How To Be A Fashion Designer

Born-Again Vintage: 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent, and Recycle Your Wardrobe

Some of us are blessed with an eye for vintage. Some of us are blessed with an eye for re-constructing vintage. Some of us are neither.

Whichever category you fall into, this new book by Bridgett Artise and Jen Karetnick is something to add the the vintage library. The two ladies are vintage lovers and Artise has her own fashion label, B-Artise. Jen Karetnick is a writer and poet with work published in the New York Times and Women's Health.

The difference with this book is it actually teaches you how to buy dated, often irrelevant pieces and transform them into something up-cycled and modern. It contains a do-it-yourself guide as well as smart tips for the clothes you already have hanging in your closet. There are step-by-step instructions for taking apart items and combining them with other un-used pieces to create something fabulous and 'new'. Bring forth your inner fashion designer! Now available at Amazon.com and other book stores.

I've Got The Blues

I think everyone's favorite first color is blue. As a kid, colors are pretty basic. Blue, pink, red, green...I went through a navy blue period in my teens, (unfortunately mixing it with black...I was still learning).

Blue is still my favorite color, and as an adult I appreciate all the different hues. You can't go wrong with blue.

Blue & Silver Shift Dress from Proper Vintage $40

Navy Blue Lilli Ann Suit at Vintageous $315

Navy Blue Chiffon with Sequined Bodice at Some Like it Vintage

1950s Suzy Perette Balloon Skirt Dress at Artizania $124

Electric Blue Raw Silk Mermaid Dress at Vintage Virtuosa $450

1950s Blue Chiffon Full Skirt Dress at Couture Allure

It's In The Bag

Do you know how important a purse is to a woman? It is estimated that $497 million dollars was spent on the purchase of purses in 2007.

That's a lot of purses.

If you are a woman reading this, no explanation is necessary, but I will forge ahead anyway.

A purse is a keeper of secrets, a protector of assets and, along with its contents, an object that can tell you exactly what a woman is about.

Purses began as pouches as far back as human memory records. Used to carry seeds and bones, the first incarnation of the modern accessory came in the late 18th century.

According to Farid Chenounne, curator of a purse exhibit at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, “What you put in your bag is very important to you. That makes a bag very personal because in it you have a secret. A secret gives you some sort of power. Traditionally, for a woman, a bag holds the things you need for the day but also your little beauty factory, which is very important to the identity of the woman.”

It's hard to disagree. My ebay picks.

Chanel Evening Purse

Vintage Clear Lucite Purse with Rhinestones

1930s Tapestry & Enamel Purse

Vintage French Tortoise Shell Purse

How to tell if a purse is vintage? If it has a cellphone pocket on the inside, it's NOT vintage.

Seriously.

The Vintage Color Wheel

The Color Wheel

Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then, differences of opinion about color combinations have inspired much debate, particularly in the field of fashion.

Colors that balance are referred to as harmonious. They are pleasing to the eye, engaging the viewer and creating a sense of order or balance. There are two extremes here: colors that are so bland and boring that the human brain simply ignores it; and colors that are so chaotic that we reject its disorder and ill-conceived logic. Both can be difficult to look at. Some may say a mono-chromatic look is under-stimulating, yet others may prefer it. The same goes for a vibrant color combination which may be over-stimulating for some, and just right for others. It's obviously very personal.

So what happens when you are getting dressed? Do you find it easy to combine colors, or does it become an exercise not unlike high-school calculus? According to the spring/summer runway designs, it doesn't seem to matter much.

Primary Colors - Red, Yellow, Blue. These colors cannot be formed by any combination of other colors.

Secondary Colors - Green, Orange, Purple. These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors.

Tertiary Colors - Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green. These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.

I've been having a lot of fun playing with the color wheel, at http://colorschemedesigner.com/ . When experimenting with vintage clothing, don't be afraid to mix colors, but you may want to follow some kind of logic.

I think everyone should have a color wheel handy in their closet while getting dressed! It could save a lot of embarrassment!



What do you think of these combinations?

How to Clean Vintage Clothing

Have you ever noticed that vintage garments do not have care/cleaning labels in them? Those little symbols were not introduced until the 1970s, and all those little circles, squares and triangles are a mess to figure out.

So you just bought a vintage garment but you are not sure how to clean it. If you went thrifting chances are there was no-one available there to help you. Don't take chances on ruining your garment by cleaning it the wrong way. Here are some helpful tips.

Antique and vintage clothing, although they survive decades, they are more fragile than modern. They need a lot of care and attention. Formal dress materials such as old silks and chiffons are especially fragile and should be treated with great care.

1 - When shopping for vintage, check the condition inside and out. Even if the item you have found looks great at first sight, you should smell the fabric, check the seams, inspect any trims and look out for dreaded stains and moth holes.

2 - Do not trust dry cleaners blind-folded. Dry cleaners at times use harsh chemicals and very high temperatures that can cause fine fabrics to disintegrate and damage buttons and beading. Look for a reliable dry cleaning company, preferably with vintage cleaning experience.

3 - If you are sure you can wash something at home, use a gentle wash detergent and don’t scrub the fabric too much. Do not use a washing machine or a dryer for any delicate vintage items at all. It might raze your dress completely.

4 - Does your garment have that 'old' smell? Try hanging in fresh air for a few hours – it does work.

5 - Rust stains are especially difficult to remove and happen if a garment stayed on a metal hanger too long. Instead of hanging the garment, fold it and keep it in your cupboard.

Jacobsons Floral Cotton Dress, c. 1970s

Boho Maxi Dress, c. 1970s

A Funny Thing Happened While Reading A Label

There are many fun things about selling vintage. The main one is finding the vintage items. Whether it be clothing or wares or furniture, some items provide interesting reading.

Labels in vintage clothing can provide many clues as to where it's made, by whom, when it was made. Couture clothing is often numbered as a work of art would be.

Then there are some that I find humorous. This mint condition vintage robe (aka smoking jacket) provides a lengthy read.

"John Forsyth

presents

The League of Gentleman

Fashions Inspired by Great Britain"

That's alot to put on a label! I suppose I find it humorous as this line of menswear is selling a specific image. The image of a well-to-do Brit. Perhaps he is sitting in front of a fire, drinking brandy, smoking a pipe and reading an epic novel while wearing this robe and exquisite leather slippers.

Well, they sold me on the image! Pretty good marketing technique don't you think? Really, all fashion is marketing an image now isn't it? When it's this lovely of an idea, I say embrace it!

ADRIAN: Letty Lynton & Joan Crawford

I've always been fascinated by the stir this dress caused in 1932. Designed by Adrian and worn by Joan Crawford in the movie Letty Lynton, it is a wide shouldered, white organdy dress with ruffled sleeves, extended shoulders and nipped in at the waist. It was so popular that Macy's department store in New York sold over half a million copies of this dress. 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Mr. Adrian Adolph Greenburg's death.

There have been many re-incarnations of this dress, usually worn by a movie starlett in a period piece warbling under a peach tree. But none I feel can wear it as Ms. Crawford. In this movie still she is crying on a ship as Silent Night plays because there are no messages for her for Christmas. The white dress in the moonlight against the art deco background of the ship is breathtaking - and could only be accomplished in black and white.

I have always wanted to see this movie and could never find it. Just recently I learned that Letty Lynton is not available for sale or broadcast due to legal entanglements that have lasted for decades. Apparently the movie infringed upon the play Dishonored Lady.

Designer Edith Head called this dress, "the single most important influence on fashion in film history". Some of Adrian's most stunning creations are in this film and I hope to be able to see it one day.

Today in 1940

One of the great classic songs of the Big Band era was recorded on this day, February 5, 1940. Glenn Miller and his band played Tuxedo Junction at the RCA Victor studios in Manhattan. Tuxedo Junction sold 115,000 copies in its first week.



Feelin' low
Rockin' slow
I want to go
Right back where I belong
Way down south in Birmingham
I mean south in Alabam'
There's an old place where people go
To dance the night away
They all drive or walk for miles
To get jive that southern style
It's an old jive that makes you want
To dance till break of day
It's a junction where
the town folks meet
At each function in a tux they greet you
Come on down, forget your care
Come on down, you'll find me there
So long town, I'm heading for
Tuxedo Junction now
Feelin' low
Rockin' slow
I want to go
Right back where I belong
Way down south in Birmingham
I mean south in Alabam'
There's an old place where people go
To dance the night away
They all drive or walk for miles
To get jive that southern style
It's an old jive that makes you want
To dance till break of day
It's a junction where
the town folks meet
At each function in a tux they greet you
Come on down, forget your care
Come on down, you'll find me there
So long town, I'm heading for
Tuxedo Junction now
Tuxedo Junction now

1940s Teena Paige Cotton Swing Dress

1950s Men's Tuxedo Shirts

Please Don't Go Out For Valentines Day!

I'm the Scrooge of Valentines Day. Not because I'm single, but past experience demonstrated that going out for dinner on Valentines night is the worst night of the year. You get the worst service, the most crowded restaurants, limited menu selection and are charged outrageous prices. Being in the restaurant business for years, I can't count how many arguements I heard between couples on that 'special' night. There were alot of break-ups. The pressure to make this the 'best night ever' can be overwhelming for a couple!

However, despite all the arguments, there were also many surprise engagements :-) and lovely moments!

Whether you stay at home or go out, here are a few romantic inspired outfits.

1960s Adele Simpson Gold Metalic Brocade with red floral pattern.

Available at Alley Cat Vintage.

Red Velvet Rockabilly Dress, c. 1980s. Available at Some Like it Vintage.

PERtu Red Leather Rosebud Sandals Shoes UK 8 (41). Available from Catwalk Creative Ebay UK.

Plum ultrasuede shirt dress by HALSTON. Available at Dorothea's Closet.

Apricot Print Cotton Dress. Available at Night of Joy Vintage.

Retro Pink Lace Blouse, c. 1980s. Available at Some Like it Vintage.