A few of my favorite things....2019 edition

January 2, 2020 Lauren Rossi

Another year has come to a close and with that comes a review of what were those very special things that found their way into my collection. To be clear: My collection isn’t the biggest, deepest, most valuable or even most interesting- it’s simply things that amuse me.

All in all it was an off year for collecting. Whereas last year I felt I found many things- it was only in review this year that i realized I did find things but not in my typical ways. I found almost no remarkable corsets this year (my favorite) and very little trim (even in France). Etsy made some major changes to their platform and ever since- I’ve had very little luck in finding things there. Perhaps the sales have gone elsewhere- it is the nature of this for objects to ebb and flow and so I don’t worry about it. As my collection matures- I’m also noticing a shift in what interests me. The things I buy are more about inspiration in my own art instead of just “needing to own it.” or “wanting to wear it”. This makes sense as I aspire to make rather than buy more and more “wearable” (but antique styled) clothing. I hesitantly admit that I’m also gravitating to more 20th century fashion but Ive always said that I love formal wear and lingerie in every decade.

I hope you enjoy my finds.

Which of these would be your number 1? Comment below! (or share your favorite find of the year with me)

#10 Tambour Lace Skirt

Lace of all kinds is my guilty pleasure and so you can imagine my squeals of delight when I scored this incredible tambour skirt in a box of “leftovers”. A dozen other people pawed through the box before I did and I am so happy they didn’t have an interest in this. What is so unique about it is that the tambour is done in such a way that loops of printed silk are able to woven through the “holes” Unfortunately- also due to this silk- this skirt can never be cleaned. Alas I had no plans to wear it anyway.

#9 18th century Mens shoe Buckles

Much like me- these are all destined to spend the rest of their days as a single. I bought this lot of shoe buckles for a killer price likely because non of them have their matches. I cannot show in photos how sparkly and incredible they are. The sizes and workmanship in them varies dramatically too. Even as onesies they are a great and oh so sparkly addition to my burgeoning 18th century collection.

#8 1930s Evening Dress

In the middle of June my office had a “Summer Friday” that happened to fall on the same date as this estate sale up near Yonkers. Being accessible by train- I decided to make an early morning of it and check it out. The place was an asylum. People running and a line of 20 people before 6 am. Dozens upon dozens of early garments- most very very very badly preserved (The house had survived a fire and a lot of subsequent moisture damage) . Silk shredding everywhere. I should have been wearing a dust mask. On top of that- they prices were ridiculous. (Think 900$ for a completely shredded dress; the kind I wouldn’t buy for 20$) Still after all that work- I did my best to zoom around and find a few diamonds in the rough. I walked away with three dresses one of which is this amazing stunner below. To be clear- it didn’t look like this when I bought it. The bottom half of the dress was beyond filthy and I was unsure if it was salvageable but I was able to negotiate a bit for my “lot” and after all that effort decided to buy it. Due to how the dress is constructed (gelatin sequins!) it cant be entirely submerged and wet cleaned. Working some magic- I was able to get the skirt freshened up (no I cant tell you how as I don’t recommend taking the risk) and after a huge process of getting the crepe back out I wound up with this incredible stunner of a rare 1930s evening gown that fits like a dream and is just dying to be invited to the party. There are a few rayon fade spots but nothing that would be noticeable in evening light. It has a label from a NY store and is so beautiful in how it drapes and wraps. This dress alone make that entire day and hassle (and disappointment in the pricing) completely worth it. I will still always wonder who wound up with the other 30’s lame evening gown…and if they foolishly paid the asking price.

#7 Edwardian Irish Crochet Wrapper

So I only have these photos of this item because it is not yet in my grabby little hands and was only picked up on the 31st of December! Just under the wire for my blog! I found this incredible antique Irish crochet wrapper in a small town auction. The problem? It was pick up only. Luckily I knew someone who loved me who lived close by- and so I’m able to add this handmade work of art to my collection for about the price of a NYC cocktail. On one hand it makes me sad how little textiles and more specifically women’s work is valued but on the other- I know it will be in a good place with me.

#6 1913 Museum DECOMMISSIONED Dress

I would like to tell you that this dress has an amazing acquisition backstory alas it does not. I simply bought it online It is a decommission from a museum. It is evidence of that very narrow period time about 1913 when the dresses show the bridge between the late Edwardian and the soon be coming freer and unique styles of the 19teens. The materials used in this dress are incredible- metal embroidered silks and gauzy silk laces. The size is unique too- this has nearly a 30” waist and doesn’t fit on the form. Sadly the entire lining of the gown is entirely shredded and this will likely be the one and only time I ever mount it on a form. I wish I had better been able to capture how special this gown was alas I’ll have to settle for showing it to my friends in person.

#5 Women’s Institute CORRESPONDENCE CoursE

Technically I bought this at the very tail end of 2018 but as it did not arrive until after the new year- I was unable to include it in last years top 10. There is no way this doesn’t belong on my special item list and so I am including it this year. The “Women’s Institute” correspondence (by mail) school that strove to teach women a variety of useful skills that they could use in their home or for profit. I first start seeing ads for it at the end of WWI. There are a few course options including Millinery, Tailoring, Dressmaking and Cooking (the last of which I dont do.) Each course is made up of booklets of work that are completed by the student and tests at the end which can be submitted for grading. I had been fortunate enough to have the entire millinery series already but the tailoring/dressmaking booklets were more random ones that I had come across in my travels. Then this amazing listing popped up on Etsy (before Etsy committed suicide) . Not only is it the ENTIRE Dressmaking AND Tailoring course books- it also included the original woman’s graded exams, samples AND pattern slopers. The patterns alone are quite the coupe as my friends and I had never seen one and discussed if they ever even existed. Now we know for certain they do. The amount of research and knowledge in this entire series is inconceivable- and I have only yet begun to start understanding some of what these books have to offer.

#4 Late 18th century Stays

This pair of stays likely dates to the very tail end of the 18th century. They are not quite transition stays (my holy grail of stays) but they are certainly shorter in length and wide in the bust than is seen in earlier versions. Frankly there is not likely a limit to the number of pairs of stays I would like to own as they are all so different to me. Sadly the condition is quite poor as some small creatures have turned this into a delicious and expensive snack. I love the silk facing on the front and even the damage is unique because it gives me a view into some of the interior. You can see from how this fits my form that these are not epic-ally small but are meant for a shorter stature lady. Don’t worry- no one will wear them as long as I own them.

#3 1915 Silk Net dress

In addition to being a simply phenomenal dress- this dress is number 3 on the list because of the fun adventure I had in getting it. It is very challenging for me to make it to estate sales because I don’t have a car and I work a full time job. (Most estate sales start during the week). The risk of not being able to get any special items makes justifying taking a day off and last minute (expensive) car rental rarely an option. I heard of this great estate however and mentioned to a dear friend how disappointed I was to not be able to attend due to lack of a vehicle. Much to my surprise- she offered to take me and make a day of it. (she too likes antiques and had her eyes on some treasure). It was a dream of a day. Not only did I score this incredible dress from 1915 in remarkable, but fragile, condition- we spent the rest of it brunching, hunting for bargain fabrics and laughing. She got her wish list too! A well spent day out of the office. Oh and this dress- its top on my list to use for inspiration for my own work! I need only to save the money to buy some of that incredible silk tulle (modern) and antique metal trim. drool.

#2 3-D swan Embroidered Dress

This incredible dress came to me via a textile auction and I’m hesitant to admit- I paid a small fortune for it. Its rare for me to spend so much on any garment- let alone one from nearly the middle of the 20th century. I couldn’t resist the construction techniques of printed swans and their 3-d flowing twisted feathers. Absolutely ingenious. The dress also features….a giant hole. yep. On the right hip there is a sizable tear to the chiffon. In fact I credit this tear to the reason why I was even able to buy it in the first place. Were it not there it easily would have sold for 3 or 4x the amount and been well out of my own budget. The other downside to this dress (and why it is not my number 1)= it wont (yet!) fit me. In addition to being a very rare style- its an even harder to come by larger size. Still I love it just the same and perhaps that will save me from attempting to wear it. {I do however hope to undo some of the badly done alterations in the neckline and repair the damage to silk chiffon} These pictures barely do it justice as it does not fit my form at all.

#1 1830s silk Day Dress

Certainly to have an 1830s dress with gigot sleeves is rare enough on its own but dress is my top buy of the year more because of how it came to me more than the object itself. I bought a box lot of salvage from a seller because there was a skirt in the box that I wanted to use for a sewing reference- I quickly flipped through the contents and saw that in addition the skirt there was a few very damaged bodices and other fabric pieces. Good enough for me. A quite low price was agreed upon and it was mine. It was only after purchasing that I emptied the box and found that at the very bottom- what I thought was a folding of fabric was in actuality this incredible dress. If you have not seen a dress from this period in person - I will tell you they are far simpler and thinner than you will ever imagine. There is a lightness to them that is rarely reproduced in our ‘costumes’ today. I hope this inspires me to create even better and more elevated work.

THE REAL BEST FIND OF THE YEAR

So….above were all of my best antique/vintage finds of the year…but my real favorite is actually none of those. As you know- I am obsessed with dressmaking, textiles and trims. As a modern dressmaker- one of the biggest struggles is finding fabric. Specifically fabrics that were once cheap but now…not so. The top of these in my mind is cotton bobbinette. Bobbinette used to be very affordable and as a result you see it in EVERYTHING. In large quantities too. Modern bobbinette can be found but I had exhausted all my “cheap” stores in looking for it. One NYc garment district store even told me there is no such thing as cotton net! In truth most of what is on the market is some sort of synthetic tulle (nylon, polyester) and decidedly not what I want . True cotton bobbinette is made on specific looms and generally runs 40-60$ a yard depending on the resource/width/weight. Not a horrific price in itself but certainly not something you can “stock up on”. And something that must be used judiciously as I slyly eye those flounced dresses that easily use 5 yards of fabric.

And so for years I have joked that the universe would one day send me an affordable source of bobbinette and that when it did I would be ready. In fact I had made the joke that very morning to my friend as we traversed the eastern sea board in search of fabrics for our projects. WOAH did it ever. In this sekret store she took me to- I found the mother load of cotton bobbinette. Even better- a tag on the bolts showed that it actually was originally from my favorite french lace and textile producer at a mere fraction of the cost. I bought everything the store had- over 100 yards- in a few colors (antique ivory and an off black mostly; no white sadly). Even just typing this I am giddy at the find because this means I can make all the dresses of my dreams- and not go bankrupt doing do.

Thank you Universe. I will use it wisely (and have already shared some with friends)

Thank you for taking the time to read my top 10 of 2019. Looking forward to what 2020 brings- antique and otherwise <3

These are a few of my favorite things.

December 19, 2018 Lauren Rossi

As 2018 comes to a close- I found myself reflecting on some of my favorite vintage purchases this year. In an effort to encourage my own gratitude- I decided to compile my “top 10”. As an unexpected surprise- choosing the items that were my favorite items of the year gave me insight into my buying patterns. Overall I have learned that I love an object with a story- a bargain, a rare find or (most special) the generous share from an antique loving friend. Strangely none of the wearable antique clothing made the list- perhaps a good reminder in future to put my money where my heart is.

I’d love to hear about your favorite buys and finds of the year- comment below!

#10 Antique Victorian hot pink and black silk corset

Without a doubt this corset is absolutely incredible. Made of pink and black silk- it is the perfect shape and in fairly good condition for its 120+ year age. It even maintains the original label and name (“Lillian”) from John Wanamaker department store. The wear to the silk and slight tearing to the machine made lace doesn’t take away from it at all. I like to imagine a tightly buttoned up Victorian lady was subversively wearing this incredibly sexy number.

A dream piece- the only reason it is ranked “so low” in my top 10 is that its cost reflected its rarity- (and I prefer a bargain most of all).

#9 1860s handmade chantilly lace shawl

Nearly 9ft wide this handmade Chantilly lace shawl is by far the nicest I’ve ever seen. The shading and design are so intricate it makes my other lace shawls look positively amateur by comparison.

Found at a vintage sale- the shawl was folded neatly into a plastic zip bag. In my rush to shop- I never even opened the bag before buying. It was priced at only a few dollars- and I knew it was antique lace so I took the gamble. No one could have been happier than me when I opened the bag. Instantly it has become one of my most prized possessions.

#8. Flea market find

Shopping at a flea market in France- I approached a booth overflowing with antique ribbons - and run by a woman who, by her demeanor, clearly didn’t want to sell any of it. (Not that I blame her!!) The booth was stacked to the gills with closed bins and after some effort I convinced her to let me look through them. Among the many wonders that grabbed at me- this one was an instant win. Folded up completely I didn’t realize how big or amazing it was until I opened it. I refused to even put it down to look in other bins- lest some other antique aficionado wanted it.

This is deadstock Victorian beaded skirt trim. Each bead is meticulously sewn by hand to gimp. It has the original price tag (illegible) and of course the bow motif just about kills me .

#7 1840’s hand stitched corset

It was a strange summer. In the period of just under 6 weeks- I found 3 very early (1820-1840s) corsets at bargain prices. I’m confident that the universe knows I have met my quota and will never send me another.

There are a few special things about this piece- first I absolutely love the intricate detail of the cording. It absolutely is the finest in my collection. The corset also came with the original (plain) busk. Though damaged- its rare to find these pieces with the busk still included. Perhaps its simplicity is what kept anyone from removing it for 180 years. Finally- I love the size of this piece. It is proof that not everyone was extremely svelte. Its original wearer clearly was petite but her measurements are in line with what we would expect in modern proportions. (as a bonus this will make an excellent study/copy piece)

#6 1920s ribbonwork supplies

There is a vintage dealer in a Parisian flea market whose booth I always love. My trip this June was no exception. In it I found the mother-load of 1920s metal edged ribbon. Perfect for 1920s ribbonwork. I’ve dreamed of finding these once very common ribbons in large enough quantity for my work. Of course I bought all of it. Now I have hundreds of meters- and am still and wishing for more- in different colors and patterns of course.

#5 19th century does 18th century

It is obvious in my own work how much I love anachronistic fashion. While I would never suggest reusing 240 year old fabric today- I won’t complain if it was done over a century ago. This skirt hits all of the marks. I believe it is a late 19th century skirt made of original 18th century silk. The metal woven into the fabric is just incredible- as is the silk floral motif. Hello skirt. Welcome to your new home.

#4 Box of metal trim

I’m not sure if this one is really cheating because it is many objects instead of just one. I’m saying it counts. I have a penchant for old trim made with real metal. I cannot explain but it is what it is. I was walking (ok racing) up the stairs to the attic of this insane estate sale of a former vintage dealer and there was this box sitting there with a truncated label “Metal trims”. At the bottom of a huge stack- I grabbed it as quickly as I could- peeked inside- and slammed it shut. Yep. The real deal. Happy Dance.

#3 1850s evening cap

I was boarding a plane from a long and stressful business trip when a vintage dealer sent me a photo of this cap. She said she didn’t know much about it- but it made her think of me.

Exhausted and not thinking straight- (and worried my bank account might have a seizure) I initially told her I would think about it. Luckily- just before take off -I changed my mind and told her I’d take it (even though at that time I wasn’t quite sure what it was). From her images I thought it might be a 20s burlesque cap. The entire flight I thought about it and just before landing realized it was 1850s evening wear made of bullion and blown glass. Many of the seemingly impossibly thin glass beads are broken but what remains is still an amazing part of mid 19th century fashion.

#2 18th century Red stays

I am 100% convinced that my dear friend Abby of SwampYankeeVintage has a time machine. She calls me up one day and casually asks what I’m doing before telling me ‘oh I have a red pair of stays you might like ’. Whhhhhaaaattttt. The rest is history.

The stays are that of a working class woman- and a very wearable size (my mannequin will be the only person to wear them). I love love love the paneled red fabric that is only center front. I suspect these may have been worn in a way that the red showed under the gown. Perhaps by an aspiring virtuous courtesan :)

#1 Bow corset

This corset is number 1 because it combines some of my favorite things = bows, corsets, bargains and good friends

A friend found the piece at an estate sale and sent me a photo asking if it was even old. It is - and of course nearly fell out of my chair. Entirely across the country- she drove hours and waited two more for the opportunity to snag it for me. Fortunately the estate sale itself didnt recognize the piece and it was priced “to move”. I’m floored by her generosity- and hope only to be able to return it with antique objects of her own desire.

So tell me= What have been your favorite found finds of the year?

Don't Ask me that .... (ask me this instead)

November 5, 2018 Lauren Rossi

We have all been there. Flipping through post after post on Instagram or page and page of Pinterest and seen artists and wondered “ How did they do that? How did they get to that.” Sometimes I see a dress- modern or antique- that is so jaw dropping amazing that I want to reach through my screen and peek at its insides. What do its seams look like? How is the bodice cut? Who made it and how did they ever dream it up? The beauty of social media is now I can reach out to my most loved artists and ask about what inspires them or how they face obstacles. I’m always amazed by the willingness of the sewing community to share their deepest loves and passion.

In kind- it is so rewarding to receive all the positive feedback on my work and questions I get through Facebook and Instagram. I do try my best to answer as many as possible! I love that as artists and collectors we can learn so much from one another and encourage you to reach out.

I have found that there are few questions that I deflect answering - and others that I WISH people would ask. Read below for some questions to skip - and others that you may find just a bit more helpful!

Don’t Ask me:

How do I make an 18th century dress? Can you make a YouTube video on how to make a dress?

You would never walk into a tech company and ask them for their code- it is equally as inappropriate to ask an artist how to recreate their work. (yes I have literally be asked this) Not only does this question belittle in the intricacies in the art- it invalidates the decades of learning (failure, tears, triumphs) that took to get them to this point. There is no 10 minute YouTube video that can summarize and teach you an entire body of work. Even if there was- I would not make it. Which leads me to my next point

I believe that teachers should be compensated for their skills and knowledge. This encourages those with skills to pass them on to others. Last summer I wanted to learn tambour beading. I paid and took a class so I could learn. The class did not make me a tambour bead-er. The class taught me skills and technique. Following the class I spent nearly 6 months practicing tambour beading on a 1920s dress so I could refine the skills I was shown in class. At first it was very slow go. I would put in a few rows of beads a night. I would remove almost as many as I put in. I messed up A LOT. I even held the hook in the wrong hand for the better part of 4 days. But that practice- combined with a formalized class setting made me quite proficient at it today. (professional beaders: don’t worry I know I still have many more years of work to go!)

What to ask instead:

Ask me about very specific techniques or where you can go to learn more about something (besides, most obviously, google). Ask me how to best refine your skills (Answer: Practice). Ask me ‘what is the most important part in building a gown’ (Hint: it’s not the fabric). If you ask me how to do a specific stitch (and I know the answer) I almost certainly will explain it to you. If you are struggling with making a pattern fit and want my second opinion on how to adjust it- I may be able to help. These sorts of questions are all about sharing the love of an art and so I am always very happy when I receive them.

I want to see everyone sew. I think it is such a wonderful skill to have and meditative process. There is nothing wrong with being NEW to sewing. It just means you have more left to learn.

Don’t Ask me:

How much did this dress cost to make?

I find there are two reasons behind asking this question- either you a trying to place a value on my work or you are trying to budget for making your own dress. In regards to the former- one would never ask a sculptor the cost of his clay or a painter the price of his oils. The raw materials that are used by the artist have no bearing on its final value. For this reason I do not reveal the cost of my materials.

If you are asking this question to budget for your own project- my answer will not help you because I may have gotten my fabric on sale or purchased (expensive) specialty trims. Your dress will not be my dress and so the money I spent is irrelevant.

What to ask instead:

Ask me about the cost of materials in general. If you are new to learning about fabrics- ask me what a good price point is for a silk taffeta or how to budget for trimming (HINT: I budget premade trims at TWICE what the overall fabric costs) Ask me about how to find good sales for fabric or how to negotiate in the NYC garment district (my favorite thing to do)

It would behoove anyone who is interested in sewing to start learning what material costs are- it will allow you to make better decisions when choosing textiles. A budget is a personal thing and there is no wrong amount to spend on a gown. What is wrong, however, is to be ignorant of what materials cost and what makes them cost as much or as little as they do. When you are able to understand the reasoning behind the pricing- you will be able to get the most value from your purchases regardless if you spend 10$ or 10,000.

Don’t Ask me:

Where did you get that {insert vintage/antique item}

I always think this is a bit of a silly question. After all – there is only ONE of the item I bought and I already have it. When I do by from a vintage dealer that I love – I often will share who they are simply because they may have other items that aren’t right for me but may be right for you.

Few vintage dealers or collectors will share the private ways they find things. These are the things you hear whispers about. A secret thrift store with magic pricing or that one friend who more likely than not has a time machine. There is no shortcut to knowing these things- and certainly asking won’t get you an answer. After all- if secrets are shared they are no longer secrets and those places would cease to exist. That does not mean you cannot establish you own hidden pots of gold- it just means you will have to find your own way to do so (and then keep it a secret!!)

What to ask instead:

Ask me how to curate a collection. Ask me about what to look for in quality antique clothing. Ask me how to choose a good and trustworthy vintage dealer. Ask me how to date an item (but don’t ask me to price your item). Antiquing is more than knowing where to buy- a big part of it is knowing when. We all have those things we are willing to pay a premium for and other things that are purchased “if the price is right” or “was too good to pass up”

A collection is a personal thing. We each have our own goals in buying. Rarely is it about having the MOST of something but rather a good collection is most often one that is selected with care. Items that no longer fit can be sold off to pay for items that are a better match. In this way the collection can always evolve and you can keep shopping without being (much of) a hoarder! Remember your collection is YOURS. Meaning buy what makes your heart flutter- not what someone else thinks should be a part of it.

So what questions can I answer for you?!?!?!

<3 <3 <3

VirtuousCourtesan

photo credit : Phillip van Nostrand (photos 1 and 2) Melody Cohen- photo 3