What a difference a photo makes

OK, so I definitely already knew this, but it has just been underlined, put into bold typeface and neon lights.

A good photograph can make or break a sale.

You need to be able to trust your retailer, especially in an online situation where a photograph and honest description are what you have to rely on.

As I have a particular look that I want for the website, I very often can’t use the suppliers’ photographs and have to reshoot the clothes myself. This has been an interesting learning curve… tricksy, slippery, creasing, moving fabric!

I have been fortunate though that the stock that I have ordered in has been of the quality that I wanted. Ordering online isn’t just a risk for the general public… imagine ordering 6 copies of the same thing, not knowing what the quality and fabric was going to be like… I guess I’ll have this joyful experience every time I find a new supplier too! :0)

I have started some clothing boards on Pinterest and whilst flitting around the interwebs, looking at STUNNING vintage couture (seriously, you need to click on that link!), I found the perfect example of the difference good and meh photography can make.

Example One:

Looks… OK… I might have a closer look if I saw it jammed into a rack of vintage clothing but it doesn’t exactly leap out. It’s obviously see-through so there’s the matter of finding an appropriate slip. It looks a bit yellowed, a bit dingy, the flowers a bit crushed. The right side looks like its pooched out a bit on the hip, and who needs extra pooching there?

However, I would be so completely wrong to not take this dress seriously and jump on it and sprint to the cash register.

Example Two:

WOW!!

This is actually a dress from the House Of Lanvin, designed and made in France in 1937 of silk and cotton.

What a difference!

I don’t think this is a case of the photography being deceptive either. Example two simply shows the dress to its best advantage. It shows you what it can be. Example one leaves that all to your imagination, and whilst I take my hat off to those that can see that straight away, I need a little help.

So, that’s what I’ve had underlined to me this week. The learning continues. :0)

Denise

PS. Seriously… check out my Pinterest boards. The prettiest dresses and suits and shoes you ever will see.

One week in

So one week after launching the Crimson Gardenia website and a bit has happened. :0)  Thank goodness!!

I won’t bore you with the details but in a nutshell (I just can’t hear that phrase without thinking of Austin Powers)… I started the website, did up a Crimson Gardenia Facebook page, invited all my Aussie lady friends… I omitted most of the gents as it felt a bit odd to invite them to look at lady clothes, however, I should remember that jewellery has no sizing and everyone needs to buy presents, right?

I received my first order and did a happy happy joy joy dance around my room.

I also received an overseas enquiry, which was awesome.

One of the other things that made me go “awwwww!!” was my friend Laura writing about my business venture on her blog, Lindy Shopper. A completely lovely surprise as Laura is such an inspiring woman. She dances, she sings, she plays music, she started her own band, she writes about her vintage clothing passions on the blog, she DJs, she bakes and she holds down a very grown up serious job!

There hasn’t been a lot of movement on the website front this week in terms of new products, but there is plenty going on behind the scenes.

I am planning on releasing a few of my own vintage dresses back into the wild, partly to help fund the business but, honestly, it is mainly because I feel bad that they aren’t being worn! Some of them no longer fit me so there is no point in me hoarding them. I would much rather they be out there, being used for the purpose that they were made for. Granted, they are more fragile than a new garment but with careful handling they can definitely still be worn and hopefully be around for many more years to come.

As part of the shedding process, I have also decided to sell my wedding dress. I just love this dress. It holds such wonderful memories for me but, again, I would much prefer that someone else benefit from its beauty, rather than it sitting in a box under my bed.

So I have put it up on a wedding dress sales site called Still White and throw it out to the universe to find her her new owner.

In the meantime though, since the photo shoot she is hanging about on my mannequin, staring moodily out the window and I can’t help but think of Miss Havisham.

It’s starting to feel like I have a weird, reclusive roommate… kind of like having a cat I suppose.

Anyway, that’s it for now – please feel free to mention my little ol’ business on your blogs, on Facebook, to your friends and families… you know. If you feel like it. :0)

Denise

A new chapter!

Hi folks!

Yep… it’s been a long time, I know, but I have a pretty good reason.

Unfortunately the reason may actually mean that a number of you may no longer follow my blog as it, like my life, is about to take a major change in direction.

I know that many of you have come to my blog from Sew Retro and are therefore interested in seeing sewing adventures, but – well, to be honest that hasn’t happened a lot in my life lately anyway – there isn’t going to be a lot of that here in the future.

Due to a series of events that the universe has put in my life over the last 12 months, I have decided to bite the bullet and go for it… I’ve started my own business!!

Really, you only get one go around in this life and wishing for something doesn’t make it happen. Nothing ventured, nothing gained… how many more clichés can I come up with here?

Late last year I had an epiphany and realised that I am entirely capable of running a business and it was time to stop making excuses as to why I couldn’t. Yes, money is going to be an issue for quite some time but it is amazing what you can get used to.

Curbing my casual shoe collection and buying things on a whim – even small things like a takeaway latte – isn’t a massive problem but saying no to outings with friends because I really cannot afford it has been harder… and as for weekends away and holidays… wow, they are so far off my radar that it isn’t funny.

So what am I doing, you ask?

I heard of an amazing Australian government programme called NEIS – New Enterprise Incentive Scheme – around Christmas last year and knew it was for me.

Basically, you apply with a new business idea – you can’t already be running the business, you can’t buy an established business and you can’t buy a franchise – and if accepted, you go through a 7 week Small Business Management course (which is normally done as a 9 month course!), then, (presuming you pass the course), you are officially employed by the government to run your business for 12 months, which includes financial support (not huge, but enough to cover your rent and food and take that little bit of pressure off the new business), a business mentor and quarterly check-ins to make sure the ship is sailing smoothly.

How amazing is that?! The best start any small business could ask for. Being a government plan that has been running since the 1980s, you can bet it is a successful venture or it would have been canned long ago.

So, I finished the course and learned a tonne of things, made some great new friends, came out with a fantastic business plan… but it wasn’t the same idea that I went in with.

I mean, the basic outline is the same – I am selling vintage-style women’s clothing and accessories – but instead of the bricks and mortar shopfront that I envisaged (and, by the way, still definitely want!) I am in the online realm!

Crimson Gardenia

Yep! I have the biggest grin on my face as I type this post. I have finally done it!

It is not exactly what I planned, but I have made a start and that is the main thing. All things going well, I hope to open a bricks and mortar store sooner rather than later, but in the meantime I’m exploring the digital world and getting Crimson Gardenia out there.

I am only shipping to Australian addresses to start with, but I hope that the pictures and conversations on this blog will still have some relevance to your interests.

I am, of course, always interested in hearing your feedback and suggestions. I am starting out with a small range but any suggestions for other suppliers or products are very, very welcome. I would definitely love to have more Australian content on my website, so if you know of any manufacturers… please send them my way

I’m sure that more than one of you will recognise this lovely lady! Bernie Dexter designs and manufactures her own clothing range and I’m very pleased to be one of her stockists.

She truly cares about her customers and as excellent customer service and quality products are my priorities, I think we make a good fit. It also doesn’t hurt that she is a strong, independent woman who is doing her own thing – and is as nice as pie!

So, that’s what I’ve been up to. I’m pretty excited about it – and why wouldn’t I be? I’m finally following my dream!

Denise xx

Dancing–it’s the light of my life

Dancing has come to mean a lot to me over the past 12 years.

It’s brought me joy – the joy of movement, the joy of music, the joy of completing some tricky choreography, the joy of winning a competition, the joy of performing.

It’s brought me a huge circle of friends and acquaintances all over the world.

It’s taken me to places on the globe that I would never have otherwise visited.

It’s given me the opportunity to teach and share my love of dancing with others.

It’s given me the chance to write choreography myself – something I never thought I’d do.

With all of that in mind, I wanted to share some of the videos that make me smile – think of it as my Christmas present to you. :0)

First up, a video that I have watched a LOT over the last few weeks. It saddens me that these two geniuses of dance did not perform together more often. I love the steps, the choreo, the execution and the humour. Just brilliant and never fails to raise a smile from me… and I love showing it to other people

Gene Kelly & Fred Astaire–The Babbitt & The Bromide

Second up is a video taken at the Swing Patrol Christmas party in Melbourne last year. This group contains such a talented and passionate bunch of individuals, all of whom I’m proud to call friends.

Echoes Of Harlem–Everybody Loves My Baby

Next is a video that was taken at this year’s Melbourne Swing Patrol Christmas Party.

Harlem Shout– Boys’ routine

Another video that I love to watch is this next one. It features two world-class dancers – Bobby White and Kelly Arsenault – competing in a Jack & Jill competition. I’ve written about those before but basically you are randomly paired with a partner just before you go on, so it is testing your leading and following skills. I just love the musicality that they both extract from this piece of music, all the while continuing to do their jobs of leading (him) and following (her). Great stuff!

Kelly & Bobby – Lindy Focus 2011

Finally, this is a video of the first piece of choreography I have ever written (with some extensive help from my dance partner John, who figured out who to turn “I want them to do this” *wavey hands and cheesy movements* into something actually workable).

This was performed at the Swing Patrol Performance Ball at the end of October this year and is our level 1, 2 and 3 students.

Swing Patrol’s Balpit 2011 students

We had some last minute problems on the night which meant we had to do some quick partner changes just before we went on, but everyone handled themselves beautifully, despite the changes plus the usual nerves and just got on with the show. So proud!

I hope this post brings a smile to your face and maybe even inspires you to seek out a local dance class or hire a DVD or even just put on a favourite track and bounce around the room for a few minutes. Personally, I can’t dance and be in a bad mood – I might start out that way, but the feeling just goes away. I hope that’s the same for everyone.

Season’s greetings everyone – may your December be full of love, happiness, music and dance!

Cheers,

Denise

I’m back!

Oops… that was one heck of a long absence… my apologies.

I have actually been trying to write a post for a while now, but I had a major computer rebuild a couple of months ago and Windows Live Writer disappeared completely.

Now, I know that its kind of a weak excuse but I love the simplicity that Live Writer brings to writing a blog post… and to demonstrate my commitment to simplicity I have spent… oh, I think maybe 8 or so HOURS trying to reinstall it!

Firstly the computer told me it needed me to download a ‘service pack 2’ and a “platform update’.

Sounds simple huh? Thirteen downloads and COUNTLESS computer restarts later… including one very detectivey-sleuthy download that turned into four separate downloads when the one click version wouldn’t work… and I have Windows Live Writer!

VICTORY! I feel a little “ALL THE THINGS!!” right now.

Hyperbole And A Half - This Is Why I'll Never Be An Adult

I do love this blog.

Another brilliant Aunty gift!

Looking back over my last few posts of last year, I realised that I didn’t write anything about the emotional turmoil that my family was going through at the end of October.

My Aunty Patty – sister to seamstress Aunty Bub and to my Dad (as well as Aunty Bonnie, Uncle Johnny and Uncle Bernie) – had been fighting lung cancer last year and sadly she passed away on October 23… which is my Dad’s birthday and last year was the day Uncle Johnny was getting married.

Of course there is never a good day, but this one was particularly unfortunate.

Her funeral was held on November 1 – which is my birthday… like I said, there’s never a good day.

Anyway, she was a wonderfully warm and happy person and I miss her dearly.

I recently caught up with my cousin Carol, Pat’s daughter, and she was so very, very kind as to give me one of Aunty Patty’s books – an innocuous looking red-covered book called The Universal Measure: The Golden Rule - Lutterloh

BUT… what an amazing bounty lies within its pages!!

      

There are some beautiful outfits in this book including, as you can see, wedding dresses, suits, day wear, dickies, collars and cuffs, overcoats, swimsuits, nightwear and childrens clothing.

The truly amazing thing though…?

Yep. 307 patterns included in the book!!! MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED!

It is an incredible book – not the least of which are the illustrations. The clothes are just beautiful.

The only bugger is that the Luttersloh rule isn’t in the book, which is what you use to scale up the patterns… but hey, I’m a creative person, I’ll make do. :0)

I have to confess, I’m feeling so conflicted right now – I have such an amazing family that I am so grateful for, but at the same time I am watching the devastating news footage coming in from Christchurch in New Zealand. My thoughts and prayers are with the city and indeed the entire country.

Australia and New Zealand have certainly been through some trying times of late with devastating floods, bushfires, hurricanes and now earthquakes.

Is Mother Nature trying to tell us something?

This post is dedicated to the memory of Catherine Patricia. 8/8/28 – 23/10/10

Butterick 8084 – made up

That heading feels like such a lie… but it isn’t!

Butterick 8084 is definitely made up – and how – but I cannot tell a lie, it was not my sewing skills that got the job done.

Lovely Aunty Bub made this one up some years ago – quite some years ago – and once again its lucky old me that gets to benefit.

Aunty Bub wore the dress for a while, then passed it on to her daughter Yvonne, whose daughter Alicia wore it once before she grew out of it… so its been handed to me… and I just love it.

It’s a tight squeeze but I think its worth it.

So, to refresh your memory (and mine) – here’s the pattern… its the ‘my hips, my arms, my boobs’ one, where Ms View C’s head is bigger than her waist…

And here’s what happens when Aunty Bub gets hold of some beautiful pink cottonish material that has pink flower sprays embroidered on it. You can just see one near my knee.

But seriously – check out the shoes. Original 1940s WHITE suede pumps. The arch in these shoes is out of control but you do get used to them.

Here’s a shoe-tastic Christmas flavoured shot, with two-day-old pincurls and my summer-no-show ghostly tan… :0)

I’ll make sure if I make this one up myself to add a little length to the skirt panels to hide those knees away, but overall it’s a lovely fit.

I really am very lucky – and appreciate the heck out of my family! :0)

Aunty Bub also passed a couple of sweet and simple shift dresses to me when I was about 16 and they are made of a very similar material, again with embroidered flowers on them. Sadly they no longer fit me but I still have them so tomorrow I will dig them out and take some up close and personal shots of those flowers. They are simply lovely.

As are talented, generous Aunties with great taste!!