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No Accounting for Taste

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  • In 1922, Lyle Griswold and her husband Harvey had just moved from St. Louis to San Francisco, where their daughter Gloria was born. Harvey was a textile salesman and in 1925 Lyle began working as a designer from M.R. Fleischman, a local manufacturer of women’s clothing (see previous post). It’s possibly this latter fact that contributed to the couple’s divorce in 1929; as liberated as women began to feel following WWI, it may have been a tough sell for Harvey that Lyle wanted to pursue her career. She stayed at Fleischman’s for 44 years, building a name for herself with quintessential California sportswear that included lots of denim separates and cotton playclothes called “Sunabouts.” She retired in 1968, a few years after her second husband’s death, and the company soon went out of business. “Mother was the reason for Fleischman’s success,” said Gloria. “They couldn’t manage without her.” Sketched here, a beach jacket by Griswold for Fleischman with a “puritan” collar as seen in The Californian, January 1948, now for sale in my stories. [edit sold] // #1940sfashion #vintagecalifornia #californiasportswear #fashionhistory
  • Mathias R. Fleischman was born in San Francisco in 1869, and by 1910 he had a wholesale ladies undergarment business. When he died in 1930, his son Charles took over the business, and by 1940 they were manufacturing sportswear, particularly denim and twill. Apparel City was conceived in the early 1940s as a “city within a city” in San Francisco, a complete apparel design, manufacturing and sales center that would offer green space and services like barber shops and grocery markets and would be funded exclusively by Northern California apparel creators. The goal was to have a space for out of town buyers to come to one place in California where they could see multiple fashion shows, negotiate with multiple manufacturers, and possibly even have their travel needs coordinated by an onsite travel agency. It continued to grow through the late 1940s, when it seemed that the garment industry in California would continue indefinitely. But in the late 1950s other industries started moving into the large spaces and Apparel City's vision began to be diluted. The apparel industry was in decline in the 60s, and by the 1970s more garment production had moved overseas and small businesses couldn't compete. A series of fires in the complex during the 50s and 60s didn't help, and the project quietly devolved into a business park like any other—though one of its streets is still called Apparel Way. // #1940s #fashionhistory #vintagelabel
  • “Borrowed from Brittany: Carolyn Schnurer’s brilliant sun dresses and sea suits in Bates beautiful Maine-loomed cottons. Present habitat: the sunlit pools and terraces, the rocky shores of our own America.” Ad for Bates Fabrics as seen in The Californian, January 1947 // #1940sfashion #carolynschnurer
  • “New shade as an anti-sun measure: the long-sleeved cotton shirt that buttons all the way up. Further shades: the towel, the beach umbrella… The shirt, the blue Crompton corduroy swimming shorts and bra by Carolyn Schnurer, the Martex towel—all, Saks Fifth.” Photo by Horst for Vogue, May 1, 1948 // #carolynschnurer #1940sfashion
  • Let’s get these kids adopted! Rudy and June will be at Centinela Feed in Mar Vista today from 12-3 🐾🐾 Stop by and fall in love and take them home!
  • [sold] “‘Sea Song Sarong’; lastex suit, sarong drape, hand printed seaweed pattern, 17.95” This Catalina suit from 1959, pictured here in the San Francisco Examiner, just posted details in my stories! You can always check out the For Sale and Wounded highlights to see what’s available 🌿 // #catalinaswimwear #1950sfashion #wearvintage
  • I’ll be posting some cute stuff in my stories this weekend so keep an eye out! This outfit will be up soon: rayon blend equestrian print blouse, navy split skirt, Garay belt, coil bag. All size S/M. Details will be posted in stories 🐎 Check my highlights for things already posted // #1940sfashion #1950sfashion #vintagestyle
  • These three bbs are still up for adoption! Meet them tomorrow at Pet Plaza in Burbank with @kittenrescuela from 12p-3:30p 🐾🐱🐾 // #kittenrescuela #fosterkittens #adoptdontshop
  • The mood when you can’t wait to get the outfit photo done so you can take your waist cincher off and get on with your day that includes breathing ✨ See post before last to see this scarf in its full glory! “Scarfs to a costume are as cognac to coffee. This year—experiment with colours, compliments, shades (try rose with pink, lemon with parchment); wear them with a white dress. One for your shoulders, one in your pocket,” offers Vogue, July 1, 1948. Or, as Vera always recommended, at the throat. Two-piece late 40s jersey by Claire McCardell; with a belt from @cork_stuff and a scarf found on my travels // #ootd #clairemccardell #truevintageootd

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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.

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