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Hehe, this time it was my 7-year-old! Well ladies, I'm going to do one of two things. A. Show it to my best FB buddy (supportive friend and multi-purchase customer I have never actually met!) and see if she likes it. If so, I will gift it to her for being such a good friend to me. And if she...

Took some photos. Don't think they're going to help, unfortunately, as the dress is nearly as big on me as it is on Lola, but I'm much shorter (almost 5'6"). The sleeves are quite long (but I do have somewhat T-Rexish arms).

Hi Nicole, I know exactly what you mean about some of the very old ladies getting their items mixed up. My own mom got very angry with me (not all that unusual) because I informed her that no, mom, you couldn't have worn these shorts on your trip to Mexico in 1957, because they are from the...

Hi Nicole, The words are identical in French and English, yes. I had no reason to doubt the woman's testimony. Everything else she told me about the other items has proved true, and considering what I paid for it (very little, indeed), there was no incentive for her to create an elaborate...

Oh, right! Completely forgot. Too many irons in the fire. I will do that as soon as I can find a photographer. By which I mean, kids are at Sunday school and tripod is attached to a telescope in hubby's office ; )... So later on today!

I'm still sitting here with this crazy dress, not sure how to list it. How do I say something is from the "40s, 50s, or 80s" (LOL). Any suggestions?

Hi everyone -- Here's the chemise w/ care symbols I mentioned (haven't had a chance to call number Ginetex sent me to learn orig. date of "P" in dry-clean circle). The woman I bought this from (along with many other items, all of which have checked out as era-correct, so no dishonesty here)...

So I'm looking around for comps, and found this. Am I correct in my suspicions that this might not be antique (or even all that old)? The lace at the bottom looks like nylon to me. And something else about it doesn't look quite right. The stitching or something. Can't put my finger on it. It...

Hmm... well that's a clue, Barbara, thanks. I will check to see if you have archives at your site. Perhaps it will help with pricing. - Liza

Well Nicole, that's the thing! I have looked all over the emails "guts" and cannot, for the life of me, find the place do "undo" spam. Clearly, this isn't a VFG topic, and I won't continue with it. But it's just the oddest thing. ESPECIALLY since I added the address to my address book. It should...

That is most certainly a sadder story than the margarine/butter confusion. And really, one of the most interesting aspects of vintage clothing is the historical context -- political, social, etc. -- that the clothing reflects.

Thanks, Jonathan. You are the best! xox p.s. It IS huge, isn't it? Could double as a pillow, really. Feels heavenly. Absolutely no idea what such a thing is worth. Probably not terribly much, although that repulsive Russian broadtail is very hot at the moment. I'll do some comping, as they say ; ).

Old-time furrier has confirmed that this is Russian Broadtail which, he tells me, has recently come back into vogue with one major difference. Where they used to (squeamish folks stop reading here) abort the lamb fetus to procure its blissfully soft, not-yet curly pelt, they now wait until birth...

Have "Liked" everyone on this thread whose shop I could locate on Etsy and FB, and plan to buy some of Jonathan's fabulous postcards on Zazzle. I know I can't be a member just yet (getting there with the sales, so I'll apply soon!), but if anyone would be kind enough to "Like Us" on FB/Etsy it...

Well, Jonathan, that was a LOT easier than the midnight blue mystery dress, hehe! Thanks a million. FYI, out of the blue, all my VFG emails are getting thrown into a SPAM folder. I have no idea why, and I've added the address to my address book. No luck. It still goes to SPAM. Any idea why?

Here are the dimensions: waist: <20" buttoned, with string extender to 24", hips: 56"+, length: opaque section 33.5" plus lace section 7" = total 40.5"

Hi, The buttoned waist is 20", but as you can see, eventually that was too small, because the owner fashioned a string "extender" to bring it to a whopping 24". Of course you could always add more and have it fit an actual person, sans corset. The hips are 58" -- there is extensive shirring at...

Well, if nothing else, that's a lesson in why you should pay with PayPal. Similar situation happened to me with a wedding gown (not vintage, just used). She said it was in "perfect condition" -- neglected to mention she'd hacked off the train (!) and washed it so the lining had shrunk, and taken...

Ruth, I hope she refunded your money and your shipping costs. If it were a genuine error (hey, it can happen to anyone), she certainly would give your money back if you asked.

Hmm... Rather interesting reading, Bunny!

Bunny, I really hope not. I know there were lampshades made from human skin (not humanity's shining hour, to be sure), so it's certainly possible. Your avatar makes me happy.

Yes, I completely agree. That's precisely why I drive you all crazy "confirming" my dates. Sometimes I really don't know, but more often, I just want expert confirmation. And yes, I completely agree that if you are going to do something, you should do it right. Especially when your failing to do...

OK, here's the thing, Anne. I'd argue that you, I, and 99.9% of people reading this, know very well the exact definition of patent leather. But there are plenty of folks out there who truly think it means "shiny stuff like on your Mary Janes when you were 8 years old." They think the "patent"...

Just learned from Wikipedia article that the Ginetex symbols developed and standardized (in France) in the late 50s were PUT INTO USE in 1963. So that's some solid info. And makes it more likely that a French garment manufacturer might be one of the earliest adopters, so to speak. Now emailing...

Was it Ang who once told me that she passed up some highly coveted 1930s dress as phony because it had a nylon zipper, and only later, after she'd gained more experience, did she realize that that particular designer HAD, in fact, used nylon zippers way back then. She said (I think it was Ang)...

Trust me, I will NEVER pass off something new as old. As I mentioned back when you experts were discussing the crazy person who was passing off items as vintage couture, and said it didn't matter so long as the customer liked it. But it's not a matter of whether the buyer "figures it out" or...

It's a little chemise. I will definitely take photos. I had to wash it, stitch up a few seams, and now I have to do my "real" job for a few hours (I had to go back to my "real" job to support my "fun" job. ; ) Oh, maybe you will have better luck than I did looking up the company info (I mean...

Thanks, Linn. I immediately thought "Hawaiian Princess" when I saw that headpiece! Very pretty.

Righto. But I'm not talking about the U.S., or even items intended for import into the U.S., which use the ASTM symbols. These are the similar, but not identical, ISO symbols, and ISO is an older institution. According to Ginetex, the symbols were developed in 1956, and in use in 1958. Still, I...

Hi, I said I'd let you know if I found anything of interest regarding the use of laundry care symbols, and I think I have. In this recent Ginetex Newsletter, page 4 of 4 shows that the symbols were developed/introduced in 1956 (!), and goes from there. It appears that European clothing...