Ode to Melanie Safka

This vintage video inspires us to put on our favorite jumper, rollerskates, and skate past his house all summer long.

CRV in New York Times Style Section!

One of the jackets from our online shop (Club Revolver Vintage) was featured in the New York Times Style section of the paper on Sunday, May 16!!! Below is what ran in the printed paper on Sunday and you can see the online version at www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/

05/11/style/vintage-clothing.html?ref=fashion#/4be982d8d141b95eb20008f0/. (Sadly, the whole Club Revolver Vintage part was edited-out to make it more "reader contributed" but we're happy for the feature none-the-less!)

Endless thanks to KiKi L'Italien for volunteering her makeup awesomeness (hello, twiggy eyes!), Emily Myers for modeling, Erin Steigerwalt for her gorgeous photography, and everyone else along the way who has dedicated their time, bodies, talent, and vision to our little bizness. We have a whole circle of amazingly talented gal-pals surrounding us! :)

yours in vintage,

Kylee & Dorris

Grey Gardens in Spring: Channeling Your Inner Recessionista

So, like so many fashionistas out there (and being in DC), how can we not be infatuated by Big Edie, Little Edie, and their endless love of style, song, felines, politics, and grandeur? The women simply embody imagination and lust for life, however crazy and paranoid their psyches. And I ask you, have you ever seen anyone wear a dish towel around their head with such panache? I think not!

I’ve (Kylee here) been a bit of a nerdy freak over Grey Gardens for the past few years and even had the privilege of seeing the play at Studio Theatre a couple of years ago (an utterly fantastic performance by all!!!) Recently, I picked up My Life at Grey Gardens by Lois Wright and have fallen in love all over again with the cat-loving gals.

The walls might’ve been literally falling in around them, but they resourcefully managed to style themselves up and go on. A lesson to all recessionistas far and wide.   

2010 spring | summer trunk show in DC!

so psyched to be FINALLY ushering in the warm weather!

what better way to celebrate than ignite our friends' wardobes with some fresh vintage looks?

our first group trunk show is slated for this Sunday right here in the DC area. . . . we are soo excited to woo our stylish friends and friends-of-friends with garments, accessories, veg-friendly snacks, and lowbrow beer and champy!

. . . check back frequently for some pics and updates from the event!

if you are an online CRV follower, do not fret! we will be listing many of these looks asap so that you can partake in the action too :)

If CRV was gettin' hitched, we'd want it to look like this...

Vintage City Hall Wedding (Ruffled)

http://ruffledblog.com/2010/02/vintage-city-wedding-in-new-york/ 
and http://ruffledblog.com/2010/02/nyc-vintage-city-wedding/

CRV FEATURE on QUEENS OF VINTAGE :: Predicting 2010 Trends

we are B E Y O N D excited to announce that we are the cover feature on Queens of Vintage, which is considered the "daily global glossy for vintage lovers" . . . the VOGUE of vintage, if you will!

we were in talks with Queens' Editor in past weeks to put together a special feature in concert with NYC fashion week -- she asked us to forecast trends for 2010 through a special vintage lens -- and we were absolutely inclined to comply.

we spent weeks merchandising, looking at hi and lo culture and trends, and shot some of our fave looks and images, drawing upon our talented friend base with fantastic skills in photography, modeling, design and artistry.

the result: some incredible images for our 2010 Trends Lookbook

Cover, image 1, image 2, image 4 credits:
Styling by Club Revolver Vintage (CRV)

Make-up by KiKi L’Italien

Photography by Erin Steigerwalt

Image 3 credits:

Styling, make-up, & photography by CRV

as cabin fever sets in . . .

during snowpocalypse 2010 in the greater DC area (add on the fact that it's superbowl sunday!), i found myself googling "Vintage Snow Princess" for fresh sources of visual inspiration for CRV.

lo and behold!! i was plunged directly into a world of VIRTUAL FANTASY DRESS-UP. while my husband dukes it out with his friends in fantasy sports leagues, i can take breaks in my online shopping excursions to indulge myself in mastering the talent of creating ensembles.

for your styling pleasure, i present to you:

Vintage Snow Princess

Outrageous Scene Kid

Ultimate Kimono Design

Korean Vintage Bride

Steampunk Fashion

my personal favorites,

Legendary Swordsman and Be Like Lady GaGa

aaaaand. . .  more amazing gems. hooooo boy!

CRV's Lookbook Sneak Peek!

sneak peek - special mystery shoot

we, the ladies of CRV, had a most fantastic specialized shoot over the weekend! after much work merchandising, we've been so excited with some new developments we have in store coming this late winter and spring. BUT! it's been soo hard not to spill the beans :( so, our strategy is to bury ourselves in inventorying, shooting, and listing!!

in the meantime, we wanted to bring you all a little taste of the fabulous things in store. here's a little of our 50s-flavored selection:

gorgeous 50s bright cobalt blue strapless cocktail dress with detailed black rope embroidery and beading

epic epic EPIC 50s baby blue tulle strapless gown with a boned, ruched body and polka dotted netting

Photography by CRV / Styling by CRV / Model: Lauren Pezzullo

we are SO in love!!! stay tuned . . .

new listing alert!

look out for a few new items that we're rolling out asap!

cowgirl leather mixed print vest $22

40s pinup red hammered satin dress $30

high society 80s two-in-one dress $34

gray 60s op-art sheath with geometric print $30

click on over to the shop and see what other styles we have in store for you!

we're processing a huge lot for late winter/early spring, so check back frequently.

40's hair envy :: Veronica Lake

inventor of the "peek-a-boo" hair we know and love so well, her looser interpretation of the 20s/30s tighter finger curls have us wanting more! we are completely enraptured with all things 40's, pinup, and film noir to get us through these bone-cold weathered months.

CRV's FIRST personal fitting session a success!

greetings vintage-lings! we had our first personal fitting session the other weekend and we are beyond happy to report that it was a SMASHING success! while we were a little sad to part with several of our treasured pieces, we are excited they are going to an AMAZING wardrobe full of other great duds, owned by one of our fave and near n' dear sources for style-inspiration here in the District.

below are some pics of the appointment! which was made all the more complete by vinyl selections from kylee's massive library, sofia coppola champagne, and tons of interesting assemblies thanks to our CRV RACK OF GOODS!

lustrous sequin shell top in an unexpected color spectrum!

berry winter tulip drape dress

70s cowl neck maxi dress with stunning beadwork and long sleeves

gray gardens floral secretary dress with sheer bishop sleeves

victorian taffeta cream ruffled blouse with victorian hi-neck collar and pink satin bow

fret not, dearies! while we have tons of new listings that we're ready to pull the trigger on in our style shop, we are back at it again and VERY busy merchandising for an upcoming lot of listings. . . . keep up with us here on the CRV blog, and in our style shop . . . and in your hearts as you gear up for SS2010!

love and peas!

NEW ways to shop: CRV Trunk Shows and Personal Fitting Sessions

To all our shoppers in the greater DC area . . . we are psyched to be bringing a couple of new ways to shop CRV styles and goods.

Trunk Shows -- we will be scheduling trunk shows in the coming weeks and months in various settings; stores, entertainment venues, and/or friends' houses. to keep up with our schedule, sign-up for our e-newsletter by emailing us at clubrevolvervintage@gmail.com. interested in partnering up with us to browse our garments with some friends at a happy hour or dinner party? drop us a line and we'd love to work out the details with you!

Personal Fitting Sessions -- we are way excited to have come-up with a brand new concept for local shoppers interested in browsing and trying on our racks! we are now taking personal fitting sessions by appointment only! come by yourself or with a couple of friends to drink some beers and bubbly, listen to some great music, try on some fantastic one-of-a-kind vintage garments, and try out some CRV styling! just email us to book an appointment . . . and we offer some great add-on features to these appoitments too!

Personal Fitting Session Add-Ons --

• Custom Fitting with a Dedicated Professional Seamstress! we have partnered with an AWESOME and talented custom clothing seamstress, who we can book as an added feature for your personal fitting session. this means that you have access to a wider range of all our great items, and that one-in-a-million dress can be altered so that it looks like it was made just for you!
• Personalized Make-up Session with a Professional Artist! our awesome partner and professional make-up artist can provide you with tips and techniques to make the most of that beautiful face! great cosmetics can really polish that perfect new outfit :)

interested on getting UPDATES on new CRV stock? email us to sign-up for our newsletter, or follow us on twitter!! so much going on with CRV right now, and we LOVE being between seasons because it means such great access to tons and tons of righteous items :)

crv feature -- Erin Steigerwalt Photography

our latest obsession! we've been soo fortunate to partner up with erin s., of Erin Steigerwalt Photography. this bright young thang is amazingly gifted -- she has a savvy eye for great composition, has perfected her technique both behind the lens and on the computer with processing her images, provides constructive aesthetic input, and is as sweet as a cupcake with millions of sprinkles!!

we are so excited about teaming up with erin, not only because she is a gifted and well-traveled-smarty-pants-girl -- just like the girl we had in mind when we decided to create crv and its inventory of delicious garments -- but because she is a true entrepreneur, and someone with an expanded vision and a mission for meaningful contributions.

you'll begin to see more and more of her influence (as much as we can get!) in crv's style shop, on our blog, and in our media coverage. . .

until then, here's a little more about the genius behind our gorgeous shots:

"i love taking intense photos that document the moments that make up people's lives. i tell stories of the world and those who make it the way it is. i believe that so much education can come from photographs, and so love working with non-profit organizations and traveling around the world, capturing other cultures and sharing them with ours. . .

i love meeting new people and love that i can learn so much from them by spending a few hours photographing them. i also love people who come up with wild and crazy ideas and follow through with them {just ask me about all the crazy ideas i've come up with, and all the wild adventures i've had}, which is why i'm so excited about working with crv and tagging along on their wonderful adventure!"

Erin Steigerwalt Photography

(b) http://erinsteigerwalt.blogspot.com/
(w) http://www.erinsteigerwalt.com/
(e) erins@erinsteigerwalt.com
(t) www.twitter.com/erinsteigerwalt
(f) www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/Erin-Steigerwalt-Photography/253954799253

oh, erin . . . is there anything you CAN'T do??? check out these in-SANE pics from our 2nd shoot:

photography: Erin Steigerwalt

styling: Club Revolver Vintage

makeup: KiKi L'Italien

model: Callie Baum

photography: Erin Steigerwalt

styling: Club Revolver Vintage

makeup: KiKi L'Italien

models (l-r): Callie Baum, Rosalyn Adams

photography: Erin Steigerwalt

styling: Club Revolver Vintage

makeup: KiKi L'Italien

model: Callie Baum

photography: Erin Steigerwalt

styling: Club Revolver Vintage

makeup: KiKi L'Italien

model: Emily Myers

photography: Erin Steigerwalt

styling: Club Revolver Vintage

makeup: KiKi L'Italien

models (l-r): Callie Baum, Rosalyn Adams, Emily Myers

H A P P Y holidays . . . from CRV !

hey ya'll! we want to wish you the warmest and bubbliest of holidays this year. it has indeed been an amazing whirlwind this past few months! we've gotten our hands on some gorgeous garments, hung out with the coolest models, been graced by amazingly talented photographers and make-up artists, and have clinked glasses with the amazing and supportive men in our lives.

and cheersies to you! we are so so excited about the fact that we are gaining readership and growing our club revolver member base here, on twitter, and on our etsy style shop!

this year we'll be curling up with our families in the greater DC/VA area, and in china! we thought we'd leave you with a little somethin' somethin' as we lead up into the thick of the holiday and vacation season. . . kylee's fave recipe for 
F R E N C H  M A C A R O O N S!! (via martha stewart)

-----
French Almond Macaroons
makes abt 30 sandwich cookies

INGREDIENTS

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 4 large egg whites
• 3 sticks (1-1/2cups) unsalted butter, room temp, cut into tablespoons
• 1 -1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Macaroons

• 1-3/4 cup confectioner
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour, for dipping
• 1-1/2 (4 oz) sliced almonds, finely ground, or almond flour
• 3 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream (increase vanilla to 2-1/2 teaspoons)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven 300 degrees F.
2. Sift confectioners' sugar into bowl.
3. Whisk in ground almonds; set aside.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats, and mark circles using a 1-1/2-inch cookie cutter dipped in flour.
5. In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy; add salt.
6. Gradually add granulated sugar 1 tsp at a time, until whites reach medium-soft peaks. Transfer to large bowl.
7. Sprinkle half of sugar-almond mixture over egg-white mixture. Using large rubber spatula, fold until just incorporated.
8. Add 1/4 tsp vanilla and remaining sugar-almond mixture, folding until just incorporated.
9. Firmly tap bottom of bowl on counter or work surface to eliminate air pockets.
10. Transfer mixture to large pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe mixture into marked circles on prepared baking sheet.
11. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macaroons feel slightly firm to touch and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry), 20-25 mins.
12. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 mins, then transfer parchment and macaroons to a wire rack to cool completely.
13. Using small offset spatula, carefully remove macaroons from parchment.
14. Spread 2 tsps buttercream on flat sides of the half macaroons; sandwich with the other halves, keeping flat sides down.
15. Refridgerate until firm, about 20 mins, before serving.

Filled cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
-----

be sure to check back here for upcoming photographer and model features -- we have been blesssed with many many many gifted, talented, and generous people -- and we want to share them with CRV members.

wishing you merry merry blessings and dozens of glasses of wine,
Club Revolver Vintage

behind the scenes: CRV shoot II

bigger and badder than ever! so excited to soon be listing some incredible pieces.

stay tuned here and at our style shop to see dozens of new listings coming up.

endless thank yous this time around to:

• kennycorns studios & transport services
• kiki l'italien professional make-up artistry & marketing
• erin steigerwalt photography
• models: rosalyn, emily, callie
• jeff photo equipment
  

60s Icon Tribute :: Jane Birkin

♥ Je t'aime... moi non plus ♥

60s Icon Tribute :: Jean Seberg

the ultimate blong pixie. beauty, fame, tragedy.
and an affair with clint eastwood!
this one's sooo wiki-worthy. an incredible story filled with unconventional and daring love risks.