Hooti Couture

Sew Amazing!

Our good friend Moya just emailed us about a great website that should inspire anyone with a sewing machine or a good seamstress. It's called the Vintage Pattern Lending Library, and whether your taste leans toward a simple Vogue pattern for a classic summer blouse or a glam gown from the 1930s, you are certain to find something at vpll.org. Customer ratings can be found for some of the designs, and illustrations abound. Check it out! (And if you've never learned to sew, think about lessons! It isn't rocket science, and there's something very satisfying about something as simple as hemming a skirt or repairing a seam. And used sewing machines are often a bargain at estate sales. Melissa has a Kenmore she picked up years ago for $35, and it's still humming.)

"Cheap Chic," Then & Now

Melissa recently did an Alligators reading and vintage show 'n tell in Lafayette, which is a suburb across the bay from San Francisco. Every chair was taken, and the vintage goodies worn (and discussed) by attendees included luscious sweaters, tiny metal mesh bags, and a kangaroo-skin coat bought decades ago in Australia. And one guest, Cindy Marshall, not only offered a glimpse of the '60s, as remembered through a great black boucle dress suit that she wore to Europe, but she brought a paperback book that is as fun today as it was when it came out in 1975. Cheap Chic, by Caterine Milinaire and Carol Troy, was subtitled "Hundreds of money saving hints to create your own great look." The book was jammed with black & white photos and quirky illustrations, and topics varied from "wrapping" jersey around your body to the work of Zandra Rhodes and Diana Vreeland. One of our favorite mini-profiles, of writer Fran Liebowitz, was titled "Grouchy Simplicity." And her crankiness about "clothes with pictures and/or writing on them" makes us wonder how she's coped with the past thirty years of fashion. But one of her quotes sounds as fresh as anything in the current issue of Vogue, so we must repeat it: "My most precious possession is a terrific riding jacket that was made a century ago for the aunt of a friend. She was 80 when she died, wearing it, and it is still holding up impeccably....I wear it with $2 white cotton sailor pants." We assume that jacket finally died, but we'd love to know what replaced it in her fashion affections. As for the book itself, it has aged almost as well as a faux leopard coat or alligator bag. Cheap Chic originally sold for $5.95, but is now priced at $80 or more at assorted online book sellers. And the Cheap Chic "update", which came out in 1978, has also become a high-priced collectible. Thanks, Cindy, for reminding us of this classic.

Fall Tips & Tricks: No. 3

Golden Gloves

When the fall merchandise first went on the racks at Hooti, I had about 20 pairs of gloves—white, black and brown, from cotton to ostrich—in a basket. Four days later, only three pair remained. I've been restocking as quickly as I can, but lots of times the cotton and nylon gloves I see at auctions need laundering—and it's amazing the results you can get with just a little bit of effort.

Fill your sink or a bucket with cold water, add a little Woolite or other laundry detergent, swish your cotton or nylon gloves around for a few minutes (never mix colors!), let them soak for a couple of hours if they are seriously soiled, then rinse thoroughly, wrap in a towel to dry (no wringing!), then lay flat on a fresh, dry towel, preferably on a rack, to allow ventilation and quicker drying.

If they are white and yellowed, add a little Biz or OxiClean to the wash water and detergent, then soak for at least a couple of hours. If there are oily stains, rub some baby powder into the spots while the gloves are dry, then let them sit for a few minutes before washing. For white gloves, you can give them an extra whitening shot by drying them in the sun. If your soiled gloves are leather or suede, dry cleaning is your best option.

Fall Tips & Tricks: No. 1

Create a Bit of Neck Candy

When a mother and daughter came into Hooti Couture recently, they were carrying an expensive new steel-gray double-breasted, three-quarter wool coat from Marni that the daughter would be taking to Paris when she starts a new job later this fall. They had loved Marni’s fur collar accessories, but not the steep prices, so they took a do-it-yourself approach to give this coat added pizzazz.

Fur collars and cuffs often outlast the wool coats they originally trimmed in the 1940s and 1950s, and many vintage stores offer a selection of fur “remnants,” especially in the fall and winter. Hooti always starts the fall season with a basket full of old mink and fox pieces, in all shapes and sizes, but they never last long.

For the Marni coat, the mother-daughter team finally settled on two medium-size mink collars, in brown and black, that can sit either under the wool collar or on top of it. These collars can be held in place with a vintage brooch, or, for a more "permanent" installation,  a couple of hooks and eyes stitched to the collar and coat will do the trick.

So, whether you are headed for Paris, or staying put this fall and winter, it's incredibly easy to give your favorite coat new energy—and up-to-the minute style. 

This fall, we'll add new vintage style and shopping tips and tricks every week. And we'll answer questions, too. Just drop us a note at hooticouture@aol.com.

Tunics, Tantalizing Reds & Zadie Smith's Dresses

We stopped counting the number of times we spotted the word "vintage" in the August issue of Vogue magazine, but we don't want you to miss the high points.... For starters, check out View editor Sally Singer's report on "a new shape" (page 142). Singer loves YSL's charcoal gray tunic and pants for fall, and celebrates the tunic's fashion past, from Balenciaga to Diana Vreeland.</p>

Also not to be missed is Christy Turlington (page 208) wearing every shade of red in velvet, satin, even Mabelline's New York Express Finish nail polish in Racing Rubies (great color, great name). And, yes, there's a sequined tunic, too.

Vogue saved the best for last, with a short but rich profile of British writer Zadie Smith, in words and photos (page 246). She posed in her dressing room, looking feminine and sassy in what looks to be Forties-era vintage, her pug and a pink phone nearby.

Of course, Alison will be hunting for tunics, not to mention all things red, for Hooti's fall collection; stay tuned for opening-day details....and we'll be keeping a close eye on eBay, too.

Seventeen, Proms & Goodwill

Check out the newest issue of Seventeen magazine (yes, April 2006 is already out) for a WOW collection of vintage dresses, including several from Goodwill. The piece is titled Unique and Affordable Prom Dresses, and editors went hunting for vintage gowns that would "match" new, high-priced gowns worn by celebrities and shown in adjacent photos. It's fun!

And, speaking of Goodwill, if your spring or summer travels take you anywhere near Seattle, and you have time to dig through a store full of goodies, put Goodwill on your calendar. When Melissa was in Seattle last month to do an Alligators reading at the Bellevue Library, several locals told her she had to go to the main Goodwill store. They even gave her directions.

So, just as soon as she signed her last book, she hopped into the rental car and drove straight to the Dearborn Street exit on Interstate 5, just south of downtown Seattle. It's in an industrial neighborhood, and the huge store is just a few blocks east of the highway. What a place! Melissa killed two hours and left with an armload of goodies, even though she never made it to most of the racks.

If you do make it, say hi to employees Mary Lewis and Courtney; they both love and know their vintage. In fact, one of their dresses, a gorgeous pink strapless, made it into the Seventeen story.

From February Vogue...The Word is "Handmade"

Before your next trip to your favorite vintage or thrift store or eBay, take a peek at the newest issue of Vogue, especially pages 246 through 259. This should be ample preparation as you begin your hunt for the best spring pieces, especially if you love things crocheted, embroidered or just a bit lacy. Who knows? You might even turn a gorgeous vintage embroidered linen tablecloth into a fabulous skirt or dress. Of course, if you've got the budget, you may decide to spend almost $5,000 for a Marc Jacobs or Prada dress with gold appliques or stitching. But how much fun is that?

When In Doubt...Look It Up: A VINTAGE READING LIST

As Alison points out in Alligators..., she'd much rather just shop for vintage, and make mistakes along the way, than sit down with a stack of books and do research.

But when it came to writing a book, we wanted to get it right, so we went on a reference hunt, scouring the shelves of new and old book stores. For the most part, the best of what we found focuses on a niche. And, for collectors, especially those with big budgets, these books can be a godsend. But for most of us, these books are more like a satisfying sweet, as delectable as a hot fudge sundae or the first fall morning at a great flea market.

We could have spent a month just on Judith Miller's Collector's Guides Costume Jewelry, which makes you want to quit your job and spend every waking hour hunting for turquoise, rhinestones and pearls. But before you do this, check on the state of your 401K.

A book called Boutique, by Marnie Fogg, could drive at least a few of us to throw out our entire wardrobes in favor of the best of the '60s. And those vintage afficionados who weren't even born in 1960 must take a peak at this book. It's a great history lesson.

For a broader view of vintage, and for help both buying and wearing everything from Western wear to palazzo pants (or figuring out what they are), two entertaining options are Vintage Style, by Tiffany Dubin and Ann E. Berman, and Wearing Vintage, by Catherine Bardey. Anyone who has yet to make his or her first vintage purchase will find some new passion, thanks to one of these books.

Of course, there's much, much more in the reading/research department, and we're happy to steer you toward the best. And if you have a favorite vintage resource, please drop us a note. Find our Vintage Reading List in the right column.