more than one of you who have come in looking for 1920s clothing for a Gatsby party. Thanks for coming in to the store. We can help you find the right look.

First off, we do have fabulous 1920s vintage clothing. See our previous post on our amazing vintage cloche hats. We also have vintage day dresses, some evening dresses, and art deco jewelry.

1920s velvet burnout dress

1920s velvet robe

For party attire on a budget (or without the use of excessive Spanx as you'll need them if you wear the original dresses), we can help you get the 1920s look that will stun all of your friends.

First off, a bit about 1920s fashion. I know all of you want this look:

No no no!! Wrong!

This look did not exist. It is a costume look based off of caricature of college students from the time. 

Caricature of a Flapper

These are real flappers from the 1920s:

Real Flappers from the 1920s

Scandalous, no? Well for the time, they were. They drank, smoked, and wore their skirts RIGHT ABOVE THE KNEE! Everyone else wore their skirts below or at the knee. Some of the flappers even cut their hair! Quell horror!

So what did the average person look like in the 20s?

1920s advertisement

1920s Everyday Look

For evening, there were some amazing beaded dresses in the 1920s. Again, originals are rare and they cost thousands. You also wouldn't want to wear one to a party lest you get snagged and have to watch in horror as thousands of hand-sewn beads tumble helplessly to the carpet. Fear not! Coco Chanel invented the "little black dress" or LBD in 1926. This simple black dress enabled women to go from a less formal cocktail party to dinner just by changin accessories. We have a great selection of period-looking LBDs in the store. 

To give you the real 20s look, throw on a vintage kimono. This will not only keep you warmer on cold evenings but double as a great house robe the day after your vintage party when you are lounging around in your PJs. 

1920s Embroidered Kimon

1920s Kimono-style Robe

1920s Kimono fashion

Add some solid t-strap heels or any pump with a strap and a solid heel (no stilletos! No!), some blingy jewelry, and one of our feather facinators in your hair, and you'll be set. 

Baby It's Cold Outside - Vintage Coats and More!

Owners Shelly and Gene have just gotten back from a whirlwind buying trip to Minnesota and the store is loaded with lots of new vintage!

New vintage clothing!

First and foremost - vintage coats! The queen of the coat in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s was Lilli Ann. Her coats are high quality, fashionable, and often used designer fabrics like Blin Blin from Paris. We have several amazing Lilli Ann coats in the shop for sale among others.

Fabulous Lilli Ann Coat in Mohair!

Petite Lilli Ann Coat with fur collar.

We also have loads of vintage sweaters and 1940s dresses that we are pricing and getting ready for the store. Photos to come.

Check out these amazing vintage purses! They go great with many outfits and are easily large enough for your cell phone, wallet, and all your other things.

Vintage pony purse.

Vintage pony shoulder bag.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Check Facebook and Instagram often for pictures of new items as they come back from the cleaners. You won't be disappointed. 

The Vintage Style of Taylor Swift

A couple came into the store the other day and said that their 13 year-old daughter was really into vintage. My first thought was "Congratulations on raising such a classy young lady." As they were looking through the racks for her Christmas present, one said to the other, "You know where she gets it from - Taylor Swift."

Now, I'm not a huge fan of Taylor Swift (though We Are Never Getting Back Together may or may not have been on my ipod on repeat after a certain break-up a couple of years ago) but I know she is a major style icon. Today, she sports a retro, vintage, pin-up look that is unique among pop-stars in sky-high heels and expensive designer clothing.

What's great about Taylor Swift's retro style is that anyone can pull it off. Young, old, slim, curvy, tall, short, you name it. It looks good on everyone. Vintage clothing is also incredibly affordable and quality. If you take good care of it, it will last a lifetime. You can also put together a look that is uniquely you. Come on in and find your vintage look today! Don't let Taylor hog the spotlight.

Andrea shows that vintage
 works in the office.

Beatrice with her vintage jacket
and blouse. So cute!

Vintage 70s done right! 

Vintage Accessories for Every Outfit

We know you. You come in the store and browse through our fabulous vintage clothes. We hear you sigh, "I just don't know how to wear vintage." So we help you out and suggest some wonderful vintage dresses for you to try on. But you hesitate to take the plunge into wearing vintage. It's OKAY. We understand. Wearing vintage can take some time, like going swimming. Some people will dive right in. Others will sit on the side of the pool and dangle their feet, getting used to the water.

Vintage accessories are an easy way to get into wearing vintage. We all want that signature piece for our wardrobe. That one piece that we can wear with practically anything - jeans, a business suit, or a cocktail dress. That piece will always get compliments and we will never get tired of wearing it.

Puruse some of these vintage accessories and dip you toes into wearing vintage.

Vintage purses - These are a great way to get into vintage and most importantly, holds your cell phone and wallet. We've lots of styles at the store from classic handbags to sassy vintage tooled leather handbags from the Southwest.

Vintage shoulder bag

Vintage tooled leather purse

Vintage Rings - Chunky jewelry is very "on trend" right now. Vintage cocktail rings come in a variety of styles and will set you apart in the crowd. Check out this vintage ring below. It's a lovely blue Czech art glass in sterling silver.

Vintage cocktail ring in Czech art glass and silver

Vintage necklaces - This will be your "go to" piece. The perfect neckace or pendant will go with jeans and a t-shirt, your work dress, and your cocktail dresses. Every time you wear this piece, you will get compliments. People will remember your piece and say, "I love it when you near that necklace!" What will be your "go to" piece? Chunk 70s silver? Art deco glass? Bakelite beads? The possibilities are limitless. Come to the store and find yours today.

Vintage charm in honey jade 

Vintage style silver locket

Vintage glass necklace

Vintage Brooches - Brooches are so versatile. You can wear them on a suit jacket, on a blouse, on your coat, or to pin up a scarf. You can also hang them on a chain and make them into a necklace.

Vintage snail brooch

WWII Plane Pin

Do you have some ideas now? Are you ready to try some vintage? Come on out! We have something for everyone and will help you find your signature piece that you will wear for years to come. 

Vintage Cloche Hats

Today, Amalgamated has a booth at the Art Deco Expo in Arlington, VA where you can find loads of 1920s fashion, art deco furnature, and Gatsby style. Here in the store, we have some fabulous vintage cloche hats that were the highlight of flapper style.

Vintage Cloche hats - the classic "flapper hat"

Up until the 1920s, women's hats were anchored to hairstyles with combs and hairpins or a combination or netting and structural supports. As hemlines creeped up to the knee, hair styles became shorter until they reached the classic "bob" style. These bobs were too short to hold the larger hats of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Thus the cloche hat was born.

Close fitting, the cloche did not need to be secured with pins or combs. It could rest securely on a woman's head by itself or with one of the newly invented "bobby pins" to keep it from blowing off in a stiff breeze. The carefree flapper could dance down the street and keep her hat in tact.

If you do not have a chance to get to the Art Deco Expo, come by the store and peruse our vintage cloche hats. They are perfect for that Great Gatsby New Year's Party or your own vintage hat collection. A flapper hat is perfect inspiration for planning your own adventures and goes great with any decor.

Early 1920s cloche hat

Mid-1920s cloche hat

Back in Black (Friday)

Black has a long history in fashion. From mourning to classic fashion of today, black can be found throughout the ages. The Ancient Romans were the first to use black for morning. In the middle ages, Benedictine monks adopted black as a symbol of humility. By the 1400s, high quality black dyes were available and black became very fashionable. Later Puritans and other protestant groups adopted black dress as white was the color of the Catholic church.

 Black became the color of the industrial revolution, which started in the mid-1700s. Workers in factories fueled by coal fires favored black clothing because soot and dirt didn’t show as much. In the 1830s and 1840s the Romantics and the later Gothics favored black because it was the color of melancholy. In the 1850s, aniline or synthetic dyes were invented, making it cheaper and quicker to dye clothing, especially black.

 In 1926 Coco Chanel invented the Little Black Dress (LDB). It was originally nicknamed “a Ford” after the black Model Ts that were filling the streets. Chanel’s LBD was a stark contrast to the colorful glamor of the jazz age. It’s advantage was that it offered women a versatile dress that they could wear to cocktail parties and then out to dinner or the theater afterwards just by changing their accessories. Chanel said, “"A woman needs just three things; a black dress, a black sweater, and, on her arm, a man she loves."

To this day, the LBD is a staple of any well-dressed woman’s wardrobe. For the rest of the 20th century, black makes an appearance in 1950s beatnik fashion with its ubiquitous black turtleneck and again in the 1970s punk culture with black leather jacket. Throughout the decades, classic black clothing never goes out of style, like Chanel’s LBD.

Come in the store on Black Friday and find the perfect LBD for you. They’re all 20% off.

Out of the Closet - Weekend Sale on LBDs!

Welcome to Amalgamated's new blog. Here is where we will post pictures, stories, and intereseting information on the clothing that we have.

Today is Friday and this weekend we're having a sale on Little Black Dresses (LBD). Coco Chanel invented the LBD in 1926. It originally debuted in Vogue magazine, which called it a "Ford". This was a reference to the famous all-black model T cars, known for their simplicity and dependability. Not everyone appreciated the LBD at the time. One of her competitor's remarked, "“What has Chanel invented? De luxe poverty.”

 The LBD was the perfect attire for women attending the recent invention of the "cocktail party". It allowed her to go from a sophisticated but less formal evening look to a full evening look with the same dress just by changing one's accessories. Over the years, the LBD has become a staple in every woman's wardrobe. A classic LBD is timeless and can be worn practically anywhere: the office, a cocktail party, a dinner party, or to pick up the kids from day care.

 Follow in the footsteps of Coco Chanel and get your LBD this weekend at the store. 20% all LBDs and other black dresses too.