This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
It’s rare that anything in vintage menswear shows up in multiples on eBay, but I kept coming across good things at good prices, so here’s a selection of menswear goods from eBay this week:
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I am still mourning the fact that my schedule will not allow me to attend either Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governors Island this summer. In honor of the June JALP this past weekend, here is a selection of 1920’s items inspired by the event on eBay:
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
In these warmer days, a Palm Beach linen suit is the perfect way to dress up without sacrificing too much comfort. Right now, eBay has just such a suit from the 20’s/30’s, with a starting bid of $100.00. Check out the action back on that jacket!
This suit is not without issues, but it’s such a rare find that, for the right price, I’d be willing to take a chance. The main issue is that the jacket and pants are slightly different in colors, which the seller attributes to the jacket being worn separately and more often. This suit would be just as fantastic as separates, even if a dry cleaning didn’t work out the color differences.
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
It’s that time of year – time for my epic journey to Cleveland, Ohio to spend the entire weekend dancing Balboa, DJ’ing all the fast songs I want to DJ, and shopping in Cleveland’s amazing vintage stores. All Balboa Weekend is also known for its fantastic vendors, like Re-Mix Vintage Shoes, Dancestore.com, and a myriad of hair flowers, reproduction clothing vendors, and vintage clothing. This year, ABW has upped the ante by inviting not one, not two, but three of Cleveland’s best vintage stores to set up shop in the halls of the Holiday Inn – Flower Child, The Cleveland Shop, and Sweet Lorain.
ABW veteran Flower Child usually sets up a mini-store and takes over an entire end of the hallway with their vintage men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. ABW organizer Valerie Salstrom says that the ladies at Flower Child have been shopping for swing era items for ABW all year! I am not familiar with the Cleveland Shop, but Sweet Lorain has been my go-to shop in Cleveland for several years (as in, I spend all my money at Suite Lorain and don’t have any money to go shopping at any of the other stores, lol), so I am very excited to see them setting up at ABW.
I hear that all three stores are making a concerted effort to bring more menswear this year, to answer the call and request of the gents who want to do their part to look fabulous. Val is also encouraging everyone to talk to the vintage vendors about what you are looking for, as they will be at ABW over the course of several days and can go back to their shops and warehouses for additional inventory! This was a very successful tactic for me last year, as I mentioned I was looking for fabric and that green was my favorite color and the ladies at Flower Child brought me 6 yards of 1930’s cotton (which are now a pair of fabulous beach pajamas). 🙂
I also plan on venturing out of the hotel to do a bit of shopping – I plan on visiting Deering Vintage for the first time, maybe pick up some crepes and cupcakes…
I’m getting excited just writing about all this! See you in Cleveland!
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
It’s been a couple of months since I praised Trashy Diva, so we’re long overdue.
I’d like to highlight their pencil skirt, which I have “seen” before, but didn’t “notice” until today. I’ve had several people request information on where to find a good pencil skirt, but I have not been as helpful because I usually run in the other direction when I hear the words “pencil skirt,” much like “skinny jeans” and “leggings” – all highly unflattering items on my figure.
However, I believe that the pencil skirt is not an impossibility, it is just given a bad rap by the tubes of fabric retailers are calling pencil skirts these days. I have a pencil skirt of my grandmother’s from the late 1950’s/early 1960’s in gold brocade and the fit is divine, but the difference between this skirt and modern pencil skirts I’ve seen is that it has a waist. That nip makes a nice illusion and line that comes down from the top of your hips and gives the illusion that the skirt is hugging your shape, rather than actually clinging to it, like modern skirts – one reeks of desperation, the other does not.
But do not despair! The Trashy Diva pencil skirt is a dead ringer for my grandmother’s skirt and I have high hopes for it. I might even break down and buy one, if I am feeling ambitious. It comes in so many colors – black, gray, red, white, blue, pink, green, floral, polka dot, leopard – it will be hard to decide!
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
It is not often that I write about other posts, unless I find it particularly useful as a resource – here, I decided that this article entitled “Leading the Charge Against Casual Style, Armed With Antique Clothes and a Bike” by Lisa Hix was worth a read for several reasons:
1) Tziporah Salamon is truly inspiring – her carefully selected outfits of vintage pieces from so many decades are, in whole and in part, works of art. I love that the article not only chronicles her outfits today, but also some of the outfits she put together over the years.
2) Her philosophy on putting garments together to create an ensemble is unparalleled and I think everyone, including me, could benefit from adopting some of her ideas.
3) Her philosophy on collecting vintage and antique garments and accessories is spot on, definitely something we share – these items should be worn, reworked, mended, and cared for, but not stored in a museum. We also share a similar start to our collections – inheriting clothing from a benefactor (hoarder, whatever you want to call it).
4) I actually think that the title of this article is highly inaccurate and that this wonderful excerpt sums up what Ms. Salamon is all about: “My friends will say, ‘I feel terrible because next to you, because you’re all dressed.’ I’ll say, ‘That’s not a requirement of mine that you be dressed. It’s a requirement of mine that I be dressed.'” This is pretty much how I feel about what I am doing with Lindy Shopper, I’m just sharing with you things that inspire me. 🙂
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I do love a man in seersucker – there is something so refreshing about abandoning the typical dark male color scheme in favor of bright white, a touch of color, and some usually bright male accessories. It is such a stark contrast that I am afraid it has been relegated to dandies, preppy frat guys, and Southern lawyers (in my experience – if you go to the courthouse in July, you will be in the minority if you are not wearing seersucker, at least in my jurisdiction!) – which is a shame, because it’s a really versatile fabric.
One of the big complaints I hear from the gents is that jackets are so heavy and cumbersome to dance in – here’s a lightweight, time-tested alternative, so maybe give it a whirl? Seersucker is also fairly easy to care for and is usually wash and wear, no ironing necessary, due to the fabric’s puckered texture.
You don’t have to don wingtips and a boater to pull off seersucker – here are some ideas from eBay for seersucker garments to try to work into your wardrobe:
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
While I already have a green repro jumper, I couldn’t resist posting this Jukebox DJ Jumper available at ModCloth – high waist, potential twirly skirt, little green buttons on the front, just adorable. Pair with just about any blouse!
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I don’t know how DCLX is going to top last year’s battle of the bands between Glenn Crytzer’s Blue Rhythm Band and the Jonathan Stout Orchestra, but I’m excited to find out! I’ve been attending DCLX on and off for the past 9 years and it’s one of my favorite events. This year there is the added excitement of a new vintage store that opened in the DC area that is rumored to have swing era clothing – definitely going to find out if the rumors are true!
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
In the middle of my Trumpet Skirt Crusade I stopped by the Shabby Apple website to check out their new collection called “The Block.” Lots of bright, cheerful colors in this collection of dresses, tops, and skirts, including this wonderful pleated skirt that flares out at the bottom, creating a bit of that that trumpet skirt shape. Available in blue (Cityscape Skirt), red (Streetcar Skirt), and yellow (Taxicab Skirt).
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
This past weekend, I attended the Hawkeye Swing Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. As far as dance events go, the University of Iowa has an ideal setup to run a weekend of dances and workshops, with a student union that has both a giant ballroom with a stage and an attached student-run hotel, where the event attendees can stay. Everything you need is within walking distance of the venue/hotel – shops, restaurants, bars, fro-yo, pie shakes…mmmmm, pie shakes. Ahem. Needless to say, I had a fantastic time dancing, meeting new people, and listening to some sweet music over the weekend provided by the all-star bands headed up by Bria Skonberg, Solomon Douglas, Chase Garrett, and those Seattle darlings, The Careless Lovers.
But what about the vintage? While Iowa City did not turn out to be the vintage Mecca I had hoped, it was certainly a lesson in vintage hunting, which is that vintage can be found just about anywhere, you just have to look for it. I photographed just about every swing-era item I could find, and some 1950’s dresses – my partner in crime, Beccy Aldrich, and I had a fun time scouring these stores and I am proud of our efforts. What is waiting to be unearthed in your corner of the world?
Our first stop, after sleeping in, was for brunch at the Hamburg Inn No. 2, which was recommended to my by Andy Nishida (foodie, dancer, alum). On the outside and inside it looks benign, a typical local, greasy spoon, but then you look closer at the menu and see tons of good eats, then there’s a chalkboard listing 20 different delicious pies, THEN you see in the menu that any pie on that delicious list can become a shake! The line at Hamburg Inn No. 2 was not to dine in, it was full of college students waiting for their shakes. And rightly so, it’s a fantastic way to have two desserts in one and, with it only available in size large, is an ample meal replacement. Beccy, my husband Lucian Cobb, and I split a chocolate bourbon pecan pie milkshake and it was divine.
We sent Lucian to the hotel for a nap and headed to our first stop, the White Rabbit, a wonderful little eclectic boutique with a selection of gifts, handcrafted items, and new and vintage clothing. In the back of the store were a few racks of vintage clothing and Beccy and I each found wonderful plaid 1950’s dresses (both of which were too small for our respective waists, meh). That was the extent of danceable vintage, so we ventured out to locate the next shop…
…which was a consignment shop called Revival. As far as consignment shops go, Revival is very hip and was packed with shoppers. They carry consignment and new clothing, as well as a couple of racks of vintage clothing, new and old accessories, gifts, and some other lovelies, knick knacks, and a cake plate of cupcakes for sale. Beccy found the only pre-1960’s item, which was a cheerful yellow 1950’s dress, which also ended up being tiny. They had some fantastic sunglasses, reminiscent of 1930’s sunglasses, and a lovely umbrella, but little else that would interest Lindy Shopper. Onward!
Our next stop was Ragstock, which I was warned is a chain store and we were not likely to find anything early 20th century here. They were right, however, Ragstock had a huge selection of generic Keds in every color and the sales clerk gave us a great tip on another place to try, so we ventured…
…to Artifacts, which was an antique store with some vintage clothing and a lot of cool other stuff. If I had larger luggage I would have come home with two Art Deco era cake carriers. This is the only store where we found swing era garments, one gorgeous 1930’s velvet suit/dress and a faille late 30’s/early 40’s dress in crimson with rhinestones. Deflated that the red dress was too small, I consoled myself with cheap bakelite bangles, which I purchased at a fraction of the cost of bakelite at other vintage/antique stores. They even had a collection of bakelite scottie dog pencil sharpeners which were, oddly, more expensive than the bangles. Rare? I have no idea, but the bangles were more useful to me anyway.
And that, my friends, is a wrap! Thanks so much to Beccy for being a wonderful companion for the afternoon’s adventures and to Joe Smith and the rest of the Hawkeye Swing Festival organizers for putting together such a wonderful event!
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Tomorrow I’m hopping on a plane to Iowa for my first Midwest Lindy Hop event, the Hawkeye Swing Festival. The impetus to attend was to tag along with my trombone playing husband, who will appear in all bands that weekend except the Careless Lovers (since they have a t-bone of their own). I’m looking forward to meeting and dancing with new people and perhaps running into some friends I don’t see often enough. Are you ready, Iowa? I’ve been ready for you for about two weeks, catching myself humming Music Man songs under my breath.
I keep hearing rumors that the Midwest is the last great, mostly uncharted frontier for vintage swing era clothing, so this trip has me eager with anticipation. I’ve been digging for information about where to shop in Iowa City and have received some vague leads – Ragstock? Revival? My partner in crime this weekend, Beccy Aldrich, has a lead on a place called White Rabbit. We shall see…hopefully, a report will ensue when I return. 🙂
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
As a follow up on my Taking Care of Your Vintage Clothing post, I’m re-posting an article written in 2000 by Kathleen Keifer of the U.S. Department of the Interior entitled “Dry Cleaning Museum Textiles.” (The link is a PDF, it may ask you to download.) While the focus here is museums, many of the same issues arise in museum textiles as in vintage clothing.
The important thing to cull from this article is the process of analysis. Most of us may have picked up a vintage garment and don’t know much about it. This article gives you a comprehensive process about assessing the garment’s viability for cleaning, information about dry cleaning processes, how to select a dry cleaner, and what to discuss with your dry cleaner. While you may not need the process outlined in this brochure for every garment, when you do encounter a garment that leaves you baffled as to how to clean it, you will know what the professionals would do by consulting this handy guide.
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, March 21, 2012), Lindy Dandy and I will be special guests on the next #lindychat, the “worldwide Twitter chat for Lindy Hoppers.” We’ll be chatting for an hour, starting at 6:00 p.m. EST, about swing dance clothing, shoes, fashion, and all things related. Bring your questions, your insight, or just come and enjoy the discussion!
How do you #lindychat? #lindychat founder Rebecca Brightly has created a helpful How To page on the #lindychat website with some great tips on how to interact, but essentially you will need a Twitter account and will need to run a search for the hashtag #lindychat to see what is going on.
Looking forward to seeing everyone online tomorrow! I’ll be tweeting as @lindyshopper and Lindy Dandy will be tweeting as @MQAvatar.
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I know we’re reaching the end of tweed season, but when something rare pops up the season of acquisition simply doesn’t matter – here, we’ve got two jackets that popped up on eBay this week. First, we have a J. Peterman reproduction Edwardian style tweed Norfolk jacket, size 38, with the classic belted back, square front pockets, and a nice feature where you can actually button up the jacket all the way (those lapels are not just for show!). Second, a nice Pendleton wool tweed Norfolk jacket, size 40, with elbow patches and a nice rainbow fleck to the tweed. Prices: $20.00 starting bid and $39.99 Buy It Now, respectively – steals, I say!
Lindy Shopper 