After more than two decades of selling vintage jewelry and fashion online, I decided to open an independent Metro Retro Vintage website. Or rather, re-open the site after all of these years, since so much has changed since the early "wild west" days of the Internet.
I plan to continue selling on Etsy and even on occasion, on eBay, however, it is freeing to have a central location for all of the jewelry, clothing, and accessories to call "home". Won't you stop by and let me know what you think?
It is still a work in progress, but like all good homes, I'll continue to build it one virtual brick at a time.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
The Artistry of the Japanese Kimono
Included among the many clothing displays, were items from
Western and contemporary designers who drew their inspiration from Japanese
culture, as well as examples of Western influence on Japanese fashion.
Here are some featured displays from the exhibit.
(L) “The Rice
Bowl Dress” by Carolyn Schnurer, from her Flight to Japan collection,
1952. Emphasize is placed on a reversed
Kimono neckline, and a pleated skirt inspired by Japanese oilcloth parasols.
(R) Persimmon
colored shirt with spiraling sleeves by Issey Miyake, 1991.
(L) Meisen Kimono
with geometric pattern, circa 1920, reflects Dutch De Stijl influence.
(R) Unlined
Meisen Summer Kimono, 2nd half of the 20th century, features
gold and silver design with “cracked ice” pattern.
(L) Woman’s
Evening Coat by Jean-Charles Worth, 1910-1920, features a coral silk velvet
evening or opera coat with cascading folds falling in an asymmetric Kimono-like
style.
(R) Japanese
Women cloaked in American and Japanese flags, circa 1900.
Kimono-shaped Coverlet (Yogi) with Lobster & Crest,
Meiji period, mid-19th century, features Tsutsugaki textile of resist-dyed
cotton, with lobster motif as a symbol of longevity.
(L) Edo
(1615-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) period Obi textiles.
(R) Portable
smoking set of pipe and case, Edo period; Lacquer hair pin with flowers, Meiji
period.
Child’s winter Kimono with Mickey Mouse motif, Showa Period,
mid-20th century, reflects imported popular cultural references in
twentieth-century Japan.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Dressing for the Dearly Departed
A large salon decked with mourning garments, jewelry, and accoutrements of the 19th century filled the exhibit hall featuring “Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The entrance to the exhibit features a painted weeping willow, which
represents mourning.
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In an interesting
juxtaposition of “mourning as fashion”, the exhibit explores the custom during
the 1800’s and early 1900’s of elaborate funerary dress governed by the strict grieving
etiquette of the upper class, primarily in England and the United States.
Although social conventions
of the time required black clothing as acceptable mourning wear, many of the fashions
on display were far from somber, exhibiting fanciful beadwork, fine lace, lush
velvets, brocades, and other elaborate accessories worn by the well to do -- including
hats trimmed with large ornamental feathers or an entire perched bird, finely embroidered
gloves and silk fans, and black lacy parasols with fringed tassels.
Charlotte Duclos Mourning
Dress, 1910-12 (left-center). Black silk
chiffon, charmeuse and tulle, trimmed in jet and glass beads. A close-up reveals its fine embroidered
beadwork.
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Among the royals, there
were several opulent ball gowns of “half-mourning” – including a pale mauve silk
tulle evening gown by couturier Henrique Favre.
Layered with shimmery metallic sequins and deeply scooped décolletage,
the court dress was worn by Queen Alexandra in 1902, a year after Queen
Victoria’s death.
Opulent purple and lavender dresses of half-mourning worn at
court. The lavender gown was worn by
Queen Alexandra, a year after Queen Victoria’s death.
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In a small side room,
several examples of memento mori jewelry
were on display including a heavy necklace of black Whitby jet chain links suspended
with carved pendants, small lockets which held a strand of hair or colorfully painted
miniature of a departed loved one, enameled rings engraved with a weeping willow,
tomb stone, or other symbols of grief, and other sentimental keepsakes that
could be worn or carried.
(L) Gold mourning locket with pearls and plaited hair; (C) Jet and gold
link necklace with cameo and seed pearls; (R) Hairwork bracelet with portrait
of Lady Susan Murray, 1826.
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The exhibit only runs
through February 1, 2015, however, if you’re unable to visit, the museum is digitizing
several outfits from the collection and making them available for online
viewing.
If you’re in town and want
to see how Victorians once “lived”, check out this interesting exhibit.
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