This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Grab your coat and get your hat, we’re going shopping for menswear at On the Sunny Side Vintage Design, a gorgeous online store (and parallel Etsy shop) specializing in the “elegance and quality of the past.”  Everything I see before me reads as luxe, from the colors to the fabric selections, it is a feast for the eyes in terms of what I, personally, love to see men wearing: high draped pants, just like Billie sang about; that black velvet waistcoat to pair with everything in the winter; a necktie of Art Deco swirling waves; 1920’s reproduction Oxford bags;  that elusive evening waistcoat to go with your vintage tux; and on…custom garments are also available, if you like what you see here or elsewhere and want tailor/proprietor Sunny van Zijst to make something special for you.

Let’s talk about Sunny van Zijst, or rather, let her talk about her work, via the website: “I spend many hours looking into the originals that are the source of my work. The details, the construction, the fabric, they all matter. I try to get to the fundamentals of a garment, and work out what makes them iconic. The process of the making involves learning the old techniques, and combine them with modern techniques. I prefer to work with quality materials for outside as well as inside. Waistcoats, jackets and coats are tailored with hair canvas interfacing in order to give structure on the inside, and a natural drape on the outside. This makes a garment into a piece that is timeless and can be treasured a lifetime.”  This is all music to my ears, of course!

Here are things I love from the website/Etsy site:

 

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Royal Vintage Shoes, an offshoot of American Duchess, sells vintage inspired and reproduction shoes from their own line of shoes and from other lovely shoe makers.  When under the American Duchess umbrella, they did some truly lovely custom pre-order shoes in limited runs and I was excited to see the owners branch out and create an entirely separate line for just us 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s gals.  Their first line under Royal Vintage came out this past fall with some wonderful basics, but I felt the pumps/slingbacks weren’t practical for dancing and the heels were too high to be accessible to most dancers, which is why you didn’t read about it on this blog.  Fast forward to now and let’s just say we’ve hit the mother load.

Beginning March 23, you can pre-order these amazing Royal Vintage Shoes – you can tell that the owners love history and know it well, based on their style and color selections.  These shoes, which they are calling “Deco Darlings,” are anything but basic, yet I can see them going with so many things!  Introducing the “Lillian,” a Mary Jane two tone heel in navy/white and sage/white; the “Evelyn,” a canvas and leather oxford in brown/cream and brown/navy; and the “Roxy,” a dressy Mary Jane in gold and silver.

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It’s no secret that I’m #teamLunceford for the second round of the Lindy Focus transcription project, whereby we all get to vote for which night of dance music by a swing era bandleader will be transcribed for our dancing, listening, and (later) performing pleasure.  Earl Hines and Fletcher Henderson are formidable opponents, the opposite of slouches, but maybe Jimmie just pulls at your heartstrings a little bit more?  Show your support with one of JitterButtons’ Jimmie Lunceford buttons, made in the style of vintage political buttons.  Great for lapels and shoe bags alike, three styles to choose from – grab yours now! #LuncefordforFocus

 

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

It’s been almost 7 years since I wrote this guest post for Atomic Ballroom in 2010, recommending clothing and brands to build a wardrobe of dance clothing basics and I thought it would be interesting to see how my recommendations held up seven years later.  Maybe you’re just getting started, maybe you’re looking to add a few new pieces…let’s have a look:

SHOES

2010: Recommended dance sneaker to get started.

2017: Would still recommend – KEDS 4EVA

CLOTHING

2010: Recommended Heyday‘s 1940’s reproduction wide leg, high waist trousers.

2017:  Would still recommend Heyday as the gold standard, but would add Vivien of Holloway and House of Foxy to the list, depending on waist/hip ratio and to give more fabric and color options.  If you sew, make yourself a pair of Wearing History’s Smooth Sailing Trousers.  More options seven years later means we are all winning.  Note that the ready to wear pants I have listed are all from the UK, which means the UK wins the pants game in my book.  That’s hard win, folks, given my general distaste for trousers.

2010: Trumpet skirt by Dancestore.com – note that I can not even link to this non-existent garment.

2017: After my crusade to bring back the Dancestore.com trumpet skirt failed, Chloe Hong rode across the sea on a unicorn to be my trumpet skirt fairy godmother, delivering the goods and improving on an already awesome skirt design by offering two different lengths and a built in slip to cover your bum when you spin.  I’m 6 skirts in, four off the rack and two custom, and I’m hooked – I wear them to work and for dancing.  A friend even noted she thought she made finals in a competition solely because this skirt improved how her dancing looked – that a garment could even do that speaks for itself.

2010: Shirts recommended from anywhere – cited ModCloth, The Limited, and American Apparel.

2017:  Gonna keep the ModCloth recommendation (having one of those “what did I do before ModCloth?” moments) and add to the tops/blouse list Collectif (particularly for short sleeved knits), Nudeedudee (casual/dressy button-ups), and House of Foxy (dressy button-ups).

2010:  TRASHY DIVA DRESSES

2017: TRASHY DIVA DRESSES

2010:  Accessories to a minimum, usually hair flowers – recommended Bowsweet on Etsy.

2017: Still keeping accessories to a minimum, but my, how far we have come!  Bowsweet primarily focuses on little girl hair accoutrements, but we now have many more dedicated hair creation artists online and at our swing dance events.  My favorite is hometown gal Chatterblossom, who collects vintage millinery flowers to make exquisite creations that go with your vintage clothing – because vintage colors match vintage colors and the detail and material of the vintage blooms is so different than modern made blooms.  Her shop is just scratching the surface of her flower collection.

As an addendum to the accessories, I’ll say that in the past couple of years that a number of artists have started making resin or plastic jewelry that resembles or is inspired by vintage Bakelite and Lucite jewelry and it’s marvelous.  My favorites are Summer Blue, Mrs. Polly’s Lucite, and The Pink Bungaloo – leave the bangles, take the rest.  Wearing less expensive reproductions means we don’t have to worry about breaking or damaging vintage jewelry when we dance.

There are so many more reproduction clothing companies now doing a variety of everyday/dress up and danceable garments and accessories, but these are my go-tos, so please take this as a starting point to find even more good clothing and brands online.  We are much better off than we were seven years ago – with many more options to purchase vintage-inspired clothing online, it becomes even easier to build your swing dance wardrobe.

I’ll leave you with the recap from the initial post: “To recap: Shoes that go with everything, flattering pants and a skirt to mix in with ladylike tops and knits, and a dress with an impeccable cut – it sounds like you have an amazing dance wardrobe!”

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Oh, how much do I love this red romper from The House of Foxy?  A lot.  ALOT.  In addition to being adorable, practical (look mom, no tights!), stylish, and festive, it has great dance potential because it’s made from “Rayon/poly mix with a touch of spandex for stretch. Bodice lined in stretch poly.”  I bet the drape is lovely…

 

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

I can’t begin to tell you how I began to salivate once I happened upon The Oblong Box Shop’s holiday offerings, particularly this skirt WHAT EVEN IS THIS.  I tend to gravitate more towards 1930’s and 40’s aesthetics, but there are just some 1950’s things, confectionery things, that are irresistible.  The combination of adorable reindeer, fluffy trees, and winter landscape in candy colors set my heart aflame and my fingers on the refresh button until, at last, the notification appeared that this skirt was in stock.  Endless joy abounds and I’m set for my holiday engagements!

Check out the shop, other delightful confections await…

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

In the past year I have learned that Simon James Cathcart is making limited runs of highly desirable reproduction clothing items and accessories and that we are all along for the ride.  It’s almost been the male-leaning equivalent of a Trashy Diva print launch, with each new item generating a buzz on social media and, within a couple of weeks, I’ll see said item on one of my vintage/classic menswear friends.  What’s been going on lately?  He’s released a long-sleeved version of his bamboo knit Art Deco polo, vintage-inspired “gang” jackets (are you a Vampire or a Werewolf? aka are you from Brooklyn or Detroit?), and yesterday I noticed a colorful array of two-tone waistcoats in my feed and it was then that I decided it was time for another post on the adventures of Mr. Cathcart.

Given the prevalence of vests/waistcoats in the swing dance world, particularly in competitions for their practicality and aesthetic, I would love to see the ensembles inspired by these particular waistcoats.  Most waistcoats I see are of suiting fabric in muted tones, but these waistcoats are alive with color.  Maybe not electric color, but certainly more of a range than I have seen in the past.  They invite creativity and catch the eye, which makes them a viable candidate for a competition-wear, or maybe you just need an injection of color for a winter dance.

The vests are made of melton wool and are shown on the SJC website with both dressed-up menswear and dressed-down workwear ensembles – available in green/brown, navy/royal, green/rust, navy/mustard, gray/navy, and aubergine/brown combinations.

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

What if you had unlimited patience and diligence to power through thrift store racks AND and uncanny knack for knowing your friends/dancers’ style to pick up the best deals for them at said thrift stores?  Knoxville dancer, organizer, and bandleader Megan Lange noticed this pattern in her life and a growing inventory in her house and decided to launch the Lost and Found Lindy Lounge, which is both a Facebook-based shop and a pop-up shop at swing dance events.  Megan has been posting new goodies regularly on the Facebook page and you can inquire about what you see in the photographs on the page in terms of pricing, shipping, sizes, etc.  She loves working with people, so don’t be shy about reaching out!

As with any business endeavor, the Lost and Found Lindy Lounge is a bit of serendipity, inspiration, and thoughtful business planning – Megan wrote this about her start: “A few years ago, I was given a book called A Vintage Affair (written by Isabel Wolff, a novel about a woman who owns a vintage store in London) and fell in love with the idea of owning a consignment shop – the book is also a lovely read – and when I combined that with my love for sewing and all things vintage, and the fact that I have time to do things right now… It just seemed like the right time to try it.  It’s all just a grand adventure.”

So what has Megan unearthed for the dancing masses?  Posted in the Facebook page is an array of dance-worthy and vintage-inspired shoes in great condition, dance dresses, jewelry, and hats, as well as a box showing her latest haul with some of the above and gloves and purses in the mix.  The shoes are the most impressive, some really nice dance heels and leather shoes, and lots of them!

You can find the Lost and Found Lindy Lounge at the Knoxville Lindy Exchange in October and MC Shuffle in February, and perhaps at some other events near you in the future!

 

 

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Yes, it’s another UK-based company and yes, it’s another retro plastic jewelry maker, I CAN’T HELP MYSELF.  The explosion of goodness will not go unreported on this blog and LouTaylorStudio is the latest in creative genius, using a laser cutter to create whimsical and detailed jewelry in distinctive vintage shapes.  The Carmen Miranda alone warranted a post.

From her Etsy page, it looks like Lou Taylor got her start in paper, which you can also purchase some of her paper creations on Etsy:

“I create striking papercuts full of colour, pattern and intricate detail. Prints are available of my work, and are high-quality giclee prints made by a local printers called Stampa.

I am inspired daily by colour, pattern and often vintage fashion illustrations from the 50s and 60s and I have a real affection for Vogue and Harpers Bazaar covers from the 20s. I love to use unusual motifs in my work such as thermos flasks, spider plants and flamingoes as I believe they are very evocative and iconic.

I recently translated my ideas into acrylic jewellery and now have a wide range of colourful striking designs that I hope have a similar feel to my artwork.”

She also notes that bags will be coming to the shop next (!!!) and I see the scarves she predicted have made it to the shop.  Here are my favorites from the Etsy shop.

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This year All Balboa Weekend celebrated it’s 16th birthday and I celebrated 9 years of attending this event, with the requisite vintage shopping, both within and outside of the hotel where the event occurs.  The event has become such a destination for our micro-economy of dance clothing, shoes, and accessories, that it attracts some truly wonderful vendors, some repeat vendors and some new each year.  I have certainly become educated as to certain brands by being introduced to them at ABW and also have the opportunity to try things on in person that I may only see online for the rest of the year.

I am sad to report that one of ABW’s regular vendors, The Cleveland Shop, has closed its doors, so there was no more brick and mortar store, nor a happy booth of vintage clothing and accessories at the hotel.

All Balboa Weekend had some clever merchandise this year, with specialty items that I was very excited about – as someone who owns many event tee shirts, it is nice to see events thinking outside of the box (but also inside OUR box as swing dancers).  My favorite this year was the chenille patch of two eighth notes, with “Balboa” and “ABW” embroidered on the patch – as if you attended ABW and lettered in Balboa – to add to any jacket or sweater for an instant collegiate look.  My second favorite item this year was the bandanas they had made, which is already an extremely practical item for the wiping of sweat or the hiding of a pincurl wet set, but also features graphics of dancers, dance shoes, dance wax, a new ABW logo, and a border print that is actually musical notations of a well-known and loved song in the Balboa community!  The level of thought and love that went into this did not go unnoticed.  I also loved and picked up the new durable canvas logo shoulder bag with a leather strap, perfect as a traveling bag or to carry all your accoutrements to your local dance.

Next in line as we travel down the ABW ballroom hallway/vendor area, is Remix Vintage Shoes, and we should all thank the heavens that owner Philip Heath comes to Cleveland with a metric ton of shoes for us, because (as far as I know) only ABW and Viva Las Vegas have made it worth Remix’s while to come outside of their retail location and shipping center in California.  New this year is a black and off-white version of the popular Balboa style shoe, which is also available in a rainbow of color options and it was delightful to see them all in a row.  Also new is a lower heeled version of the Ritz called the Charleston, which looked much more dance-friendly with 2 3/8 inch heels as opposed to 3 1/4 inch heels.  Last, but certainly not least, the new men’s shoe features a fantastic array of perforations and brogueing, just perfect for summer!

Rejoining us this year after a brief hiatus is my favorite brick and mortar Cleveland vintage shop, Sweet Lorain, who packed up a bunch of their “vintage department store’s” wares and set up shop at ABW.  I went to the brick and mortar store before I went shopping at the hotel and I can tell you that it didn’t make a dent, that shop is packed to the gills and I’m glad I shopped both the store and the booth.  There was a great mix of garments, but I thought the separates were particularly good this year, namely an amazing lantern print blouse snagged by San Francisco dancer Lori Taniguchi and a mint green sailor middy with white trim I snagged for myself.  Also the bakelite jewelry… *swoons*

De Fils en Perles was a new vendor to ABW this year, with truly amazing, meticulous, intricate beadwork, many pieces with a nod to Art Deco lines and loveliness.  As someone who has attempted beadwork repairs on clothing, I can only imagine the patience it takes to create this jewelry!  Favorites included drop earrings with 3D effects, bracelets with multi-color geometric patters, and a beaded bracelet with lady bugs.

  
Next in the line is Dancestore, with their signature line of Aris Allen dance shoes and the booth headed up by none other than Laurie Gilkenson (affectionately aka “Nina’s mom). Dancestore offered a nice selection of dance shoes at affordable prices, including their cap cap toes and some nice options for flats for the ladies, if you didn’t want to dance in heels all weekend.  You can catch Laurie and Dancestore at ILHC, next for your chance to try on and pick up a pair of dance shoes in person.

ABW vendor veteran and Etsy celebrity ChatterBlossom never disappoints and this year, knowing that she would be back, her fans were ready – it was not uncommon for people to bring clothing down from their rooms specifically to match items, even showing up to ABW unaccessorized knowing that ChatterBlossom would have just the bloom to complete the outfit.  Of course, it’s also easy to pick up a vintage dress and find a vintage flower from Chatterblossom to match, as Jamie Sturdevant (proprietress and artist) collects vintage millinery for her pieces and, thus, the dyes are just as they were.

Holding it down at the end of the hall was Flower Child, which is a collective of sellers who usually sell at the Flower Child brick and mortar location, but have also been staples at ABW for the past few years with an epic spread of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, and also some other vintage items like housewares, memoribilita, fabric and sewing notions.  My absolute favorite dress this year was purchased by Rochester dancer Beth Midavaine, a late 30’s/early 40’s rayon dress with all the bells and whistles one could fathom for a vintage rayon dress – a stellar print with a sort of 3 muses theme (but also tropical and geometric?), a light peplum, gathered seams creating a fan effect just below the booty (and accentuating said booty), bakelite rings at the shoulders, all the right tucks and pleats, and a wonderful drape that makes all this fuss into a truly comfortable dance dress.  Even better, Beth was able to accessorize the dress with the help of the two vintage vendors and Chatterblossom and wear the dress for Saturday night!

That’s all, folks!  Another stellar year of shopping at All Balboa Weekend!

 

 

 

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