Reware Vintage Blog

Tag Thursday, a day late!

You’ve probably noticed that I’m a big fan of Screen Stars brand T shirts – I even point out in every listing of an 80′s Screen Stars T shirt that it is our favorite brand shirt! There’s a simple reason behind that – they are hands down the most comfortable T shirt ever made. This is the T shirt that every current manufacturer is trying to get their “vintage” T shirts to feel like, and no, none of them even come close.

I love their shirts so much that there are a number of T shirts in my collection that I liked but mainly kept just because they are Screen Stars made. I even work out in junky Screen Stars T shirts – they are so thin, they breathe great when I’m running!

There were actually a few different types and tags of Screen Stars T shirts made over the years. In the late 70′s, when they were first made, the tag was orange or blue with a star print, and either said “Screen Stars” or “Super Screen Stars”. These shirts are extremely hard to find -  in 15+ years of buying vintage T shirts I have only ever had two!

70′s Screen Stars Tag

In the 80′s, Screen Stars became one of the most popular blank T shirts made to use in production. They made both a 100% cotton shirt and a 50/50 shirt – the 50/50 was far more popular, and so is now much more common to find today. Screen Stars 505/50 T shirts are by far the best of all their brands!

80′s Screen Stars 50/50 Tag

80′s Screen Stars 100% Cotton Tag

In the late 80′s, Screen Stars began production of “Screen Stars Best”, which most vintage collectors will tell you is actually the worst. It started the horrible trend of the 90′s to make T shirts bigger, thicker, and out of 100% cotton. While they may have held up better over the years, they are not nearly as comfortable (but still better than a lot of other brands!).

90′s Screen Stars Best Tag

By the mid 90′s the brand fizzled out and brands like Giant, Fruit of the Loom and Brockum became the major players in blank T shirts. Though I guess it just wouldn’t be the same or as much fun to collect if they were still around today!

Some of my favorite Screen Stars T shirts we’ve had over the years:

Hands Across America – 100% cotton Screen Stars

(this one was bought by Fox and made an appearance in an episode of Bones)

Detroit Bad Boys Pistons T Shirt – Screen Stars Best tag

Wrestling T Shirt – Screen Stars 50/50

Screen Stars Best Tag

And some of our favorites for sale right now on the site:

Bob Seger Tour Shirt – 80′s Screen Stars 50/50

1991 Sturgis T Shirt – Screen Stars Best Tag

70′s Monster T Shirt – Blue Star Style Screen Stars Tag

Adrienne Vittadini is both a wonderful designer, and a brand.

The woman, originally from Hungary, began her career designing  in 1967 for Sport Tempo, then for Rosanna (owned by Sport Tempo), where she had her own line called Adrienne for SW1 until 1971. In 1976 she began working for Kimberly Knits, until she established her own company in 1979 – first called AVVC, then she changed the brand to simply “Adrienne Vittadini”.

Adrienne Vittadini is known as the “Queen of Knitwear”, and is regarded as making casual wear that is modern, simple and ageless. She used unique yarns from Italy, and created sportswear with fantastic color and texture. They are high quality, so a vintage Adrienne Vittadini piece will not only remain stylish, it will also last you decades!

In 1998, Vittadini sold her company, after branching out in many other ways – glasses, perfumes, handbags and swimwear.

Some of the Adrienne Vittadini items we have in the store right now:

Late 60′s Sweater

1980′s Sweater Skirt

Other Adrienne Vittadini items on Etsy for sale I love:

1980′s Adrienne Vittadini from Benefit Jewels

Studded 80′s dress from Penelope Pup’s Vintage

Check out Adrienne Vittadini’s current collection on their website!

Jonathan Logan was founded in 1944, and grew in popularity from the 50′s through the 70′s. Known for producing quality, classic dresses for young women, the brand was carried in many department stores and was highly respected. It spawned many different labels in it’s history – most notably, Youth Guild in 1948, Butte Knits in 1959 and Bleeker Street in 1966.

In 1984, the brand was bought by United Merchants and Manufacturers, which also owned the labels Misty Harbor, The Villager, R&K Originals among many others.

Jonathan Logan is widely collected and respected among vintage loving ladies, and their classic styles still stand the test of time today.

Two of my favorite Jonathan Logan dresses we’ve sold over the years:

(of course, you’ll recognize this one from our website header!)

and right now, we have this fun Bleeker Street by Jonathan Logan dress in the shop:

Some other Logan dresses I’m loving right now

Navy Mini Dress by Carnivore Cockatiel on Etsy

Gorgeous! For sale from My Fabulous Closet on Ebay

For more information on Jonathan Logan, check out this Vintage Fashion Guild page!

Today I thought I’d post about a brand I pretty much know nothing about – Sunshine Alley. I’ve found a number of their dresses over the years, all from the 70′s and 80′s. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to find out any information on the brand!

Some of my favorites we’ve had over the years in the store:

they all have had this tag, though I’ve seen a couple dresses online that have had the same tag without the yellow sunburst.

We don’t have any dresses for sale by Sunshine Alley right now, but I managed to find these two dresses for sale elsewhere!

From JadePussyCat on Etsy

From Twitch Vintage on Ebay

If you know anything about this brand, I’d love to know! Have a dress by Sunshine Alley you love? Tell me about it in your comments, or give us a link to a picture to see!

Pendleton began in 1909 when three brothers re-engineered a factory in Pendleton, Oregon to produce blankets, then robes and coats in 1924. The Men’s coats came in bold, bright colors and were quite popular, so they expanded the line to cover all men’s sportswear.

In 1949, the family expanded it’s offerings and began manufacturing women’s sportswear, then non-wool apparel. Though their coats are still their biggest sellers, Pendleton produces year-round apparel for men, women and children all with the same high quality that they have been known for the past 100 years.

While Pendleton’s tags have not changed much over the decades, there are some subtle differences to help you date your Pendleton items. One rule has always stayed the same – blue tags are men’s items, and white tags are women’s.

Some of our favorite Pendleton items we’ve had over the years:

70′s Navy Pea Coat (sorry, can’t find the tag pic!)

70′s Juniors Suit

80′s Cropped Jacket

Right now, we have in stock:

80′s Dress

70′s Cropped Jacket

For more examples of Pendleton Tags, I recommend this Vintage Fashion Guild page!