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My Vintage Weekend Finds and Fun

This past weekend I had a fun vintage weekend so thought I would share it with you. First up on Saturday I was part of an event in Toronto called “Rosie O-Rama in conjunction with 2 events. V-J day (Japanese surrender that marked the end of World War II) and the Guinness Book of World Records “Most Rosie the Riveters in one spot” that was happening in California that day.

Rosie the Riveter Guinness World Record
Some of the original “Rosie the Riveter” women sitting in the first row, who worked in the Richmond shipyards during WWII (Anda Chu/The Contra Costa Times via AP)

Since I don’t live in California a few of us got together (including fellow blogger Irene from Petite Plus Meow) and dressed up as Rosie (or for us Canadians ‘Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl‘) and met at City Hall in Toronto by the fancy new 3D sign for photos.

Rosie the Riveter
Vintage Inn-Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter Toronto
Toronto’s ‘Rosies”

We then got out of the hot hot sun and zipped over via public transit to our fav “Rosie the Rebel” reproduction clothing store for some shopping and then ended our adventures at the super cool vintage Malt Shop- Bean and Baker‘ for yummy goodies.

TTC Subway Rosie the Riveter 1940s
Riding the subway to work 🙂

Rosie the Rebel Toronto

Rosie the Riveter Toronto
Inside Rosie the Rebel

Ice cream time at Bean and Baker!

Bean and Baker Malt Shop Toronto
At Bean and Baker Malt Shop

mmmm handcrafted cherry coke and an Astro Pop!

Bean and Baker Malt Shop Toronto

It was a great day with these 4 ladies of the Toronto Vintage Society.

Bean and Baker Malt Shop Toronto

 

SUNDAY

On Sunday my hubby was working so I decided that I was going to jump on the streetcar and head to one of my fav vintage stores in Toronto-Gadabout on Queen St. East.

gadabout toronto vintage store

Gadabout is one of these stores where you need to clear your calendar and even go alone so that you can spend hours filtering thru all the wonderful goodies they have. The owner Victoria is so nice and so is all her hardworking staff. I feel so welcomed every time I go.

For today’s trip I was on the hunt for vintage photos (I love my vintage photos) AND possibly a new Tiki dress for the TVS Tiki Party August 29th. I spent a couple of hours and brought home the following:

Find #1: This great souvenir photo taken at the Historic King Edward Hotel in Toronto in the 1940s.

Vintage photo King Edward Hotel Toronto

It looks like these lovely young people are on a double date at one of the fanciest hotels in town. I wonder if they went dancing after in one of the gorgeous ballrooms at the hotel? Don’t they look like they are having so much fun? The gentlemen on the left is in mid laugh 🙂

Vintage photo King Edward Hotel Toronto

Find # 2: Beautiful photo from the 1930s of a very well dressed mother and her adorable son.

Style alert! The mothers dress is simply beautiful and her shoes…wow!!! I love the hat as well. Very very nice.

1930s vintage photo of boy and mother

Find # 3: This image instantly caught my eye when I saw the wonderful head scarfs and the cool Hawaiian shirt the man on the right is wearing. Then I started to look at it more and realized that I believe these lovely people are at a seaside resort somewhere. Wonderful!

1940s photo of people at a sea side resort

Find # 4: I love her dress, that is why I took this image home with me.And I giggle when I see that someone’s finger got in the photo 🙂

1940s woman in a pretty dress

Find # 5: I believe this picture is of a mother with her very handsome son and gorgeous well dressed daughter (isn’t her dress just divine and her hair is perfect). I’m enjoying that the mother does not seem happy to be taking the photo but the kids have nice smiles on their faces and don’t seem to mind at all.

1940s vintage image of a family

Find # 6: I remember when I went to summer camp and at the end of the week we would get a photo of the whole camp and then we would spend the day running around getting everyone to sign the back of it. When I found this image of a group of young ladies in the 1940s, possibly at summer camp and the back was signed I just knew this was a keeper.

1940s girls at summer camp

The back has cute “nicknames” that the girls had given each other. Like “Tiny” Jones and “Cookie”.

1940s girls at summer camp

Find # 7: Here comes the bride all dressed in..not white but who cares! She looks wonderful (want her dress!) and her husband..so handsome. He reminds me a bit of Don Draper of Mad Men fame.

1950s vintage wedding picture

Image # 8: Here is another happy couple from the 1930s. Her husband/boyfriend/”friend” looks so in love with her, I just adore how he is looking at her in this picture. And once again, the lovely lady wins in the style department. Look how dainty her gloves are? Swoon…

1930s vintage couple

Find # 9: FLAMINGOS!! I love flamingos and when I saw this wonderful menu from a still in business restaurant in Toronto, I just had to have it. I belive it’s from around the 1950s from the prices you see in the next image.

Flamingo restaurant menu Toronto

Inside of the menu. I love the section on “Milk drinks”. Milk Shakes, Malted Milk, Egg Nogg, Egg Malted. That’s a lot of Milk 🙂 And don’t forget the “Hot Ovaltine”.

Flamingo restaurant menu Toronto

Last but not least I also bought myself a vintage dress for the Tiki party I mentioned above. Here is the fabric but you won’t see the dress until Tiki party time (it’s a surprise).

vintage tiki dress 1950s

Did you have a good weekend? Find any vintage goodies yourself?

Liz 🙂

Vintage Swimsuits-The Roundup

1930s ladies in Swimsuit
Marie McKenna and Gladys Cooling at Southport, 1938. Source: Flickr-State Library of Queensland

Summer is here and that means it’s Swimsuit season! For this post I have rounded up some of my favorite vintage swimsuits from the internet (1940s-1960s) to inspire, purchase or just admire. Enjoy!


NOTE: Post updated April 2024

If you click on a swimsuit and it’s no longer avail don’t fret, just keep searching. Etsy and eBay are always adding new vintage items on the daily (by the 1000’s).

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


Further Reading:

Vintage Swimsuits Inspiration: 1940’s – 1960’s

Vintage 1950’s CATALINA Umbrella print cotton swimsuit. So cute!

1950s vintage swimsuit -Vintage 1950s CATALINA Umbrella print cotton swimsuit

Source: Etsy – vintage109online

1950’s Rose Pink swimsuit with floral applique (avail as of March 2023 HERE).

1950s Fashion: 1950's Rose Pink Pin Up Style Swimsuit with Floral Applique.

Source: Etsy

Vintage 1950s Skirted Playsuit, Swim Dress by “Rose Marie Reid” with a novelty rose toile print.

1950s fashion: Vintage 1950s Skirted Playsuit, Swim Dress by "Rose Marie Reid" with a novelty rose poile print.

Source: Etsy – GeronimoVintage

A fun 1950s vintage swimsuit with polka dots and a skirt.

1950s vintage swimsuit with polka dots and a skirt. Fun 1950s fashion, maybe early 1960 fashion.

Source: Etsy

Artist Model an Art Knit Original 1940s/1950s Deadstock blue one piece cotton blend swimsuit.

Artist Model an Art Knit Original 1940s/1950s Deadstock NOS w/ Tags Blue One Piece Cotton Blend Swimsuit

Source: Etsy

Vintage 1950s Rose Marie Reid blue one Piece bombshell swimsuit.

Vintage 1950s Rose Marie Reid Blue One Piece Pinup Bombshell Swimsuit

Source: Etsy

1940s to 1950s Swimsuit From Vetrix Bleyle, sold at Harald Löfberg store in Stockholm (see image below).

1940s to 1950s Swimsuit From Vetrix Bleyle
1950s Vintage Clothing store Harald Löfberg store in Stockholm. Image shows woman in the 1950s shopping.

Source: Etsy

Playsuits that turn into swimsuits are fantastic for summer parties, because you only have to worry about one outfit for the whole day. This 1940s beauty is the perfect example.

1940s Swimsuit - 1940s Playsuit
Source: Etsy-jumblelaya

Another Playsuit/Swimsuit from the 1950s. Who does not love Gingham?!

1950s playsuit in black and white gingham
Source: Etsy-traven7

I love details like lovely scalping on the bust of this 1940s swimsuit.

1940s swimsuit
1940s swimsuit. Source-Etsy: TrunkofDresses

This next suit is stunning and so very 1930s. This swimsuit is luxuriously sleek white and silver striped Lastex stretch satin with skinny black pinstriping. Wow! You would turn heads everywhere you went, that is for sure.

1930s swimsuit for women
Source: Etsy-Fabgabs

Ohhhhh I wish this next darling of Marina Del Mar 1950s swimsuit would fit me, it’s just so beautiful. At last it won’t so I will have to wish for it to go to a good home instead. Bummer.

1950s vintage swimsuit -Marina Del Mar
Source: Etsy-jumblelaya

1950s Swimsuits with pleated skirts is the ultimate in style, especially when it looks like it would be good to from the pool to the tennis court. Fantastic!

1950s vintage swimsuit with pleated skirt
Source: Etsy-SoftServeVintage

This 1950s bathingsuit would be perfect for VIVA with its patriotic red/white/blue theme but honestly it could be worn anytime because CUTE is perfect anytime.

1950s vintage swimsuit
Source: Etsy-OrchidRoomVintage

While not the same swimsuit above, this 1950s two piece Jantzen swimsuit is just a cute! Look at those shorts?

1950s Fashion: Rare Vintage Jantzen bathing suit , 2 piece red white and navy swimsuit. Cute vintage bathing suit.

Source: Etsy

Sometimes all a swimsuit needs is a few fantastic details, like this Ivory cream piping scalloped wave pattern with buttons on the below 1950s swimsuit. So pretty.

1950s vintage swimsuit
Source: Etsy-FoxyBritVintage

This 1950s Jantzen Rhinestone beauty is a bit pricey but it’s too stunning to leave on Etsy PLUS it has its vintage ad to match!

1950s Jantzen Swimsuit
Source: Etsy-LakesideVintageColl
1950s Jantzen swinwear ad

Lets not forget the men! Can we all take a moment to revel on how PERFECT these 1950s vintage swim trunks are for the Tiki party? Or for VIVA? WOW!

1950s men vintage swimtrunks
Source: Etsy-MintageClothingCo

Here is another perfect Tiki 1950s Vintage Swimsuit for the guys.

1950s men vintage swim trunks
Source: Etsy-LaurelCanyon1969

And there is the roundup.  Still looking for a suit? Etsy and eBay are always good places to go (as seen above) as well as vintage shops in your hood. 

I have also put together an Etsy Collection of Vintage Swimsuits that is updated monthly (click the highlighted text to the left).


April 2024 Update: Please check out my friends online vintage style clothing shop, SUZIE’S BOMBSHELL CLOTHING for the PRESALE of her vintage style swimsuit (two colours), romper, beach jacket and swing skirt (her collection). It’s fantastic and I would be thrilled if you supported this woman run business in Ontario, Canada.

vintage style swimsuit (two colours), romper, beach jacket and swing skirt from Suzie's Bombshell Clothing.

Now Question Time: Do you own a vintage swimsuit? Or is one on your bucket list? Share any thoughts in the comments section below!

Lastly here is my latest purchase (June 2022 update). A mint condition 1950s Lane Bryant swimsuit. Isn’t it lovely?

A mint condition 1950s Lane Bryant swimsuit.

Liz 🙂