Friday, August 17, 2012

Twice as nice: Vintage reversibles

I just listed this 1950s skirt in my Etsy shop...


...and got to thinking just how much I love something you can reverse. Although never what one would call commonplace, vintage fashion features much more that can be reversed (or in some other way converted) than is currently available. I guess people used to want more from their clothing!

Here's another of those ingenious reversible plaid skirts, the organization of the pleats giving different effects on the two sides. The zipper has a pull on both sides. This one was labeled Pendleton and probably dates from the early to mid 1960s:



Most frequently seen in my experience are reversible vintage coats. How handy to be able to go from a more exciting print to a more practical solid!








Apparently this is not just a phenomenon of the 50s and 60s, if this late 1930s cape is any indication:


I've also seen my share of reversible vintage Asian jackets:



This was probably the most unusual of my finds, a 1960s chartreuse and taupe wool dress and jacket, both reversible:


Then there are the assorted accessories, such as bags...


...and what isn't to appreciate about a dramatic stole that reverses from black to white?


What's the best reversible vintage item you've seen?

1 comment:

My Kinda Vintage said...

I love the reversible wool dress/coat. Super cute.