Vintage Pendleton Skirt │ Blue and Green Plaid 1950s Pendleton Skirt

There's something incredibly real and powerful about saying out loud (or writing out) what you want to make it appear. Words have power. They literally give life to what we're talking about (which is why we have to be careful what we say).

A couple of days ago, I wrote a blog post about Black Watch Tartan and how it's my favorite plaid pattern. I've been looking for this pattern for years, and have rarely found one (I want a vintage Pendleton skirt) in my size.

Today, after popping into a thrift store for 10 minutes after going to the gym, I came across a 1950s Pendleton blue and green plaid wool skirt. I almost fell over. While it's not Black Watch, it's very close. Pendleton wasn't even making tartan patterns until later, like the '70s. So this green and blue one is the closest to that pattern that was out there in the 1950s.

The skirt is a great fit. So, until I find an actual Black Watch Tartan, this one is a perfect stand-in. The odds of finding one after just conveying my feelings about not finding any these days is what makes this request so amazing to see manifested.

The great thing about having a selling account on Etsy is I can see all of my past sales and search by pattern or product. I did a quick check on Black Watch. In the last (almost) 14 years, I've only sold eight Black Watch items. Eight. That's it. One Black Watch item every year and a half isn't the best odds.

But after finding this blue and green beauty today, my faith has been restored. 

This skirt will fill in for now. I love it because it's an old Pendleton. Remember, the "wool" mark logo appeared after 1964 when wool producers put the logo on an item to validate and authenticate true wool.  

This one does not have that mark, so it's probably from the late 1950s. The side metal zipper (Talon) is also a dead giveaway to it being older. Also, the vanity sizing of modern is a giveaway as to the skirt's age. This is marked a '50s size 14. The waist is 26" which is a modern size 2. Vintage and modern sizing do not correlate.

The Vintage Fashion Guild has a great article about old Pendleton labels.

Thanks for reading about my Pendleton Black Watch journey. When I find a true Black Watch Pendleton skirt, again, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, I'm still over the moon about finding a rare item after just finally putting it into words a couple days ago.

Words have power.

-Heather