ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE CLOTHING

Today I wanted to talk about the extensive collection of antique and vintage clothing I have here in the store for sale. If you are ever in this area, stop in and enjoy seeing all the items I have obtained through the past few years.
The periods begin with 1850 and end with 1960's. I do not want to carry any items newer than 1969 unless it is of top most quality and/or indicative of a special occasion. I do have 1960 go- go boots, hippy leather hats, with bell bottom pants and dresses of the hippy era. But nothing newer than that.
I have on exhibit (and for sale) a 1850's white ballgown with intricate little flowers. It has seen hard times but is still very beautiful and haunting. You can almost see Scarlett wearing it!!!! I will try to post a picture of it soon.
I have many dresses, skirts, tops, and other clothing items of that era to 1919 of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. There are white lawn dresses, tall latch up boots, sashes, crinolines, and hats from that era. All of my items are in very good condition.
I do not buy those that are tired, worn and ragged or stained. The 1850's ball dress is the exception and even it is wearable and in fairly good condition for it's age.
There are many items from the 1920's; flapper dresses, boas and other dresses, 1930's with it's own selection of lovely dresses designed for graduations, weddings, parties plus every day wear. You can find dresses like the ones worn by Meryl Streep in Bridges of Madison County. Many made of old feed sacks. The 1940's are well represented here with many suits, hats, gloves, dresses and evening wear. Dress like Joan Crawford or one of the other stars.
The 1950's are perhaps more represented than any other era in the store here. I have 1950's prom dresses, 8 at last count in pinks, greens, white, and black. There are crinolines to wear under these and the 7 1950 poodle skirts I currently have. There are cashmere sweaters to go with these or the sheer blouses worn in the 50's and tissue thin scarves and belts. Also, several dresses for day wear or parties, and even pajama parties. The party dresses are the best though.
I previously mentioned the 1960's.
In addition to all these outside wear items, I have an extensive line of antique lingerie, gowns, bed jackets, pantaloons, slips, and girdles from the 1850's to the 1960's.
My husband James laughs when we have a group of ladies come in together as he said they act like teenagers whatever their ages really are when they get in that room. You can hear the giggles and laughter coming from the clothing room. College girls refer to the room as my walk through closet. As it does appear that way because there are clothes on racks on both sides of the room with an armoir , cheval mirror, and a dressing table in between.
There are also men's clothing items. There are tuxes from 1904, 1920, 1930 and 1940 with cummerbunds and ties and old 1900's white shirts that have never been worn and old stock from a store, as well as suits from 1920's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's. I have western shirts, fringed western jackets, old uniforms from WW 1 and WW 2, and hats of every era. I have old Hawaiian shirts and ladies long muumuus from the 1950's. You just have to see this to be able to take it all in.
So this is my passion, I guess. I love the older clothing and even though I would like to sell more of it than I do, I still love to exhibit it. I have regular customers plus drop ins who buy from me.
The local drama dept at the College, the local community theater, nearby towns send their community theater people here also to buy. But the best are the college girls who are looking for clothing from a certain era for their decade parties. They come from TX A&M in College Station, here at Sam Houston Univ and Houston too. And there are the groups who do reenactments, Daughters of Colonists, Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of Republic of Texas and even the Red Hat ladies who keep me in business. Each year we have the classic car show exhibitors when the Fair on the Square is going on the first Sat. in Oct. here. They come to buy poodle skirts, or other clothing from the same age as their cars.
So, stop by and see me when you are in town.
Lois