Oxyclean is my Shalimar -True Confessions of a Vintage Clothing Dealer
Today, I was hanging a freshly hand washed vintage dress ( a beautiful butter yellow silk chiffon Ceil Chapman to be specific) to dry in the bathroom shared by my daughters. The last one of my 4 girls went off to college this year but she and one of her sisters are here for the summer. I thought about how patient they have all been throughout the years with me .. and the many dresses that have hung in their shower to dry. I started to realize that it might not have been that easy growing up in a house with a mother obsessed with vintage fashion. I've decided to reveal the secrets in the life of at least one vintage clothing dealer who has a few confessions to make..
Confession #1 The forbidden fruit
At first glance, people always thought that my girls were so lucky to have a mom who owned literally hundreds of beautiful dresses. It seemed like a dream to their friends when they found out what I did for a living, and the first thing they always wanted to do when they came over to our house was explore my inventory. They were quickly disappointed to learn that it was off limits and that even my daughters didn't have access to anything without me there to choose it for them. I lost the "favorite friend's mom of the year" award many times. And we won't even go in to what happened if they used wire hangers or "forgot" to hang up something they had borrowed from my inventory.. Hmm..
Confession #1 The forbidden fruit
At first glance, people always thought that my girls were so lucky to have a mom who owned literally hundreds of beautiful dresses. It seemed like a dream to their friends when they found out what I did for a living, and the first thing they always wanted to do when they came over to our house was explore my inventory. They were quickly disappointed to learn that it was off limits and that even my daughters didn't have access to anything without me there to choose it for them. I lost the "favorite friend's mom of the year" award many times. And we won't even go in to what happened if they used wire hangers or "forgot" to hang up something they had borrowed from my inventory.. Hmm..
Confession #2 The Kitchen
Our sink NEVER looked like the one in this photo. But it's not because it was cluttered with dishes..no, "clean as you go" has always been my motto so dishes have never been the issue. My daughters grew up with one side of our pretty double porcelain sink filled with layers of tulle and chiffon floating in mysterious gray water. Though the water eventually became clear after several soaks, the sink wouldn't stay empty for long. There was always another dress.. And our beautiful spacious island that was supposed to be for memorable family gatherings and those tender teenage chats? It was covered in garments needing to be laid flat to dry or jewelry needing to be cleaned. Sometimes I would move it all out of the way so we could make dinner - see - I'm not the WORST mother in the world!
Confession #3 The Weekends
For years, I was certain that there was a family conspiracy to avert my attention whenever we went on vacation and we passed signs with those two little words I can't resist. When we were at home, however, there was nothing that could be done, so everyone, including my saint of a husband, was at one time or another recruited to stand in line at 5 in the morning or help me haul boxes of stuff out of strange houses. And those unsuspecting dealers who thought those cute little girls were there to find barbies were always surprised to see how quickly they would grab anything with a Schiaparelli label or an occasional alligator bag. And yes, just so you know that I'm not heartless, I DID let them choose something to buy for themselves every time..(within limits of course).
Confession #4 The hazards
Most people find Cheetos and Doritos in their sofas, but my family had to deal with being poked by needles and slipping on loose beads and rhinestones. I was quick to respond with a bandaid, or kiss of course,because I'm a concerned mother after all... but first - I had to make sure I moved the dress out of the way. (Before you judge, remember - blood is almost impossible to remove from clothing)!
Confession #5 The Body Parts
Even my oldest daughter found the mannequins a little creepy. I guess it would be a little startling to any child to walk into a room and see an unexpected arm, foot or hand poking out from behind a curtain or from underneath a chair. I have a vintage Jantzen mannequin that has real eyelashes and glass eyes who has always been a little frightening to even adults who enter the room unaware. And yes, it became even a little creepier when I named her and talked to her when no one was around.. (Let's keep that part on the down low if you don't mind).
Confession #5 The Aromas
"What's that smell?" My family should have t-shirts made with that slogan. My mother smelled like Shalimar perfume, but I'm afraid I smell like "eau de something gone a little weird in the laundry room". If it isn't moth ball saturated clothing or perspiration odors on garments from an estate haul, it's the weird mixtures of soaps, lemons, vinegars, spray starch and magical powders used to make them like new again. The smell of expensive perfume is over rated anyway don't you think?!
Confession #6 The Problem with taking things too literally
"I'll be back in 20 minutes." "I'm going to pick up a few things." First of all, to be fair, I didn't intentionally lie! I just never knew if the person who called me to "take a look" at their mother's estate or their grandmother's storage room would have a house full of mediocre clothing and moth destroyed dresses, or a treasure trove of beautiful couture pieces. I even had to unexpectedly rent a truck a couple of times to bring back what I found .. needless to say we had to order pizza on those nights...but always with organic local ingredients so don't jump to conclusions!
So.. there you have it.. the ugly truth behind the pretty party dresses.
But to my daughters, (and perhaps to the daughters of other vintage clothing dealers),
I'd like to say, there have been SOME advantages to having a vintage fashion mom!
#1 You always had the best prom dresses and best themed birthday parties
#2 You should now know how to remove stains, steam and/or iron clothing, and clean jewelry
#3 You can recognize quality and well made clothing
#4 One day, if you decide you want to wear a vintage wedding gown, You'll know where to find it!
#5 You know that sinks aren't just for dishes
#6 and most importantly, you appreciate and love a good Pizza!
Confession #3 The Weekends
For years, I was certain that there was a family conspiracy to avert my attention whenever we went on vacation and we passed signs with those two little words I can't resist. When we were at home, however, there was nothing that could be done, so everyone, including my saint of a husband, was at one time or another recruited to stand in line at 5 in the morning or help me haul boxes of stuff out of strange houses. And those unsuspecting dealers who thought those cute little girls were there to find barbies were always surprised to see how quickly they would grab anything with a Schiaparelli label or an occasional alligator bag. And yes, just so you know that I'm not heartless, I DID let them choose something to buy for themselves every time..(within limits of course).
Confession #4 The hazards
Most people find Cheetos and Doritos in their sofas, but my family had to deal with being poked by needles and slipping on loose beads and rhinestones. I was quick to respond with a bandaid, or kiss of course,because I'm a concerned mother after all... but first - I had to make sure I moved the dress out of the way. (Before you judge, remember - blood is almost impossible to remove from clothing)!
Confession #5 The Body Parts
Even my oldest daughter found the mannequins a little creepy. I guess it would be a little startling to any child to walk into a room and see an unexpected arm, foot or hand poking out from behind a curtain or from underneath a chair. I have a vintage Jantzen mannequin that has real eyelashes and glass eyes who has always been a little frightening to even adults who enter the room unaware. And yes, it became even a little creepier when I named her and talked to her when no one was around.. (Let's keep that part on the down low if you don't mind).
Confession #5 The Aromas
"What's that smell?" My family should have t-shirts made with that slogan. My mother smelled like Shalimar perfume, but I'm afraid I smell like "eau de something gone a little weird in the laundry room". If it isn't moth ball saturated clothing or perspiration odors on garments from an estate haul, it's the weird mixtures of soaps, lemons, vinegars, spray starch and magical powders used to make them like new again. The smell of expensive perfume is over rated anyway don't you think?!
Confession #6 The Problem with taking things too literally
"I'll be back in 20 minutes." "I'm going to pick up a few things." First of all, to be fair, I didn't intentionally lie! I just never knew if the person who called me to "take a look" at their mother's estate or their grandmother's storage room would have a house full of mediocre clothing and moth destroyed dresses, or a treasure trove of beautiful couture pieces. I even had to unexpectedly rent a truck a couple of times to bring back what I found .. needless to say we had to order pizza on those nights...but always with organic local ingredients so don't jump to conclusions!
So.. there you have it.. the ugly truth behind the pretty party dresses.
But to my daughters, (and perhaps to the daughters of other vintage clothing dealers),
I'd like to say, there have been SOME advantages to having a vintage fashion mom!
#1 You always had the best prom dresses and best themed birthday parties
#2 You should now know how to remove stains, steam and/or iron clothing, and clean jewelry
#3 You can recognize quality and well made clothing
#4 One day, if you decide you want to wear a vintage wedding gown, You'll know where to find it!
#5 You know that sinks aren't just for dishes
#6 and most importantly, you appreciate and love a good Pizza!
Posted by DRESS at 5/31/2010 7:59 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: vintage dresses couture clothing vintage prom dress vintage wedding gown vintage clothing vintage ceil chapman dress vintage fashion
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: vintage dresses couture clothing vintage prom dress vintage wedding gown vintage clothing vintage ceil chapman dress vintage fashion
i love this post because I can identify with about 99% of it, lol!
YES.. I can relate! I wish I had your inventory however!! You have such beautiful things and you just don't see them anymore.. Great post! Your daughters are very lucky!
I always love reading your blog..great insights!
You are so hysterical! I love your blog and can TOTALLY relate! Thanks for the wit and for making me smile!
Ah Lisa,
You have come a long way from being a fashion icon of Judie's and Scott's apparel....loved your blog!
Really amazing point of view and absolutely amazing insights!
Thanks so much!
This is one of the best blog posts I've read in a long time. So funny. So true. So easy to identify with for all of us who "treasure" hunt in one form or another!
Thank you! I'm glad there is someone out there who can relate!!