Romance, Exploits, Peril, and our New Window!

1910-1920, 1920-1930, Special Events

Ithaca’s rich film history and status as a “Hollywood of the Northeast” has has left its mark on the town in a myriad of wonderful ways. There’s no doubt that the city’s population has a flair for the beautifully theatric, and productions of both stage and screen have emerged from every corner of Ithaca for as long as living memory. Our new window display pays homage to Irene Castle, Ithaca resident, starlet of the silver screen, and wife to Ithaca’s Robert Treman.

Castle in the 1917 film Patria, the image we used as inspiration for our window.

Castle moved to Ithaca to work as a silent film star, after a whirlwind career as a ballroom dancer with her former husband. Settling down in the newly-constructed Cayuga Heights in the 1920s, Castle quickly became a darling of the booming film scene in Ithaca. Hob-nobbing with Warner Oland and other stars on their lakefront properties, Castle’s bobbed haircut and short (knee length, ooo!) skirts made her a trendsetter of 20’s fashion in the Northeast and beyond.

Beautiful beaded bodice.

Dancing shoes!

Fabulous fans, skirts of scandalous lengths!

Our Irene Castle display is part of the Ithaca Motion Picture Project’s most recent exhibit Romance, Exploits & Peril, an 8 piece multimedia exhibit commemorating the period, almost 100 years ago, that the Wharton Brothers made Ithaca a bastion of the silver screen. The flagship installation is a 90 ft sculptural timeline of the period at the Tompkins County Public Library, and other exhibits scatter the city at Gimme, the State Theater, GIAC, Petrune, and more! For more details, check out their site at www.ithacamotionpictureproject.org

It’s denim season!

Lovely Materials, Rock and Roll, Style

Denim. It’s as American as apple pie, yet as wild as west Texas. Invented as rugged work-wear for ranch hands in 1800’s America, denim is now seen everywhere, from the runways of Paris, to the overalls of OshKosh B’Gosh. Here at Petrune, we’ve been gathering our denim goodies together since the first wisps of fall air. Whether you’re in the market for a classic jean jacket, or an acid-wash pencil skirt, we’ve got you covered.

Denim enables sass.

Contrast

For your inner Tom Sawyer.

Acid wash fun!

A good jean jacket is a must!

Usually wouldn't use "beautifully detailed" to describe overalls, but these are something else.

New in the store: Hand-made hand-dyed kimonos

Handmade, Lovely Materials

With every piece of thread dyed individually, then hand-woven to make intricate organic patterns, each of these kimonos and work vests is a unique work of folk-art. For an updated look more NYC than old-world Japan, pair with a skinny belt and a contrasting pattern, as in this look from the Sartorialist.

Pops of color.

Mixed patterns.

Rich, handmade indigo dyes.

Talk about dramatic silhouettes.

Character...

More beautiful detailing than you can shake a stick at.

Pop by the store at 126 East State Street on the Ithaca Commons to check them out! We also have a few listed among the treasures in our Etsy store, if you, like me, enjoy shopping for beautiful clothing while eating pecan pie on the couch on fall days.

Purple Rain at Petrune

1970-1980, 1980-1990, Rock and Roll, Windows

Here at Petrune, we love to indulge our inner vintage rock star. This week’s window is a tribute to one of our favorite albums of all time Purple Rain by Prince. From the purple jumpsuit to the purple bicycle, this window is a show-stopper!

If you are like us and can’t say no to a costume (and are of age), head to Silky Jones this Thursday night, September 15th, for an amazing Bowie versus Prince Costume Dance Party! Be sure to drop by Petrune to check out the window and pick out your costume!

Sugary Sweet Sunglasses

1990-present, Style

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This weekend we ventured out to The Sugar Shack— the best place in Ithaca to grab an icy treat. Not only do they have delicious shaved ice, the shack itself is insanely colorful! We thought it was the ideal place to show off our new round of sunglasses in the store, as well as some beach ready vintage wears.

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This 1980s crop top sweatshirt comes straight from “WIPE OUT BEACH U.S.A.”,  and looks best when paired with bold rimmed shades and a rad attitude.

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This romper falls right in line with the 80s surfer vibe. The insanity of the neon can barely be captured in a photo, it really glows! Any of our club-master styled glasses complete this stand-out look.

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Who says you can only wear one pair? All models shown in this frame come in at least three alternative color options, all currently on the floor.

Petrune

Channel your inner 1970s grandma with these rose colored specs– they’re massive and entirely too much fun to wear.

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While these sunglasses have seen this blog before, we think they pair well with this 60s cut knit dress. The stripes are unexpectedly flattering, and the weight of the fabric is great for cooler summer nights.

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Even the pups agree– the shades here at Petrune are perfectly tasteful for summer! As always, our sunglasses run at $15 per pair, or two for $25.

Special thanks to photographer Angelina Castillo and the ladies of The Sugar Shack.

Perfume by Roots Rose Radish

Beautiful Things, Made by Petrune

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In this summer heat, wearing heavy perfume is the last thing we want to do.  Thankfully, this new collection from Petrune favorite Roots Rose Radish is practical, adorable and wonderfully subtle. Still made from only natural and organic materials, you need to come smell these for yourself. The three scents, all packaged as a solid in shell cases, would make great gifts for a loved one or yourself!
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The Jasmine and Clary Sage is refreshingly green and fresh, the herbal notes could carry this scent well into fall. Our Rose, Frankincense and Pachouli fragrance is pleasantly woody, instantly comforting and warm. While all three scents are offered in the two sizes shown above, the third fragrance is also available in this one of a kind beauty.

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The colorings of this shell match the summery, floral vibe of the third scent. The top notes are Ylang Ylang and Grapefruit, making for the perfect tropical escape from the Ithaca humidity. The pink shell pictured above is the only one in the store with a retail price of $40. Our other smaller sizes are wildly affordable at $20 (green shells) and $30 (cowrie shells).

ITHACA FEST 2011

1940-1950, Beautiful Things, Style, Windows

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Tonight is the official start of this years Ithaca Festival ! Here’s a peek at our new window celebrating the theme of the festival, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. We’ve been drooling over this dress for a while now, wouldn’t it be the perfect whimsical wedding dress for Hippolyta, Amazonian queen?

 

Be sure to stop in and say hi, we’ll be here all weekend and might have a few surprises up our sleeves!
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