Author: Lindy Shopper

Vintage jazz dancer, DJ, songbird, blogger

Fresh From the Cleaners

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It’s always nice to slip into a freshly pressed shirt, but what if that shirt was pressed in 1939?

This week, eBay delivers to the public two men’s dress shirts in white, still in their pre-war paper laundry wrappers, size 16 x 34. One shirt is labeled Carson Pirie Scott Chicago and the other is Tookason 5. Both shirts will have to be laundered again, of course. The auctions note that both shirts appear to have been mended, as it was customary to mend holes rather than replace the entire shirt. There are several other 1930’s/1940’s shirts this particular seller, chesneywold, has listed, all from the same estate in a similar size.

Jazz Age Lawn Party Vendors

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This past weekend I was transported to a parallel universe, where the Jazz Age met modern day New York under the boughs of ancient trees on an island that felt so far away from the city it could have been a country estate in the middle of…somewhere fabulous. The weather was perfect, the dance floor shaded, and the eye and ear candy plentiful. While the champagne sorbet and Saint Germaine cocktails flowed, strollers could pick out a cloche or fedora to wear that day, just in case they hadn’t brought their own. Need a parasol? No problem, just pick one up the way to your picnic blanket. While the shopping, eating, and drinking were all delightful, the centerpiece of this event was the people – Michael Arenella’s Dreamland Orchestra serenaded the crowd with 1920’s dance favorites, while the raucous Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society egged the dancers on with their high energy tunes and antics. Dancers were on hand for 1920’s-inspired performances, bathing beauties and hat wearers paraded, and all kinds of people joined in for the tug of war.

I only hope I can come back to one of the Jazz Age Lawn Parties next year. I better get started shopping for my outfits now, as the vintage clothing collectors who attended obviously spent a lot of time scouring vintage sources for the perfect ensemble, from shoes to hat to accessories to picnic blankets.

For more information about the Jazz Age Lawn Party, visit the Dreamland Orchestra’s web site. For more photographs of this lovely event, especially those featuring swing dancers, visit the Yehoodi thread for the August 2010 Jazz Age Lawn Party.

As promised, I scouted out the vendors at the lawn party and managed to take a few pictures of their wares. While you can’t wear anything from the food vendors, two of them are definitely worth mentioning: first, Wine Cellar Sorbet out of Brooklyn, N.Y. had a delicious assortment of flavors, such as sangria, mimosa, pinot noir, and other varietals; second, a cocktail made with St. Germain Elderflower liqueur kept everyone refreshed on a warm summer’s day. I picked up a little cocktail book from the St. Germain table and hope to make use of it soon, as I did not get to try one of these cocktails (but certainly heard a lot about them from others).

My favorite vendor of the weekend was The Village Scandal, which had a delightful array of jazz era millinery for men and women. Boaters and straw fedora style hats were popular, and I saw a number of gals sporting their straw cloches and a beautiful fascinator made of lightweight straw material and feathers curled into a divine confection. My friend Rachel Hundley models her fascinator, pictured to the right. The Village Scandal has a retail location in New York at 19 E. 7th Street, but I understand from the shopkeepers that the website is being revamped and will be more friendly to shoppers soon. These were truly wonderful hats and the cloches are to die for.

There were some odds and ends vendors, selling less expensive goods like these parasols. If you weren’t in the shade, you definitely needed one of these!

Finally, Odd Twin out of Brooklyn, NY was on hand with vintage clothing and accessories. While most of the clothing at their tent was not of the Jazz Age, they had tables spread out with some solid older accessories, like purses and ties, and some fun bloomers on the racks.

In all a wonderful weekend – if you’ve been on the fence about going, I’m here to say solidly that the grass is greener on Governor’s Island!

Steve Madden Wingtips for Women

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

For a more casual, menswear-inspired look to go with your Lindy Hop duds, check out Steve Madden’s series of wingtip-inspired shoes – with leather soles no less!

Melin Oxford in black - also comes in two-tone hot pink and black or white and black
Miltie Oxford - hit the links or the dance floor; also comes in all black and all white
Mistaa Loafer - also comes in black, tan, silver, and white

Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This weekend I will be heading to the Big Apple for the bi-annual Jazz Age Lawn Party, held on the grounds of Governors Island, which is just a short ferry ride from the lower tip of Manhattan. I’m not sure how many years this event has run, but for the past couple of years I have pined over the gorgeous photos of people in vintage clothing, dancing vintage dances to a vintage band, with vintage cars in the background…well, you get the idea. I’m going to get it all out of my system over the weekend at this picturesque event.

There will be vendors at this event, selling vintage clothing and hats – hopefully, I won’t be too distracted so you can get a full report (with photos) when I get back.

In the interim, you can enjoy photos of the July 2010 Lawn Party from The Sartorialist, Metromix, lensjockey, Time Out New York, Citizen Couture, New York Post, a video from the New York Post, and a 3-D interactive mini-site courtesy of Martin Lenclos. Cheers!

Fraulein Marlene on Etsy

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

Jitterbuggin on Etsy

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I love the initiative and creativity of those seamstresses and tailors who take vintage patterns and make them come alive again. Etsy seller Jitterbuggin is one of these talented people who create garments of the past in the present, and adds her own bit of whimsy through her pattern and fabric selections.

Of particular interest is Jitterbuggin’s profile: “I am a dancer and stage performer with an enthusiastic interest for fun clothes. I make quality ready to wear ranging in eras, styles and sizes. I use vintage materials when I can and often substitute with vintage reprints. Almost every garment is a one of a kind creation. My garments are made with “danceability” and modern comforts in mind while staying true to the glamor of the eras.” Dancers making clothes for dancers is always a good idea, especially when considering cut, construction, and fabric selections.

Here are some of my favorites from the Jitterbuggin Etsy site:

Red jumper and sailor blouse
1930's blouse
High waist pants
1940's Hollywood style skirt
Anchors and stars playshorts
1930's style halter top

1950’s Bow Ties

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

There’s something about bow ties that is particularly charming, especially if they have a whimsical print or theme. My grandfather had a bow tie that he would wear every Christmas that was green with a sprig of holly on the knot. Eventually, there were enough protests from the other relatives that he stopped wearing it, but I always rooted for the Christmas bow tie.

I found a couple of eBay listings with some whimsical (seasonless), some normal, bow ties. A few of them have never been worn…so here they are, two lots of bow ties at an insanely low starting price ($4.99 and $9.99, respectively):

From Lot 1
From Lot 1
From Lot 1
From Lot 1
From Lot 1
From Lot 1
From Lot 2
From Lot 2
From Lot 2

Lucky Number 9

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

If you wear a size 9 ladies shoe, then the Remix Vintage shoe fairy has come to visit! Available this week on eBay are the Bloomsbury in blueberry, the Piazza in teal, a pair of tooled leather heels, and the Dara in red. While the Dara shoe has a rubber sole and it is not great for dancing, it is a most comfortable and adorable street shoe – it’s also the deal of the day at a $29.99 starting price.

Bloomsbury
Piazza
Tooled Leather
Dara

1920’s Black Cloche

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This 1920’s cloche is remarkable in many ways. The hat is unworn and it is truly rare to find 1920’s deadstock items. But even greater is the styling on this hat – it not only has that wonderful cloche shape, but the details on this hat, like the seaming that is a nod to Art Deco, the baubles on the side, and the mix of materials and textures make this more than just a hat, but also a subtly elegant and eclectic fashion statement.

Shoes, glorious shoes!

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I know the blog has been heavy with shoes from eBay as of late, but I can’t resist posting all these Remix Shoes and Aris Allens. For the price of a new pair of shoes, I could have two or three pairs (and given the price of Remix shoes, three or four pairs) for the price of one. Here’s this week’s lot of goodies (I’m showing the Remix photo instead of the seller’s photo so you can see more of the detail on the shoes):

Remix Mary Jane wedge in red, size 9 - starting price $19.99!
Remix Greta wedge in dark green, size 6
Remix Picasso wedge in black, size 10
Remix Gloria wedge in black and white, size 8 or 7

1930’s/40’s Green Velvet Party Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It is so hard for me to resist vintage velvet – nothing is softer, silkier, or more delectable. It drapes like charmeuse and feels like a kitten. The season for wearing velvet seems so small in comparison to the amount of time I would like to be wearing velvet.

Perhaps you are contemplating your New Year’s Eve outfit for Lindy Focus or a special holiday dance? I would recommend this lovely dress (and if I’m posting this kind of love, you know it’s not in my size), a 1930’s/40’s green velvet party dress from eBay seller love_kats. The draping, the sleeves, the rhinestones on the bodice…and the twirl potential on this skirt looks really promising! There are a few noted minor flaws and some mending, but I can tell you from several vintage velvet purchases that these kinds of repairs and conditions have been universal for my purchases and have not detracted from the garment, nor been difficult to repair. Love. This. Dress.

RetroSpect’d Clothing: Reproduction 1940’s and 1950’s Clothing for Guys and Girls

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I first happened upon RetroSpect’d Clothing at All Balboa Weekend 2009, as it was one of the vendors setting up shop outside the ballroom. I heard that a contingency of Australian dancers had come with garments stuffed into each of their suitcases so that the company could sell clothing at ABW. As usual, I was waiting with anticipation as the garments were put onto the racks and quickly made my selections, then headed to the bathroom to try things on.

1943 Dress

I left the bathroom with one of the most universally flattering dresses I own – Retrospect’d’s 1943 dress in red crepe. Several other girls, of varying sizes and shapes also tried this dress on and it was simply the most flattering dress on everyone, giving the illusion of or accentuating a tiny waist. A flirty skirt, expert fit, cute tucks and gathers, a simplicity of form, crepe material, and sleeves make this dress easy to wear for a variety of occasions year-round.

Guys always seem to be looking for pants and Retrospect’d has two pairs of reproduction pants to choose from: the New Yorkers and the Californias. The New Yorkers feature (and pardon my lack of menswear knowledge, Lindy Dandy might correct me later 😉 ) a tab front pant with pleats, cuffs, and buttons for suspenders and comes in 5 classic menswear fabrics. The Californias have a similar wide leg and cuffs, but accommodate a more relaxed, belted look.

There are lots of other fun things for sale, including vintage repro jeans, adorable 1940’s shorts, ladies’ pants, a bevy of colorful dresses, men’s shirts, full skirts, wrap tops, ladylike blouses, and the infamous ski bunny knit top.

The New Yorkers
Californias
Viva Dress
Wrap Top
Ski Bunny Knit Top
40's Shorts
High Waisted Jeans
40's Double Button Pants