Ode to the dress form

There's just something about the dress form that I can't seem to get enough of. If you have told me 7 years ago that I would have a collection of over 10 I never would have believed you. Before I even opened Dear Golden I loved them and purchased my first one just to have in my house. Today a new vintage dress form arrived and it inspired me to compile all the photos I have taken of these beauties and share them with you. I'm actually running out of space in the shop to keep them all so I think I am done collecting them for a little bit...we'll see about that! If you're looking for one you have to be pretty diligent; I found mine at antique stores, estate sales, Craigslist & eBay. 

A Line a Day

Recently I picked up this day journal at a local antique store - I couldn't resist. The diary was kept by a woman in my town from 1915 through 1919. These two post cards, blank, were also in the diary. There are only 2-3 lines per day as that is how the journal is set up, but it's really interesting to read in of itself, nevermind that she went to school (for teachers) at the college blocks away from my house and visits parks that are still around today. I have gathered that she isn't all that young, maybe mid to late 30s. She has some daughters, one of which lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Literally, a quarter of the entries include a note that someone she knows or someone she knows of in the town has died, which I thought was so weird. She often wakes up at 4am, just to start house chores or whatever and she always mentioned that laundry and gives a number in parenthesis after. For example, "Washed (75)". Did she wash 75 items? Why note that? No idea.

One night I read all of 1915 and jotted down some highlights:

• February 23, 1915 
Tue. School again, but I am too dull to amount to anything. Heard a robin twitter on my way home."
I liked this entry because it's no different than something I would note in February, or when spring is approaching...


• April 24, 1915
Sat. Hot. up at 4:30. Washed (98). Did nearly all ironing. Colored man moved lawn and put in screen. Early trees in bloom. Took off underwear (???). Asparagus up. 


• May 7, 1915
Fri. Rainy. Alice went home at 11:36 taking her mother with her. 'Lusitania' torpedoed at 2:30 this P.M. off the coast of Ireland. Belle Saunders' husband drowned."


• May 23, 1915
Sun. Rainy. Ruby & I to Grand Rapids on new electric road. Left at 8:35 & arrived home at 8:10. Fine time.


• October 10, 1915
Sun. Called at Mrs. C's on way to church and found her dead. Called help. They took her to the morgue. To Allan's to baby's birthday dinner. 


• December 15, 1915
Wednesday. Busier than two bees. 

Lockets of love

Last month I did a guest post about my Victorian locket collection on one of my favorite blogs, Honey Kennedy. I was so happy with how the photos of my lockets turned out I just had to share some of them with you. 

You can check out the original post here. 

sometimes a girl gets lucky

Sometimes a girl bids on a dress on eBay and is certain she'll never win it, so she just puts the dress and the bidding completely out of her mind. One evening she is at the stove making a stir-fry and she gets an email alert that informs her she is in fact, a very lucky girl & she has won the bid on a pristine 1950s Christian Dior dress. The stir-fry somehow tastes better than ever, birds are singing over her shoulders and she pours a little tumbler of Redbreast whiskey in celebration. Fast forward to several days later when this girl is just spending a lazy-ish snow day at home and the mailman delivers this Christian Dior dress and the blasted thing fits perfectly. Sometimes a girl gets really, really lucky. 

I'll be wearing this dress very soon & then promptly add to The Distillery to mingle amongst the other stars. She's all mine.

Downton Abbey much? Part II

After yesterday's post I realized I do have another wool Edwardian jacket I have yet been unable to part with. This one has much more detail and is one of the most unique pieces I have come across. The photos look violet but the jacket is dark navy blue gabardine wool with very dark navy grosgrain trim & button. The wide revers lapel and cutout back are so damn fantastic. And um, check out the bird printed fabric lining!

Downton Abbey much?

Chas A. Stevens & Bro. Edwardian women's suit coat

This afternoon I took 605 shop photos, though I don't much dig working on Saturday afternoons...but I did have the pleasure of shooting a whole bunch of Pendleton coat coats, some super awesome sweaters, a smattering of party dresses and then...this jacket. This authentic Edwardian wool suit jacket, I'd date it around 1914.  How am I supposed to part with this? Impossible. Especially since my nights have been filled with season 2 of Downton Abbey. 

This coat was actually a gift to me from my friend Madeline, about 4 years ago and I because it's a big too big for me I just had it hanging with the rest of my coats. But I recently had it dry cleaned and the thing has come into a glory all it's own, might I just say. The tag! The tag! I have ONE other garment with this tag, a ecru lace and silk dressing gown, pre-1920s. Chas A. Stevens & Bros or The House of Stevens was a shop in Chicago where fine Chicagoans had garments made at the turn of the century (and before).  

Below are some ads from the store. 

i've fallen and i don't want to get up

How can you not fall in love with this dress? 1920s pale pink silk with silver beading and pink shoulder ribbon detail. The hem! Add to The Distillery or sell...this decision will take some deep contemplation to say the least. 

hats i'll (probably) never sell

This is probably only part one of two seeing as these are only the ones I have photographed right now. At one time I thought they would go into the shop, but  who was I kidding? The stupidest thing is that I have only worn 3 of these hats out of the house. Can you guess which 3?

1920s beaded dress

It isn't often I mend, soak, rinse, dry & wear a dress all in the same day. But yesterday, when this dress 1920s silk beaded dress arrived I just couldn't wait to "deal with it". I mended some of the beading, then it straight to the soak for a long while, then laid dry before hanging dry and since it was extra hot outside the drying time was minimal so it was ready to put on in just about one hour.

Now, I do realize that this style of dress isn't very flattering on me, 1920s dresses tend to accentuate all the wrong aspects of my body & I appear to have gained about 10 pounds, but really, it's exactly what women in the 1920s who were wearing these dresses looked like - a bit frumpy. There, I said it. If I were super tall and super thin I am sure this dress would look miles better, nevermind that I spent the entire day stain-removing and cleaning various vintage dresses (in the 87 degree heat) so my hair looks pretty lackluster. But that isn't going to stop me from wearing this dress, it's like a work of art!

to ring the neck

 1930s blue Czech glass necklace

 1930s purple Czech glass necklace

 1930s art deco brass necklace

1960s enamel on metal scarab necklace

Just sharing some necklaces I have recently added to my collection. I think there are girls who like to wear rings the most, earring people, bracelet people and necklace people. This week I went to an vintage appointment and the woman selling her mothers & grandmothers clothing collected earrings and she had more than I ever thought someone could have, she called herself and "earring person". I say I am none of the above, but if I had to say I'd say I was a necklace person. In reality (my closet as evidence) I am a dress person. I wish I were a bona fide necklace person because necklaces take up a LOT less space!

Anyway, the first two are from the same place, The Treasure Mart, but someone else had claimed the blue one. I was so sad and told the woman that works there to call me if something fell through. 4 days later she called and the beauty was mine! Oh wait and the last necklace, the enamel painted metal scarab also came from The Treasure Mart.

short n' sweet

 via B H L D N

When I saw these little delicate boleros on the BHLDN site I felt pretty excited to take photos of my own little boleros and show them off. Since I don't wear them much, or at all really, I am hoping to incorporate them into my spring/summer wardrobe, they are too pretty to live only in my closet! I feel like I have a lot of vintage that I "collect" rather than wear...do you too?

freshly distilled

1920s ivory silk and silver leaf beaded dress (removable sleeves!)

1920s creamy silk ruffled tunic

1920s sheer soft cotton embroidered dress

1930s pale pink lace dress

A while back when I spoke of starting a portion of the shop called The Distillery I fully intended to sell off 1920s dresses and other very special dresses that I have found for the shop along the way. But it is now that I have to admit to you (it's taken time for me to admit to myself!) that The Distillery is most likely going to be a little area of my closet/the shop that only grows and never depletes. There is something about the 1920s dresses, that although I do not wear them, that just woo me, to a point that I just have to take them out now and then and look at them, never able to sell them. You don't want to hear this, I know. Are you mad at me? Maybe...but there ARE some 1920s that I AM willing to sell and those do make it into the shop and will continue to do so. 

Also, though The Distillery started out as just 1920s dresses, there has been an addition of a 1930s dress, a dress that is a marvel to me as it it feel like it was never worn and has no flaws at all (last photo). When I got it I almost could not believe my eyes. I love it when that happens. 

So here are the most recent additions to The Distillery. I think I might even wear each one of these, at least once. :)

Handmacher tailored

 

While photographing this skirt I thought, "hey, this is a real nice skirt & I think it'll fit me", then when I took it off the dress form and saw the label I knew I'd be keeping it. One of my favorite labels is 'handmacher" but until this skirt I had only seen it in suits from the 1940s and early 1950s. Perhaps this skirt had a jacket with it at one time, the fabric certainly feels "suit-ish". You can read more about Handmacher here.  

1950s white cotton blouse - thrifted

1950s black & white suit skirt - private estate

belt - thrfited

canvas oxfords -Becky Drolen Vintage

felted flower brooch - Capricious Traveler

Two 1950s advertisements for Handmacher