• Blog
  • All Labels & Designers
  • Categories
    • Labels & designers
    • Outfit of the day
    • Antiques
    • Old houses
    • DIY
    • Los Angeles history
    • Vintage shopping
    • Interiors
  • Build a vintage closet
    • Determine your style
      • Building a vintage closet, Step 1: Who are you?
      • Building a vintage closet, step 2: Elements of style
      • Building a vintage closet, step 3: Assessing assets
    • Vintage shopping
      • Building a vintage closet, preamble to part 4: Before you shop
      • Building a Vintage Closet: a few quick notes
      • Building a vintage closet, step 4: Can we please go shopping now?
      • Build a vintage closet, step 4: Moar shopping pls, expo edition
      • Building a vintage closet part 4(c): Online shopping & flea markets
    • Details
      • Building a vintage closet, part 5: Putting it all together
  • Shop

No Accounting for Taste

Instagram

  • “Summer scents are right here, grounded. Smell a violet, pick it up. Smell the lilacs, take an armful. Smell roses, tuck them in your belt. One deep breath and you know it’s summer—there are a hundred new scents to prove it.” Vogue, May 15, 1946. Studio Dress and Gentlewoman Blouse by @revellecollection // #ootd #vintagestyle #shopsmall
  • Last week it was plaid, this week’s theme is bold color and prints. Slowly releasing my collection back into the wild 🌸🌼🌺 // #1950sfashion #forsale
  • Way into this #1980s set from @nocarnationsvintage that she listed as just the skirt and sash but also included the matching shirt ♥️♥️♥️ I might just live in this for the rest of the summer // #keepsetstogether #1980sfashion #vintagestyle #ootd
  • Cabana Sportswear was a New York company with manufacturing in Philadelphia, where designer Mary Blair (no, not the Disney one) worked for them from about 1955-1957. Blair, who was from Pennsylvania, started her career in Mexico, working in textile and resort wear design with the Tilletts, and upon her return worked under Tina Leser (a fellow Pennsylvanian) for a bit before going to work for David Crystal (who would later take over Claire McCardell’s position at Townley). Blair never stayed in one place for too long; after Cabana she went to Tabak, then to White Stag, then she expanded her portfolio into lingerie but ultimately stuck with casual separates and sportswear. This set from her time at Cabana in 1956 is similar in shape to one just posted for sale in my stories. // #1950sfashion
  • Tom Franklin Brigance was born in Waco, Texas in 1913. His parents, John and Annie, worked at Wolfe Florist shop, which had been Annie’s family business since they came to America from England in 1892. John died just two days before Tom’s first birthday, and he and his sisters were raised by Annie who—purely speculation—I feel like was kind of a badass. She didn't marry until age 35, and Tom was born when she was 40. She ran the florist shop with her family and was active in the industry, giving talks like "Why Woman is Indispensable in the Florist Business." Wolfe Florist is still in business today. In 1931, Tom went to New York to study art and sculpture at Parsons, but pretty quickly discovered fashion was his strength. He worked in Paris and London before returning to New York in 1937, where he was hired by Lord & Taylor VP Dorothy Shaver as their sportswear designer in 1938. After several years exclusively with Lord & Taylor, he worked with other companies like Sportsmaker, Sinclair, Frank Gallant and Gabar, as well as under his own name alone. Image from the National Portrait Gallery by Aline Fruhauf of Brigance, 1939. // #fashionhistory #tombrigance
  • “Here, tartans in fine forms; both with well-shaped bras and the new modified bloomer that hits just below any possible bulge. One-piece suit, $25. Two-piece suit, $25. Both by Brigance of Sportsmaker, in Scottish woolen.” Photo by John Rawlings for Vogue, May 1, 1953. One piece just posted for sale in stories. // #1950sfashion #tombrigance
  • Navy linen top on the left and red Louella Ballerino skirt on the right just posted in my stories ✨
  • Louella Ballerino attended USC as an art student from 1918-1922. During her time there she worked as a fashion illustrator, followed by several years studying sculpture, raising her two children and working under Andre-Ani, a designer at MGM who worked on dozens of films in the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1927 she started creating original sketches for other manufacturers, and designed for an exclusive custom shop for a couple years, studying pattern drafting at night so she could eventually make her own clothing. In 1938, she opened her own custom business, while still designing for other manufacturers on the side. Eventually her own business took over, and by 1939 gained national acclaim for popularizing the dirndl skirt and creating “authentic California designs” for beach and otherwise. Ballerino was a true pioneer of California sportswear. Photo from 1941. // #louellaballerino #1940sfashion #bettedavis
  • “An instinctive leader and trend-setter, Mrs. Ballerino uses colors boldly, even finds new wonderful tones in rocks she collects from all over the world… In California she finds the eternal challenge: To create fashions as exciting as the life around her: Patio-fancies for the hostess, dramatic clothes for evening, for play, for the swim. Here at her own barbecue in Flintridge, previewing her new Lily Belle patio gown… right for the time, the place, the girl.” The Californian, April 1948 // #louellaballerino #affiliatedfashionists #1940sfashion #vintagecalifornia #fashionhistory

Follow Me

About Me

About Me

My name is Jessica, and I love old things. I wear, collect, research and sometimes sell vintage clothing. This is some documentation along the way.

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Hansi Originals
  • Greta Plattry
  • Lilli Ann: The 1950s

Archives

Tags

1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s adolph schuman affiliated fashionists antique stores beach california california designers ceil chapman charles james Claire McCardell coast stories couture designer dior don loper graff history labels lilli ann meet a designer new orleans ootd photography resort road trip shopping vintage clothes

Looking for something?

People are talking about…

  • Charles Richard Loper on Don Loper
  • Charles Richard Loper on Don Loper
  • Carole on Graff Californiawear
  • Linda on Greta Plattry
  • Kimberly S on Lilli Ann: The 1950s

No Accounting For Taste is a personal blog of Jessica Parker. All words and original photographs are copyright Jessica Parker, 2007-2018