Party Time at Petrune

1950-1960, 1970-1980, 1980-1990, Beautiful Things

Winter is great. There’s the picturesque snow, and we get to bundle in many warm things while we drink warm things with warm people.  When we’re not burrowing into peppermint mochas and woolly blankets though, there’s a sparkly and fabulous aspect to the holiday season fast approaching: holiday parties! Even better, party dresses!

We’ve put together some of our most luscious, sparkly, and celebratory outfits for your pleasure. Combat seasonal depression with tasty cider and socialization in one of these awesome frocks. From crushed velvet, to beautiful beaded creations, to simple red satin, we’ve got you covered for all your wintry party needs.

Libby models a classic red satin gown with a rabbit fur capelet.

Channel the 50's chic in this violet cocktail dress.

If you have a party this would be appropriate for, I'm jealous.

Hand beaded, every inch. About 20 lbs but so beautiful.

The perfect red velvet Christmas dress.

Little black dress with sparkle is a winning combo in any season.

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!

Fall Trend Report

1950-1960, 1960-1970, 1970-1980, 1980-1990, Style, Uncategorized

Now that we’ve had a couple of chilly days sprinkled into this heat wave, it’s time to start thinking about fall wardrobes. Lucky for us, fashion is cyclical, so you can bet that if it’s on the runways, it’s at Petrune. Check out a couple of our versions of fall runway trends.

Camel with a 70’s flair at Chloé

Screen shot 2010-09-07 at 6.54.27 PM

…and at Petrune.

Chloe
70’s printed poly blouse, French wool pants, 50’s leather gloves.

Military inspired at Burberry…

Screen shot 2010-09-07 at 7.11.09 PM

…and at Petrune.

trends 2
Tulle wool coat, 80’s silk blouse, B.B Dakota skinny pants, ILI foldover leather bag, and Seychelles booties.

50’s ladylike at Louis Vuitton…

Screen shot 2010-09-07 at 7.15.12 PM

…and at Petrune.

military look
Edwardian men’s waistcoat, 1950’s printed circle skirt (with crinoline), 60’s bow kitten heels, 60’s croc handbag.

Minimalist at Calvin Klein…

Screen shot 2010-09-07 at 7.20.03 PM

…and at Petrune.

minimalist
1960’s wool shift dress with patent belt, leather riding boots.

Photos via style.com

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.

Let’s hear it for the 80s

1980-1990, Uncategorized

So many great things have come out of the 80’s. Among our favorites are The Golden Girls, Depeche Mode, and Short Circuit. So why not embrace the 80s and replace your busted mp3 player with an awesome Walkman, or dress like a sailor girl from an 80s Pall Mall ad? (Smoking is bad). Or just watch old episodes of The Golden Girls on youtube.