Tag Archives: western wear

La Plaza Dos

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So I finally did a bit of vintage shopping here in Palm Springs, but I was rather let down…or maybe just my wallet and personal taste let me down.

I visited many shops, however most inventory of the antique shops were more…high-end, I guess you could say. Many had pieces of modern art mixed in with primitives, which often just isn’t my bag.  I love kitsch.  There were a handful of shops though that were a bit more up my alley.   Route 66 West carried the best selection of Bakelite I’ve ever seen. And Mr. Cox offered beautiful items in a carefully curated and plush shop.  But it was Deja Vu where my taste and pocket book were a little more at home and I walked away with this insanely perfect skirt…

Yeah, those are silhouettes of square dancers.  Pretty amazing, right?  I kind of had to hold in a squee of delight when I found it.  The skirt paired nicely with the blouse I wore in my last post…so I couldn’t resist wearing the outfit before we headed back to Portland.

We explored La Plaza a bit more and discovered a restaurant I was totally oblivious to last time I wandered around, FARM, which has taken four of the former bungalows and made one the kitchen, and the other three and the space in between all of them into dining areas.  However we didn’t eat there, and instead opted for Tyler’s since Patrick had missed out on my previous visits and wanted to try their delicious food.

Well, we head home tomorrow! But don’t worry, the Palm Springs posts don’t end here! I have yet to talk about the stellar hotel we’re at. So stay tuned! Heck, you might even get a post tomorrow during our four hour layover in San Fran!

Austin Vintage

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The main reason I tagged along on Patrick’s business trip to SXSW was because I’d never been to Austin and the city seemed to offer up a decent amount of vintage shops to check out.

I checked out four areas of Austin, leaving out at least two good sized shopping areas due to time, proximity, lack of a car and my feet hurting, so I’m not too sure if my opinion on Austin “vintage” is all that true, but for me, I found it rather…lackluster.  This was mainly because a good chunk of the “vintage” wasn’t really vintage at all, at least in my book.  My definition of “vintage” with regards to clothing is the 1930s to the 1970s, which is pretty broad in my circle of friends.  The 1920s and earlier is “antique” and as of this moment, the 1980s and newer is just “second-hand”.  With the exception of two shops, most of the inventory of the stores offered up more Buffalo Exchange like garments.  They were just selling second-hand goods and maybe had a few true vintage pieces.  Which is fine, just not me.

The two shops I was really impressed with (although I didn’t buy anything at either shop) were Flashback and Amelia’s.  Both shops were situated in adorable old homes along South First Street with lots of charm and loads of garments and accessories.

The shops are well curated with items that are selected for their style and uniqueness.  Flashback offered up a combination of earlier pieces with a handful of later pieces, and was predominately of items from the 1960s.  There was also a very decent mens section with so many wonderful items, it was kind of a bummer Patrick wasn’t there to shop too!

Amelia’s is where you’ll find the true vintage and even antique.  Delicate turn-of-the-century garments hang along side flapper coats and glamorous dresses of the 40s.  Then there’s the accessories to take in… Shoes, purses and a glorious selection of hats abound and rhinestones sparkle and Bakelite shines from the counter display case.

Like Flashback, Amelia’s also offers menswear too!  A pretty good section too with a wide variety of items and styles.

The shop owner has been into vintage since her teens and has been dealing in vintage for nearly 30 years and is very, very knowledgeable.

I also enjoyed shopping on South Congress, which was home to many more wonderful shops and a stellar more antique mall like venue, Uncommon Objects.  They carried beautiful bits and bobbles of home decor and knick-knacks with a bit of vintage clothing thrown in.  Then there was the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store where I picked up three glorious newer western wear shirts…

But maybe my favorite find was this new addition to my Mexican tourist jacket collection.

I picked this up at Ragalicious, another fabulous store on South First.

Austin was pretty good to me, I’d say so.  Let’s hope Palm Springs is just as nice if not more so!  Stay tuned for one more Austin post tomorrow, y’all!

Disney Daze

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Our second day at Disneyland was split between Disneyland and (rather reluctantly on my part) the new Buena Vista Street portion of California Adventure.

When California Adventure opened, I really didn’t care for it. It lacked the charm (as well as the history) of Disneyland. But now, a lot has changed.  The original, tasteless entry area of shops has now transformed to an idealized version of Los Angeles during the 1920s and 30s (the period in which Walt Disney arrived) and totally transports guests just like when they enter Main Street USA in Disneyland.

But while California Adventure has finally elevated itself, I still couldn’t bring myself to dedicate much time to the area (Although, I must admit, I missed a few things on Buena Vista Street that Daveland has so meticulously photographed on his blog on his most recent visit), I just needed to get over to Disneyland.

The attention to detail at Disneyland is unmatched by any other amusement park, and sometimes you truly can’t appreciate the detail unless you spend a few days or visit often.  One of my favorite details is the Main Street alley where the lockers are. There are three windows that if you listen you can hear what is happening inside!  Additionally, the architecture and signage is just stellar.  So, if you have a moment, look around, listen, and play around with the old-time amusements that are in the arcade!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pictures!

Manly Mondays: Shirts

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Contemporary mens fashion can sometime seem a little dull… Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, etc., everything emblazoned with logos and brands. Vintage shirts however can often be found for less than contemporary shirts and come in a variety of styles and fashions, not to mention they tend to be of better quality.

60s Button Downs

I’ve come to love these 60s button down shirts where the stitching contrasts the fabric. The have a nice loose fit and work well with any pants and jacket. They can be found fairly easily at any vintage clothing store and are usually $35 or less.  I found this one at Elsewhere Vintage in Orange, California.

Western

Western wear was especially popular in the 40s and 50s and was often handmade and embroidered of gaberdine wool. These shirts are incredibly hard to find and expensive, often going to over $200. Fortunately there was a western wear revival in the 70s (with folk music) and through the 80s (with the release of  the film Urban Cowboy) as a result there is a lot of newer western wear that is still of high quality that is more affordable than to 40s and 50s pieces. Much of these later pieces are made of either cotton or polyester, and most sport some fantastic designs. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t find a style you like, there are loads of different designs, so keep looking and you are sure to find something.  I have had lots of luck with western wear at various Buffalo Exchange locations.

Linen and Gabardine

Shirts made of linen and gabardine occupy a space between everyday wear and dress shirts.  They are very, very nice, but tend to be a little more expense around $40-$60.  Gabardine is a very tight knit of wool generally found in 4os clothing. It’s incredibly high quality and very fashionable.  Linen is great at keeping you cool and breathes well, it also feels strong and smooth. The downside is, as Janey puts it, “If you look at linen wrong will wrinkle.”  So buying a linen shirt is not to be taken lightly. This one was just too great to pass up.  Portland’s own Living Threads Vintage has a great selection of menswear, which is where I picked up this linen shirt.

Taking Care Of Your Shirts

You can save yourself extra laundry and extend the life of your shirts by getting some plain white undershirts. These can help protect your vintage shirts from sweat and reduces the need to wash them. I can wear shirts for a few weeks without washing if I wear them with undershirts, just wash your undershirts and keep everything clean.

Another tip to extending the life of your shirts is hang drying. After washing your shirts (in cold water), take them out of the washer, put them on a hanger, buttoning the first two buttons, and then hang them on your shower rod. The heat from dryers can weaken fabric over time.

Gaberdine, since it is wool, should be dry cleaned whenever possible.  If not, hand-washing with Woolite, and laying flat to dry is the best alternative method.

If your shirts get wrinkled you can take this quick tip from Janey: hang your shirt up in the bathroom before taking a hot shower, the steam from the shower should get out the worst wrinkle and keep your shirts nice without washing or ironing.

Always hang your vintage shirts if you can. Folding them into a drawer damages the shapes and lines of the collars (and the rest of the shirt). To persevere the collar shape button the first one or two buttons up near the collar, this helps keep the shape of the collar intact.

Sizing

For the most part you can safely look for mens shirts that match the size of t-shirt you wear, but before you rush out an buy shirts, get your wife or girlfriend to help you take three simple measurement to help you fit your shirts right.

  • Neck: Measure around the lower middle part of your neck (where a dress shirt collar would sit). 14-14 1/2 is small, 15-15 1/2 is medium , 16-16 1/2 is large.
  • Shoulders: Measure from the middle of the rounded portion of your shoulder to the same point on the opposite shoulder.
  • Chest: Measure around the broadest part of your chest

Most shirts won’t have all three of these measurements.  Many have just the neck, but it gives you a good idea on how to quickly size things.

Vintage Shirts On Etsy

To get you started, I made an Etsy Treasury with a selection of shirts for you to get some ideas and possibly purchase.

Patio Pretties

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It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the “squaw” (also known as “patio” or “fiesta”) dresses and sets or western or Mexican themed items in general.  (The fact of the matter is I dream of having a room dedicated to black velvet matador paintings, taxidermied jackalopes and Zorro memorabilia)  Popular in the 1950s, these dresses or two piece top and skirt sets were reminiscent of the wild west and dazzling golden age of old Spanish California.  A recent conversation in the wake of the floral print party, my friend Angelica and I discussed having a party where each person would wear one of these patio ensembles, and so we did, leaving Casa Del Matador in, as Angelica put it, “a haze of rickrack”.

I had a very lovely and relaxing evening with Angelica, her friend Candice (who made her dress, I might add!) and her husband, as well as Teresa (with whom I did many of AlexSandra’s fashion shows with) and Jennifer of Jumblelaya.  It was simply fantastic seeing the various takes on the “squaw” outfit, and no two were alike.  We talked about movies, art, travel and of course vintage, all while sipping away at margaritas.

Outfit
Dress: Fashion by Robert Black, Scottsdale, Arizona
Belt: Bohemian Vintage, Portland, Oregon
Hair Flower: Fabric Depot
Silver Bell Earrings: Private Sale
Bull & Matador Scatter Pin Set: AlexSandra’s Vintage Emporium
Mariachi Band Charm Bracelet: Gift from my dad
Tooled Leather Purse: Expo
Shoes: Thrifted

Howdy, Partner!

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For the most part, my wardrobe can easily be split up into three sections…dresses & skirts, WWII working girl/Kathrine Hepburn, and cowgirl…today I want to highlight a favorite piece of mine from the last category there, my Mexican blanket skirt.

The skirt appears home-made and I’m dying to try and make one myself.  My dad gave me a 70s blanket to use, since there was no way I’d cut up a nice older blanket.

Blouse: H Bar C, Expo, Portland
Skirt: Buffalo Exchange, Portland
Hat: Disneyland
Boots: Bohemian Vintage, Portland
Cowboy charm bracelet: Gift
Cowboy earrings: Antique Alley, Portland

Disney Dreams

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On our second day we decided to venture over to California Adventure purely to ride Tower of Terror.  I’ll come right out and say it – I am NOT a fan of California Adventure.  I believe it lacks the charm and history of Disneyland.  However, this may change when the new refurbishments are complete, but more to come on that later. To make sure we didn’t waste time in line, we walked over when California Adventure a little before ten to be there when they allowed everyone in.  We were stopped near the center of the park and waited for ten o’clock to roll around, chit-chatting with a mother and her son who arrived before us.  Eventually one of the security guards approached us, asked the mother and son if they would like to be the first ones on Tower of Terror, and then told Patrick and myself that we could go along too since we were so nice and patient.  Near ten, a group of cast members dressed in the Tower of Terror bellhop uniforms along with Chip and Dale in bellhop caps arrive, and escorted us to the Tower of Terror.

We got to sign the guestbook, and were given our own elevator to ride in before anyone else arrived! It was utterly fantastic!  And get this – the mother and son were from Seaside, Oregon! Talk about a small world!

As for the changes being made to California Adventure, they are certainly for the better.  The new entrance looks exactly like the old Pan Pacific Auditorium, and is simply stunning, especially when lit up at night…

The ideas behind the changes are to make California Adventure feel more like Disneyland and a true theme park, as opposed to an amusement park.  The park is getting an idealized pre-war Los Angeles facelift complete with red car trollies and the Carthy Circle Theater where Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered.  If you plan on attending the park anytime soon and have the time, I highly recommend visiting the Blue Sky Cellar, which is currently full of all of the concept work regards the changes.

We returned to Disneyland for lunch at the French Market which was serving up their typical New Orleans dishes along with special Mardi Gras items, including tasty desserts!  Also, since it was the Mardi Gras season, Princess Tiana was performing along the Rivers of America, followed by a meet & greet in the Court of Angels.

Tiana’s hoop skirt was so large, getting your picture taken with her if you were taller than the skirt made for difficult and awkward times! That’s why I look so goofy! The desserts were fabulous, and my cupcake had gold leaf on it! Crazy, huh?

I really enjoyed this trip because I did a lot of things I hadn’t done before, including riding the Omnibus, the Horse-Drawn Trolly and the Fire Truck!  These rides along Main Street provide a good rest for your feet, and were among some of the original attractions when the park opened in 1955.

Our vintage Kodak DualFlex camera got a lot of attention too, especially because each time we finished a roll, we had to go up to a shop and ask for a piece of tape to keep the film rolled up!  The film is due to be done on Monday! Cross your fingers they come out okay!  And of course I will be sharing them!

When in Frontierland Patrick was taking my picture (with the dual lens) in front of a cactus when Billy Hill & the Hillbillies were walking by and they came over to me saying “You look like you could use a couple of hillbillies in your picture!” and posed with me! They also told me I looked like Jessie from Toy Story!

Also in Frontierland is the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante, which has some imagery that looks suspiciously like Zorro…

However the only true place you can see Zorro in Disneyland is in the lobby of the Opera House, where they are still showing the Disneyland 50th anniversary special hosted by Steve Martin.  The special makes reference that in Frontierland kids could meet their western heroes, such as Davy Crockett and Zorro, and shows a very short clip of Guy Williams dressed as Zorro parading through Frontierland when he made his own personal appearances!

Another little tip, ladies…keep your hair simple, because this is going to happen to you…

Once again, stay tuned for more pictures!