Monday, December 15, 2014

Fancy Coats

In the colder climates in the winter there is no more important article of clothing then the coat, after all its the first thing people see.  Sadly, while coats have grown warmer, lighter, and more wind and rain resistant, over the years, as the pictures below illustrate they have not gotten prettier.


                 2014 coat                             1940s coat





I have a few vintage coats I've collected over the years, I actually started wearing vintage coats before I started wearing vintage clothes every day.  Most of my coats are from the 1950s and 60s, and while pretty, are not very warm:
 
 
 
 
 
What I really wanted was a  Princess coat.  These amazing coats made in 1940s and 50s featured nipped waists, full skirts, and dramatic trims and collars, plus  they were made of thick wool and warm trims and would have kept the wearer toasty in even the coldest climes.
 
 
 
 

I could write more about princess coats, but it would be quite silly too, because one of my favorite vintage bloggers: Dividing Vintage Moments is a princess coat expert and has wonderful posts on the subject here and here.  

Suffice it to say that princess coats are a classic and coveted vintage clothing item and as such difficult to come by.  Imagine my surprise when I found my dream coat, and for a very reasonable price, at the Jersey City All About Downtown Street Fair.  It was really a case of a vintage find that was meant to be.  





I normally wear my vintage every where and am not too fussy about saving it for the best occasions, but with this coat I am very, very careful.  I've worn it only a few times and it stays wrapped in plastic to help protect it from the constant deluge of dog hair.   This is one coat I want to have for years and years to come.

My princess coat isn't the only festive coat around here this holiday season, Debra of Pug Possessed made Weasley an amazing and adorable Victorian style coat and top hat.  I have to say I think our coats look pretty good together



and we are staying warm!


15 comments:

  1. Those Rothmoor must be good....they have scotties in the ad...

    You and Weasley look very stylish!

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  2. Weasley looks adorable. I love your coat. I know they say the materials are lighter and warmer now, but I have to say I do miss my old wool coats. Perhaps it was just mental, but they felt warmer and they resisted the cold.

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  3. I just love those coats! The one you're careful with actually reminds me of the harry potter cloaks. I realize that isn't what you're going for but it definitely ups the "Cool" factor to me! :D

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  4. I think the old style are so much more flattering! Crazy, I had no idea what your coat looked like when I made his!

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  5. Oh, that's such a pretty coat! I was just watching Scrooge (the musical version from like 1970... I love it! It's my fave version of A Christmas Carol) and that coat reminds me of some of the clothes worn in the movie. And Weasely looks super adorbs!

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  6. What a terrifically sweet pair you two make in your holiday season hued coats. They're both classic, elegant stunners.

    You know I have long suspected that many folks start out with vintage coats before moving onto other garments. Some coat styles are very classic and so wearing them doesn't necessarily make one stand out as much as say full on summertime 40s garb would, thus it becomes an easier transition into larger degrees of vintage.

    ♥ Jessica

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  7. The coats look great on both of you.
    The school I attended in the late 1960s to mid 1970s had, as part of the winter uniform, what I now recognise as beautiful Harris tweed coat. I can still recall the 'wet sheep' smell of the school cloakroom on rainy days...
    Cheers,
    Gail.

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  8. Wow, your coat is gorgeous! Love the elegant color. You look so beautiful! And Weasley is very cute in the coat and hat. You two make such a lovely pair :-)

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  9. Clothing made much more of a statement back in the 40s/50s. I'm pretty much a tomboy so today's bland coats work fine for me, but they definitely don't do anything for my appearance!

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  10. Oh Weasley!! You are Retro BOL
    Lily & Edward

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  11. That is a very stylish and beautiful coat. Glad you were lucky enough to find one.
    Lynne x

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  12. Oh very cool coats!
    Is that Weasley??? So cute!
    love
    tweedles

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  13. That is a great find. lovely colour and it looks fabulous. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  14. How did I miss this post???? You look brilliant!! I absolutely love your princess coat and thank you for sharing all about it. What a beautiful cranberry color and I love how you dressed Weasley. I'm amazed at what a good sport he is in dressing up! It is truly like he gets a kick out of it:) A far cry of when I would attempt to dress my cat when I was a child:)

    The wrap around effect on the collar area is so pretty. So many lovely details. I'm so happy for you that you found your dream princess coat! You also have the perfect matching hat and believe me I know how difficult this can be to get such a match:)

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