Author: Lindy Shopper

Vintage jazz dancer, DJ, songbird, blogger

Field Trip: Kitsch-y-Cool Vintage, Charlotte, NC

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

When the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars went on their first mini-tour this past weekend to Greenville, SC and Charlotte, NC, I knew we’d have a few hours to kill in Charlotte before the Saturday night dance, but wasn’t sure what exactly that would entail when traveling with five guys. Fortunately, our esteemed band leader, George Knott, is a vintage hunter and gatherer of things, including old musical instruments, which leads him to some interesting destinations like the Sleepy Poet Antique Mall in Charlotte, NC. He’s driving the bus, so who’s to argue?

A wide view of the shop

I’ll admit, I had low expectations of finding any worthwhile clothing at Kitsch-y-Cool Vintage, as antique mall clothing tends to lean more toward undesirable leftovers from someone’s closet thrown in with their antique furniture and knick-knacks. To my surprise, in the center of this antique mall, an entire store was set up, with racks upon racks of real vintage shoes, clothing, jewelry, and accessories. The area was even decorated well! There was definitely a lot of 60’s and 70’s clothing, but there was enough 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s clothing that I would recommend stopping by if you are in the area. That said, the 60’s clothing was really good and I was tempted to leave with a pair of mod silver heels.

The prices are fantastic, between $30 and $70 for dresses in excellent condition ($70 for the “designer” 1940’s dress I saw), but the real steal were the men’s accessories – $2 for really awesome tie clips, loads of cufflinks, belt buckles, and our saxophone player, Peter Lamb, left with a really shiny pair of sunglasses and a pipe. I was in heaven because the clothing was organized by size and each item had a tag describing the item and the decade. I do love an organized vintage store!

I picked up two adorable 1940’s dresses, one of them dead stock with the original tags still on. The label says “Lindner-Davis.” A quick Google search shows that this was a department store in Cleveland – funny that I’m picking up Cleveland vintage in my home state when I was just there last week…anyway, the price tag says $12.85, marked down from $22.95. How much would this dress cost today? Lindner & Davis merged with another store in 1950, so calculating from 1949, according to an inflation calculator, this dress would be like buying a $210 dress on sale for $118, only I really paid around $30 in today’s dollars for the dress. How’s that for bargain hunting? 😉

Here are pictures of the space and some vintage finds:

The entrance
Oh, the sport coats!
1940's dead stock dress
1930's/40's flowered dress with belt - better in person!
Navy blue 1940's designer dress
Detail on the neckline of a lovely navy dress

Man swag
The record shop next door

1940’s Cherry Red Heels

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’ve got to give props to Bill Speidel, again, for having such excellent taste and for knowing my shoe size. Unfortunately, this lovely pair of 1940’s cherry red heels on Etsy, size 7, are just a bit too narrow – but maybe not for you? They are wider than 3 inches, which is usually indicative of a not-as-narrow size. Aren’t they delicious?

A Custom Gem for the Ladies

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’ll leave you with this divine dress for the weekend – it comes in all sizes because the Etsy seller porshesplace will make one for your measurements from a 1950’s VOGUE pattern, in one of 45 colors of stretch satin. There are lots of other patterns on the seller’s Etsy site with the same offer, but this dress was the standout to me – Va-voom!

Indochino: Indescribably Stylish Suiting

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I really am speechless as to how to describe the suiting on the Indochino web site. It manages to be all things at once: cool, classic, vintage, modern, tailored, and edgy, with a slight sense of humor, a dash of executive, and a pinch of street cred. I’d like to think there’s a little something for everyone here and, with suiting tailored to your measurements, perhaps there’s a perfect fit for everyone as well.

I started out looking for three piece suits and quickly noticed the attention to detail on these garments. There were varying lapel widths, peaked lapels, excellent fabrics, and options like choosing your pant leg width, pick stitching, and a functional buttoniere. The term bespoke is tossed around a lot – items custom-made to the buyer’s specification – and I like it! The best part is that these custom suits cost much less than even your local tailor would probably charge you – I do try to keep the things I post on this blog under $200, but considering comparable expense for such suits as these, the Indochino price is a discount.

Never fear! There are things other than suits on this website, and well under $200. Shirts with custom cuffs and collars, vests in three different cuts, ties, cufflinks, pocket squares, and even a tie clip! *nods to Lindy Dandy* There are also gorgeous blazers, overcoats, and pants that are in that upper range, but…well, you should see for yourself.

I am, perhaps, most impressed with the construction of suit jackets, which have a canvas interlining to provide structure and drape. That extra layer is just another barrier between the lead’s sweat and the follower – just think followers, if the guy is wearing an undershirt, a dress shirt, and one of these jackets, that’s 5 layers of fabric the sweat has to wick through until it reaches you! Every little bit helps.

Here’s what I’m loving:

The Havana Suit - a lovely linen suit for summer
The Montecristo - the brown linen adds a nice twist on summer suiting
The Black Pinstripe Suit - classic, and check out those peaked lapels!
Blue Pin Stripe Double Breasted Suit
Navy Blue Pin Stripe Suit
The Nouveaux Socialite Tuxedo - LOVE this
The Performer Full Dress Tuxedo - it's killer diller!
The Weekend Jacket
The Nouveaux Socialite Vest
Light Gray Vest
Metallic Trifecta Cufflink
Good Groove Tie Clip

1930’s Tuxedo with Tails, Vest, and Pants

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I can’t resist posting a three piece suit, even if it’s a tux with tails, which I’ve only ever seen on the dance floor on the Killer Dillers or Drew Nugent. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to take your dressing up a notch. With a starting bid on eBay at $24.99, it would be worth a bid just to pick up the vest!

Size is estimated at a 40, but the measurements on the jacket are 18 inches across the shoulder with 24 inch sleeves, and pants at a 38 inch waist and 31 inch inseam.

Vendors at All Balboa Weekend

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It’s been another fantastic year at All Balboa Weekend. If birds of a feather flock together, then our feathers are preened and shiny, because the Balboa people love to dress up and talk about dressing up. If you are a vintage style clothing or shoe retailer, then ABW can be an excellent opportunity to reach out to your fans, many of which come to Cleveland to shop in its vintage stores and/or pick up a pair of dance shoes from one of the ABW vendors (because it’s always great to try them on in person and to avoid shipping charges).

The Ritz

While it was a fantastic year, I was getting over a cold at ABW. I had many plans to do fantastic reporting on fashions, vendors, vintage stores, and take lots of pictures, but decided to take it easy and make sure I was well for the event. However, I have not left ABW empty-handed! The ABW vendors should certainly be highlighted for their fantastic contributions and much appreciated presence at the event.

My favorite vendor at ABW is Remix Vintage Shoes, which lines up their glorious shoes, some of which are not available online, in a long row that covers two large tables. Any Remix shoe can be an investment, so there’s always a delicious agony in choosing the right pair to take home.

White suede mens captoe from Remix

Remix owner Phil Heath was on hand to answer questions, help with fittings, and tell wonderful stories about the shoes (or rather, the shoe of origin). I picked up a delicious pair of silver “The Ritz” shoes and Phil told me he found the model shoe (and pardon me if I butcher the story) at some sort of flea market and bought them for a song – the pair was from the 1920’s and had actual gold leaf on them. The Remix versions, while not in 24K, certainly look gilded.

Aris Allen 1940's velvet and mesh Mary Jane

I saw a number of gents pick up Remix’s answer to the white Aris Allen captoe, which have fantastic detail and come in a soft white suede. I couldn’t find these on the web site, so you’ll have to call Remix and inquire.

I’ll have more of my Remix photos at the end of this post.

Dancestore.com was at the event in force, with literally a wall of inventory in all shapes and sizes. Dancestore had two people staffing the table at times and the response for these shoes was overwhelming to wade through, with ladies and gents strewn about the hallway trying on shoes.

Aris Allen Classic Dress Sneaker

I saw a lot of ladies buying and sporting the Aris Allen 1940’s velvet and mesh Mary Jane heel, which looked fantastic on everyone who wore them. I was also informed that this was the ladies shoe of choice at The Experiment.

The men could stock up on those critical white Aris Allen captoes, or pick up a pair of Classic Dress Sneakers, which I saw on a number of male feet.

Heyday trouser

Heyday was back again this year, fresh from the UK, with owner Shona van Beers bringing over stacks of her amazing wide leg trousers, dresses, and flirty tops. If you haven’t experienced the wonders of the Heyday trousers, then you are truly missing out – they have an elegant drape, feel like pajamas, and make your bum look like a million bucks. I apologize for not having live photos of these items, and especially apologetic for not posting all of Shona’s amazing outfits that she wore all weekend – gorgeous stuff!

Heyday 1940's dress

Toward the end of the weekend Bop City Vintage made an appearance at the end of the hall, with fresh vintage clothing for men and women each day and prices in the $10 to $20 range. There are no online resources for this company, but duly noted that it is very cool to have racks of vintage clothing for sale at a swing event!

I’ll end by saying that the Balboa community has some truly creative individuals, who came out in full force for the ABW Project Runway competition. The challenge was to create a look out of Bart Bartolo tee shirts with the slogan “Keepin’ it casual,” duct tape, and scissors. While I did not win with my pencil skirt with Bart kickpleat, pop-art halter top with chevron detailing on the back, matching purse, and fascinator, I was very pleased with the showing and with my model, Nelle Cherry, who did a smashing job showing it off. The winner of the contest made a fantastic, wearable dress with lovely goring and a twirly skirt. It may be too early for pictures – I’m hoping my Facebook friends come through with a few!

I’d like to thank Valerie Salstrom, MaryAnn Carothers, Kyle Smith, and the rest of the ABW crew for putting on a world-class event. This was my fourth ABW and, in my opinion, the best one thus far – I can’t wait until next year!

All Balboa Weekend

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This weekend, Lindy Shopper will be attending All Balboa Weekend, the grandaddy of all Balboa events. I’ll be getting into a car heading to Cleveland in T minus 25 minutes…

I hope to participate in ABW’s first ever Project Runway competition, which should be of particular interest to shoppers – sure the Balboa ladies can wear beautiful clothes, but can they make them? We’ll find out. The word on the streets is that we can use duct tape, scissors, and something about the Bart Bartolo “Keeping it casual” shirts…curious.

I also hope to be able to update the blog with finds from ABW vendors and, perhaps, a local vintage clothing store, but that will depend on the internet connection at the hotel and any free time I may be able to scrape together. If you don’t hear from me in the next few days, I’ll be back on Tuesday to report my ABW finds! 🙂

Five Fabulous Forties Finds

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I am very much in like with these five items and would have added them to my watch list on eBay if they came in my size. Low starting bids on the dresses, moderate starting bid on the shoes (but then, the shoes are pretty fabulous).

Gorgeous red rayon dress
Blue velvet dress with bow at neckline
The lighting makes this dress look like it's yellow, but in other pics it looks off-white. It was good to have someone wear it to show off the dress's lovely shape and details.
White suede peeptoes with cutouts, measurement from toe to heel is 9 and 5/8 inches.
Love this brown crepe dress with detail on the shoulder and a peplum that forms a V in the back

Leluxe Clothing Co.: Reproduction 1920’s Beaded Dresses

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I just about passed out when I found the Leluxe Clothing Company web site.

If you have ever come across a 1920’s beaded gown for sale, odds are the retailer was asking upwards of $1,000 for the dress, if in mint condition. If not in mint condition, then the seller was still asking hundreds of dollars for the garment. Even then, there was no guarantee that the dress would not disintegrate upon wearing, and dancing in it was out of the question.

I could only lust after these dresses, wishing I could cut a rug and hear the soft swishing of beads like the dancers in the Great Gatsby movie.

The unattainable is now attainable. Leluxe Clothing Company offers hand beaded dresses in modern materials that give you the quality and craftsmanship of a 1920’s beaded dress without the worry that the dress will fall apart.

According to the web site, “LeLuxe Clothing Company was founded in 2000 with the goal of continuing the traditions of design and craftsmanship of a bygone era. Working in the costume houses of Hollywood, owner Jill Schliesmann realized the fragile creations of diaphanous cottons, laces, and beaded silks were being lost to time. She and her husband, Shane Burroughs, recognized a void that needed to be filled – a style that needed to be revived so that those creations could live again. LeLuxe Clothing Company makes the fun and luxury of the Jazz Age accessible to the Twenty-first Century. The combined experiences of Ms. Schliesmann and Mr. Burroughs gives them insight into the specialized needs of the entertainment industry, the demands of cutting-edge fashion, and the fascinating sphere of collecting, preserving, and restoring vintage clothing. LeLuxe Clothing Company not only offers faithful reproductions of period designs, but also a number of exclusive designs created in the spirit of the 1920’s – dresses that embody creative energy, sharp design, and a wonderful sense of whimsy.”

These dresses are stunning. And sparkly. And wearable! They come in a variety of lengths and the owners have noted which dresses are best for dancing. The fit on 1920’s dresses does not have to be exact, which makes these dresses easy to size because the dress can be as fitted or loose as you want it to be. All of the dresses have different measurements, there is no uniform sizing, so pay close attention to the measurements before purchasing or dismissing.

The dresses are mesh, so a slip is an essential part of the ensemble. Leluxe also offers slips that are made to go under these dresses in a number of different colors. Depending on the look you want or the dress you have chosen, you can mix up the shape and the color of the slip.

As if the beaded dresses weren’t enough to make Leluxe fabulous, they also carry dreamy white cotton dresses with vintage embroidery. Everything is so lovely here!

It’s going to be hard to narrow this down and not post every dress on the web site, but here’s a sampling of these glorious dresses (most come in multiple colors):

The Duchess
The Garconne
The Fleur-de-lis (the red is not on the web site, but should be available soon)
The Egyptian
The Deco Star
The Spider (this dress would be wicked cool on Halloween!)
The Vamp
Gatsby Lawn Dress
The Forget-Me-Not

Varsity Sweater

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

RAH – RAH – SIS BOOM BAH!

Design Archives, a vintage clothing store in Greensboro, NC, has posted this fantastic 1940’s/50’s letterman’s sweater on their Etsy site. The sweater was previously owned by David “Shorty” Robinson, as marked on the label, and is a size small (measures 38 inches in circumference at chest, waist, and hips).

Looks like Shorty lettered in cheerleading – too bad it doesn’t come with a matching megaphone!

Vivien of Holloway

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Vivien of Holloway is a UK based retailer of 1940’s and 1950’s reproduction clothing. From the looks of their press page, the British glitterati are already in love with Vivien of Holloway’s designs – thank goodness for the Interwebs to bring us these goodies from across the pond! Check out their amazing photo gallery for some inspiring ways to wear their designs.

I’d like to thank my friend, DJ, and fellow clotheshorse Bill Speidel for this find.

Most of these items come in 10+ colors, so if you don’t like the color I posted, chances are there’s a color you will like. Also, if you like halter tops and dresses, this is your store. Here are some of my faves:

I am such a sucker for gingham dresses...
GINGHAM OVERLOAD
Turquoise linen sarong dress
Red pencil skirt
Gypsy top - rickrack FTW!
Petticoat/crinoline - an item that can be really hard to find unless you go digging in square dance land. They also come in multiple colors and are already the correct length for the dresses sold on the site.
Anchor belt - yes, please! Also comes in blue.
Cherry shoe clips!

Remix heels and wedges

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It’s been a while since any dance shoes popped up on eBay, but here are two pair of Remix shoes to keep the supply going (since the caption appears to be uncooperative, the brown “Kate” heels are a size 6):

I forget the name of these wedges (and they aren't on the Remix site anymore), but here they are, size 9, worn only once!

Delia*s all in white

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’ve been getting the Delia*s catalog since I was about 14 years old and with each passing year I wonder when I will grow out of loving things from this catalog. True, the number of “love” items has grown smaller as I grow older, but there is always something in the catalog that catches my eye or ends up catching my wallet. This season, Delia*s has put out a number of great pieces that are all white. I love wearing white in the summer – it always looks so light and cool. Check out these lovely pieces, with details like ruffles, pintucks, battenburg lace, and smocking – some of these garments come in darker colors, if you have trouble seeing the detail: