Tag: dress

Shock and Awe: Trashy Diva’s Holiday Dress Collection

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Sadie dress with bow appliques

I decided this blog post’s title was appropriate after I checked the Trashy Diva website yesterday to see if anything new was available. As I clicked through to the main page my jaw dropped as I saw the most awesome collection of holiday dresses this season, in vibrant pink, teal, and purple with sequins and beading. My awe quickly turned to shock as I noticed the prices on these dresses. Trashy Diva has always been in the upper register of prices I feel comfortable posting on Lindy Shopper, but these dresses have surpassed the comfort level. I’ve been torn as to whether or not to write about this. On one hand I love Trashy Diva, Candice Gwinn has impeccable taste in patterns and fabrics, and I want to support retailers who provide dancers with durable reproduction clothing. On the other hand, the price. I decided to let your wallets decide and show you the goods. If anything, these dresses should be admired.

The holiday collection includes a number of beautiful dresses with sleeves, which is a rare thing to find in any designer’s collection. The Sadie dress, a staple of prior collections, has been morphed into a gorgeous confection of drapery and sparkle, two giving a nod to what could be considered and what I would affectionately call big band singer dresses or Golden Girls dresses, and another with Art Deco beading around the neckline. Other favorites, the 40’s dress and the Obi dress, are reinvented in the gorgeous, vibrant colors of this collection. All the dresses in the collection are made from heavy weight silk crepe de chine – if you are not familiar, it is quite possibly the most luxurious fabric I have ever touched and drapes like a dream.

Here’s what I’ll add to my closet when I win the lottery:

Sadie dress with Art Deco beading
1940's dress in glorious pink
The Rosalind dress is two tone awesomeness - with sleeves!

My Baby Jo

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

My Baby Jo has a little bit of everything to help you embrace your inner pin-up girl, and some essential menswear clothing and accessories for the swing era gent. My Baby Jo has a retail store in Los Angeles, CA, but thankfully they also offer their excellent 1940’s and 1950’s-inspired clothing, shoes, and accessories online.

The website has a great selection of women’s dresses, swimwear, undergarments, hair flowers, jewelry, shoes, handbags, cosmetics and men’s jackets, shirts, pants, shoes, hats, pomade, ties, and vintage watches. The vintage men’s watches are especially good, with watches from the 1920’s through the 1950’s that look like they are in sturdy, wearable condition. Their swimwear selections feature the best of Esther Williams’ swimwear line. The site also offers some fun pieces that may fill gaps in your wardrobe or Halloween costume (like that Rosie the Riveter jumpsuit – where else do you find that?). They also have an extensive selection of men’s hats and hat-care items, including brushes and felt cleaner.

There’s so much goodness here, I’ll try to narrow down my favorites:

Mrs. Moore Day Dress, comes in 5 colors
V-cut Plaid Jacket - lots more of these on the site in different fabrics
Alika dress, also comes in red and in a pencil skirt style
Motorcycle sweater
Marilyn eyelet tie top, also in blue
Leading man two pocket shirt with topstitching
Riveting jumpsuit, also in blue stripes and black
Melton captoe by Johnston & Murphy
How cute is this sailor outfit?
Tailored double pleated trouser - available in 13 different fabrics
So many hair flowers, but the orchids are my favorite
There are tons of hats in traditional colors, but this green fedora was my favorite
Love the face on this 1937 watch

Holiday Dance Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

There’s something about this red 1940’s dress, listed on eBay by seller redwineandfriends, that says it’s ripe for the holidays. Obviously the color is festive, but there are other details that make this dress extra-special and holiday dance-worthy, like the pleating on the bodice, the bow on the front of the dress, the little white buttons down the front, the wonderful goring of the skirt, and, on top of the goring, the back of the skirt has an inset for additional swishy-ness. As the seller says in the auction, “Holiday perfect – fur muff and ice skates optional!”

Time Machine Vintage on Etsy

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

The cuteness is overwhelming at Time Machine Vintage’s Etsy store, which offers custom made (or if the sample fits, you can buy the sample) 1930’s through 1950’s dresses made from the seller’s collections of vintage patterns and vintage fabrics. The patterns and fabrics are adorable and whimsical, two things I love to have in a dress.

From the dressmaker extraordinaire: “If you’ve ever tried to find a great vintage cotton day dress in mint condition, you know it is damned near impossible. Women wore them until they fell apart! “Make do and mend” was the buzz phrase of the WWII era and it carried over to post war too. So adding decorative appliques and trims to hide imperfections, stains, rips and holes was the norm. In my creations you’ll often find those great little vintage touches even on fabric that is in perfect condition.

I prefer to use authentic vintage feedsack and cotton fabrics but I often default to vintage reproduction prints since there are so many great ones out there now. If I can, I use recycled metal zippers, antique buttons and vintage trims. Just doing my part to save the earth from all those thrown away metal zippers! So browse my pattern collection and choose a dress sample that has already been put together or convo me with a color choice or choices (or actual fabric you have seen or have in mind) and a pattern selection and I can make a dress or romper just for you in your size!”

Time Machine Vintage Logo

She speaks the truth – finding vintage day dresses is extremely difficult. I generally want day dresses for dancing because they are more breathable and danceable than more formal dresses and fabrics. In looking at Time Machine Vintage’s offerings, just about everything looks like it should be ready to hit the dance floor.

Perhaps the best part of this Etsy store are the prices – items range between $40 and $100 for a custom dress made for your measurements, with most dresses in the $65-$90 price range. The fabric alone would cost you at least $40 if you went to a fabric store today and bought enough yardage to make one of these dresses. These dresses are a steal. Buy them quickly!

My faves:

1940's kitchen dress - love the pockets and the rickrack detail
1950's plaid dress with removable collar
1930's or 40's cotton day dress
1940's day dress - love the contrasting insets
This 1950's two piece romper set is an outfit with built-in bloomers - sometimes you feel like a skirt, sometimes you don't

Crepe and Drape

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This 1930’s/40’s crepe dress from eBay seller 7shops is a standout in several ways. The dress shape and draping are classically elegant, but there are some wonderful and eclectic elements to this dress, specifically the slit cutouts below the neck, the pleated gathering at the bust, and the fabric itself. If you look closely at the fabric, the green and yellow shapes are trees and the background is a sort of zebra stripe wood grain in black and white. Someone with a 28 inch waist please buy this dress! Starting price is $9.99.

Mod Cloth: Ilsa Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

There is so much about this red Stop Staring! dress to love. It’s fire engine red and form fitting, definitely a head-turner; but it’s also ladylike and tailored, with ruched sleeves, bodice detail, a modest hemline and a little flower “corsage” to decorate the shoulder. This dress would be an asset to any dancer’s wardrobe – click on over to Mod Cloth’s website to pick one up. I’m debating this one myself…

Swing Outfits: Custom 1930’s and 1940’s Clothing for Men, Women, and Lindy Ensembles

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Amapola dress

Someone posted on Yehoodi this week asking about where to find skirts for a dance team, either to be made or to order. This post jogged my memory and I immediately thought of Swing Outfits, a website that sells custom, made to order clothing for men and women from 1930’s and 1940’s patterns. Swing Outfits offers some wonderful options for just about any basic swing garment you could think of in an almost endless selection of fabrics.

Swing Outfits has a section of their website devoted to dance team shopping. I understand that selecting an outfit that everyone agrees on is nearly impossible; however, Swing Outfits offers some sound advice on selecting a team or couple’s costume:

“For couples that dance regularly in competition or performance it is especially important to have a costume. It is one thing to dance at a party, and a different thing to dance on a stage before an audience. It is not enough to just have nice clothes on each individual performer – you need to look like a unified couple.

What makes a good stage costume for a couple? First of all, your costume must be tailor made for you – we will need measurements from both dancers. You will also need to select a fabric and a design for your costumes. Pictured below are three sets of costumes: Silk, Polka Dots, and Plaid/Stripes. Within each set are a number of elements that you can select for your costume, and each will be made from the same material you have chosen.”

The website then walks you through three easy steps to select pieces for your performance outfit. The beauty of these pieces is that they can be mixed and matched with anything – with each other or with something you might find at Target or H&M.

Another great thing about having team costumes made for the team members is that you avoid the one-pattern-fits-all problem that you encounter when purchasing something from a retail store. Having personally experienced the pain of not fitting into the mold of a chosen team costume, I would personally rather pay more and get something that fits perfectly, that I don’t have to pay someone to alter, and that I might actually wear again dancing.

Which leads to my next point – you don’t have to be on a dance team to wear and enjoy an outfit from Swing Outfits! Make sure to browse their selection of patterns, then their selection of fabrics, and think of the endless possibilities. The Libra in me may never be able to decide…

Here’s what I love from Swing Outfits:

Classic trumpet skirt
Knickerbockers - yes, this is the photo from the web page - why hide those pretty socks when you can do them justice with a pair of knickers?
Splanky dress
Student pants - 1930's style
Splanky blouse
Single-breasted cashmere vest
Sailor pencil skirt
A nod to classic ensemble Lindy Hop performances, your ensemble can also sport silky jumpers for the ladies with matching silk shirts for the gents

A Dress for the Chrysler Building

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This dress is impeccable and stunning, just like that gorgeous Art Deco skyscraper in New York. I love everything about this dress – the color combination, the contrast, the points that go down the front and back, the buttons down the back, the pockets, the belt buckle, oh, I could go on! There’s drama in this dress, but not so much that it would be too formal for dancing.

This dress is offered for sale on eBay by Mill Street Vintage, a store that has caught my eye on numerous occasions, with outstanding pieces of clothing from the swing era. Definitely keep your eye on this eBay seller.

Leluxe Vamp Dress on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Here is your chance to own a gorgeous 1920’s reproduction dress from Leluxe Clothing Company at half the cost. Leluxe occasionally sells dresses on eBay at a greatly reduced price, but you definitely have to watch for them. The deal of the day is their delicious Vamp dress in black, which retails for $245.00, but is available on eBay with a starting bid of $129.99 and a Buy It Now of $155.00.

Why is this dress worth it? Aside from the gorgeousness and divine detail, this dress is durable and danceable (unlike its original vintage counterparts). I have this dress in silver and have worn it on three occasions since I purchased it in June, with rave reviews at each event. When you spin, the little car wash panels at the bottom flare out nicely, and there’s that delicious sound of swishing beads. My only warning for this dress would be if you are dancing in this dress, you may need to pin it to your bra – the dress did not feel heavy when I was wearing it, but the beads are heavier than fabric and the centrifugal force of the spins caused the straps of this dress to head towards the walls, rather than remaining firmly on my shoulders. Once secured, this was no longer a problem.

Wouldn’t you like to be the ultimate flapper for Halloween? Or every day? 😉

Candy Striped Dress

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This 1940’s style striped dress from eBay seller buddhaboogie was too adorable not to post, even though it’s not in season. But then it’s never too late or early to shop for all things fabulous. I’m in love with this candy striped dress – it’s made with a great vintage fabric and has a chevron skirt, matching belt, and flutter sleeves. It’s good enough to eat!

Emerald City Vintage on eBay

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

This 1950's jacket is nerdy and awesome

I am very impressed with the selection of clothing that eBay seller Emerald City Vintage has posted, for both men and women. If Emerald City is from Seattle, then it comes as no surprise to me that this seller has excellent threads, as my own excursion to Seattle last year yielded three critical wardrobe items.

The selection is primarily 1930’s through 1950’s clothing and the starting prices are generally around $20.00. Some of the items for sale are buy it now – whether or not some of these items are reasonable is open to interpretation, but some of the buy it now items are what you would pay in a decent vintage store and others are a bit pricier.

Randomly, there are also several dirndls in the store, if you are looking for something befitting Oktoberfest.

Overall, this is a very focused selection of garments for swing era ladies and gents, with lots of great basics for both men and women. Here are my favorites from this week’s selections (but I would encourage you to browse the eBay store, as there are lots of different sizes available in similar items, such as pants):

1950's black sweater
1940's three-tone rayon dress
1940's Tuxedo
1936 three piece suit
1930's belted back suit
1940's double breasted suit
WWII uniform
1940's or 50's striped pants

Trashy Diva for Fall

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Jenny dress short sleeves

Trashy Diva goes back to basics for fall, with a collection of basic black dresses in a poly/rayon/spandex that has “the look of vintage wool jersey without the scratch.” With added spandex, these dresses should be extra danceable. My favorite is the Jenny dress, which comes in short sleeves and long sleeves, and has these amazing darts at the waist that look like they will give you a lovely hour-glass, wasp waisted shape.

Another recent collection features two fabrics dotted with the fleur-de-lis, a symbol of New Orleans, which is the home base of Trashy Diva. The more graphic of the two prints is featured on their 1950’s and 1960’s inspired dresses and the smaller print is on their classic 1940’s and 1930’s pattern dresses.

If you missed out on earlier Trashy Diva goodness, check out my last blog entry on this obsession-worthy clothing company.

1940's dress
Audrey dress
Jenny dress long sleeves

Tucker for Target

This post was written by Lindy Shopper.

Unlike the highly anticipated Zac Posen collection for Target, I had never heard of Tucker by Gaby Basora, so I was not planning on showing up at Target at 8:00 a.m. the day the collection debuted to get first dibs on the goods. However, after I saw an ad in VOGUE for the Tucker collection featuring an Art Deco print dress paired with a wide brim hat and flapper stockings, I changed my mind and set my alarm for 7:40 a.m. this morning to go check it out.

Target was blissfully empty at 8:00 this morning and I had a fantastic time rummaging through this fall collection that has a little something for everyone and some great pieces for work, fun, dancing, and evening. Some of my favorites from the collection are a burnout velvet dress, an orange polka dot blouse, an orange herringbone skirt, a sparkly boucle cocktail dress, several floral dresses, and a pair of herringbone shorts. The fabrics are obviously not the designer’s usual silks, but the fabrics chosen for the collection didn’t feel or look cheap, they draped well, and are much more washable and wearable from this dancer’s practical perspective.

The clothing from the collection is shown in “looks,” but I was more inspired looking at Tucker’s official web site. The intro video was delightful eye candy, with vintage-inspired looks featuring Tucker’s fall collection with vintage jewelry, hairstyles that ranged from Gibson Girl to Marie Antoinette, crocheted gloves, flapper headbands, red lips, hair flowers, and dessert. 🙂

Here are some potentially dance-worthy pieces:

I bought this whole look, work appropriate and danceable - the fit was fantastic
I'm wishing this burnout velvet dress had fit me better...or, better yet, that the collection had a 1920's-inspired dress in this fabric
Black boucle dress
This dress looks painfully short on the Target model, but was not terribly short and would be comfortable for dancing
These shorts are awesome - I'd pair them with suspenders and a newsboy cap or a girly blouse