White Winter Warmth Cinzano Collection Jumper With An Elegant Blouse Labelled TRU - with Beautiful Buttons Post/outfit 438

 

Angela in a white winter jumper. Cinzano Collection. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Angela in a white TRU blouse with double button at waist, Patra vest. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

White TRU blouse

The blouse brand is TRU. Vintage.TRU as in truthful. Not to be confused with TU (which is you in French) which is a label for Sainsbury's supermarket in the UK which sells clothes as well as groceries.

Superior Style

The blousehas only two buttons on the front. Such a large plaquet, I had to hunt for the buttonholes.

What Is The Fabric? 

Silky soft. Feels like silk.Yet 100% polyester.  Vintage. Washing instructions. 

I hand wash.

Beautiful Buttons


Two horizontal buttons at the waist. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.


One button is below the bust. A second button is a hand breadth below, at the waist. 

I discovered a second button and buttonhole horizontally, enabling you to wear the blouse tighter or looser, for different styles, losing or gaining weight. Also, for the shop to sell to different customers.

I counted the buttons, in case I want to replace them, if I lose one. So that is three buttons on the front. Plus one on each sleeve cuff. That's five. Finally, making the total six, I found the washing label with another spare button. 

Spare Buttons

I always thought the spare button was in case you lose one and need a replacement without the cost and time of buying and sewing on a complete new set. Then I read that the spare button is so that you can put it in the wash to check it is not damaged by your washing machine, and the cycle you are using, before risking the rest of the garment's buttons.

In Singapore I went to a talk at one of the women's associations. I think it was the British Association. But it could have been the American, or Australian women's associations attached to their national clubs. The speaker was from one of the large, five star hotels. The one with the revolving resstaurant. The manager cum PR man told us that housekeeping's in house laundry did all the staff uniforms, and all the fragile garments. That made sure the garments were taken well care of, would not get lost, and could be returned the same day, ready for wear in the evening. 

The real surprise was that every button was removed before washing,, and sewn back on securely with matching thread.

Would you take all that time and trouble with your own clothes? Checking all the buttons are securely sewn on before you travel, either for a day or evening out, or a longer holiday, seems a good idea. You might even add a spare button to shirts, blouses, dresses, which do not come with spare buttons. And do the same when making your own clothes. That saves time in an  emergency. Easier to find a button from your button boxes at home, when you have time.

In many five star hotels you can ask for a button to be sewn on. Or ask for a needle and thread. 

Spare Buttons

You could remove all spare buttons from clothes and keep them in a button box. Then when you need a button you have a supply. Plain and fancy buttons.. If you lose a garment, or it is stolen, or you give it away or sell it, you still have a button.

My husband thinks you should leave the button on the garment. Then the spare is there if you lose a button. It is a courtesy to whoever buys or inherits your clothes.

The design with two horizontal buttons means you have, in effect,, a spare button. If you always do your garment up tight, or loose, you can use the second option button as a spare if you lose one of the other buttons.

If you wish to copy this style, you need six buttons including the spare, five without the spare button. Four without the second button at waist level. 

Dickey Decisions

For added warmth in winter, you could move the spare button to the neck level. Some sewing machines have an attachment for making buttonholes.See my next post on making buttonholes.

Making Buttonholes

If you don't have a machine to make buttonholes, you can make buttonholes by hand.Basically, a buttonhole has a slit large enough to take the button easily, without letting it pull out easily while you are wearing it. You would want to mark the line with a pin or washable pencil or tailor's chalk, doesn't crumble, and which washes out. You oversew tightly up the long sides of the cut. At both ends you sew at right angles to the other sewing, to complete the oblong of sewing, to stop the cut from tearing at the end and to look neat and hold the buttonhole together. 

Mostly buttonholes are made with thread matching the garment. With a contrasting colour if you have contrasting colour buttons and want to make a statment and can be sure of making a good buttonhole.

This requires care in cutting the hole in the right place. Not so near the edge that the fabric tears. 

Do you want the hole horizontal. To match the other buttonholes. Or vertical?  

Or wear a dickey. A dickey is a collar, with a false front, sometimes U-shape, sometimes right across under the shoulders in an oblong aat the front, or both front and back. 

Once I started collecting dickeys, I had to buy more and more. A cotton, shirt effect, in white, looked right under contrastin colour woolen sweaters or cotton tee-shirts. However, with a soft and shiny fabric shirt or blouse, you need a shiny dickey. Under a shwl effect blouse, you need a curved collar on the dickey.

I wanted to wear something smart to see the family, so I started with the blouse. Then I added a silky green Patra long sleeved vest to fill the neck. When I came to photograph myself, I realised that you have to be careful to get the buttons in the centre of the v-neck gap of the blouse. 

I then looked for something warmer to go on top. Winter white to match the blouse. I found a white jumper with a dark blue pattern. Good enough colour match. 

The Jumper - Cinzano

The label says Cinzano Designer Collection. It has a style number DK143.

Yes, it is the same brand as the drink, not a fake or copy, but from the 1980s. A web search produces Cinzano objects related to the drink, such as ash trays or angular bowls, and tee-shirt featuring the Cinzano drinks brand pop up on Redbubble. 

Buying and Selling Designs

I think Redbubble lets you promote tee-shirts and a series of items with the same logo, mainly your own designs or photos, placed on their series of items such as tee shirts and caps, so you don't need to stock items to sell, but buyers order from them, print on demand on objects, like Vistaprint, except instead of being only a buyer, you can be a seller of your own designs. 

One day I must do this. I've spent a whole morning on this blog, photographing and researching. I should be making money. Now, back to the white jumper.

White Stuff And White Fluff

 I stopped wearing fluffy white jumpers a couple of seasons ago, because one of my jumpers was making it hard for me to breathe and making me sneeze. Apart from the discomfort, I thought, that can't be good for my dear little lungs. However, with the windows wide open, wearing boots, all wrapped, I am now managing to wear fluffy jumpers for a short time.

Searching for TRU, Cinzano Collection and Buttons

TRU blouses still have a website. For vintage items, look at ebay, Etsy, and make a Google serach.

For vintage clothes with the Cinzano brand, sources I found include Ebay, Etsy, Gothift. Search words include second hand, preloved, charity shop (UK), thrift shop (USA).

White Nail Varnish

I wore wide red bracelets for a touch of colour. The final touch was white nail varnish. My varnishes come from three shops. I like quick drying varnish. But they all have the same problem. Drying out quickly. Hard to put on neatly leaving gaps so you must stroke sseveral times with the brush. I need to add nail varnish thinner, which is not necessarily the same as nail varnish remover.

All white, all right! When I go out I wear a shite hat and scarf, following the UK government advice to pedestrians to warn motorists, Wear White At Night!

Useful Websites

TRU

https://truboutiquemaltby.com/collections/shirts-blouses?

These were available when I checked for TRU on December 22nd 2024.

https://gothrift.co.uk/products/tru-blouse-red-collared-floral-long-sleeve-womens-xl-aa2-090523-5050

blouse with missing button

https://www.vintagerevivals.de/en/tru-blouse-shirt-blouse-checked-

Job lots of 10 vintage items in assorted eras and sizes (to re-sell, or if you like surprises, or to restock if homeless, awaiting furniture removal or expat or living remotely)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/repsychovintageretrosuperstore

A little about Cinzana, and their clothes collection catalogue from a blogger

https://lesliecreasey.blogspot.com/2012/07/cinzano-designer-collection-extreme-80s.html

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