Category: Accessories

Tweed Bow Tie from Urban Outfitters

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I’ll probably catch some flack from my fellow bloggers, but I couldn’t resist posting this tweed bow tie from Urban Outfitters that I ran across while looking for Christmas presents on the UO website. This is tie great because it could essentially go with anything and is sort of an everyman’s bow tie – it provides an unassuming upgrade to your outfit in neutral color that works with both patterned shirts (as pictured) and plain shirts. The tweed could be dressed up or dressed down – wear it with a three piece suit or a simple button-up. It was also in the gift section for under $20, which makes it a deal whether or not you buy it for yourself or for someone else. 🙂

My Baby Jo

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

Eastern Balboa Championships

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!

Billie Holiday’s Gardenias

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

There’s been a flurry of Billie Holiday discussion online today, with DJs Rob Moreland (via Facebook) and Jerry Almonte (via blog) writing about danceable Billie Holiday tunes. Billie’s music is absolutely inspiring and so is her signature look. The images of Billie Holiday with clusters of gardenias in her hair are iconic – so much so, that flowers, or clusters of flowers, have become a quintessential vintage look for singers, dancers, and (as many Etsy listings tout) brides.

Billie’s flowered tresses came about by accident, according to biographer Bud Kliment (via the Human Flower Project). The story goes that “During Holiday’s tenure at Kelly’s Stable, Sylvia Sims, a fellow jazz singer, furnished Holiday with an accessory that was to become a lasting part of her image. One night before a performance, Holiday burned her hair with a curling iron. Sims, who was in the room with her, promptly went to a club down the street, where the coat check girls were selling flowers. Sims bought a big white gardenia and gave it to Holiday, who wore it that night to cover the burned section of her hair. She liked wearing the flower so much that she began to put a gardenia in her hair before every performance.”

Gardenias are beautiful, delicate white flowers with a lovely and potent scent. I was delighted to discover that the giant bush behind my house was a gardenia bush, after it blossomed with gusto this past spring. The smell was intoxicating and made my backyard a wonderful and fragrant place to be (in spite of my brown thumb and allergies to the outdoors). I plucked some of these flowers to wear at the G.I. Jive in Greenville, S.C. this past June, placing them carefully in a vase inside a cooler so they would survive the trip to South Carolina. At the dance that night, several people commented on the flowers’ fragrance and were surprised that I had transported real gardenias to wear in my hair. It was definitely worth the effort, as the gardenias achieved the desired Billie effect and fit wonderfully in the curl of a victory roll; however, by the end of the night, the June humidity and heat (as well as additional heat from dancers) caused the gardenias to wilt. I presume that all those photos of Billie with gardenias were taken shortly after she took the stage, or in winter…or that she perhaps wore a more hearty variety of gardenias.

(Side note: There is some debate in the Human Flower Project article about what it means to wear the flower on the right side above the ear or the left side above the ear. I notice that Billie wears hers on the left. I wear my flowers on the left so my lead doesn’t get a flower directly in the face when we are in closed position or dancing Balboa. I wonder if that was a consideration for her side selection…)

My gardenia bush lost its blooms several months ago, but there are a number of beautiful and practical artificial options to tide me over until next spring. Etsy has become my go-to place for hair flowers and the crafts-people on Etsy do not disappoint. Here are some options to help you achieve Lady Day’s signature look:

A lovely silk specimen from seller ellasalley
Gardenia with a pearl and rhinestone center
Bloom with a jeweled brooch in the center
Gardenia made from air dried clay
Another lovely specimen
Enough gardenias to do a proper Billie

The BoomCase

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I am smitten with the BoomCase, both with the vanity and functionality of it all. The BoomCase, the creation of the mysterious Mr. Simo, is essentially a portable sound system made from vintage luggage. With the impracticality of carrying vintage luggage, use of these types of suitcases is usually relegated to carrying cables and mics for bands. Some vintage luggage can be really stylish and I like the idea of re-purposing the luggage. I currently have 2 train cases that I use as jewelry boxes. However, Mr. Sino takes re-purposing to the next level – the BoomCase is stealth, creating a whole new thing out of something old, improving it to create something even more functional, but maintaining the nostalgia of the piece through preservation of the luggage and careful construction.

I can think of a few places off the top of my head where the BoomCase would be useful: impromptu Lindy Bomb, rehearsal in a space without a sound system, dances in outdoor spaces…

Here are some more practical details from the website:

“The Self Powered, Portable Suitcase Stereo system works with your iPod/iPhone or any device with a headphone jack. This case will last 7+ hours on a single charge (Charger Built In). In addition to running on batteries, The BoomCase can also be plugged in when the party goes inside. To save on weight, you can opt for a plug-in only version.

I am an audio-nut. So you can be assured I make each case produce the best sound possible. I shy away from plastic or thin suitcases because of their not so great acoustic qualities. Mainly I use cases that are built with wood and leather because of the superior sound they produce.

Each case is custom made to the users liking. Options include: Ipod/USB Charger, Extra Batteries, Custom Paint and more.”

In other words, the sky is the limit – you can customize your own superior sound box to be what you want it to be. I love the selection of luggage pieces he has pictured on the website that are potential BoomCases. 🙂

Special thanks to Paul Overton for posting these awesome cases on his blog, Dude Craft, and to Rob Moreland for directing me to this blog so that I could fall in love with them and post them here.

You can purchase a BoomCase at Mr. Simo’s Etsy shop. There’s only one listed right now, but according to the BoomCase website Mr. Simo has been inundated with emails and interest about his BoomCases. In the interim, check out some of his past creations:

Son-of-an-ironworker on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

EBay seller son-of-an-ironworker popped up in one of my searches for vintage ties. To my delight, I found not only a clever collection of vintage bow ties, but also some other great accessories, like 1940’s/50’s patterned socks, deadstock socks, and a 1930’s Planter’s Peanuts necktie. Check it out…

Flowers, but not too girly
Pink, but not too girly, eh?
I always thought the peanut guy was classy...
Lindale socks in their original packaging - as seen in LIFE magazine!
Blue Lindale socks with chevrons
Plaid S-T-R-E-T-C-H Socks

Firemen Wear Suspenders; Gentlemen Wear Braces

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

The terms suspenders and braces are technically interchangeable, but I tend to use suspenders to refer to the type with alligator clip ends and braces for the type that require buttons.  Clips damage pants, so I always go with the button type.  Whatever you call them, they’re used to suspend your trousers at waist height.  Unlike belts, braces don’t have to be cinched tightly around your waist to keep your trousers in place and in fact, allow them to drape more gracefully.

Trousers worn with braces should be cut more generously in the waist (at least an inch) so the braces can be allowed to hold them up (so if you’re pants hold themselves up, they’re too tight for braces).  If your trousers do not have brace buttons, it’s a simple job for a tailor: you’ll need one set of buttons in the back and two in the front, either on the inside or outside (your choice).

Back in the day, you’d never see a gentleman without his jacket on, so you’d never see his braces (or know if he buttoned them on the outside or inside).  Braces were a man’s inside joke, they could have the silliest, most ostentatious designs in the world, but it didn’t matter because nobody would ever see them.  Things are different, nowadays; seeing a man without a jacket is common (and it’s too darn hot to keep a jacket on all night), so you better be ready to show your braces off.

The finest braces in the world are made in the UK by Albert Thurston and Trafalgar.  Albert Thurston (my preferred brand) has been making braces since 1820.  They’ve been worn by princes, kings and businessmen for the last two centuries and have even been featured in Bond movies.  Fine braces do not come cheap.  Trafalgar Limited Edition braces (made of %100 hand-woven silk) cost as much as $195 for the full retail price.  Albert Thurston braces hover around the $70-$80 range.  The gems below come from an estate sale on eBay by micandgeo. (I was very tempted to bid on several of these for myself).

Trafalgar Limited Edition, Parrots, starting at $19.99
Trafalgar Limited Edition, Tortoise & Hare, starting at $19.99
Trafalgar Limited Edition, Darts, starting at $19.99
Trafalgar Limited Edition, African Animals, starting at $19.99
Albert Thurston, Planes, starting at $19.99
Albert Thurston, Peacock Feathers, starting at $19.99 (on second thought, I think I'll bid on this set)

For the record, I have nothing against firemen (heck, I’m friends with a fireman).

Happy hunting!

The Vintage Shirt Company

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

I’m a firm believer that you can find just about anything on the internet, if you search diligently.  The Vintage Shirt Company, based out of the UK, supplies shirts and accessories for use in period costume dramas; everything from the 1700s to the present day.  A huge thanks to Lindy Shopper for pointing out this site to me.

According to their “About Us” page, “All the stock is adapted from original garments to ensure an authentic period look. Close attention has been paid to the detailing and standard of finish which means they can confidently be used in film work. We also stock a range of traditional underwear and useful accessories.”

This company features a ludicrous number of stiff, detachable collars.  Detachable collars?  According to the common legend, the detachable collar was invented by Hannah Lord Montague in Troy, NY in 1827; she found that the only soiled part of her husband’s shirts were the collars, so she snipped off the collar, washed it, then sewed it back on.  Nowadays, detachable collars are largely unnecessary as they are very formal and very tedious.  If you’re looking to dress in a 1920s to 1940s style, detachable collars are a bit old-fashioned, even for you; detachable collars are more of a turn-of-the-century style.  The World Wars forced more practicality into men’s clothing, so attached collar shirts became the norm.

an example of a detachable collar, the Standard Wing Stiff Collar

It’s interesting to see shirt designs from the 1920s onward, if only so you can notice that things have remained largely unchanged since then.  The “dress shirt” as we know it, was standardized by that time.  Only the fabric, patterns and proportions have oscillated with the times.

just a regular dress shirt, right? This is described as a "1920’s Spearpoint collar attached shirts in White with Blue/Black stripe"

As you can see, this is a pretty simple striped dress shirt, one that you might be able to find in a dozen different places.

The true advantage of this store, then, is that it is a great one-stop shop for vintage inspired accessories.  They’ve got a killer collection of braces (suspenders), sock garters, scarves, handkerchiefs and gloves.  These are the sorts of details that can take your looks to a higher level.  Keep in mind that this one-stop shop is going to be on the pricier side, especially since they’re shipping from the UK.

Here are some of my favorites:

I prefer braces with white fasteners because they match all colors of shoes (though few people are that picky about it), Henley stripe button braces, starting at £35 + VAT.
These are a bit whimsical, but I like them. Reading Glass Monocles, £45 + VAT.
Arm Bands can really bring together a vintage look. £7.5 + VAT
They also carry some handsome pocket squares, £8.50 + VAT.
Forgive me for geeking out, but they carry Panthrella socks, some of the nicest (and pricier) socks that are made made in the world. They're hard to find. £8.25 + VAT
If you want to be the most uniquely dressed guy at a sleepwear dance party, you could wear a nightshirt. (if you do this, we want photos)
If you're putting on some Shakespeare or plan to do some swashbuckling, this is the frilly shirt for you. Square cut frilled cotton lawn period shirt, £54 + VAT.

For more on detachable collars, check out this site.

Compacts

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

At the last RDU Rent Party dance I had at least 3 people tell me I had lipstick on my teeth. On each occasion, I would look toward the one bathroom for the studio and it was always occupied and there was no other mirror in sight. Rather than give up red lips altogether, I decided it was time to invest in a compact.

I immediately went to eBay and, rather than my usual bargains, I was blown away at most of the prices (or at least the prices for the vintage compacts I wanted). I did find a few less expensive gems, that I will post below.

Kyle Designs Art Deco Compact

A quick Google search for “art deco compact” yielded a hit for Kyle Designs, which has a custom Art Deco-inspired compact for $25.00. Customization includes selecting the metal, the color plate, and for a few dollars more you can have the compact engraved. I think this would make a great gift for the ladies, gents. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

I also browsed through Etsy and found ByMIMI, who embellishes her compacts with bits of filligree, vintage jewelry, and some whimsy. Finally, dnacreations on Etsy offered a number of pin-up girl compacts at the low price of $4.00. I’ve posted some samples from these two sellers below, as well.

Now, to decide which compact I want the most…

1930's checkerboard compact on eBay
1940's blue enamel compact on eBay
1940's Dorset Fifth Avenue compact on eBay
Art Deco compact on eBay
1934 Deakin and Frances compact on eBay
Betty Boop compact ByMIMI
Unicorn compact ByMIMI
Black rose compact ByMIMI
Pinup girl compact by dnacreations
Pinup girl compact by dnacreations

1940s Ties and Beautiful Tie Clip

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

There have been some beautiful finds on eBay, lately.  These ties are great, but I’m really excited about the tie clip. (as always, click the photos for the auction).

These ties would be a great addition to any collection. The shapes and colors are eye catching. Starting at $22.
Embroidered silk tie, starting at $24.95 (0 bids with 1 day left!)
Handsome white and blue enamel tie clip, starting at $4.99. I can't think about New Orleans and Jazz without picturing a fleur de lis. (Normally, I'd buy something like this for myself, but I really wanted to share this great find).

I really hope someone buys this tie clip; I think it’s the nicest one I’ve posted yet.  Happy hunting!

Busy Ties

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

One of these ties popped into my saved eBay search this morning.  I clicked to check out the seller’s other items and POW!  These five patterned ties showed up.

Busy patterns and designs can be tricky to wear.  Wear it properly and you can look very sharp.  Overdo it and you risk looking like a train wreck.  For ties like these, your best bet is to pair their patterns with a neutral background.  i.e. now is not the time to wear your favorite gingham shirt.  Wear a plain, blue or white dress shirt and you’ll do just fine.  (Assuming everything fits, of course).

Black/gold art deco tie, starts at $15
Deco, geometric shapes tie, starts at $19
(not to be worn with tweed, ever) starts at $15
Black/gold diagonal stripes and shapes, starts at $13
gold pattern on a black background, starts at $25

Proceed with caution; these ties would look very bad in the wrong hands.  Happy hunting!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some tie clips, but here goes.  As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s very easy to find tie clips in several themes.  This time, we’re looking at forms of transportation.

Jet Tie Clip, starting at $2.99
Vintage Army "Chinook" Chopper, Buy it Now for $18.50
Choo Choo! Er, I mean, vintage train, starting at $1.25
Trolley, starting at $2.99
Rally car, starting at 3 British Pounds
These boots were made for walking, starting at $2.99

I just searched for “vintage tie clips” and found these in the first two pages of the search.  It’s that easy.

Happy hunting!

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!

Art Deco Ties

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

This post is short and sweet.  I intend to do a longer post on ties in the future, but for now, I’ll just post this lot of 5 ties.

These are wide ties, most of them hovering around or beyond 4 inches; ties that would look best tied a bit short with a tie bar and high-waisted trousers, a vintage-inspired look I saw several leads rocking at ILHC this year.

Lot of 5 wide ties, bidding starts at $39.99. Buy now for $49.99. Even at $10/tie, that's not too bad.