Flares Up

Heffy's Collections has promised bell bottoms and flares for some time. They're here now! You can custom design your pants with several choices. We have a variety of fabric available (or you can send us your own), and you can get bell bottoms that will be the envy of your friends. If more subtle is your style, then flares are more for you. If you send us your measurements (waist, hips, inseam), we will find a gently used and wonderfully broken-in pair of jeans to make into your bell bottoms. If you prefer new, we can do that too. Here are some of the fabric choices we have in stock:

purple butterflies on black

tie dye
unique stripes with flowers
Becky in a pair of bell bottoms by Heffy's Collections

Bring out your free spirit and try some today!

A Wink at Haute Couture

Heffy's Collections specializes in vintage clothing from the 20th century, primarily from the second half, at least the part of it that is "vintage". We have a fair amount from the '60's, 70's and '80's, with an occasional item from earlier. All of the items are ready-to-wear. That doesn't stop us from being interested in the finer things, or from looking at the special one of a kind items haute couture offers.

The term haute couture originated in France in the mid 1800's. It connotes clothing especially made for an individual. The clothing is designed and fitted to the person and is made of the finest fabrics available. Usually several fittings are required and the pieces are hand tailored by experts. The fabrics are so expensive, the first mock-ups are often done from muslin or similar fabrics. France has requirements for a design house to use the term haute couture and to be classified as such. Over time, many of the designers have survived with their ready-to-wear lines, but they continue the tradition of haute couture as a minor portion of their trade. I'm sure there are many of you who enjoy watching the awards shows to see the celebrities and what they are wearing. Sometimes the clothing is much more intriguing than the people wearing it!

There have been many designers over the years, so this will highlight just a few. Perhaps at a later time, others will be added. Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. She opened her first shop in 1913 in Paris. Many women worked in factories during the war, and Coco designed simple, "manly" clothes for women. Later, she designed her trademark Chanel suit with its boxy jacket and slim straight skirt. After a hiatus, she brought back the Chanel suit in the '50's and regained her status as a leading designer. She is credited as the originator of the little black dress, the Chanel jacket, and bell bottoms. That's quite a range! The House of Chanel still operates in Paris with Karl Lagerfeld. Heffy's Collections has a suit similar to the Chanel style:
Butte Knit suit

Christian Dior is another fashion designer whom I believe was very influential. See the blog "Fifties Fashions" for information on him. His "New Look" revolutionized '50's fashion.

Lucien Lelong designed his first collection in 1903. He served as President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, the organization in France that determines the designers of haute couture. In 1926, he employed 1200 workers, which seems like a lot to me. He is credited with bargaining with the Nazis, saving Parisian couture and preventing 12,000 couture employees from being deported to Germany. During his lifetime, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, and Hubert de Givenchy all worked at Lelong.

There are so many more designers with so many contributions. Chanel first used jersey as her fabric, which was novel at the time. It's wonderful drape kept it in her reportoire. Balenciaga brought us the "baby doll" dress. The list goes on and on. Hopefully, I will be able to shed just a bit of insight into other designers in later blogs. Until then, I'll keep hoping Heffy finds some designer clothes we can feature here!

For Your Valentine

Today I am taking a Valentine's Day theme and there are several options. One capitalizes on the last blog, Create Your Own Look. You could use February 14th as the beginning of the new you. Accessories, vintage clothes, or retro, you can be as bold as you like (or as shy). Another approach is to find the perfect item for your sweetheart, and it can be a little trinket or a whole outfit.

Let's start with a perfect dress for a romantic night:

Hot Pink Dress

Impress her with the luxurious softness and sharp look of this gorgeous shirt:
Van Heusen Qiana shirt

Say it with flowers:


Rose pin

This week, AKC announced the top 10 list of favorite American purebred dogs. The outstanding winner, once again, is the Labrador Retriever. I think this is the time to show off Heffy's brother, our favorite Lab.
Captain McLeod (Mac)

Create Your Own Look

Every new year, there is talk of resolutions and change. This is the year I'll ----. You fill in whatever it might be. Today is the 8th, probably late enough that some of those promises have been broken or given up on. It's not too late for more though, and if you harbor hope of a new you, you can do it now. This is a promise you can pick up on any time of year. Now. Spring. Any time. And if you're like many of us, there is a bit of belt tightening going on too (not the weight loss you hoped for either). One way to economically gain a new look is by buying vintage. It's the perfect time for it too. Vintage clothes and looks have been getting a lot of press lately, and are very popular. New looks for 2009 include some retro styles like the metallic, futuristic look of the Jetsons and neo-classical Grecian. So check out some of the goods from your favorite vintage shop, thrift store, or even Heffy's Collections. One piece is enough to start. Here are a few to pique your interest:
'50's cardigan by Amana

a great-looking tie
an awesome beaded belt
butterfly skirt from the '70's

You can come up with your own ideas and just run with it. Have fun. This could be the start of a whole new you!

1980's Fashion: Do it BIG

The '80's were so over the top, styles usually evoked one of two reactions-either you loved it or hated it! There was nothing meek about it. Clothes were wild, bold, and overdone. A lot of the looks were retro too: '80's does '50's, '40's, almost every fashion decade found a place in the '80's. First a sidebar regarding the 1980's and vintage clothing: many "vinties" do not consider the '80's as old enough to be vintage. The Vintage Fashion Guild does not even include the '70's in their fashion timeline. Becky and I (aka Heffy's Collections) feel this is a sad oversight. I covered the '70's in last week's blog and there was almost too much going on in style trends to do it all in one blog. And it was a big era. As for the '80's...well, frankly, we love it! So it too is included here and in the clothes we seek out for our store. We just couldn't do vintage without the '80's! So take a look and make your own choice whether you want to include it your personal look. Leave a comment with your vote! Would you include it in vintage?

There are several style points leading to the consideration of the "80's as over the top. I will go through a few here. First is the outrageous, bright, bold colors used. Turquoise with berry pink, yellow with red, or combinations of neon colors were very much in vogue. If you thought of a color palette one would dare not use, it can be found in '80's clothes! Arguably the biggest go-to trend was shoulder pads. Squared off, huge shoulder pads could be found in jackets, blouses, or suits. Now most shoulder pads are removable, but in the '80's, they were sewn in to stay. I look like a linebacker in just a t-shirt, so this was a particularly trying time for me. I got to be good at assessing how something would look without the pads and then would remove them before venturing out anywhere. The look has stayed, albeit softened, so it helps a lot of people look polished. Miniskirts were popular, usually in denim. They were often worn with oversized tops or sweaters and leg warmers. To be really cool, the top was belted over the skirt. Pencil skirts came back. Pants varied from parachute pants (first debuted by MC Hammer) to stretch pants with or without stirrups.

Along with the oversized tops, killer shoulder pads, and outrageous colors, we had big hair and huge earrings. There was nothing wishy-washy in the '80's looks. Everything went over the top. It was fun, it was showy, it was uniquely the '80's.
Here are a few examples of 1980's fashion, starting with a bold, colorful beaded pattern on black in a sweater dress.

Chadwick's sweater dress

Blue on white boldly accentuates this abstract patterned jumpsuit with shoulder pads and a wrap front top:
Splash jumpsuit

The '80's brought back the bubble dress:
Black bubble dress with pouf sleeves

This black cocktail dress is a good example of the "over" in the '80's with it's pleats and stiff huge ruffles:
Tadashi dress

This blouse is in bold colors with batwing sleeves that are oh so '80's:
Mervyn shirt

Anything Goes '70's

Ah, the '70's. What seemed like a disorganized confluence of styles actually became an era of wear what suits you and don't be driven by fashion trends. Designers are still a very big part of the clothing scene now, but the 1970's brought on a different view toward how much they determine what we wear. If I look better in a midi or pants, then I should wear what looks good and I feel comfortable in, even if minis are the current style. The '70's gave us ready-to-wear, casual business clothes and so much more. It didn't happen all at once, nor did it take hold immediately, but a slow process began during this decade.

The '70's began as an extension of the '60's. Hippie style was still big. Some bell bottoms got wider as the rise (the distance from the top of the leg to the waistband) dropped to as little as 4 inches (think bikini :0) ). Peasant style was very popular. The mod style also continued well into the '70's.
Floral peasant top

Strictly Mod shirt

As the decade progressed, subtle changes or extensions crept in. Jumpsuits were very popular, often for night wear in discos. These were one piece zip front outfits, in all types of fabrics and colors. Polyester became the material of choice for these "catsuits" and the leisure suits for men. We have one jumpsuit currently in Heffy's store, very indicative of the style:

Perfect for dancing
They are still "in", we can't seem to keep them very long before someone snatches them up! Empire waist dresses, halter tops on shirts and dresses, and floral prints continued the popularity started in the '60's. Skirt lengths were all over the place as minis, midis and maxis prevailed. Here are 2 very '70's dresses:
Empire waist peasant maxi dress

Halter maxi

The disco suit look for men led to 3 piece suits being popular, with ever widening ties. The suits had wide lapels and flared pants. Some were in some pretty wild color combos and prints. It's no wonder a lot of people won't admit they ever wore '70's fashions! There just aren't many guys who say they ever owned a leisure suit or wore a 5 inch wide tie, but the pictures tell a different story. I really get a kick out of it! We lived it and of course we wore the current styles. Chunky shoes with platforms were a must for men and women for day and night wear.

Later in the '70's, caftans, muumuus, and ethnic prints and styles were big. People traveled more and fell in love with the clothing in other countries. Pants and pantsuits for women were seen everywhere. It was finally okay to wear pants for almost any occasion. Mix and match separates were available for the first time and helped make dressing easier. Many of the trends brought forth in the '70's are still around today-and thankfully some of them aren't!

On the Move

I have really enjoyed writing the blogs on fashion decades. I managed to go from the '40's through the '60's. I have been away from it far too long and I apologize. I am working on the 1970's, but have been slow because Becky and Heffy's Collections moved! We're not done, but most everything is at the new place. We're settling in and hope to be up to speed very soon. So stay tuned-the '70's will be along shortly!

Heffy's store hasn't moved, so please check out our vintage wares:

Perfect for fall '60's dress