A big thanks to Cheryl-Anne Millsap for asking me these questions for a feature in Spokane CDA Woman magazine. Nothing quite like seeing one’s name in very large print!
For the denisebrain vintage fashion show last week I had the pleasure of seeing some of my Facebook readers’ beautiful mothers. The bonus was the story that came with some of these photos.
For instance, Gloria (bottom row, center) said “my mom with a little me, November 1953. We had just come here from England, this photo was taken for a newspaper article. My dad, an American serviceman, stationed in England, was sent back to the states before I was born. She and I traveled, alone, 17 hours, in a prop jet. We settled in New Haven, CT, and into my dad’s large, Italian-American, family”
My own first style icon and mother:
This week in the denisebrain vintage fashion parade I’m looking for you in your favorite era. Is it Mod? New Look? Belle Époque? Show us your era!
Whether you go for full-out vintage looks or mix-and-match with modern, handbags are a very accessible way to get into vintage style.
Just look at how these vintage bags enhance the looks these women have chosen for themselves!
Ever think how different the world was before phone pics? Just try taking your own photo with a film camera!
My May theme is a mash-up of selfie mania (vintage-style) and a favorite song from West Side Story:
Last week I posted one of my fashion shows on Facebook. This one was all about dressing up in vintage.
I posted this theme because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard women say “I love this, but I would have no place to wear it.” And I say, let’s make places to wear things that make us happy. I got a lot of agreement from others on this, and ideas.
Did you know, for instance, that there actually IS a small but growing dressing-better-to-work day with its own hashtag? #fancyfriday is the name.
Facebook reader and vintage maven Jessica shared her photo of a #fancyfriday dress (“Designed by Blauner for Bonwit Teller label, which I believe was by Evelyn Dawson, the designer for Suzy Perette.” Yes, she’s really a vintage fashion maven! Check out her blog at No Accounting for Taste.) Isn’t she a gorgeous sight?
We have reasons to dress up, yes? Just a dozen:
1. DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) meetings, as Facebook reader Leigh Anne mentioned. The women love history and love seeing her vintage fashions.
2. Any historical society gathering: Think museum exhibits, boards, historical preservation groups.
3. “Put even the plainest woman into a beautiful dress and unconsciously she will try to live up to it.” - Lady Duff-Gordon
4. Dress for the every day theater of life like you are the leading lady.
5. All your regular clothes are dirty.
6. Go to an historic hotel for a drink.
7. “Life is a party, dress like it.” - Lilly Pulitzer
8. “It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.” - Hans F. Hansen
9. “If you're sad, add more lipstick and attack.” - Coco Chanel
10. Being well dressed is a beautiful form of politeness.
11. #fancyfriday
12. You will make people happy...maybe most especially yourself
Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day and the 16th anniversary of denisebrain.
On April 22, 1999, Earth Day was 29 years old and I sold my first vintage dress online. I wasn’t thinking “hey, Earth Day is a great day to associate with selling vintage clothing,” but it was my good fortune that the day coincided. I’ve always been interested in the beautiful recycling aspect of vintage clothing, so what a perfect day to get started.
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Some more good for the Earth:
- I wrap your items with acid-free tissue paper that is 100% post-consumer recycled
- The ribbons I tie packages with are made of 100% recycled cotton
- MacHighway, the website host for denisebrain, is wind-powered
- I donate at least 10% of sales profits to endangered species and environmental causes annually
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Psst! Celebrate the 16th anniversary of denisebrain with a 16% savings in my Etsy shop. Just use coupon code SWEET16 through Friday, April 24 |
How do you wear your vintage brooch? This is how a few Facebook friends showed theirs off in the first Denisebrain Vintage Fashion Show:
Get ready for a new theme tomorrow, announced on my Facebook page!
(You may end up in my book!)
Ah, the mad delight of finding some vintage ephemera—an ad, a pattern, a magazine photo—that matches a vintage item you have in your possession! I call this a vintage convergence.
This ad was particularly great to find, because the photos and copy are pure vintage breathless inspiration. But you know normcore was not a thing then. This ad uses adjectives like ‘dreamy romance-provoking’ and ‘dangerously lovely.’ The slogan is ‘Jantzen Makes All Girls Gorgeous’.
The 1956 Jantzen ad is available from VintageAdGallery and the swimsuit is in my Etsy shop
Judging by this great cotton suit, Jantzen had a right to such a boast. Remarkably comfortable and figure flattering (you don’t have to look perfect to wear this!), the suit has made it since 1956 with its elastic perfectly intact.
Do you find vintage convergences too? I have a Pinterest board dedicated to these and I’ve recently had the treat of being joined in pinning by Joanna of the Dividing Vintage Moments blog. This woman is the convergence queen! Oh, and do check out her charming blog.
Please allow me a small rant. The term vintage applies only to items that were made at least 20 years ago. Why does this distinction matter? What’s the difference when it was made?
Just one example: I’m working on listing a dress, made in the 1950s to early 60s of heavy silk satin with blue velvet flowers. Designed and sewn in the U.S., it was sold in a local department store. The construction is couture quality. Can you go to your local store and find anything like this now? Does the first page of a Google search for “vintage dress” show anything like this? Are any of those Google-search dresses unique?
So maybe you don’t care if your dress is made fancily. I’m not a big label snob myself, but...
Are the new “vintage” dresses on the first page of Google using fewer of our resources? Were they made by fairly paid workers? Will they last?
Does any of this matter? I think it does.
My latest theme is available now, and so are plenty of choices in a perennially fresh (non-) color combination!
Oh, I know there are well-researched and highly-vetted Pantone colors of the year, but there is always a color pulling me in a different direction. Last year I went on about Zing Green (my name for bright spring green) and Palatinate Blue.
I still love those colors, but this year it’s Robin’s Egg Blue. (Another strong favorite I will save for another time.)
Feast your eyes on shades of Robin’s Egg 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.
Robin’s Egg Blue vintage on Etsy I mean, come on, this color and a Spring-o-later? Be still my vintage-loving heart!
Do you have a color that stirs your heart right now?
We made it! Denisebrain has the best customers and supporters in the world. ♡
Did you notice that gingham check fabric is a major trend in fashion this spring? I love seeing this because the inspiration feels so vintage!
My animated March theme is a small tribute to the vintage gingham check originals:
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It’s the final day of my fundraiser benefiting the endangered manatees of Belize. I am so glad to see the total reach $620, but would love to raise that total to the goal of $700 or even more.
You may have recently seen news of the amazing manatee rescue operation in Florida, where 19 manatees were pulled from a drainage pipe in which they had become trapped. A large group of people worked all night to rescue them, involving city workers, manatee specialists and volunteers. It really takes some equipment and human power to deal with all the issues (most of them human caused) which afflict manatees.
In Belize there is a ready group of volunteers, lead by the amazing Jamal Galves.
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| Click to view Oceana's video about Galves and manatee rescue in Belize |
These important tools we need I can assure you are the difference between us rescuing an injured or sick manatee or dragging away a dead carcass.$700 is not the total needed to purchase a boat, truck and trailer for manatee rescue. It is just a fraction of the total needed, but each increment brings Protect Our Manatees Belize (under the auspices of Sea to Shore Alliance) closer to their goal.
Please help me help this great cause today! 25% of your purchase price from the denisebrain Etsy shop and the denisebrain web store will be added to the total. If you prefer, you may donate directly on my YouCaring.com page set up for this fundraiser. Even $5 brings us closer!
Here’s where we stand (float?) today on the fundraiser for the protection of manatees in Belize.
Two days ago I took encouragement from the number we had reached and up the goal to $700 for the month. I couldn’t do this without the generosity I have been shown.
Then yesterday, there was this post on the Protect Our Manatees Belize Facebook page:
Manatees are endangered because of human activity, and it is our responsibility to work to protect these gentle creatures. If your pocketbook is empty, would you help me spread the word? And if it’s not empty, even $5 will help. Thank you so much!!Our Belize Manatee Project team was just starting to think it possible that they would finish the week without a dead manatee reporting but sadly, a deceased female calf was found late this evening. The team has not been able to get through a full week without the report of a dead manatee since the start of 2015.Manatee mortality is still very high in Belize and the need for continued conservation efforts is more pressing now than ever.
OK. It's like this: With 11 days to go in my fundraiser I have upped the goal to $700. Does that sound like a lot? Well, did you know that an orphaned baby manatee must drink a bottle of milk every two hours? And that in Belize the milk they must be fed costs $14-17 US dollars per bottle? You can see how even the wee-est manatee costs quite a bit of money to help, not to mention expertise, equipment, heart and soul.
Even $3 makes a difference. Let's do this for the manatees! (And many thanks to those who have already chipped in!)
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| Manatee calf rescued in Belize, photo by Shelley Bowen Stonesifer |
Love the cause you are supporting!
And I love hearing that from customers! Because of your purchases, and the support of individual donors, my Protect Our Manatees Belize fundraiser is up to a total of $509 today. If we can top the goal of $600, believe me, it will be well used in protecting, rescuing, rehabilitating and advocating for manatees in Belize.
By the way, Happy Valentine’s Day!
xox, denisebrain
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| Image courtesy of Peppermint Narwhal Creative |
This may be OLD HAT but won’t you a-DRESS this with me?
Last year I had so much fun putting together vintage Valentines with vintage clothing I’ve photographed...so I did it some more! Here are my funny Valentines:
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One week of February has gone by and I’m pleased to say that we have raised $174 for the rescue of manatees in Belize.
Belize is a stunningly beautiful, ecologically diverse country. Tourism dollars are very important to the economy, but the dredging for marinas, ripping out of mangrove swamps and increased boat traffic have put endangered manatees at more risk than ever before.
With injuries and loss of habitat the very rare manatees of Belize are in need of protection, rescue, rehabilitation and advocacy. Sea to Shore Alliance is one organization working on all those fronts. When I read that there is a project (called Protect Our Manatees Belize) to raise funds for a boat, truck and trailer in order to get help to manatees quickly (they have relied on borrowed equipment) I felt I had to see what I could do to assist.
I have every faith in the good of this group. If you haven’t already heard of Belizean Jamal Galves, please read the article Meet the Man Saving Belize’s Manatees, One Baby At a Time. Mr. Galves’s gofundme page can accept direct donations for the cause. The financial goal is ambitious, but so is the ambition to protect manatees. Ambitious and absolutely necessary.
Another way for you to help the cause is to make any purchase from my denisebrain web store or Etsy shop. 25% of your purchase will go to the cause during the month of February. I would also be glad to direct funding to Protect Our Manatees Belize through Sea to Shore Alliance if you would like to make a contribution through my YouCaring page. I will donate 100% of any donations offered to me on that page.
Manatees Forever!