I have recently come to experience the power of vintage first hand. I wanted to do something a bit different for a friend's wedding and with the help of my friend Karen, I found the most amazing black dress from the 60s and accessorized with black gloves and wonderful Italian shoes (black with big white dots). I was not sure that I could pull it off, but the effect was amazing.

Not only did I feel fantastic, it looked great. It was also a fun way to meet people at the wedding. Throughout the evening people would approach me and share their stories around vintage clothing -from one woman's mother who used to be a dancer in the 1920s to another's recent discovery of vintage clothing in her parent's basement.

It made me realize that there is so much more to vintage clothing than collecting pieces of our past. It is about having a chance to experience a different time and place but it is also about all the stories, both old and new.

Our clothes tell us so much about our time and our culture. That is why for this issue, I decided to focus on all things vintage. I start by giving an overview of the different fashion eras in the Cover Article and then introduce you to Ivan and his phenomenal garage sales in Savvy Living. You can also find out about the many different vintage shops in Vancouver in Cents of Style and learn how to care for and store vintage clothing in Tricks of the Trade.

For this issue's In the Neighbourhood profile, I take you to 10th and Discovery in Vancouver and introduce you to Rhonda Davis at Changes Consignment Clothing. And for those of you interested in crafts, Mavis Newall takes you "fishing" in her article Catch of the Day.

I was also quite thrilled to have been part of a wonderful event called the Secondhand Safari: Style Tour: a first for all of us involved. It was great fun and you can check out some of the highlights in our Scrapbook. Another style tour has been planned for December 2nd, 2001 and I am looking into booking other types of tours such as to antique shows. If you are interested in joining us or finding out more about the tours, contact safari@secondhandsavvy.com.

Sincerely,
Jo-Anne Lauzer
Publisher/Editor

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