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:
Your standard blue seersucker suit – 42R on eBay, bidding at $20.50!I always like finding non-traditional seersucker colors – here’s a pair of trousers in gray and white seersuckerThere are a bazillion of these JoS A. Bank trousers on eBay in every size, $50 including shippingRed seersucker trousers – I would ditch the shoes and the shirt, but I do like the red belt with thisThis Stacy Adams blazer has a slightly different take on the seersucker stripe – subtle, but with more colorBlack and white seersucker suit – not sure if this looks too “train conductor”…American Apparel short sleeve seersucker shirt – definitely an upgrade from a tee shirt 😉
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!
In my quest for 1920’s cloches on eBay, I stumbled upon a cloche that looked like it could have been vintage from the thumbnail, but up close it was clearly new, but…it had that thing about it that made it a really good hat on its own. I find a lot of straw cloches for summer (Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, etc.), but rarely, if ever, do I see a modern cloche made of fabric that doesn’t look like…a turban, or something odd.
Anna Chocola‘s cloches look comfortable and cheerful, with a great shapes and lots of wonderful details – this is what led me to believe, at a distance, that a particular cloche of her design was vintage. The model for the shape of her hats is her great-grandmother’s cloche.
I am also thinking that a cotton cloche may be more versatile and danceable than a straw one – you’d have the advantage of keeping a vintage look, with the functionality of a cotton hat. I’m thinking, in particular, of one gent I know who has a supply of cotton newsboy caps that he brings and trades out at exchanges after they get too sweaty, then throws them in the wash when he gets home. I suppose we’d have to check with Ms. Chocola about how the hats would fare being washed, but I do like thinking that there is that possibility…
Since I didn't snap a photo of the Aris Allen prototype, here's a version by Allen Edmunds, their "Strawfut," to give you an idea of the mesh and leather combo, but with a $300+ price point.
This past weekend at DCLX, amidst discussions of trumpet skirts, Dancestore.com owner Gay Santelmann showed me
her prototype of an Aris Allen
mesh and leather oxford, set
to go into production and be available for purchase in, approximately, 4 to 6 months. Excited! I’ve been looking for
a vintage pair for my husband and it’s just not happening…
but now it is!
I’m a big fan of the Dancestore.com mesh and leather heeled oxford for its comfort, flexibility, and breatheability. I can imagine that the same concept will translate well into an oxford for men. Kudos to Dancestore.com for picking up on this functionality.
Did I think to take a photo of the prototype? No, of course not, but the shoe I saw was two tone, with dark brown leather and tan mesh, and was copied from a 1940’s pair of the same coloring. Gay said they would also be available in black leather/white mesh, and possibly a black and navy combo.
Ladies, we’ve done it – we have convinced Dancestore.com to begin making and selling the trumpet skirt again! I spoke with Dancestore.com owner Gay Santelmann at the Saturday night DCLX dance at Glen Echo and introduced myself as Lindy Shopper. There was some question about which skirt we wanted, but I clarified that it was not the “Twirly Skirt” (which is shorter and more twirly), but the longer skirt that twirls at the bottom with all the lovely goring. As a side note, our beloved trumpet skirt was designed by Naomi Uyama, so we should all thank her for this fantastic design.
When will it be available for purchase? Stay tuned!
In the meantime, please go to the Dancestore.com Facebook page and post your thanks! And thank you all for your support of this crusade!
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!
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).
Death by milkshake - the chocolate bourbon pecan pie shake
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?
Waiting outside for a table because all the people waiting for shakes took up the waiting area inside
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.
Love the color on this plaid dress at White RabbitThe adorable plaid dress Beccy found at White RabbitCheeky ties - Victrola tie for the DJs and cat-with-laser-beam-eyes tie for...?The cheerful yellow dress Beccy discovered at RevivalLOVE these sunglasses at RevivalA rainbow wall of faux Keds at RagstockGorgeous 1930's velvet dress/suit, but so fragile - at ArtifactsGorgeous red faille dress at Artifacts *sigh*Hi, bakelite!Adorable bakelite scottie dog pencil sharpeners at Artifacts
I, and hundreds of other dancers around the world, need your trumpet skirt. I have mentioned this in passing, on this blog, on your Facebook wall, and I have waited patiently for years for you to have the trumpet skirt in my size. Yet, the stock does not replenish; nay, it has withered down to one size and I fear that in your haste to produce goods that are on trend you have overlooked that your trumpet skirt has been a staple in the Lindy Hop and Balboa communities for years. There’s a new generation that needs to experience the trumpet skirt and an older generation that needs to replace their worn out threads.
OK, I may be exaggerating about hundreds of other dancers around the world (ladies, feel free to chime in), but I do want to make my case for the trumpet skirt on my behalf, as well as on behalf of other dancers who I have heard make statements like “I need another trumpet skirt” or “I’d buy one in every color.” The black trumpet skirt is a wardrobe staple in that it can be worn with just about any color blouse or shirt; it twirls, but not enough to show your undergarments; it drapes so nicely; it gives the wearer a waist and a nice curvy shape. It is one of the few skirts that looks great on many body types. It is such a versatile piece and it’s easy and comfortable to wear. If I can’t figure out what I’m going to wear, the trumpet skirt is there.
I wear my trumpet skirt to work because it looks sharp and professional. I am looking down at my black trumpet skirt today and it looks a little sad because I’ve had it for so long, almost a decade. I’d love to buy another one to replace it. I went searching for a black trumpet skirt online and on every website that had one listed, you know what it said? OUT OF STOCK. Everyone wants this skirt!
I will continue to be patient in the hopes that you will consider producing these skirts again and, when you do, I’ll have cash in hand to buy two black trumpet skirts, just in case this happens again.
Sincerely,
Lindy Shopper
***UPDATE 4/5/12, 4:33 p.m. EST***
I’ve got their attention! If you want to see Dancestore.com make the trumpet skirt again, please go to their Facebook page, find my post (as Laura Windley), and “Like” it! You’ll see where they have responded and given this instruction. We can do this!!! http://www.facebook.com/ArisAllen
Just be glad you don't have to dry clean this dress...
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.
I know I do a blog post every time Re-Mix exhales, but this is important because I love dancing in wedges – Re-mix Vintage Shoes has come out with a new wedge they are calling Vogue (or, if you read the fashion bible, you might call it the VOGUE).
From the website: “We have replicated every detail of this 1940’s style, from the multi perforations on the vamp, to the grosgraine fabric piping of the original. It has a vintage “roller buckle” detail, and of course the legendary comfort is “standard”. All leather construction and polished leather soles. Available in White, Red or Yellow…”
I am smitten with this gorgeous 1920’s day dress, made of the sweetest lace – I’m not normally drawn to lace, but here the lace makes such intricate and wonderful patterns that it’s more than an embellishment, it’s a…textile, in the most reverent sense of the word. Paired with a cotton slip, this might be the most delightful dress for summer porch sitting or making an appearance at the Jazz Age Lawn Party. 😉
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.
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!
Collar up + sunglasses means we are ready for the outdoorsPatches: Safety firstLovely colors in this tweed
There’s been a flood of size 8 Re-Mix Vintage shoes on eBay – check it out! Most starting bids at $99.00, shoes are new without box.
Red patent leather Anita shoeMy favorite walking shoe - Dara, in blackGinger heels in brownPicasso wedges in greenSpectator wedge in brown and creamGreta wedge in brownGreta wedge in redGreta wedge in greenThis last pair are from a different seller and are pre-owned (but still fab!) - starting bid $94.99
Lindy Shopper 