Dress - The Art of Wearing Vintage

Before The Royal Wedding - The pre-Kate fairy tale wedding dresses and the unknown brides that wore them

2011-05-02T14:49:00Z

Kate Middleton
not the first fairy tale princess bride

I was so happy when the future wife of Prince William appeared in that Grace Kelly - esque gown that captured all of the critical fashion buzz words; style, elegance..royalty...sophistication. Like the one worn by Grace herself, it will go down in history as one of the most beautiful wedding dresses ever made. I'll be honest, I never liked Diana's wedding dress - (is that blasphemy)? Yes, it was iconic and grand, but even in the 1980s, it was too over the top for me. But this wedding gown was perfection personified - It is much easier to design a dress with exaggerated opulence than to create one that is simply sublimely beautiful, well done Sarah Burton of the house of McQueen! But it got me thinking about brides...is Kate really that different from the millions of brides who walked down the aisles before her?

In my adventures as a vintage clothing dealer, I've seen my share of abandoned wedding photos. It's the single most powerful thing in the privacy of people's homes that makes me think the most about my own mortality. I've never understood why no one in the family is interested in keeping those images that represent of one of the most important days in a life. Sometimes it's because the departed couple doesn't have descendents, but most of the time, that's not the case. I always buy them..I have a huge box of them that I'm not sure what to do with. Yes, I claim they are for fashion research because I do sell vintage wedding gowns, after all, but to be honest, I think that's just an excuse to justify the obsession.

This 1920s wedding dress is one of my favorites, as is this little couple! I say little, not only because of their stature, but because they look about 14. Her bouquet is larger than she is! It's no wonder that vintage wedding gowns are often so small, they were made for teenagers! Her wedding veil so so exquisite! I think a lot about their thoughts on that day, and how their lives will be together. Will she have children, even though she is still a child herself? Will he be faithful? Will they laugh together or grow tired of each other? There's something sweet and genuine about this couple and I like to think they might have actually been in love and that their life together was a good one.

Here's another one that always captures my curiosity - and coincidentally, they are also a couple that is small in stature. Once again, her bouquet has taken on a life of its own! She looks terrified, maybe wondering why she's even doing this. I wonder if this was more of an arranged or convenient marriage. I could be wrong, but she looks almost angry. The other photos from this wedding were all the same, fearful, severe faces. She seems to be begging for someone out there, beyond the camera, to rescue her from her fate. Too dramatic? Maybe..but what do you think?

This couple had a very glamorous life together. They lived in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s and I have her exquisite silk wedding gown in my inventory. I can't bear to part with it yet, it is truly spectacular..but I will eventually have sell it. They were married in 1930 and were never able to have children, so they spent their lives showering attention on each other. The 1930s dresses, peignoirs, slips and nightgowns I acquired from her estate are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Her family speaks of her with such affection but remembers the infertility as a lifelong shadow of sadness over her life. I'd like it if she knew that people are still remembering her and how beautiful she looked in her gorgeous gown on her wedding day.

This couple also makes me wonder. I'm fascinated by them for some reason. It's not her 1930s wedding dress - (it's not that exceptional of a gown). Her bouquet is somewhat wild and out of the ordinary, but it's not that. Maybe it's the fact that she is so much taller, or that he seems so much smaller. It is he who looks terrified this time! How did those boy-child grooms become instant grown man-husbands? They took on the behaviors of men but still had little 12 year old boy hearts. Maybe not much has changed.

This couple brought in the 1950s with their wedding vows. Her applique organza wedding dress was affordable and store bought, but fit like a glove. Even though she didn't have a custom designed dress and even though their celebration was a relatively simple one, they were married for 65 years.

The early 1960s was the backdrop for this couple's "fairy tale" wedding. A tulle and lace pre-equal rights amendment bride with a feisty spirit. She looks happier than any of the brides in my photos. Other than the little flower girl, the ring bearer, and a couple of the groomsmen, this group is either deliriously happy or these photos were taken after a few dry martinis.

Well, that's just a small sample of the brides whose wedding photos I've adopted as if they were those of my own relatives! Though each of these brides didn't have a wedding as grand as that of William and Kate's, and weren't able to hire Sarah Burton or Helen Rose to design their gowns, they aren't that different. Like Kate, each one probably had a shaky hand and butterflies in her stomach as she walked down the aisle. Each one hopefully felt like a princess starring in her own fairy tale wedding and the father of each bride most likely shed a tear on that day. Yes, these photos beg the questions about the lives lived beyond the wedding day, and in doing so, they manage to take their own special royal place in history.

A woman's sacred place - How I learned about private spaces from baking a cake

2011-04-06T17:11:00Z

I've always loved cake. It's an unhealthy obsession that I've never been able to conquer. When I was five, my friend Tracy and I decided to try bake a cake ourselves. Banned from the kitchen by a cleaning lady who threatened us with death by hanging" if we dared even walk on the sparkling clean floor she'd just polished", we considered other options. Somehow, my five year old brain flashed back to my mother talking about "pancake" make up and made a (quite brilliant if I do say so myself) association with flour and cake. Tracy and I grabbed a bowl and spoon from the kitchen and tiptoed into the forbidden world that was my mother's bathroom.

The first thing any good cook does is take an inventory of ingredients. Here, in the world I was never privileged to enter, was a secret supply of baking ingredients that made my imagination go wild. Somehow, we never considered how we would bake this incredible cake, but 5 year olds don't always think that far ahead.

The obvious place to start was with the dry ingredients, so we looked for anything powdery. We found compacts, loose powder and dusting powder and emptied them all into the giant bowl carefully. We were meticulous chefs, painstakingly mixing each ingredient, but the murky brown powder just didn't resemble the snow white cake flour our mothers always used. We decided that color would be an improvement , so we found some pretty red blush and crushed it into the concoction. We then added the wet ingredients - pretty bottles of tan liquid, each a slightly different shade but all with very fancy lettering. Vanilla wasn't an easy ingredient to replace, but luckily, my mother had Jungle Gardenia and Shalimar perfumes, so we added just enough to make our cake smell like heaven. We were just starting to crush the tubes of red, coral and pink lipstick into one of the now empty powder containers for frosting when I heard the sound of high heels coming in our direction.

My mother came around the corner and smiled that smile that only Southern women can. She said calmly and with a a perfect, but forced pleasantness, "Tracy, I think it's time for you to go home now." I knew exactly what that meant. "NO TRACY don't GO!!"my little brain shouted on the inside, but on the outside I was frozen and quiet, knowing what would come next. My mother's weapon of choice was the perfect hairbrush, and she yielded it with the expertise of a samurai. The firm bristles of that hairbrush taught me about the forbidden world of a woman's private bathroom and would one day teach me about the forbidden world of the sacred closet and the holy pocket book as well.

My children haven't had that same experience, and have no fear of my private spaces. They borrow shampoo, blush, lipstick, tweezers, clothing, shoes, and anything else they need, with no reservation. I must have raised them that way as a response to my own experience, but I do have a few places I try to keep to myself. I have a huge leaded glass antique china cabinet in my bedroom that houses the treasures of my private world. It doesn't lock, but I hang a giant key on the door for implied secrecy.

If you were allowed access that cabinet, you might be disappointed to find out that there are no 24k gold earrings, Tiffany diamonds, or Rolex watches.

You'd find instead, a collection of Chanel No 5 perfume bottles, most with no perfume in them..

A nice collection of antique Pharmaceutical bottles

Little jars of antique mother of pearl, crystal and glass buttons

Hundreds of Rhinestone brooches, shoe clips, and buckles that I never wear but love to have around..

A dress buckle my daughter Kirsten brought me from Europe

And.. vintage fashion books, my dad's cufflinks, letters from my husband, close friends and children, the Parent's weekend name tags from all of my daughter's colleges, my high school class ring and a small photo of my daughter, Katie in a tiny pillow frame she gave me.
Yes, if you were hoping for Cartier, you might be very disappointed indeed.

It seems ironic that I grew up and made a career out of going into the private spaces of women. When I enter a home, I'm not interested in the kitchen, living room or dining room - it's the bedrooms and bathrooms that call to me. It's there that I find the beautiful lingerie, clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags, scarves, hats, gloves, handkerchiefs, belts and vintage fashion treasures that have become my passion. I always feel a little guilty, peering into the intimate spaces that were kept from the rest of the world for so many years. I wish I could be more clinical, but it's never just business to me. I get caught up in the world that was this person's life and feel compelled to know as much as I can about the woman who owned these treasures. What mattered to her? Was she happy in her marriage? Did she have any regrets? Why did she keep that one pair of earrings in a different place? Where did she wear that beautiful designer gown? What was her passion in life?

It's a crazy business, selling the material manifestations of someone's life, and I never want to lose perspective. I open evening bags that still have a single kleenex inside, find lipstick tubes in cosmetic cases and valet tickets in coat pockets. These small things remind me to take a second, (when I lose myself in the excitement of finding Pucci sunglasses, Hermes scarves, Halston dresses or designer handbags), to remember that those aren't just inventory items, they are fragments of a person's life. It's absolutely essential that I honor the woman whose possessions I am now entrusted to care for. I know that they would want it that way, and I'll admit that I hope that one day, when someone goes through my secret cabinet, they will take a second to wonder about the crazy woman who filled it with such a quirky assortment. Considering the actual person behind the "stuff" is what brings dignity and humanity to what we do. So I learned my lesson, from the hairbrush, about respecting privacy and the intimate secrets of a life, but I'm still obsessed with cake. One out of two isn't so bad.

SEND ME YOUR OWN STORY ABOUT YOUR PRIVATE SPACE WITH PHOTOS! IF WE PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE WE'LL SEND YOU A $100 DRESS VINTAGE GIFT CERTIFICATE!
send story and photos to: info@dressingvintage.com

Fashion resolutions - An ethical commitment to style and Fashion

2011-01-28T04:38:00Z

I used to pretend that the chicken I ate once roamed free in a green pasture with his/her cow and pig friends and that they all frolicked together with butterflies until they were ever so gently and humanely made edible for me. This, of course, all having been done by a farmer with a straw hat and a beautifully weathered face who knew each animal by name. (And, who,..of course, lived in a red farmhouse...with a windmill).

Then something happened that forced me to let go of that illusion; Food Inc. Did you see it? I've seen a lot of "those types" of movies, but for some reason, this one hit me hard. If you are like me, you sometimes wish you didn't know everything you know.. Now, I'm even MORE obsessive about where my food was grown and how it was processed. It would be so much easier on me and my pocket book to go through the drive through at a fast food restaurant and buy something from the dollar menu, but now, I absolutely HAVE to buy free range, organic meat and swallow the price difference with it, which means ultimately, eating less meat. Gulp. Ignorance is bliss..and much cheaper.

I used to imagine that my clothing was carefully created by French or Italian women, (the accent was essential), who would be working alongside each other, sharing stories and a laugh or two. I could see them; the gray haired all knowing woman who did all of the hand finishing, the fashionable happy seamstresses who obviously loved their jobs at the sewing machines, for which they were well compensated, of course, and the designers (who bore a striking resemblance to Coco Chanel or Hubert de Givenchy). Pseudo Coco or Hubert would breeze in Bonjour comment allez-vous to examine their work and sometimes even correct a stitch or two themselves. The fabric, always perfectly draped on a mannequin, was purchased from countryside weavers who had created intricate designs with vegetable dyes. My clothing would be carefully wrapped in tissue and brown paper with chunky twine and put on a shelf next to a cardboard name tag that bore my name, which was written in perfect French cursive strokes. Okay..I have an active imagination.

But then it happened..I became more and more aware of how, where and by whom my clothing was being made. My beautiful fashion illusions were shattered one by one.
France or Italy
My new jacket was made in China. Take a look at where your clothing is made and you'll find not only China, but Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, etc. In her book "Deluxe; How Luxury Lost its Lustre " Dana Thomas exposes luxury brand factories that have the "Made in Italy" labels sewn on in sweatshops in China. At least with my vintage designer fashions, I know they were actually created in Italy, France, and the USA. That's nice.

The Countryside Weavers

Instead of doing his math or reading, a 9 year old boy probably picked the cotton that made the fabric that became my blouse. In Uzbekistan, children are forced to leave school for months at a time by the Government to pick cotton that supplies a lot of the most popular clothing chains. You can read more about this and the efforts to stop it at The Environmental Justice Foundation

The Gray haired woman

A 10 year old girl probably beaded my new purse. According to this Forbes article;
Every time you buy an imported handmade carpet, an embroidered pair of jeans, a beaded purse, a decorated box or a soccer ball there's a good chance you're acquiring something fashioned by a child. Such goods are available in places like GapKids, Macy's (nyse: M - news - people ), ABC Carpet & Home, Ikea, Lowe's (nyse: LOW - news - people ) and Home Depot (nyse: HD - news - people ). These retailers say they are aware of child-labor problems, have strict policies against selling products made by underage kids and abide by the laws of the countries from which they import. But there are many links in a supply chain, and even a well-intentioned importer can't police them all.

The Fashionable happy Seamstresses

My new dress was probably made in a sweatshop. Sweatshops aren't just factories, they are workplaces that ignore the labor laws and take advantage of their employees. There's nothing I hate more than this popular argument: "Well, at least THOSE PEOPLE have jobs" or "THEY would have nothing without the sweatshops." People actually say that. But it's not their ignorance that caused the problem, that would be too easy. It's actually our demand, as consumers, and stockholders, for cheap clothing or wider profit margins, that puts pressure on the manufacturers to reduce their costs. Who suffers? THOSE PEOPLE. According to the International Labor Rights Forum , In many factories, workers report the following:

Nonpayment of minimum wage
Very high production quotas that often require them to work long hours everyday
Discrimination against workers that are part of a union
Training by factory management on how to lie to inspectors that come to the factory

The Designers

A designer did not pin my dress to a model. Pierre Balmain doesn't live here anymore. Unless you are buying true haute couture, spending more money on "designer" clothing, doesn't guarantee that your new garment was made with any more integrity than a less expensive brand. According to the Telegraph UK In his book, The Fashion Conspiracy, Nicholas Coleridge estimates that the entire couture industry rests on the whims of less than 30 immensely wealthy women, and although the number may have grown in recent years with the new prosperity of Asia, the number of couture customers worldwide is no more than 4,000. And yet, we shop with the illusion that we are buying "couture" when the term "couture" is in the company name. The truth is, even Target and Walmart have "designers" and their clothing is often manufactured in many of the same factories as the better known designers. Luxury brands are owned by huge conglomerates and the supply chain is so long and complicated, often spanning continents, that the designers themselves aren't even aware of how it their clothing is made.

So what do you do? Where do you shop? How do you know the truth? Well, to be honest, it's not as easy as advising you to buy that free range chicken or organic produce. But, I can tell you what I'm going to do.

Here are my 3 fashion resolutions for 2011:

I'm going to buy vintage. If not vintage, then upcycled or second hand clothes whenever possible. This is the easiest way to be an ethical consumer and is something I've done for quite some time now, so that won't really be a challenge for me.
I'm going to stay on top of what's happening in sustainable fashion. i will educate myself on the issues on a regular basis. Of course, that includes reading those boring supply chain and labor law reports - not something I look forward to every day, but that's why I've made it a resolution!
I'm going to support ethical companies Something more powerful than boycotting is to re-direct your purchasing power. I'm going to buy from those clothing companies whose mission is to create ethical fashion from the cradle to the grave. This is easier said than done for two reasons; 1. These companies are often much more expensive (because they are actually paying their workers and following safety guidelines), and 2. It's not easy to find companies that are fully committed to ethical fashion and also have great style. It's easy to find simple tee shirts and basics, but the higher fashion is trickier. There are more and more of those kinds of ethical talented designers out there (and for some reason, a large percentage of them are in Europe), so I'll have to do some research.

My little dream of the Coco-ish designers and chic seamstresses sharing a baguette in France might be gone, but that's okay. I've come up with a new fantasy.. In this dream, children go to school and adults go to work for a living wage at a company where they can expect to be respected, safe and that their basic human rights will be honored. I don't like to sound preachy, but I hope you'll become engaged in the discussion and that you will feel empowered with your choices. You can use the voice our democracy has provided you to demand corporate transparency and the dollars you've earned to endorse or reject the ethics of any company you choose.

Dreams can come true..I've seen some pretty happy chickens lately..

If you are interested in learning more, here are some resources you might find helpful:

MADE BY , a non profit organization with a mission to improve environmental and social conditions in the fashion industry, has a short list of Partner brands who have joined them in their mission.

Sweatfree Communities has a helpful guide to becoming a responsible clothing consumer

Ethical Fashion Forum
Free 2 Work

Apparel Supply Chain Compliance Program
Behind the Seams - Ethical Style Blog
As You Sow

International Labor Rights Forum

Ecouturre

Ecouturre , a website devoted to the future of sustainable fashion design, listed the 18 questions created for designers who wanted to exhibit at London Fashion week. Wouldn't it be nice if we could get the answers from all of the designers and companies that create clothing? Or, better yet, wouldn't it be amazing if the rising stars of fashions thought about each of these questions as they form their new companies?

1. How can you use intelligent design to reduce the social and environmental impact of a product’s life cycle?

2. Do you consider the environmental effects of the colors and prints you choose for your collection?

3. Can you create a longer-lasting and better-functioning product, thereby reducing the need to replace it?

4. How much water does it take to produce your fabrics?

5. Are you aware of the sustainable alternatives to the raw materials you are currently using?

6. When selecting your fabric range, do you think about the end-of-life stage, such as the implications of disposal?

7. How well do you know your supply chain?

8. What are the social costs of your production process?

9. Have you ever considered using recycled pre-consumer/post-consumer waste in your collection?

10. Are you able to reduce the amount of solid and hazardous waste in your packaging?

11. Have you considered a local supply chain to decrease mileage in the production process?

12. Could you reduce the weight and volume of a product by using fewer or lighter materials to optimize transportation?

13. How durable are your products; is it possible to increase their longevity?

14. How can you encourage the customer to form an emotional attachment to your product, thereby discouraging disposal?

15. How does your product need to be cleaned and what impact will this have on  the environment?

16. Can the product have a second life?

17. Could you offer an upgrading and/or a repair service to your customer?

18. Can you reduce the waste impact of disposing your product by making it recyclable  or biodegradable?

Broken Dreams - The Mad Women of Mad Men

2010-10-17T18:02:00Z

I was a child in the 1960's. Yes, that reveals my age, but it's undeniable. We girls of the 60's didn't have a myriad of after school activities, and unless "go play" counts, didn't get a lot of suggestions from parents as to how to spend our time. We'd never heard of day care, knew only a few people from divorced families, of which I was one, and we rode in cars without seat belts. We had ponies at our birthday parties, wore saddle shoes and socks trimmed and lace, and thought our mommies were beautiful even as we breathed in their toxic second hand smoke. Adults were in a different dimension from our worlds and the two rarely intersected.

Every Sunday night, I can now watch my childhood in living color and remember what it was like to live in a world of smoke and mirrors that appeared to be one thing but was in reality something quite different. It's called Mad Men.

Mad men brilliantly portrays life in the 1960's and the fragility of the paper thin facade that surrounded it, like the walls of a crumbling fort designed to protect its frightened inhabitants. Somehow, Sally Draper touches that little girl inside of me who saw and felt too much but was told to go watch tv and be a good girl.

I've written about it before, and by now, unless you live in a cave, most of you have at least heard of the AMC original phenomenon or, like me, you too have become addicted to the lives of its complex, multi-faceted characters. Don Draper is the painfully dapper and mysterious creative art director who has a love hate relationship with women as well as himself, Pete Campbell is a desperate little boy trying to prove his worth, but doomed to be perfectly average, and Roger Sterling is a sad but mesmerizing compilation of all that was dysfunctional about mid century executives.

But it's the WOMEN of Mad Men who move me. They represent the real women who paved the way for the women's rights movement and broke down barriers for generations to come. And as ancient as the 60's seem to us now, we, as women, oddly identify with the three very different main female characters who somehow manage touch a sensitive cord in all of us.

Behind the Curves:
JOAN HOLLOWAY HARRIS

Joan, played by Christina Hendricks, is one of the most intriguing characters in Mad Men. Perhaps it's because she has mastered the art of appearing amused or concerned as she pretends to listen to the boring men around her as they pontificate on their many accomplishments and woes. Or, it could be because she refuses to crumble under the oppression she faces as a woman every day and toughens her resolve with every disrespectful comment thrown her way. She plays the game well and hides her intellect and abilities according to an outdated play book that she has come to know too well to abandon.

Yes, she's known for her curves, but it's her strength and her enviable ability to bite her tongue that I admire most. She has what is referred to in The Velveteen Rabbit as a "knowing expression" and never needs words to tell exactly what she is thinking. Though she has used the age old guile of womanhood to get ahead in life, it has ultimately betrayed her by limiting the extent at which those around her would take her seriously. She struggles with the role of wife to a disappointing choice of husband, former mistress to a man who rejected her, and career woman trying to reign in rude little boys playing office.

But Joan is all knowing, all seeing and discreetly keeps it to herself. Perhaps she is most threatened by Peggy, the girl she hired who refused to follow her advice and then succeeded in spite of it. Janie Bryant uses paradox to dress Joan in clothing that shows her curves but screams for the right kind of attention at the same time.

Behind the Bows:
PEGGY OLSON

If there was ever a character of complete contradictions, that would be Peggy, played by Elizabeth Moss. Since Season I, prim little bows of every variety have adorned her neck to artfully disguise the rebellious wild child that lives just below the surface. Though her clothing suggests a docile, compliant, sometimes borderline homely girl, Peggy is a force to be reckoned with. Talented, intelligent, and stubborn, she refuses to use her sexuality as a tool and rejects the societal norms imposed upon women of her age.

She made history at the Advertising agency by fighting her way into the executive offices of the firm, but has never been accepted as an equal. She bravely navigates, without a compass, the unspoken code of male domination. Peggy is determined to understand, experience, and conquer the male experience, while maintaining her female identity. We identify with feeling that there is always a symbolic club that refuses to offer us membership into it's exclusive world. Acceptance eludes all of us at one time or another.

Peggy's neutral appearance keeps curiosity seekers at bay. She keeps the bows tightly tied to remain obscure enough to do exactly what she wants without attracting attention. But those who take the time to look beneath the surface of this seemingly simple woman would be shocked and amazed at the volume of experiences she's managed to squeeze into her young life so far.

Behind the Hair:
BETTY DRAPER FRANCIS

The blond beauty who's crown grows a little dimmer every season. Betty, played by January Jones, represents the girl who played by the rules set by her mother, and her mother's mother, and was awarded with the ultimate betrayal. She looks like a perfect trophy wife one day and a debutante the next. Once hopeful and starry eyed, she now oozes melancholy and anger with every smoke filled glance.

Although arguably the least sympathetic of the female characters, Betty might deserve our sympathy most of all. She is a product of a generation that demanded perfection, and told the prettier girls that finding a good husband was their only hope for happiness and the only tangible proof of their self worth. Her clothing is the personification of the perfect female of the time - Sexy without being gauche, elegant but sophisticated and appropriate without being boring.

Betty dresses for the part that her generation demanded she play. Still a child herself, she is frustrated as a mother and resents the life she's been doomed to live. One understands from the first season that Betty is perhaps the saddest character, and like the very children she resents, raised to be seen but not heard.

I'll be sad when Mad Men comes to an end. I just want to keep watching, through the 1970's and the 1980's in a desperate attempt to understand the human condition, and perhaps my own life experience. Mad Men is one of those shows that will leave us wondering. What will happen to Sally? What will become of Joan, Betty and Peggy?
Perhaps those of us who were children of the 60's need to look no further than our own lives to get the answers we need.

Always a bridesmaid, but never a boring one! Incorporating vintage into your bridal party

2010-09-13T22:34:00Z

Always a Bridesmaid?

Well, maybe, maybe not, but at least you don't have to be a boring one!

Bridesmaid dresses are expensive! So, if you are asking your dearest friends to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress, why not make it one that will make a statement? So many brides try so hard to find that dress that their bridesmaids will "wear again" that they end up settling on somewhat ordinary dresses that still cost an arm and a leg! You really don't need to compromise when it comes to creating a beautiful bridal party that expresses the personalities fo the bride and groom! Incorporating vintage clothing into your wedding brings personality, style and uniqueness that can't be found in off the rack clothing. One of the easiest ways to find vintage dresses for your bridesmaids is to focus on Color, or color families and then, the possibilities are endless!

Color is the easiest way to make a statement when it comes to bridesmaid dresses! You can pick up that same color, or a contrasting one in the men's ties, socks, and or pocket squares. Choose a color that will look good on all of your bridesmaids, that's important so that they feel beautiful and look beautiful in the photographs! I'll start with the color that looks good on everyone:

BLUE!

Here is a simple, but chic vintage 1950's dress from Timeless Vixen Vintage on Etsy that would make a fabulous bridesmaid dress

Don't be afraid to tell your bridesmaids to find a dress with two colors! Here is a beautiful blue dress with black lace From DRESS

When color is the starting point, you can give your bridesmaids a paint strip from your local hardware store that shows the shades of blue you'd like them to find. It won't matter if they match in terms of shade exactly, as long as they are in the same tone and color family. Then, tell them to either find a vintage dress in that color in any style, or give them a style to work with. Either way, they will have fun searching for the dress and can send you photos from their phones! If you'd rather find the dresses yourself, get their measurements and contact the vintage clothing websites you like and tell them what you are looking for! Most of us don't have our entire inventory online and can often find things that people are looking for if they just ask!

RED!

Red doesn't look good on everyone, so it's a trickier color to use with bridesmaids. But if you think that most of your attendants would look great in it, it can add drama to your wedding without much effort! Here is a classic 1950's prom dress from couture allure that would be a whimsical bridesmaid dress for the out of the box wedding!

Ceil Chapman vintage 1950's dress at DRESS

If you aren't determined that your bridesmaids where the same style dress, you could ask them to match the color but wear whatever style they choose. The color still brings a sense of cohesiveness to the group, but the styles give each bridesmaid a chance to express his or her own personality.

PINK!

I still love pink in a wedding! It can be an easy shade to match and there a tons of vintage pink dresses out there! Here is another example of a 1950's prom dress but this time in pink from Dorothea's Closet. www.dorotheasclosetvintage.com

GREEN!

Green is another one of those colors that are more difficult to work on everyone, but because almost everyone can find a SHADE of green that will work for them. If you don't mind that the girls will be wearing varying greens, it can be a good way to let them choose what shade works best on them. If you are having bigger variations in color, I would suggest that you ask the girls to all wear similar styles to keep things somewhat consistent. Here's a pretty green dress from Vintageous that would be a fun bridesmaid dress!

Green with aqua overlay and lace bodice at DRESS

A lime green vintage dress at DRESS

BLACK or WHITE!

More and more brides are choosing black and/or white for their bridesmaid dresses. This gives you endless possibilities! Since black and white are the obviously easiest to match, the girls have more freedom to choose dress styles that work with their individual body types. You could even do black AND white for your bridal party. Black also gives you more options in terms of eras since it is much easier to find black in every decade. The first dress is an example from Antique Dress that is a designer dress in the $600 range. Yes, it's more expensive, but when you give your bridesmaids the option of finding their own vintage dresses, some of them might choose a dress in a higher range.

I doubt that any bridesmaid would choose the Christian Dior numbered couture dress below from DRESS , but it's an example of what style would be beautiful for a group of girls to wear! You could tell them to all find black lace vintage dresses, black taffeta, black chiffon, or black velvet, it would depend on what you preferred!

White or ivory are fun colors to use in your bridal party because you can choose an accent color that is easily added with sashes, ribbons, or bows. Here is a silk chiffon ivory dress with pink accents from DRESS

NEUTRALS!

Neutrals are some of my favorite bridal party options! I love shell pink, pale champagne, light oyster and all variations of cream as bridesmaid dresses. Neutrals give you the same flexibility as black and white in that your bridesmaids can be more flexible in the styles they choose. I would still suggest consistency in fabrics, beading or no beading, styles or lengths, but your girls will have more fun looking when they have more options available! Here is a pretty beaded champagne satin dress from Timeless Vixen .

And another example of neutrals in lace from Dress.

DOTS!

Polka dots are a fun way to add instant personality to any wedding! They can be picked up in the decor, the programs and the groomsmen attire. Black and white dots are the easiest to ask your bridesmaids to find, but any color combination is possible! You don't want your wedding to look like a circus, but polka dots can be incorporated into the bridal party with sophistication if done right! You could give the girls a base dress color, such as black or white and tell them what color dots you'd like, or that any colored dots would be fine, or assign them each a different color dot Here are some fun examples of vintage polka dot dresses!

Vintage white dress with red polka dots at Blue Velvet Vintage

Vintage Black dress with pink polka dots at DRESS

Ceil Chapman vintage Navy dress with white polka dots at DRESS

These are just a few ideas of how to start with color and create a unique, sophisticated bridal party with vintage dresses. The possibilities are endless, but most importantly, vintage clothing is the perfect ethical fashion option. A lot of the less expensive dresses, and even many of the more expensive dresses available today as bridesmaid dresses are made in sweatshops or from fabric that was created in sweatshops.Buying vintage gives you peace of mind that you purchased ethical fashion for your special day! You can also tell your bridesmaids to re-sell their dresses when they are finished wearing them - it's easy to do and they would re coup some if not all of their money! And.. in choosing vintage, I can't promise that your bridesmaids will one day be brides themselves, but I can promise that they will be anything but boring!

I Do .. Saying yes to the vintage dress and letting go of the ice bar

2010-06-08T17:04:13Z

My oldest daughter is engaged. All of a sudden, (like I did with pregnant women when I became pregnant with her), I'm seeing brides everywhere! If you are over the age of 40, you probably have no idea of how many wedding blogs, wedding tv shows, wedding magazines and wedding stores there are now. YIKES.com (to quote my niece Sarah)! Let's start with television. "Say yes to the dress" is a show about a wedding dress store and the process the salespeople (trying to meet quotas) and brides (often bringing an entourage of millions) go through to find "THE dress". "My Fair Wedding" spotlights wedding planner David Tutera as he attempts to save brides from their own disasterous wedding plans and create a fairy tale wedding instead. Unfortunately, the show makes every bride to be think she needs to have a reception with exotic flowers, decked out with crystals, and illuminated with professional lighting.

"Bridezillas" is probably the most disturbing.. a show that follows brides who should probably be doing some serious counseling work before they even think about saying I do. Not to mention the grooms who are still interested in marrying them!

"Engaged and Underage" and "Bulging Brides" are self explanatory. But wait, there are more! "Who's wedding is it Anyway?", "My big fat fabulous wedding", "Rich Bride, Poor Bride" "Wedding SOS", "Rock the Reception", "My big Redneck Wedding", "The Real Wedding Crashers" and now, just in case you want to find them all in one place, there's "Brides Television" online. But perhaps the one that bothers me the most is (a crowd favorite) "Platinum Weddings" where brides spend $20,000 on the cake alone and the final amount spent on the wedding would buy a house in an upscale neighborhood or feed a small country. After watching a few episodes, thousands of engaged women around the country start to feel cheated, knowing they won't be able to have a diamond studded gown or custom made ruby initials for their custom made wedding altar. And if you can't afford a club scene area or ice bar at your reception, what's the point of getting married?

Calm down people. Weddings can be beautiful, memorable, and yes, FUN without looking like a corporate party for Microsoft at Bill Gate's house. There are ways to bring architectural elements, fashion and style to a wedding that are green, sustainable and uniquely beautiful that don't involve a second mortgage or credit card debt. If the bride and groom to be are willing to incorporate vintage elements into their wedding, it can be incredible for a fraction of the cost. But why don't we see episodes on these shows or articles in the magazines about weddings that use vintage fashions and decor? It's simple - sponsorship. Vintage clothing and small antique dealers don't advertise in the major media so it still remains the best kept secret out there. I know, when you hear 'vintage' you see visions of Gunne Sax dresses and girls with long loose hair in front of abandoned barns holding a single sunflower..Yes, there are vintage weddings like that, but I'm talking about something very different - modern, sophisticated weddings infused with beautiful vintage fashion and vintage elements.

Over the next few months, I'll be talking about vintage weddings and beautiful options out there for the bride to be who wants something extraordinary. We'll search the web for the most amazing vintage bridal and bridal party clothing, shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, gloves, lingerie, and reception decor. But, since I am obsessed with vintage clothing, let's start with wedding gowns!

If you have a dress budget up to $7,000, you might want to consider

Sensational 1935 vintage Ostrich feather dress at The Frock.com

One of my favorites! 1950 Vintage Christian Dior wedding gown at The Frock.com

Princess application lace wedding dress, c.1905 at Vintage Textile

If you are hoping to find a one of a kind dress under $1000 consider..

Vintage Collectible Numbered CustomMadeYumi Katsura designer Lace Wedding Gown At Dress

Hollywood Glam Vintage wedding gown with fringe in larger size at Antique Dress

1920s wedding gown with veil at Antique Dress

1950s Satin beaded wedding gown at Timeless Vixen

1950's luxurious Vintage Semont wedding gown on Etsy

If your budget is $600 and under, you can think about..

1950s London strapless satin wedding gown with matching bolero jacket at Dress

1950s lace dress as an alternative to the traditional gown at Posh Girl Vintage

1940s chiffon wedding gown with pop up collar at Dress

Bianchi Originals vintage 1950s wedding gown at Dress

If you decide you want to buy a vintage wedding gown,remember that it might take some time. You will need to try on quite a few in order to find the perfect dress, but in the end, it will definitely be worth it and it will last much longer than an ice bar!

Some things to remember when buying a vintage wedding gown:

1. Cleanliness - It can cost from $100-200 dollars to havea wedding gown clean and pressed for your wedding day, so be sure totake that into consideration when purchasing a vintage dress. Find outfrom the seller if the dress has been cleaned. Even if it has beencleaned, it will still need to be steamed and/or pressed when youreceive it, so remember to keep that in mind!

2. Returns - Makesure you are aware of the dealer's return policy and time frame forreturns. You want to be able to return the dress if it doesn't look theway you'd imagined and/or it has issues that weren't mentioned in thedescription.

3. Measurements - Know yours! - So many people areafraid of buying vintage because of size considerations, but rememberthat most dresses can be altered, but it is easier to make a dresssmaller than larger. Be sure to ask for measurements like, arm openingfor the sleeve, shoulder to shoulder across the back, and even wristmeasurements for long sleeved dresses. Even small dresses can be madelarger in some cases, so ask your seamstress to take a look!

4. Condition - remember that some things aren't big issues for dresses andsome are deal breakers. If the dress has small breaks or tears to thelace or tulle that are insignificant and hidden in the folds, that mightnot be a problem, but if the underarms are shredded or the dress hasstains that can't be removed, those might be issues that can't beignored.

5. Era - I'vehelped many brides find their dream wedding gown, but they usually cometo me with an idea of something totally different. They are sure theywant a Victorian dress they've seen someoneelse wear or a 1940s slipper satin gown they found on a blog but findthat they look better in something entirely different. If you love the1920's but have curves,those dresses might not work for you, or if you want to wear a 1950s newlook wedding gown but don't have curves, that style might not work foryou! Be open minded to different styles and find the one that suitsyour personality AND your figure!

6. Where to buy - Buy from reputable vintage clothing websites orEbay/Etsy dealers who have a solid history and good feedback. If youare lucky enough to have a great vintage clothing store in your areathat has vintage wedding gowns, visit them first to see if they havesomething you love.

5. Use your imagination - for example, ifyou find the perfect dress but the sleeves aren't quite right, you canhave them removed or replaced. You can make a dress with strapsstrapless or a strapless dress can be converted to a halter or one withstraps. You can change the look by wearing or not wearing a crinolineunderneath. Be creative and find a good seamstress! Some of the vintagegowns you will find will be well worth the investment of a goodalteration, or even re styling to create the perfect look just right foryou. Just keep in mind that in the case of designer vintage gowns,alterations can effect the value.

Oxyclean is my Shalimar -True Confessions of a Vintage Clothing Dealer

2010-05-31T15:59:00Z

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 #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!