are in this exhibit:
and these early 70s Fox & Fluevog shoes (on loan from my collection)
are in this exhibit:
Earth Day and I go way back—I remember being very excited about the very first one in 1970, and drew this poster for my father.
Fast forward to Earth Day 1999, when I decided to give the vintage clothing business a try. This is the first dress I sold.
You know that vintage clothing is generally better made and more interesting and beautiful than anything new, but today especially, remember it is recycling. That is one of the main reasons I love doing what I do.
Time out from the Théâtre to introduce my April theme, The Hunt for Vintage Charm! (Click on image to view)
Do you have New Years resolutions? Here’s what I have:
I also have a personal manifesto. You might call this my permanent resolution list—
What is giving you the resolve to wear vintage this year?
Catch some great vintage at denisebrain!
I'm always reeling in something great for you, so stop by denisebrain and get hooked!
Click image to view, and sound up please!
I have had a lovely and touching response to my recent blog about my mother, both on Blogger and on Facebook. One thing I didn't mention about her, although I hinted at it with the line "she was different from me in many ways" is that she really wasn't terribly into fashion. Conversely, my father (about whom I
) was very much a clotheshorse.
Since I have made a career of clothing, I guess I lean toward my father in that way, but both my parents influenced me greatly in my own style. Since I feel I am a bit unusual having parents that were of such a different era, I thought I'd share with you some of the style secrets of the Wilds household, some from my mother, some from my father, some both.
1. Invest in a few good things, rather than many inexpensive things.
2. Emphasize what is best about your appearance even if doing so runs counter to current trends.
Mama always tended to highlight her waist
3. Have some jewelry that matches your eyes.
My mother's sapphire blue ring, made "to match her eyes" by a grateful
man that my grandfather had assisted in finding work
4. Wear classic takes on current trends.
5. Tartans are good.
Papa in a tartan shirt
6. Honor the people who give you clothing or accessories by wearing their gifts when you meet with them.
7. Dresses/skirts are more comfortable and flattering than pants.
Mama with their beloved dog Cappy
8. Find a favorite fragrance and stick with it, likewise lip color. My mother's signatures were Woodhue Cologne by Faberge and Cherries in the Snow lipstick by Revlon. Timeless they are indeed, with both still available (Woodhue reissued at
and Cherries at most any drugstore).
9. Learn to take care of things yourself, including cleaning, mending and ironing. Enjoy these tasks as an investment in yourself and your loved ones.
Mama ironing
10. Natural fibers are greatly to be preferred to man-made.
My parents in sweaters
11. To get just what you want, learn to sew (knit, crochet) your own clothing.
My mother's Singer Featherweight machine...one of my most cherished possessions.
12. Get to know fabrics so you can make good decisions about what you like to wear, how to clean the fabric and what it is like to sew. (I can recommend The
series,
All About Wool
,
All About Silk
and
All About Cotton
. Although pricey, these are an invaluable starting place for understanding basic fabrics. These books include fabric swatches...a huge bonus!)
13. Always have a cleaned and pressed white shirt ready to go.
My father in a perfectly pressed white shirt
14. Wear gloves.
15. Have things altered or tailored to suit you (or learn to do it yourself), don't just accept shoddy fit.
16. "Handsome" clothing can be more flattering to a woman than something ultra-feminine and frilly.
Mama in a trenchcoat
17. Learn interesting ways to tie scarves. (Find some suggestions
.)
18. Even for casual occasions, dress with style.
Papa at a picnic...
...and with my brother at the beach
19. Dress appropriately, but individualistically. Don't be afraid to express yourself.
Papa in white, ca. 1930
20. 2nd hand clothing can be your best bet for quality, style and affordability. (I certainly took that advice to heart!)
I know a lot of people say this, but sorry, I really am the one who had the best mother ever—at least that's how it seems to me. She was different from me in many ways, and in so many ways I learned and got to be a better person because of her. Not a single day goes by that I don't think of her. I strive to do things as she would do them. Most every day I miss her and wish I had new times with her.
Marian was born September 28, 1920 in the small town of Grimes, Iowa. Her father was a banker during The Depression, and it had to have had quite an impact on Mama that her father worked to keep farmers in business, and keep their farms operating. Eventually he was let go for not foreclosing as expected by his overseers.
Mama at age 6
My mother always looked out for the less fortunate. She was the most open- and fair-minded person I have known personally. She did not apparently see race, class or gender as anything other than man-made obstacle or advantage, although she always looked after the underdog. Many mothers are naturally nurturing to their own children, but my mother had nurturing feelings—and took action on those feeling—for the entire world.
At Mama's memorial service in 1988, there were many young people of all races and walks of life who considered my mother their honorary mother. She counseled, she listened, she advised, she taught, she made people feel welcome and special. She found people who needed her, and they found her.
Mama baked bread. She baked literally dozens of loaves per week and gave away much of it to neighbors, friends, and fellow office workers. The entire neighborhood smelled like a bakery on Saturdays. When she went to work on Mondays, she carried two big shopping bags full of bread on the bus. (My mother didn't drive and was an intrepid mass transit user in Seattle where I grew up.)
Mama devised a recipe for bread that would offer as much protein as an egg in just one slice. She wanted to see this recipe be used to help feed people in need, as she figured it was about 7 cents per loaf to make. Her bread, and all her cooking, was unbelievably delicious.
Serving dinner to my father and his mother
My mother was adventuresome in her cooking, trying all kinds of new, good things. She remembered vividly the evening in the 1940s when she first ate garlic, and she was the first person to try many things at home. She read, watched and tried what Julia Child recommended. She was friends with the fish monger. She made a huge assortment of Christmas cookies each year, and made the most spectacular dinners any person could be privileged to eat. I created a cookbook of her recipes when she died, as I knew this aspect of my mother's life was most tangible and cherished, and would be greatly missed.
Serving food at a friend's wedding in about 1981
I learned to do so many practical things because my mother took the time to teach me to do them: I learned to cook of course, and to sew, and to garden. With her college degree in romance languages she helped me learn French, and as a top math and science student ...well I needed all the help I could get! My mother was extremely smart.
Knitting... (ca. 1950)
...and gardening (1961)
She didn't have fancy taste in many things, but she had refined taste in music and literature. She played cello through college. She was a devoted reader and history was her favorite subject. Lincoln and Jefferson were her favorite historical figures, and she read and re-read Churchill's writings. My mother avidly recycled, but before she let a single newspaper go she made sure she had read every word of it. She was unafraid to be political, and caucused for her candidates, went door-to-door for causes and talked to friends, as well as those in disagreement with her. She insisted I take issues to heart, to others and to the street. She was brave and strong in her convictions.
My mother didn't swat bees, but carried them out of the house by their wings. She once went a few days with a broken arm without going to a doctor, because "it just didn't hurt that much."
My mother loved to have fun too. She loved movies, games, laughing. Her laughter took over her entire body, with tears streaming down her reddening face. Even though she was older (40 when I was born) she was a lot of fun for my brother and me, always taking us to parades, the zoo, the park, movies—she put up with 7 showings of Mary Poppins for me. She always bought us balloons and cotton candy.
After my father died in 1974, my mother had to go back to work, and reentering the work force at the age of 54 could not have been easy. She not only found work at a law office, but became invaluable, a paralegal in all but title and salary. During the last year of her life, when she could no longer make it to work, office staff came to her home to get help managing the business. She didn't make a lot of money, but when I was choosing a college she said to go where I most wanted to go, and we would make it work. My mother said "money isn't the only currency."
On the last Mother's Day Mama was alive, we went to a garden center where I bought the annuals she picked out, later to put them in the dirt around her duplex. If it weren't for the shopping cart, she couldn't have walked, as she had some serious health issues. Still, as usual, she didn't complain at all, and spent the time telling strangers what great children she had. She said what she always said, "Mother's Day is the day that I am most thankful for having such wonderful children."
The feeling is mutual Mama! I love you so much.
Ready to make a splash?
I've think I've got enough umbrellas for everyone!
[click image to view]
(I think I'm obsessed with umbrellas!)
It's time for my March theme, Get Blown Away by Vintage!
It was a bit of a challenge getting some wind into my photos, as you can see from the before shot here:
Click on the finished product below for the video (and sound up for the music!):
I might be able to help! Have a look at my latest theme Vintage Blues through the month of May. All month I will be showing my best blues, so please stop by!
Click image to view, sound up
And do you still play?
Click this ancient photo of me to view my newest theme, Dress Up, the inspiration for lots of dress-up clothing and accessories that I will be showing in February.
Oh, and here are some great dressy dresses I have listed this week:
Please stop on by my store!
Can you believe it? I'm a musician, and I'm selling vintage clothing and accessories that have music prints/themes! These are hard to come by, I'll tell you, as I have been searching for over a year!
Twirl on by my eBay store by way of my latest theme, Music Box, to find some great items.
Click image below to view, sound up.
Here are a couple of items up right at this moment:
This month at denisebrain, I'm just doing the usual:
Getting carried away with vintage!!
Click image to view, sound up!
I am really honored and touched by a portion of a personal web page devoted to me here.
Mary Beth, who wrote this, is someone I met through sales on eBay. I do often meet wonderful people, and am so gratified by their kind comments about my work. I am so grateful for what Mary Beth has written because it really helped me realize that I am offering something positive to people. I need that.
Mary Beth is struggling with a disease that I have just barely begun to understand. From what I can tell, she is battling just to live, at the same time living a gloriously positive, meaningful, beautiful life. I deeply appreciate knowing that too, because sometimes I struggle to get by, in various ways. If she can do it, I'll try!
She wrote about me as an inspiration to her, and I can only begin to say what an inspiration she is to me.
This was written by my niece, Flora Wilds, who is in 8th grade. Love this girl, and love the way she thinks!
Attack of the Shoes
Click-clack, click-clack
Can you hear them talking?
Click-clack, click-clack
All the shoes are walking
Sitting in a cardboard box
In the stores all day
Waiting for some lucky buyer
To purchase and take them away
Stilettos, pumps, boots, and flats
Each have different personalities
Dressy, sporty, new, and old
Living in their own realities
Designer, vintage, men's, and women's
Plain, bold, and polka-dotted
Sitting lonely on a shelf
Anticipating being spotted
But when they are purchased and taken home
Off the shelf to be free
Worn by their owners (a shoes greatest joy)
So they, too, can click-clack happily
Some shoes smile, some frown, some have a pointy nose
Some like to show five white teeth (or toes)
Some shoes are short, others are tall
And to each other they endlessly call
In voices big and small:
"Hey! Look at me!
I'm the most beautiful shoe!
I'm shiny, I'm red, and I'm new!
I click and I clack
And I'm on the attack!
For I am the prettiest shoe!
Shoes can be vengeful and ever so tight
Yet some can be comfortable and free
But no matter what, they love to be worn
By you, and by her, and by me
So be kind to your shoes and wear them alot
Because they have feelings, too
Keep your feet clean (and don't ever smell)
Because they're the ones carrying you!
Which brings me to myself. The fact is that I find it so very hard to move on to the next thing always. I still keep books mostly by pen on paper, and when I do creative writing it is always by hand. I work online, and know how to type, and I'm very glad for those little steps I've taken.
Recently I was exposed to the concept of Google AdWords, and I read of people striving to create the perfect verbiage to be picked up on Google, to be almighty found in the vast sea of information and commerce.
Today, as a Homo sapien that probably has a drop of Neanderthal blood, I want to laud those who have not achieved among the first pages of Google in vintage clothing. As a matter of fact, I'm looking at page 75 in the search "vintage clothing," and on it are some fine things! I have purchased an item from Frock of Ages and I can say that whenever I check back, there is something sensational on sale. Look at the little black dresses by Suzy Perette, for instance.
On page 75 I see a piece about Xtabay, a wonderful shop I've visited in Portland. Not only is it a great shop with an interesting name, but the owner is a smart and sensitive person who has an amazing eye for what works on people.
Then there's Marian's Vintage Vanities Clothing, and who wouldn't want this 50s halter dress for $35?
I don't really know my point...maybe just that holding still doesn't necessarily mean one is worthless. For my sake, I hope not.
Eight years ago yesterday I started working as a vintage clothing dealer. Here is the very first item I sold on eBay:
I titled the photo "dress." I think the dress sold for $14.00. With every single communication I had with the buyer, I double and triple checked spellings and addition...I was so unused to selling anything to anyone! She liked the dress, and I was hooked!!
I must honestly say I love what I do, working with vintage clothing, and most of all, meeting the great buyers from all over the world who keep me in business. Nothing could make me more happy and proud than the fact that almost half (49.1%) my eBay feedback is from returning customers.
If you haven't visited my web site for awhile, I invite you to I look forward to meeting you, and saying hello to my old friends!
Of Helen South Alexander's many gifts to Spokane, the swans of Manito Park are perhaps her most manifest legacy.
They were given to the city in 1968 by her late husband, the longtime Spokane civic leader Philip Alexander. But it was Helen who became the ardent supporter of the graceful white birds, remaining a lifelong patron of a group called Manito Park Swans.
In fact, two of the original cygnets that swam at the pond were named in the couple's honor: Philip of Macedon and Helen of Troy.
In many ways, Helen South Alexander was a lot like the swans she loved: A woman of style and elegance, she walked through life with a majestic air, said those who knew her. She beautified her surroundings not only through her work as an interior designer, but also as a patron of the arts.
A longtime Spokane resident, Alexander died last Friday. She never disclosed her age and was adamant before her death that it didn't appear in her obituary.
Mrs. Alexander, I salute you...nay, I worship you. I actually met Mrs. Alexander in my capacity as Principal Horn of the Spokane Symphony, while she was in her long-time capacity as patron of the Symphony, and of all arts in Spokane. She was beautiful, ageless, and impeccably gracious, always distinctive in her dress, however I had no idea of the contents of her closets until the auction in which her clothing was sold, some months after her death in 2004.
At this point it has been a couple of years since that auction, and more than ever I feel that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There were 3,000 to 4,000 clothing and accessory items of the most glorious nature, chosen with a designer's eye and in almost exclusively ideal condition.
Mrs. Alexander's second husband was chairman of one of Spokane's big department stores, and she had ultimate access to the best clothing of the time even though she was living in relative isolation in Spokane. That alone would not have guided her taste...she was a prolific artist of dress.
While wearing the most beautiful and forward-thinking clothing as a young woman in the 30s and 40s, it was the 50s through present at this auction that most impressed. it would be hard to name an important designer from the 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s that was not represented in Mrs. Alexander's wardrobe...at least several times. There was an entire table of Ferragamo pumps, a rack just of 70s Diane von Furstenburg wrap dresses, some with tags. I yearned for a quintessentially Mod red coat by Pierre Cardin, an unused, iconic Bonnie Cashin coat, a WWII-era Red Cross hourglass suit/uniform with all kinds of interesting pins and patches. Frankly, I yearned for everything from a 30s velvet gown to an ornate Christian Lacroix suit from the 80s...in short, for everything!
An early 1970s Oscar de la Renta hand-painted black leather coat was probably the biggest sale of the auction, at $6,000. One buyer--reputedly (my friend quizzed him) with stores in Los Angeles, London and somewhere in Asia--spent voluptuously, as if there were no limits with items of this quality. There were buyers from many places, all there just for vintage clothing from one woman's highly distinctive closets.
Next time: A sampling of what I was able to take home from this great collection.
