Shoes glorious shoes!


There are times when your personal budget does not lend itself to buying a gown or dress for that special occasion, be it a wedding, dance or holiday party. So what better way to perk up an outfit you already own than with a pair of shoes from Love Train Vintage!




Vintage 1980s Red Velvet Stilettos with
Satin Bows size 8.5M




Vintage 1950s Di Orsini Black Stilettos size 8




Vintage 1950s Nanette Originals
Silver Stilettos size 7AAAA

Make your own mix and match wardrobe! The sky's the limit!

One of my favorite type of patterns is the wardrober or mix and match separates. You can mix and match your fabrics and make an interexchangeable wardrobe with many options. Take just 3 pairs of shoes, a couple of belts, scarves and pins and have fun making up a multitude of outfits! To help you achieve this we've chosen several of our favorite patterns below.


Vintage 1966 Simplicity Coat Jacket Skirt
Blouse Pattern 6748 Size 20 1/2
B41 W35 H45 uncut in FF


Vintage 1970 Simplicity Pattern 9157 Dress
and Coat Size 18 B40 W31 H42


Vintage 1970 Simplicity Dress and Coat
Two Lengths Pattern 9122 Size 12
B34 W25 1/2 H36

So whatever look you crave you'll find the pattern for it at Born Too Late Vintage Patterns!

Hats are the cherry on top!


Be it for fall, winter or a special holiday party nothing is more beautiful than a hat! It's like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae! It finishes off your ensemble.


Vintage 1960s Tan and Light Brown
Felt Leaves Clip Hat w netting



Vintage 1960s Mocha Straw Mad Men
Concentric Circles Pillbox Hat



Vintage 1960s Womens Coralie Plush
Dark Brown Fedora Hat


Vintage 1950s Mr. K Originals Black Wool
Fedora w Iridescent Black Feathers

So check out Love Train Vintage for all your hat needs!

Fabulous Brocade is just one choice for the holiday parties!


The holidays aren't far away and there will be oodles of celebrations not to mention corporate parties galore! Why not shop early and beat the rush? Buying a vintage gown means never having to duck out the back door when the boss' wife comes in wearing the same gown as you!


Vintage 1960s Blue Turquoise,
Gold and Silver Floral
Brocade Gown B30 W26 H34



Vintage 1960s Red Rose Brocade
Gown Dress B28 W22 H34 XS



Vintage 1960s Black and
Gold Brocade Modest
Mad Men Gown B38 W38 H42


For more fabulous holiday party dressing visit Born Too Late Vintage!

Vintage Cardigan Sweaters for Every Taste

There is nothing nicer than a little cardigan for cool fall mornings~ we have a style for everyone, from classic white, stripes and even beautiful embroidered ones at Love Train Vintage!


Beautiful pink Helen Harper Cardigan
with DARLING embroidered butterflies



Timeless and beautiful to go anywhere!
Vintage 1960s Plush White Super Turbo
Orlon Cardigan Sweater B36



Beautiful Fall colors Benetton Mohair
Cardigan ~ classic stripes, 80s sweater


All these beautiful sweaters and more are available at
Love Train Vintage

Open house at Dingman-Delaware Middle School


As usual with great trepidition I went to our local middle school's open house. I say with trepidition because I always worry about whether my girls will be a good fit with their teachers. Middle school (6th, 7th and 8th grade here) means just about a different teacher for each class. So instead of having one personality to work with there are anywhere from 5 to 7 different teachers, all with different styles.

Having two daughters in middle school also means that I had to pick and choose which teachers to go see as we had around 10 minutes in each classroom to meet the teachers.

When meeting my 6th grader's teachers what I found as a common thread was that the teachers really put an emphasis on respect for themselves and for the students. They also spoke of discipline and being prepared for class. I really felt that they wanted the best for my daughter and would give their all to give it to her. I left her classes feeling that she indeed would have a great year in 6th grade.

My oldest daughter is in 8th grade this year and taking all AP classes. She just made a very conscious decision to end her field hockey days as 3 games in one week (last week's schedule) was not helping her grades and she decided that those have to come first, a decision she made on her own and that was supported by DH and I wholeheartedly. I'm pleased that she was able to make this decision on her own by weighing the pros and cons. She has become quite the young lady over the past 3 years and is really becoming her own person and forming her own opinions.

Her teachers were a delight. They spoke of determination, hard work and again keeping on task and making sure that if there might be issues that the lines of communication are open. Even though I entered my daughter's algebra class wincing (algebra and I do not get along!), I left that classroom knowing that my daughter will be fine because her teacher will help her on her math journey.

My daughter is also taking French. This is her second year. What I did not realize is that her French classes are high school level. When she started talking about what language she wanted to take in 7th grade we talked about the merits of French over Spanish over German. I voiced my opinion that I thought Spanish was the way to go. She really wanted to take French so I decided to step back and let her loose. It was a great decision because she loves French and she's doing great. There are times when your kids actually know what's best for them.

I especially liked her social studies teacher. He asked us if the kids were coming home and talking to us about the discussions they were having in class. They are talking a lot about current events such as the mosque being built in New York City, the economy, etc. In discussing what is going on in the classroom with my daughter I am learning more and more about her and seeing how much she has actually listened to what I've said in the past and how it has shaped her opinions. Her social studies teacher has stated he does not voice his personal opinion in class. He encourages all the kids to voice their opinions in a polite way and to get them involved as they are going to become the leaders of tomorrow and they need to be informed.

So what started out in trepidition ended in respect and admiration for the teachers of the Dingman-Delaware Middle School. They are fighting the good fight helping to raise the next generation of movers and shakers. I look forward to working with them to make this the best school year ever for my girls.

Is blue the new black?



Regardless of the era, blue or blue with background prints will always be a great alternative to severe black. They're classic without being staid, gloomy or severe. Here are just a few examples that are available to you from Love Train Vintage.


Vintage 1940s Lora Lenox Sculptured
Charm Navy Crepe and Satin Cocktail
Dress w Cummerbund Satin Belt
B32 W30 H36



Vintage 1940s Navy Blue
& White Polka Dot Rayon
Dress B36 W30 H40



Vintage 1960s NWT Tally-Ho
White, Blue & Black Floral
Print Dress B42 W36 H40



Vintage 1960s Mad Men Classic Navy Blue
Dress & Coat Ensemble B38 W34 H38



Vintage 1970s doing 1940s Novelty
Print Dress Petite B34 W30 H46

My family will never forget


I remember the day as if it was yesterday. My mother-in-law called me and told me to turn on the tv. That was around 9:30. I worked at home at the time as a medical transcriptionist with my young daughters, age 4 and 3 playing in my office/playroom.

I went out to the living room and tried to turn on WABC. There was no signal. Little did I know that their transmission tower was gone. I changed channels and found out that the Trade Center towers in New York were gone.

All I could think of was where was my cousin Michael, who worked in the city. He works for a company that maintains elevator service. I prayed that he was not in the towers working that day.

I tried to get in touch with my husband at work in New Jersey but all the lines were busy. You could not even get a call through. A bit later I heard about the plane going into the Pentagon. I tried to call my grandmother because she lives not too far from Camp David and Washington, D.C. Again I could not get through on the phone. All the circuits were busy.

I tried to find my immediate family members to make sure they were all safe. No go. All circuits busy. I remember thinking that somehow I had to keep things calm and quiet for my girls.

An hour after my mother-in-law's call my husband came home from work. The owner of the company he was working for then let all the employees come home to be with their families. I remember getting the kids ready to go out. My husband and I bought bottled water, powdered milk, and stocked up on things that would allow us to feed our family for an extended period of time. We bought extra gasoline. My husband bought ammunition for his gun in case things got bad and he had to hunt to provide for us. We basically went directly into survival mode since we didn't know the full extent of what was going on.

Finally the next day we found out that my cousin Michael was safe at home having gotten out of the city late on 9/11. Only later did we find out he had spent a couple of weeks prior to 9/11 maintaining the elevators.

We also found out that my Uncle Robert had been scheduled to fly out on the ill fated flight that went down in Pennsylvania. He decided for some reason to change his flight and fly out the following day instead. We were very fortunate that he was not on that flight. I have no doubt that had he been on it, our family would have been brought to our knees. We had just lost my father the month before and I can only speak for myself when I say that if we had lost my Uncle Robert that day, I would have just completely lost it.

In the weeks following 9/11 we started doing things differently. We spent more time with our daughters. Each week I bought more canned goods and powdered milk and bottled water to have on hand. My husband all but became obsessed with following the news. Many tears were shed as he watched the footage. When he lived in Guttenberg, NJ he had trained as a volunteer firefighter with the men and women on the NYC fire department in one of the firehouses that were involved on 9/11.

We also found out that many local families were devastated on 9/11. Our community of Dingmans Ferry, PA has a large amount of mothers, fathers, and grandparents who work in the NYC. Our neighbors lost many family members on that day.

I talked to my mother who was still living at that time and I asked her if what we were experiencing was anything like what my parents experienced during the Cuban Missile Crisis. She said it was even worse than that because we had actually been attacked. During the Cuban Missile crisis there of course was no attack. She likened it more to the attack on Pearl Harbor, with the difference being that innocent everyday citizens were murdered. It wasn't an action just against our military. It was an attack on Americans from regular everyday walks of life. These were people who were living the American dream, earning a living for their families.

So today my mind is full of the remembrances of 9/11/2001. My heart aches for those who lost family, friends and acquaintances on that day. My heart aches for those first responders who died in the aftermath from breathing in all the toxic fumes, ash, etc. at the site of the catastrophe.

I will spend my day in quiet reflection and pray that my children will never again in their lives have to deal with something like this.

So what does Little House on the Prairie have to do with 1920s-1930s music you might ask? Well I'm here to fill in the blanks for you.

My youngest daughter loves watching Little House on the Prairie reruns. Now my oldest daughter and I are really tired of this show. We both find it infinitely depressing. There are tragedies on this show more often than not and we are just about burned out from this.

However, that said, even Little House on the Prairie can get you thinking about seemingly unconnected things like 1920s 1930s music. DH and youngest daughter were watching Little House on The Prairie and DH spotted an actor whom he thought was Johnny Crawford, son of Lucas McCain on The Rifleman, a show my husband and I enjoyed when we were kids. The actor certainly had the look of Johnny Crawford so I hit the internet and googled Johnny Crawford.

Well DH was right again. He has the uncanny ability to pick out faces of actors and actresses even if they started out as child actors and spot them years later. So while I was reading about Johnny Crawford I found something out. Johnny Crawford lives in a past era! No it's not the era The Rifleman or Little House on the Prairie is set in. It's the 1920s-1930s!

Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra has been around for 17 years according to Mr. Crawford's myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/johnnycrawfordorchestra

I thought you might enjoy listening to some cool 1920s-1930s music so get ready for a treat. Who knows what googling might bring us next!

The Wedding Dress

They were just about done cleaning out the closets and the attic when they found it. It was made of white eyelet. The sleeves were long and puffed with a cuff that gathered the sleeve tight on the wrist and closed with snaps. It had a tie that was long enough to fasten at the waist in a bow in the back. The bottom was decorated with a ruffle of more eyelet fabric and the gown was fully lined. The neckline was squared out with eyelet bust gathers to softly enhance the bust line. They unfolded it and put it on their old maid aunt's dress form that had been used in their aunt's work area. The gown was as pristine as the day it was completed.

They wondered whose dress it was as it was obvious it had never been worn. They decided to try asking their mother, if they could track her down. She was always flitting here and there and was hard to pin down, but they needed to know whose gown it was before they decided what to do with it.
　
After several days of playing telephone tag with their mother, the girls, Maggie and Joan, finally were able to catch up with their mother. She finally called from Côte d'Azur, while in between parties. She told the girls she had but a few minutes before her special friend, Jon Luc, came to escort her to a ball they were attending.
　
Maggie and Joan quietly told their mother of the wedding gown fashioned out of white eyelet and asked her whose it was. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone and then a long drawn out sigh. Their mother, finally broke the silence and said in a soft, whispery voice they had never heard before, "It was your Aunt Beth's gown." The girls were stunned. Tough old Aunt Beth's gown? Aunt Beth, who in their eyes was the most independent woman they'd ever met? Aunt Beth, who never met a man she couldn't best?

The girls asked their mother who Aunt Beth was going to marry and why it didn't happen, but their mother said she had to go as Jon Luc had arrived. Their mother promised to call them the next day and said she would explain. But as always, their mother forget about Aunt Beth the moment her newest "special friend" arrived and didn't call the girls back and didn't return their calls.

Maggie and Joan were enterprising young women and they decided to see what they could find out on their own. They just had to know why Aunt Beth had not gotten married. Aunt Beth had always lived in the same town and was known as a bit of a firebrand when it came to female supremacy. The thought of Aunt Beth getting married just didn't fit Maggie and Joan's image of Aunt Beth. Still, if mother said it was Aunt Beth's wedding gown then there was an interesting story behind it.
　
The girls decided to search on the internet to see what they could find out. Fortunately for them they found articles about Aunt Beth from the times she had led protests for womens rights and the self righteous speeches she had made. There was noted a particular incident where Aunt Beth had smacked the mayor in the nose when he got too familiar with her. Aunt Beth had to be bailed out for that incident. There was a man by the name of Lawrence Beck named in the paper as her attorney of record. So with that tidbit of information Maggie and Joan decided to search for this Lawrence Beck and try to make sense of the mysterious wedding dress.

The girls went to the local legal aid office to see if anyone knew how to get in touch with Mr. Beck. They reasoned by the dates provided in the article that they found on the internet that Mr. Beck must be in his 70s by now. Imagine their surprise when the young man in the legal aid office not only knew Mr. Beck, but was his grandson, Lawrence Beck the first. L.B., as he was called, told Maggie and Joan they could get in touch with his grandfather at Shady Pines, the local nursing home. He recommended that they get there around 9 as that was when his grandfather was most alert. The girls decided to visit Mr. Beck the next day as it was already going on 4:30 that day and so they waited, wondering just what they would find out the next day.

The next day bright and early the girls made their way to Shady Pines. The nurse in charge told them not to excite Mr. Beck too much as he rarely had visitors except for his grandson, L.B. twice a week. So Maggie and Joan quietly made their way down the hall to Mr. Beck's room. When they arrived at his room they were surprised to see Mr. Beck sitting at a desk furiously writing a letter and muttering under his breath. The girls knocked on the door quietly and Mr. Beck looked up in astonishment! "Mauve and Beth? What brings you here?" Maggie and Joan just looked at each other. Mr. Beck had called them by their mother and aunt's names.

Mr. Beck struggled to stand. He realized after a moment that these girls were not Mauve and Beth. Was his mind playing tricks on him yet again? The girls tentatively identified themselves to Mr. Beck as Maggie and Joan Anderson, the daughters of Mauve and nieces of Beth Anderson. Mr. Beck said, "It's like traveling back in time to the 1960s! You have the look of your mother, Joan and Maggie is the spitting image of your Aunt Beth.

The girls just looked at each other dumbfounded. They just could not see the resemblance to their mother or aunt at all. Still, time has the tendency to change things and of course Mother had had all that plastic surgery so maybe they did resemble their mother and aunt.

In any case, Maggie and Joan asked Mr. Beck if they could sit down as they had some questions to ask about their Aunt Beth. Mr. Beck was gracious and said he'd be glad to answer any of their questions. Maggie decided to take the lead and talked to Mr. Beck about her Aunt Beth's sudden death and the discovery of her wedding dress. Mr. Beck sighed and said, "I heard of Beth's death but I just could not face attending the funeral. It was just beyond what my heart could take."

The girls looked at each other and again wondered if Mr. Beck's connection to Aunt Beth was more than client and attorney. Mr. Beck removed his glasses and started to clean them with his starched white handkerchief. He said, "You girls probably don't know this but Beth was engaged to my older brother, Frank. Frank started bringing her around when I was just 10 years of age. I fell for her hard like a ton of bricks and so did Frank."

"Beth and Frank dated for a few years and on Christmas Day in 1969 Frank proposed and Beth accepted." Maggie and Joan just stared at Mr. Beck, their mouths open in shock. Mr. Beck said, "Oh don't be looking like that. Beth wasn't always a firebrand. As a matter of fact, Beth knew all there was about making a man feel wanted, needed and loved." Maggie broke out of her shock first and asked, "Then why didn't they get married?"

Mr. Beck sat down and then with a long drawn out sigh he said, "Beth and Frank started planning their wedding right away. Beth found the perfect pattern for her wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses and started sewing. Then it happened. Frank got his draft notice and off he went to Fort Lee for training prior to being shipped to Vietnam."

"No one was more supportive of Frank than your aunt. She shipped packages to him and his buddies every chance she got and continued to work on her wedding gown and completed the bridesmaid gowns as well. I was old enough by then to escort your Aunt to church on Sunday and help out when she needed help with something. Before Frank shipped out he asked me to make sure and take care of Beth and I promised I would."

By now Maggie and Joan were afraid to find out what happened. Mr. Beck looked at them and said, "I wish I could tell you something different than what I'm going to say, but I can't. Best to just come out with it already. Frank got his papers to come back stateside. He was due to be home in just three weeks and told Beth to finalize the wedding plans with the church. Beth did just that."

"Frank was in touch and was set to arrive the very day of the wedding. He called Beth the morning of their wedding day and told her he'd be there waiting for her when she walked down the aisle."

"Well, several hours passed. Beth and her attendants were waiting in the powder room at the church. Time passed and still no Frank. After an hour had passed beyond their wedding service, Beth figured something had happened to delay Frank.

Just when she was getting ready to announce a delay, Jim Taylor, the local sheriff walked into the vestibule and asked Beth to sit down. He said, "I'm so sorry Beth. There was no way I could get Frank out. The taxi burst into flames and I couldn't get near it. Beth stood up and walked to the front of the church. She announced what had happened and that the wedding would not be taking place."

"Four days later Frank was laid to rest in the local cemetery. Beth gave their wedding bands and her veil to Mr. Eaton, the local undertaker to put into Frank's casket. She didn't shed one tear in front of anyone. She just stuck out her lower lip and dealt with it with more dignity than I've ever seen in my life."

"From that point on Beth was all about her business. She raised many a ruckus in the name of equality for women and went toe to toe with that ignoramus mayor. I bailed her out and continued to do so every time she was arrested. She continued to sew and became well known in the tri-state area for her trousseau collections. I continued to take care of her legal needs up to the day that she died. I had promised Frank I would take care of her and I did so in the only way she would let me."

Maggie and Joan were quiet. They thanked Mr. Beck for telling them about Aunt Beth and Frank. They both kissed him on the cheek and promised to visit again soon, however, that was not to be. That night Mr. Beck slipped away in his sleep, to join Frank and Beth.

Maggie and Joan decided it was only fitting to donate their aunt's wedding dress to the local museum along with her dressmaker's form for display purposes. They could think of no better way to pay their respects to their Aunt Beth.

My girls just left the house for their first day of school. This year they are both in the same school, one in sixth grade and one in eighth grade. My oldest daughter is showing her sister the ropes. I didn't even have to ask her to do this. She just took it upon herself to grab her sister yesterday afternoon and help her pick out her first day of school outfit.

Next came the makeup session to enhance her sister's blue eyes., fair skin and curly hair. Of course my oldest daughter has her look down pat. My girls are completely different from each other. The one thing they have in common is they love school which I am forever grateful for.

Of course they have a great bunch of teachers to help them along the way and very involved parents which makes for an excellent team.

Today and every day I wish my girls a great school day and every day for all the years to come. Of course I keep thinking back to the days of their birth and can't imagine where the time has gone. It seems just yesterday I was up at 2 a.m. for feedings and tickling their little feet when dressing them.

And of course no more shocking an elderly man in Wal-Mart who overheard me telling my oldest daughter when she was 8 weeks old, "If you kick that shoe off one more time I'm going to staple it to your foot." The look of horror on his face was amazing. At that point I realized that I'd better stop being so anal about things. After all, when you have kids you sometimes just have to go with the flow because of course things change in a big way once there are kids in your life.

So my girls, enjoy your lives. Don't wish for tomorrow to come already for when you get older the time is just going to fly on by. Enjoy!

Odette Barsa, the legend, the entrepreneur, the woman

Today we conclude our interview with Nadia Barsa Bardwil Gerrity in reference to her mother, Odette Barsa, the First Lady of Madison Avenue.

When I started to research the Odette Barsa label I found a change in the patent/copyright from Odette Barsa to FRESOEUR, INC. CORPORATION. When asked about this change Mrs. Gerrity stated, "Our mother started her business as "Odette Barsa and it was always this until she changed the name to" FRESOEUR" meaning brothers and sister years later in 1966. The reason she changed the name was to make sure that I was part of the business, "one sister and two brothers." Odette's sons, Gabriel and Albert, became involved in the day to day running of the business after World War II (both Gabriel and Albert were in the army during the war)and Nadia was involved in a financial manner. Albert was an engineer having graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology( MIT,) Magna Cum Laude, and Gabriel graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham University.



Odette Barsa in back row, and left to right: Gabriel, Nadia and Albert

Mrs. Gerrity said, "I worked there for two summers during the war, and got a kick out of watching her figure the cost of something in French figures ,because of course her education was in the French language in Cairo. It was so interesting to see how all the employees admired her and were devoted to her . It was like a family there."

Mrs. Gerrity provided us with many personal photographs and articles which were written about her parents and Odette herself. The volume of magazine spreads in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, etc. is impressive. Odette Barsa's intimate apparel lines were carried by the finest stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor and Bullocks to name just a few.


Advertisement from Harpers Bazaar



Cover of Harpers Bazaar April 1956

One of the articles I was provided mentioned that Mr. and Mrs. Barsa spent their summers in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, which is an hours drive from where I live. When asked why her parents chose the Poconos as their summer retreat, Mrs. Gerrity explained "My mother wanted to send the three of us to camp. My brothers went to camp in Vermont and my mother found Camp Tegawitha for me in Tobyhanna, PA, right near Mount Pocono. They came up every weekend to visit me. It wasn't far. They found out they had friends in the area and bought a house. Then they moved to a bigger house. Then dad built us a house next door to his and we lived there for a few years in the summer, after I was married and had children. That was our love affair with the Poconos. But as our seven kids got older it was too hard to leave once we moved to Rye with summer jobs and other summer activities. We loved our summers there. Mother and dad were so happy there . They had lots of friends and had loads of parties. It was such an exceptional time in our lives!. What a gift, to have the old and the children so happy together.!! My children will never forget those days!"

I asked Mrs. Gerrity to tell us about her mother in her own words. She said, "Mother was an incredible business lady. She was the designer, the promoter, and the best sales person because everyone who came into the showroom wanted to see her. She was such a great lady, and everyone knew it. In the eyes of my mother, the love for her family at home always came first, her children and her husband and how can we forget those grandchildren? She was such a loving and giving person. As hard as she and my father worked, they always knew their responsibility was to give to charity to help others in need . Their hands were always extended. Because of this, our mother will always be admired and respected in the business world and with her family and friends."

"After Mother died in 1975, my brothers stayed in business together and then decided to go their separate ways."

We will now close our blog with some beautiful examples of Odette Barsa's intimate apparel from the personal collection of Nadia Barsa Bardwil Gerrity. We would like to thank Mrs. Gerrity once again for sharing her family with us.


White lace robe


Turquoise Peignoir Set


Butterfly Robe




Odette Barsa with granddaughter, Betsy in 1973

Odette Barsa: The legend, the entrepreneur, the woman


Amidst the ruins of the stock market crash of 1929, a young determined woman, mother of 3 children who had been brought up in a very sheltered family, rolled up her sleeves and started an intimate apparel business and what a business it became. This is the story of Odette Barsa, deemed "The First Lady of Madison Avenue: as quoted in "Intimate Apparel" magazine.

We’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Odette Barsa’s daughter, Nadia Barsa Bardwil Gerrity in reference to her mother and father. We would like to thank Mrs. Gerrity for sharing her parents with us.

Simon and Odette Barsa’s lives were very much the American dream. Both Simon and Odette were born in Damascus, Syria, the oldest city in the world and both Christians. Simon’s father was killed in Syria because of his religious beliefs. Simon’s mother decided to relocate to Lebanon and Simon, who was high school age at the time decided he wanted to come to the United States to make his way in the world.

Odette’s family also left Syria because they were Christian, however, they relocated to Egypt. Odette attended Sacred Heart Convent and there learned fine sewing and was taught in the French language. How Simon and Odette met is a real family affair.

Simon and his brother, Abdula worked for their uncle in his robe business. A few years later the brothers decided to go out on their own and started their business. The brothers named their business "A. Barsa and Brother." The brothers worked hard and did very well and made a great living with their business. They were living the American dream come true.

As Mrs. Gerrity recalls, "Our Uncle Abdula was married to a lovely lady he had met in Cairo. This was my Aunt Marie. He told my father "say, there‘s another one of these ladies over there." So my dad went over and met my mother, Aunt Marie‘s sister. Two brothers married two sisters."

Because of large donations my father and Uncle had made to Rome, the Pope wanted our parents to be married in Rome, but Dad wanted to be married here in the United States. Our parents were married at the Church of the Resurrection in Rye, NY in 1922. "Last year, one of my grandchildren was married there, which makes four generations of Barsa related family to be married there, most recently Jennifer Odette Lynch. Our mother and father had three children, two sons, Gabriel and Albert and then myself, Nadia."




From left to right back row: Uncle Abdulah, Aunt Marie, Odette and Marie's mother, Odette and Marie's brother and sister, Odette and Simon

front row left to right: Michael, Joseph, Violet and Mary Claire, children of Abdulah and Marie Barsa, and then Nadia, Albert and Gabriel, children of Odette and Simon Barsa





Odette and Simon Barsa at their 50th anniversary party

Mrs. Gerrity said, "Business was very good and our parents led the great life with an apartment on Riverside Drive (the place to be in those days before Park Ave was in style), a home in New Rochelle, were members of the Westchester Biltmore Country Club, had nurses, cooks, drivers, etc."

This all came to a very abrupt end with the stock market crash of 1929. As Mrs. Gerrity recalls, "Dad was heavy on margin. What was close to 2 million dollars turned into nothing just like that!! From what I understand from my brother, Gabe, who died last year, after the first blast the broker thought things were going to come back and dad put the business into harm and then lost that!! So there was the family with no money! My mother had to get rid of all nurses and cooks, etc. My mother said she took us to the park and did not have the money for a balloon."

"Our parents were tough. Our father took on partners and started his business up again with their money."

In 1931, Mr. Barsa's firm was experiencing difficulties during the depression. Odette Barsa felt that she should work and she wanted to design children's dresses. Her husband, however, suggested that she try the intimate apparel field, since it was very simple, with everything crepe or satin and just blue, pink or white. Of course anyone that knows Odette Barsa's work will smile at this, as her designs were numerous, made from a plethora of colors, fabrics, rich laces, and embroidery which was done in Madeira. Odette Barsa also introduced several new fabrics to her intimate apparel.

Mrs. Gerrity recalls, "Our sweet mother, the former princess, took one room at 16 East 34 Street, the same building that my father was in. Our Aunt Sophie became the salesperson, and our mother had one sewing machine operator. She started to design nightgowns and robes. She did not draw them. She made the patterns herself. She always tried them on. Mother always felt that this was the reason that she was so successful, because her things always fit. Every year she had to take more room, until finally she had the whole floor. By the late 1940s she was "The First Lady of Madison Avenue" as quoted in" Intimate Apparel" magazine."

Odette Barsa's creations were worn by Hollywood actresses such as Rita Hayworth and Italian actress and former model, Elsa Martinelli. Odette had a wonderful eye and when a shorter sleep gown was made in Paris, Odette translated this for the U.S. into a ballerina length which was the basis for the waltz length gown and robe set that became the industry mainstay.

Rita Hayworth in an Odette Barsa Robe




Life Magazine cover with Elsa Martinelli


Mrs. Gerrity stated, "Our mother introduced several fabrics to the public, one of which was washable velvet which was a huge hit!. Mother had all her embroidery done in Madeira. She purchased her lace from sales men who came into her office. It was probably from France or domestic. After silk fabric was dropped from the line the fabrics she used were made in this country. It was important to mother to have something that could be worn with elegance and washed as well."



The Washable Velvet Robe is introduced by Odette Barsa via a magazine advertisement

One wonders where Odette Barsa derived her ideas and styles for her intimate apparel . Mrs. Gerrity said, "Our mother designed new fashions three times a year. She made her own designs, and her own patterns, too, which made her so popular because everything fit. It was hard to come up with new designs that frequently. She often went to museums and looked at old costumes to get ideas. She named them too, for example, "The dream of Josephine."


The Dream of Josephine

This concludes the first part of our interview with Nadia Barsa Bardwil Gerrity. Please check back for our second and final installment of the Odette Barsa Story.

"That price is just too high." "I can find a coat like that in a thrift shop for $5." "I'll find a dress like that myself and pay a lot less."

These are things I've heard over the years in conversations all over the internet about vintage clothing. I've heard the wails of people saying sellers are pricing things too high. I've heard people saying they can find the same things themselves for $5.

So here's my honest opinion about buying vintage clothing and pricing. Remember this is my opinion so it does not represent anyone's opinion but my own.

Vintage clothing is not my hobby. It is my business. Like any business I have bills I incur to promote my business. That eye candy website I have has a monthly fee. The auctions I list have fees regardless of whether the item sells or not. That advertising links I have are an expense as well.

I also pay fees to PayPal and Google checkout when I sell something. I have business cards, stationary, flyers, etc. They are necessary to my business and are also an expense. Let's not forget the shelf full of fashion books that I consult when looking at styles, eras and details to make sure I am dating these vintage items correctly.

And of course there's my internet connection for how else would I be able to draw on the expertise of the Vintage Fashion Guild members when I have a question that I can't answer after researching a dress for hours on my own.

How does that vintage dress you buy from me arrive at your door all nice, clean and ironed? Well, I clean that dress with specialized products that are friendly to vintage textiles. I iron or steam that dress and check it over with a fine tooth comb before it's packaged for shipment. Those specialized products, steamer and iron, the tools of the trade so to speak, are an expense as well.

But the biggest expense of all is hunting for that perfect vintage dress that someone is going to buy from me. It means spending time in places that might have one nice piece of vintage for sale even though you've traveled 50 miles to find it.

It means spending time with a family who is selling their loved one's home and they are selling vintage clothing that may or may not have been stored properly. It means listening to the clothing's past and where it was worn (which I absolutely love!).

It means bringing home things that you hand wash only to have them disintegrate in the wash bin in front of you because they were touched by cold water and very, very mild soap for the first time in 50 years.

Let's not forget setting up the display of the dress on a mannequin, half form or model. I also have to photograph the dress in just the right light so that all the wonderful features stand out (which requires a decent camera and lighting set-up to do).

Then after editing the pictures and sometimes having to take those pictures again, hoping for better more clear results, comes writing the auction itself trying to describe in words what you've just tried to capture in a few images. You also hope that whomever decides to buy your dress has actually read what you wrote including those oh so important measurements because vintage clothing does not fit like the clothing of today.

So when you are looking at my listings or the auctions of hundreds of other vintage clothing sellers and think in your head "that dress just costs too much", I hope you'll remember the time, skill and dedication it takes to bring a vintage dress to life in an auction listing. We are your personal shoppers. We use our skills to bring you the best the past has to offer. You're not just paying for that dress. You're paying for our expertise.

All it wanted to do was go home. It was 63 years old and although it's owner had loved it for a long time, it was tired. Tired of sandy beaches and salt water taffy. Tired of being passed from sister to sister, niece to niece and granddaughter to granddaughter. Tired of being exposed to sun, summer after summer from Maine to Florida to California and all beach points in between.
It was finally donated when it's last owner just felt it had no use left it it and that's when I found it in my travels.

Checking out one of my favorite shops, I saw that this one was different. There was just something that caught my eye. As I picked it up off the rack and rifled to see the label I could tell that it was vintage. Then it happened. A treasure. A bona fide treasure in a place I shop often. I saw this:




I looked again, not believing what I was seeing. On the exterior I was cool as a cucumber and sauntered up to the checkout line. I paid for my purchase and made my way to the car. Once I got my treasure into the car I gave it a good going over. I'd seen a similar label a few years back.
I decided to head back home as nothing else I could find that day would compare in any way to my treasure.

Once home, I showed my treasure to my husband. He said, "You can't sell that on your venue. Why did you buy it?" I looked at him and smiling, said, "Because I'll never find another one like it." I took my treasure into my office and went right to the Vintage Fashion Guild label resource and looked under Jantzen. There were similar labels but none exactly like this one. The ones that were similar were from the 1940s. Surely there was no way I'd found a 1940s Jantzen bathing suit.

I searched on the Internet for the Jantzen website and much to my surprise found that they are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. So I emailed the sales department and asked that my questions about the bathing suit be forwarded to their archivists.

On Monday morning I received an email from Jantzen letting me know that my treasure was produced in 1946 and called "Sun Soaker", made of gorgeous Lastex Velva-Lure. It retailed for $5.95. I showed the bathing suit to my 12-year-old daughter who loves vintage clothing, in particular vintage bathing suits, but alas, the suit would not fit her, so I had a decision to make.
Would I offer my treasure on another venue or keep it.

Later in the day I received another email from Jantzen offering to purchase the bathing suit. I decided it could have no better home than in the Jantzen archives. So today the Sun Soaker is finally going to make its way home where it will receive a well deserved rest. I am positive that this bathing suit was the favorite of many, many women. Here's hoping that Jantzen will come out with a retro line of these suits. I know at least 3 women in my household who would definitely buy the Sun Soaker.

I decided to re-run this blog from last year. It is one of my very favorite experiences in the hunt for vintage clothing and accessories.

Every so often a memory of growing up activates in my brain and I start wondering about common place items we had in our home growing up. Casserole dishes came to mind which were made by the Everedy Company in Frederick, Maryland. My granddaddy, Paul, worked for the Everedy Company. I knew that they made casserole dishes and cake safes as I remember that my mom had those things but I had no idea how the Everedy Company started out.

From what I’ve been able to find the Everedy Company started out as the Everedy Bottle Capper Company in May of 1920. The factory made a range of metal items for the home including door hardware, gift merchandise, home bottling equipment and chrome cooking utensils.

During World War II the Everedy Company expanded into military contracts manufacturing anti-tank mines, grenade adapters, rocket parts and bomb parts.

I specifically remember my Mom’s cake safe which I now have and use on a regular basis. It’s made of stainless steel with a Bakelite handle. It still gleams brightly and you can truly say they don’t make them like that anymore. So when I happened upon another Everedy cake safe of course I had to buy it.

In researching the Everedy Company on the internet I came across a “tidbit set” for sale which is a small tray in the shape of a leaf used for displaying cheese, crackers, olives, or any other tidbit you might serve at a get together. I remember my Mom having a set of these as well. So now that tidbit set has been added to my Everedy collection.

I talked to my sister via email the other night and her memories were of rice pudding and scalloped potatoes being prepared in those casserole dishes. There was a greenish blue dish and a rose colored dish and both had a petal pattern on the base section of the dish. We believe they had glass lids as I did find a casserole dish on an auction site but it had a chrome lid and we neither of us remember chrome lids so my hunt for those casserole dishes will continue.

The one thing I really covet right now, though, is this stainless steel canister set by Everedy. Of course each time I find one of these my wallet is empty so I continue to watch and wait. Eventually a full wallet and the availability of one of these sets will coincide and I will acquire one.




I suppose you could say that I am a collector of sorts. However, that said, my collecting has a lot more to do with memories rather than seeking out items that are of great value. They are intrinsically valuable to me because they remind me of simpler days and times. We live in very complicated times and it’s nice to be able to time travel to a simpler gentler time every so often.

It all started with a promise to love, honor and cherish each other and then becoming a parent came next, although there was quite a gap of time in between (Perhaps God was waiting for us to be mature enough to handle parenthood)!




Today is a big day in our household. It's Father's day and 13 years ago we had our first bundle of joy on Father's Day. I wonder where the time has gone. It has just seemed to fly by. Fifteen months later our second bundle of joy in the form of our second daughter came along.



Now having been married for 15 years before we had our first daughter, some of my friends were concerned that DH would not like being out of the spotlight. They could not have been more wrong. DH is the ultimate Dad. From the very first DH was wrapped around the girls fingers and that is still true today. I'm the disciplinarian in the house when it comes to making the girls tow the line and be responsible for their actions. DH is the one that they go to when they want a puppy, kitten or that pair of shoes they know I'll say no to because the heel is just too high.


DH is the one to take the girls out for a father daughter day to the movies and lunch afterwards. DH is the one that calls them at 8 o'clock every night (he works the night shift so I can work at home and be with the girls) to ask them about their day and to say goodnight. He's the one who makes me feel better when business is slow and I feel I'm not making a big enough financial contribution. He always tells me he wouldn't have it any other way (I retired from the phone company when our second daughter was born).

Dad is the one who is the "fun" parent while most of the time I'm the disciplinarian. Don't get me wrong, Dad is right there when things are going rough and supports me when I lay down the law, but if the girls want to enjoy something really silly Dad is their go to guy (as evidenced by DH doing his he-man I'm not cold shoveling the snow in my bathing suit pose below!)




DH is the one that I leaned on completely when within a two year span my parents both died. He provided never wavering support when things got really tough and has stood by me through thick and thin. I don't think that there is a husband or father who has been anymore solid than my DH and the girls father.

My girls are Daddy's girls. They share their hopes and dreams with him and he tells them the sky is the limit. They can do anything they want if they work hard.

The highest compliment I can pay DH is that he is just like my Dad who was always there for me through every trial and tribulation one faces in life. Dad has been gone 9 years now but all I have to do is turn around and look at DH to see the continuing legacy of what a great father is.



So Happy Father's Day to all Dads everywhere. I wish an especially happy Fathers Day to DH. This year our girls are both in middle school, our oldest in 8th grade and our youngest in 6th grade. Time flies so fast and high school is on the horizon. To our girls, this is only the beginning of your journey. May it be filled with love and friendship. It will always be filled with our love and support.

I saw this video from our local newspaper online and just had to share it. The article is by Stephen Sacco of the Times Herald-Record. Enjoy!

Recently, Port Jervis shop owners Louise Gilkes and Joe Fouts celebrated 42 years together, both as husband and wife and as business partners. In the posh days of the New York City fashion world of the 60s and 70s, designer clothes created by Fouts-Gilkes were in the windows of Bloomingdales, on the pages of Vogue, and for sale in high-end Madison Avenue boutiques.

Today I'm blogging about something I've been doing since I was 10 years old. Sewing is a wonderful way to let your creative genius thrive. It's a way to delve into colorways, styles and things that you just can't find in ready to wear.

In the vintage past women were wonderful seamstresses and created some of the most stunning ensembles known to man. My own mom and my dad's great cousin, Angie (seamstress extraordinaire for Bergdorf Goodman) created a stunning evening gown of American Beauty Rose fuchsia brocade. I vividly remember my mom wearing this with a white spiderweb stole (which I have in my possession never to be parted with) and my Dad in his then IBM standard black suit and white shirt with a conservative tie. I was 6 at the time and even though I'm 51 years old now the memory is still vivid.


Mom and Dad in the 1960s

I spent later years going through home economics class making what was a nautical print red, white and blue maxi dress with a side slit just past the knee on the side and a white pointy collar and white cuffs with round golden eagle buttons. I also made a red pants suit to wear for graduation night from Poway High School in 1977 as if to say "Look out world! Here I come!"

In the years after I've made everything from evening wear for company parties my husband, dresses to wear to family member's weddings and doll size clothing for my oldest daughter who weighed 4 pounds 12 ounces at birth. I've also made christening and communion outfits for both my daughters and matching leopard hats and coats out of polar fleece for them. Then of course there are the Halloween costumes over the years as well (a skunk costume, lady bug costumes and flower costumes come to mind).

So it makes perfect sense for me to have a vintage pattern store selling all types of vintage patterns as well as modern patterns on occasion.

I was fortunate enough to find a treasure trove of patterns from several seamstresses who made many beautiful outfits from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. We have children's patterns, men's and women's patterns.

We have many plus size patterns available. It's always a chore trying to find a vintage plus size dress in a color or print you like that will fit perfectly. So now for the discerning seamstress we have a wonderful choice of patterns from the 1940s on up. All our patterns are priced at $12 or lower regardless of size.

Well, almost all of them. There is one pattern in my store from the 1940s that is priced at $35. It's easily my very favorite pattern even though it's not in my size. For now I'm leaving it priced the way it is because I want the person who buys this pattern to want it and love it as much as I do.


Vintage 1940s Simplicity Bathing
Suit and Beach Coat Pattern 4624
Size 18 B36 W30 H39 FF


So remember when you are hunting for that perfect vintage pattern to set loose your creative energy to check out Born Too Late Vintage Patterns

It was a Saturday night. My uncle and his girlfriend had come to our apartment to babysit me and my siblings. My Dad was dressed in his regulation IBM corporate wear (white shirt and black suit, remember it's the 1960s).

I was sitting in the living room playing with my sister. Then my mom appeared. I'll never forget the way she looked. She wore a white spiderweb crocheted shawl but what was under it was even more stunning! There she stood in a fitted brocade gown that hugged every curve. It was made from American Beauty rose fuchsia brocade and had a beautiful rose pattern woven in the fabric. It was like looking at a movie star. My parents kissed us all goodbye and headed out for the hospital auxiliary ball. I tucked that memory away, not forgotten, but put away to savor at a later date.

Mom and Dad in the 1960s


Years later after my folks passed away I was thinking about the impact they'd had on my life and the memory of that gown came back to me again. It's always been such a vivid memory for me. I finally put 2 and 2 together and realized just why I have always fallen for brocades of any color, weight and shimmer. I suppose you could say that the night of the hospital auxiliary ball was a decisive factor in what appeals to me in vintage clothing now. Other items may bring more financially but my heart will always yearn towards brocades.