Dress from Past Perfect Vintage, a member of the eVintage Society.

What is The eVintage Society?
eVintage was founded in 2006 as a on-line community in the form of a sellers collective.
By collaborating on informational projects we create bonds of partnership within our member community, helping each other to foster each of our own unique on-line vintage businesses. We continue to grow and build vintage fashion resources for everyone to enjoy. We want to not only bridge the community between sellers, but between buyers and sellers too.

Why do people join eVintage?
The opportunities at eVintage for exposure really are only limited to each member's imagination! We have so many ways to promote and participate our members and each of us contributes in some way: whether it's through style sites, blogging, research, newsletters, advertising and special promotions, eVintage wants small vintage sellers to succeed.

How can people join eVintage?
eVintage has an application page here. To apply for membership please email us at: info at evintagesociety dot com.

What does eVintage do for buyers?
eVintage offers a wealth of knowledge and resources for the buyer. We have designer bios, a vintage resource library, and we offer a streamlined portal with a great selection of sellers all in one place. We also have interactive communities on MySpace, Facebook and Squidoo. We have multiple blogs as a collective such as eVintage Village, Vintage or Bust, and eBetty DIY as well as individual sellers' blogs. Buyers can access all this info and links from our homepage at www.evintagesociety.com.

And a few more pieces of eVintage Society eye candy wouldn't hurt, would it?

I am oddly entranced with this Pink Dot Tea Dress which I found on the sale section of the Boden site (I went there last night to look for v-neck cardigans, which are on my "want" list for fall … and got distracted by the on-sale stuff). It's only available in limited sizes, and only in pink, but … it's cute! Click on the tiny image to visit their site and see a zoomable picture.

Boden calls this a Spotty Tea Dress, but that makes me think of less-pleasant things, so I will just call it a Pink Dot Tea Dress, if that's all right with y'all. Not that I don't spot myself with tea on a regular basis (drinking iced tea all day long as I do, and not being the most graceful of persons). And occasionally I'll spot other people to an iced tea. And more often than I like I break out in what the Brits call 'spots'. But I don't think I want a dress to remind me of that.

I've had generally good experiences with Boden; I have a printed twill coat of theirs which is one of my favorite things, ever. I haven't bought a dress from them yet, though, mostly because I really, really don't want to buy things without pockets. But if you don't have that odd compulsion, maybe this dress is for you? (Or you could try this one, which does have pockets — but is only in smaller sizes.)

I know I've posted about this one before, but this time I actually bought the pattern. (Don't worry — Beth sent me a link to another one, available here in B32, if you want one).

I'm still turning over in my head what I want to sew for the fall and winter. I'm thinking I might do some more pocket skirts, but I also wanted a simple dress pattern that 1) had pockets and 2) could be worn under a cardigan sweater easily (meaning — no fancy neck details).

This seems to answer my RFP nicely, doesn't it? I am thinking about these as (for lack of a better term) competency dresses. Dresses you could carry a stack of heavy books in, go up and down a ladder in, duck under a desk to re-route cables in, keep a pocketful of pencils in, etc., but which still look neat and tidy. The skirt's not too narrow or too full, the neck's neither too high (strangle-y) nor too low (cleavage-y) and the simple lines mean that you could go a bit wild with your fabric choices.

Plus, it looks as if the pattern calls for piping — both versions here have it.

I think I'd like a black lightweight denim one (with the skirt slightly shorter, maybe just below the knee) with the pockets trimmed with metal zipper; a gray poplin one trimmed with red; a dark teal with yellow piping … the list goes on.

I think the eBay auction for this is over, but Rachel sent it to me as another fauxlero example. Isn't it magnificent? (The original seller was Cinderella's Ball.)

Can't you just hear the narrator's voiceover? "Last week, Victoria found out that Geoffrey wasn't just a striving young businessman … he's the missing heir to the throne of Graustark! He's come to beg her forgiveness … but will he love the spoiled society belle as much as he loved the glove-counter clerk she was pretending to be? Let's find out this week on Vogue Pattern Theatre!"

Frankly, clerk/belle or businessman/prince, I don't care, I just think I *need* that skirt treatment … even if I will always be getting it caught in the car door. And I need it in that sensational teal color.

(But Victoria better take that hat off before he kisses her, or someone is gonna lose an eye!)

How long have you been in business?
Specialist Auctions Vintage section opened in June of 2006 but the site itself opened late in 2005.

What motivated you to go into the vintage and pattern auction business? We had a request from Margaret Bolger of Artizania to open a vintage and antique clothing section. In December of 2006 our current moderator, Margaret Leyden, joined us as a seller and co-moderator of the Vintage and Antique Clothing Section and is the moderator at this time and a member of the Vintage Fashion Guild.

Where are you based? Specialist Auctions is based in the UK but we are truly an international site with more than 50% of our sellers based in the U.S. We have vintage clothing, vintage textiles and vintage pattern sellers from Lapland, the UK, Peru and the US.

what's the weirdest/best/craziest/most beautiful thing you've ever found?
There are so many beautiful things at Specialist Auctions Vintage it would be a sin to pick just one so I'll give you four:
this zebra hostess gown from Wyoming Vintage
this 1936 home sewing magazine from Memories Past
this champagne satin party dress from Alley Cats Vintage
this popover duster dress pattern from Henrietta's Pearl Button
and, from our newest vintage pattern store, this adorable vintage jacket pattern from RetroMonde Vintage Patterns

What do you wish someone would ask you about your site?
How did we have the nerve to set the site up in the first place ?

It's a good day at work when …
We have new sellers come on board and watch them have success with selling their items. It's also great to see buyers come on board and be pleased with their purchases and the service they receive.

The pattern at the top of this post is also from RetroMonde …

If this wasn't enough Specialist Auction Action for you, check out Marge's blog, where she's been profiling SA sellers all week, in slideshows.

So this is the last iteration of Simplicity 3875, at least for Summer 2008. This is (if you don't recognize it) some of the fabric I bought at Tomato in Japan.

Here's the bodice, close-up:

There's a little white speck at the vee of the neck where I need to either clip the threads better, or color over the thread with a marker (I'm not fussy!). I used white thread for this, because I didn't really have any red or orange that looked right.

Here's the back:

I altered the pattern to add a back waist seam for ease of construction, but (as you can see) I put it in the wrong place! It's right for my Actual Waist, but wrong for the waist of the dress. I'll raise it next time, if I remember.

Here's the back, close-up:

I actually forgot that the entire back was two pieces, and not one on the fold (and so I cut it on the fold). I didn't want to have a center back seam in the skirt, though, so I left that part on the fold, and just eased it into the bodice. Worked fine. (I didn't want to leave the back bodice on the fold, because that would have screwed up the neck facing, possibly.)

I do this sort of stuff ALL THE TIME (especially if I'm in a hurry) and it's almost always recoverable. A slightly smaller or bigger seam allowance here, a few unplanned gathers there, and everything works out okay. You can do a lot of "fixing" if you just think about it for a few minutes before you give up. (Of course, I wouldn't have to do so much "fixing" if I spent those few minutes thinking before I cut out the pattern pieces, but I suppose that's why they're called "mistakes", and not "happy fun time jitterbug sparkles".)

Despite the mistakes, though, I was really happy with this dress. The fabric is beautiful; smooth and light, and I love the colors. I got a lot of compliments on this dress … I wish we still had another month of summer for me to wear it in!

But anyway, speaking of "happy fun time jitterbug sparkles", Penny at Antique Dollhouse of Patterns is offering this pattern free to whoever clicks on it first. Go!

And Ingrid is giving away patterns here — but you have tell her what you like most about Spring (guess what hemisphere Ingrid is in)?

So this is from the new Garnet Hill catalog, from which I buy something once every three or so years, and from whom I receive a catalog roughly every three weeks. (I really, really need to get off some mailing lists.)

But it's also the kind of thing I'm thinking about for fall (more on that anon, if by "anon" you mean "in a few days, or maybe next week"). A deep-toned floral print, able to be worn alone or with a cardigan into early October, and then right on through November with tights (although I don't like the black tights they show with this; I'd want maroon or a deep rose, or maybe even camel, except that every time I wear camel-colored tights I think that someone, somewhere, is going to think I have a very, very odd tan).

This would be cute with loafers, and also with grannyish ankle boots, and even with lace-up oxfords, and flamboyantly gorgeous with a brown suede three-quarter-length coat tossed over it. (A coat WHICH I just happen to have, incidentally. And which I do not wear nearly as often as I should because it has no pockets, alas.)

Click on the image to visit the Garnet Hill site; I think this is about $138, plus shipping. It's available in up to an 18 (or up to a 14 petite).

A few housekeeping things: I'm thinking about redesigning the blog and perhaps — perhaps, I say — moving to WordPress. Does anyone have any suggestions? I think this would be a loooong-term project, so don't expect to see a new design next week.

I also missed doing anything for Sept 1, which I think we had tentatively decided would be International Dress Day (that is, a day for dresses around the world, not "International Dress" whatever that is). So I think perhaps we should declare September 15 "International Wear a Dress Day (observed)". What do you all think? (I did wear a dress yesterday, and I'll show you the picture of it tomorrow.)

Theresa sent this in as an example of a fauxlero, which it might be, but it's also an example of the kind of dress that makes me wince. It's Cavalli, of course, who is the King of Wince as far as I'm concerned, but I'm sure I would be just as flinchy if it were Calvin Klein.

I know a lot of people love them and that they're sometimes considered kicky and retro and cool, but I just Don't Get animal prints. I feel like they are altogether too much like work; either you have to BE the leopard-print-wearing sexpot implied by your dress, or you have to be constantly elbowing everyone in the metaphorical ribs, saying "Get it? Get it? I'm playing with notions of sexuality (or class, or whatever). Grrr."

Of course, there are scores of things that I don't especially like that many other people enjoy immensely: bananas, Larry David, and the "music" of Rush come immediately to mind. And the number of things that I like that other people can't stand are also legion: the color orange, smelling like a box of Good & Plentys, extremely vulgar and palindromic hip-hop, liverwurst. De gustibus, and all that.

So every time I feel the urge to issue some kind of sartorial fiat, declaring animal prints (or sweatpants with "Juicy" written across the butt, or that godawful David Yurman jewelry) non grata, I think — "Wait a minute, what if someone out there loves lycra tiger stripes as much — or more — than I love liverwurst? Who am I to begrudge them their happiness?" So I don't.

I still wish Cavalli would retire, though. Hasn't the man done enough? (Although, come to think of it, this isn't bad …)

Today we talk with Anna at BootyVintage …

How long have you been in business?

I started selling vintage sewing patterns, vintage clothing, and doing custom costuming in the 90's. I think I sold my first item on ebay (a silk turn of the century day dress) in 1997. I used a 60 Mb pink plastic Barbie digital camera to take the photos and a dial up modem connection to upload. Thankfully my equipment is a little more sophisticated now.

What motivated you to go into the vintage business?

There are only so many clothes I can wear at one time, and I wanted to share what I found but didn't fit. I'm less interested in collecting than in creating and wearing.

What did you do before this?

In addition to my vintage business, I have always had a day job in software engineering in the Silicon Valley. I also play French horn in a community orchestra.

Where are you based?

I live on the San Francisco Peninsula in California.

What's the weirdest/best/craziest/most beautiful thing you've ever found?

Several years ago I found 10 pair of Levi's big E jeans (super collectible, especially in Japan) at a $1.00/bag Rotary rummage sale. I felt like I was on Antiques Road Show! Another great find was a complete set of 1930's Shirley Temple doll clothes patterns I discovered hidden inside a manila envelope for another doll pattern. Once I found a real Hermés scarf at an Idaho thrift shop for $5.99. And then there are the other six thousand hours of digging through estate sales and flea markets to find nothing. C'est la vie!

What do you have in stock that you can't believe hasn't sold?

I think this pattern rocks, including the artwork, but it hasn't found its destined owner yet.

What do you dream about finding?

Someday there will be a big bold Lanvin necklace just waiting for me in a junk jewelry pile….

What do you enjoy most about working with vintage patterns?

I am crazy about the artwork on the envelopes. (I even like the way the early envelopes feel!) I love scanning and making thumbnails for Etsy. And of course I love sewing up items too. I just finished a 50's floor length summer bathrobe with a full skirt and fitted bodice. I feel so glamorous now that I am out of my shapeless winter fleece.

What do you wish someone would ask you about your site?

I'm always interested to know what people are hungry for. Is it wrap skirts or more shirtdresses, or … ?

It's a good day at work when …

I get off early from my day job and have time to sew before dinner.

The blogs I read (other than ADAD) are …

The Sartorialist
A Year in Exile
My Favorite Intermissions
Belle Dia

You'd laugh if you knew this about me …

I have never gotten a zipper in correctly on the first try in my life. Not once.

Oh, and in other news, it was frequent-commenter Eirlys's birthday yesterday, and her husband gave her a PRESERVING PAN. Which is all well and good (and I would, in fact, like to own one myself, not that I do any canning or preserving, it just seems like a fun thing to have in reserve against the coming apocalypse) but it's not very birthdayish. So in order to cheer her up a bit (and if you're on Facebook) I highly recommend joining The International Sewing Conspiracy.

I don't usually put out pattern calls (because otherwise that's all I'd do, and because putting out pattern calls often alerts folks that a particularly desirable pattern EXISTS, which usually leads to even more people looking for it, benefiting the original pattern-coveter not a whit) but I am making an exception in this case because 1) it's for a wedding, specifically Shannon's wedding, and 2) it is completely freaking gorgeous.

So, if you have a line on this pattern, will you let me know? Or if you know of a modern equivalent, or something that could be altered into a reasonable facsimile of this pattern …

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, I don't know how many of y'all Twitter, but I have decided that it would be a Very Funny Idea if I were to twitter as Fake Diana Vreeland, sending out "Why Don't You …" tweets (both some of her original ones and new ones in her "style") at irregular intervals. If you are on Twitter and want to follow Fake Diana Vreeland, she is here. (I also tweet random words at this Twitter account.)

Also: to come later this week: the return of the Meet Our Advertisers feature!