Designer Pamela Levenson of Popina Swimwear

 

A few weeks ago I wrote about my latest Made in the USA find, Popina.  The designer and co-owner of Popina is Pamela Levenson.  She recently answered a few questions for me about her design career and the influence of the past on what she creates.

1.  Were you interested in fashion as a child?  Did it ever enter your mind that you would grow up to design swimsuits?

I have always loved fashion and dreamed my whole life of having my own line and boutique.  I never really dreamed that my outlet would be swimwear, but a lot of weird coincidences kept pushing me to spandex.  For example, I worked at a swimwear boutique that cut and sewed swimwear to order in college (never dreaming of doing it on my own) – but drawing on that background proved to be helpful!  I also randomly worked at a company that sold swimwear fabric when I first moved to Portland and bought an industrial serger from a customer.  When I could not find a suit I loved in Portland in the wintertime, I had the materials, the machine and the basic know how and that was my start.

2.  Do you sew? 

I do sew, I originally did all of the Popina production myself and I still sew up all of the prototypes.

If so, when and how did you first learn the skill? 

I first learned to sew in high school and in fashion school it was required to sew.  To learn pattern making, I took a pattern making class and refined my skills as I went.

3.  What is your fashion background and experience?

I graduated from Brooks College in Los Angeles and most notably worked for Guess as well as a handful of smaller manufacturers.

4.  How was the idea for Popina formed?

Basically I could not find a swimsuit I loved in October in Portland, Oregon so I stayed up all night before a trip to Mexico the next day.  From there I got compliments, made some for friends, then sold consignment and finally took the leap to get a 250 sq ft brick and mortar store.  I now have two boutiques; one that is 1,800 sq ft and one that is 3,000 – making us the largest women’s boutique on the west coast – I never dreamed that would happen in my wildest dreams.

5.  So many of your swimsuits are vintage-inspired.  What are the direct influences of the suits you create? 

I really look to styles of the past and look to update them with help of modern construction and materials.  I love looking at old vintage photos and current styles to make the classic styles fresh.

6.  I’m really attracted to the fact that the swimsuits are made in in the USA.  What are the benefits of manufacturing your product locally?  

The principal advantage is that I can drive 15 minutes and talk directly to my production people.  That greatly improves communication it also allows us to do smaller production runs.  We have not looked very hard at doing production out of state or overseas for that matter, we hope we never have to.  Our life is complicated enough as is, it is really nice to have a straightforward production process.

My thanks to Pamela for taking the time from her very busy schedule in order to let us have a glimpse into her world of design.

Photo copyright Popina.  Do not copy, pin or tumble!

Made in the USA – Popina

I’m always interested in finding clothing that is manufactured in the US, and I’ve gotten pretty good at finding US made items in many categories.  So I was surprised that I’d not somehow run across Popina in my search for US made garments.  Okay, the truth is that I’ve not shopped for a swimsuit in 15 years, and the thought of it was too hard to even consider.

But when I got an email from the people at Popina, asking if I’d like to try a suit in the privacy of my own home, I took a look at their site, and then said yes.  The line is very much inspired by  vintage swimwear with the one-piece suits being reminiscent of the swimwear of the 1950s.  They also have a selection of tankini suits and two-piece suits.

The Popina line is designed and made in Portland, Oregon.  As a nod to their city, they also carry Jantzen swimwear.  Jantzen was one of the great Portland companies that, unfortunately, is no longer made in the city.  They are, however, still in the swimwear business, with quite a few styles that are based on their designs of the past.

I chose the suit shown above, which Popina calls The Grace, from their retro swimwear collection.  When it arrived, I tried it on, and surprise of surprises, really liked the way it looked.  The fabric is nice and substantial, for a lack of better words.  At any rate, it is not thin and flimsy like so many of the swimsuits I’ve looked at in stores in recent years.  And the front and side seaming seemed to give a bit of a corset effect without feeling constraining.

The interior of the suit features a shelf bra. The front of the suit is fully lined, but the back is not.  I felt like the bra gave plenty of support, and added to the flattering line.  I really can’t say enough nice things about this suit.  It’s pretty, flattering, and well made in the USA.

If you live in the Portland area, there are two retail locations, and a new one will be opening next week.  Details are on their facebook page, along with a link to the newsletter (where you will find a 20% off coupon code good until March 13).

Soon, I’ll be featuring an interview with Popina designer and co-owner, Pamela Levenson.

Photos 1 and 4 are copyright Popina Swimwear.  Suit for review provided courtesy of Popina Swimwear.

Marge Crunkleton Mannequin Heads

I recently had the opportunity to visit the mannequin head workshop of Marge Crunkleton.  Many of you who are in the vintage business will recognize her name and her work.  Marge makes reproductions of vintage head mannequins, and is known as one of the best in the business.

The heads are specially molded from vintage mannequins, and then Marge paints each according to what is era appropriate.  It was fun seeing the unpainted heads along side the finished ones.  And Marge is happy to work with customers on specific colors for hair, eyes and lips.

Marge herself is a hat collector, which she has displayed throughout her workshop.  And the little people are her creations as well, and she also molds and creates dolls.

You can see the full line of Crunkleton Heads on her website, Crunkleton.com.  If you are interested in ordering a head, don’t hesitate to call Marge, and she can work with you on your order.  She normally sells her heads for $175, but will sell you one for $160 if you tell her Lizzie sent you!

And now, a bit of a question from Marge.  She has the hat above, with the blue crown and a very pale blue horsehair veil.  Do you suppose this was for a bride?

UPDATE:

Here is the hat after Marge has spent some time working with the floppy brim.  She says that she could have raised the brim even higher, but that she can tell that it is going to sag again in time.  Still, one can better tell how the hat must have been worn originally.

Made in the USA – The Cat’s Pajamas

I really am thankful for pajamas, because pretty much the only time a woman of 57 can get away with wearing a pink and black Scottie dog print is when she is at home and visitors are not expected.  The same can be said, I suppose, for prints with puppies and cupcakes, cats in trees and miscellaneous cocktails.  These are the sorts of prints for sale at my latest made in the USA find, The Cat’s Pajamas.

When it comes to pajamas, I’ve been a Bedhead devotee for the past ten years or so.  That’s when I bought my first pair – a pair I’m still wearing, by the way.  But I came across a recommendation for Cat’s Pajamas and decided to give them a try.

First, the fabric prints at Cat’s Pajamas are very whimsical and brightly colored.  I like that in a pj.  You can let your inner kid come out when dressing strictly for your home.  On the negative side, though the pajamas are sewn in the USA, the fabric is imported (from who knows where) and to be honest, it is not quite as soft as I’d like.  Still, after four washings, it has softened up without any color loss to the print.

Another plus is that they offer a variety of styles in most prints.  I’m short, so I ordered the capri length which was just right for me.  Some of the prints are available in both flannel and poplin.  And they have plus sizes.

Time will tell whether they hold up as well as Bedhead does, but for now, I’m very satisfied.  This pair was on sale, and the shipping is a reasonable flat rate of $5.

And if they would find a US supplier for the fabric, I’d really love them.

Nice packaging that includes a cute eye shade.

Made in the USA – Liberty Bottles

Accessories come and accessories go.  Time was, a lady did not leave her house without a parasol.  Today’s must have accouterments might include a ceramic coffee cup or a water bottle.

I ran across Liberty Bottleworks while looking for something else, but I liked what I read and so I ordered a bottle.  I’m really impressed with the product, and so I’m sharing it with you.  First of all, it is made in the USA out of 100% recycled aluminum.  There are no BPA materials and the bottle is coated to prevent metal leaching into your drink.  The mouth of the bottle is wide enough for ice cubes.

The design I have is a topographical map of part of the Great Smokies National Park, but there are dozens of great designs.  I especially love the Mass Transit map series.

Click to enlarge

Olympic Update

Probably the best thing to come out of the Made in China Olympic Uniform Controversy is that people are finally talking about the problem of where and how our clothes are being made.  And it’s not just fashion history people and manufacturing people, but Americans in general.  This is a national conversation that is long over due.

It’s really easy to just blame Ralph Lauren for making the clothes in China, but the company was just doing business as usual.  They don’t hear all the customers lining up to shop in their stores complaining that the goods are made in China, so why would they have any reason to suspect this would be any different.

Truth is, many people have not been concerned about so much of our clothing being outsourced, and those who are concerned have not been vocal in their disapproval.  But now the problem is out in the open, and everyone seems to have a strong opinion – mainly that it was wrong to make the Olympic uniforms in China.  Hopefully all of us critics will apply the same standards to our own wardrobes.

There are people who are accusing the outraged Congress of being hypocritical.  After all, many of them voted for the trade agreements that led to the downward spiral of the US textile industry.  And there are those who say that it is all just a lot of political posturing.  You know what? I don’t care.

What I care about is that a bill,  Team USA Made in America Act of 2012, will be introduced this week that says that  the US Olympic Team uniforms must be made in the USA.   From what I’ve read over the weekend, several countries, including Canada, already have such a rule.

What I also care about is that many people have already been  taking a look at their own closets, and I’ll bet that a lot have been shocked at what they’ve found.  As hard as I work toward having a wardrobe of clothing and shoes made only by people working under fair working conditions, I do have a few items of dubious origin.  Some are thrift store buys, but others came from catalogs orders before I learned that the word “imported” actually means  ”Made in China.”   My shoe and handbag departments are especially troubling, and this is from a shopper who has, for the past two years, been consciously trying to buy more responsibly.

Now that it has been proven that Ralph Lauren could have made the uniforms in the USA (Doug Williams, ceo of US made Hickey Freeman and Dov No-stranger-to-controversy Charney of American Apparel have extended offers to remake the RL Olympic clothes, as has the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) hopefully  people will start asking the really important question:  Why isn’t he making those iconic American clothes he is selling in his stores in America?

Photo copyright Ralph Lauren

What I Didn’t Buy – Kino Sandals

For over a year I’ve been searching diligently for a particular style of sandal, and today I thought I’d found them.  I was wrong, but in the process made another, perhaps more interesting, discovery.

A while back I saw an ad for a pair of Sperry sandals in a vintage magazine.  I neglected to note the date, but I’m sure it was from the late 1950s or early 60s.  At any rate, the sandals were leather soles and a leather strap but with a rope thong that went between the toes.  Sort of like what you see in the photo above.

I spotted these sandals the moment I entered the thrift store.  It was one of those moment when the first thought of “Finally!” quickly gave way to “Close, but , no.”  In other words, that little voice warned me before I even reached the rack that these were not the Sperry sandals I’d been searching for.  There was a definite lack of the quality I’d expect to find in a pair of vintage Sperry shoes.

And I was right.  The sandals were made by Kino, which rang a very vague bell, but which I really could not place where I’d heard of or seen them.   They were leather, but the materials and the construction were obviously not high end.  Still, they were cute summer thongs, in a style I’ve been wanting and they were very lightly worn.

So why didn’t I buy them?  They were too big.

I was curious enough to see what I could find out about them, and a quick Google did not disappoint.  Kinos are made in Key West, by the same family that has been making them since 1966.

Roberto “Kino” Lopez had owned a shoe factory in Cuba, which he left behind in 1962 when he left the island and the Castro regime.  Four years later he took his savings and a small business loan and opened a small shoe making factory in Key West.  The sandals are made by hand, using the same styles and patterns they have been making for three generations now.   You can watch as the craftspeople make the sandals which are for sale in the factory shop.

On the website they have a page showing the sandals, but there is a notice that they are not taking on-line orders at present.  I do suspect they will fill a phone order in case anyone wants to try.  The prices are pretty tempting, and while I can’t vouch for them, the reviews on Yelp are very good.