Today is my birthday! It is the big 40, and while I planned to host a swanky ’60s themed party next month (also Oscar’s Birthday), that will have to wait. I’ll be celebrating at home over video chats with friends, eating a cake my family made me and working… I love what I do here on VintageDancer!
We recently attended a Cab Calloway show and we dressed in 40s inspired dresses and zoot suits. L to R. Oscar, Debbie (Me), Tiffany and Matt
About our outfits: Oscar purchased his zoot suit from MensUSA, my red dress is by Stop Staring, Tiffany’s dress is vintage, and Matt’s Zoot Suit is from Elpachuco.
Updates
My server crashed last week wreaking havoc for a few days. All is well now but because of that I only have a few new items for you to read:
1920s Sweaters – Revised and updated with more pictures and some new styles I had previously left out.
1920s Coats and Jackets – Also revised and updated with A LOT more information about coats and especially jackets. Next, I am working on a revision for evening jackets, opera coats, shawls, furs, and other fancy outerwear. Check here in a few days for the updated article.
Like Totally 80s – Quite a few people asked for me to write about the 1980s. I have hesitated to do this mostly because I was born in 1980 and somehow thinking that clothing from my life is now vintage and cool is …uh… hard to except. Putting my feelings aside, I started to dig into the 80s looking at what is coming back in fashion and what specific styles from the 80s are of interest right now. I also started collecting pictures from the decade. Here is my 1980s Pinterest board if you want to see what I found.
While I don’t have a history article yet I do have many shopping pages set up for 80s dresses, jeans, shirts, menswear, shoes, jackets, hair accessories, and workout clothes. The 80s trends are all about neon, tie-dye, prom dresses, and retro sneakers so there is plenty of that to choose from. I’ll be adding other 80s styles as I find them and some articles too.
In other news, I have a new team member! MacAulay has joined our team as a writer (mostly about menswear), proofreader, and image editor. He’s been tasked with cleaning up 10 years of articles, pages, pictures and everything else that has been in dire need repair. I first met Macaulay two months ago when I took a trip to New Orleans for a conference. He was working at a store that sold one of my favorite repro brands, Stop Staring, and we quickly connected the dots. He is a reader of VinatgeDancer, wears vintage-inspired clothing often, and is a talented writer wanting to contribute some articles. I am happy that my finances are in an OK position, for now, to be able to bring on Macaulay fulltime for a few months while we get through this pandemic together. I am looking forward to introducing him more to you with his first article, next week. Welcome, Macaulay!
On a final note, I have been enjoying using Zoom (video conferencing) to take classes with my daughter and attend virtual cocktail parties. I am considering hosting a class, for free, with you and anyone else who wants to connect, learn and share about vintage fashion. I have a few ideas for classes. If any of these interests you please respond to this email and tell me what you want to join. I hope to have the first-class set up for early next week. If possible I will also record the classes so you can watch at a convenient time for you.
- View a vintage catalog, learn some history, get outfit ideas. I have the most catalogs from the 1920s to 1980s we can explore.
- DIY vintage outfits from thrifty clothing. I have some 1930s clothes I have been meaning to put together into outfits for an article. I could do other decades as well.
- Q and A with Debbie or Oscar. Ask us anything, live!
- What’s in Debbie’s and Oscar’s Closet? I could share an up-close view of some of my genuine vintage pieces. I could also talk about how to organize a closet/room.
- Dress up vintage and join a group show n’ tell. We will each take turns showing off our outfits.
- Vintage hairstyles. Using my own hair I will share what I do to achieve quick vintage looks through the decades
- Other ideas? Tell me what YOU want to see/learn/share.
Stay safe, keep calm, and carry on!
Debbie Sessions has been teaching fashion history and helping people dress for vintage themed events since 2009. She has turned a hobby into VintageDancer.com with hundreds of well researched articles and hand picked links to vintage inspired clothing online. She aims to make dressing accurately (or not) an affordable option for all. Oh, and she dances too.
