Walking into the auction house was like walking into animal kingdom. The animals were all missing but their furs had been left behind. I’d been to only one other auction where this many furs were…
Category: Clothing
Ebony Fashion Fair outfits for sale
Posted in Clothing
When I lived in Tampa, FL, some years ago, one of the premier events among African American women was the Ebony Fashion Fair. I’d hear friends and acquaintances talk excitedly about getting tickets to this…
A double-take on mannequins
Posted in Clothing
“I got her to keep me from being lonely,” the auction-goer told us as he stood there with his new purchase on the floor at his side. With us being women and a bit curious, he…
A bride only a mother could love
Posted in Clothing
Two weeks ago, one of my favorite auction houses was selling some beautiful wedding dresses, shoes, veils and gloves. This week, it was selling a bride. It wasn’t your typical bride: She was almost as…
A $699 wedding dress for 10 bucks
Posted in Clothing
The veteran auction-goer had given the dresses a cursory glance and basically turned up her nose. Nothing here, she answered as I approached her and asked about them. The racks didn’t reveal any dresses she’d…
Straw hats – a cool summer pleasure
Posted in Clothing
My girlfriend eyed the straw hats lying atop each other in an old cardboard file drawer. She lifted the one on top, a lovely hat made of light straw with a forest green velvet band tied…
Postcards of black women with hats
Posted in Black history, Clothing, Photos, Postcards, and Style
In the auction catalog, the description of the postcards sounded a lot like “Crowns,” a book of photographs about black women and their love affair with hats: “Group of 275 real photo post cards of African…
Show me a beautiful pair of shoes, and I become putty. Like that pair of Casadei wedges that came up for auction a few weeks ago. But it’s hard to get excited about an S-shaped…
Women shoes from high-end designers
Posted in Clothing
The rich dark brown and orange wide-strapped wedge shoes were calling my name. I loved them instantly when I saw them on the website of one of my favorite auction houses. But check out the height of…