Tag Archives: textiles

That Seventies Polyester

Was there ever another decade more closely associated with a fabric than the seventies and polyester?  I have a book featuring Sears clothing from the early 1970s, and it is simply amazing how many of the clothes are made from … Continue reading

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A Faith Ringgold Retrospective

Aren’t there times when you wished you lived in New York City?  I wish I were there now to see the Faith Ringgold retrospective at the New Museum.  It is the first comprehensive US retrospective of her work, beginning with … Continue reading

Posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mother’s Day at the First Christian Church, 1973

The First Christian Church of Corpus Christi, Texas decided to honor the oldest and youngest mothers in the congregation on Mother’s Day, 1973.  What a wonderful contrast between the outfits of the very old and still quite young.  We can … Continue reading

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A Dress Made from a Sari, 1971

I was lucky that a year was printed on the back of this photo, since the dress itself would have been hard to date. The TV is most likely from the sixties, but people used to keep their sets for … Continue reading

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Pola Stout in Pola Stout

Since Lizzie Bramlett of the blog The Vintage Traveler has been covering the fascinating work of Hollywood designer Adrian, I remembered an old post I wrote about one of his main textile designers, Pola Stout. I accidentally eliminated it some … Continue reading

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Book Review: Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas

First the bad news, then the good: that’s the structure of this book.  You can see it in the subtitle—“The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes.” The bad news section of the book, about a fifth of … Continue reading

Posted in 2010s, General | Tagged | 1 Comment

Those Twenties Textiles

A rule of thumb with sewing is to choose a simple pattern when you have a complex textile.  Simple lines will make the fabric shine, while a complicated design might not even show up well. Might this be why the … Continue reading

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The Roaman’s Catalog, 1971

While working my way through references to half sizes in Women’s Wear Daily, I discovered a new-to-me source of clothing for larger women, Roaman’s. It is an old company, beginning as a store front in Manhattan.  The first ads I … Continue reading

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Natalie Chanin’s American-Made Enterprise

If you have ever wondered what it would take—and what it would cost—to bring textile and garment construction back to the United States, designer and ecological visionary Natalie Chanin has some ideas for you. After a career as a garment … Continue reading

Posted in 2010s | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Book Review: The Art of Dressing by Tziporah Salamon

Of all the eccentric older women currently having a fashion moment, I like Tziporah Salamon the best.  Perhaps it is because I once saw her once on a New York street, as brilliant as a bird of paradise amidst her … Continue reading

Posted in 2010s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments