I’ve been following Allure Original Styles for a while, from her initial offerings through eBay as seller buddhaboogie (which is still used to sell what appears to be samples), to a full-fledged Etsy store where you can purchase custom made reproduction swing era garments. Allure Original Styles distinguishes itself from other reproduction sellers by creating an extensive line of pants and complimentary blouses. The fabrics range from wool gabardine to light-medium weight denim, to cover both dressy and casual pants needs. I am probably most excited about having wide leg denim options – while I love to dress up, sometimes you have you wear jeans for more casual occasions and shopping for jeans is only a step above shopping for a swimsuit on the loathsome activity scale. What could be more comfortable for everyday wear than a pair of flattering wide leg lightweight denim jeans?
There are also some great dresses and other separates from the store. So much to love here…I might learn to love wearing pants again:
Adorable - high waist belted denim trouser with contrast top stitching, complimentary seersucker blouse with neck tie *drool*1940's reproduction overalls - so stinkin' cuteClassic wide leg trousers with side buttons30's/40's belted skirtDesperately want this dress in my size...1930's blouse - love the bow and the zig zag seam below the bust line1930's sailor skirt with fantastic seam detailSailor shorts! There are also pants available in a similar style
This post was written by Lindy Shopper. Comic strip of unknown origins, featured in Town and Country Magazine, January 2012
While reading my mom’s copy of the January 2012 issue of Town and Country, I ran across a comic strip detailing the history of the tuxedo – not normal comic book fare, so I was intrigued. Here’s your history lesson for the week: according to the strip and Wikipedia, the word tuxedo comes from the Lenni-Lenape Native American tribe (also known as the Delaware Indians), who were allegedly called Tuxedo (meaning “he has a round foot” (which may be in reference to the wolf), “place of the bear” or “clear flowing water”) by their enemies the Algonquins. The Lenni-Lenape lived near a lake which they named “Tucseto,” which later became known as Tuxedo Lake, and the area where they lived was called Tuxedo.
How does a tribe of Native Americans and a lake relate to the modern formal suit? In 1885, Pierre Lorillard IV developed a piece of land his grandfather owned in Tuxedo for a summer resort for the wealthy and well-to-do, naming it Tuxedo Park. He then “organized the Tuxedo Club and the Tuxedo Park Association, as hunting and fishing preserve (and society), and surrounded the property with a high game fence. In 1886, he built a club house, which saw the debut of the short dinner jacket, which soon became known as the Tuxedo jacket. Eventually, the Tuxedo ensemble, featuring the short dinner jacket, became the accepted dress for formal affairs. To give you some perspective on the class of people who frequented the Tuxedo Club, the “Blue Book of Etiquette,” written by Emily Post, was “based on what she observed inside the great stone gates of Tuxedo.”
I am amazed that the basis for modern formal menswear originated as far back as the 1880’s, but this demonstrates how the tuxedo has withstood the test of time.
As the modern Lindy Hop community matures, I see more dancers donning a tuxedo (or part of a tuxedo) for New Year’s Eve, specifically at Lindy Focus (alas, I will miss my first Lindy Focus in six years!). Just adding a bow tie to a black suit can elevate your look, or wear a vest/bow tie combo for maximum mobility.
Tuxedos are more attainable, thanks to the advent of eBay, but even thrift stores have tuxedos, sometimes castoffs from formal wear stores or a donation that simply doesn’t fit or isn’t used (and is usually rarely worn, so it good condition). You can often acquire a vintage tuxedo for less than the cost of a vintage suit because they are the garment that was worn least and survived the decades. It amazes me that people spend money to rent tuxedos when for the same price or less you could buy one.
Here are some lovelies on eBay and Etsy to make your New Year’s Eve classic and well-dressed:
1930's tuxedo with a faille shawl collor, size 42, buy it now $65.001930's tuxedo with tails, white vest, and white tie, size 38, $75.00 starting bid - paging Fred Astaire...1940's tuxedo, button fly, size 40, buy it now $30.001950's shawl collar tuxedo on Etsy, $98.001940's tuxedo, size 44, $65.00
It’s been a while since I posted reproductions, so here is your reproduction retail fix: Tara Starlet is a UK based company that makes reproduction 1940’s and 1950’s clothing with an interest in recycling and creating eco-conscious products.
From the website: “We are advocates of recycling and we have a collection of original buttons and trimmings from our favourite era that we try to incorporate into our designs wherever possible, giving our collection true authenticity. Also we reinvent quality wool jumpers, injecting a bit of fifties glamour to give them a new lease of life! We use end of roll fabrics too, putting to good use what would otherwise be waste. This means that our designs are often made in a selection of different fabrics with a limited amount of garments in each, so you won’t find hundreds of other women wearing the same thing! On top of this, all of our clothes are made locally in London, to keep our carbon footprint dainty.”
I love the idea of reusing original materials – there is waste where there is leftovers, even from the 1940’s, and if we can reuse these notions and fabrics, it creates a really interesting hybrid vintage/new garment and eliminates the need for modern manufacturers to re-create these items. The original stuff is better anyway, right?
Here are some of my favorites from the shop:
Autumn Starlet Dress - adorable, and with sleeves!Schoolgirl style + halter = awesomeSatin Sweetheart DressSailor BlouseBright Sailor SlacksCosy Cape - how cute is this?
It’s already wonderful that the Eastern Balboa Championships is just a short drive away, but this year EBC really had the feel of a top notch swing dance event, brimming with a level of excitement and enthusiasm that is almost unrivaled. EBC already felt like a Balboa family reunion, bridging the gap between All Balboa Weekends, but this year it felt like EBC really came into its own as an event. The new hotel for this year’s EBC, the North Raleigh Hilton, provided a lovely ballroom space, a big hallway with chairs and tables for vendors, registration, and for hanging out, and there were no shortage of extra rooms for practice space. There were competitions for everyone and I am proud of the newer Raleigh/Durham Balboa dancers, some of them only dancing Balboa for a few weeks prior to the event, taking the challenge head on and entering their first amateur competitions.
Some of the Vintage Collective spread
This year, EBC grew from one vendor to four vendors. The solo repeat vendor, and one that is near and dear to my heart, is the Vintage Collective (Andi Shelton, Claire Villa, and Laura Churchill Pemberton), who paid attention to what was bought and who purchased it last year, then went out to their sources to find even more of these vintage goods that swing dancers wear. The result was four large racks of clothing from the 1920’s through the 1940’s, both men’s and women’s apparel, three tables of accessories, and a giant shoe rack. The Vintage Collective was only set up for one day, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and I was there with my fellow vintage poachers at 9:00 sharp, freshly rolled out of bed and ready to commence with the hunt.
I intended to go grab the goodies I wanted, then go back to bed, but it was so exciting trying on clothes with my friends and choosing outfits for people that it was lunchtime before I knew it. I think Rita Shiang got my two favorite dresses of the day – a 1930’s sailor dress with red trim and a 1940’s brown floral rayon dress with amazing draping and a fishtail attachment in the back, you know, for sass. Again, I forgot to take photos of all this good stuff until the end of my shopping visit, I got so wrapped up in the experience…
So many shoes!
Next, we have Dancestore, the anchor vendor of any major swing dance event and one that is continuously welcome, as they continue to provide reasonably priced, reproduction dance shoes that are essential to any swing dancer’s wardrobe. At one point, Frankie Hagan stopped dancing and came up to me to show me that his heel had come off his shoe. About 10 minutes later he came back up to me to show off his new pair of Aris Allen cap toes. THIS is only one of the great reasons to have a shoe vendor at your event. Another is to be able to actually try on the shoes to ensure a good fit. Then, at the dance on Sunday night, Kara Fabina announced that Dancestore would be selling their entire inventory at the event for 40% off for the next 15 minutes. YES!!! There was a rush to purchase the discounted shoes and even I decided to replace my pair of white mesh oxfords that I had danced a hole through the toe – at 40% off, how could you not?
Creations by Crawford is Sharon Crawford’s name for the hair flowers, fascinators, boutonnieres, and other clothing ornamentations she makes. I was a bit confused when I saw Sharon’s vendor space, as there were a few items for sale, but it mostly looked like a craft studio, with supplies everywhere. Then Bill Speidel showed me his boutonniere and explained that Sharon had made it custom to go with his outfit. I looked over and Sharon confirmed, as she furiously sewed together one of her creations for a customer. This is a new approach and one that can work at a weekend event – you have a bit of a captive audience if the shopper is there for the weekend, why not make something to go with what they are wearing if they have the time to wait? By the end of the dance you can have a custom piece that you know will work with something you have.
Finally, we have Vintage Visage, the brainchild of Kathryn Meyer, who had a fantastic display of vintage-inspired hats and accessories for sale, including hair flowers, fancy gloves, hats for ladies and gents, and the ever essential fan. Whoever has the foresight to sell fans at dances is always tops in my book. If you are looking for Kathryn and her wares after EBC, she is a regular vendor at Richmond’s Second Saturday dances.
And that about wraps it up for another great year at EBC! Here are some supplemental photos of the vendors:
My favorite Dancestore wedge in brownNelle Cherry models a Dancestore limited edition two tone mesh and leather heeled oxfordSharon shows off her handiworkKathryn and Meghan with the Vintage Visage spreadHats and purses - even a 1920's cloche! From the Vintage CollectiveAdorable socks and ties from the Vintage CollectiveThe Vintage Collective's shoe rackElizabeth getting ready to hit the dressing roomLovely fabrics from the Vintage Collective dressesHappy shoppers!
It’s been a while since I checked on Heyday!, my favorite UK retailer of heavenly high waisted trousers, but I see that they have been busy. They have expanded their line of women’s and men’s clothing and have some pretty impressive and hard-to-find pieces at not unreasonable prices. Men can pick up some more casual style jackets, like the gab jacket or the Hollywood jacket, or some elegant 1940’s trousers. Women who are looking for separates will find several styles of adorable reproduction blouses, 1940’s style suits, dresses that are great for dances and work, as well as those famous trousers that make everyone’s bum look like a million bucks.
Here are my favorites from the website:
How sharp are these! Get your Gene Kelly on in the Anzac trousers, available in 9 colorsYou just can't go wrong with these swing trousers - available in 14 colorsFleur wrap dress, available in 6 printsHollywood jacket, an alternative to the traditional blazerOlivia blouse - stinkin' adorable, in 11 colorsWant this suit!
The Men's Wearhouse three piece suit in brown pinstripe
It is not often that my husband contributes ideas to this blog, but I must give him credit for this find. We’ve been looking for a vintage or new three piece suit for him for a while now and, with his birthday coming up, I guess he kicked his part of the search in gear and found this three piece suit at Men’s Wearhouse to add to his wishlist. It looks pretty nondescript in terms of era, but could easily be enhanced with details, like a vintage tie, pocket square, or tie clip, to give it that swing era feel. It could also double as just a regular suit by removing the vest and adding modern accessories for work, job interviews, or whatever else you may need a suit for. At $199.00, the price is right for this versatile three piece suit, which comes in black, a fine black/white pattern, brown pinstripes, a fine brown pattern, and charcoal gray.
In my haste to get out of town this weekend, I forgot to post links to two pairs of Aris Allen men’s pants in black that I found on eBay, high waist with a wide leg, three pleats, and cuffs. The first pair is a size 32 long and the second pair is a size 34 long – if you lack a tall inseam, they can always be hemmed. Both pairs of pants have never been worn and, at $19.99 starting price for a pair of dress dance pants, this is a crazy deal.
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
It’s back to reality, post-Experiment, but while I was away I did have a chance to chat with instructor Bobby White about some of his impeccable garments. He directed me to Magnoli Clothiers as a great source for vintage reproduction three piece suits. I must agree with Mr. Whi-te on this one, as the tailoring and fabrics look spot on.
Magnoli Clothiers is more than just menswear, it “is dedicated to the reproduction of vintage clothing, historic garments and popular film costumes. These reproductions, however, are not costume pieces, but tailor-made, high-quality clothing…any piece of mens clothing that you can provide images of can be reproduced. We can copy a garment you already own, or, by analyzing various images, we can reproduce any article from photograph or film stills.” The sky is the limit, or you can choose from their impeccable sample suits, pants, leather jackets, sport coats, shirts, vests, shoes, hats, and accessories.
The prices are no bargain, but for custom pieces…consider this an investment in looking awesome. Reasonably priced vintage repro menswear is hard for Lindy Shopper to find, but I am on a reproduction kick right now so I thought it best to share. Did I mention shipping is included in the price? That helps a bit.
Here are some of the great pieces you might want to own:
Cagney suitDillinger suitFairbanks suitMarshall suit - more awesome belt-back actionPrinceton tweed suitBoardwalk linen blazerMcCoy jacket - with pockets and belted back for maximum sportinessHighway jacket - because the Rocketeer is HOTTTHughes jacketJoker vestHollywood pantsOxford Bags
I’m having palpitations because several dresses I have been eyeballing, as well has hundreds of other items, are now 70% off at Mod Cloth’s Cabin Fever Sale. As I am placing things into my shopping cart they are flying off the website – literally! One dress in my cart went out of stock before I could check out. Here are some of my favorites from the sale:
Gala Life Dress, now $72.99 (was $244.99)Fiery Personality Frock for $20.99Releve Dress for $22.99That's Amore Dress for $21.99Beach Picnic Dress for $29.99Know-how Romper in Grace for $14.99
The seller of these 1940’s reproduction Hollywood style high waist pants proudly displays them in this eBay auction and reports that he/she made these pants from a real 1940’s pair with the same specs. Very cool! It’s always nice when clothes are worn by someone, rather than a mannequin, and these pants look pretty sharp on the model. The seller, johnny-jays-vintage, reports that they are made from a lightweight gray wool and are lined in black cotton. It also looks like there’s room for alteration, so these pants could fit a range of sizes. A great basic to add to your wardrobe!
You could be dressed up like a million dollar trooper this holiday season in this fantastic 1930’s tuxedo, available on eBay from seller catalpa1961 with a starting bid of only $9.99! I do wish the seller had pressed the tuxedo and shirt before taking the photos, but you’ll have to imagine it after a pressing. Even with wrinkles, it’s easy to see that this tuxedo has some wonderful detailing, like the satin lapels, satin stripe down the leg, double breasted coat and vest, and, my favorite detail, checkerboard satin covered buttons on the coat and vest. This tuxedo has the rare added bonus of a period Arrow tuxedo shirt in good condition. Just add socks, shoes, studs, and cufflinks and a bow tie and you’re fit for any fête.
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 colorsV-cut Plaid Jacket - lots more of these on the site in different fabricsAlika dress, also comes in red and in a pencil skirt styleMotorcycle sweaterMarilyn eyelet tie top, also in blueLeading man two pocket shirt with topstitchingRiveting jumpsuit, also in blue stripes and blackMelton captoe by Johnston & MurphyHow cute is this sailor outfit?Tailored double pleated trouser - available in 13 different fabricsSo many hair flowers, but the orchids are my favoriteThere are tons of hats in traditional colors, but this green fedora was my favoriteLove the face on this 1937 watch
It’s been a while since anything gentlemanly crossed my path for the blog, but here’s a wonderful double breasted navy suit from the jazz era, listed on eBay by seller privatescreening. From a “high quality prominent Seattle estate,” this suit has wonderful details, like pants cuffs, peaked lapels, a matching 6 button vest, button fly, and lots of pockets. A great investment for your wardrobe, as any of these pieces could be worn separately or together. The price is a bit up there, but comparably much less than the other three piece vintage suits popping up on eBay as of late.
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!”
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 detail1950's plaid dress with removable collar1930's or 40's cotton day dress1940's day dress - love the contrasting insetsThis 1950's two piece romper set is an outfit with built-in bloomers - sometimes you feel like a skirt, sometimes you don't
Lindy Shopper 