De De Johnson: California Casual
De De Johnson was born Delores Henderson in Missouri in 1901 to Mary and Orian Henderson. Mary was just 17 when she married, and…
Hansi Originals
I found this jacket at the flea market a few years ago, and it sat around waiting for me to research it for at least…
Greta Plattry
Greta Plattry was born Margarete Hutschnecker in Berlin, Germany on February 15, 1909. She married Fredrich Plattring in 1931 and had a daughter, Gabrielle, around 1934. They…
Lilli Ann: The 1950s
[This post is a continuation of a previous post about the early years of the Lilli Ann company.] By the early 1950s, Lilli Ann designer…
Graff Californiawear
I love California sportswear of the 1940s, and one of the most prominent labels was Graff Californiawear. It was the product of Lena Ceretto and…
Mildred Orrick
Mildred Orrick was born Mildred Boykin in West Virigina in 1906. Her father Richard was a preacher, and the family moved across the South from…
New Orleans photo journal
I love, love New Orleans. I’ve been there four times and every time I leave I can’t wait to go come back. I’m obsessed with the…
Louella Ballerino
“Quiet Louella Ballerino has created a perfect furor down here. Everybody corners you to ask, ‘Have you seen Ballerino’s things?’ — so of course, everybody…
Dorothy O’Hara
[Author’s note: I initially wrote this post in January 2015, but I lost a lot of images when I switched hosts, and I felt like…
Ballerinas on the beach
In the late 1930s and early 40s, a popular silhouette for beach fashions was a slim torso flaring to a short skirt, as seen in…