Tales From A Vintage Wardrobe

A Day at The Market

 

Coco sporting another one of my grandmother's fabulous vintage dresses. 

 

 

 

The Red Velvet Shoe's booth at The Top Shelf Flea III.

Christine of Carmen and Ginger.
 

Giuseppe of An Affordable Wardrobe, James of 10 Engines, Giuseppe once again and Zachary of Newton Street Vintage.
 

 

A collage of some fun & fashionable shoppers who visited our booth:  Starting at the top left and working clockwise:  Miss Sara, in her lovely cat eye glasses, scored two great 1950s dresses and an adorable pink cardigan, Laura searches through piles of vintage gloves, Remma & Laura leaving with bags full of goodies, including a hot pink & red caftan from Hawaii, one of the most adorable visitors of the day~~this tiny tot left with a lovely multi~colored pastel floral brooch pinned to her little sweater, my two nieces clowning around with some of our vintage hats, their Mom above them modeling a gorgeous hot pink silk dress from Peck & Peck, and a young lady with fire red hair checking out her look in a vintage straw hat.  

Thanks to everyone who came out to attend The Top Shelf Flea Market yesterday (it was most heartwarming to be reunited with some high school friends I haven't seen in over 25 years and to meet one friend's three beautiful daughters...), and especially those who visited my booth, shopped and spent some time chatting with me about our common love for vintage fashions & style.  This marked the third bi~annual Top Shelf Flea Market venue and I think it's safe to say it's on it's way to becoming another fine Boston tradition...

 
(Photo courtesy of Carmen & Ginger~thank you!)

 

The Duck & Bunny ~ A Snuggery...

 

 

 
 
 

 
(photo courtesy of the Duck & Bunny website)

• What: Girls Night Out
• When: Last Night
• Where: The Duck & Bunny ~ Providence, RI
• Menu Sample: Bacon Wrapped Dates ~ Artisanal Cheese Plate ~ The Ultimate New York System Crêpe ~ Homemade Gourmet Cupcakes ~ 
• Brewhaha:  Guinness on draught ~ Narragansett in the can ~ Maipe Malbec ~
• Atmosphere:  Absolutely charming!

 

 
 
My blue vintage hat and I had a fabulous time out on the town...and The Duck & Bunny is the perfect venue for catching up with the gals or a romantic dinner for two.  If you're wanting to enjoy the latter, you may want to request a quiet table away from large parties of females who managed to sneak out for a night sans husbands & offspring...

 

From A Flea's Point of View

 

 

Christine of Carmen & Ginger.

 

Debbie (& friend) of Vintage Haven.

 

The absolute gentleman Zachary of Newton Street Suit Co.

 

    
  Bobby From Boston                           Magpie

      
Swamp Rabbit Books                            Artifaktori 

 
Propologie

The Red Velvet Shoe
(CoCo modeling my grandmother's c1949 Flobert gown....NOT For Sale :)

 

 

 

 

Best photo of the day....an uncle shines his nephew's penny loafers.

Best Dressed Gentleman~~Mariano.  Trust me.

 

Best Dressed Lady~~modeling a 1950s dress by "Coco"~~the lovely
and extremely talented Ida Floreak.

 

Thank you to all who attended The Top Shelf Flea II and for granting us another wonderful day.  From the distinguished gentleman who arrived early with his LL Bean bag filled with (handsome) shoes in need of a shine, to the mother/daughter team out for a day of shopping together, to the pretty single gal looking for the perfect dress for that upcoming wedding, to the little man wearing his penny loafers eagerly anticipating his very first shoe~shine....the day was absolutely perfect, from a Flea's point of view...as well as from mine.

~Michelle

(P.S~~If you shopped at "The Shoe" and lost your parcel, it was most thoughtfully returned to me, so please contact me via email at theredvelvetshoe@yahoo.com and I will mail it to you right away.)
 

 

Summer's Bounty & Loss

 

Lunching at Stanley's with your best friend with respective Barbies in tow....

 

Making homemade sundaes when you should be in bed....

  

Perfecting one's croquet swing at dusk in a swirly frock....

Waiting patiently for a bucket of fresh steamed clams....

Loving thy neighbor for sharing nature's bounty....and agreeing to eat vegetables tonight to make Mom's day....

 

Saying "Goodbye & Safe Passage" to a dear old friend....

"Parting is such sweet sorrow......"

Walking down the aisle for an adored friend and her betrothed....

 

And watching them dance the night away....in the manner of a fox~trot....

 

Understanding why Mommy is so happy this suit still fits her almost 20 years later....

 

One thing I have learned this summer is that one must take whatever joy one can from the present.  That is not to say that we can just go hay~wire and be careless about tomorrow, rather, we have to stop and enjoy the moment....for the moment is just that~ a moment~~which, if un~noticed, un~enjoyed, un~appreciated, can be gone forever....and there are enough things that are "gone" in this world before we are ready to see them go...so hug your Mom, hug your Dad, hug your wife/husband, hug your children, hug your sister/brother, hug your cousin, hug your friend, hug your neighbor, ...because I have friends who, at this moment, would give the rest of their life to, just once more,  hug their wife, mom, and friend...

 

My Alter Ego

If you've been reading my "Tales" for any length of time, you know all about my predilection for old~world style & fashion.  The way things were.  Ladies dressing like ladies.  Gentlemen holding open the door for said well~dressed ladies.  Bartender's who know how to shake up a true Negroni Capriccio.  Main streets lined with small shops & boutiques that open at 10:00 am and close at 5:00 pm, except for Thursday nights, and  are never, ever open on a Sunday.  Well~dressed and well~mannered shop clerks who greet you and are eager to provide the best customer service in town.   A new window display every Saturday morning to tempt all the ladies in town as they cruise down Main St. in their husband's new Chevy Impala...you get the idea.

 
(photo courtesy of Ancestry.com) 

While the chance that all my dreams of yesteryear will converge upon me and life will, at last, be the way it "was" is practically null, there is one small part of it that seems to be making a comeback:

 (image courtesy of blossomgraphicdesign.com)

"The Boutique"

The 1980's are guilty, not only of some really horrible fashion trends, but of introducing "The Mega Mall" shopping concept.  Yes, The West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, opened in 1981 - with more than 800 stores and a hotel, amusement park, miniature-golf course, church, "water park" for sunbathing and surfing, a zoo and a 438-foot-long lake.  Not to be out~done, the US hired the builders of that monstrosity to design the infamous "Mall of America" and it was down hill from there.  Small, family owned shops & boutiques couldn't compete with "The Mega Monster Mall" concept of shopping and one by one, they closed their doors.   With more than 16,000 similar shopping centers/malls built in the decade from 1980 to 1990, it is no wonder we drive down Main Street after Main Street in small town America and see this:

 

Saving some wonderful brick & mortar building from this fate by giving The Red Velvet Shoe a "proper" home is my dream.  And, apparently, I am not alone.  Apparently, way over on the other side of the USA, in Porltand, Oregon,  lives a gal named Liz, who, after hours of studying her blog, appears to be my very own "Alter Ego".

 

This is her shop: 
Xtabay Vintage.  

 

From the silk taffeta curtains on the dressing room

to the antique French settee....

 

From the gold gilt mirror & leopard print rug

to the Pomeranian perched on the perfect antique french~blue chair...

 

I wouldn't change a thing...not to mention the amazing vintage frocks she manages to get her hands on.  So insist the children ARE taking a nap today, fix yourself a cup of tea (or a glass of something else), and treat yourself to a virtual tour of Portland's amazing Xtabay Vintage.

 
(photos courtesy of Xtabay Vintage)

Just promise me you won't leave me for my alter ego!
 

A TOP SHELF EVENT

 

The day dawned bright, hot and early... and not nearly long enough after I finally crawled into bed @ 2:15 am.  My sister's arrival at 9:00 pm the night before with a chilled bottle of Prosecco were just what I needed to get my second wind.   With the truck packed to it's gills, we called it a night, desperate for sleep & yet eager for the sun to rise, to get on the road to Boston.

Sunday the 2nd of May just happened to be one of those crazy New England days when the temperature was already 80 degrees by 10:00 am, and would continue to rise to 90 degrees by some reports I heard.   My mantra all the way to Boston? 
"Please let this VFW hall have air conditioning...Please let this VFW hall have air conditioning..."

We arrive at 11:00 on the dot, and for a moment it looks like a mini~version of the New York Garment District back in it's hey~day.

 
(photo courtesy of Absolute Astronomy)

Racks of fabulous vintage clothing being wheeled across the parking lot by men in suits with bow ties and ladies dressed to the nines . . . my heart begins to pound.  The clock ticks away, and before we knew it, the crowd had pushed through the door well before high noon and the pandemonium began.  My heart begins to pound again~~we were nowhere even close to ready for the torrential crowd of vintage~treasure~hunters streaming in.

 
(Photo courtesy of N'East Style)

The crowd was, I believe, far above and beyond what any of us expected.  The fabulous Christine of Carmen & Ginger is a seasoned Flea~Market queen and said she had never experienced anything like it.  So you can only imagine what the experience was like for this Flea~Market virgin.  

 
(photo courtesy of Carmen & Ginger)

In actuality, these photos were snapped much later in the day, when we finally had a moment to step out from behind our booths.  
 

 

I met this adorable vintage~loving gal who gladly obliged my request to snap her photo in these fabulous "SULTRY" sunglasses handmade in England (I'm quite sure she told me her name and I apoligize for forgetting). 

 
(photo courtesy of Red Bird Vintage.)  

The lovely Taylor spent quite a bit of time at The Red Velvet Shoe, and she was a pleasure to behold.  A vision of vintage fashion and was one of three awarded the
 "Top Shelf Flea Market 2010 Best Dressed Award" by Red Bird Vintage.  I would have to agree.  She bought one of my favorite dresses and I am hoping she will manage to share a photo of her wearing it someday!

It was such a pleasure to meet some "fans", if you will, of The Red Velvet Shoe.  "Julie", the winner of my Springtime Vintage Give~Away, was one of the first through the door and was just thrilled that the vintage swimsuit she had her eye on was on the rack~a pleasure meeting you, Julie!  I also met the adorable "Sarah" who found "The Shoe" via a friend on Facebook and made her way down to Somerville to come say hello & show her support.  I hope those of you who found something make good on your word to send photos & keep in touch! 

 My friend Brooke checking out the goods.

 
(Jay & David)

The boys were fine, there was beer.

 
(Brooke, Kelsi & Brandi~Lynn)

And lots of pretty girls...
 

 

Fellow comrades of vintage Amy of Artifaktori & Christine of Carmen & Ginger looking fabulous in their vintage ensembles (Amy was freezing, thus the bizarre color combo & hangtag hanging off her sleeve.)   I can't really explain the hat, you'll have to ask her.

 

Our fearless leader & mastermind behind the day: Joe (aka Giuseppe) of An Affordable Wardrobe
donning a real madras sports coat & his namesake "Giuseppe" bow tie from Ellie LaVeer Stager.
 
 

 

My amazing sister & assistant for the day Brandi~Lynn, with friends & supporters Merrie & Michelle.

 

You know you have great friends when they drive over an hour on the hottest day of the year to show their support.   Not to mention sticking around to help pack up & making it fun despite the sensation you could possibly tip over from exhaustion at any moment.  My sister Brandi~Lynn was above and beyond the best assistant I could have ever had and it is quite clear I could not have done it without her.  Of course I have to mention my DH & my adorable daughter for all their help & support for making this day possible for The Red Velvet Shoe.  Suffice it to say that my domestic duties have seriously fallen by the wayside & they did a great job trying to keep things together while I prepared for this fabulous vintage extravaganza. 

 
I dressed Coco my dressform in one of my favorite ensembles that belonged to my grandmother.  Apparently, my grandmother had great taste, I think over 50 shoppers asked to purchase this dress, which I had to disappoint them with those heart~breaking words: "It's not for sale."  They found other treasures, though, and shop they did! 

I also brought this great photo of my grandparents & displayed it on an easel.  As you may know, my grandmother played a major part in nurturing my adoration for vintage clothing & finery, so I had to have her there, if only in a photograph.  One of the highlights of my day was when this lovely girl came up to me with it in her hand and said "How much is this?  I love it!"  (Note to self: mark things that aren't for sale as NOT FOR SALE next time)  I took it as the ultimate compliment.

There were so many vendors with fabulous vintage treasures I didn't even have a chance to properly meet or photograph.  Here are some links to a few other great reviews about The Top Shelf Flea Market which I will add to as I come accross them.

• An Affordable Wardrobe
• Carmen & Ginger (the blog)
• N'East Style
• New Brahmin
• Put This On
• Artifaktori

"The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play."  Arnold Toynbee

  

Let's just call it a BLUR OF A DAY!!
  

 

 

 

 
 

GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

To celebrate our anniversary, my DH planned a little get~a~way to Cape Cod.  Anyone who grew up in New England most likely spent at least one week of summer vacation "on The Cape".  My family spent many.  We would rent a little seaside cottage and literally live on the beach for the entire week. 
It was divine . . . if you were a kid.  In retrospect, being an adult and a mother now, I seriously doubt it was divine for my Mom.  Five kids covered in sand, constantly hungry & trying to drown each other in the surf is a far cry from divine.  Now I know why they always had a night out alone, without any kids.  She probably needed a week alone by that point. 

 

Then there's the traffic.  That's the "not~so~divine" part for the Dad.  You would think, after all these years, someone would figure out a way to overcome the ever~present traffic issue for visiting Cape Cod.  I remember watching my step~father at the wheel, he would start out feigning optimism, but there was that last bend in the road before you saw it:  miles and miles and miles of red tail lights flashing in the distance.  "I hope everybody used the bathroom before we left" was all he would say.  He inevitably had a migraine by the time we arrived at our little shack by the sea.  Not so divine.

As we made our way down Route 6, I started to wonder how the Kennedy's handle this traffic issue.  Perhaps they know some secret back road passage that lands them smack in the middle of "Le Compound" in Hyannis-port?   "Maybe they still helicopter in", said DH.  Must be nice, I thought, staring at the line of cars ahead.  I shifted my thoughts to one of the best things about going away: food.  Suddenly, I'm hungry. 

  

Brunch at "GB" ~ the original Gourmet Brunch.  517 Main Street, Hyannis.  Trust me on this one.

A walk along Main Street, the kind of old~fashioned, brick storefronts with colorful awnings Main Street that I adore, brought us to this Massachusetts landmark store:  The Puritan Clothing Company.  Founded in 1919 by Mr. Abraham Penn.  His goal?  

To provide classic, impeccably tailored clothing and personalized service and each had to be of the highest quality possible in order to succeed.

A quick visit inside the store proved that, nearly 100 years later, they continue to employ this formula for success.  I observed as a client of the establishment was waited on by a store clerk who knew his shopping history, he actually knew when the gentleman had purchased the garment he was discussing.  That's impressive.  Mr. Penn would be quite pleased.  My heart went pitter~patter: old~world boutique style shopping with attentive & personalized service.  My dream lives.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it into Tim's Books, but will make a point to on our next visit.

We couldn't leave without enjoying a visit to the JFK Museum.  A gallery of beautiful images of the Kennedy family, some practically life~size so it seems as if they are right there with you.  Various monitors playing brief films of "The Days of Camelot" give it a very nostalgic charm, not to mention a great peek at the fashions of the day.  That Jackie, even hanging around the compound or sailing, she always looked fabulous.

(Photo courtesy of LIFE)

We continue down Main Street, and lo and behold:  PLUSH & PLUNDER~~a vintage clothing shop.  My DH rolls his eyes, but, as this is a romantic get~away in celebration of our wonderful marriage, with his hand on the small of my back, he guides me through the door . . .  he lasted about 30 seconds, but I could have spent the entire day.  This is one of those shops that you could literally spend a day in and probably not see everything.  It has an almost museum~quality to it, and yet it's very comfortable to shop in.  I met Aimee, who, with her mother, has operated Plush & Plunder for almost 30 years.  Well known and shopped by some of the world's biggest entertainment celebrities (Demi Moore, Cyndi Lauper, Lee Remick, Julie Harris, Rita Moreno, Debbie Reynolds, Carol Channing, Christopher Reeves, Jaimie Farr of "M*A*S*H," John Ritter, Lyle Lovett, Tim Robbins and Shania Twain to name just a few)  they've carved a niche that I could only dream of.   We chatted "vintage" for a bit, exchanged cards and I went on my merry way.

 

We had an amazing dinner experience at Brazilian Grill.  Let the reviews speak for me:

ZAGAT SURVEY 2006/07/08
"Come very hungry and try to pace yourself  at this phenomenon in Hyannis.  Enjoy an endless stream of sweet servers bearing delicious sizzling meats"
FODOR REVIEW 2006/07/08
"The Brazilian Grill is the most remarkable place to eat on Cape Cod. "

Again, trust me on this.  Even my DH was beyond impressed, and that's quite a feat. 
It was a great little "Get~Away" and now I'm ready to get to work for The Top Shelf Flea!!  I'll also be announcing my Spring Give~Away this week~end, so be sure to check back for details.

 

 

 

 

"I DO"

 

This week we are celebrating our nine~year wedding anniversary (you may remember this post a few years ago) and part of my ritual is to look at our wedding & honeymoon photographs.  It's pure nostalgia~~not to mention we were younger, thinner & kid~free (for a little while, anyway!)

 

But I have found
marriage, like wine,
gets better with age.

 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: AN AFFORDABLE WARDROBE, FABULOUS FINDS GAL & THE SART

 

With the plague of rain still upon us, I don't have much time to waste spend blogging as the H₂O level in my basement continues to rise.  Of course the flood has to hit AFTER my DH has a brand new washer & dryer delivered for me ~~ (you know you've been married a long time when this is a cause for great excitement!)  and right when I need to be working & preparing for The Top Shelf Flea. 

I do, however, wish to share the following three Highly Recommended Blog Posts (Two for purely selfish reasons, I admit).

1.)  AN AFFORDABLE WARDROBE

Our fearless leader for the Top Shelf Flea has at long~last posted the list of vendors who will be marketing their vintage treasures, so click on the link above to visit his fabulous blog that's all about "how to be a well~dressed man even if one has a small budget for fashion" ~~ or in his coy words:
"Penury is not an excuse."

2.)  FABULOUS FINDS GAL

My Californian~Blond~Goddess blogger pal, who I've written about in the past , has once again given The Red Velvet Shoe a front & center spot in her latest blog post all about Vintage Lingerie.  She did all the leg~work finding some of the best vintage lingerie out there, so if you're in the mood for some OO~LA~LA, click the link above & go take a peek, we won't tell!

3.)  THE SARTORIALIST

Funny, I wonder how many people not directly involved in the "fashion world"  would even know what the word sartorial meant just five years ago . . . interesting.  As is the little contest Mr. Schuman is hosting on his blog right now~~submit a favorite antique/vintage photo of someone who inspires you in some fashionable way and, if you're photo is chosen . . . you'll have to go see what the prize is~just click the link above.  Unfortunately, his blog isn't that easy to navigate around, so you'll have to just scroll back through the posts to find the actual contest post.  Numerous beautiful sepia~tone photos await you, so it shouldn't be that painful!

 
Definitely not as bad as this! 

LEAVE YOUR HAT ON . . .

In light of the fact that 49 of the US states has snow reported, I thought I would share some family photos & our obsession with a certain vintage fur hat:

"I want that hat, I'm going to grab it when she looks the other way. . .The Sartorialist  would love this, it's all he's posting now that New York finally has some real weather . . . "
(Auntie)

"You can take my picture, but now I'll have to kill you . . ."
(Auntie)

"Oh come on, you know it looks much better on me!"

 

"Oh well, it's Mommy's anyway!"

This great vintage fur hat is from the late Shephard's Department Store, which was the place to shop in Providence, RI back in the day . . . according to this article, it was the place to shop in New England.  It was a beautiful old~world style store, here are some photographs I found:

These photographs were taken rather recently, sadly I couldn't find any old b&w photographs to share.  I'm sure they're out there, I hope they are . . .

 

My DH (who is just a few years my senior) remembers driving to Providence for a day of shopping.  It was a big deal.  They wore their Sunday best, everyone was dressed: gentlemen in suits, or at the very least, shirt & tie, and the ladies wore dresses or suits, with matching handbags & gloves . . . a far cry from what you see at the mall today (not that I go to the mall, you know my disdain for it . . . but having a 7 year old little lady, at times one must concede . . . )

 
(photos courtesy of Joukowsky Institute Home)

The famous "Shepards Clock"

"Meet me under the clock!"

Everyone knew exactly what & where you meant, and this expression is practically a legend around here . . . thus, our adoration of "the hat" . . . I think I'm going to keep it.