A Heavenly Day at The Roaring Twenties Lawn Party

Most of the time I like my job as a vintage dealer...then there are the days when I just love it! Sunday was one of those days. A few weeks ago I was invited to be one of 8 vendors at a brand new and exciting event, The Roaring Twenties Lawn Party. This Gatsby themed party was planned by Boston Swing Central and the Trustees of the Crane Estate in Ipswich Ma. Spending a summer day on the beautiful Crane Estate was more than enough reason to say yes.

Just close your eyes and imagine winding your way up a private wooded road, until you come to an open manicured hilltop with terraced grounds. There, a gravel drive leads to a magnificent 59 room, Stuart style mansion. The grounds behind the mansion are the most breathtaking of all....like something out of a fairy tale. A half-mile-long corridor of perfect emerald lawn, softly rolling it's way to a distant private ocean beach, flanked on either side by larger than life, Grecian style statues. The surrounding hill is lush with protected forests. Lawn party is an understatement! The vendors were to set up on a lovely side terrace with post card worthy vista as backdrop. Oh yes, this sounded nice :)

If the setting didn't hook me the venue was sure to.  Live jazz music all afternoon and evening, performed by Brooklyn's own, Baby Soda Band. Swing dance lessons were scheduled for afternoon and evening . A huge dance floor to be spread beneath a gorgeous summer sky. Nature would provide a steady flow of ocean breeze to cool the revelers, picnickers AND the vendors.

Advance ticket sales promised a huge crowd. Dressing the period was strongly suggested for all party goers and I was looking forward to enjoying the parade of twenties inspired attire. The vintage community is close and I knew most of the other dealers who were attending, so I was keen to hear all the news.

The fates were with us because the day arrived just after the break of a heat wave. The morning dawned cool and clear. It was hard to focus on setting our booth up with so much beauty around but we managed to be ready when the first guests arrived. Picnickers staked out their spots, some even set up vintage venues complete with linen covered tables and flowers! In time the band began playing and they were amazing. After a brief dance lesson, the floor went into full swing and the party was on!

Things were busy in the vendors area as well, people strolled in and out of booths to peruse the carefully curated merchandise. Shopping may not have been the main event but so many tempting choices made it hard to say no. This was our crowd, people who loved all things beautiful from earlier times. Jason Volk, was the man who coordinated our little market and he did a wonderful job.

By 8:00 pm the festivities were over, content guests made their way to the parking lot and the merchants started to pack up. There were smiles all around.

A few snap shots of our lovely day. Enjoy!

 

                    A Sampling of Party Guests   

                  

Two of my favorite outfits. Laura Kimsey, on the left, is an illustrator and devoted fan of vintage as well as a long time and dear customer.

 

The lush lawn was an irresistible invitation to kick off ones shoes and relax

 

 

The fine art of picnicking.

 

 

Dashing well dressed men...such a pleasure to see!

 

 

The music was intoxicating and the dancing divine!

 

 

Vintage dealer, Adam Irish, from Old as Adam, attended the party with this lovely lady at his side.

 

 

A Few of my Vendor Friends 

 

 Amy and helper Amanda, Artifaktori       

 

    Carrie , Curio Vintage  

                            

 

 

Jen and Vince,

Morning Glorious Vintage

 

 Booth Shots

 

 

 

There was so much more to see, I wish I had more pics. As you can see the merchandise was to die for :)

 

AND my favorite shot....

 

 

... my dear and VERY handsome husband Bob. I could not do any of this without him.

 

 

 

 

 

Fashion Ephemera from the turn of the 19th to 20th Century (1900-1902)

I’m still in the process of moving into my studio. Yesterday and today are dedicated to transferring my collection of books, magazines and fashion related ephemera. I just now came across a pile of pages that had once been part of an old scrap book. Most are fashion plates from turn of the century (1900-1902), clipped from McCalls  Magazines. They are gorgeous and I wanted to share a sampling.

 

 

January 1900, Ladies gray cloth costume trimmed in Karakul (Persian lamb) fur, with matching muff 

 

April 1901, early spring outing toilettes. Notice the difference in hairstyles. Adolescent and teen girls often wore their hair down in ringlets or braids. Their dresses hovered above the ankle to mid calf. Pompadours and floor sweeping hems were reserved for the ladies.

 

January 1901, outdoor toilettes for winter. Elaborate wide brimmed hats were de rigueur in the early 1900s. Feathers were the appropriate millinery trim for winter.

 

 

March 1901, a duo of visiting toilettes. Note the iconic S-bend silhouette with tiny waist, jutting rear and puffed pigeon chest. This was achieved with a very specific corset, ironically called the "Health Corset". It was anything but healthy. A stiff, straight busk in front, forced the torso forward and pushed the hips out in back putting terrible strain of the back.

 

October 1901, promenade costumes. The promenade or leisurely walk was an important activity. It was an acceptable activity for courting couples, a way for neighbors to keep in touch and a much need source of light exercise for the pampered society lady. In 1895 the Concert Promenade became popular in London. A live band provided music as strollers walked the public gardens, how genteel! 

 

 

March 1902, indoor toilettes. Delicate pastels and feminine prints marked the onset of spring.

 

October 1902, another duo of promenade costumes. Note the more conservative suit, designed with the "older" woman in mind, on the right.

 

Peeking behind the curtain...what goes into preparing for a vintage show.

I am in the middle of prepping for the Sturbridge Textile Show and it's utter chaos...as usual. My work table is stacked high with mending and my ironing basket is overflowing. The jewelry corner in my studio is a jumble with display forms and vintage "jewels".  I have gone through my clothing racks countless times pulling pieces and putting them back while I try to decide what the customers will be looking for.

Should I load up on sun dresses, it is summer after all? But wait! The designers are going to be looking for fall, should I pack a few coats? Is it to early to think about Holiday? I think so...but maybe not! Definitely some nice transitional pieces...light sweaters, late season dresses and the like. I haven't even opened my bins of belts, scarves and hats and OMG! It's already Thursday! I only have 8 days left to do this.....

This is my life.... I am a vintage clothing dealer and the bulk of my business is done at vintage shows. Aside from the occasional stress induced, mini breakdown, I really do love my job. I love it when the van is all packed and we are on our way. When we arrive I take my time setting up the booth, I want it to look perfect when the customers come in. Looking around I see my neighboring dealers fussing over their displays and it feels nice, we all want the place to look beautiful. Then the doors open and the crowd rushes in. It's show time.

 

Pressing a vintage cotton blouse

 



 

Inspecting a 1920s beaded dress

 

Box of vintage and antique trims and sewing memorabilia. The lace is gossamer thin and had to be delicately pressed and folded.  

 

Should I bring Holiday to a July show? Decisions... Decisions

 

Replacing an elastic waist in a 1970s silk dress.

 

What a mess! Staging my jewelry display. When I am done I take pics for reference to help me set up at the show.

 

 

Fabric styles and prints offer great clues for dating home sewn Vintage

Dating vintage is a process that employs a number of factors. Style, labels and methods of construction are probably the most heavily relied on but there are others. Sometimes fabric and print offer good clues. Textile innovation and esthetics evolved with the times and the materials used to make a garment can often help pin down it's approximate age, especially with home sewn pieces. We  need to keep in mind that women sometimes used older fabric to sew with, but in general, dressmakers and home sewers tried to stay on trend. A great way to glimpse what was being worn at a particular time in history is with the women's or fashion magazines of their day and a really great resource for fabric styles can be found in old mail order catalogues.

I keep a number of vintage Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogues on hand because they always have a sewing section. I love the yard goods pages that picture multiple fabric swatches. The button pages are also a favorite. Original catalogues are hard to find and can be pricey but to me they are well worth the investment. There are also reproductions available for less money.

Below are a few clips I chose from my collection, to illustrate a small sampling of the iconic fabrics from the 1930s - late 1960s.

 

The prints from the 1930s were often dainty

 

 

 

 

The 1940s saw great innovations in  outerwear

fabrics

The textile world went crazy with novelty prints in the 1950s

 

 

Quilted cottons were great for lending structure to a full skirt.

 

Lots of stylized prints in the early Sixties and

quality cottons were abundant

 

Classic plaids and tweeds were a staple

 

 

The Mod era was in full swing in the late 60s

 

 

 

 

The morphing of the vintage business and my new studio!

Vintage is how I make my living and I've been in the business for over 15 years. Before that I was a custom dressmaker and milliner with a passion for the evolution of fashion. So you could say I've been immersed in this for most of my adult life. Over the years I have seen the business of vintage go through tremendous change. There was a time when brick and mortar shops were the backbone of retail vintage. Shops that established themselves in the 1970s stayed in business for decades, their merchandise was always eclectic...Victorian whites to psychedelic Mod. There was something for everyone and the vintage customer shopped with imagination.

Interest in styles from the past ebbed and flowed and each era enjoyed a heyday but there was always a demand for diversity. A good vintage shop made sure they delivered. In the later 1990s vintage hit the internet and caught the eye of mainstream fashion. By the early 2000s major fashion magazines were including it in their shopping spreads and announcing the various celebrities who were adding it to their wardrobes. The demand for vintage surged, which was exciting, but I remember feeling a twinge of uneasiness. Vintage, after all, was a place for inspiration. It covered over a century of eras and represented thousands of different looks. I worried what might happen to the business if it began to follow the dictates of trend.

Fast forward and retail vintage is no longer recognizable in comparison to it's earlier incarnations. Some of the changes have been wonderful and others I lament deeply. The internet has provided a platform to sell to an unlimited market. I send orders all over the world which is fantastic. However, the internet also dealt a lethal blow to many brick and mortar shops, especially the ones located in less populated areas. Some savvy shop owners turned to the web to supplement their businesses but that meant double the work and not necessarily double the income. For some it was a godsend for others the beginning of the end.

Then there is trend... vintage always had it's own form of trend...the 40s were the it era for 70s vintage, the 80s loved the 50s and so on. The big difference between now and then is the narrowing of trend and the pace at which it seems to change. Last summer my customers in the Boston area all seemed to want 80s Coach or Dooney and Bourke, my other vintage bags just sat. I had never seen anything quite like it. A micro focused trend eclipsed the unlimited choices that vintage had to offer. It was eerie.

Over the years I have watched the flow of customers at my shows and market venues and have witnessed an increasing homogenization of style. Up to just a few years ago I was blown away by the creative ways in which people were incorporating vintage into their wardrobes. This past year a number of my colleagues and I noticed how much less creativity we were seeing and how similar everyone dressed, even at our NYC shows (NY has always been a cauldron of fashion innovation). I can only hope this is as temporary as the other trends because vintage without creativity holds no interest for me.

My own business has seen tremendous change over the years. I went from solo Brick and Mortar...Web/Brick and Mortar...Web/B+M/Shows. Today I sell on the web along with a number of shows and markets. I closed my shop a little over three years ago. The most recent change has been relocating my merchandise from my old storefront to a large sunny studio. I plan to ramp up the internet side of the business and when the studio is finally organized to my liking I will make it available "by appointment". Change is exciting but also exhausting so here's hoping that the need to morph my business takes a break for a while!

Let me know what you think of my new studio!