Unique Halloween Costumes the Vintage Way for Him or Her

I was always one of those "mean mommies" that never allowed my kids to wear store bought costumes. Part of the fun each year was not only deciding on a costume, but creating it ourselves. There were many years of Princess, Indian Maiden, Hippies, gangster, Sonny & Cher, Cleopatra, Poppin Fresh dough boy, a twister game, little red riding hood, a few poodle skirts. Dating us~. there was also Boy George, and Punky Brewster.

Proudly, now in their 20s, the kids still do homeade, incorporating vintage. They usually win the best costume prize, and they have vintage items they can wear and enjoy again after halloween.

Here's just a few idea. Sorry.. this is one of my favorite times of year, so its a bit long~ and it could have been even longer.. i restrained myself!



Classic vintage Western Pearlsnap Shirt for the Cowgirl


Hippie Skirt vintage Pink Lace Square dance Tiered skirt ~So boho!



Joan from Mad Men Dress



An Oriental Beauty



Add Go-Go Boots and be a Mod Dolly Rocker



Authentic Cowgirl! Midi Skirt, Jacket and pants



For Him~ a Rockabilly Shirt



A Disco King or Hawaiian in a pin up photo print hawaiian shirt

A Sissy Girl

a Sissy Girl in Flocked Dotted Swiss and eyelet

All are available at
Vintage Outlet
as well as Rockabilly shoes, hats and other fun accessories to make your costume the best!

Mrs. June Cleaver ..Rest in Peace Barbara Billingsley

My mother never wore heels or pearls like June Cleaver, and I can't imagine her chasing five kids around the house, walking us to school or running us to Scouts and our other activities in them, but we loved watching Mrs. Cleaver just the same in "leave it to Beaver" each week.

As well as admiring her "mother skills" on the show, she was truly a fashion icon for me with grace and elegance. I loved her dresses then, and admire them even more now on reruns of the show. Dresses that are still in style today, and coveted among vintage fashion lovers.

Barbara Billingsley wasn't a glamour queen with fashions like "movie stars" and she wasn't much different from other TV moms of the 50's shows like Donna Reed, Ozzie & Harriet, and Father Knows Best, but she certainly held her own.

She represented classic day wear styles. Her character favored classic shirt waist dresses with full skirts, rarely a wiggle dress, and always wore her pearls and heels. In almost every episode she donned an apron, and even looked pretty in them.



Ms. Billingsley admitted that she had a "hollow" in her neck that photographed badly, and felt the pearls concealed it. She wore them in real life and suggested them for her role on the show. The heels were to keep her taller than her rapidly growing sons on the show.


Barbara started out as a model, then moved into acting. She was married three times, and ironically had two sons, like her role as Mrs. Clever and admits she was very much like June in life. Years later, we got to see the fun side of Barbara.. The comedienne in her.. Talking Jive in the movie Airplane.

There have been re-makes and movies of Leave it to Beaver, but no one could fill Barbara's heels in the role of June. We'll miss you Ms. Billingsley.




On a lighter note..lets play Six Degrees of Separation. In 1989 a radio station I worked for had a "beaver ball" game.. Listeners could win a chance to play ball on Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmund) or Beaver's (Jerry Mathers) team. I was with the Eddie Haskell crew, but enjoyed meeting Beav just as much. Yes, I did ask what Barbara was like in real life, and they both had nothing but respect and admiration for her.

And since both guys were Barbara Billingsley's son's on the show.. how many degrees of separation?

Fall..Time for a Snuggly Vintage Robe or Lounger or Quilted Mad Men Robe

Cool fall mornings and nights.. beautiful days, glorious colors as the leaves change. Is fall everyone's favorite time of year?

its also time for snuggly's! yes.. wonderful robes for lounging in after work, for sliping into at night to cuddle up with a hot chocolate and watch tv or read. Personally? i love them. just love a zip front robe especially and live in them all winter.

if someone pops in and surprises you, you look cute. You are warm and comfortable.

Vintage robes are available in long, short, zip, wrap, you name it! From velour to flannel, every fabric imaginable and not like anything available today. The older velours are heavenly. The cotton flannel wonderful (do they even still make cotton flannel?)

you can find simple with no frills, to beautiful satin accents on velour. Whatever your taste or style, its available in vintage! And, isn't it amazing the vintage robes are still around and fabulous? You rarely get more than a year out of today's robes.. go vintage!

This is just a small selection of robes available in my ecrater shop,
Vintage Outlet with more added as fast as i can get to them. As a personal favorite item, i actively seek them out to offer to you!









Don't see what you like? we have lots more! just send us an email, we'll be happy to list something for your consideration with never an obligation.

Vintage Outlet