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?

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:

DSCF0190 — 1930's/40's flowered dress with belt - better in person!

DSCF0191 — Navy blue 1940's designer dress

DSCF0196 — Detail on the neckline of a lovely navy dress

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:

201004182207385779 — The Havana Suit - a lovely linen suit for summer

201004182212561325 — The Montecristo - the brown linen adds a nice twist on summer suiting

201003030257259841 — The Black Pinstripe Suit - classic, and check out those peaked lapels!

200910160243096960 — Blue Pin Stripe Double Breasted Suit

200911011930422137 — Navy Blue Pin Stripe Suit

200910202354319351 — The Nouveaux Socialite Tuxedo - LOVE this

201001120149497189 — The Performer Full Dress Tuxedo - it's killer diller!

200907080408231629 — The Nouveaux Socialite Vest

200910222231455867 — Metallic Trifecta Cufflink

200912022153177080 — Good Groove Tie Clip

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).

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.

DSCF0150 — 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.

2088-BK-1 — 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.

209-HE-1 — 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 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!

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!

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:

HNCD_YellowGing2 — I am such a sucker for gingham dresses...

show_image_in_imgtag-2 — Turquoise linen sarong dress

show_image_in_imgtag-3 — Red pencil skirt

show_image_in_imgtag-5 — Gypsy top - rickrack FTW!

show_image_in_imgtag-6 — 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.

show_image_in_imgtag-7 — Anchor belt - yes, please! Also comes in blue.

show_image_in_imgtag-8 — Cherry shoe clips!

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:

Easy 1920’s dressing – you can do it!

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

In the next few weeks I’ll be posting about 1920’s fashion in anticipation, preparation, and education for the RDU Rent Party: Gatsby Edition, July 7, in Durham, NC, featuring Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators. As co-coordinator of this dance, I am truly excited about this event and hope that my excitement will be infectious. However, I can already sense (and have already heard, in some cases) the anxiety and drag about having a 1920’s themed event and dressing up during the summer. I’m here to tell you, Raleigh/Durham, that you can do this (if you really want to) and it won’t break the bank (although if you go all out for this you could possibly break some banks). First things first, let’s get some misconceptions out of the way:

1. Like payment, attendance at Rent Party is on a do-what-you-can basis. If you don’t feel like dressing up, don’t do it.

2. All eras are welcome, not just 1920’s.

3. This is not a formal dance, but if you would like to go all out for this, I would personally love to see everyone looking swell.

4. Most men don’t own proper summer suiting and asking you to wear a three season wool suit would be asking too much in July – wear what you are comfortable wearing.

Jason Sager, my co-coordinator, said it best this morning: “If you’re not normally a dress up type, this is a great event to dip your toes in that water if you feel so inclined; if you’re already a dress up type, it’s a chance to expand your collection, or just show off what you’ve already got.”

Let’s also remember that people were dancing in the south and dressing up for years and years prior to the advent of AC. We will have AC, fans, and chilled beverages, of course.

If you are interested in dressing up in the 1920’s style, you don’t have to go out and purchase something vintage or expensive. You may already have what you need in your closet or a relative’s closet. Some of my best pieces and borrowed items to complete an outfit came from an attic or the back of my mom’s, grandmother’s, and even my grandmother’s friend’s closet.

What pieces do you need? I always look to photographs for inspiration, so let’s break down the outfits of the couple in this photo:

GENTS: You start with a suit and pare it down from there. You could wear any combination of pants and jacket, vest, or suspenders, all of the above, or some of the above, preferably in lightweight summer fabrics (See Lindy Dandy’s post on summer suiting). This guy is wearing a regular tie, but you could also wear a bow tie. He is not wearing a hat, but you could always add a nice straw boater, lightweight newsboy cap, or some other hat of your choice.

LADIES: Look for a drop waist dress or create the illusion of a dropped waist. Here, the woman in the photograph has paired a striped top with a knee length skirt. Off the top of my head I know my mom has both of these pieces in her closet. 😉 Hemlines in the 20’s ranged from knee length at the height of the flapper era, but were more calf length for most of the decade. You could find a skirt to fit the decade’s hemlines and a long-ish top to create an illusion of a dropped waist, and maybe add a straw cloche or long strand of beads, if you so desire.

Shoes are easy – wear your dance shoes!

Some of the best shopping is not about spending money, but about using the resources available to you and rediscovering old favorites or items that have been neglected. If you are missing pieces, a trip to your local thrift store may get you across the goal line. If all else fails – keep reading! I’ll be posting more 1920’s goodies soon.

For more information on the RDU Rent Party dances, visit the Facebook page.

Forever 21 – free shipping on orders over $40, Memorial Day only

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Lindy Dandy always does a great job posting sales on this blog, so I thought I’d pass a sale along to you. I always find good things at Forever 21, no matter what day I check in. I can recall a time in my life when I was checking their site daily and they actually do post new items daily during the work week. Here are some items to put in your shopping basket today:

76196311-02 — Peach wrap dress with flutter sleeves - wrap dresses are so helpful with leg movement and weight fluctations!

55985225-02-1 — Forever 21 even styled this as a flapper dress, adding the quintessential long strand of beads.

74957524-04 — This dress looks like it would be really comfy for dancing - comes in four colors.

00000185-01 — Classic shirtdress in lightweight denim with shiny button detail.

72971053-03 — Silk tie front top in green and purple - only $12.00!

76242751-02 — This is cute, but I'd add a belt to give the bottom a peplum effect.

68749657-01 — Feather headband - just the right amount of feathers.

Memorial Day Deals at LL Bean Signature

This post was written by Lindy Dandy.

The L.L. Bean Signature line has a 30% off deal that’s valid through Memorial Day.

L.L. Bean? As in that company that sells outdoorsy clothing through catalogs? Yup, that’s the one. You might recognize their Bean Boots, a Trad/WASP-y staple.

Very recently, L.L. Bean teamed up with Alex Carleton (of Rogues Gallery) to update its classic American sportswear with modern design ideas (particularly regarding fit). The result are familiar, classic pieces with a trimmer fit.

Here are a couple polos and shirts that would look good on and off a casual dance floor this summer.

Mod Cloth: the democratic republic of vintage-inspired fashion

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

When Mod Cloth was discovered online by one of my friends, news of the web site spread like wildfire in my circle of friends because we were starved for a place to get modern retro-inspired clothing at a reasonable price. Variety is the spice of life and Mod Cloth takes this to heart by offering clothing from many different sources, including Trashy Diva, Stop Staring!, and Tulle, thus, giving you maximum exposure to brands offering what you want to wear. The really great clothing items sell out quickly, but I find that if they include the brand or maker in the item description, that the item that is out of stock on Mod Cloth may be in stock at the source web site.

Perhaps the reason Mod Cloth is so great is in large part due to the philosophies of its founders:

“Founded by high school sweethearts, Eric Koger and Susan Gregg Koger, and built on a foundation of love for vintage and retro clothing, ModCloth.com is an online clothing, accessories, and decor retailer that aims to provide a fun and engaging shopping atmosphere for you, our customer. We do this by interacting with you via social network sites like Twitter and Facebook, requesting your feedback through the ModLife Blog and product reviews, and asking you to vote on potential inventory with the Be the Buyer program, all with the intention of running a fashion business in a democratic style. Supplying you with the opportunities to have your voice heard is what keeps our company fresh, relevant, and growing by leaps and bounds. This is what allows us to continually accommodate your pioneering passion for modern trends. We invite you to comb through our clever product descriptions, flip through our stylebooks, shop our vast assortment of indie designs, find some unique one of a kinds, and get in touch with one of our friendly customer care representatives if you have any questions. We want to be the fashion company you’re friends with!”

A fashion democracy? Hear, hear!

The web site is so full of goodness that I’ll limit my favorites to the most recent arrivals:

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:

Urban Outfitters, May 2010 Catalog

I got the Urban Outfitters catalog in the mail yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the offerings. Lately I felt like Urban had gone astray, focusing on clothing items that look like something I could find at Goodwill and would never wear (as opposed to items I could find at Goodwill and would definitely wear) or it was just more of the same hipster garb I already had in my closet. However, they appear to be coming out of this sort of ratty, gross phase and are offering some really interesting pieces, including clothing and shoes that appear to be dance-worthy. I began dog-earring the pages of my catalog immediately and, upon closer inspection of the website there are even more pretty things for guys and gals, more than I am posting here. Here’s what I liked:

17810813_001_b — The catalog showed these shoes in black, with black fishnets and painted toes - very hot! They come in a hot pink, too. 😉

17314527_052_b — Chiffon lady dress - maybe to go with those pink t-straps? Also comes in blue and gray.

18004556_040_b — Loving all this chiffon - this one comes in a berry stripe, too!

18237115_011_b — Nice detailing on the puff sleeve - comes in several prints.

17728510_016_a — For the guys, I liked these sneakers with a sort of cross-hatch fabric.

17899063_010_a — An interesting take on the saddle shoe, for men.

18037184_001_a — Classic Bass saddle shoe

17213794_004_a — Stripey socks! They also have argyle and plaid.

14711824_013_a — Straw fedora, comes in four colors.

This week’s lovelies from eBay

Another bevy of beautiful garments, courtesy of my favorite shopping website:

_451135624_large_8148 — Let's start things off with this lovely red and white striped 1940's blouse.

_156002179_large_1190 — This yellow sleeveless 1940's dress is perfect for spring and, from the looks of it, that skirt has some twirl potential.

!BscTwZgCWk~$(KGrHqQH-CoEvEWnjeLFBL31pII4u!~~_12 — This confection in pale pink crepe not only has a peplum, brooch, and matching belt and buckle, but also comes with a blue jacket and matching pink stockings. This auction is loaded with goodies!

268638248_o — I am intrigued by this dress, as it somehow manages to be both girly and intimidating. Black + ruffles/rickrack = sinister pinup?

!BsmgiN!EWk~$(KGrHqIH-CgEvC1QzRZrBL4hfs8GDQ~~_12 — I love this 1940's coral color and the beading on the bodice of this dress is gorgeous.

370835466_o — A sweet 1930's linen dress.

!Bsourq!BWk~$(KGrHqQH-EYEvEzTzBREBL4t7qQUYQ~~_12 — I can't resist a gingham dress with pockets!

Old Woogies

This one is for the gents – while Old Woogies has some adorable women’s shoes, the focus of the company’s apparel, accessories, and footwear is men. Old Woogies is based out of Italy and sells men’s shoes, pants, suspenders, belts, jumpers (aka short sleeve sweaters), hats, jeans, caps, and other menswear items inspired by the swing era and the 1950’s. There’s much more on the website, but here are some of my faves (which may turn out like your mom dressing you…). 😉