Popular Posts
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BUSINESS Although high fashion magazines didn't dwell on business fashion (some would call it anti-fashion), they couldn't complete...
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Recently I’ve been asked a handful of times why my business is called denisebrain, and it’s probably about time I shared the story again pub...
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Every week, the Vintage Fashion Guild has a fashion parade, where trade members show off their finds suited to the week's theme. I'm...
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Fashion from the 1980s: I'm finally posting some Dynasty photos, more to come! Here pictured Fallon, Alexis and Jeff. Click for larger p...
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Everyone seems to have year-end round ups of The Best of 2007, and so why not yours truly? This is an assortment of my favorite items sold t...
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I love Wendy Bevan's photos, and these ones makes me long for warm weather. The black and white dress is amazing.
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I get a little emotional around Audrey Hepburn. Not only was she one of the most unusually beautiful women on screen, but her true nature wa...
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The latest vintage convergence, a pair of Jer Marai pajamas that I had photographed and ready to list showed up on a vintage ad card at the ...
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Each spring and fall the VFG puts together a collection of vintage items that seem to be the inspirations for current trends. We call it, ap...
Meditation on elegance
On 2/17/12 I read a Huffington Post style article titled Stefano Pilati: 'It's Not Easy To Find Elegant Women'. Mr. Pilati, who is the creative director at Yves Saint Laurent, is quoted in an interview with VICE as saying:
My idea of elegance...is that someone is elegant when he or she shows a good knowledge of what fits them, where you can find naturalness and self-esteem. Not showing off. Elegance is the idea of showing an optimistic depiction of oneself, and to lose oneself in the frivolity of style and fashion. Nowadays nobody gives a shit about being elegant, or chic.This article has sent me on a search for the meaning of elegance, and whether or not it matters. It is a somewhat personal quest because I don’t feel elegant myself. I wonder if I should, whether or not it is important. Mr. Pilati does not exhibit elegance in his choice of words; is he correct in saying that it is hard to find elegant women now?
I start by showing and quoting Audrey Hepburn, the most elegant woman I can think of.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” —Audrey Hepburn
Martha Sleeper creates
I recently sold a vibrant cotton skirt from the 1950s, and the label sent me searching for more information.
Then I watched a favorite movie from 1945, The Bells of St. Mary’s, and there she was! Martha Sleeper, born in 1910, started acting in films in 1924. The Bells was her last movie, after having a very busy film career in the 20s and 30s. In the 1940s, Sleeper appeared on Broadway.
Image of the actress from The Bells of St. Mary’s |
If I were more involved in the world of vintage jewelry, I would no doubt have known of Martha Sleeper’s Bakelite, wood and metal creations, which she began making for herself in the 1930s. Others in Hollywood took note, and requested her work, and soon the actress had a major sideline profession.
From the Milwaukee Sentinel 2/23/40 |
Attrib. Martha Sleeper Bakelite and wood poodle pin from deja-voodoo.com |
Martha Sleeper matchsticks necklace and bracelet sold by Mod Bag on 1st dibs |
or her cotton shift dress from Belle à Coeur Treasure Trove Vintage:
I’ve certainly got my eye out for this multifaceted woman’s work now, whether on film, in Bakelite, or in brilliantly-colored cotton!
Sleeper in the 1960s, during the time she was designing clothing in Puerto Rico (photo from silenthollywood.com) |
Spring has arrived at the Vintage Fashion Guild
Each spring and fall the VFG puts together a collection of vintage items that seem to be the inspirations for current trends. We call it, appropriately enough, Vintage Inspiration. This spring we decided to make all the items shown be available, so you can click on any item to be taken to that seller's site. Think of it as a vintage catalog for spring!
{click to view} |
This feature is my design, and I want to acknowledge the great work of the VFG Site Committee, especially my co-chair Mary (The Vintage Merchant), as well as Amy (Viva Vintage Clothing) and Cat (ClubVintage).
Are you wearing the green?
1916 postcard downloaded by permission from Tipnut |
Ways to avoid being pinched, from my shops —
Late 40s spring green linen dress |
60s chiffon party dress |
60s green twill dress |
60s pleated party dress with rhinestone waistband |
50s batwing sleeve coat |
60s Bonnie Cashin canvas & leather coat |
50s iridescent plaid taffeta party dress |
50s Hattie Carnegie earrings |
50s tulle & taffeta gown and wrap |
...and don’t forget: Vintage clothing is green in another way too!
Why “denisebrain”
My name isn’t Denise Brain, but it has been a bit of a nickname for me. I am a professional horn player and teacher, and Dennis Brain is one of the greatest horn heroes any horn player could ever have. Tragically, the Englishman was only 36 when he suffered a fatal crash in his sports car in 1957. He had already become arguably the greatest hornist of modern times.
Dennis Brain |
From eBay, to Etsy, to my own website called denisebrain.com, I have had no competition for the use of this name! I don’t use the name denisebrain flippantly—I feel the utmost respect and awe for the inimitable musician who inspired it.
It isn’t always easy for others to understand my love for both vintage clothing and the horn, but I have a simple premise that ties these in my mind: I am attracted to beauty. I love the quality and beauty of vintage clothing and I consider the horn capable of the most beautiful sounds in music.
Tying these together further for me, I am growing a small collection of vintage clothing and accessories featuring horns of all types and eras (other than the all-too numerous Ugly Christmas Sweaters with horns that is!) and here are some:
Tying these together further for me, I am growing a small collection of vintage clothing and accessories featuring horns of all types and eras (other than the all-too numerous Ugly Christmas Sweaters with horns that is!) and here are some:
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage guide
Since the beginning of the year, I've been writing about getting into wearing vintage stage by stage.
Here is a guide to my guide:
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 1
Great first vintage items, a little about condition
Wear vintage, stage 1 continued
Some more good first vintage choices, and a reader suggestion
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 2
Getting started with vintage fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 2 continued
Finding a vintage sweater
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3
More about fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Understanding vintage sizes, ease to allow for a good fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Waist length, and your particular fit issues
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
See yourself in vintage glasses
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Let vintage hats go to your head
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Vintage shoes have sole
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4
What our mothers and grandmothers knew about getting a better fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
Altered reality
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
Getting started with vintage quality and value
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
More about quality and value
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
More on vintage value
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5
How to wear vintage
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5 continued
Some inspiration for wearing vintage your way
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5 continued
What flatters you
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5 continued
Alternatives to authentic vintage
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6
Vintage myth busting
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6 continued
For further research and understanding
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6 continued
Condition continued
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage wrap up
A few loose ends
I hope this has helped some of you get started wearing vintage, or increased your confidence and knowledge.
Wear vintage!
Here is a guide to my guide:
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 1
Great first vintage items, a little about condition
Wear vintage, stage 1 continued
Some more good first vintage choices, and a reader suggestion
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 2
Getting started with vintage fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 2 continued
Finding a vintage sweater
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3
More about fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Understanding vintage sizes, ease to allow for a good fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Waist length, and your particular fit issues
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
See yourself in vintage glasses
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Let vintage hats go to your head
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 3 continued
Vintage shoes have sole
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4
What our mothers and grandmothers knew about getting a better fit
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
Altered reality
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
Getting started with vintage quality and value
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
More about quality and value
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 4 continued
More on vintage value
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5
How to wear vintage
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5 continued
Some inspiration for wearing vintage your way
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5 continued
What flatters you
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 5 continued
Alternatives to authentic vintage
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6
Vintage myth busting
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6 continued
For further research and understanding
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6 continued
Condition continued
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage wrap up
A few loose ends
I hope this has helped some of you get started wearing vintage, or increased your confidence and knowledge.
Wear vintage!
photo from Brownstoner |
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage wrap up
A few loose ends
I mentioned earlier that I conducted a small survey of vintage wearers and I asked the question, “If you were to give one piece of advice to a beginning vintage buyer, what would it be?”
50 people answered this question, and many made a suggestion best summarized by the answer:
If you see it, love it, but aren't sure, get it anyway. It may not be there next time you look for it!Many think you shouldn’t hesitate if you love a vintage item. And the reason?
Find something that you love, and you will find a time and place to wear it.
If you think you look good in it you do.
Buy what makes you feel happy/fun/beautiful.
You’ll love the right piece for you the minute you try it on.
If you love it you will wear it well.
Susan in her late 40s dress. I love seeing my customers looking so happy and beautiful in their purchases! |
I’ve been writing about wearing vintage, geared to the newcomer, and I hope it has given some confidence and knowledge. I hope you can see it is all about wearing what you feel good about wearing, not some sort of fashion dictate. In many ways I worry about the present state of fashion available to most of us, with much not designed well, inadequately made by terribly underpaid workers, and without a sense of newness in spirit, production or style. The good part is that you really can wear vintage clothing now, and not be seen as costume-y or out-of-date. More than any time in history, style is individual.
One last thing I want to say is that even if you only have a tiny bit of money, you can still wear vintage style. How? If you have hair long enough you can do rag curls. Bell’s Belles Vintage has a tutorial on her blog.
Red lipstick is another vintage choice. Here are 11 lead-free lipsticks as reported on thedailygreen, at differing prices. I love my red lipstick by The BodyShop (rich scarlet is a wearable true red that you can wear lightly or full-on).
Behave vintage by choosing among the characteristics of older people you admire: Think of quality not quantity; be steadfast; show sincere concern for others; be well groomed; walk straight and tall; smile. In a way, behaving vintage may be the hardest thing to do, but it is free.
New Year's resolution: Wear vintage, stage 6 continued
Condition continued
Because there was some discussion of condition after my vintage myth busting post of last week, I was reminded that one of the Big Issues with vintage clothing has only been lightly touched upon by me. I've written several times that it is probably best for a vintage newcomer to stick with excellent condition, or the rarer mint condition. You may have seen good condition listed, or very good, and wondered what that meant. I mean, isn't good perfectly fine?
Years ago, a group of online vintage sellers worked hard to hammer out a set of words to codify condition ratings. This chart has been edited and tweaked by various groups and sellers, this is one version of it which Maggie of magsrags posted at the Vintage Fashion Guild:
Note (dare I say?) how much the word noted is in this chart...noting the flaws is a big job for a seller, but this is the only way for an online buyer to have a sense of what might be wrong. I do not use this chart in my listings, I don't actually use a chart. My own belief is that what matters is the detail of the condition, in words and pictures. I use the words Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good and Fair, more or less as shown in this chart, and then I try to innumerate the issues.
For the beginning vintage buyer online, I stand by the need to consider condition seriously, and to stick with the top levels of condition. A bargain price on an amazing looking item may reflect serious problems. If a seller calls the condition anything less than mint or excellent and doesn't describe the flaws, ask. The seller needs to describe (and ideally also show) what keeps the item out of excellent or mint status.
I know—I have purchased from sellers who didn't adequately describe the flaws that I'm sure they saw, like gaping holes in the lining. The buyer does not need to accept really faulty condition descriptions if she receives an item not as described unless the seller specifically states that the item is as-is and there are no refunds. You have to get in the habit of reading a seller’s terms of sale. If you are looking at an item from a seller whom you trust, you may not need to question what very good means but if someone you don’t know says something is very good without explanation, I would ask for more detail. For good condition, even more so.
As I wrote in my vintage myth busting blog post, I don't really believe in the term “vintage condition.” I don't begrudge the excellent sellers who use the term, and think I understand the reason they do. However, I strongly believe that all issues have to be addressed whether they are due to the age of the garment or any other reason, so why bother adding a vague age-related factor? As an online vintage buyer (particularly thinking of the novice buyer), I believe a seller would need to say what causes an item to be in excellent vintage condition as opposed to excellent condition. Sellers, if you do use that term, I would suggest letting everyone know what you mean by it, ideally on a case-by-case basis.
To be honest, I personally wear plenty of vintage items with flaws. If you love the item and know you look and feel good in it, the flaws tend to be minor for you. It takes a little experience with vintage to know how far you are able to go with condition issues. Start with very small problems and discover your personal tolerance.
I didn't want to sell this 40s dress due to the number of flaws, but I wear it happily myself because the print disguises the issues pretty well. With experience you can figure out what you can fix and what you can put up with. |
Next time: Loose ends round up
Hey good lookin’
...I'm cooking up something good for you this March! See my new theme:
{Click to view} |
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