Lilli Ann Holiday Wishes

Yes, my faithful blog readers, a post you have all been waiting for...

(insert fireworks)

Lilli Ann

Of course if you follow my blog, you will know that I adore Lilli Ann and this designer has become intwined in my vintage collection.  I wanted to share with you some ad matches.  As I find more in the future, I'll post additional entries.

My interest is Lilli Ann up until the late 1950's, after this I feel the Lilli Ann line changed.  I'm all about tailoring and glamour of earlier Lilli Ann.   For a future post, I will show some Lilli Ann dresses I've seen in scouring the internet.  It appears these are more rare to come by and that the main focus of Lilli Ann company was coats and suits.

All you have to do is type "Lilli Ann" and you will be bombarded by amazing suits and coats!  Lilli Ann is highly collectable and when a key ensemble comes on the market, they are quickly swiped up especially the earlier apparel.  The style and fit of Lilli Ann is classic and timeless.  There is a certain glamour that fits the era and transends to the present, if you are fortunate to find a Lilli Ann.  I've worn many suits when I was working in the corporate world but when I put on a vintage Lilli Ann, it's a different feeling. There is a sense of art and design about this clothing line.  Lilli Ann advertised a lot in vintage fashion magazines like Bazaar and Vogue in the 40's to the early 60's.

MyVintageVogue has some great ad images of Lilli Ann clothing.

Do any of you have a Lilli Ann coat or suit?

Brief History of Lilli Ann:

The Lilli Ann Company began in San Francisco in 1934.  Adolph Schuman started the company and named it after his wife Lillian.  According to Vintage Fashion Guild, Schuman went to Paris after WWII and started adding "Paris" to the label.  He bought many textiles from French companies after the war and helped saved many from closing.  He helped to show European weavers how to modernize their systems.  Schuman died in 1985 and the company closed by 2000.  Some Lilli Ann suits also contain the name "Adolph Schuman".   Schuman, through his Paris connection, gained contacts with such fashion masters as Channel and Balenciaga.  It is said that Balenciaga anonymously contributed design ideas for the Lilli Ann line as a personal favor to Schuman.  Lilli Ann clothing was made from the best textiles imported from France and Italy.

These two Lilli Ann pieces below look like they have the Balenciaga edge:

   

I love this suit below.  Doesn't it have an ode to Edwardian theme about it?   The angles are    

   phenomenal and certainly has a couture feel about it.  This suit sold on ebay in 2011 $300.

From "Salon of Dames":

Below is my focus on matching ads to Lilli Ann garments:

Matching Ads to Actual Vintage Lilli Ann Piece

Lilli Ann Fall 1951 (Source: My Vintage Vogue)

Bought through Posh Girl Vintage Lilli Ann Blazer:

Early 1960's source PinTuckStyle

Image from Bess Georgette

Unsure of time period, Image courtesy of Denise Brain (wish I could have nabbed this one.)

Coat Ad from Flicker 1954 Lilli Ann

House of Vintage sold 

Recently sold on ebay $484

Match at VintageSurburbia

My Vintage Vogue 1952 Lilli Ann

Sold on Vintageous for $395 

Vintage ad from Couture Allure

Recently sold ebay  $295

Vintage ad from Harper's Bazaar 1963

 ebay $148 (original price $100 in 1963 dollars)

Image from Flicker

Lilli Ann Suit Past Perfect Vintage

Lilli Ann Ad 1949

 

A recent pick-up for me great Lilli Ann coat 1949, shown here 

I hope you all enjoyed the Lilli Ann journey.  If any of you have any Lilli Ann suits, I'd love to hear about it.

Old New York City

NYC 1896

This one is great a victorian lady gets her skirt blown  1901 ...

Really neat color film 1945 New York City

Great fashions from Easter  1900

As I'm looking for vintage NYC, what do I come across but this great band called "The Hot Sardines" playing in a vintage subway car from 1931 last year in December.   It looks like they aren't doing it this year but it would have been fun to experience.  This is now on my to do list.  This video is so awesome!!

An event I'll have to keep it on my radar.  Here are some images from Flicker

V for Victory, Happy Veterans Day!

With Veterans Day being observed, I figured this was a great opportunity to show some images of "V for Victory" clothing and accessories.  It is so nice to recognize those who sacrificed so much to give us freedom and liberties.  One thing I appreciate about the 30s and 40s was the big sense of patriotism that individuals felt for their country.   I managed to find this image of  Carole Lombard out of total coincidence while searching.   It is also with sadness as I think this was her last appearance before the tragic plane crash.  I'm sure though she would be proud to be remembered for this image of wearing a "V for Victory" hat.

This 1940s suit is for sale on Etsy with many "V's" displayed in the garment.  Very lovely and you can sense the patriotism even looking at this suit!

Suit is on Etsy  here for $468.

A sterling pin "V for Victory" WW2, fascinating how it also has the morse code attached like many of the period jewelry pieces.  ebay   There are many pieces of reasonably priced "sweetheart" and patriotic "v for victory" jewelry out there.   Although the V symbols are my favorite,  I also like the eagles and airplanes.  Keep your eyes open and check them out:)

Hat sold recently on Etsy.

I recently picked up this hat and will be very happy to wear it knowing that a lady very much supported her country also wearing this hat.  It's such a piece of history.

But, of course, you can't also forget the "victory rolls" as a display of patriotism.

Happy Veterans Day!  Peace and Love!

Going With The Flow

I'm off to a photo session today that I had planned even before the first one.  It was through a LivingSocial coupon and it's indoor so I'm excited to see how it goes.   I had everything planned out and then a very special suit arrived in the mail yesterday so I had to rework everything because I just LOVE the suit:)  I've been having some bad luck with suits lately and am hoping to return the "I got ripped off" suit so it was so nice to get this gem in the mail and to realize why I love vintage.  

With everything that went on with Sandy, I don't think I'm half as prepared as the other shoot but I'm sure it will be fun.

I'm feeling like it is one of those days to go with the flow and follow instincts.

Here's to channeling the inner Lombard...

Here's a sneak peak at a coat that I hope to use today.  It is such an awesome swing coat and I believe it may have came from a boutique.  I was told it was from the 30's.  This has to be my favorite coat that I own so far.  I bought it off of RubyLane in a sale and when I got it, it felt like it was meant for me:)  I also used this coat in the other shoot I did which I hope to share pictures of in the future.  This coat is just amazing and very well preserved.  I'm having a problem with vintage coats...I'm becoming addicted to them and I have to begin to refrain from purchasing them because of closet space:)  But, I feel like I will never part with this coat.

Train Case

I've been on the hunt for a vintage train case and I found one that I really like.   I've been trying to organize my vintage stash of items.  This train case actually still had it's original cardboard box with it.   I'm pretty sure it was never used and I am happy to report very much odor free but alas like many train cases no keys. Now, I have a nice storage space for some of my vintage gems.

A wish list item is one of these "week-end" handbags from Pichel.  Pichel appears to be a really interesting handbag company.   They have some very interesting designs and appear to be quality made so I plan to keep this company on my radar.  It does appear that there isn't much for sale by this company so it will be a matter of tracking.  Actually this might be another post to think about writing about is the name brands of various clothing and accessory manufacturers in the 30s and 40s.

Vintage Santa I'd love this Pichel week-end bag. 

Coming up, I'd like to do a post on hankies.  There are some beautiful vintage hankies out there that just seem to lovely to use.  The ladies really wiped their noses in style:)  I've also found a hankie that is pretty close to an vintage ad:)

Grace of Glamour Carole Lombard

There is so much written on the beautiful Carole Lombard that I figured I'd direct you to some sites and blogs that have written about her.   I thought I might share some links, images, and a period magazine.  I'll share images from the magazine in a future post.

My fellow vintage blogger Bunny wrote a great expose on Carole  here.

There is a website devoted to Carole here.   It shows her old house very interesting!

Please all go check out this website Carole and Co.  You can look for days at the images.

Carole Lombard is really the grace of glamour.   She was such a beautiful soul.  It's tragic she died so young.


This collection of nitrates sold for $20,000.  Oh, but she is so fabulous!  Look at the beauty in her poses.  I'm glad that her image and style has been immortalized in countless images.  She really knew how to pose.  Can I also say that she knew how to wear a hat too?:)

More fabulous images of Carole:

This image of Carole Lombard which I have mentioned before is  for the movie "To Be or Not To Be"(the negative) sold for $2,500.

This pin was owned by Carole Lombard and sold on ebay recently for $256.  It came with COA saying it was from her makeup artist.   Wouldn't this be something to wear? 

Oh Sandy

Hi all, still without power.  I think everything in the fridge and freezer is a goner.  I hope things get a little more normal next week.  Things are going to be colder the next few days so I really hope the power company can work wonders for a lot of people. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost so much more.

Traina-Norell  Vogue Sept 1944 Rawlings