Tag Archives: 1920′s

The Slipperie

Posted on March 22, 2013 by | 4 Comments

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

1930's teddy = full slip with built-in bloomers

1930′s teddy = full slip with built-in bloomers

One of my complaints, and one that I hear come up over and over, is that there are no really good slips being made, at least not ones that compare to vintage slips in terms of materials, function, and beauty. I always keep my eyes open at vintage stores for good slips – full, half, camisole, tap pants, whatever, just because the quality of these items is just far superior to anything I’ve purchased that was produced in my lifetime. But what if you didn’t have time to go to all the vintage stores?

If you need a gorgeous slip RIGHT NOW, The Slipperie on Etsy could be the answer. While the undergarments of yesteryear tend to be fairly plentiful, finding them all in one place can be difficult, and finding truly special ones (as with anything vintage) is even harder. I love that these beautiful undergarments are really meant to be worn, not just saved for special occasions. Add them to your dance wardrobe for a pop of color or lace with your twirl or swish (or other functions discussed in a prior post)…here’s what I love from the shop:

1960's hot pink slip - 60's slips are hella durable and generally have a good shape, details, and lace. I may or may not have confiscated a 60's slip from my mother's chest of drawers and never gave it back...

1960′s hot pink slip – 60′s slips are hella durable and generally have a good shape, details, and lace. I may or may not have confiscated a 60′s slip from my mother’s chest of drawers and never given it back…

Powder blue 1950's pleated tap pants

Powder blue 1950′s pleated tap pants

If only more things were cut on the bias - so flattering and comfy, as this 30's/40's rayon slip probably is...

If only more things were cut on the bias – so flattering and comfy, as this 30′s/40′s rayon slip probably is…

Tap pants with little bows - OMG

Tap pants with little bows – OMG

Another great 1960's slip

Another great 1960′s slip

About these ads

→ 4 Comments

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Ladies, Undergarments

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Swell Farewell Vintage

Posted on February 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

31317k0

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

1950′s plaid peep toe heels

1940's dress with peplum and sequin applique

1940′s dress with peplum and sequin applique

So this is adorable...

So this is adorable…

This beyond sweet 1920's dress...

This beyond sweet 1920′s dress…

Black 1940's shoes

Black 1940′s shoes

The use of the fabric print on this 1950's dress is pretty fascinating - excellent neckline, as well

The use of the fabric print on this 1950′s dress is pretty fascinating – excellent neckline, as well

→ Leave a comment

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Accessories, Dresses, Gentlemen, Hats, Jackets, Ladies, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Skirts, Suits, Swimwear

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

H&M Goes Deco

Posted on December 7, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’m still trolling the internet for a Lindy Focus New Year’s Eve dress and came across two great dresses for aspiring flappers at H&M’s amazing prices. Choose between this lovely contrast beaded black dress with Art Deco lines ($49.95) or the slightly more edgy black dress with Deco detailing around the neckline ($14.95).

hmprod

hmprod

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Art Deco, Dresses, Ladies

Tagged , , , , , ,

EBC 2012 Vendors

Posted on November 9, 2012 by | 5 Comments

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Merch upgrade: the Mint Julep Jazz Band was selling logo shoe bags and buttons at EBC and Creations by Crawford decided to take the buttons to the next level – available as a pin or hair flower.

The 9th annual Eastern Balboa Championships was another rousing success, with perhaps even more shenanigans, planned and unplanned, than usual. A highlight of the weekend was dressing in tweeds for the mock English hunt, led by Bobby White, where the tweeded and costumed EBC gentry gave organizer Chris Owens a sporting head start before we unleashed the Nerf guns on him. Perhaps the best part of the weekend for me was performing with my band, the Mint Julep Jazz Band, for the Friday night dance, receiving rave reviews for our performance, and launching a Kickstarter for our first CD. :)

Molly McGowan picked up the wonderful 1940′s dress on the right from Raleigh Vintage, and I had ideas that Adam Speen might like this sweater vest.

The vendors were out again this year, but in spite of not having a shoe vendor, the vendor area certainly looked full. Raleigh Vintage was back with their fabulous trunk show of 1920′s, 1930′s, and 1940′s clothing, as well as a full rack of tweed for some last-minute-pre-hunt shopping. Some of my favorite pieces from the collection are shown below, and I managed to do some Christmas shopping for my husband, as well. My favorite purchase for him was a 1933 World’s Fair tie clip and Raleigh Vintage had a set of three of them, in blue, white, and black. They also had some excellent ladies’ jewelry this time, bakelite, Art Deco necklaces, and clever pins. There was a hilarious pin with maracas and a plaque that said “Hasta Manana” that I loved – but what do you wear with this? I am pondering…

Red beauties from The Cleveland Shop

Following the success of their booth at All Balboa Weekend, The Cleveland Shop made the long journey to North Carolina with an impressive display of vintage dresses, separates, menswear, shoes, hats, and other vintage sundries. I especially appreciate that they brought books on vintage make-up and hair, which can be a chore to figure out without a tutorial. Favorites included the red shoes pictured at left, tons of wonderful rayon floral 30′s and 40′s dresses, and a plaid suit that I would wear loud and proud if I were a dude. I do hope their trip down here was fruitful and that they will return to us next year from the land of vintage with even more goodies.

Last, but certainly not least, Sharon Crawford of Creations by Crawford is the hardest working vendor at these events – most of her creations are custom made for you, during the weekend, and are sometimes being made for a dance that night. Sharon’s vendor table is also a social hub, so you can enjoy the warm, friendly conversation as she creates wonderful pieces made from vintage jewelry, feathers, ribbon, and other tiny pretty things. I’m willing to say that Sharon gets a lot of business from men, as well, and can create the perfect boutonniere to go with any jacket or ensemble.

Don’t miss out on the 10th anniversary party next year, the celebration is going to be huge and full of pranks, I’m sure!

Usually, one of Sharon’s creations begins with a piece of jewelry…

Ms. Crawford and her workstation

One of the books on vintage makeup at The Cleveland Shop’s table

I love the smocking on this dress from The Cleveland Shop

Plaid!

My GAWD the shoes – at Raleigh Vintage

Raleigh Vintage’s table of gentlemanly accoutrements

The jewelry case at Raleigh Vintage’s ladies’ table

This dead stock tie came with a matching pocket square!

Beautiful beading on this 1940′s dress

I do love a Peter Pan collar – at Raleigh Vintage

I REALLY wanted this dress, and it really didn’t have a zipper, snaps, or any way to get into the dress other than over the head – someone smaller than me should come crawl in and enjoy. :)

Another lovely green item, this time for the gents, from Raleigh Vintage.

Dress with matching necklace – how often does that happen? At Raleigh Vintage.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, Accessories, Art Deco, Books, Dresses, Events, Gentlemen, Hats, Jackets, Jewelry, Ladies, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Skirts, Socks, Suits, Sweaters, Vintage Stores

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leluxe Nouveau Tabard on eBay

Posted on October 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Because it’s never too early to start shopping for Halloween, New Year’s Eve, or a Gatsby-themed event, this Leluxe Clothing Nouveau Tabard on eBay is just begging to be picked up by some smart flapper – with the bidding only at $75.00, this $329.99 dress (YES you read that right, three hundred twenty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents) is a crazy steal! Fits a wide range of sizes, those beads just seem to hug in all the right places. Auction ends October 5!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Dresses, Ladies

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Field Trip: Amalgamated Classic Clothing and Dry Goods, Alexandria, VA

Posted on September 2, 2012 by | 6 Comments

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

→ 6 Comments

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nofolk Jacket with Matching Knickers

Posted on August 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This kind of thing shows up so rarely that I couldn’t resist posting this set of a Norfolk jacket with matching knickers – 2 pairs! If you happen to rip a hole in the seat of your pants doing something awesome on the dance floor, you’ll have a spare. The size of this is very small for men, a 35 chest for the jacket and a 28 inch waist on the knickers, but those are also pretty standard lady sizes, so this little suit gets filed under ladies and gents. Whoever wears this is going to look badass.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, Gentlemen, Jackets, Ladies, Pants

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tap Pants and Pettipants

Posted on June 25, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’m always on the lookout for dancing undergarment solutions. Like the effect of My Heinies, it’s always nice to see a bit of color under a twirly skirt (and that things are covered), and it’s also nice to see a bit of a slip, or in the case of my new acquisition, a little satin and/or lace with full coverage.

I picked up a pair of 1930′s tap pants at All Balboa Weekend and am in heaven. They just don’t make the lace like they used to and the overall effect with the high waist, comfortable leg opening, and the peach silk and lace combo is very elegant. I could wear them under just about any dress, but where I found them particularly useful was under very short dresses, like those that you may pick up from Forever 21 that are just at mid-thigh (or higher, if your legs are longer than mine). I have had trouble with slips and short dresses because, at some point, the dresses are just so short that the slip becomes a liability, either sticking out the bottom when you are standing or peeking out when you sit down. I couldn’t go without because any good Southern girl wouldn’t be seen in a dress that showed the outline of her legs and getting a shorter slip would be an exercise in futility. The tap pants worked like a champ. Where I generally despise shorts because they ride up when I sit down, the tap pants rode up enough to not stick out from under the dress when I sat down and were still comfortable because of the silk. There’s all this going for the tap pants, plus the twirl factor will be lovely!

I started seeking out other forms of tap pants and there are also pettipants, although pettipants may also refer to longer versions of the slip pant. I found the Wikipedia entry on pettipants quite amusing:

“When pettipants were fashionable, they were usually worn under skirts, dresses, culottes, or walking shorts for modesty or comfort. However, they are not considered a modern or popular style; currently they are most likely to be worn by square dancers or persons involved in historical reenactment. Unlike other types of underwear, pettipants will not ride up and eliminate hot-weather chafing.”

Well, then. Like the petticoat’s evolution into the slip, the pettipants have also evolved (although the square dancer and reenactment versions still exist). When you search for pettipants online, something akin to the 1930′s tap pants appears in the search results. The modern tap pants I found are a bit scantier, but there are some potential candidates for dancewear. Here’s what I’m thinking may work:

Pettipants on eBay, available in multiple sizes and basic colors – white, tan, ivory, black

More low rise, but check out the lovely lace detail. Available in blue, tan, pink, and off white.

1930′s tap pants with scallop detail

From the 1940′s, another peachy pair, with slits in the front – for high kicks?

Dead stock, vintage – on a model, so you can see about where they would fall when wearing them

This pair from the 60′s is crazy, but the bows! I could see someone creative pulling them off.

A little pink pair of pettipants

Scallops are adorable!

A bit pricier, but quite fab!

A plainer option, if lace isn’t your bag

The bargain pair on Amazon, $6 – available in white, black, tan, and sand

I do love a button detail – this pair is from What Katie Did

→ 1 Comment

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, Ladies, Undergarments

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Your Homework: Vintage Pattern Wiki

Posted on June 22, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

A selection from 1937

I hear a lot of questions about how to isolate the decade, or portion of a decade (or in rare instances, the year), in which a particular garment was made. How do you identify the date of a garment based on the details, fabrics, notions, etc. included the garment? My initial answer is to do your homework, but my learning mostly consisted of shopping for vintage with my mother, asking her to identify the decade, and having her point out different identifying details. I can’t loan out my mother to all of you, so you’ll have to learn the old fashioned way: book learning (or in the 21st century, the Internets).

Kim at Time Machine Vintage directed me to the Vintage Pattern Wiki to get some ideas for dresses, but I was delighted to see that you could search their extensive directory by the type of garment and also by year. I see other compilations of patterns for sale that usually group by decade, but I’m just anal retentive enough to want to add more mid-1930′s dresses to my collection, or to want to make sure that late 20′s/early 30′s dress is actually late 1920′s. Regardless of your OCD level or absence thereof, this website is a useful resource for anyone who would like to learn and understand more about the fashions from each of the swing era decades, down to the year. Another great feature of this site is menswear and children’s clothing included in the patterns, which is not something I run across very often.

Enjoy this resource, I’ve already spent portions of two evenings going through the early 1940′s stuff – this could take a while!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, Editorials, Gentlemen, Ladies

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lawn Party-Inspired

Posted on June 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I am still mourning the fact that my schedule will not allow me to attend either Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governors Island this summer. In honor of the June JALP this past weekend, here is a selection of 1920′s items inspired by the event on eBay:

A light, breezy dress for a hot summer day

Yellow floral 1920′s dress with a touch of blue

Black satin Mary Janes with cutouts on the straps

Sheer and floral is always a winner!

Abel & Son Inc. straw boater hat

Freakin’ awesome cloche

Navy and white straw cloche

Blue and pink cloche

I wouldn’t mind having a pair of these adorable t-straps!

To be one of the bathing beauties you’ll need something in wool…

Deadstock white linen knickers? Yespls!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in 1920's, Art Deco, Dresses, Gentlemen, Hats, Ladies, Pants, Shoes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , ,

Palm Beach Linen Suit

Posted on June 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

In these warmer days, a Palm Beach linen suit is the perfect way to dress up without sacrificing too much comfort. Right now, eBay has just such a suit from the 20′s/30′s, with a starting bid of $100.00. Check out the action back on that jacket!

This suit is not without issues, but it’s such a rare find that, for the right price, I’d be willing to take a chance. The main issue is that the jacket and pants are slightly different in colors, which the seller attributes to the jacket being worn separately and more often. This suit would be just as fantastic as separates, even if a dry cleaning didn’t work out the color differences.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gentlemen, Jackets, Pants, Suits

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Narrow-Footed Wonders

Posted on May 22, 2012 by | 3 Comments

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’m going to begin chronicling pairs of shoes that I would shell out lots of money for, if only they were wider than 2.5 inches at the ball of the foot. I don’t know what sort of lives these 1920′s women led, but they must not have taken a step barefoot in their lives, have subjected themselves to foot binding, and been carried around in a sedan chair.

If you have narrow feet, for the love of everything wonderful, please start buying all these amazing vintage shoes!

I have three pairs in desperate need of reproduction this week (Re-mix Vintage Shoes, I hope you are taking notes. ;) ):

Black leather Mary Jane, with two straps meeting in the center before crossing the top of the foot, and the cutouts are just screaming AWESOME. Cutouts from the top, cutouts from the side, this shoe looks good at every angle.

There’s no one angle that really captures the awesomeness of this shoe, but I’m a sucker for green two tone heels and this pair is really unique in the way that the two shades work with the straps and curvature. This would look awesome in purple, too.

View #2 – check those straps!

GAH! These are just too much, the snake skin, velvet, stitching, cutouts… *passes out*

→ 3 Comments

Posted in 1920's, 1930's, Ladies, Shoes

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Anna Chocola – Summer Cloches

Posted on May 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

In my quest for 1920′s cloches on eBay, I stumbled upon a cloche that looked like it could have been vintage from the thumbnail, but up close it was clearly new, but…it had that thing about it that made it a really good hat on its own. I find a lot of straw cloches for summer (Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, etc.), but rarely, if ever, do I see a modern cloche made of fabric that doesn’t look like…a turban, or something odd.

Anna Chocola‘s cloches look comfortable and cheerful, with a great shapes and lots of wonderful details – this is what led me to believe, at a distance, that a particular cloche of her design was vintage. The model for the shape of her hats is her great-grandmother’s cloche.

I am also thinking that a cotton cloche may be more versatile and danceable than a straw one – you’d have the advantage of keeping a vintage look, with the functionality of a cotton hat. I’m thinking, in particular, of one gent I know who has a supply of cotton newsboy caps that he brings and trades out at exchanges after they get too sweaty, then throws them in the wash when he gets home. I suppose we’d have to check with Ms. Chocola about how the hats would fare being washed, but I do like thinking that there is that possibility…

Here’s what I’m loving from her eBay store:

Choche with blue and white polka dots

A wonderful rose print cloche

Floral cloche

I would wear this one with a Hello Kitty pin or brooch on the side ;)

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hats, Ladies

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Lace 1920′s Day Dress

Posted on March 28, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I am smitten with this gorgeous 1920′s day dress, made of the sweetest lace – I’m not normally drawn to lace, but here the lace makes such intricate and wonderful patterns that it’s more than an embellishment, it’s a…textile, in the most reverent sense of the word. Paired with a cotton slip, this might be the most delightful dress for summer porch sitting or making an appearance at the Jazz Age Lawn Party. ;)

→ 1 Comment

Posted in 1920's

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Congratulations to Leluxe Clothing for a Great Showing at the Oscars!

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’d like to extend my congratulations to Leluxe Clothing, an official supporter of Lindy Shopper, whose gorgeous reproduction 1920′s dresses were featured in The Artist, which brought home not only the Academy Award for Best Picture, but also the award for Best Costume Design. Mark Bridges, costumer for the film and the recipient of the Best Costume Design Oscar, used several of Leluxe’s dresses when costuming the cast for the film. Here’s a great article on Leluxe’s “Rags to Riches” story and its involvement with the film. Bravo!

Actress Berenice Bejo wears Leluxe's Tango dress in the film The Artist

→ Leave a comment

Posted in 1920's, Dresses

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,