Choices, Choices

 Why can't we have choices like this anymore?  In this 2 page ad from 1956, Garland Orlon sweaters were offered in 6 styles.  Each style was made in 9 colors.  That's 54 possibilities to choose from.  There is something for everyone to love here.

Top row left:  "Put it atop your separate skirt, tuck it into your suit skirt - a sweater for all around the clock."
Center:  "The V neck classic that goes nicely over tailored shirts or with the separate collars you like to wear."
Right:  "Casual, flattering and completely versatile for skirts or suits.  Wear with or without your own costume pin."

Bottom row left:  "Pert sweater with collar that buttons as high or as low as you like."
Center:  "A three-way collar cardigan; button it higher, button it lower, leave it as is."
Right:  "The classic sweater set in harmony of line and color.  Match or mix the pullover and cardigan colors."

Which sweater in what colors would you choose?

Classic Twin Set Sweaters - 1955

Author's note: Due to a time crunch this morning, this is a reprint of a blog post I wrote in 2009.  

Is there anyone in the world who can't wear a classic twin set?






All from 1955, these photos can serve as inspiration to get a vintage look from a modern twin set.  Or add a vintage twin set to your modern wardrobe!

Wearing Vintage Sweaters - 1954

I spent a couple of days last week adding this year's collection of vintage sweaters to the website.  If you've never worn a vintage sweater, I urge you to give one a try.  They are made from much higher quality yarns that those of today and they are usually fully fashioned, which means the pieces are knitted into shape, not cut and sewn from a flat piece of fabric.

Since it's now officially fall (drat!), I thought I would show you some photos of sweaters from 1954.  They're all matched with basic pants and skirts in khaki and gray. Prices shown are the actual prices from 1954 and today's equivalent is in parentheses.

Left:  Pringle gray cashmere pullover with a stripe of lighter gray in the mock turtleneck.  $26 ($219)
Center:  Bernhard Altmann strawberry red cashmere pullover with short sleeves.  $23 ($194)
Right:  Korrigan-Lesure black button down cardigan worn with the buttons in back.  $35 ($295)

Left:  Braemar ribbed pullover in pale ivory.  $23 ($194)
Center:  Hadley red cashmere short sleeve with white stripe accents.  $22 ($185)
Right:  Jantzen ivory wool/vicara blend pullover with white angora neck and cuffs.  $11 ($93)

Left:  Dalton cashmere turtleneck with button placket in ice blue.  $25 ($211)
Center:  Maurice Handler cashmere sweater in the style of a shirt with shirt tail hem.  $30 ($253)
Right:  Goldworm wool rib-knit with zipper neckline.  $14 ($118)

Left:  Geist and Geist purple wool pullover with cowl collar.  $25 ($211)
Center:  Roseanna white ribbed wool with big sailor collar.  $18 ($152)
Right:  Stanley Boutique reversible jacket, cable knit on one side, alpaca on the other.  $40 ($337)

Vintage Sweaters - 1975

Just a few more days to enter the giveaway from Vermont Country Store! Go and enter to win now!

20 years after yesterday's post, the look of sweaters is decidedly different. In 1975, sweaters were longer and were made of heavier, thicker, chunkier yarns than those of 1955. Worn with bell bottom pants, jeans, or long skirts, here are the sweaters the everyday gal wore in 1975.

Allison's Closet bulky cable knit cardigan.

Beverly Johnson wears a wool wrap sweater by Jane Justin.

Organically Grown by Arpeja acrylic (ironic) turtleneck sweater with center muff pockets.

Ellen Tracy wool cardigan with matching vest and hat.

Hooded wool tweed sweater jacket by Swing Low.

Vintage Sweaters - 1955

It's 1955, and sweaters are a big hit for fall. Worn with skirts, pants, or Bermuda shorts, most gals had at least one (or ten) in her wardrobe.

May Claire shawl collar pullover.

Pride O'Glen lambswool sweater could be worn two ways, with the buttons in front or back.

Darlene pullover and twin-set.

Talbott V-neck and turtleneck.

What do you wear underneath to get that true "sweater girl" look? A pointy, circle-stitched bra, of course! And if your cup size was smaller, you wore one with padding.

Here's a current fave at Couture Allure. This lambswool/fur blend twin set comes straight out of the 1950s!

Jantzen Kharafleece Sweaters

I've seen the term "Kharafleece" in many Jantzen ads and on the labels of lots of their sweaters. I've often wondered what the term meant. I finally got a clue when reading the ad above from 1954. In the 1950s, sweater companies would name their exclusive yarn blends as a marketing strategy. Garland had "Dreamspun", Nan Dorsey had "Fabulon", Darlene had "Melospun", etc, etc.

What is "Kharafleece"? It was Jantzen's exclusive blend of lambswool, Vicara, and nylon yarn that was mothproofed by Mitin. Here's an earlier post of mine about Mitin. Vicara was a fiber produced by the Virginia-Carolina Corporation. It was made from the extruded plant protein Zein, which comes from corn. Vicara was soft as cashmere, washable, and took dyes well. It had to be blended with other fibers, though, as it was not as durable. Vicara production was discontinued in 1958 due to the advent of better performing synthetic fibers. If you have a Kharafleece sweater by Jantzen, you can properly date it prior to 1959.