VintageGriffin.com

Some of you might already know Alex Martin's Little Brown Dress Project. Or, as she put it, "A year-long performance project. 365 days. One brown dress. A one-woman show against fashion."

"So, here's the deal - I made this dress and I wore it every day for a year. I made one small, personal attempt to confront consumerism by refusing to change my dress for 365 days.

In this performance, I challenged myself to reject the economic system that pushes over-consumption, and the bill of goods that has been sold, especially to women, about what makes a person good, attractive and interesting. Clothes are a big part of this image, and the expectation in time, effort, and financial investment is immense. "

In case you don't know anything about Martin, in a singular protest against mindless fashionista consumerism, with a side-nod to conservation, she designed and sewed a simple brown dress that she wore every day for an entire year. Of course she washed it (I know some of you were desperately wondering). She also mixed it up a lot with other pieces of clothing she owned.

No. Really. Really and truly.

A company called Life Gem is taking the composer's hair, isolating carbons from it, and then creating three diamonds from the carbon.

Life Gem can do this with any bit of hair (or ash, from cremation). They've done it with humans and they've done it with pets.

This is the story of a vintage dress. A real vintage dress. The names (but not the prices) have been changed to protect the-some-people-or-other. (Don't worry; this story is not about me.)

I knew this dress. An early Edwardian gown. Had all her original trims. Perfect conditon.

A few years ago, before eBay revolutionized vintage, I was an auction in which hundreds upon hundreds of dresses, shawls, stoles, tippits, mitts, gloveboxes, and old sewing patterns were sold. Most of the dresses sold were between $50 and $200. When this Edwardian lady was on the block, she was clearly the highlight of the auction, and the audience crackled with bidding anticipation, paddles jaggling nervously in bidders' laps.

Martha Stewart used to wear fur. Then, somehow, the diva of domesticity crossed paths with PETA and they had a civil exchange. She was gracious enough to watch footage and read about the fur industry, and swore off pelts forever more. She took it a step further, and narrated a short video about fur practices.

I don't like to look at these things in general, but this one's worth watching. I ask you to please, please watch it, or at least just listen to the narration. It has bearing on vintage.

For casual looky-loos, vintage might seem like an inoffensive la-la land in which no controversy could ever exist -- because we're dealing with old clothes, right? Who's going to make a fuss over someone's old dress?


Well, if you've been around vintage long enough, you know that there are perennial issues that arise. A big one is fur.

(Note: I realize that a lot of folks have issues with Martha and/or PETA. In this case, I think it's advisable not to shoot either messenger. I just came across this footage randomly, and thought it was especially well-done and informative. I ask you to please watch it, despite whatever legitimate feelings you may have towards Martha or PETA.)

Why am I blogging about a chocolate fashion show that happens in -- November? In February?

Because February is Unofficial Chocolate Month. Because when I think November I think turkey not truffles. And because I don't want to forget to go this year (if I had the sheckels, I'd hop a plane to Japan and see it there -- Kyoto, Sapporo, Nagoya, and Kokura, take your pick -- as it's on through February 15th).

Blogging is great. Vintage is great. But sometimes life sucks, and interferes with the first two.

Apologies for the break in blogging. Unavoidable, pretty much.

But welcome back (to blogging) and welcome back (to you).