I just had the funniest thought that Bianca as a time traveller would have to take a large suit case to bring back ALL the hats lol👒

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

I'd need a Uhaul truck 😅✨

These are so fun. Being a teen in the 80s, I recognize many of the silhouettes. Love them. Would you please recreate the waterfall skirt. I would love to know how to recreate it. Thank you and have an amazing day.

@nightfall3605

2 жыл бұрын

I second 🙋‍♀️

@lindag6822

2 жыл бұрын

Me too please!

@gowriwarrier2370

2 жыл бұрын

I would also love to see the waterfall skirt!

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

I'll see if I have some rayon suitable perhaps! I will say that they are deceptively simple though!

@gowriwarrier2370

Жыл бұрын

@@TheClosetHistorian Thank you so much! Looking forward to seeing it.

I love the flip throughs, I used to lie on the floor and flip through the Eatons catalogue when I was about 12 picking out clothes for back to school. You have to know that a lot of us are going to be looking out for lime green 40’s hats now, just for you!💚

Bianca, thank you so much taking us on such a wonderful trip down Memory Lane in your 1946 Montgomery Ward's way-back machine (also known as a catalogue)! I especially enjoyed your commentary and seeing the catalogue images of the women's clothing, because the clothes are virtually mirrored in photos in the late 1940s to mid-1950s (and also in my own memories of the 1950s) that I have of my mother wearing similar clothes. When you started the video with the fashions for colder spring weather, I knew this was going to be good! We lived in NY until 1957 when we moved to So.Cal. I remember some icy cold New York Easters when the holiday occurred in March. Seeing all those women's hats also brought back memories of going to church and seeing all the ladies in their hats. Back then, females at Roman Catholic churches had to have their heads covered by a hat or scarf. I remember one Sunday we drove straight from church to my maternal grandparents's home in the city for a big Sunday dinner. My Nonna was in the kitchen, stirring the sauce, but she had forgotten to take off her hat when she got home. In my mind I can still see her standing at the stove wearing her hat on her gray-white hair. It was not a big hat and not too fancy, but I clearly remember it was blueish-grey with netting and maybe either a few pearls or rhinestones on it for decoration. You indicated that the catalogue was from 1946. My mother was 18 in 1946. She was an excellent sewist, she made her own bridal gown and beaded tiara for her wedding. In my childhood memories of the '50s, she seemed to always be working on a sewing project on her old Singer, making her own clothes as well as clothes for me and my younger brother and sister. Again, Bianca, thank you. Your video has refreshed my memories of better, happier times so long ago. I needed that.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your memories with me Janet ❤ My own grandmother was born in 1929 and wore some great 40's and 50's fashions that sadly I only saw photos of after she had passed away. I have one vintage brooch that she gave me right as I was getting into retro fashion and I treasure it extra close of course.

It's interesting to see the prices on the items, especially with the modern price adjustments. I feel like $30-40 for a fancy hat is really reasonably priced compared to what you would pay today, but $150 for a raincoat seems really expensive for something that isn't a designer label item.

@grittykitty50

2 жыл бұрын

The raincoat was a utility item that was meant to last for DECADES!

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

I know the hats seem so affordable! I can rarely get a nice 1940s hat for those prices now 😅✨

HATS! Yes, please, I love it when you make headwear! Thank you for reviewing these and scanning the pages on Pinterest. My grandmother was 24 in 1946, and by all accounts was a chic woman (especially given her very limited budget!). I love imagining her looking through these catalogues at the time :)

Oh happy day.. *settles in*

Our little town didn't have a regular Montgomery Wards store, just a catalogue store. We went there and placed our order, then picked it up 7-10 days later. I got a lot of my clothes there.

the "ooh so chique" hat you featured around 15:04 , the ruched decoration looks like a trilobyte, i may have to do some DIY experimenting

15:06 the little embellishment on the hat looks like a trilobite. A very chic trilobite, mind you.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Paleontology-chic ✨ Fossil embellishments are always a good idea in my book 😂

I have a few photos of my grandmother in the 40's wearing 3 piece suits, looking very stern and intimidating even though she was only 5'2".

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

The beginnings of the power suit ✨

I remember my mother wearing hats, gloves, shoes & coates very similar to the catalogue, also my father's styles in the menswear section🙂

I absolutely love these! If only we could put in an order 😭

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

The lack of time traveling order forms is a huge issue

The bowl shaped pillbox hat reminds me of my grandma’s 40s wedding day hat!

I have a soft spot for all those vintage hats myself.

Super appreciate the inflation calculator! 💰

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

It makes me feel better about scoring 1940s suits for $100 bucks since that's hundreds less than they originally cost it turns out 😅

BTW, there is a Bayeux Tapestry design fabric on Spoonflower!

I always say that I don't need a time machine, I need a time PO Box, so that I could order and get things from the past.🤣Also, I want to say, that I really like that you do money conversion, it's really annoying when people say things along the lines of, "look how cheap it was back then", those conversions show that it wasn't cheap at all, that gives a perspective on the value. Thank you so much for doing those videos and scanning those catalogues, that means a lot.🥰

Oh my, I realized I own this same catalog in my small collection! So much fun to turn the pages while listening to your commentary at top volume!! Thank you so much. My poor husband is so tolerant😁.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

If only it were always so easy to follow along ha! 😅✨

“Gomez Addams robes” had me 😂 … wonder if I could convince my boyfriend to wear one if I made it for him?? Lol

I like the vintage catalogs. It's great for ideas for creating our own fashion from yesteryears. Todays fashion, while built more for comfort, seems to have lost a lot for style. Thanks for sharing as always and keep the hits coming.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Denise!

I love watching these videos, the joy you have when we get to the hat pages.... it brightens my day. And yes make some hats ... in gay chartreuse please. Xxx

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

All the gay chartreuse hats 💚💚💚

My Dad got a job at Montgomery Wards when he returned home from The War. There he met and married a pretty salesgirl - my Mom. It didn't close in my town until 1960 so I have memories of shopping there. Wonder if those Simplicity patterns were exclusive to MW? I love these types of videos. Show us more catalogs.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Fun! And can do, I have many now ha!

I did not know I was a hat person until watching your catalog videos, I thrift shop but don't find hats, until today I stopped by a consigning store in the small town I live in New Mexico. The sign on the door was half off store wide, I found hats, one faux ivory fur new look style saucer hat maybe 50's, and a maybe 40's small round black hat the total size is like the crown of most saucer or platter hats with a shiny linen texture a stand-up molded loop on side top with a few small pearls in a j shape on the molded ribbon loop, looks a lot like the 40's TWA stewardess hat ,11.00 each and a modern black paper straw wide brim hat I can roll the brim up and also flatten the crown for a different shape $3.50 and a 80's evening small square molded purse covered in woven statin ribbon with a rhinestone clasp for $5.00 sometimes random shopping is the most successful. Love your videos. I tried the high neck gathered neckline bodice out of an ugly polyester plaid shirting because i was out of muslin, needed to practice matching plaids, and I liked the bodice so much I added a gathered A line skirt, bias cut short sleeves and will wear it, looks like something Ralph Lauren did in his Southwestern era prairie days.

That blue dress with the black round things on them, at 28 mins, I saw a rayon fabric today at Fabricland (Canadian store) very much like that!

Your catalog series is delicious. I spread it over several viewings and savor every ridiculous minute.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!!

Oh joys! Can't wait for my little one to fall asleep so I can snuggle in to this little beauty! ☕

My favorite thing, catalog hopping. I watched the movie "The Women" this morning and went crazy over all the beautiful vintage outfits. Thanks B.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

That is one of the top fashion films ever made for sure ✨ If you can withstand a musical, Cover Girl with Rita Hayworth has amazing clothes but a very predicable plot 😅😂

I grew up in the eighties watching classic movies and listening to Big Band music with my grandparents. I didn’t know my love of forties fashion came from it’s use in eighties clothing until you cracked the code for me. I agree with Gloria Vanderbilt; we fought too hard for practical, comfortable fashion to go back to the hyper femininity of the New Look!

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

I think best of all is choice, New Look one day, T-shirt the next ✨

Men's suit collars were so high because the ties were incredibly short - often no more then belly button length. Again, this was a fabric rationing thing.

So many of the 80’s fashions clearly replicated these designs, it seems like the designers had these catalogs too.

Love this! It’s great when you point out the dart manipulation’s used. I finally see the benefits to strong shoulders narrowing the waist

I,too, love all the hats, bags b and shoes. I used to haveva bag with the bow across the front in white patent leather. Stupid me, I gave it away. Ah, well.🙂

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAS MORE CATALOGS

@gittevandevelde2208

2 жыл бұрын

@theclosethistorian I know that isn't really a period but do you have/would be interested in getting and filming 1930's catalogs? I like early 1930's a lot personally but finding all the inspo on just pinterest, random images with no context, is a bit messy.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

There is unfortunately an additional layer of why I don't have 1930's catalogs, they are rarer and tend to go for $100 more than the 40s and 50s ones 😅 I do have one catalog from 1938 which I will scan sometime, but it isn't in super condition!

Ah ha! Thank you for the illustration and explanation of the hat elastic/band thing. That makes perfect sense. Later: 44:20 the “circlet” sitting on top of the hair! It’s so good to see these illustrations which need to convey styling. Perfect!

I LOVE these!!! I have to watch them a couple of times, once to listen to you, once on pause to drink in the pictures, and countless times to make plans.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Michelle!!

Hi Closet Historian, I have missed you ,some changes over here so I am happy now to be back, never did send you the dress undergarment but I will. Very happy to see you. Kind regards

Thanks for the fun window shopping excursion. I had a great vintage find last weekend that I thought you might appreciate. I was visiting my mom's 90 year old neighbor and we got on the topic of vintage fashion. She mentioned she still had some gloves from the 50s and gave me a bunch of old gloves that didn't fit her anymore. There were some fancy opera length gloves and a pair of short tan gloves with insertion lace along the seam lines that she thought might have been her mother's. They looked more 30s/40s to me than 50s, but I know nothing about gloves. I also got several men's sport coats that weren't vintage, but were made out of really nice wool, so I want to try dissecting them and turning them into something else. I love shopping in old people's closets.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a fun time with a generous gal! There may still be some "make do and Mend" -ish tutorials on during men's suiting into women's wear hanging around online from when they were doing it in the 1940s!

Thank you , Bianca! Looking at these beautiful pictures while listening to your detailed descriptions is so much fun. You had me drooling!🤗

Yay! Another catalogue. I love these catalogue videos. Thank you especially for the price comparison charts. I also really like your comments about how easy it would be to make some of these designs.

I have this catalog, and I'm so happy to hear you to give your observations!

Thank you for posting! This made my day!

What a fun catalog!

Yay! More catalogues!!!

Not saying you’re a witch, but somehow you always post these video when I need it the most. Thank you for putting in the effort to get these up. They really mean a lot to us.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! The scanning always surprises me with how long it takes, but its worth it every time!

I am excited to finally get to sit down and watch this!

These are SO good. Thank you for another great catalogue tour! I’ll be putting in my order for everything in black and chartreuse and all the shoes immediately 😂

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Agreed 100% ✨ Thanks Emma!

These are my fave videos you do. I've watched each multiple times. I think its so interesting to see what you pick out for each outfit and the details you point out. I feel like I'm starting to look more closely at MY clothes now and see details I'd missed!

Thank you, I love the catalogue videos! And yes please more hat making x

thanks so much for including the inflation conversion for the prices of the item! it really helps contextualize the worth of each item for the women of the time :)

I would absolutely love to see an episode of this about an European Catalog of the 40s. I would be super interested f.e. how the clothes and also the catalog itself varies in France or England at the time. Really enjoy your videos, thank you so much for doing them!!

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Goodness knows I would love to get my hands on some!! I have seen German fashion illustrations that are actually super fun, which I don't see how with war and post-war going on, but fashion is a fun distraction! I'm not sure if stores in the UK or France did catalogs like these, and even if so, perhaps not during the war when I'm sure even paper and resources were needed for war work instead.

Thank you for showing these :) I love the 40's fashion so much.

I know 80's did 40's, but those summer playsuits, especially the crop tops with shoulder ruffles, look to me more like the junior styles of the 70s. Of which there were a million sewing patterns made.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Everything is on repeat and recycle for sure 😂

That was so enjoyable.

Thank you for giving us a peek at this - I'd love that Bayeux Tapestry dress!

I loved watching every minute! 🤩💗

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Jenny!

Oh, I love this!! Mom met, dated, and married Dad in this exact period of time - May-August 1946. Now I'm imagining Mom looking through this same catalog, trying to find something cute.

❤️❤️❤️ these videos! I remember loving the Montgomery Wards catalog in 1970s!

I see Bianca needing a house, not just a room, should she actually get her hands on all those hats from this catalogue - in ALL available colors of course! Just love your descriptions and comments, Bianca! I guess I shouldn’t admit here that I bought 4 huge vintage hat boxes, filled to the brim (pun intended!) with 3 to 4 hats each last week at an estate sale……

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Mmm that's a good day at the estate sale! I'll never be so lucky as I am a night owl not an early riser so the good stuff at estate sales is never to become mine 😂

Wow! 😳 Some truly extreme hats in this particular catalogue... Really had me wondering how many people were actually wearing these on the regular?? 😜 Bianca, I just realised with something of a shock how much I appreciate all your videos being free of sponsored content! Nearly every other creator I follow has succumbed to accepting sponsorships and although some manage to make them entertaining, it does get rather wearing? (Esp. as it's always the same companies 🙄) Having your content just BE content without any extraneous commercialisation is truly restful and greatly appreciated... ❤ You provide helpful info of relevant suppliers, but that's all - thank you.

Love this!

I love this. I have always been an old catalog junkie. Thanks for sharing.

As always fascinating and lots of sewing idea fuel! But really, your comments are the best thing about these videos.

Ooo, looking forward to this. Cataloging catalogs is one of my favorits (and I have been rewatching the other ones all week so clearly what I am most into at the moment).

Yesss, I love these! It's great to see the different silhouettes and your insight into the fashions. The 40s is becoming my new "modern" favorite period.

Thank you Bianca. Fantastic as always! 🖤🤍🖤

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Erza!

I hope you understand how much I enjoy these videos. Thank you so much, I am looking forward to the next one.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Sandra!

This was so much fun to watch. Really love how you explain how you can make some of the items in the catalogue. Also lots of fun to see all the pretty things 💖

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Michelle!

I could watch these all day! Especially the shoe section 😍 wish could find some from the 1930's.

I picked up an ankle length black wool coat fully lined with a fur collar for £45 on etsy its labeled 1980s but works well with older vintage styles.

I'm so jealous of all those fabulous cotton trench coats, with a fuller longer skirt. They are nigh on impossible to find in Ireland new, and are not available in my size second hand 😭😭😭 Also, I second your call for pretty yet stable slippers, there is nothing to be had out there!

I would love to see you do more millinery videos. You other ones have helped me makes some 1940s style hats already!

This was soo enjoyable to watch 💖 All the looks are beautiful .. and honestly I would wear most of them today 🤭 I think in today's world we are living in .. the one positive things about all this "fast fashion mess", is that we can littery pick any style we like and make it look fashionable 🤭 With d fashion changing every two weeks.. there's no point to be chasing trends, it's about founding one's individual style. p.s. I really like the covered shoulders .. and that every outfit seems to have enough fabric to make somebody like me feel comfortable n confident .. 🤭

Honestly, I just wanted to cry! It’s so hard to find quality clothing these days, and this offers fabric choices. 😭

Very enjoyable and informative 👒

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you lovely Bee : )

Love it! Hey I'm almost done my block for the top. Thanks to you!! Just need to get a hip ruler, I have an 8 inch difference between my waist and my hip, I put a dart in waist to hip original pattern did not have it. A 40I here bust. Three weekends took. 👍

Me: ooh yes some summer vintage clothes for inspiration! Also me, looking at long sleeved suits and coats with black gloves at 30 degrees celsius: 🥵

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Yeah 😅...Summer-ish but very focused on the cold Eastern US springs 😂

Lovely.

This is the time I was born for! (And in)Love those beginning suits. Now for the spot to buy the bodies! I wish I had seen this catalogue when I was working and wore the standard power suits concept. Now it is really hard to dress in things other than jeans and Tee shirt.

These videos aLways make me wonder what item on the page was the popular one? We know what the popular items are in magazines we grew up with and now many of the things I thought were not cool growing up are the 90s pieces called ‘grails’ for many. Perception changes with time and I always wonder…

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

I wonder too if the catalog fashions were considered in any way less fashionable/chic versions then, like the way we think of designer fashion versus say jcpenny fashions today

Wow those plastic handbags really do look 80s!

Oh, Bianca, thank you SO MUCH for taking us through the fantasy wonderland of 1946 women's fashion - just the BEST start to my day!!! 😍😍😍 So much inspiration - I want to make all the dresses! Meanwhile, I look forward to enjoying watching you make some of them, while I deliberate on which style elements I can realistically incorporate into my me-mades.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Mara!

Loved this soooo much! The tailored details in all of these garments is unbelievable! Clothing used to be quite an investment long before the days of fast fashion.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Very true! It's important to remember most people had smaller wardrobes of better quality items than we have today for sure!

"Rectangular Men" is my new band name.

Oh those hats.🤩🤩🤩🤩

22:51 - Waterfall skirt.... Secret Pants?

i woul love to see you make the shower cap hat!

Oh yes, catalogs 😍

Eye candy, in every page. 💖😻

I wonder if the gorgeous hat pins were popular in the US as they were here? Such glorious things. Thanks for the rewind!

I really enjoy the breakdowns you give for a few of the outfits (this is an X cut shirt with X detail etc.) as it helps me learn which details I Ike about clothes, and which cuts I might like to sew and wear for myself and my body type. I am loving the 40’s shoulders with the 50’s tighter waists but the also the 40’s skirts…ahh.. so many great details and silhouettes! And the shoes! 😍

Fabulous

I love you so much, you are the best :3

I kind of want the telescoped crown sailor hat. I'm not sure anyone would believe that OTT decoration was accurate.

Yes, please. Hats.

Oh we need a hat tutorial - all the hats please!

Found a leather handbag at Goodwill that I pegged around 60s but looks like I can pass it as 40s with this catalogue

I have fallen for the peasant blouses that were shown in the catalogue Thanks to you I am now a basic block fan and with a bit of luck, I will be rocking my own blouse made to my measurements, in the near future So far I have made several dresses with a BB bodice and experimented with dart manipulation a la Closet Historian This I have discovered what does and does not suit me Thanks for your inspiration .

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Valerie!

The plasttiflex looks like Issey Miyake Bao Bao. The puffy dumpling bag looks like the current Bottega ones.

@TheClosetHistorian

Жыл бұрын

The first time I saw a plasticflex I was amazed by its modernity, and I've been hooked ever since 🤣❤