I am overjoyed to be returning to the Jazz Age Lawn Party this year! Held twice during the summer on Governor’s Island, off the tip of Manhattan, this event is a beautiful celebration of the Jazz Age, the Roaring Twenties, and the music, dancing, and clothing of that era. The people-watching at this event is unparalleled, as are the opportunities for photographers to capture images of the past in the present.
I went to the JALP last year in August for the first time and was delighted to discover some great vendors of vintage, reproduction, and vintage-inspired items. I am hopeful that some of the vendors from last year will return and that there may be a few new vendors to blog about when I get back. Until then, au revior!
My friend Rachel and I at last year's JALP - Rachel writes a wonderful blog on French food and culture, her Martha Stewart tendencies, and her life as a cupcake slinger at http://idratherbeinfrance.com/.
Aris Allen is on a roll this week, this time with the debut of a new men’s shoe (a rare occurrence, indeed) – a lovely white wingtip oxford with classic broguing detail along the seams and on the toe. Aris Allen has been the go-to for affordable men’s swing dance shoes and I’m happy to see this welcome addition to their men’s footwear line. Now, you just have to decide if you are a white wingtip man or a white cap toe man…
Of course, after I save up and decide to buy them, they go out of stock...but now I get a second chance!
This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
I’m jumping out of my chair with excitement because the Balboas are back! At least for a limited run, that is – the Balboas in the ivory/parchment combo are available, along with the brown combo and black. If you’ve been on the fence about one of these pairs of shoes, get off the fence right now, sell an organ, take out a loan, and get them while they are in stock because LS has on good information that these shoes will no longer run in their current design.
In other glorious Remix news, the men’s captoe oxford is also available in a new color, a soft brown leather. The popular Anita shoe will be made in metallics – muted gold and silver – which I love because metallics go with so many things and make your footwork shine! Also available in a new color is the Strider, a 1930’s/40’s oxford, which breaks away from muted tones and now comes in a cheerful purple.
I don’t know if I had time to mention this style when they launched, but Remix’s Emily shoe is a lovely brogued t-strap shoe that is simply a knockout. Available in ivory and a bright blue they are calling “Ultramar Blue.” Using my Google skills (rather, looking for a photograph to post), I also found this shoe available in brown at Shoostore.com.
With this summer’s record-breaking temperatures, it becomes even more necessary to either take cover or create your own cover at outdoor events. In between dances, I like to hide under my inexpensive, Asian-inspired parasol, which does more for keeping you cool and protecting you from the sun than you would think. It’s no substitute for a good sunscreen or an AC unit, but it does create shade and adds instant beauty to your mise-en-scène, without breaking the bank. Here are some lovely parasols to keep you made in the shade this summer:
Dragon and Phoenix paper parasol on eBayBlue and white parasol on eBayPink, silver, and gold star parasol on EtsyPurple Battenburg lace parasol on eBay - comes in many other solid colors, as well as solid with white panelsJapanese paper parasol on eBayFlower shaped cherry blossom parasol from AsianIdeas.comRed spiral paper parasol from AsianIdeas.comElephant parade parasol from AsianIdeas.comPeacock parasol from AsianIdeas.com
Trashy Diva NEVER has a sale, so, even though it’s only 25% off, it’s significant enough to warrant a post on Lindy Shopper. The sale runs from today through Sunday and includes all regular priced items, just use the code TD25 when you check out. Go buy one of these gorgeous dresses!
I am a big fan of 1940’s dresses with sequin appliques, but re-creating this look has been almost impossible due to lack of resources for good, ready-made appliques. Most of the appliques I have seen in modern fabric stores tend to be either matronly or childish. It’s hard to place sequin appliques in context during my lifetime (Dallas? Golden Girls?), but people in the 1940’s did some beautiful things with appliques and used them liberally to create embellishment on beautiful dresses, which otherwise might appear plain.
In searching for silver stars for a headpiece, I came across Sequin Appliques, a website devoted to selling…well, sequin appliques. There are so many things here – styles, shapes, sizes, colors – my mind is racing as to what I might do with some of these appliques. The obvious thing would be to buy a plain dress from somewhere and gussy it up by tacking on an applique, on the lapel, bodice, or skirt. I could also see some interesting fascinators made from some of these pieces, or simply pin one in your hair. Maybe shoe clips…or sew them on to your sueded Keds. 🙂
Here are some of my favorites from the Sequin Appliques web site:
I WILL find a dress for this appliqueLarge butterfly appliqueClassic bow appliqueAn elaborate monochromatic floral beaded appliqueSilver beaded star with crystalsPlaying card setBeaded anchor - ahoy!Floral motif
With the price of bakelite jewelry in the astronomical range, reproductions of this classic early plastic jewelry are a welcome commodity. I’ve found a few “fakelite” pieces via Forever 21 a few years ago and apparently Avon did some reproductions in the 1980’s, but both have been found in limited quantities. Classic Hardware was a sight for sore eyes, with a line of classic bakelite-style (called “Retrolite” on the website) pins, bracelets, necklaces, and rings that will give your vintage or reproduction dress the perfect finishing touch.
According to the website, “Karyn Cantor is the originator and driving force behind Classic Hardware and it is her personal vision that is reflected in every handcrafted piece. Her love of vintage fashions mixed with a strong post-industrial aesthetic is further influenced by art nouveau and dadaism. This striking amalgam of sensibilities, coupled with Karyn’s sense of humor has developed into her current line of accessories that reflect today’s sense of individuality, sophistication and spunk…Karyn’s tastes are eclectic and varied, running the gamut between rock ‘n’roll, punk rock, rockabilly and old timey music. She loves swing dancing, live music, travel, flea markets and playing the ukelele.”
She loves swing dancing! One can’t help but wonder if Karyn noticed all the unadorned lapels and necklines at dances and wanted to do something about it…
Here are some of my favorite “Retrolite” pieces from the Classic Hardware website:
Kissing swallows necklaceButterscotch pinPenguin pinScotty dog pinSwan pinCarved bangle in black, also available in brownStrawberries bracelet, matching necklace and earrings also availableDeco ring, available in 7 colorsRaspberry bow barette
Given the number of people searching for “saddle shoe sneakers” on Google (which get directed to my post about said sneaks from last year), I had to post the Keds verson of saddle sneakers I ran across today at ModCloth.com. The are slightly different, with the classic, slimmer Keds shape and scalloped detailing that’s a nod to brogueing. Nice!
I’ve been sorely disappointed with Anthropologie’s spring and summer offerings, but they have finally returned to greatness with an eye toward fall in their latest catalog. Here are some highlights:
Sea Nettle Shift - there's something about the shape of this dress that's sort of a nod to the 40's, but with this great abstract printWavering Grid Dress - file this classic shaped dress under work/dance appropriate, love the grid print as a sort of nod to the 50'sStrappy Dandelion Dress - another classic shape with a whimsical printLemon Liftoff Blouse - this would look great with some high waist trousers or a pencil skirt.Swoop and Glide Pullover - a sort of nod to the 20's/early 30'sFatigue Finery Cape - a green cape! Yes!Pansy Corset Trench Coat - adorable!Capacious Trousers - also available in green and grey
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Independence Day Weekend, which is a great time to sport some colorful and patriotic vintage for picnics, cookouts, and outdoor festivals. This red and white 1940’s dress, with bow applique detail and stripes above the hemline, would be perfect for this weekend – if this dress were in my size, I’d be sporting it on the 4th to something outdoor and festive, with a wide brimmed straw hat. So adorable!
A few of our participants at curtain call, from L-R: Abigail Browning, Elizabeth Tietgen, Patrick Draus, Kyle Kettner, Dominique Blouin, Mia Goldsmith, Bobbly White, Emily Shuhmann, Heidi Rosenau, Joe McGlynn and Valerie Bissig - photographs by Patrick Hovan
I had the honor of working on the committee that produced All Balboa Weekend‘s first 1930’s Vintage Fashion Show this year. The committee was comprised of Valerie Salstrom, Shannon Sheldon, Shannon Butler, Victor Celania, and myself, with some consultation about accuracy from the reigning queen of vintage, Heidi Rosenau. The idea was that we would put out the call for people attending ABW to submit photos of themselves in 1930’s clothing that they either own, inherited, or borrowed and we would decide on themes based on the contents of the submissions to put together a complete show. We would also take people who were interested in modeling and put them in extra vintage clothing, provided by myself and Valerie.
The plan worked. We had enough models, clothes, and themes to put together a cohesive fashion show. Having never actually coordinated a fashion show, I was relieved when Shannon Sheldon stepped up to the plate at our meetings to expertly organize the execution of the show, down to charts of participants, clothing, what rack their garments would hang on, who they would enter with, in what order, who had a quick change and would get priority near the rack, and who needed help changing. I love organization! Victor and I cat-walked in the lobby to make sure the music was right for each theme. After a single run through with the participants we hoped everything would go according to plan.
We knew there would be a bit of a time crunch getting everything in, but when it came time to put on the show everything ran so smoothly that I think we came in under time! The themes/vignettes were beachwear, sleepwear, collegiate, picnic, day wear, cocktail, and evening wear. In addition to helping organize the show, I also participated in the show, in a floral day dress and straw hat and a green velvet evening gown with matching cape. I also had one of those quick changes and it was so fast that, even with two people dressing me and not changing shoes I barely made it out in time for the vignette! I have to hand it to the people who do this every day, getting people dressed, re-dressed, and parading them around a room is hard work!
Thank you to everyone who participated and made this wonderful! Special thanks to Remix Vintage Shoes for sponsoring the fashion show and giving all participants a discount on their lovely shoes, as well as the vintage store Flower Child for providing the participants with props for the show.
Here are some photographs of the fashion show, courtesy of Patrick Hovan (P.S. if there are more photos I haven’t seen them, but would love to post more here! Please let me know if you find others):
Dominique Blouin, Bobby White, and Shannon Butler model evening wearKate Hedin, Joe McGlynn, and Brandi Ferrebee show off their cockail attireHeidi Rosenau in beach pajamas and Joe McGlynn in a Palm Beach suitA closeup of that Palm Beach suit - looking sharp, Joe!Mia Goldsmith's gorgeous black and gold gownLindy Shopper's gown and cape, with Carla Heiney sporting a velvet and fur coat over Valerie's grandmother's black and white evening gown
To get 20% off any Leluxe Clothing item all you have to do is go to their Facebook page and “Like” them. It’s that simple! If you’ve been on the fence about one of these dresses, perhaps 20% off could get you off the fence and into one of these beautiful reproduction 1920’s beaded dresses? 😉
Continuing with the nautical theme, I thought I’d post some straw boaters, so the gents can order them in time for Independence Day festivities. According to Wikipedia:
“Boaters were popular as summer headgear in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and were supposedly worn by FBI agents as a sort of unofficial uniform in the pre-war years…Being made of straw, the boater was and is generally regarded as a warm-weather hat. In the days when men all wore hats when out of doors, “Straw Hat Day”, the day when men switched from wearing their winter hats to their summer hats, was seen as a sign of the beginning of summer. The exact date of Straw Hat Day might vary slightly from place to place. For example, in Philadelphia, it was May 15; at the University of Pennsylvania, it was the second Saturday in May.”
I have heard that boater hats were generally considered disposable, a hat that someone purchased new every year – now, a vintage boater and new boaters will set you back a pretty penny ($100+), but some deals can be had if you dig for a bit. Here are some boater hats for sale in the more reasonable range:
A vintage straw boater from my neck of the woods, 21 inches circumferenceVintage Stanhope Brothers hat, size 7.25Vintage boater, circumference 22 and three eighths inches1920's Stetson straw boater, size 7 and three eighthsBrand new boaters in sizes small through XL
You don’t have to be on a boat to enjoy these nautical-inspired dresses and skirts from Shabby Apple‘s latest collection. Gingham, seersucker, cotton…all the summer fabrics are here! Just add a Dixie cup and set sail…here are some of my favorites:
Admiral DressLost at Sea SkirtOverboard DressSeven Seas Dress in Seersucker
The presence of vendors seems to be growing at larger Lindy Hop and Balboa events, presenting sellers with a unique opportunity to reach a targeted (and sometimes captive) audience. It can be difficult to fly into an event and not have the time to experience local vintage stores, or order online without trying something on, or maybe your dance shoes choose that weekend to fall apart. When the vendors come to you, the event becomes even more accommodating, convenient, and special.
As far as vendor lineups go, All Balboa Weekend this year has had the most vendors I have seen at any single event. Does this surprise the swing dance community at large, with Balboa dancers having a reputation for dressing up? Probably not. 🙂 There were three shoe vendors (four if you count the vintage store that brought some choice 1940’s pumps), a ton of dresses, hair accessories, bloomers, and a smattering of vintage goodies. Here’s a list of the vendors, in the order in which you would approach them entering the hallway of the event:
The My Heinies shoe spread
MY HEINIES
I’ve been singing Carol Fraser’s praises for months, but she has seriously outdone herself again. I don’t think I’ve seen that many bloomers in one place, with dozens of patterns in the My Heinies signature styles. Carol’s exclusive line of footwear from Worldtone, developed for swing dancers, is even more developed at this point and it was apparent that the styles available at ABW are targeted to be good colors and styles for dancers. I found the new shoes VERY appealing and was pleased to see that some of the focus group shoes had made the final cut. She also carried a number of one-of-a-kind styles – featuring more colors, patterns, and detailing – that were just breathtaking. I also noticed a number of follows sporting fancy hosiery from this vendor, both on the social dance floor and in competitions. Top it all off with one of the lovely hair flowers Carol sells and you’ve got a winner.
Now available in pink and blue!
REMIX VINTAGE SHOES
What can I say? Remix Vintage Shoes makes the most drool-worthy reproduction shoes out there, with dance-friendly heel heights and soft leather galore. There are always a few new models and colors, as well as some shoes that may not be made anymore (i.e. Remix is looking for a new manufacturer for the Balboa t-strap, so if you’ve been on the fence get them NOW because we don’t know when they will be available again!). I had the high honor of having my vintage two-tone oxfords photographed by Philip Heath, the owner of Remix – perhaps there will be a reproduction made and named after Lindy Shopper? *swoon*
Just add Shannon, feathers, and a little sparkle from Vegas 😉
BOMBSHELL BAUBLES
Shannon Sheldon is the mastermind behind both the execution of a flawless 1930’s fashion show and the line of adorable hair flowers known as Bombshell Baubles. Shannon personally tests each flower to make sure that, no matter how much your head shakes, the flower will not fall out. As someone who has abandoned flowers mid-dance because they simply could not stay in place, I salute you! Etsy store coming soon…
Oh, the cuteness!
FLAPPERFLY
Flapperfly makes cute, crafty, and recycled items, such as earrings, hair accessories, fabric bags, charm necklaces, and has some vintage finds worthy of the cuteness of this vendor. I only wish I had seen Flapperfly’s wares out more often at the event, I feel that I am lacking in accurate commentary. Please check out her Etsy site for goodies, especially the sequin sparrow barrette, which is my favorite.
This print caught my eye as particularly vintage looking
LOCO LINDO
Loco Lindo saw some heavy traffic at ABW, and for good reason – their line of dresses and skirts are flirty and practical, made from an infinite number of crepe prints, both modern and vintage reminiscent. The best parts about this kind of crepe are the nod to vintage crepe fabrics (common in swing era clothing), the comfort and wearability of the fabric, and the washability – no dry cleaning necessary, just throw it in the washer and hang it up to dry. The crepe travels well, being somewhat wrinkle-resistant, which is good news for traveling swing dancers. I would also file these dresses under dance and work-appropriate, so there’s double duty potential. I picked up a lovely gray and white polka dot dress with smocking detail at the shoulders – it is so rare to find dresses with smocking – superb!
A wall of shoe boxes from Dancestore
DANCESTORE
The staple of almost every swing dancer’s wardrobe, Dancestore‘s shoes are always well received at dance events and tend to be the anchor vendor with their vast inventory. I think I spent most of the weekend in their white mesh oxford. They were not at ABW the entire time, so I am afraid I am remiss of additional tidbits relating to the event or new products. I will use this opportunity to reiterate Teni Lopez-Cardenas‘ plea to make the trumpet skirt available in more colors (and sizes) – please! I’ve been waiting for years for the black trumpet skirt to be in stock in my size.
Lisa and her lovelies
FOLLOW FASHIONS
More hair accessory cuteness, this time from Follow Fashions‘ Ohio based designer, Lisa Curry. As you can see from the photo, there are wonderful flowers and feather fascinators, in lots of color options, shapes, and sizes. I am particularly grateful to see the smaller flower options, for short haired follows, for embellishing up-do’s, and perhaps for use as a boutonniere. Special thanks to Follow Fashions for outfitting some of our 1930’s fashion show participants with hair accessories!
The shopping here was so good! I hope Valerie and Heidi (pictured) got something awesome.
FLOWER CHILD
The token actual vintage vendor at ABW was Flower Child, who looked like they had been hoarding swing era goodies for us for a while, as there were some really choice items available for purchase. Things that stuck out in my mind were some great 1940’s cocktail dresses, pumps and wedges, bakelite jewelry at not outrageous prices, vintage sewing notions, a fairly substantial menswear and accessories section, gorgeous hats, and the 6 yards of 1930’s printed cotton the ladies brought for me to look at after I told them about some of my dresses being handmade. These ladies were diligent and stuck it out all weekend, into the wee hours of the nightly dances. Special thanks also goes out to Flower Child for letting the 1930’s fashion show borrow some of their accessories – such lovely things!
And those are the vendors! Stayed tuned for more possible future ABW-related blog posts.
Lindy Shopper 