Pretty Racks: Antique & Vintage Dresses from the 1900s to the 1940s

If you follow Adored Vintage on Instagram or fan us on Facebook then you've probably seen the flurry of vintage 1930s and vintage 1940s dresses I've been posting! (BTW, Instagram and Facebook are the FIRST places I post previews...*hint hint*) So here is a larger preview of the racks of pretty vintage and antique clothes coming to the shop in the next couple of weeks!


I hadn't realized how much I love cranberry, burgundy, and wine colors until I put these racks together. I'll always love pale pink and peach, but in the colder months I apparently gravitate towards darker versions of my favorite colors. (It only seems natural!)

You can always send me a message rodellee@adoredvintage.com if there is something that has caught your eye and you would like more information on a particular vintage garment.

And do LIKE us on Facebook to see the previews first!

Edwardian Fashion From McCalls Magazine

There are many reasons to love Downton Abbey, but one especially I would like to highlight is that the show has garnered an interest amongst the populace for Edwardian and World War I era clothing.

The teens era has always been a bit of a pretty murky area for me, definitely the 1920s were flapper dresses but as my knowledge in vintage clothing and fashion history expands, I am discovering that flapper dresses weren't really the norm until the mid to late 1920s.

So in my efforts to learn more about World War 1 and Edwardian fashions, I have been gathering images throughout the internet and wanted to share my finds with my lovely vintage readers.


Described as "Advanced Models of Distinctive Winter Styles" from an issue of McCalls winter magazine 1913. Look at those amazing details!
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"Daytime and Evening Gowns of Dainty Lace and Grace" from the Titanic era from a March 1914 issue of McCalls magazine.
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From April 1914 issue of McCalls magazine (two years after the sinking of the Titanic).
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These styles came in the late teens, 1918-1919 and were for Spring fashions. I can't remember where I sourced these from, I'm sorry!


Winter styles from an issue of The Woman's Magazine from December 1919.
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I feel that the Edwardian era and World War 1 era is often overlooked for the wonderful clothes and fashions that spanned these two decades. And most often these eras are just lumped in with Victorian and Flapper fashions. As I progress in my knowledge of antique clothing, I hope you will learn a thing or two as well!

Vintage Edwardian Petticoats

I've always had a soft spot for vintage lingerie and recently I've had a mild obsession with vintage petticoats from the late Victorian era to the Edwardian era. Petticoats were a symbol of femininity and were almost often trimmed with lace, ruffles, embroidery, and applique. They were worn to protect your dresses from your body (sweat, oil) and for added warmth. Not only did they serve as an undergarment, they were also used to help structure your dress.




I love these petticoats because they're often made of sturdier fabrics than the dresses themselves since petticoats had to be worn all the time and more often than not you would wear the same petticoats under different dresses.

How to wear a vintage petticoat in modern day times: These petticoats are perfect for layering. For summer wear a vintage petticoat with a pretty camisole or breezy blouse. For Autumn pair it with a longer cardigan or cropped denim jacket. And if you want to toughen up your look, dare you wear a leather biker jacket?

All of these Edwardian petticoats will be in Adored Vintage this weekend!

Downton Abbey Costumes | Season 2 Costume Highlights

I've been catching up on Season 2 of Downton Abbey with my fella (we're both fans of the show) so I thought I would dedicate a post to the costumes from Downton Abbey as this period of fashion is one I rather fancied. I am excited to see the fashions evolve into the late teens and early 20s! Also, these are only highlights from Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of Season 2 as those are the only episodes I have seen thus far!



All images are from Downton Online. The website is an amazing source if you are a fan of the show, so I highly recommend checking it out!

An Interview With Lily Elsie, London's Most Celebrated Beauty of the Edwardian Times

I know it was just a month ago that I first posted about Lily Elsie, but I find her so beautiful that I had to do another post so soon!


Lily Elsie (LE): They called me Little Elsie.

Spencer Edwards (SE): It may be supposed, then, that you commenced your professional career when quite a child?

LE: That was so. I sang ballads. Some friends were flattering enough to call me the infant Patti.

SE: And you took to the stage, I suppose, as the duck takes to water?

LE: Well, I played in the pantomime Red Riding Hood [at the Queen's Theatre, Manchester, Christmas 1896] when I was only eleven years of age, and, subsequently, I went to the [music] halls. My first regular engagement for theatrical work was a tour of M'Kenna's Firtation [a farce by E. Selden, first produced at the Opera House, Coventry, 1 August 1892].

SE: A natural sequence, I see. First the flirtation, then regular 'engagements,' and now the honeymoon - A Chinese Honeymoon.

LE: You may put it that way if you like (laughing sweetly).

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Lily Elsie with her toy terrier dog.
LE: There, mamma, that's what I should like to do when I'm a woman!' Of course, there was an indignant chorus of the 'hush' sort, and the wonder was that I was not led out and taken home in disgrace. - (Lily proclaiming to her Mama that she wants to be an actress at the age of 8)

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These are just snippets from an interview with Lily Elsie. (Credits and links to follow)

Credits: G. Spencer Edwards, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, London, Saturday, 28 May 1904. { Full Interview }