Deanna sent me this scan from a vintage (circa 1945) issue of Modern Woman magazine which has tips for preserving the fit of New Look foundation garments. Such care likely serves the collector and/or wearer of vintage lingerie pieces as well as the fashions which are worn over them.

Tips To Preserve "New Look" Foundation Garments

Personally, I never ever would have thought of hanging my vintage girdles to dry by the garters — I’m eager to try it and see if and how it might affect things.

Tags: collectibles, garters, girdles, Lingerie, vintage fashion, vintage magazines, wearing vintage clothing

I’m giving High-Fives this Friday to:

1. A Tad Too Much Tan For Taupe finds a fab vintage circle skirt.

2 & 3 Inherited Values has more news on finding silent film footage presumed lost, and shows us some pretty baubles from a film classic.

4. Millie Deel shows us lovely custom shoes by Zoe Rios — with loads of vintage style.

5. Millie also tips us off to Diary of a Vintage Girl’s contest for vintage-inspired Kiss Me Deadly lingerie.

Tags: Contests, Jewelry, Lingerie, Shoes, silent film, vintage, vintage fashion

What could be more impossibly impractical — and therefore more glamorous — than an incredible nightgown with rhinestones?!

Vintage Vanity Fair Nightgown With Rhinestones

I’d say that question was rhetorical… But since this beauty isn’t a stand alone piece (it may be a one of a kind now, due to age, but it wasn’t always so), there are additional goodies in the collection.

The gold embroidered label or tag tells you that this piece is from the Vanity Fair Conversation Pieces collection, circa mid-1950s — but you don’t really need that tag to tell you that, do you?

Gold Embroidered Vanity Fair Label

Vanity Fair’s elaborate and impractical lingerie creations, featuring rhinestones and gold lame, certainly tell you these are lingerie pieces one talked about — and probably showed off too. Not only bringing such fabulous lingerie pieces out of the shopping bag to show friends while the ladies lunched, but maybe by wearing it while entertaining and playing hostess too. Oh, the days when you didn’t fear unexpected company, but glamorously dressed-up for it, lounging about all dolled-up, hoping for it…

Vanity Fair Black & Gold Lame Nightgown From Conversaion Pieces Collection

Tags: Lingerie, nightgowns, seduction, vintage fashion, vintage glamour

One of the things I love most about vintage movies is all the entertaining ladies did while wearing what we’d call lingerie. Even while the Hollywood Code was in effect, it was just fine for a lady to entertain guests while wearing pajamas or nightgown — so long as she wore a peignoir or a dressing gown over her negligee. While many of us would not be so bold today, we can — and should — wear fine and festive lingerie around our families, right?

For starters, how about this stunning two-piece vintage Alfred Shaheen hostess set in red satin? Asian-inspired styling includes a mandarin collar, deep side vents, 3/4 length sleeves and high-waist pants — all to leave you sitting pretty!

Vintage Alfred Shaheen Red Satin Hostess Set

When it comes to vintage nightgowns, one of my favorite brans is Olga. There’s just something about the sensual fit of a snug nylon Olga bodice that sets my heart to thumping… Hubby’s too. *wink* But this vintage Princess style nylon Olga gown is modest — and stunning — enough to wear in front of family.

Vintage Red Olga Nightgown

This vintage Olga backless-style ballet-length nightgown has a matching shorty robe, which gives it a 40s-style peplum look.

1950s Olga Peignoir Set With Short Robe

Add some glamorous slippers, and you’re all set with these vintage hostess lounge-wear fashions!

PS Don’t forget to enter my home spa and “teddy bare” lingerie contests!

Tags: Lingerie, nightgowns, pajamas, peignoir, pygamas, Shopping, vintage, vintage fashion, vintage glamour

I’m super excited to bring you this next contest! Everyone wants to be a flapper, dress like a flapper, and one of the most iconic and practical staples of roaring 20’s fashions is the teddy: And all-in-one cami and panty lingerie piece which works well beneath suits by day and even better under the covers by night *wink*

Grace Bradley Wearing A Teddy & Decorating The Tree

But because flapper fashions were made for young women, such pretty things were built on a rather straight and narrow design, making finding an authentic roaring 20’s flapper teddy in a size to fit an average woman today difficult. And if you’ve got curves (be it just a bountiful bustline or are an all-over Rubenesque, full-figured BBW) you’ll find yourself saying — in your best Italian accent — “Forget about it!”

However the folks at Hips & Curves let all curvy women live the dream with their vintage styled teddy:

Reminiscent of the 20’s this vintage style teddy has a beautiful V front with 2 rows of lace at the top and matching lace detail around the leg. This charmeuse teddy is available in sizes 1x - 4x with a tie back and snap crotch for a good fit. The beautiful quality of this garment makes it an excellent value and something you will treasure time and again.

Plus Size Vintage Style Teddy Lingerie Set From Hips & Curves

Check out the size chart; see how well these will work for the bigger busted ladies as well as the full-figured?

Hips & Curves Size Chart: 1X though 4X

(Note: Hips & Curves carries sizes larger than 6X; but the teddy is only available, as listed, in sizes 1X - 4 X, so I’m only showing those measurements from their size chart.)

And the most awesome part? I’m giving away a free Hips & Curves plus size teddy!

Pure Vintage Glamour With Vintage Styled Teddy From Hips & Curves

To enter, just make a comment, telling me which of the four colors you’d get if you won.

And you can get an additional entry if, after you post your comment, you also Twitter the following: Thanks @JaynieVanRoe & @hipsandcurves for the chance to win! http://bit.ly/8HxsxI

(You can also follow us: @JaynieVanRoe and @hipsandcurves!)

Contest is open to residents in the US and Canada. Entries must be received before December 16, 2009 (so that’s 11:59 PM, Central Time).

Here’s Looking Like You, Kid!

Tags: Contests, Lingerie, vintage glamour, vintage style, wearing vintage clothing

Ladies, if you’re trying to put your best bosom forward in vintage fashions this holiday season, it’s time to order your handcrafted, custom fit bullet bras from Cameo Intimates — like the dreamy Cameo Lace Dream Bullet Bra.

Pink Lace Over White Cameo Intimages Lace Dreams Bullet Bra & Garter Set

(Don’t forget to add the padded tips! Perhaps add the matching Cameo Lace Dream Garter too?)

Since each piece of the vintage-styled lingerie is hand made to order, it takes two to four weeks for your order to be made — plus the shipping time to get your order. So now’s the time to order so you can dress (and undress!) to impress this holiday season!

PS If you don’t see your size listed in the bra style you love, or want a different fabric or color — or even if you dream of special things, such as wider shoulder straps and/or special padded cups to even-out mismatched breasts — you can have Cameo make a custom creation for you too.

Tags: bras, holiday season, Lingerie, seduction, Shopping, vintage glamour, vintage style

If these nine black vintage lingerie pieces don’t convince you that you really do need that quintessential little black cocktail dress, what on earth will?

1) A vintage black lace pinup bra — complete with centered red rosette.

Vintage Black Lace Pinup Bra

2) Vintage vixens will love this black Lily Of France bustier with illusion lace and an incredibly deep plunging neckline.

1950's Lily Of France Black Illusion Lace Bustier

3) This vintage French corset, from Star de Paris, is fully boned, has four adjustable garters, an elasticized back with hidden hook & eye closures, and is made of cashmere and nylon.

Vintage French Black Corset/Waist Cincher

But don’t overlook the silk satin accents and the Chantilly lace. (I’m in love with the frilly hip lace!)

Close-Up Of Black Lace

4) This sultry vintage nylon Movie Star full slip with a lush lace bodice and wide lace hem surely seduces — before you even put it on!

Vintage Black Movie Star Slip With Lace Bodice

5) Slink around in this vintage black nylon Charmode full slip with a crystal pleated bust, lace details — and an very generous 4 1/2 inch crystal pleated hem.

Vintage Charmode Slip With Crystal Pleating

6) This sheer 1950’s black panty girdle with garters has a lace covered control panel — but I think it may drive your partner out of control!

1950s Girdle Panties With Lace Panel & Garters

7) For sex kittens, a very sexy pair of sheer black vintage Movie Star panties with garters, accented with lace.

Sheer Black Vintage Moive Star Panties With Garters

These beautiful vintage tap pants of black lace, likely from the 1980’s tap pant resurrection, feature a silky false fly front.

Retro Black Lace Tap Pants

9) Last, but not least, another pair of sheer black vintage panties — this one stuns with rhinestones as well as lace trim.

Very Sheer Black Vintage Panties With Rhinestones & Lace

Tags: bras, corsets, girdles, Lingerie, panties, seduction, Shopping, slip, vintage fashion, vintage glamour

John Galliano continued his “tailoring-with-underwear” theme with Christian Dior’ Spring 2010 couture collection. According to Sarah Mower, this collection is based on a forties film noir theme:

Galliano said he found the cinematic cue while thinking about Lauren Bacall. “She was a great Dior client; there are amazing photos of her in the salon with Bogart. It was that and Arletty in Hôtel du Nord,” he said. That central character—a provocative, smoldering femme fatale with a side-parted, over-one-eye hairdo and red lips—gave him free reign to script a wardrobe narrative. It started with abbreviated wartime trenchcoats, flipped through silver lamé dresses, arrived at a sequence in which the heroine is seen in her scanties, and then followed her out to make a drop-dead entrance in some nightclub or other.

Christian Dior, Photo by Monica Feudi

Dior Runway, Spring 2010, Photo by Monica Feudi

But when I look at the photographs of what walked down the runway, what I saw was fashion stories depicting wealthy women deemed homeless, each doomed to wear whatever she had on her back that night her house burst into flames. That may sound like “film noir” to some, but to me, it was far more 1980’s Madonna than 1940’s Bacall; right down to the ZZ Top Legs video girl ankle socks.

Pink Pumps and White Ankle Socks in ZZ Top's Legs Video

Of the 47 looks shown, only two seemed to have the elegance of Bacall and real film noir style in mind. The first, a bustier bodice with skirt, seems to have forsaken the less-is-more mantra with a bulky necklace.

Glamorous Bustier Skirt Dior Combo SS2010

This red ensemble is fabulous though — had Bacall dared to bare her bra, this one seems most likely to be chosen.

Elegant Vintage Style in Red, Dior 2010

All Christian Dior photos by Monica Feudi.

Tags: designers, Fashion, feminist fashions, film noir, Lingerie, Shoes, vintage style

I know whenever anyone sees such dreamy, creamy, vintage satin slips & gowns as this, you’re supposed to remember Jean Harlow…

1930's Miss Elaine Satin Slip

No offense to Harlow, but I also like to think of Joan Crawford — in the 1930s, before the dreaded code, she was peddled in the mags as quite the vamp too.

Pre-Code Joan Crawford

Tags: Fashion, Lingerie, pre-code films, seduction, Shopping, slip, vintage glamour

I think we all know & recognize bras, panties, girdles, nightgowns, robes and slips, but some of the older pieces, which even our mothers likely didn’t have in her drawers or closet are very unfamiliar. So I’ve decided to scan these pages from a vintage lingerie catalog to help us identify other styles.

Before we get to the scans, I’d like to discuss what I know about the booklet.

The catalog is from the Dutchmaid Garment Company of Ephrata, PA, and though it has few pages, it has many lingerie styles shown with photos.
The catalog is not dated; I believe from the hairstyles, printing and the style of the pieces themselves, it dates to the 1930s. However, as use of the “PA” to designate Pennsylvania typically dates a piece to the 60’s, it is very possible that Dutchmaid, being a smaller company with a small line of lingerie and hosiery, simply made small changes to it’s promotional pieces, using them over several decades.

The catalog is small, just 16 pages, including covers, and measures 8 1/2 inches X just over 5 inches. It has a simple glue binding and, as you can see by the uneven “swoop” at the top, rather crudely cut. (I have cropped the scans to an even rectangle in all but the cover image, just for my own personal neatness — but the uneven cut exists on all pages.)

Vintage Dutchmaid Garment Company Catalog

Vintage Dutchmaid Stockings

Vintage Dutchmaid Lingerie Vests & Tight-Knee Pantie (Pettipant)

Vintage Dutchmaid Chemise (We'd Likely Call It A "Teddie") & Pantie

Vintage Dutchmaid Panties

Vintage Dutchmaid Slips

Vintage Dutchmaid Nightgowns

Vintage Dutchmaid Pajamas & Robe

Vintage Dutchmaid Lingerie (Slip and Nightgown)

Vintage Dutchmaid Lingerie

Tags: Lingerie, slip, stockings, vintage fashion, vintage foundation garments