Desert Island Vintage with guest Helen Mae Green

IF YOU COULD HAVE JUST EIGHT VINTAGE FASHION ITEMS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

My third guest on Desert Island Vintage is Helen Mae Green, who has been writing the personal style blog Lovebirds Vintage since 2012. She has mused about her vintage style being inspired not so much by stars as by everyday people. Even though I'd argue to the contrary, Helen claims she isn't glamorous. Certainly her style seems classic, timeless—and real. I can see her stepping out of one of the vintage photos she cites as inspiration. 

Helen in a favorite 1950s dress

Although in the thick of studies, she graciously took the time to answer the Desert Island Question: 

IF YOU COULD HAVE JUST EIGHT VINTAGE FASHION ITEMS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

What does this studious English rose fancy? Read on:

"I decided to start off with those items of vintage I currently own that I couldn’t do without, either because they’re very hardworking items in my wardrobe or because they’re just too pretty.  As I’m limited to 8 items in total, I narrowed my selection down to three absolute favourites and two items where I own the modern repro version but would really love to have the real thing. The remaining items are all fantasy items because a girl’s got to dream! They’re all items on my ongoing “to buy” list, so hopefully they’ll eventually make their way into my wardrobe.

1.     "1940s blue floral dress

The first item I’ve chosen is this gorgeous original 1940s dress in a blue floral rayon. This dress is what my 1940s dreams are made of, and I really wish I had the money and the lifestyle to add more genuine 1940s pieces to my wardrobe. As it is, I don’t often get the opportunity to wear my most precious vintage pieces at the moment, but as long as this dress is in my wardrobe I can’t feel too bad. The fit is perfect on me, and I love the way the dress hangs and moves. The ruffles on the front add an extra special touch, and there’s even a pretty belt that fastens at the back. I really feel like a princess every time I wear this.

2.     "c. 1970s wool skirt

This skirt is the ultimate “workhorse” item in my wardrobe. It’s vintage from the 1970s or 80s but I often wear it in a 1950s inspired style. I live in England so it gets pretty cold over the autumn and winter, so the medium-weight wool helps to keep me nice and warm, especially when layered over an underskirt and some knitted tights. It’s a great neutral colour so it’s very versatile, and it even has pockets. Winner!

3.     "1980s boots

What can I say about these boots? They’re a bit steampunk, a bit cowboy, and a lot fabulous. I love the Victorian-inspired shape of them, and although the pattern looks a bit crazy, they still seem to go with a lot of different outfits. I bought them when I was on a quest to find boots without a zip up the inside as they tend to cause me to trip over my own feet, but I also prefer lace-up boots for aesthetic reasons. I get no end of compliments when I wear these and they’re so unique and great fun to wear.

4.     "Original 1940s or 50s jeans

For this next item we’re getting slightly more into the fantasy realm. I have several pairs of reproduction vintage jeans that I wear regularly, like those shown in the picture, but I’d really like to own some original ones. I went through a phase of not wearing jeans because I thought they could be a bit scruffy or unflattering, but vintage ones are a completely different beast. They’re still a casual item but aren’t completely unstructured, and the high waist divides the body across its narrowest point rather than its widest point like modern low-rise jeans. I find this much more flattering as it doesn’t create a muffin top where there otherwise wouldn’t be one, and is much better at hiding problem areas if you do have them. Overall, jeans are now an integral part of my wardrobe, and I’ll definitely be looking out for an original pair to add to my collection.

5.     "White 1940s blouse

This is another item where I have owned various reproduction versions, but would really like to own an original one. I’m of the belief that every girl needs a nice structured white blouse, and mine always get lots of use. I like the shoulder pads and wonderful sharp collars.

6.     "Quilted circle skirt

I’ve been looking out for a quilted circle skirt in my size and price range for a long time. I think they’re very stylish but also they appeal to me as being something a little warmer for the winter, as it’s always my winter wardrobe that seems to be lacking.

1950s novelty print quilted cotton circle skirt owned and worn by Janey Ellis of the Atomic Redhead blog

7.     "1940s suit

Ah, suits. So stylish, so versatile. I have a great 1950s suit which gets a lot of wear, both as a whole suit and with the skirt and jacket worn separately, but I’d really love a beautifully fitted 1940s suit to wear as well. Something about the fit and style of 1940s clothing despite the rationing really shines through in suits for me.

War-era woman wearing a suit (Flickr Commons)

8.     "1950s New Look coat

Another thing I’ve had on my to-buy list for a long time, and my last Desert Island item, is a wide-skirted 1950s coat in a New Look style. I wear a lot of full skirts (or full-skirted dresses) and am forever frustrated by how coats in the wrong shape squash the skirts, and how modern ones are almost certainly too short to cover the skirt which can look odd. If I had a coat like this, I’d wear it a lot and probably have a lot of fun swishing about. A must-have for sure.

J. Paul & Sons Mannequin Parade, 1949 (Flickr Commons)

Perhaps she will wear such a coat on a case once she gets her degree. Oh didn't I mention? Helen is currently working on her PhD in forensic entomology. I like to imagine her future employment could rather handily place her in a 1940s film noir—and she would probably enjoy wearing the clothing! 

Many thanks to Helen Mae Green for sharing her Desert Island capsule wardrobe with us all!

Besides her Lovebirds Vintage blog, be sure to look for Helen on Facebook and Instagram (including some of her glorious recent modeling photos!).

What would you want if you could have just eight vintage fashion pieces? If you'd like to be featured here, let me know!

All the Gunne Sax I’ve known

San Francisco was one of the cities on the crest of the vintage fashion nostalgia wave of the late 1960s. At the time, romantic Edwardian and Victorian fashions were being rediscovered in flea markets by expressive young dressers who were tired of modern "establishment" clothing. Enter Gunne Sax, a small SF dress company founded in 1967 with a flair for the nostalgic.

Jessica McClintock, a teacher, newly divorced and with a young son, invested in the company and became its designer and marketer. In 1969 McClintock became its sole owner. Through the years, Gunne Sax has made an array of nostalgic styles, referencing Renaissance, Empire, Victorian and Edwardian clothing. Very popular were Gunne Sax's prairie girl looks. This was definitely a fanciful 19th-century prairie girl, dressed in cotton calicos, muslin and lace, with ribbons, lacings and flounces. There were lots of Gunne imitators, but the real thing is almost always discernible just by the detail of its embellishments. 

These are the Gunne Sax I have sold through the years, roughly in order from the earliest "black label" models of the late 1960s, through the 1980s, when the company had expanded in other vintage-inspired directions. 

Speaking from the experience of living through the heyday of Gunne Sax, I can say that these dresses (and separates) were exactly what many girls wanted to wear the most. I had my first, a long, flouncy gown of pink gauze with a lace-up bodice and full, sheer sleeves, in 1975. My mother, who was by then a widow who had to watch what she spent, said I could have the dress, but with its large price tag of (gasp) $40, I would "wear it for concerts, my prom, my wedding, and I would be buried in it" ...stated as a commandment. 

Later, with my own hard-earned money I managed to buy a couple more Gunnes.

Me, c. 1980, in one of my much-loved Gunne Sax

Here I am in my mother's home in the last of the three Gunne Sax outfits I wore when they were new. This was a prairie girl set of skirt and peplum blouse, c. 1980. Sorry the photo is no better, but it was taken by a boyfriend catching me off guard who said "wow, you look great in that!" to which my mother replied, "you'd even like her in a gunny sack!" We laughed while my mother looked bewildered—she didn’t realize it was a Gunne Sax! 

Here are the labels from some of the items I’ve sold: 1969/70, 1970s/early 80s, 1970s skirt, late 1970s, 1980s. You can see many more in the Vintage Fashion Guild Label Resource.

I think it's interesting to see how girls now wear vintage Gunne Sax...these have touched several generations of romantics! Here's a round up of a few found on Chictopia:

Courtesy of Sapsorrow

Courtesy of AmberLucas 

Courtesy of EllePhoto

Courtesy of starshipnarcissus

Courtesy of novavintage

Courtesy of 23freckles

This is Rie (@welldressedethcist on Instagram), who is a connoisseur of vintage Gunne Sax, wearing one that she got from me. I love how this new generation of expressive dressers have made Gunnies their own!

Courtesy of @welldressedethicist

Round sunglasses, Converse tennis shoes, lavender hair, plaid coat, prim hat...how do you style your Gunne Sax? Are you new to Gunnies, or did you wear them the first time around?

---

For some behind-the-scenes information on the founding of Gunne Sax, please see this article from the Vintage Traveler Blog:

History behind Gunne Sax By Roger and Scott Bailey

The Magtone color of the moment: Hollywood Cerise Pink

Hollywood Cerise Pink—technically Hex Color #ED0990

Oh, I know there are well-researched and ever-so-vetted Pantone colors of the year, but it seems there is always a color pulling me in a different direction. This year, their color is Greenery, and it's quite lovable. It seems to evoke a feeling of hope. (It was chosen before those November elections!)

For me this year it’s Hollywood Cerise Pink. There is a femininity in pink (since the 1930s anyway), and there is an urgency in bright pink. It seems not only a beautiful hue but a necessary one. Fearlessly feminine.

Feast your eyes on shades of Hollywood Cerise Pink from vintage sellers on Etsy. As of today these are currently for sale and the links are in my Etsy favorites collection on the subject. 

Face it...Hollywood Cerise is not just a color, it's an attitude!

Lady and the Skirts

I recently had the good fortune to renew an old online acquaintance with Debbie, who has a remarkable vintage fashion collection. Someday I may have the opportunity to show you more of Deb's collection but for now, it's plenty to feast your eyes on her collection of 1950s Lady and the Tramp and Si and Am skirts. She has 21 (!).

These skirts were homemade from cotton printed in 1955. The fabric was licensed by Disney, originally sold at J.C. Penney, and coincided with the release of Disney's Lady and the Tramp animated feature-length film. Although the skirts are now coveted and highly valued, Debbie told me that the fabric was originally just 59 cents per yard. From the yardage, the seamstress would cut out the flaring panels and sew them together to create her skirt.

The seamstress had to add her own waistband, so the skirts can have waistbands that slightly differ from the skirt colors. The number of panels vary and so do the lengths as the skirts were hemmed and sized for girls and women both. Debbie even has a Lady and the Tramp skirt in which every bit is embellished with hand-sewn decorations. The "dog" skirts can be found in red, black and turquoise; the "cat" skirts are in pink, black and brown. She loves to wear these on trips to the Disney parks.

Debbie lets her great nieces share her skirts, and when they match at Disney, they are "just too much fun to be ignored."

Debbie and her grand nieces at (where else?) Disney

I've only met Debbie online, but she has impressed me so much with her joyful spirit. Now 63, she has no trouble donning the Disney mouse ears and taking a twirl with Pluto!

In her mid-50s, Deb took on the important task of raising of her 9-year old great niece; she has worked as a court reporter for the State of Nevada Public Utilities Commission for almost 44 years. Debbie isn't a woman of leisure, so when she gets to "play" she does so with gusto!

She and her significant other Rick attend car shows together with their vintage autos. Women she knows are bored going to the car shows, but she loves the shows, thoroughly knows their cars and makes a big deal of wearing her vintage finery for these events. Debbie not only dresses up, she brings along dolls with clothing custom-made to match her vintage fashions. She says that the children especially love the dolls!

Debbie's vintage collection focuses on her favorite time in fashion, 1947-57, the Dior era. She has couture items, a Hawaiian collection, Hollywood costumes. More that leaves me in awe: She has so many vintage pairs of shoes that she can't count them all. She has over 350 vintage hats. 

In case it wasn't already apparent, Debbie, even in her 60s, is a bit of a bombshell. She has the figure to wear vintage well and the savoir faire to pull it off. Most of all, it is obvious that she is having fun. She says "these skirts make me so incredibly happy!" There is not a stuffy bone in Debbie's body.

While Debbie's favorite of the skirts is the red Lady and the Tramp, I am partial to the pink Si and Am skirt. When I saw this great photo, I had to let her know how big a smile it put on my face.

She told me there is a story to go with this photo:

That trip we were in Disneyland with 4 adult couples, and when I walked into Disneyland I saw Minnie.  Rick asked me if I wanted my photo taken with her—because he KNOWS I adore photos with the characters—but she had a very long line of guests, and I didn’t want to hold everyone up in my group to get a photo.  As I was walking towards Main Street someone tapped me on the shoulder...and it was Minnie.  She had left her line and run over to me, and she pointed at my skirt, put her hands on her heart, swayed back and forth, turned me around towards Rick for a photo, put her hands on her heart again, and ran back to her line. I was absolutely on Cloud 9...my Disney Magic Moment! 

 So many people admire her skirts at Disney, and so many of the Disney character performers show their appreciation at seeing these. What a wonderful use of Debbie's collection, bringing such pleasure to herself and others!

All photos courtesy of Debra Bartgis.

My Funny Valentines

Oh no, they're back! I hope it doesn't seem OLD HAT to a-DRESS this with you! 

I am positively obsessed with vintage Valentines, the type with great drawings and puns—"I can TELEVISION when I see one, you're on the CHANNEL to my heart"—you know the type? 

My vintage clothing photos are ones I had on hand that all made GRAPE sense to PEAR with the vintage Valentines.

{FRANK-ly, you'd better have the sound up for Sinatra!}

Deadstock

No, it’s not the Grateful Dead in concert, the depths of a bear market, or a no-longer-with-us cow—at least not in this context.

If you shop for vintage fashion online, you will have run across the word deadstock, and maybe wondered at its meaning.

According to Collins English Dictionary, deadstock is “the merchandise or commodities of a shop, etc, that is unsold and generating no income.” Some dictionaries separate the word (dead stock), others do not include the term at all. It is, apparently, a business term that has crept into the general lexicon.

If it sounds pejorative, it’s because that’s its history: Items that couldn’t be or weren’t sold were “dead” to the seller, needing to be stored and of relatively little value. These items would sell for a song if at all.

Then came eBay and lots of people started looking for the words to describe a vintage (or at least not new) item that was apparently unused. Other terms that surface often:

• New Old Stock (usually abbreviated NOS)

• With Tags

• Unused

• Virgin

Now you know where this is headed: Deadstock is nothing like a pejorative when associated with vintage fashion! Who wouldn’t want to be the first wearer of some vintage finery? It is the livest of the live!

Notice that I haven’t mentioned the term mint condition? To be mint, an item has to be in a state as if it had just come off the assembly line—like new. So many items that still have tags were not stored well or in some way show signs of their age. I’ve noted rust stains from hangers, sun fading, musty odors, dusty hemlines...even coffee splatters and insect holes. Vintage in mint condition is a bit rare.

I am fortunate to come across unused vintage fashion pieces now and then. So often they come to me in groups because one woman will have collected a number of items that she didn’t wear. She might have bought several of a single great piece because she loved it, then didn’t get around to wearing the alternates. Maybe she went to a sale and purchased more than she needed. Maybe she bought the size she hoped she’d achieve. For whatever reason, some people seem to have collected items that they did not use.

One of the greatest joys of finding deadstock vintage is seeing the hangtags and labels. These can give original store names, prices, sizes, fabrics and fabric care...not to mention the artwork!

 I often write in my Etsy listing for a deadstock item, “This item has gone unused, through no fault of its own,” because so often the piece is really fantastic.

This 1950s Hawaiian sundress is one of the deadstock (and in this case mint condition) items in my shop right now. I honestly can’t believe it hasn’t been used!

Some of the other deadstock items ready to come alive (click to see shop listing):

70s wool knit pantsuit by Kimberly

50s pink party dress by Jonathan Logan

60s cotton sateen dress by Tom Brigance for Sinclair

60s fringed cotton poncho

70s Egyptian-print house dress

60s Kay Whitney gingham romper

80s cape-sleeved coat

70s stretch panne velvet empire waist dress

80s triple chain silver belt

70s Fred Rothschild belted shirtwaist dress

70s hand print dress by Alfred Shaheen

I have recently added a deadstock 1960s vintage shirt to my own closet. Its price tag, from one of my city’s late-great department stores, shows a price of $1.00. I am saving that little tag and hope to make a necklace from it, to wear with the shirt. You see the only problem I have with deadstock is that I don’t ever want to lose those interesting tags!

Update on PINK HEART shop sales

On Friday I made a second donation to Dress for Success Worldwide. It felt really good.

On November 10, 2016, I opened a shop-within-a-shop in my Etsy store, the Pink Heart Shop. 100% of the proceeds from this shop go to Dress for Success. So far, all thanks to my wonderful customers, I have been able to donate $297. I have had a lot of really positive responses.

A few of the diverse vintage items in my Pink Heart Shop right now

Many I know have been inspired to live their convictions in the wake of the November elections, and I’d like to highlight one person in particular. She is a friend—a vintage connoisseur with a penchant for 1950s styles—who has consigned many beautiful vintage fashion items with me. We made an agreement about her percentage of each sale. This partnership has been going on for years.

When she heard about my Pink Heart Shop sales, my friend asked if I would add some of her items to the Shop, which I did. Later she came back with this:

I’m wondering if you would consider taking the rest of the items I sent and just donating my portion of the sales to Dress for Success? 

What do you mean? There are many, many items... 

I mean that the items are yours and 100% of what you receive that would have come to me can go to Dress 4 Success. 

 It is a good, even great, cause. I believe in helping other women grow & grow & grow. 

And that’s the point of the cause. According to their About Us page, “Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to almost 145 cities in 21 countries and has helped more than 925,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.”

Dress for Success photo

(My friend Tweets and Pins as Spiritual Feminist—you should check her out. This is her website.)

Friday I made a donation, yesterday I took part in the Women’s March on Spokane.

I have also just donated 10% of proceeds on all non-Pink Heart Shop items to Save the Manatee Club, to help protect this beloved endangered species. This too is ongoing for me.

Human rights, the environment, public health, education... There is a lot at stake right now. In fact, one of my favorite signs from the march yesterday read TOO MANY ISSUES TO FIT ON A SIGN.

But many people (like my generous friend) give me hope.

Photo by me (Margaret Wilds)

My 2016, part II

As promised in my last post, this is the better news side of 2016 here at denisebrain.

First, I have never had so many great vintage items to offer. My storage units runneth over! And I have a new friend with a passion for vintage who has helped me with the hanging and organization. (Thank you, Fay!—If you are in Spokane, you should go visit her space at Chosen Vintage.)

Then there is the book, which I had planned to publish in November. You know when you really want to do something and for some reason you aren’t getting it done? Something was up with me, and I figured out what it was: The book is missing a couple of sections to make it a complete beginners' guide to vintage from my perspective. I am now progressing without that weird feeling of being held back. It’s back to being an exciting prospect.

Then there is the new website, which is  thiscloseto being ready. [edit 2/1/17: You're looking at it now!] I know Google has it right about people using mobile devices to search, and I know my old website is not terribly mobile-friendly. This old Neanderthal is finally about to stand up straight! Expect lots of pink (duh!).

Next comes the annual end-of-the-year roundup of favorite items sold. Perhaps you will see something that now hangs in your closet—If so, I hope it’s making you happy!

I love, I mean LOVE seeing customers in their purchases! In fact, I’m devoting a section of the new website to customer images. (If you’ve been holding out on me, now’s the time to make right!)

This 1970s Gunne Sax dress went to a great connoisseur of GS dresses, Rie (thewelldressedethicist on IG) 

Kymi  (kymijojo on IG) staged a prom birthday party, and wore this princess-y 1950s gown like a true princess

For her birthday, the colorful Sophia (sophiamzell on IG) wore this 1960s party dress

This 1940s New York Creations hat went straight to the head of the elegant Eliza (vintagerosegirl on IG):

(As you can probably tell, I’m doing more over on Instagram this year. If you’re there, stop by and say hi to me @denisebrain_vintage)

Some favorites that found new homes this year:

Starting on September 7, 2016, I began setting aside

10% of sales for saving endangered manatees.

 I’ve been called the Manatee Lady, and I thought I might as well prove it with every sale.

Then, on November 10, I opened a shop-within-a-shop in my Etsy store.

The Pink Heart Shop

has vintage fashion with

100% of sales going to Dress for Success Worldwide.

The contributions I have been able to make to these causes so far make what I do even more worthwhile to me, and the support customers have expressed literally keeps me going some days.

If you read my previous post, you know it hasn’t been the easiest year for me, but I am fortunate in so many ways. For someone with health issues, having a good team is something to cherish. I have a wonderful, supportive partner in my husband John. I have good doctors. I have caring friends and family. That would be plenty, but I also have the distant but real friendship and kindness of customers and colleagues in the vintage world. You all lift me up.

So goodbye to 2016...

...and hello to a new year of hope, health, joy, and love for us all! 

My best to you, Maggie of denisebrain

My 2016, part I

What a ride 2016 has been. We all know what happened in the news—but we don’t very often know about each other’s lives.

At the start of the year there was a memorial service at which I said goodbye to a woman that I called “one of my hierarchy of mothers.” She wasn’t my blood relative, but she was definitely a family member to me, and one of my favorite people. She was the last of the adults around whom I grew up.

Jennee in the 1950s

Jennee was intelligent, funny, interesting, beautiful, independent, talented—and most definitely fashionable. I remember leafing through her Harper’s Bazaars and stopping into the most fabulous boutiques with her. She would try on a coat or pair of shoes, parade them around the store like a model and, with the greatest discernment, choose just the most stellar. (She was like that with furniture and art too!) Some years ago, Jennee gave me many of her items of clothing from the 1960s and 70s to sell. I’m so glad I saved out her sailor-style coat for myself.

Two days after Jennee’s memorial, I had surgery on my right hand. 

Let me go back a bit. Late in 2014, I was stepping up onto a riser with my French horn, and instead of landing on that riser, I fell backward onto the edge of a lower riser. This was at a concert of the Spokane Symphony with a full house in the art deco theater the orchestra calls home. The good news is that I saved my irreplaceable horn from damage, the bad news was that I went to the E.R. I was pretty badly injured.

In the spring of 2015, I woke up one day barely able to move. My hands felt like they were broken, both painful and tingling. My shoulders and elbows hurt, my hips hurt, my knees hurt. It was supremely challenging to get up out of bed. I went to my doctor, who sent me to an orthopedic surgeon, who sent me to a hand specialist and someone to test the nerves in my hands, along with putting me into a very long queue to see a rheumatologist. My blood pressure had spiked 30 points.

When I saw the rheumatologist a half a year later I had gotten pretty used to aches and pains, resting when I had to, changing my life around to manage energy lulls. The rheumatologist diagnosed psoriatic arthritis along with osteoarthritis in one hip. I’ve had psoriasis for 20 years so this is kind of predictable. An injury or illness can trigger the arthritis side of psoriatic disease, and that fall at the symphony may have been the catalyst. Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can be treated but not cured. It has five “flavors” (none of which are peppermint!) and I have experienced a spectrum of the possible symptoms. I’ve got spondylitis, dactylitis, tendinitis, bursitis, blah-blah-itis...I can’t even remember all the itises.

Have you ever noticed how many vintage fashion items have back zippers and/or buttons? I have spent a year and a half not easily reaching anything back there—not zippers, not buttons, not my hair—all things I used to take for granted. I usually can’t put my right sock or shoe on without stretching for awhile. 

The nerve doctor said I had carpal tunnel syndrome, and the hand specialist said I had trigger finger. After trying a few less drastic things, I scheduled for surgery to alleviate the excruciating pain in my right hand. Although there is still some pain, my finger is much better from that surgery. So chalk up one positive from early 2016.

I’ve seen a naturopath, spoken with an old family doctor, gone to months of physical therapy, joined the YMCA for exercise. I gave up eating certain foods that I am sensitive to. I have taken a medication that weakens the immune system and can severely damage the liver, so I quit drinking alcohol. My weight has gone up even while eating better and exercising more. Eyes can be affected by psoriatic disease and mine have been painful and reddish at times. I sleep sometimes 10 hours a day, and am still tired. 

In mid-June, with sudden pain in my side, I wound up having a very infected appendix out. Again, something to chalk up on the positive side. Good riddance—but most of all I felt that having that infection out of my body would help my psoriatic disease. My rheumy agreed I should give it a try, and I spent a few months without the scary medications. 

Unfortunately, the psoriatic disease didn’t get better. In the meantime, when the standard EKG was done prior to my appendectomy, it was abnormal. Following up, I found out that I have a partial right bundle branch blockage, a small interruption in the electrical firing of my heart. Psoriatic disease can cause cardiovascular problems too, so this may be part of my heart’s problem, or it may be exacerbating an existing issue. 

This week, I started a new class of medication for my psoriatic disease. It may or may not work, has some very serious possible side effects, and has to be self-injected, but I am happily giving it a go. I am so eager to have a bit of my good health back.

Why am I writing this? I don’t believe in making excuses, and I don’t need anyone’s forgiveness for not being fully on.

Life is hard for many people, and some are making it without a wonderful partner like I have in my husband. I have caring friends and family. I have medical insurance and good doctors. I’m not complaining, just explaining. Well, maybe I’m complaining just a little...

So what have I been up to for denisebrain this year? I have found plenty of glorious clothes that I am dying to show you. I have a book mostly ready to be published. I have a bright, shiny new website that is almost done. I have met so many wonderful people. I haven’t been able to do as much work, but I have done some good work.

I will show you some of the happiness of the year in my next post...there has been plenty!

So thankful to so many

I am so very thankful for all my wonderful followers, customers, readers, colleagues, and friends in the world of vintage. On this day after Thanksgiving, my deepest appreciation to each and every one.


This year, my husband and I are celebrating Native American Heritage Day today, in appreciation to the most courageous people in the country right now, the Standing Rock Reservation protestors.

A Young Ute Woman, 1880-1900

America, I Sing Back

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, 1958
for Phil Young, my father, Robert Hedge Coke, Whitman, and Hughes

America, I sing back. Sing back what sung you in.

Sing back the moment you cherished breath.

Sing you home into yourself and back to reason.

Oh, before America began to sing, I sung her to sleep,

held her cradleboard, wept her into day.

My song gave her creation, prepared her delivery,

held her severed cord beautifully beaded.

My song helped her stand, held her hand for first steps,

nourished her very being, fed her, placed her three sisters strong.

My song comforted her as she battled my reason

broke my long held footing sure, as any child might do.

Lo, as she pushed herself away, forced me to remove myself,

as I cried this country, my song grew roses in each tear’s fall.

My blood veined rivers, painted pipestone quarries

circled canyons, while she made herself maiden fine.

Oh, but here I am, here I am, here, I remain high on each and
     every peak,

carefully rumbling her great underbelly, prepared to pour forth
     singing—

and sing again I will, as I have always done.

Never silenced unless in the company of strangers, singing

the stoic face, polite repose, polite, while dancing deep inside,
     polite

Mother of her world. Sister of myself.


When my song sings aloud again. When I call her back to
cradle.

Call her to peer into waters, to behold herself in dark and light,

day and night, call her to sing along, call her to mature, to
     envision—

Then, she will make herself over. My song will make it so

When she grows far past her self-considered purpose,

I will sing her back, sing her back. I will sing. Oh, I will—I do.

America, I sing back. Sing back what sung you in.


Copyright © 2014 by Allison Adelle Hedge Coke. Originally published in Split This Rock’s The Quarry: A Social Justice Poetry Database.

the PINK HEART shop

As you probably know by now, 10% of my sales go to Save the Manatee Club, for the protection of this beloved endangered animal. I am thrilled that so many of you are eager to help this great cause!

In addition, starting today, there is a section within my Etsy shop with 25+ vintage fashion items. When you purchase any items from The Pink Heart Shop, 100% of your purchase price goes to Dress for Success Worldwide.

Dress for Success is a top-rated international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to almost 145 cities in 20 countries. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 925,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.

Visit the 

Dress for Success website

for more information about this fantastic organization.

Visit

The Pink Heart Shop

and come back often to see what’s new.

Call it a fight for the metaphorical pantsuit—after the U.S. election, I feel compelled to do something for the empowerment of women.

The Manatee Hugger is back to tell you...

It is Manatee Awareness Month! Of course you’re aware of manatees all the time, right? But this is the time of year in which manatees move from their warm weather haunts to their winter spots. These natural warm springs and power plant effluents don’t just make manatees more comfortable—as a sub-tropical species, they need water above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. As the animals move closer to the shore, there are inevitably more human-caused deaths and injuries to manatees, so this is the time to go all in for manatee awareness and protection.

See Save the Manatee Club’s

Free Resources for Manatee Awareness Month

 for information and ideas for taking part.

A suggestion from me: Wear vintage fashion.

—Wait, what?

Not only do you contribute to a greener planet by recycling fashion instead of buying it new, but you can specifically help manatees by purchasing vintage fashion from me! I donate 10% of all denisebrain sales (not profit, but sales) to Save the Manatee Club. I began this on September 7, International Manatee Day. Yes, manatees have several appreciation days and months—they deserve it because there is so much to appreciate!

Save the Manatee Club photo by David Schrichte

And, may I suggest that in the gut-wrenching turmoil of these election season days, nothing could be more calming than watching healthy, safe, contented manatees on the Blue Springs State Park Manatee Cam (aka ManaTV)?

Does vintage clothing make you feel like you’re wearing a costume?

We’re coming up on Halloween, a time when many vintage clothing shops see an uptick in sales for looks that spell flapper, mod, Downton Abbey, Titanic, hippie, pin-up girl and Mad Men.

If you want to go with a full-blown vintage look walking down the street during the rest of the year, I salute you! Many, though, fear the looks and questions at our workplaces, schools, and even home. But there are ways to make vintage look right at home on any day of the week.

Vintage clothing does not
need to look like a costume—
unless you want it to

The easiest way is to not try to overly coordinate a complete vintage ensemble, at least for starters. Show your love of the 1920s vibe with a gorgeous piece of jewelry or flapper handbag. Believe me, you will get the compliment: That vintage [fill in the blank] is so great!

Wear a beautiful 1950s coat to work. Carry a vintage handbag with your modern dress. Maybe on some occasion, you’ll feel like putting them together. But for now, give one or another a try.


And speaking of Halloween—

 

Find this pumpkin image in one of my Etsy shop’s item photos, send me a message (just a simple “found it!” is fine) from the listing page, and I will send you a $10 coupon code to use as a discount on a purchase of $11 or more. The code will be good through the end of November, 2016. [Hint: The pumpkin isn't in the first photo of the item.]

By the way, what will you wear for a Halloween costume? Who knows, I may even be concocting some vintage spells as a mad scientist (bwa-ha-ha!)

The contents of a vintage pocket and the dating of vintage

I have a box of interesting items found in vintage pockets and purses. I’ve never found the elusive hundred dollar bill or diamond ring, but there have been lots of tickets, invitations, candies, notes and handkerchiefs...even a citation for prostitution! 

Last week, I found these in the pocket of a beautiful 1970s Pendleton coat—

The date on that lower right coupon? 1979. (Just for fun, I tried to use the coupon at my local Fred Meyer yesterday, and raised a minor ruckus!)

 

Just a few weeks before I came upon this groovy bag—

If you look very carefully, you can see dated signatures on it. I’m picturing the end of a high school year and friends signing each other’s yearbooks—only in this case, it was her bag.

This dress (in my Etsy shop), came with a note attached—

As did this hat—

This linen clutch bag is a veritable time capsule, with its contents dating from 1940 and 41. 

I wish all vintage pieces had a date somewhere on or with them!

Two vintage labels I have found to have dates at least during some years of their history are B.H. Wragge—

    

and Marimekko— 

Union labels help with dating. Check out the Vintage Fashion Guild’s ILGWU page for photos of the labels used and their dates. I recently ran across the Cornell University ILR School webpage with even more detail on union labels and dating.

Maybe we should all attach a dated note to our favorite clothing—that, or leave a grocery store coupon in a pocket!  

I need a title for my vintage guidebook

I am working on a little book about vintage clothing. [Brief pause while I hyperventilate—Don’t mind me!]

To be specific, I’m writing a short guide to choosing and wearing women’s vintage fashion for the newcomer.

My hope is to ease the intimidation some women feel about buying and wearing vintage fashion through simple steps, concrete examples, and encouraging ideas. Purchasing vintage online is the focus. I’m writing about some of the things I am asked the most about, including fit, quality/value, and how and what to wear.

I believe that the ideal reader is a woman new (or newish) to wearing vintage or one who has felt left out by the tribal or hipster wings of the vintage-wearing scene. It’s kind of Vintage for Newbies—and Don’t Worry You Do Not Have to Look Like Anyone Else ...but that is a little long!

I truly could use your help with a title for this book! My original idea and the working title is: Getting Started with Vintage. This is too vague because some people could take that to mean getting started selling, among other possible misinterpretations.

I am contemplating a couple of really thoughtful suggestions from friends, but would love to hear your thoughts. It could be something short and sweet with a more explanatory subtitle.

Please let me know what you think!

Announcing 10% of sales to save endangered manatees

Some of you know I often raise money for causes, including the protection of endangered species. In fact, I do enough fundraising for the manatee that some people think of me as “The Manatee Lady”...which is OK by me!

(Check out Manatees are in Fashion, a feature in the Save the Manatee Club newsletter)

Today, on International Manatee Day, I am announcing that from now on 10% of denisebrain sales (not profits, but sales) will go to Save the Manatee Club for the important work they do.

Look for the Union Label

Thanks to legions of union garment workers, we once had a thriving clothing industry in the United States, now mostly off-shored. In the 1950s for instance, most of what was available to wear in the U.S. was made in the U.S., from the raw materials to the textiles, designs and finally to the finished products. Union tags will let you know that fairly-paid garment workers (primarily women) made the items.

By comparison: Green America’s Retailer Scorecard gives Wal-Mart an F, J.C. Penney a D-, and Target a D+ for their use of sweatshops and forced child labor. In choosing a vintage article you not only recycle it for current use, but you can be fairly confident that it was made with better values in its day.

The delivery may be outdated in this 1978 ad, but the message sounds right on now:



Look for the union label

When you are buying a coat, dress or blouse.

Remember somewhere our union’s sewing

our wages going to feed the kids and run the house,

We work hard but who’s complaining.

Thanks to the I.L.G. we’re paying our way.

So, always look for the union label,

it says we’re able
to make it in the U.S.A.

You can still look for those union labels in vintage clothing.

Just a few of the choices at denisebrain this week (click any photo for more on the item):

Don’t forget the benefit of a union label in narrowing down the date of your vintage item. Visit the Vintage Fashion Guild’s ILGWU page for the scoop on a number of union labels and their dates. 

It is my 10th blogiversary!

I just realized that this year marks the 10th anniversary of my blog. In fact, today it has been 10 years, 5 months and 5 days since the first post.


Thank you so much to all who have given me a read! 💝

Photo booth shots of vintage hats for fall

Vintage photo booth shots were my inspiration for taking pictures of vintage hats for Fall 2016. So often in the past, women had these photos taken in hats, and I just love the images of proud ladies in their best.

Of course, then there are the silly images—Hat or no hat, this sartorially-splendid woman looks like she’d be fun to know! 

Here are some of my hat shots for fall, with one foot firmly in the vintage photo booth:

 

 

Please stop by and see all my vintage hats!

P.S. I am forever grateful to BeFunky for the photo filters that help me do creative things with my shots!

Survey: Advice for a beginning vintage buyer

“If you were to give one piece of advice to a beginning vintage buyer, what would it be?”

I asked this question recently in a survey of people who wear vintage, and the responses were really thoughtful. Also, even though it required a written answer, 110 out of 112 survey takers responded, which is a pretty overwhelming rate.

First, because I love a good word cloud:

See that big measurements? This is a very important issue for vintage wearers, with 21% of those surveyed urging a beginner to get accurate measurements both of herself and the clothing she is interested in.

Measure yourself and measure the item! Know how those two sets of measurements relate to each other. 

Measure twice, buy once. Know your own measurements and what that entails in a piece of vintage so you can better locate what you’re after. 

Condition and care were mentioned by 14% of the respondents. They wrote that purchasing something in excellent condition is important and that knowing how to repair and clean is critical. Some don’t consider buying anything with noticeable flaws, suggesting—

Never buy planning to fix.

while some, perhaps because of their own abilities, just suggested—

Make sure you check items over and if they need repairs make sure you can do them and plan a time to do them.  

Gaining knowledge about vintage was the top priority of 8%. What sort of knowledge? Mentioned was learning to tell if an item is truly vintage, learning the best ways to care for items, and learning how vintage is priced. And why should you gain knowledge of vintage?

There are so many resources to help you date clothing, make sure you know what you are buying and what it’s worth to you. Spending more than that on something will rarely make you happy. 

Study the era(s) that you feel drawn towards and really get to know the cultural history, as well as the fashion themselves, from those years. The greater you appreciate and understand the decades that you’re emulating or drawing inspiration from, the more cohesive and inspired your outfits stand to be. 

Slightly more people (11%) gave answers suggesting what and how to choose vintage for the beginner.

Start small, find that one piece that can work with things you already own and build from there with what feels right. 

Try out different eras. Don’t be intimidated. You totally do not have to look like Viva Las Vegas. 

Figure out which silhouettes look best on you, and buy what you like. Ignore labels. Ignore what’s “hot” or “trendy” (yes, there IS trendy in vintage), and go with your gut. Personal style is never based on popular consensus or trends.  

Pay attention to your lifestyle. If you hate to dry clean, go to a lot of black tie gatherings, never dress up, etc., let that be your guide. I have a closet of fancy dresses I have never worn—all purchased for a specific event, and then I didn’t. I do reach for my vintage cashmere coat, vintage blazers, etc. again and again. I am comfortable spending more on those items because they won’t just sit. Also, be mindful on how to care for your items in a way that makes them last and choose fabrics and items based on how much maintenance you are willing to do. 

5% mentioned the quality of an item, paying attention to what the price ought to be for a vintage piece of a certain type, era, and condition; investing in fewer but better things; and spending money wisely.

A few mentioned where to buy. Several stated that patronizing a good, reputable seller is mutually beneficial. Others suggested looking everywhere until you find your favorite haunts, both online and in person.

The largest percentage of respondents (37%) wrote a variation on a couple of intertwined themes.

Essentially, buy what you like, and don’t wait if you like something. Once you have it, wear it. Something like Nike’s Just Do It. 

If you love it, buy it then and there.  

Use the items, otherwise you are just a warehouse.   

Buy what you love so you will wear it!  

If you love it, buy it! Chances are you will never see one again. Buy what makes you feel happy/fun/beautiful etc. If you have to talk yourself into it, leave it.  

I love the enthusiasm that glowed from many of the answers I got to my survey questions. These were not the answers of fence sitters, but of vintage devotees!

Be confident in what you wear! Vintage clothes will make you stand out anywhere (office, party, walking about, etc.), so make sure you are happy in the skin you are in and the clothes you are wearing. Your clothes are just an extension of your persona, so have fun with how you dress! 

Amen!