Prom, formal, wedding, big date…

1990-present, Beautiful Things, Style

green dress

We have plenty of great party dresses at the moment, both vintage and brand new, like this jade green strapless dress from French Connection. We like it with bold gold accessories, like our oversized heart locket, and this green and gold beaded necklace from Jan Michaels. For the guys we have lots of vintage tuxedos, which are much cooler than anything you can rent, as well as tuxedo accessories like cummerbunds, bow ties and studs. The vintage inventory is always changing, so if you check it out regularly, you’ll probably get lucky.

Just In!

1920-1930, Beautiful Things


We got in so many amazing things today, including an assortment of great pipes, an interesting 1920’s handbag that opens in the front, and the be-all-end-all of hats: a chocolate brown 1920’s velvet cloche with jewel and feather detail, in nearly perfect condition, and will fit a modern head!

Bag, $38, Hat $75, pipes priced individually.

New jewelry and accessories

Beautiful Things


We just got some new jewelry and accessories in! The cute little envelope necklace in the photo has an inscription inside that reads “C’est la vie.” Come in and check out the other styles, which include owls, anchors, peacocks and more! You can also get in on this spring’s statement jewelry trend with our great new silver bracelet covered in chains and baubles. A statement indeed!

Storytelling

1940-1950, 1980-1990, Beautiful Things, Style

We love it when our customers tell us a little something about an item that they are selling to us or an item that we sold to them. A few weeks ago someone came in to sell us some dresses that had once belonged to a woman who was a spy in World War II. They gave me her name, I googled her, and sure enough, a transmission from 1944 reveals that her code name was “Ivy” and she was given a mission in Sri Lanka. Her dresses included a beautiful silk embroidered cocktail dress with lovely beading on the cap sleeves. We also have a lovely bias cut pinkish-red gown and a fun lavender bubble dress from “Ivy”. One lucky gal is wearing one of her dresses to her prom!

Speaking of prom, just today, a woman came into the store and told us that her daughter had purchased a dress from Petrune a couple of years ago and wore it while posing for Mary Ellen Mark‘s Prom Series. She is on the right in the photograph (look fabulous, we must say).

Petrune is honored to have a dress featured in the work of the prolific and incredibly talented Mary Ellen Mark. Her prom series was on exhibition here in Ithaca at the Johnson Museum of Art in 2008; check her website for current exhibtions.

Prom photograph via WSKG’s blog.

Amanda Setton: our favorite gossip girl

Beautiful Things, Style

Ithaca has a “Boomerang Effect.” People come here to work or study, leave to explore the rest of the world, and then come back later to visit or settle permanently.

A few years ago we organized our first Petrune fashion show. Twenty gorgeous guys and gals, friends and customers, modeled in the show. We all had a great time. One of those models was Amanda Setton, an Ithaca College student, who has since made a name for herself starring on the shows One Life to Live and Gossip Girl.

We were all very excited when she came back to Ithaca and dropped in to say “Hi” this past weekend.

Amanda Setton in front of Petrune!

Amanda Setton in front of Petrune!


It is so nice to see people blossom into success, and to be able to say “We knew them when…” And it is even nicer when they come back for a visit after all that time. We wish all our customers success and happiness, and that if you leave town, the Ithaca boomerang effect works on you too!