Category: Jewelry

Trashy Diva

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

First things first – there’s nothing trashy about Trashy Diva. This New Orleans-based outfit carries classy goods for ladies, from shoes to clothes to accessories. I know I already mentioned Trashy Diva in my blog entry for Atomic Ballroom, but I want to shout it from the hills how amazing their dresses are now that I own one!

One of my favorite concepts is for retailers to take vintage patterns and make them into current clothing (this will definitely be a recurrent theme on lindyshopper.com). This solves two problems:

1) My need to look like a vintage doll at swing dances; and

2) My need for durable, danceable clothing that doesn’t inhibit movement and won’t disintegrate if I sweat in it.

My mother, who grew up sewing her own clothes with the clean lines of 1960’s clothing, has made me a few dresses from vintage patterns, but after seeing her worry about messing them up and fretting over the tucks and gathering (they came out beautifully, Mom!), I have been able to give her a bit of a break, thanks to retailers and dressmakers like Trashy Diva. I should also mention that finding suitable fabric to make these clothes is very difficult, if not impossible in North Carolina. That Trashy Diva is able to find such wonderful fabrics for these dresses is truly amazing to someone who doesn’t live near Mood or some other purveyor of fine fabrics.

The fit on these dresses is impeccable. I know my measurements and Trashy Diva delivered to my doorstep a comfortable dress that required no alteration. I purchased one of their rayon dresses and the pattern on the fabric and texture were spot on. My only complaint is that the garment must be dry cleaned, which may not be required for some of their other fabrics.

The Trashy Diva website mimics the real life Trashy Diva store, which I have heard (but not actually witnessed – one day!) are actually three stores in New Orleans, one carrying dresses, one with lingerie, and another with shoes, accessories, etc. You should take your time and explore this website, as there are wonderful surprises at every click.

Unfortunately, the website is set up to where I can’t link you to individual items, but here are some of my favorites, if you’d like a scavenger hunt:

Small, but useful: Tie Clips

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

Have you ever danced with a follow wearing an unsecured ponytail?  Remember how you had to bob and weave to avoid getting smacked in the face?  Annoying, yes?

You’ll be the male equivalent if you don’t have a way to secure your tie.

Now, there are a couple ways to do this:

  1. Wear a vest.
  2. Wear a tie clip (or a tie pin or tie chain).

Many swing dancers wear vests, but today, we’re talking tie clips.

Tie clips aren’t just functional. From simple and formal to ornate and silly, they’re an opportunity to express your personality and share your interests.  They were the billboards of yesteryear, so you can even promote clubs and products with them.  (I’ve seen tie clips shaped like weapons, animals, and vehicles).  A plain silver rectangle works too.  Besides protecting your follow, they also keep your tie out of your soup.

Here are a couple I found on ebay:

Anson Tie Clips
Vintage Art Deco Designs Sterling Silver Tie Clip
Vintage 1950s 60s ANSON Goldtone & Red Enamel Tie Clip
Yeah, I couldn't help myself. (I'm in the Navy).

I prefer mine on the short side (around 1″), but I have a few longer ones.

Wear them anywhere between a 1/3rd and a 1/2 way down your tie from your collar.  Match the metal of your other accessories (belt/ring/watch/cufflinks).  Wearing it horizontally is more conservative.  Angled down (my preference) is a tad rakish.  As Frank Sinatra said, “Cock your hat – angles are attitudes.”

Do yourself a favor.  Wear a tie.  Do the ladies a favor and secure your ties with a tie clip.

Field trip: Beggars and Choosers, Pittsboro, NC

(WordPress is being uncooperative with my photos and I don’t have time to figure out the problem right now, but I wanted to get this post up in case any locals wanted to go check out the shop, as they are only open this weekend! I’ll work on the pics soon…)

Yesterday was actually the first time I had been to Beggars and Choosers in Pittsboro, NC, even though I have been to Pittsboro many times. People have been telling me to go for years and I can see why – this shop is full of thoughtful and adorable pieces of furniture, antiques, knick-knacks, a second floor full of vintage clothes and accessories at reasonable prices, and a basement full of furniture and clothes at thrift shop prices.

The shop is only open for this coming weekend, after being closed for some time following a robbery at the store. To kick off the store’s limited weekend opening, Beggars and Choosers had a “preview” night on Thursday, April 29 and for $10 admission you get first dibs on the store’s new inventory, hors d’ouvres, and live music while you shop. The store’s owner, Pam Smith, was a delight and danced around the store, meeting and greeting people, new friends and old friends, with a warm welcome.

I hope that Beggars and Choosers will remain open, if not with regular business hours, with these sort of limited open weekends, because there were some really great swing era items and a lovely selection of vintage faux pearl jewelry. My friend Natasha El-Sergany came along and picked up a pearl necklace for her wedding. Notable items included a great selection of men’s footwear, lots of dead stock items for men and women, a pair of black spats, a 1930’s embroidered debutante/wedding gown with matching embroidered shoes, tons of sundresses from the 1950’s through the 1970’s, tons of men’s and women’s hats, at least 6 pairs of 1940’s heels that make me wish my foot was AAAA width, Art Deco era Bulova watches, a wonderful straw cloche, bakelite bangles, lots of pearl jewelry, a lovely brown evening gown that was promptly snatched from the display, some sassy 1940’s dresses with peplums and draping, and the biggest collection of 1950’s rooster ties I’ve ever seen.

If you are local to NC, the store will be open Friday and Saturday (April 30 and May 1) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, May 2 from 1 to 5 p.m. It’s worth the trip!

The center of the store is this magnificent dress!
Some really old captoes.
Spats!
Whimsical dress...
There was a whole shelf of dead stock men's shirts.
Lovely brown evening gown with gold detail on the neck and pockets - yup, pockets in an evening gown! Awesome!
A straw cloche for a very small head.
These red shoes were adorable.
There was a whole box of these little men's accessories bits and pieces, brand new in box.
Some of the bits had initials on them...
...and other bits had 1950's men's names on them. 🙂
Most of those white/cream jackets are dinner jackets.
Rooster ties!
Adorable flowered dress with peplum...too small for me, but maybe not for you?
Cool men's vest.
Who doesn't want a Mr. Tap 'n' Go?

Pretty frocks to cure your case of the Mondays

On Mondays the eBay sellers get back to work with fresh vintage auctions for the week. Here’s what today’s listing had to offer:

Coral beaded flapper dress

Adorable blue gingham dress with bows on the shoulders and buttons up the side.

Colorful feedsack print dress.

Citrus striped sundress.

Aqua patterned 40’s day dress with puffed sleeves and rickrack.

Chevron striped sundress.

Black crepe cocktail dress with beading detail.

Art deco-inspired earrings.

Field trip: Putting on the Ritz, Winston-Salem, NC

Run, don’t walk, to Winston-Salem, NC to experience the gorgeous vintage clothing and treasures at Putting on the Ritz. The store owner Hans Hauser has a lifelong passion for vintage clothing and accessories and it shows in every square inch of the house he has converted into a vintage clothing store. Through his vintage consignment sources, friendships with vintage collectors, and his own efforts to retrieve specific pieces from faraway locations, Hans has collected one of the best, if not the best, vintage clothing and accessories collection for sale in the state.

I met Hans about 5 years ago when my friend Sharon Ferris directed me to this treasure trove. I purchased a 1940’s bathing suit that I wore to VBLX that year for the battleship dance. Even though I had not seen him in 5 years, he knew immediately who I was today and pulled out the picture I sent him of me in the bathing suit from behind the countertop. My friend Laura Boyes and I ended up exploring the shop and chatting with Hans for about 3 1/2 hours – excellent company and excellent vintage!

The shop is jam packed full of a mix of vintage, designer consignment, and glitzy clothing. The list of notables is long: straw boaters, men’s 50’s hats, Yves Saint Laurent black satin pumps, a white fur capelet, 50’s prom and day dresses (some with matching jackets), 30’s and 40’s gowns worthy of an MGM movie, flowered 40’s day dresses, a velvet trimmed 40’s suit, wide brim ladies hats, art deco costume jewelry, wedding dresses from the Victorian era through the 50’s, delicious 40’s platforms, bias cut lingerie, and a burnout velvet 20’s dress that came home with me.

If you are interested in any of the clothing items I have posted or would like to know more, please contact Hans Hauser at (336) 659-9944. He is happy to work out arrangements over the phone and he also does layaway.

Putting on the Ritz
304 Harvey Street
Winston-Salem, NC

The shop is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

P.S. Pardon my unmade face – I think it’s easier on the clothes if I don’t wear makeup when I try on vintage clothing.

White 40's crepe dress, buttons up the front with scalloped edge around the buttons.
Pink 50's cotton sundress with matching bolero jacket.
Light blue 40's crepe gown shown with wide brim blue straw hat with a velvet ribbon.
Union Jack crepe evening gown that did not actually fit me, so I am holding the zipper on the side. This dress is stunning in person and will look much better on someone else.
This 20's burnout velvet dress is mine!
Navy blue 40's (?) sheer dress with painted on polka dots and matching under-slip.
50's plaid day dress with really cool polka dot detailing where the plaids cross.
Leopard print bathing suit - rawrrrr!
MGM starlet white evening gown with gold trim and cutout triangle in the front. Made for someone tiny.
Brown 40's suede platforms, small size.
Green suede 40's platforms with perforated suede and button detail, small size.
More gorgeous art deco brooches.
Boater hats - gents, sorry there wasn't more for you in the store. The boater on the left with the blue and red ribbon was sized 7 1/8. No size was found in the boater with black ribbon, but I tried on both and the boater with the black ribbon was slightly larger, so I'd say it was about a 7 1/4. Michael Q., here's looking at you to check a boater in one of these sizes off your shopping challenge!
View of some of the men's hats.
View of one of the main rooms in the store.
Adorable sportswear hat of unknown decade. SO CUTE!
Green satin platforms!
Mexican straw luggage.
A view of what I am calling the wedding dress corner.

Art Deco era goodness from eBay

I am a Deco-holic, on top of my other addictions. I am always looking for Art Deco jewelry online and in antique shops and, of course, vintage clothing from this era. Here are some of today’s Art Deco goodies from eBay.

A gorgeous brooch that separates to become two separate dress clips – brilliant! And if you think you won’t wear this, it seriously comes in handy and is a really versatile piece – I have one and have worn it as a jacket pin, capelet pin, dress pin both at the waist/belt and at the bottom of a V-neck, and have strung it on a chain and worn as a very impressive pendant.

While we are talking jewels, check out these lovely dress clips! Oooh, and these!

I am also in love with this dress and would hem it to knee length and hem the sleeves for dances if it were my size.

Note: Don’t be constrained by measurements and length! Vintage clothing can usually be altered by someone with experience. If you are in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, I have someone I can refer you to.