Vintage & Music Go Together Like…

When I was 13 yrs old, there was a new girl at school.  She wore Guess jeans in an array of colors, zipped at the ankle, and vintage tops.  She also had an older sister who was going to punk shows around town.  Mary’s taste filtered down to us junior high schoolers, even though I never even met Mary.  Before I knew it, X was my favorite band, and I was trying to emulate the style of the singer, Exene Cervenka, which meant vintage dresses and costume jewelry.

My aunt Charla, just 9 years older than me, took the new girl and me shopping at a vintage store on Laurel Canyon Blvd in North Hollywood. I still remember what I bought:  a 1950s black cardigan with a flower, appliqué detail at the neck, for what seemed exorbitant at the time but was probably $20 or $30.  I should have kept that sweater because it was the gateway to what has been a lifelong obsession.