This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
As I head east to the sands of Corolla, North Carolina for the Balboa Experiment, I leave you with a week-long Jitterbuggin spring sale – 25% off your order, now through Sunday, May 5 with the code “SPRING FLING.”
Posted in Dresses, Ladies, Shirts, Skirts, Swimwear
Tagged 2013, Balboa, clothing, Jitterbuggin, Lindy Hop, reproduction, sale, spring, swing dance
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I am happy to announce that Lindy Shopper has a new supporter in the form of Etsy store Swell Farewell Vintage – owner Kate Blank has put together a lovely little shop with items from all of our jazz age and swing era decades, and beyond. Kate’s love of all things vintage began early in her childhood and she even ran her vintage clothing business out of her dorm room in college! You can see her experience in her collection, which includes quintessential items from each decade represented. I also love that she has clothing items listed by waist size, which is so helpful in initially narrowing down what will fit from the shop.
Right now the shop features mostly women’s clothing, but Kate has plans to add more men’s ties, as well as more inventory overall. Not everything is listed, so if you are looking for something specific, Kate encourages you to message her with your sought-after items to see if she has anything in her inventory that would fit the bill.
At the moment, Swell Farewell Vintage is running a 15% off coupon – enter the code 15OFF at checkout – it applies to all items!
Here’s what I love from the store:
1950′s plaid peep toe heels
1940′s dress with peplum and sequin applique
So this is adorable…
This beyond sweet 1920′s dress…
Black 1940′s shoes
The use of the fabric print on this 1950′s dress is pretty fascinating – excellent neckline, as well
Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Dresses, Gentlemen, Hats, Jackets, Ladies, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Skirts, Suits, Swimwear
Tagged 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, applique, Balboa, Charleston, clothing, dance, dress, Etsy, heels, Lindy Hop, peplum, plaid, Shoes, ski sweater, Swell Farewell, swing dancing, ties, vintage
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I have anticipated checking out Alexandria’s Amalgamated Classic Clothing and Dry Goods since April, when I heard of its opening shortly prior to DCLX and the wonders that awaited me – rumors that the owners have a warehouse where items are pulled for Hollywood movies, that the inventory has real swing era stuff, GOOD stuff, and I was salivating. As I ditched the Saturday afternoon DCLX dance to head over to Alexandria I got a text message from Bill Speidel that the shop was closed. Oh, the disappointment!
Thankfully, I had already planned to attend the International Lindy Hop Championships in August, so I knew I’d get a second chance. I messaged the store’s Facebook page a few days prior to the event to make sure that they would be open and should I send my measuremnets. The answers were yes and yes, and I was elated.
I planned to go on Friday of ILHC and at the Thursday night dance I met Beth Midavaine, who had also planned to take a trip to Amalgamated with Bill Speidel, but Bill had bailed on her, so it seemed that fate would have it that we go shopping together. We headed to Amalgamated the next day with Jason Sager and arrived at the store at noon on the dot. The store was closed. I was frantic. We went next door to a knick knack store owner, who didn’t know why the shop wasn’t open. As we regrouped on the sidewalk, the door opened to Amalgamated and it was, after all, open for business. *phew!*
It took us three hours to get through everything in the store and try on the rack of clothes that Beth and I accumulated through our collective digging through the store. The store itself is small is square footage, but packed with everything good – there was no small rack where the few swing era items were delegated – the entire store was pre-1960′s, so 100% of their inventory was everything that you would want to see in a vintage store. It was glorious! The men’s section rivaled the women’s section in size and magnificence (who has an entire rack devoted to two tone Ricky Ricardo jackets?) and a men’s shoe section that took up an entire table, and included children’s shoes (tiny leather and mesh oxfords!). Owner Shelley White took us through boxes in the back room filled with delicate 1920′s beaded dresses, there were racks of glorious dresses and gowns, plus some very practical items that would be perfect for dancing. The women’s shoes had a good selection of larger women’s sizes, which was great for Beth, who picked up a pair of fantastic 1940′s heels.
I don’t think words or photos will do this place justice, so you’ll just have to go and see for yourself. Until then, check out some of our finds below:
The more choice men’s shoes behind glass.
The more choice women’s shoes behind glass – if you wear a size 5, those green t-straps could be yours!
On closer inspection, the print on this adorable 1940′s suit with giant lucite buttons features winged puppies! Does it get any cuter than freakin’ winged puppies???
Love this green 50′s dress, with a white scalloped stripe across the upper torso to draw the eye up and GIANT POCKETS.
Tie rack includes dead stock ties as well as used vintage ties.
Men’s shoes…
…and more men’s shoes…
Wide leg high waist women’s pants with adorable trim.
Ricky in purples
Ricky in brown and white
A shirt Jason considered…
Beth in a snappy hat
Jason snuggles with a vintage cat pillow.
A school spirited hat
A 1920′s beaded dress in my favorite color.
My find of the day – a 1930′s day dress in green. I’m holding the back because it will have to be taken in a bit, but I can’t pass up a green 30′s dress…
Beth’s find of the day – a gorgeous 1940′s gown with floral appliques and overlays
Love this Asian-inspired shape in a cotton leaf print.
Just about died when this almost-but-didn’t-quite fit
Gorgeous embroidery on this peach 1920′s day dress
A men’s vignette in the store
Another display at Amalgamated
Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Dresses, Gentlemen, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Ladies, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Skirts, Socks, Suits, Sweaters, Swimwear, Undergarments, Vests, Vintage Stores
Tagged 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Alexandria, Amalgamated, blouse, classic clothing, DC, dead stock, dress, dry goods, flapper, gown, men's, pants, Ricky Ricardo, shirt, Shoes, skirts, socks, suits, ties, tops, trousers, VA, vest, vintage clothing, Virginia, women's
BOOM
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Jitterbuggin’ is having a 25% off sale today and tomorrow (that’s July 3 and 4) to keep the inventory rolling so the fabulous Kimberly Cullins can do awesome things with the new fabrics she got in this week. A little birdie told me there are some awesome new prints, including two cat prints, which I am dying to see, so….we should all help Kim keep the ball rolling and pick up something from the Jitterbuggin store!
Use the code “Rolling Stone” to get the 25% discount. I’m definitely picking up one of her Belmont A-line 1940′s skirts.
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
The Jazz Age Lawn Party never ceases to amaze me, with its charm, beauty, number of well-dressed people, and even its power over mother nature. It is such a rare opportunity to dance entirely to 1920′s music and the quality of music was superb, thanks to Michael Arenella’s Dreamland Orchestra, the Gelber and Manning Band, and the twin Victrola turntables operated by DJ MAC. It was a beautiful weekend under the trees on Governor’s Island – the storms that threatened New York were held at bay until Sunday afternoon, when Michael Arenella commented from the bandstand that the rain couldn’t stop the festivities and called a tune with “rain” in the title to mock the threatening weather; it was then that the sky opened up, with only a few warning drops before the downpour sent everyone scurrying for cover.
This event has grown every year and this year it seemed to double in size from last year’s impressive turnout. I also noticed that the event organizers take note of how they can improve the event from year to year; for example, in an attempt to combat bystanders loitering on the dance floor and eventually taking it over, they roped off the dance floor area (which was someone effective, but there will always be chattel who don’t understand that a dance floor is for DANCING, not for standing or ogling). There were also more vendors this year, so let’s get to the list!
There simply couldn’t be a JALP without the classic and delicious cocktails made with St. Germain Liqueur, a cocktail confection made from elderflowers picked in the Alps. There was a rush on the cocktails, primarily due to an online coupon deal that offered all you can drink St. Germain for the day, and by the end of day one they were sold out of liqueur. Never fear, they replenished the supply for day two and the delicious festivities continued.
Kreamland Ice Cream was on hand with scoops of ice cream in classic flavors, the perfect treat on a hot August day. In the photograph at right you can see an example of the signs the JALP crew added to distinguish the different administrative and vendor tables, which were especially helpful with the throngs of people in attendance.
The table of necessaries.
Another improvement I noticed was a table set up with helpful items to get you through the day. Forgot your parasol? Need sunscreen or a tissue? Wishing you had a fan to escape the heat? Making these items available for purchase was a great idea! And isn’t the display lovely?
It was interesting to see a modern vendor, such as Yelp, have a table at JALP, but then Yelp is a very useful resource. Yelp sponsored a vintage photo booth at the event, with photographs taken by Tsirkus Fotografika, “an ongoing non-profit, public arts project based in Philadelphia, PA, designed to bring the creative process directly to communities and document populations at their most lively. Employing a mobile portrait studio and trailing-edge technologies such as analog film, old-fashioned “hot” lighting, and large format equipment, Tsirkus follows in the footsteps of itinerant photographers who would travel from town to town making portraits on-the-spot.” I now wish I had waited in line to get my photograph taken – perhaps next year. :/
Next in the line of vendors was Odd Twin, a Brooklyn-based vintage store with wares available from the jazz age and beyond. I will display more photographs below of the vendors’ wares, but I will note that I was particularly smitten with a two tone brown 1940′s suit that was displayed on the end of their hanging rack. Drool…
Sharing a vendor table were Necks Tuesday and hyc Creative letterpress. Necks Tuesday might be the most creative name for a bow tie company I’ve ever encountered. This Brooklyn-based company asserts that bow ties are a “facet of traditional menswear,” but are now “often an element of a forward, contemporary look.” What’s old is new again, eh? I can get behind this philosophy. Their ties are available in a number of wonderful muted tones and patterns that are sure to go with much of a man’s wardrobe and make a stylish statement without being too loud.
hyc Creative letterpress displayed an endearing collection of thoughtful printed cards, stationery, bookmarks and prints. From their website: “hyc Creative is the creation of Dawn Hylon Lucas-Carlson. A small private press founded in 2006. We print Letterpress greeting cards, bookmarks, coasters, prints, and invitations using a mix of found vintage blocks and fonts, hand carved linoleum blocks and newly created designs. Everything is hand-printed on a Kelsey 6 x 10 Excelsior Press.”
Do you see these pleats?!
Next in the lineup is The Original Prohibition Clothing Company, a company specializing in custom menswear. What I like about TOPCC is the wear-ability of the garments and the attention to detail. These clothes could be in a fine menswear store just about anywhere, you could wear the clothes anywhere, but they would be that piece that stands out as superb amongst the modern suits, with just enough nod to vintage to appear authentic. Details like fan pleating out of a belt back Norfolk jacket or a black and white Bette Davis printed on the inside of a newsboy cap make these items truly stand out against the competition. Their website is still under development, but I look forward to this company making their products available to the masses. Until then, you can browse some of their accessories available in TOPCC eBay store.
The Fine and Dandy Shop.com had a wonderful showing of men’s accessories – ties, pocket squares, handkerchiefs, cufflinks and other man jewelry, flasks, pocket watches, and even a vintage Boy Scout’s guide. Fine and Dandy has a fairly comprehensive website and I’d recommend that you gents check out their fantastic selection, including their ties, which are made in New York. See photographs below.
Lovely 1920's shoes peeking out from behind the sign!
After all this menswear, I arrived at my favorite vendor of the weekend, Noble Savage Vintage, who displayed exclusively pre-1940′s clothing and accessories for women. This table and rack were a dream come true, with beautiful beading, gauzy dresses, satin 1920′s shoes, and vintage lace galore. My friend Elizabeth picked up a wonderful 1930′s dress in a gauzy chiffon floral that was perfect for Day 2 of the lawn party.
I’ll end this tour-de-vendors with The Village Scandal, one of last year’s wonderful vendors who had amazing cloches and the must-have fascinator of the event. This year, their entire inventory must have been must-have because, by the time I made it out to their table, it had been ransacked. Their positioning near the entrance may have helped add to the chaos of what happened to their table, but I am pleased to see that they did so much business.
There were other vendors, but they did not have signs and I was unable to speak with the vendor representative (so many people!). I hope to return to this event next year and make it a priority to get to the event earlier to scope out the vendors’ wares. Until then, I leave you with these photos:
Amazing two tone suit from Odd Twin
Odds and ends from the Odd Twin table
Bow ties from Necks Tuesday
Close up of a plaid bow tie from Necks Tuesday
Hanging goodies from hyc Creative
hyc Creative's spread
Meet and greet with the Original Prohibition Clothing Company
A rack of jackets, vests, and shirts worthy of Jay Gatsby from TOPCC
Starlets peek out of your newsboy cap, courtesy of TOPCC
Man jewelry from the Fine and Dandy Shop
An array of collars and ties from the Fine and Dandy Shop
Beautiful beaded 1920's bags from Noble Savage Vintage
A wonderful cape in a jazz age print, courtesy of Noble Savage Vintage
What was left of The Village Scandal when I got to their table
I'll leave you with two turntables and two microphones - see you next year!
Posted in 1920's, Accessories, Art Deco, Dresses, Events, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Skirts, Socks, Suits, Sweaters, Swimwear, Travel, Undergarments, Vests, Vintage Stores
Tagged 1920's, 1930's, band, bow, Brooklyn, clothing, cocktails, Company, DJ MAC, Dreamland Orchestra, eBay, Elderflower, event, fan, Fine and Dandy Shop, Gelber, Governors Island, handmade, hat, hyc Creative, ice cream, Jazz Age Lawn Party, jewelry, Kreamland, lawn, letterpress, liqueur, Manning, Michael Arenella, Necks Tuesday, new, New York, Noble Savage Vintage, NY, Odd Twin, original, parasol, party, photo, photo booth, picnic, print, prohibition clothing, St. Germain, swing, The Original Prohibition Clothing Company, tie, Tsirkus Fotografika, Village Scandal, vintage, Yelp
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Sweet Lorain (formerly Suite Lorain, now under new ownership) is one of those rare places where there are entire racks devoted to 1930′s and 1940′s clothing, rather than being relegated to a few rare items on the wall or stuck in the middle of a mound of polyester. In fact, Sweet Lorain skirts the issue by focusing exclusively on “Deco to 1960′s.” It’s a huge store, with tons of furniture, housewares, knick-knacks, clothing and accessories, and maybe some random items from a past era you’ve never even thought about. The dresses, evening gowns, coats, and other swing era garments are comparably plentiful and in an array of sizes. There were so many things to see that my partner in crime, Elizabeth Tietgen, and I spent several hours there, long enough for the store owner to offer us each a bottle of water!
We were told that the store had been hoarding swing era items for the ABW participants and people were dropping off things to sell to the ABW’ers the morning of the day we went to Sweet Lorain, namely a pair of 1940′s low heeled sandals that Elizabeth took home and a green 1930′s raincoat that came home with me.
I have heard stories about Sweet Lorain for years from my vintage tailor/couturier, Laura Boyes, who grew up in Cleveland. She and her daughter have had great luck in this store during their visits and Laura has even seen buyers from Anthropologie using their corporate card to purchase items from Sweet Lorain to copy or as inspiration for their designs. Understandably, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this visit to Sweet Lorain and it did not disappoint.
Did I think to take photos of what we bought? No, of course not, but Elizabeth left with a bevy of blue and white items, including a 1950′s sundress, a 1930′s day dress with matching bolero, black 1940′s shoes, tap shoes, and an aqua velvet 1930′s gown, and I left with a gray 1920′s dress, a seersucker romper of unknown decade, the 1930′s raincoat, a tie for the Boy, and a Bakelite bangle. Quite possibly the best trip to a vintage store EVER. Did I mention the prices here are amazing? This store will be a must-do for all subsequent ABWs.
Here are some of the other goodies I found at Sweet Lorain (I apologize for posting photos from my phone, I forgot my real camera):
Read the signs, ladies - this is the place!
A wall of slips, with cheerful bloomers hanging above the dressing room area
Wonderful coral crepe print dress
Navy and red crepe dress
Purses under glass
The 1940's shoes we found for Elizabeth
Tie clips galore, including one from the 1933 World's Fair
Ties!
A selection of men's hats
Oh, the bakelite!
Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Art Deco, Dresses, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Skirts, Suits, Sweaters, Swimwear, Undergarments, Vests, Vintage Stores, WWII
Tagged 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, ABW, accessories, All Balboa, antiques, bakelite, Cleveland, clothing, dress, gown, hats, interiors, menswear, OH, Ohio, raincoat, Shoes, store, suit, Suite Lorain, Sweet Lorain, tap shoes, Tie clips, ties, vest, vintage, weekend
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
This is less of a field trip and more of a weekly lunch break ritual, usually on Fridays, to a destination two blocks from my office in downtown Durham, North Carolina – to Dolly’s Vintage, a confectionery of a vintage store that is more like a trip to Candy Land than a trip back in time. And, like the board game, Dolly’s is timeless, adorable, and nostalgic at the same time.
You can’t help but smile when you walk by the store, with its vintage bathtub flower bed and cheerful wooden sign welcoming you in. In fact, much of Dolly’s business is foot traffic now that the store has moved from a small space in Brightleaf Square to its expansive new location on Main Street. The store is like a magnet, drawing both men and women into its cheerful interior, with owner Jennifer Donner ready to welcome everyone with a smile and delightful conversation.
What’s inside Dolly’s Vintage? An array of vintage clothing and accessories, mostly ranging from the 1940′s to the 1970′s. The men’s section has a great selection of ties, sport coats, dress and casual button up shirts, tees, and some miscellaneous accessories, like tie clips and cufflinks. The women’s section is a rainbow of awesome dresses, slips, aprons, bathing suits, rompers, skirts, and tops – no losers here, even the 70′s stuff is adorable. A vintage dress will set you back $20-30, which makes it easy to feed the addiction. 
Dolly’s carries custom items, like crinolines and ruffled bloomers that Jennifer orders especially for the store, as well as adorable gift items (Hello Kitty, Pucca, Demeter fragrances, and a ton of cool stuff you’ll want to take home with you) and a candy table worthy of Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Jennifer also works with local tailors and seamstresses to mend and repurpose vintage items with flaws to sell in the store.
Location:
905 West Main St # 20G
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 682-1471
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Take a look inside!
The view from the front door - ahhh...
Looking up at the wheel-o-crinolines suspended from the ceiling
The glorious purple velvet couch, with the women's section in the background
Massive tie rack
I've mentioned 70's does 30's before and here is a good example - yes, the fabric is synthetic, but it's gauzy enough to look like a chiffon, and the shawl collar is so 30's
This one came home with me 
I died a little when this dress with an adorable purple bird print and purple trim wouldn't zip up my rib cage
A closeup of the bird print
A rack of vintage slips...love
Live your Pretty in Pink fantasy with these 1950's prom dresses
Sportcoats!
Ruffled bloomers
Get your costume wigs here!
Nibble on some candy while you shop
Posted in 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Dresses, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Pants, Shirts, Shorts, Skirts, Socks, Suits, Sweaters, Swimwear, Tailoring, Undergarments, Vests, Vintage Stores
Tagged accessories, aprons, Balboa, bloomers, clothing, crinoline, Dolly's, dresses, Durham, gifts, hats, jackets, Lindy Hop, men's, NC, North Carolina, ruffles, shirts, skirts, slips, store, swing dancing, ties, vintage, wigs, women's
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
My Baby Jo has a little bit of everything to help you embrace your inner pin-up girl, and some essential menswear clothing and accessories for the swing era gent. My Baby Jo has a retail store in Los Angeles, CA, but thankfully they also offer their excellent 1940′s and 1950′s-inspired clothing, shoes, and accessories online.
The website has a great selection of women’s dresses, swimwear, undergarments, hair flowers, jewelry, shoes, handbags, cosmetics and men’s jackets, shirts, pants, shoes, hats, pomade, ties, and vintage watches. The vintage men’s watches are especially good, with watches from the 1920′s through the 1950′s that look like they are in sturdy, wearable condition. Their swimwear selections feature the best of Esther Williams’ swimwear line. The site also offers some fun pieces that may fill gaps in your wardrobe or Halloween costume (like that Rosie the Riveter jumpsuit – where else do you find that?). They also have an extensive selection of men’s hats and hat-care items, including brushes and felt cleaner.
There’s so much goodness here, I’ll try to narrow down my favorites:
Mrs. Moore Day Dress, comes in 5 colors
V-cut Plaid Jacket - lots more of these on the site in different fabrics
Alika dress, also comes in red and in a pencil skirt style
Motorcycle sweater
Marilyn eyelet tie top, also in blue
Leading man two pocket shirt with topstitching
Riveting jumpsuit, also in blue stripes and black
Melton captoe by Johnston & Murphy
How cute is this sailor outfit?
Tailored double pleated trouser - available in 13 different fabrics
So many hair flowers, but the orchids are my favorite
There are tons of hats in traditional colors, but this green fedora was my favorite
Love the face on this 1937 watch
Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Dresses, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Skirts, Sweaters, Swimwear, Undergarments, Vests
Tagged 1940's, 1950's, California, clothing, dress, flowers, hair, inspired, jacket, Los Angeles, My Baby Jo, pants, reproduction, Rosie the Riveter, shirt, Shoes, skirt, swimsuit
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
The Groupon for Raleigh/Durham today (and for the next three days) is $50 worth of American Apparel goods for $25. The best part? It’s for online sales only, so technically you could live anywhere and use this 50% discount. Huzzah!
(Edited to add that the link takes you to the main Raleigh/Durham Groupon page for the day, but on the right side of the screen there’s a box that says “More Great Deals Nearby” and the American Apparel Groupon link is at the bottom of that box)
Time to stock up on the basics. Here are a few of my faves from the site:
Shirt Dress
Classic stripe sweater
Wrap dress
Striped socks
Round collar shirt
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I’m writing about the Eastern Balboa Championships early in the week because I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to write later on, living in the host scene for this event and organizing certain tangential events that occur this week; also, the event starts on Thursday and once I am sucked into the vortex of madness that is EBC, I may not return until Monday.
Last year at EBC I organized a vintage shopping trip to a couple of local vintage stores in and around downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. The main conquest was a giant warehouse of a vintage store called Get Dressed. Unfortunately, this past May, Get Dressed closed its doors for good, leaving Raleigh without a source for vintage clothing of the swing era. The remaining store, Father & Son Antiques, has an impressive collection of mid-century furniture, but lacks in the clothing department. I still wanted to have a vintage shopping experience for the EBC attendees, after the success of last year’s shopping outing – 20 people signed up in advance and even more carpooled over to Get Dressed the day of the outing.
I have been in touch with one of the vintage collectors from Get Dressed, Andi Shelton, who also runs an Etsy store called Raleigh Vintage. Andi has been keeping the dream alive of Raleigh having a vintage clothing retail store, looking for a location to have a less sprawling store with a carefully selected stock of good vintage clothing. It seems that North Carolina may need the assistance of The Rent is Too Damn High Party so Andi can find some reasonable retail space; until then, Andi and several other vintage collectors operate under the name The Vintage Collective, making appearances at various local events and offering their wares for sale.
I have arranged for the Vintage Collective to appear at EBC, during the day and into the evening on Saturday – specifically, 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Brownstone, the hotel hosting EBC. Andi wrote this about The Vintage Collective:
“The Vintage Collective is collaborative of three vintage clothing enthusiasts who have a passion for collecting and sharing special pieces. Just for the EBC, we’ll be sharing our collections of 1920s-late 1950s clothing for men and women, as well as accessories to complete the look. Offerings include dresses, tops, sweaters, skirts, lingerie, pants, suits, vests, hats, gloves, jewelry, ties, and shoes….a little bit of everything!
We’ll be accepting cash and paypal (if wi-fi is available in the hotel lobby).”
I know the ladies of The Vintage Collective have been saving up their good stuff for EBC, so I’m very excited to see what they will bring. Actual location in the hotel is TBA, until I can get over there and work with Chris & Holly Owens, the organizers of EBC, on the best location for the Collective to set up.
I’m looking forward to some vintage shopping without leaving the venue! I am also looking forward to seeing what Andi pulls out of the vault…we all know they keep the good stuff in the back. If you are planning on attending EBC and have any questions about the vintage shopping, please post your questions as a comment to this blog entry. Thanks!
Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Dresses, Events, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Skirts, Suits, Sweaters, Swimwear, Undergarments, Vests, Vintage Stores
Tagged Andi Shelton, Eastern Balboa Championships, EBC, Father & Son Antiques, Get Dressed, North Carolina, Raleigh, The Vintage Collective, vintage clothing
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Hello Fraulein! That is the greeting at the top of Fraulein Marlene’s Etsy shop, welcoming you in to look at her lovely vintage goodies. Almost half of her selections are divine vintage shoes from the 1930′s and 1940′s in neutral tones, like brown, black and beige, so they’ll go with everything in your fall and winter dance wardrobe. The shoes also look like they are in solid condition and are reasonably priced.
Fraulein Marlene says simply, “I love clothing and accessories from the 1920′s-1950′s. Vintage is my first passion —> but i am no professional seller…it is a hobby.”
Here are some selections from this excellent hobbyist:
Very much in love with these shoes that are not in my size - 1930's t-straps with gorgeous textured fabric
1940's reptile sandals from Spain in original box
1940's brown suede platform heels
1940's brown suede heels
Black Art Deco pumps - the hotness
1940's brown peeptoes
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Usually the vintage suits come one or two at a time on eBay, but here’s a few more than the usual, including three white linen suits!
1930's White Linen Suit, Palm Beach Label
1930's Belted Back White Linen Suit
1930's/1940's Herringbone Stripe Suit
1930's White Linen Suit
Just for kicks - Anchor Swimsuit
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Special thanks to Julie and Elizabeth for directing me to Shabby Apple, whose dresses are in several categories in my book – vintage-inspired, dance-worthy, clean lines, and work-appropriate. That last category is critical – if I can wear it to work and to dances, I can probably justify paying a bit more for the garment because I’ll get more miles out of it. I can see me getting a lot of miles out of some of these lovely dresses!
Tuileries Dress
That these dresses are work-appropriate is entirely based on the owners’ desire to have stylish dresses that cover enough skin to make them feel comfortable. In their search for these dresses, they discovered that the problem was not that stores were not buying these clothes, but that the designers were not designing these clothes. Necessity is the mother of invention, so Shabby Apple decided to make these dresses that did not seem to exist!
The web site also makes a good point about these dresses – it’s an all in one outfit. You don’t have to buy any camisoles to go underneath or cardigans to go on top, you just have to buy the dress. In these tough economic times, it seems that the dress is the wardrobe saver in more ways than one.
I should also note that I keep running across companies who have great products and a social conscience, and Shabby Apple is no exception. Shabby Apple partners with Unitus, a non-profit organization that “accelerates access to life-changing financial services for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shabby Apple donates 5% of its net dress sales to support work in India (where Shabby Apple Dresses has sourced many of its dresses and the textiles used to manufacture its dresses). In addition, each Shabby Apple Dresses customer has the opportunity to donate an extra five dollars to Unitus every time she buys a dress. Shabby Apple Dresses and Unitus are involved with 10 of India’s most promising microfinance organizations that provide financial services to more than 1.6 million hard-working women and their families. Every $100 donation from Shabby Apple Dresses provides at least 20 women with access to financial services – and the chance to live a life without poverty.”
There are a bevy of dresses to love, so let’s get started:
Sheep Meadow Dress
Bette D. Dress
Ingrid Dress
Lindy Hop Dress
Jitterbug Dress
Frida K. Dress
Circo Dress
Liz and Darcy Dress (in 9 colors!)
Bonheur Dress
La Tour Eiffel Dress
Sutherland Point Bathing Suit
Posted in Accessories, Dresses, Swimwear
Tagged bathing suit, dresses, Shabby Apple, Unitus
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
When Mod Cloth was discovered online by one of my friends, news of the web site spread like wildfire in my circle of friends because we were starved for a place to get modern retro-inspired clothing at a reasonable price. Variety is the spice of life and Mod Cloth takes this to heart by offering clothing from many different sources, including Trashy Diva, Stop Staring!, and Tulle, thus, giving you maximum exposure to brands offering what you want to wear. The really great clothing items sell out quickly, but I find that if they include the brand or maker in the item description, that the item that is out of stock on Mod Cloth may be in stock at the source web site.
Perhaps the reason Mod Cloth is so great is in large part due to the philosophies of its founders:
“Founded by high school sweethearts, Eric Koger and Susan Gregg Koger, and built on a foundation of love for vintage and retro clothing, ModCloth.com is an online clothing, accessories, and decor retailer that aims to provide a fun and engaging shopping atmosphere for you, our customer. We do this by interacting with you via social network sites like Twitter and Facebook, requesting your feedback through the ModLife Blog and product reviews, and asking you to vote on potential inventory with the Be the Buyer program, all with the intention of running a fashion business in a democratic style. Supplying you with the opportunities to have your voice heard is what keeps our company fresh, relevant, and growing by leaps and bounds. This is what allows us to continually accommodate your pioneering passion for modern trends. We invite you to comb through our clever product descriptions, flip through our stylebooks, shop our vast assortment of indie designs, find some unique one of a kinds, and get in touch with one of our friendly customer care representatives if you have any questions. We want to be the fashion company you’re friends with!”
A fashion democracy? Hear, hear!
The web site is so full of goodness that I’ll limit my favorites to the most recent arrivals:
Lindy Dandy
Lindy Shopper