Friday, February 29, 2008
THIS CAME FROM A WIFE OF AN AFFLUENT AFRICAN DIGNITARY -BUT I CANNOT PROVIDE DOCUMENT PROOF-. IT IS A STATUS SYMBOL OF CULTURE AND AFRICAN HISTORY AND ICONS.
I WAS TOLD SHE HAD THIS MADE FOR HER, AND TOOK MANY MONTHS TO COMPLETE. the DYES ARE STRONG AND RICH- AND THIS HAD NOT BEEN WASHED- HOWEVER, IS NOT DIRTY, NOR DOES THIS SMELL AS VINTAGE ITEMS WILL OFTEN BE STORED IMPROPERLY.
WORE THIS WHEN OUR CITY HOSTED A REAL AFRICAN DANCE AND HISTORY GROUP.iT WAS WORN TO THE DINNER AND LATER THEIR PERFORMANCE.
YOU BET I GOT TO MEET THEM ALL! AND THEY WERE THE MOST WONDERFUL GROUP OF YOUNG AND ELDER TALENT, AND RECOGNISED THIS AS AN HONOR TO THEM- WHICH IS WHY I PAID A COUPLE OF THOUSAND FOR IT!
African Batik Kimono
African Batik Kimono (cached image)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
I have a short tale to tell! This magnificent festive dress 2-piece outfit under the ARPI SUTERA label, the individual who personally designed and made the outfit, has a fascinating history and it starts with SARITA HOPKINS WEEKS. Who was she? Locally here in Jamestown, New York, she was a philanthropist, highly educated, a patron of the ARTS, ad a very wealthy benefactor who shared her love of travel and costumes with as many people as who would listen. I hardly remember a time when I did not open the Sunday paper and see a full page spread of Sarita wearing a costume or local dress she had had made from a country in her well reknowned travels. She loved the Theatre and she especially loved costumes! She was true to the country she visited and had an absolute love of people and their customs. Her respect was profound. She passed away almost two years ago, but before she did, she bequeathed her entire collection to museums and galleries. Our local Jamestown Community College had many a room (and her portrait) bestowed upon them. Like I said, a great benefactor of The Arts!
It is a two piece set that Sarita calls in her write-up a “KEBAYA”. Basically it is a festive dress outfit, a longer coat style top and a long skirt that was commissioned and made in The South Pacific MALAYSIA, GEORGETOWN. She gives the time period of 1994 and the value at $220.00. How do I know all this? It is truly fascinating and a testament to Sarita that she wrote out ALL the details of her interpretations of the outfit/costume, the descriptions and then also, details of interesting provenance that adds so much to the delightful dimension of the fashion.
Perhaps, to me, the saddest thing is that towards the end of her life, she became very obsessed with writing ON the items, as if she was afraid she would forget and she still wanted to remember the JOY of her travels and her treasures. In this case, she writes on the inside tag and all the shoes I have from her which will also be up at Auction soon, have writings of where she went written all over the bottom soles!
Kebaya Festive Dress
Kebaya Festive Dress (cached image)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Rarely do we have such provenance for a vintage costume; but this was custom sewn for a performance in the Oregon State Centennial Pageant of 1959… it of course was meant to relfect the era of garment worn in Oregon when it became a state in 1859.
Early Pioneer Reenactment Costume
Early Pioneer Reenactment Costume (cached image)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I was given this bag as a gift with no information as to age or material. Fortunately, Carlos Falchi has corporate offices in NYC where I live. I went to their offices and I was assisted by a Falchi scion, Alex Falchi. He took the bag and conferred with behind-the-scenes staff members and came back and told me that the bag was bleached python and made 15 years ago (1993). It sold for approximately $600.
Carlos Falchi Bleached Python Bag
Carlos Falchi Bleached Python Bag (cached image)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Just as anecdote, wore this once in Fifth Ave New York, and you would look like rich socialite with this one! All the stores like Gucci, YSL were beckoning me to shop at their boutiques while I was wearing this 
CLOAK WRAP PONCHO CAPE SHAWL+SCARF
Cloak Wrap Poncho Cape Shawl + Scarf (Cached Image)
Monday, February 18, 2008
and now The Story
My kids and I went shopping at Old Navy. I was trying valiantly to get my son to pick out some pants (he really hates clothes shopping), when my daughter come up and says she want ~ no ~ Has to Has To HAS TO Have these pants. “They’re so cooooooool!! and I love! love!! LOVE the color” she says. ( she even squealed a bit) I ask if she tried them on, and point out they’re a very different style than she normally wears. She says yes she tried them on and they fit PERFECT and… You get the gist, eh? I buy them… they were on sale.
We get home and she promptly takes all of the tags off, much to my chagrin, saying she’s going to wear them to school the very next day! (*please note* she’s 15 and one of those exclamation point kinda gals ~ I don’t know where she gets it from, I was never that way at her age)
The next morning I walk past her room to see my dear daughter has magically become transformed into a stork with a nasty case of the creeping heebie geebies and a bad attitude. She’s jiggling, she’s shaking each leg one at a time, she’s ranting and grumbling and twitching, she’s about near to a total melt down.
Now please remember, it’s 6am.
I laugh.
Oh boy, I’m in trouble now. I ask what the problem is, while trying very hard to attempt to maintain a straight face. (I’m failing miserably at this point) Since she now has an audience, she starts jerking and jiggling and ranting even more… it’s almost like she’s got ants in her pants.
Any moms reading this? Do you know what I’m going through at this point?
Obviously, it’s the pants. “They fit funny” she whines. Gee, I’m shocked. “They’re tooooo tight around the ankles and they touch my legs all the way down!!!” she whines some more. This is a girl who wears cargo pants almost exclusively, wide leg cargo pants. Of course they fit different ~ and ~ by golly, I pointed that out in the store the day before too. After laughing a bit more, I finally relent and let her wear a different pair of pants to school that day. This happened in the fall, I haven’t seen these pants since. UNTIL, I made her clean her room this past weekend. And lo and behold, here they are on top of her dresser folded neatly.
Well, I’ll be darned if I put a pair of brand spankin new pants into the goodwill pile, so here they are ~ ready for you to bid on.
Teal Blue Stretch Jeans
Teal Blue Stretch Jeans (cached image)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A hand written tag found in one of the pockets of this embroidered black wool wrapper reads, “Mother’s black embroidered dressing gown - To go to Tom Waterman at my death -”. Penciled at the top and bottom it also reads “Belonged to Jane Cameron Campbell (Maudies’), about 1870″.
Tom Tileston Waterman was a nephew of Jane Maud Campbell and a noted historical architect who was instrumental in the restoration and preservation of Colonial Williamsburg and Henry Francis du Pont’s Winterthur.
1870s Dressing Gown Wrapper
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Funny story, my son was born one day before full term, so he was really small when he was born. Then he just grew so fast, but that’s how baby’s are…
Boy’s Onesies
Boy’s Onesies (cached image)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
IT IS FROM THE ESTATE OF THE ANTIQUE PHOTOS I HAVE LISTED AND THE LITTLE GIRL IS JANET CHAMBERS. I WILL INCLUDE THE CABINET PHOTO FREE OF CHARGE WITH BUY IT NOW. YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO THAT SHE IS WEARING THE DRESS.
1916 Christening Gown
1916 Christening Gown (cached image)
Monday, February 11, 2008
The original invitation will be included, and states that the wedding was on 6-26, 1926 at 10 a.m. in Arcadia, Wisconsin. There is also a black and white snapshot of the bride and groom, and probably the father.
1920s Wedding Dress, Veil, Photo, Invitation
1920s Wedding Dress, Veil, Photo, Invitation (cached image)
