Posts from — July 2012

Hello Dolls,

Do you just love the new bandeau bra trend? Well so do we! They’re comfortable, convenient, and affordable! Plus, all the adorable new sheer tops and backless dresses that are so in right now would look mega awkward with an ordinary brazier. So we have stocked up on bandeaus in every color of the rainbow!

Padded, unpadded, and even lacy ones!

And get this…. we’re selling all of them for only $10, except the lacy ones, which are only $12!

We even have LSU colors for tailgating. But you better come quick, before they’re all gone!

Have a lovely weekend!

Bye Bye Baby, Baby Goodbye

Ragdoll

Written by Jenny Lili Sklar

Hello Dolls,

We hope this Wednesday is finding you well. Todays post is very exciting because we finally get to fully explain what “Vintage-Inspired” means to RagDoll and how it affects the merchandise we carry. First and foremost, RagDoll aims to carry cute, flattering, and stylish clothes that work for a contemporary gal with a love of retro flair. To do that, we purchase new styles that incorporate cuts or prints  that are reminiscent of the good ol’ days. Some of our lines, like Rock Steady and Trollied Dolly, look as though they came right out of a different decade, but others are much more subtle. One of our newest arrivals (that has been flying off our racks) is this adorable baby blue belted frock. The cut and style clearly have a vintage essence, and the daisy belt-buckle drives home the retro vibes.

This dress is a great example of “Vintage-Inspired,” but I wanted to show our readers and followers just how close it is to its predecessors. In our store alone, I found three vintage dresses that show the progression of this style that led to the birth of such an adorable dress in the year 2012.

As you can see in the photo above, the similarities are uncanny. The two vintage dresses featured in the photograph share both the lovely light blue hue, as well as the knee-length cut. The dress on the right with the elegant buttons is a shift dress from the 60′s. Unlike the modern frock, this dress does not synch at the waist, the skirt is not cut on the bias, and it sports a high neckline.

The dress above is likely from the late 50′s or early 60′s, as indicated by the high neckline, quality of fabric, and 3/4 length sleeves. Like the new baby blue dress, this one synchs at the waist and is adorned with lovely belt decor. Though it does not have a full skirt cut on the bias, the straight skirt has wide pleats, giving it more movement than the shift dress.

Finally, though this vintage dress does not have the exact baby blue color of the other three, it shares a great deal of things in common with the modern dress when it comes to cut, fit, and style. Both dresses feature a knee-length full skirt cut on the bias with tons of movement, as well as a scoop neckline, with a form fitting bust and waist, and one inch straps. Merely drop the neckline an inch, crop the skirt up 2″ and add a daisy belt and you have yourself the modern baby blue daisy dress. Incredible, right?!?

I could do this all day with every dress, blouse, and garment we have in the store. Like everything in this world, fashion is a product of its’  unique history, and those roots peek through to show us a glimpse of fashions past. Don’t even get me started on the new Neon trend, I’ll save my 80′s nostalgia speech for another post.  Hope y’all enjoyed our little journey down fashion history lane.

Bye Bye Baby, Baby Goodbye

RagDoll

Written by Jenny Lili Sklar

Hello Dolls,

It’s summertime! The sun is shinning, the birds are chirping, and the flowers are blooming… and RagDoll is too! Our new window decor just screams summer fun. It is practically bursting with colorful daisies and butterflies, and beautiful dresses (of course).

The dainty butterflies go perfectly with our new line of lacey dresses, and the daisies perfectly match the flower head pieces Rachel crafted.

It all just looks too darn cute!

And it turns out we have a whole bunch of vintage stuff in the store that goes great with this decorative theme!

Our vintage butterfly pill box hat was practically made for this window display!

And our favorite vintage daisy purse looks cute as a button with all these fun frills.

Come on in and check out our fabulous new decor for yourself!

Bye Bye Baby, Baby Goodbye

RagDoll

Written by Jenny Lili Sklar

Hello Dolls,

This past Wednesday evening we had the privilege of being a part of a lovely charity fashion show appropriately called “On the Catwalk.” This hair and fashion show extravaganza raised money for two incredible organizations; the West Jefferson Doll and Toy Fund, which provides toys to children at Christmas time, and the Drew Pet Foundation, which helps elderly people care for their animal’s medical expenses when they no longer can.

We worked in conjunction with Michael Frank’s Salon, a fabulous hair salon just across the river from us in Harvey, LA located on Lapalco Blvd. We did a vintage-inspired show  (DUH!), and between our clothes and their spectacular pin-up style up-dos it looked phenomenal! Here are some behind the scene shots of what our models wore.

Many of the models had never explored vintage fashion before this show, but we have officially converted them into vintage lovers just like us! The ensembles above are great examples of a modern take on vintage fashion, mixing the old with the new!

Don’t they look ravishing!

Beautiful ladies struttin their stuff in our RagDoll threads!

Frank, co-owner of  Michael Franks Salon, giving the girls a pep talk before the show!

And here are a few shots of the RagDoll ladies having a little too much fun in the photo booth!

Well thank you for reading and stay tuned! (P.s. Feedback is much appreciated!!)

Bye Bye Baby, Baby Goodbye

RagDoll

Written by Jenny Lili Sklar

Hello Dolls!

Welcome to our brand new RagDoll Blog! You can come here for updates on what we have in store, what trends we’re loving, and all the lovely things that inspire us. We’ll be posting fabulous vintage-inspired ensembles and creative DIY tutorials on store decor and upcycled vintage fashion. Whether you live in New Orleans, or far far away, if you love bows, buttons, and vintage galore this site is right for you!

If you are new to RagDoll, here’s a brief description of who we are, where we come from, and where we’re goin… RagDoll is a vintage-inspired clothing store in the heart of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. We opened in October 2011, and life is good! The owner, Rachel Roberts, moved to New Orleans from Memphis, Tennessee to open her store. She chose New Orleans for its eccentricity, unique culture, and especially for its love for all things vintage! We hope to be a continuous hotspot for vintage inspired fashion and all things girly and fun for years to come.

This lovely blog will be written by Rachel Roberts (right), the infamous sky-high-heel lover and RagDoll Owner Extraordinaire & Jenny Sklar (left), RagDoll’s vintage-loving, cracked-out crafter, Social Media guru, and Assistant Manager.

We hope y’all enjoy our lovely new blog, stay tuned for more exciting and fun posts full of beautiful pictures and a dash of sass!

In the great words of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons,

“Bye Bye Baby, Baby Goodbye”

            RagDoll

Written by Jenny Lili Sklar