About a year or so ago, I purchased a gorgeous cardigan and it has quickly become a standard item in my wardrobe (scroll to the end to see my Ethel cardigan). The tag said that the brand was “Ethel of Beverly Hills” and a quick search on the internet brought up multiple gorgeous sweaters, each more beautiful than the next.

Ethel of Beverly Hills vintage clothing label on a vintage sweater.

I did find one Etsy seller (MsAnetVTG) who is selling 2 sweaters and she said that “The company was in business in the Los Angeles market from 1958 until the 1960’s, and even back then these sweaters were considered expensive”. So there is your brief brief history lesson on Ethel of Beverly Hills.

However, even though I cannot seem to find any information on them, I still think that their sweaters are absolutely gorgeous and I think I might start to turn into a collector very soon.

Lets take a browse shall we?

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Note:If you click on a link and the item you are looking for is no longer available, don’t fret. Etsy & eBay are filled with 1000’s of options and updated daily. Do a search and see what comes up. You just never know what you will find!

Ethel of Beverly Hills

Beautiful 1950s & 1960s Sweaters / Cardigans / Boleros

This Ethel is wool with gorgeous pearls and rhinestones creating the letter “A” I believe. I have seen a couple of sweaters with a letter on it, so I wonder if this was something that made them standout?

Ethel Of Beverly Hills Wool Beige Sweater Cardigan

Etsy seller-MsAnetVTG

As I just mentioned above, here is another beautiful black knit Monogram D bolero sweater.

Ethel of Beverly Hills -Black Knit Monogram D Bolero Sweater.

One more Ethel 1950s Sweater with an 8 inch monogrammed C on the left front outlined in pearls and rhinestones.

1950s vintage womens sweater/ cardiganwith an 8 inch monogrammed C on the left front outlined in pearls and rhinestones from Ethel of Beverly Hills

Source: Etsy

I love the cutouts in this 1950s sweater!

1950s Fashion: Ethel of Beverly Hills 1950s vintage sweater

Etsy Seller-WhynaughtShop

As we move down the list, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that you can’t miss an Ethel sweater can you? They have a very distinct style that was unique to their brand.

Like this wonderful arrow design in this sweater, it’s lovely!

Ethel of Beverly Hills vintage sweater with an arrow design

Etsy Seller-wearitagain

The blue sweater colour is perfect and I love the tree design that is made up of metallic gold stitched with applied pearl discs.

1950s Fashion: Vintage 1950s Ethel of Beverly Hills vintage sweater with a tree stitched into it.

Seller-Poppy’s Vintage Clothing

If your name started with a “C” this would be perfect for you! Well… it’s not actually initials in this knockout number but it almost could be with what we have seen above.

vintage sweater from Ethel of Beverly Hills. featuring a stiched in design.

Etsy Seller-greenthreadsboutique

Now an Ethel that does not fit the mold like the ones shown above….

I LOVE IT!! Vintage 1950s Hand-Knit Black Bolero with Cotton Fringe Accents by Ethel of Beverly Hills

Source

A 1950s Cardigan/ sweater in a pretty cream colour that is different from the others above (avail as of April 2023 HERE).

1950s vintage womens sweater/ cardigan by Ethel of Beverly Hills

Source: Etsy

Here is another style similar to the sweater above (this time from the 1960s). I feel as the brand moved into the 1960s they got away from their signature monogram look. Do you agree?

1960s Fashion: Blue mohair cardigan from Ethel of Beverly Hills.

Source: Etsy-AndSheWoreVintage

Here is a picture of one of my Ethel 1950s cardigans. Isn’t it a beauty?

1950s Fashion-Ethel of Beverly Hills 1950s sweater as seen on Liz from the Vintage Inn Blog.

Do you own an Ethel Sweater or did you have a favorite above? Maybe you happen to know the history of this brand? If so, please share!

Vintage Shopping: Do you love vintage cardigans? Then head to my Etsy Collection of vintage cardigans for sale (Including Ethel ones if they are avail).

Further Reading:

Vintage Fashion Designers (Archived Blog Posts)
Vintage Fashion 1920s-1960s (Archived Blog Posts)

Liz 🙂

What to wear when it's raining-1930s to 1950s inspiratiion

When the skies darken and the rain starts to pour, chances are you’ve asked yourself the age-old question: what should I wear? If you’re looking for inspiration that’s fun, practical, and rooted in history, the fashion trends of the 1930s to 1950s have something for everyone. From classic trench coats and chic ponchos to quirky rain hats and sensible rain boots, discover the 1930s to the 1950s best pieces for staying dry and stylish in any storm.

Note: At the end I provide vintage shopping tips on where to get your own vintage rain gear.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy & RocknRomance Vintage are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

What To Wear When It’s Raining-1930s to 1950s Inspiration

Vintage Rain Gear Advertising & Vintage Patterns to Inspire:

1930s Vintage Catalog Page for Raincoats: I’m a big fan of the transparent raincoat (top on the right) which you will see a few more times below. Your outfit will never be hidden! Honestly though all those coats are pretty fantastic in this ad.

Source

This is a early 1930s Canadian ad for a slicker called “Whooppee Slicker”. Comes in fun patterns I must say.

early 1930s Canadian ad for a slicker aka a women's rain coat called "Whooppee Slicker".

Source: eBay

1940’s raincoat and rain hat vintage sewing pattern illustration.

Source

1940s Vintage Sewing Pattern for a women’s raincoat with hood.

Source: Etsy

Here are transparent raincoats for both men and women made from Vinylite Plastics-1946 ad.

A real life example of a plastic transparent raincoat from Follow me Quietly, 1949.

Follow me Quietly-plastic raincoat 1949 vintage photo. 1940s Fashion.

Source

Another FANTASTIC examples of transparent raincoats from the 1943 MGM film, ‘The Human Comedy’. In the film Donna Reed rocks a transparent slicker and headcover with matching transparent umbrella.

Thank you to Michael W for the screenshots for my blog.

1940s vintage photo: FANTASTIC examples of transparent raincoats from the 1943 MGM film, 'The Human Comedy'. In the film Donna Reed rocks a transparent slicker and headcover with matching transparent umbrella.

1940s vintage photo: FANTASTIC examples of transparent raincoats from the 1943 MGM film, 'The Human Comedy'.

1940s vintage photo: FANTASTIC examples of transparent raincoats from the 1943 MGM film, 'The Human Comedy'. Van Johnson and Robert Mitchum are in this photo.

Raincoats for the whole family in the 1950s! The green coat is so beautiful and did you notice her boots (keep scrolling to see an ad for the rain boots)? What a cool Fashion Frocks ad.

1950s Fashion Illustration from Fashion Frocks for Raincoats for the whole family!

1950s Vintage Sewing Pattern for Kids Rain Coats and Fall Jackets.

Source: Etsy

Looking for some vintage rain boots that are also transparent?? Look no further than these darling “Rain Dears” with bow! Can I have 10???

1950s vintage ad for women's rainboots that are see thru called "Rain Dears".

1950s raincoat and rain gear ideas as seen in a 1950s Sears Christmas Wish Book catalog. What would you buy?

1950s raincoat and rain gear ideas as seen in a 1950s sears christmas catalog.

Source: Sears Wish Book

1953 ad for Firestone Velon Plastic. Love that even the dog has a rain coat 🙂

1953 ad for Firestone Velon Plastic featuring all the uses, like raincoats for humans and dogs.

Source

I cannot end this post without referencing some great rain-wear photos from “Singin in the Rain“.

I want Debbie Reynolds boots in this picture.

1950s Singin in the Rain Movie Poster featuring rain coat fashions.

“Girls: Protect your curls!” 1950s vintage ad for a rain bonnet.

You can’t go wrong with a cute plastic rain bonnet (you can find lots of versions on Etsy, which I have shared some samples below).

I recently did a video on a rain bonnet and how they work on TikTok. Take a look below!

@tovintagelizzie Hairstyle tip: How to protect your hair when it rains #hairtip #vintagehair #vintagetip #raining ♬ original sound – Liz Gruening-Vintage Lover

Here are some examples of vintage rain gear items you can take home and enjoy

(updated Feb 2024)

Vintage Shopping: I have put together an Etsy Collection that I update monthly of “Vintage Rain Gear“.

NOTE: If you click on any of the items featured below and they are not available, don’t fret! Hit the search button and see what else is on the websites. There are 1000’s and 1000’s of items being listed daily.

Do you love the transparent rain coats I posted above? Well Etsy has a bunch of new and vintage styles, just hit the search button and pick what works for you. To get you started here is a vintage 1970’s clear vinyl raincoat with white polka dots (avail as of Feb 2024 HERE).

What to wear when it's raining: A Vintage 1970’s clear vinyl raincoat with white polka dots

Source: Etsy

RocknRomance Vintage is a brand that makes REPRODUCTION 1940s & 1950s fashions (aka modern sizes and fabrics), they have a cute ‘Semi Transparent’ raincoat that you can purchase from their website (this one is made to order). Take a look by clicking HERE or the image below.

1950s Fashion: 1950s Semi Transparent Raincoat in modern day data-lazy-sizes from RocknRomance Vintage. Made to order, perfect to cover up your vintage styles.

1950s overshoes. These black rain boots are two-tone glossy and matte rubber with cuban heels. They slip on and are just below mid-calf (avail as of Feb 2024 HERE).

1950s Fashion: vintage overshoes from circa 50s. These black rain boots are two-tone glossy and matte rubber with cuban heels. They slip on and are just below mid-calf

Source: Etsy

Late 1950s Baby Rain Jacket that features a bright yellow trim with a clear body with yellow poppies and white daisies.

Source: Etsy

Look at this adorable 1950s rain bonnet box with a surprise inside..the rain bonnet itself! LOVE THIS! The seller has more styles, that are just too cute!

Purchase from Nkempantiques