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.

French dressing

Style


Hey Guys! Just in: Some great 70’s French suits and jackets. One of the Yves Saint Laurent suits has already sold right after we put it out, so you’ve got to be fast! We still have a Yves Saint Laurent navy pinstriped suit (size 39 R), a silk and wool blend jacket (size 40), and a grey wool striped suit, all made in France. Come try one on before they’re gone!

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!

Looking towards spring!

Style

Looking towards spring

Okay, we know: in Ithaca, spring is still a long way off. Still, the days are getting brighter and lasting longer, and we find ourselves wanting to get a haircut, wear lighter colors, clean out a closet or two and maybe go for a little vacation. Colors for spring 2010 at Petrune feature lots of bright yellow, silvery grays, palest greens and the whole range of purple, from lavender to deep violet. We are also loving poppy red and turkish blue.

There are lots of new arrivals, all 10% off for all our Facebook fans through the month of February. Become a fan and get a jump on your spring wardrobe!

Warm coats of all stripes (and spots)

Style, Uncategorized

Warm coats of all stripes
Baby it’s cold outside. Time to check out our great selection of coats. There is some dynamite cashmere from the 1950’s, when “cashmere” meant warm soft and endlessly durable. We also have a couple of 60’s era faux leopard coats so you can look sophisticated like Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate.” Warmest of all, there’s shearling, beaver, and mink, some real, some faux, all vintage.

Screen printing

1990-present, Style, Uncategorized

Screen prints
We are putting together a great collection of screen printed dresses, shirts, tote bags, note books, and zippered pouches from a number of talented designers, including: One Swell Gal, Blackbird Letter press, Deadworry, Track and Field, and Made with Love By Hannah.
Bunny rabbit tote
Our favorites are the ones with references to nature and old printing styles, like this sweet Bunny Rabbit tote.