You asked: Where can I find vintage style saddle shoes?

The return of September always puts me in the mood for collegiate styles, no matter how many years it's been now since I last sat in school desk, and clearly I'm not the only one.

In the past few weeks, I've received seven different email questions from folks around around the world (in places spanning the globe from Germany to Australia, Brazil to America), asking me to help them track down modern sources of vintage style saddle shoes.



{Once an incredibly common and much beloved style of footwear, especially amongst the youth of the day, saddle shoes are now a fair bit trickier to come by. Thankfully though, numerous online sources for such do exist and we'll take a look at several of them in today's post.}


While saddle shoes (also sometimes called saddle oxfords) are not, of course, strictly school day related attire, they were a very, very common for students in the years spanning the 1930s to the 1960s (with a revival for them appearing in both the 1970s and 1980s, respectively).

As a new season of classes are kicking off this month for countless folks of all ages the world over, now seemed like a perfect time to share some information here with all of you, in case you're also on the hunt for a new pair of vintage appropriate saddle shoes.

But first let's explore...



A brief history of saddle shoes

The humble - and immensely appealing - saddle shoe received its start in life very early in the twentieth century and was first designed primarily as a sports shoe, worn commonly by male basketball, football, golf, and baseball players in particular. American shoe brand A.G. Spalding is believed to have been the first company to introduce the saddle shoe to the American market, doing so back in 1906.

The saddle shoes gets its name from the piece of leather (or imitation leather) that is attached over the top of the front of the shoe (an area that is technically called the waist of the shoe) and which, as its name implies, resembles a horse riding saddle (though, interestingly, saddle shoes themselves are not particularly well suited to horseback riding and are rarely worn for such).

Though similar to spectator shoes in many ways, the two differed primarily because spectator styles also include contrasting areas on other parts of the shoe as well, such as the toe area.



{Actor Harold Lloyd sporting a pair of saddle shoes for what looks to be a fun day of boating, c. 1920.}


Saddle shoes quickly gained popularity amongst athletes both while they were engaging in sports and off the court/field, as they were comfortable, durable, casual but still stylish, and budget-friendly to boot.

In no time at all, female classmates, girlfriends, and cheerleaders all began to borrow this style from their male peers and before long, companies were producing ladies saddle shoes, too - and in fact, though they remained popular with box sexes for decades, as time went on, saddle shoes became even more frequent a footwear choice for female wearers.

Saddle shoes were not exclusively the domain of the young however, and many folks who were long past their schooldays adopted them for golf wear, as well as general leisure attire. In addition, they proved hugely popular with dancers during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, especially those who engaged in swing and big band related forms of dance, such as the Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, and swing.



{Youngsters and their shoes at a sock hop dance that took place in Oklahoma City, back in the late 1940s.}



Though saddle shoes were most warmly embraced in North America (even being sported for a time by the Girl Scouts of America as part of the organization's official uniform), their reach spread far and wide around the globe and today they stand as one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable elements of mid-century fashion.

Their lasting appeal, and our fascination with saddle shoes to this day, stems both from a sense of nostalgia, as well as from the fact that - somewhat uncommonly for the era - they were also a unisex garment in an age and time when extremely clear distinctions were usually still being drawn between male and female fashions.

Back in the day - especially during the 1940s through to the early 1960s - saddle shoes were created in a dazzlingly array of colour combinations, the most famous of which is arguably the classic pairing of black and white. 

Other beloved versions included navy blue and white, green and white, brown and white, dark and light brown (or tan), red or burgundy and white, grey and black, and cream and brown, amongst others. Saddle shoes were typically made with genuine leather uppers, but canvas, suede, and imitation (faux) leather versions were also produced.

Laces were often, but not always, white or brown and could be either flat (sneaker style) or rounded (more like those of an oxford or dress shoe). Saddle shoes were commonly sported with crisp white socks (including the now, also iconic, bobby socks of the 1940s, 50s and early 60), especially by girls and ladies, though just about every type of socks, tights and nylons were paired with saddle shoes at one point or another in time.



{Saddle shoes were a shoe store and mail order catalog for numerous decades of the last century, when a page such as this from 1953 edition of the Sears catalog would have been a very common sight, especially in North America.}


Saddle shoes - which are, essentially, a (usually) low heeled version of a classic brogue or oxford shoe - were produced in sizes ranging from infant to adult, children's, and both men's and women's, and even though many were made from genuine leather (often with sturdy rubber soles), most pairs of saddle shoes were quite affordable, which further upped their widespread adoption and long-term popularity.

The vast majority of North American shoe stores, department stores (including both Sears and, here in Canada, Eaton's), (some) five and dimes, and clothing and/or footwear related mail order catalogs sold saddle shoes from the early to mid-twentieth century and it was rare to encounter a family during that time in which at least one (if not all) member(s) of the household had a pair of saddle shoes.

Much as like white bucks, another beloved footwear choice from the era, saddle shoes could be tricky to keep clean, but such was certainly doable and a new - or newly cleaned - pair always cut a dashing footwear figure, just as it continues to do to this day (one of my personal favourite ways to clean saddle shoes is with a lightly damp, basic variety of Mr Clean Magic Eraser Sponge; do check in an inconspicuous area of your shoes first to make sure that the dyes used on your particular pair of saddle shoes are colourfast and that the eraser sponge won't otherwise damage the material of your shoes either).



{Actress Dorothy Jordan wearing saddle shoes in a promo photograph for the MGM film "Love in the Rough", 1930.}


Just about everyone wore saddle shoes back in the day. They were an ubiquitous type of footwear that crossed cultural lines, spanned age groups, united both genders, and which frequently appeared on the feet of celebrities, such as actors and musicians, as well.

Prior to the mid-1960s, you would have been hard pressed to find a footwear or department store that didn't sell saddle shoes, but these days, things can be quite a different story indeed. Thankfully however, there are still brands that are putting out 21st century versions of the classic saddle shoe, and today we'll delve into exploring some of the online sources of such.



Where to buy vintage style saddle shoes


Naturally, this list of ten different online sources, is not a complete and total roundup of every single possible website that currently sells saddle shoes, but it should be a good jumping off point for those, pretty much anywhere in the world, who are looking to pick up their first pair of saddle shoes or grow their existing collection of this classic two-tone style of footwear.



-Amazon: While most verities of saddle shoes currently available from Amazon are the timeless B&W style, they currently stock a few others as well, including these immensely pretty - and very reasonably priced - white and pink saddle shoes as well.



-B.A.I.T. Footwear: B.A.I.T. has become a huge player in the vintage appropriate/retro/just plain darling vegan footwear sphere in recent years and are a firm favourite amongst many vintage, repro, rockabilly, and pinup girl clothing fans. Their classic saddle shoe inspired offerings come in a range of punchy hues, including (at present) such delightful options, as seafoam green, mustard yellow, red, and lavender purple, as well as classic black and white.



-Eastland Shoes: Celebrating their 60th year of business in 2016, Eastland Shoes offering up a lovely little selection of saddle shoes, including navy blue and white, black and white, and a very appealing two-tone brown suede version (pictured above).



-G.H. Bass & Co: One of the oldest and most respected footwear brands in America, Bass, as the brand is frequently known by, was founded back in 1876 and is still going strong to this day. Their saddle shoe selection currently include both traditional and somewhat more modern colour combinations for both ladies and gents (in addition, Bass is a great source for numerous other vintage shoe styles, including loafers and weejuns).





-ModCloth: As one might expect given their fabulous passion for yesteryear styles, ModCloth's offerings include this low heeled B&W version with a chic black sole.





-Muffy's: For many years now, Muffy's has been one of the best and most complete online sources for vintage style saddle shoes in a wide range of sizes, colours, and styles for men and women alike. If you're having trouble tracking down a certain type of saddle shoe, I highly suggest checking this much loved website out first.






-Payless Shoes: Though at the moment, they only have a traditional black and white version in stock, over the years, I have seen other colourways available from Payless and can attest (as I've owned some) that their budget friendly Predictions line saddle shoe (which is available in US ladies sizes and half sizes spanning 5 - 12), pictured above, is very comfortable (even if you have hard to fit feet like mine).





-Swedish Hasbeens: Though their own version is not, at present, available on their website any longer, I was still able to track down Swedish Hasbeen's chic, understated take on the classic saddle shoe for sale from UK seller Spartoo.



-Unique Vintage: Purveyors of all kinds of swoon worthy vintage style, rockabilly, and pinup fashions, US based Unique Vintage carries a small assortment of saddle shoes style from various brands, including this classic B&W pair, and the incredibly charming Baby Pink & Cream Retro Halle Oxford Saddle Shoes (shown above), which are a very appealing 21st century spin on traditional saddle shoes.





-Zappos: If you're looking for an iconic black and white pair of saddle shoes with sturdy red rubber soles just like many of those back in the mid-twentieth century had, US online shoe mega site Zappos has you covered (and this particular style is even available in three different widths, including wide).

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{To learn more about a specific image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

Saddle shoes continue to come back in and out of style, sometimes in slightly modified form (such as with a high heel, like this pink and white pair, or in more of a creeper design), but even during the 1980s, when the forties and fifties looks had some real sartorial moments again, they have never reached the zenith that they did back during the 1920s - 1960s.

Luckily for us though, because they still remain desirable amongst vintage fashion fans, dancers, historical costumers, theater and movie costumers, natty dressers, and folks just looking to reunite with a wonderful fashion trend for their earlier days, saddle shoes can still be had online and - just as back in the day - don't have to break the bank.

Saddle shoes were, and remain, just plain fun. If you get a pair that fits you well, they're also usually highly comfortable and indeed, I almost always tuck my saddle shoes into my suitcase when we travel, as they make a wonderful choice for long days of walking, light hiking, or sightseeing (or even, as in the case of our 2014 trip to Vancouver Island, whale watching).



{Then, as now, saddle shoes are an excellent option if you're going to be on your feet a fair bit, be it while on vacation, running errands, or doing work at home, as this stylish 1950s woman attests to.}


I would argue that they're such a true vintage wardrobe basic that anyone with an interest in sporting mid-century fashions today, would be well served by having at least one pair in their closet.

Though genuine vintage pairs of saddle shoes can be found online (eBay and Etsy are both great sources for such), if sizing and/or price and/or colourways are a factor - as such will be for most folks - then opting for modern vintage inspired saddle shoes such as those from the ten different online sources highlighted in today's post may be a better (or at least equally appealing) option.

Saddle shoes are amongst my favourite types of vintage footwear ever. My first ones were an adorable pink and white pair that my paternal grandparents brought me back from a trip to the States (bless my grandma's heart, she totally "got" and supported my early childhood love of vintage) when I was all of about six of seven years old. I've rarely been without at least one pair in my closet since then and suspect that such will always be the case.

Are you a fan of these classic two-tone shoes as well? Do you currently own any yourself? Do you have any favourite online saddle shoe sources that I didn't mention here in today's post?

Please feel free to share them in the comments below if you do, so that this post can be an even bigger roundup of such for all those the world over who are looking to track down a pair of vintage style saddle shoes for their own wardrobe, too.

Flickr Favourites: August 8, 2015

{Playtime togs ~ kristine}




{Vegetable sandwich~ Sara Domjan}



{Model in striped wool jersey dress (c. 1946) ~ Arnold Kabini}




{1959 Dole Pineapple ad ~ Totally Mystified}



{I'm feeling a little blue today ~ Steve Wilson}



{Good Housekeeping Mar 1951 ~ File Photo Digital Archive}



{1957 Saxone ad ~ Totally Mystified}



{1958 Admiral Stero ad ~ Totally Mystified}



{Baby Hérisson ~ Swann Chedemail}



{Blue and gold (1946) ~ Roz Leibowitz}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.} 

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August is a bold time of the year - brazen, some might even say. As a general rule, it's summer's last great stance, and indeed, is the final full month of the season. It's hot, fun, and full of rich, captivating, beautiful colours, amongst which gold, blue, dusty brown, and black always spring to mind for me.

They make me think of everything from dips in the lake when it's a sultry 35C at 11pm to evenings spent watching stars pirouette across the heavens to the colours of the sand and sagebrush strew hills that flank our town.

I love August and its intoxicating heat. I use it to nap, to talk walks, to wear my favourite sundresses, and to simply sit quietly and do nothing sometimes, in the great tradition of summers and porches everywhere.

August might feel like it flies by in the blink of an eye, but its rarely rushed and it loves to take the wheel, dictating, happily I might add, how you spend a good chunk of it. Thankfully, most of us so want to soak up every last ounce of sunshine while it’s still here, so that’s rarely a negative thing.

Stores are already starting to make room on their shelves for Halloween decorations and while I adore fall and its wonderful holidays with an unending passion, I am nowhere near getting my rake, plastic pumpkins, or Thanksgiving recipes out of storage yet.

Nope, no siree, no way. Right here, right now, I just want to watch the sun set over Okanagan Lake every night in a captivating, alluring, soulful palette that rather resembles the one featured here in this month's edition of Flickr Favourites. Coincidence? Just between you and I, not in the slightest! :)

The cutest heels I've ever owned care of Born Bad Betty

Outfit details

C.late 1930s/early 1940s red straw hat: Frugal Frocks 
Pearl stud earrings: eBay or Claire's 
C. 1940s triple-strand pearl necklace with sterling clasp: Thrifted (this necklace is a touch longer, but I wanted a choker length one to pair with this keyhole neckline dress so I simply used a hair elastic to temporarily shorten the length in the back, which was then hidden by my hair - this is a great way to get more millage out of many styles and types of necklaces) 
Black and pine green 1940s swing style dress: Hell Bunny (purchased from Blame Betty's bricks and mortar shop in Calgary, AB) 
Black cropped cardigan: Fairweather 
Gold toned metal bangle bracelet: Payless 
Vintage strawberry brooch: Either eBay or thrifted 
(Awesome!) 1940s/1950s cream gloves: Gift from a dear vintage loving friend ♥ 
Mid-century vintage red faux leather handbag: I Love Vintage Stuff 
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay 
Red vintage style "Strawberry Fox" heels : Born Bad Betty 
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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First and foremost, I want to sincerely thank everyone for your empathetic, caring comments on Sunday's post about unexpected having to do my business taxes at breakneck speed last week. To all those facing similar situations or simply having to do your taxes in general this year, believe me, I feel you pain and am always here if you need someone to vent to during the process. By Sunday evening I had essentially completed and submitted everything and was officially as spent as a quarter at a slot machine!

I have to say though, continually operating on almost no sleep (not joking at all) and being so stressed last week because of my taxes, really did a number on me. I debated taking this week off from all forms of work actually, but for a multitude of reasons, that isn't possible. Instead, too drained to even lift my laptop (zero exaggeration there), I spent Sunday night and all of Monday either sleeping or kicking back with a marathon of the really enjoyable travel show Departures on Netflix. Though I'm still massively beat, things will gradually be returning to their usual pace workflow wise from today onward and hopefully next week they'll be completely back on track and my energy levels (microscopic at the best of times) will have also been recharged a bit, too.

Now, if I can stop yawning, on with the show! Before you think I'm being OTT a tad with the title of today's post, I need raise a point that I've touched on many times here over the past (nearly) six years and that is the fact that I have hard to fit feet (crazy high arches) that tend to fall somewhere between average and wide widths, depending on the brand (I swear, if there was a size between those two standard sizes, an "average and a quarter shoe", if you will, that would be my size), and as a result, I can often try on 100 - 200+ pairs of shoes before I find one that even remotely comes close to being comfortable/fitting me properly.

As such, my choice of footwear has often been a matter of what fits, with, if I've been extra lucky, some prettiness thrown into the mix. Having had such poor shoe luck over the years, I've as good as given up ordering pairs online, where an endless see of gorgeous/cute/alluring/vintage appropriate/you-name-it options exist at nearly every price point. I've been burned there too many times with shoes that didn't fit a lick and which due to Canada Post's high shipping charges, I usually couldn't send back, instead reselling or gifting them to friends or relatives.

Thus, knowing that there are no guarantees when it comes to me and shoes, when a footwear company approaches me about doing a product review, I always tread (pun intended :)) very, very lightly. I've kindly turned down many offers when the shoes weren't bracingly mid-century and/or rockabilly/pinup appropriate, in fact this is only the second time I've ever worked with a company in this capacity.

The absolutely darling red faux suede, fabric strawberry adorned shoes that I'm sporting in these photos (which we shot the weekend before last here in town near the River Channel on a chilly late Saturday afternoon when the sun was shining meekly and frost dotted the ground) were very kindly sent my way by way of the terrific British vintage inspired footwear and handbag company Born Bad Betty.

The fine folks there were gracious enough to let me select any pair from their current offerings - which was no easy choice, let me tell you, as all of their styles are smashing and very vintage appropriate - and then promptly sent them to me for review. Their customer service was top-notch every step of the way and in addition to today's post, later this month I'm going to be teaming up with Born Bad Betty again for an exciting giveaway where one lucky winner will win the BBB pair of shoes of their choice.

I'm going to be talking a lot more about the company then, but now let me begin by saying that they're a fairly newcomer on the old school inspired footwear scene who are quickly gaining an avid following their home country of the UK and further afield, too. The brand's offerings are not only cute and creative (think dangling charms and delightful motifs), but I can attest to the fact that they're very comfortable.

Though I wouldn't say the fit of the pair I received was absolutely 100% perfect, that is an incredibly hard thing for me to find with any brand and unlike most shoes, much to my delight, these fit me quite well and I had zero issues wearing them and walking around for several hours on the day when these photos were taken (that's the first time I've worn them outside of the house).

Naturally you can imagine my happiness and surprise that the fit turned out as well as it did! I opted for the Strawberry Fox pair of heels from Born Bad Betty because strawberries are not only one of my favourite fruits ever, but also a design on clothing or accessories that I've always been wild for (chalk that up in no small part to spending some of the earliest years of my life in a town that had a big annual strawberry festival).

Another factor in my decision making process was definitely the fact that I own so few cute shoes. I stand by the title of this post, these are hands down the cutest high heels I've ever owned and I'm tickled pink (or would that be strawberry red) to have these wonderful shoes in my wardrobe now. They're comfortable, sturdy, well made, and very, very pretty. I would note that the found the soles to be a touch slippery at first, but even just walking around on pavement for a few minutes seemed to have helped scuff the bottoms a touch and create some grip, so I didn't take a tumble or even come close to it at any point during our outing.

I truly appreciate that Born Bad Betty sent me these uber darling strawberry heels and want to extend my sincere thanks their way for doing so.

On the day these snaps were taken, I'd had plans for an entirely different outfit with a vintage garment that recently I'd purchased online, however it quite literally started to fall apart on me as I put it on for the first time (a story I may devote a whole post here to at some point - it remains to be seen how things turn out there), so with daylight fading fast, I had to think on my (cute high heel adorned) feet quickly and toss this ensemble together in under five minutes. Tony actually said that he liked it more than the originally planned look and I liked the two equally, so while I wasn't happy about my new purchase being a serious bust, I was glad that this outfit was able to come together so nicely on the fly.

This charming 1940s style green and black dress, the only peephole dress I own actually, was the first piece I ever purchased (back in 2013) from Hell Bunny. It was love at first wearing with this frock and I've been a firm fan of the brand ever since, adding several more of their garments to my closet in the time since then. I'm petite framed (5’2”) and not overly well endowed (average, but not exactly giving Dolly Parton a run for her money, if you know what I mean), and I do always like to maintain a degree of modest with my outfits, so I don't usually wear keyhole style dresses (which tend to dip down waaaaay too far on me for my tastes), but this one is the exception to the rule and I'm almost shocked it took me this long to share it on camera.

As we're ever-so-slowly starting to emerge from winter, it felt like a good choice to usher the upcoming season in with, as did this marvelously fun circa early 1940s red straw hat, a recent buy from my go-to vintage shop in the Okanagan, Frugal Frocks located nearly two hours north of us in the small town of Armstrong, B.C. (and whom I blogged about here last year). I'm a massive fan of wide brimmed vintage hats like this and had wanted a red one for ages, so hitting upon this gem so close to home was an exciting score to say the least.

I opted to sport it that day because I'm a big fan of matching one's hat to their shoes sometimes and when you're wearing red heels like these fun Born Bad Betty beauties, it seems all the more fitting to do so with a newly acquired crimson chapeau like this.

If you haven't checked out Born Bad Betty's offerings yet, I highly suggest doing so. At present, a lot of their merchandise is heavily on sale, which is a boon for all customers, but especially those (like myself) who are located outside of the United Kingdom and may be dealing with weaker currencies than the British pound.




With spring and then summer just around the corner and scores of sunny days to come, you can bet that I'll be prancing around town in these sweet, sassy, mid-century appropriate strawberry heels from now until Old Man Winter comes calling again - especially since it certainly isn't everyday I get a cute pair of shoes that actually fit me and which suit my vintage wardrobe so wonderfully. Thank you again, Born Bad Betty for making that happen!

The abc's of vintage fashion

A few months ago, the thoroughly lovely Mary of Out of My Front Door wrote a post called The Alphabet According to Me! in which she listed a different fact about herself for each and every letter of the alphabet. I thought this was a charmingly delightful idea and tucked it away to put my own spin on come September.





Why September, you may ask? Excellent question! The reason is that there's no other time of the year that I associate more with the alphabet than the early days of this month, when school returns to session once more and countless children the world over peer up at alphabets bordering their classrooms.

School days and the alphabet go hand-in-hand like chalkboards and erasers, and so today I'm going to run with Mary's idea, instead shifting the focus from myself and instead onto the world of vintage fashion.

I'm not the first person to whip up a vintage fashion alphabet (some people, such as Charlotte from Apple Menina, for example, have even turned their alphabets into 26 part series, devoting one post to each letter), and make no claims as such, but just because something's been done before is no reason not to give it a go yourself, too, and that's precisely what I'm going to do here.

While some letters of the alphabet have throngs of possible choices that could be assigned to represent them, when it comes to certain others (say, "x" or "z"), the pickings (in English at least) are considerably slimmer, so I decided that it would be best to select just one item for each letter of the alphabet (a choice that was also influenced by the fact that Mary stuck with one entry for each letter in her post, too).

The abc's of vintage fashion

A is for aprons: whether practical and hard working, stylish and all but for show, or somewhere in between, aprons have a been a fashion mainstay for countless generations, and were especially popular with mid-century ladies from all walks of life.




B is for bullet bras: Love or loath what they do to the shape of one's chest, bullet bras burst onto the scene in the 1940s, rising to the peak (both literally and figuratively!) of their popularity during the 1950s, when they were sported by glamorous Hollywood bombshells and real world ladies alike.




C is for crinoline: The history of crinolines stretches back for centuries, however when many people think of this classic undergarment, it is the circle and poodle skirt filled years of the 1950s that spring to mind first (and indeed, crinolines of varying lengths, thicknesses, designs and colours were frequently employed be girls and women of the era to help give their skirts and dresses extra volume).




D is for dickies: Though they still exist today, few people include dickies (a false shirt front garment worn under other another item of clothing, such as a sweater or dress) in their wardrobes (unless perhaps they're fan of vintage fashion). However back in the day (especially during the forties), they were a popular, often inexpensive way to help stretch your wardrobe.




E is for Elsa Schiaparelli and her whimsical, gorgeous fashions: Whether creating her own shade of shocking pink, adorning evening dresses with images of lobsters, or collaborating with Dalí, Elsa Schiaparelli was an incredibly creative, forward thinking, original, dynamic designer whose works will always stand out as some of the most unique, innovative, and beautiful of their time.




F is for furs: No matter your stance or fur (be it vintage or modern), there is no denying that the first half of the twentieth century was rife with the wearing of fur. Whether a glamorous full length mink coat or a wee touch of fur on one's cuffs, for example, very few women of the era didn't at least aspire to include a bit of genuine fur in her wardrobe.




G is for gloves: Gloves saw their last great hurrah as a wardrobe staple in the mid-twentieth century, during which time they were worn by almost every women, many of whom had extensive collections and enjoyed matching (or fashionably contrasting) their gloves with the rest of their ensemble. To this day, gloves remain one of the best ways to instantly inject a hearty dose of vintage style into one's yesteryear wardrobe.




H is for hoods: Be they to guard against the elements or merely as a chic fashion element, hoods have been around for hundreds upon hundreds of years, featuring into various mid-century styles in the process - two personal favourites of which are 1930s evening capes and 1930s/40s hooded beachwear.




I is for I. Magnin & Company: This once popular west coast chain of department stores (that specialized in high-end fashion) was founded in 1876 by a Mary Ann Magnin who named it after her husband Isaac. Popular with stylish ladies for decades, I. Magnin catered to a elegant, smartly attired, often well-to-do crowd and the fashions they sold during the mid-twentieth century exemplified this fact to a tee.




J is for for Jantzen: Launched in 1916, Jantzen quickly rose to popularity as one of the world's most beloved swimwear lines of all-time, with their ads a mainstay in scores of fashion and women's lifestyle magazines for decades. Though the brand dabbled in other garments (such as sweaters, too), they are without a doubt, best know for their wonderful swimsuits.




K is for Kerrybroke: If you've ever flipped from a Sears vintage catalog from the 30s, 40s or 50s, chances are you're familiar with this in-house brand, which included fashions for everyone from Juniors to "Graceful Ladies" (a diplomatic term the company used to appeal to their senior citizen demographic).




L is for Lucite: Whether used for handbag, shoe heels, umbrella handles, jewelry, buttons, sunglasses or myriad other purposes, Lucite was a very popular material all across the vintage fashion spectrum, and pieces made from (or including) this synthetic compound are highly collectable today.




M is for (hand) muffs: A winter wardrobe staple throughout much of the 19th and early to mid-20th century (in particular), muffs were a beautiful, functional way for ladies to keep their hands warm during the coldest days of the year (and indeed still are, should you happen to be lucky enough to find a vintage muff in good, wearable condition).




N is for (Dior's) New Look: A groundbreaking post-war style that shocked and outraged some, but more often than not found fans in women the world over. Dior's wildly iconic new look (often typified by his classic Bar Suit, pictured above) thrust women out of nearly a decade of garments made with moderate amounts of war rationed fabric into meter after meter of elegant, figure hugging style once more.




O is for overshoes: Much like gloves and muffs, overshoes aren't a modern fashion mainstay any more, but once just a few decades ago, they were a smart, stylish, thoroughly practical way to help keep your (less weatherproof) shoes safe from harsh elements like rain, snow and ice.



P is for Pendleton 49er Coats: If you close your eyes and envision a generously sized plaid coat, chances are you're thinking about a Pendleton 49. This cozy, fashionable coat entered the garment marketplace in 1949 and was an instant hit, with thousands upon thousands being purchased and worn to all manner of outdoors and casual events in the decade to come (and beyond).




Q is for quilted garments: During the 1950s in particular, quilted skirts and to a lesser extent other daywear garments (such as dresses, vests, and jackets) marched their way into vogue, with this stitchery technique appearing most often of all on circle skirts.




R is for rayon: With roots stretching back to the 1850s, rayon was one of the first successful semi-synthetic fabrics, and its use and popularity only continued to expand as time went, with a particular high point being during the 1940s, when it was called into duty to help make up for the shortages in various other (often natural) fabrics that were needed for the war effort (for more on the history of rayon, see this great article by Charlotte from Tuppence Ha'penny). If you're a collector (and wearer) of 1940s garments in particular, it's very likely you find yourself sporting all manner of wonderful 1940s rayon dresses, blouses, slips, gloves and other various other wardrobe staples.




S is for shirtwaist dresses: Loved as much today by vintage fashionistas the world over as they were back a few decades ago, the classic shirtwaist dress will always stand as one of the garments that best represents the 1940s and (especially) 50s.




T is for t-strap heels: Without a doubt one of the most iconic shoe styles of the 1920s and 30s, t-strap heels gained rapid popularity as it became more socially acceptable for women to expose their feet and ankles (and as such were an especially big hit with the flapper crowd, though the style was by no means limited to nightlife loving youngsters). While those years were the heyday of t-straps, once can easily find examples of this classic style from the 40s, 50s and every decade since as well.




U is for umbrellas: Vintage umbrellas were often terrifically lovely works of solidly constructed art, with ornate handles, feminine patterns, slender (when closed) silhouettes, and outfit making sophistication. Whether for show or function, a genuine vintage umbrella is the kind of accessory every mid-century loving gal should try to invest in at some point.




V is for (hats with) veils: Veils and veiling are an age old lady's accessory, whose popularity has waxed and waned over the course of time. During the years that spanned the 1930s-early 60s, veiled hats came back into vogue, with some toppers boasting just a wee hint of netting/veiling and other's fully cloaking the wearer's face in (usually) tulle, as well as hats featuring veils of every length in between. To this day they remain a gorgeous, endlessly chic way to inject sophistication into any vintage look.


W is for wedges: A truly beloved wardrobe staple amongst vintage fans the world over today, the wedge heel (or sandal) began its speedy rise to fame in the 1930s and it hasn't let up since, though certain decades (such as the 1940s and 70s) have seen a particular interest in this height elevating, often easy to walk in, warm weather staple.




X is for x-ray beauty contest: Ok, this is a bit of a creative stretch, but there are an exceedingly small number of vintage fashion related words beginning with the letter x. Without a doubt one of the most unique of vintage beauty contests, this 1950s Chiropractic sponsored competition saw participants being judged on the healthy appearance of their spines (as viewed in x-rays).




Y is for yachting and boating inspired fashion: Nautical inspired ladies wear was a big hit throughout much of the last century, though certain eras (i.e., 1910s, 1940s, 50s) really excelled at creating sweet, youthful, fantastic garments that channeled a sense of the boating life and all things seafaring related.





Z is for zippers: As you may recall from this post last autumn, the modern zipper was born in the last Edwardian era and quickly gained popularity with clothing manufactures everywhere (giving them a handy alternative, or addition, to buttons, ties, or other types of closures on a garment). Whenever I think of the words vintage fashion and zipper together at the same time, my mind flashes instantly to thoughts of charming 1940s and 50s house/day dresses, which often featured a long zipper running up their front.

{To learn more a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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In most cases, I opted for the first old school fashion related word that sprang to mind when I thought of a particular letter, but for others I debated through several choices and went with whichever was my very favourite in that moment. Save perhaps for a few of those aforementioned uncommon letters, this really is the kind of exercise one could repeat every now and then, if they so wanted, using new vintage fashion words each time.

Though the days of learning my abc's are well behind me (and then some!), I'll never grow old of enjoying the alphabet and various ways of depicting and exploring it letter-by-letter.

I hope you had fun hopping through all twenty-six letters here today and that, who knows, perhaps just as Mary did for me, I'll inspire you to create your own alphabet related post this September.