Thrifting Providence
Once upon a time (the 90’s) there was a silly television game show which aired late at night. I don’t recall the name but it involved speedy frugal grocery shopping. Contestants raced around throwing food into their carts and at the end of the show their purchases were tallied. The shopper who got the most bang for their buck won the competition.
This is a little strange and terribly immodest of me but I have actually daydreamed about being able to participate in a thrift store shopping game show. I guess my mind needs some sort of outlet for the absolute disbelief that strikes me when I have an incredible streak of luck like I’ve had recently.
The 1940’s are perhaps my favorite fashion years. The broad-shouldered silhouette was completely new (how rare is that in fashion?!) and completely in-tune with the surge of female empowerment brought on by World War II. I’m also quite drawn to the “make do and mend” mentality of the decade. Certainly anyone who’s ever thrifted an ugly $2 dress and then taken it in here and added an embellishment there until it became and a favorite wardrobe staple can relate to this mindset.
That being said, I am in absolute awe of the blessings bestowed upon me by the thrifting gods over the last couple of weeks; and if you don’t believe in thrifting gods, behold…
The first one is my favorite and definitely the most wearable. The fabric is lightweight wool, perfect for pleasant Autumn days. The simplicity of the design suggests it dates to the war years.
This one is by far the most valuable and luxurious. I believe it is a lamb coat which kind of grosses me out so I don’t know if I’ll wear it but I also don’t think I can stand to sell it. It has delicate ruffled trim on the inside of the collar and cuffs. The trim isn’t even meant to be seen! It is oh, so decadent especially for a time period characterized by ration stamps and general frugality. Check out the bubble adorned lining!
This coat is adorable! I’m definitely going to work this into my winter wardrobe. While it looks terribly shapeless on the dress dummy, it may very well have been worn belted (a great example of a trend recycled from the past) in this manner…
I’ve saved the best 40’s score for last but I’m running out of blogging steam so stay tuned for the next installment. I’ll give you a hint, it’s satin, it came with its own tiara and it was worn on a very special day!
