Prom Perfect

1950-1960, 1960-1970, Beautiful Things, Lovely Materials, Special Events, Style

It comes but once a year, and we always look forward to it. Prom season is here in all it’s glory… The taffeta, the tulle, the pastel colors…. We love it all! Even if you don’t have a prom in your future, it is always fun to look at beautiful formal wear, and who knows, you can always create an event fit for a princess! Here are a few lovely shots of Eleanor in some of our formal wear finest that can be found on our Etsy shop. Simply click on the image for more detail shots. Bask in the beauty :)!

1950's Magnolia Cupcake Crinoline Party Dress

1950's Robin's Egg Blue Tulle Party Dress with Veil

1950's Yellow Cupcake Party Dress

1950's Periwinkle Party Dress

In addition to the selection on our Etsy site, we also have a collection on the store floor waiting for a wonderful home, and great party!

Prom, formal, wedding, big date…

1990-present, Beautiful Things, Style

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.

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.