Meet Rita of Firefly Vintage

Here's the first of many interviews to come from our wonderful vintage lingerie sellers.  It's a fun one.  Hope you enjoy...

Okay..  You own and operate Firefly Vintage on Etsy…Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Rita Gysin and I am 49 years and 7 months old. That wouldn't be such a big deal, except it is just a short time away from the big 5-0, which is the age I need to be to begin drawing my retirement from my former full-time job. Yay!!

Where did you start out life?

I spent most of my childhood on a farm in Kansas. I used to resist my inborn tendency to hayseediness, but, when I was in my early 20's, I decided it was pointless to fight it and tried to sell it as cool. So, I became an In-Your-Face farm kid who could not conform to city life (despite living in cities most of my adult life). In defiance, I REFUSED to! I have preached the merits of home-grown, grassroots agriculture long before it was cool. Now, I am an almost militant flower child who wears thrift store clothes, hoards my mom's canned food she gives me at Christmas, but sadly has never tried pot. Although, just by living in Colorado, I have had numerous contact highs from second hand fumes.

And what did you start out doing?

My original plan in life was to become a park ranger. I worked for the National Park Service for several years as a seasonal employee. The NPS demands much from its part-timers, wanting them to be trained in fire-fighting, medical, and police work. At 5'3", 105 lbs in the '80's, it was impossible for me to find fire-safe boots that were small enough for me. Women were very scarce in public safely careers back then. I found it doubly hard to drag around hoses and woodland fire tools in boots stuffed with 10 pairs of socks and decided fire-fighting was not my thang. I couldn't wrap my brain around all the stuff I had to know about how to keep people alive with basic first aid skills, so medical was out too. But law enforcement was another story...

Law enforcement was just SO logical. Don't pee in front of people. Don't set fires. Don't kill wildlife out of season... It all just seemed an extension of the Golden Rule. I quit the NPS and went to a state law enforcement school in my current state (Florida), got certified, got my first job as a cop on the Volusia County Beaches (think Baywatch without the bikinis and running in slow motion). Eventually, I moved to Colorado and spend 15 very fulfilling years with the Colorado Springs Police Department.

My size and hippie-chick demeanor worked in my favor as I discovered that, 99% of the time, everyone I dealt with responded to common courtesy and respect...and the other 1% of the time I used the tools on my belt.

Who inspired your love of vintage clothing and/or lingerie?  

My momma inspired me when I was a little kid with her killer late 50's and 60's fashions. 

How did that love manifest itself?

I got so good at picking out vintage fashion, I could walk slowly, steadily along a rack of clothing in a thrift store and pick garments out from among their modern counterparts without disturbing a hanger. I would leave with bags of sweet cotton prints and loud polyester swirls. The cashiers knew me by name and were polite to my face but had me pegged as completely zany behind my back.

(A good thing, by my standards!)

My "collection" became an addiction that I fed on my days off (and sometimes even during the few down moments I had at work. Stores loved that I would shop in uniform, putting shoplifting at a dead standstill for a full 15 minutes until I left with my bag of goodies, which I stashed next to my riot gear in the trunk of my patrol car until the end of my shift.

My friends were curious about my weird habits and I took advantage of their curiosity to show off my latest finds, which I spread out over my bed. My enthusiasm was contagous. They began to see my old clothes as more than just rags from a previous era and began buying from me.

I moved to a booth in an antique mall, which suited my schedule, but was not financially feasible. Without me there to spread my craziness and point out what I thought were the obvious merits of the clothing, they didn't sell.

Sooo you own a brick and mortar, as well as, an on-line store.    Tell us how that came about…

One day, I was taking a mindless Sunday drive, exporing an area south of Colorado Springs...and fatefully discovered a little town named Florence. The main street was lined with decrepit old brick buildings, set against a magnificent backdrop of blue mountains. I hatched a hair-brained scheme to buy one of these buildings, fix it up and open my own vintage clothing store. By the time my dream was realized, other oddities like me had purchased / restored other main street buildings and filled them with antique stores, art galleries, and small restaurants...making Florence the ideal spot for my creepy old clothes.

..Which is exactly what people thought of them. I explained to every hapless soul who wandered into my shop (which I ran on my day off from my cop job) the merits of vintage. The store caught on, but slowly. Too slowly to make a living. So I began selling on Ebay as blue*moon*vintage. It was during this era my job allowed me to go half time. My Lieutenant hated the idea and was not supportive. But that is another story.

Ebay and I worked happily side-by-side in a symbiotic relationship until Ebay went through some strange change of life and became very hormonal. I could no longer deal with the mood swings (after all, I have my own to cope with) and we parted ways.  By accident, I discovered Etsy and the rest is history!!

Years ago, I decided to rent out my building to help pay for the mortgage. I also put it on the market. But I believe Fate has plans for me, as a buyer has not been in sight for over a year. So, I decided to re-open the shop AND continue selling online.

And how are sales going for you now at your brick and mortar?

… business in my shop is really starting to take off!  People are beginning to find me and buy stuff and I just love that public interaction (most days) that I don't get with my online shops.

What would you describe as your personal vintage style?

I guess so many years of wearing a uniform sucked some of my personal creativity away, so, on a daily basis, I am a jeans and tank top kind of girl. And I have a museum-quality collection of hoodies...all purchased at thrift stores, of course. Actually, for the merchant's meeting this morning, I selected my very finest--a black cropped hoodie with rhinestones and Harley Davidson tattoo-inspired designs that look that they've been airbrushed on. I paired it with a turquoise tank and my zebra-striped Converse. Typical.

Opening the shop has opened my fashion doors however. I figure I can't just love vintage, I have to WEAR it, if I'm going to sell it. Of course, I've always worn my 50's dresses to weddings and special events...  Last Sunday I wore a 1970's poly double-knit maxi skirt. I'm short, so I resorted to wedge heels in lieu of my usual sandals.  Last weekend was our Pioneer Day celebration in town. Kind of a founder's day gala. Because this town is still very Old West, many women dress in prairie skirts, bonnets and modern-made Victorian costume. I chose a vintage cowboy shirt, skinny jeans, and vintage cowboy boots. Oh, and a set of two cap guns gleaned from the toy section at the Canon City Wal Mart. The belt that came with them hit me perfectly at hip level. I looked like a badass girl gunslinger...I thought.

You've stated earlier that you have a personal collection of vintage clothing.  Any favorite?

One of my favorite dresses in my personal collection is the first Emma Domb prom dress I ever bought.  My sister-in-law, Jill, and I were at an antique show at the City Auditorium one Sunday afternoon in Colorado Springs. One dealer had a small rack of vintage dresses in her booth and she agreed to let me try the Emma Domb on before I purchased it for the massive price of $25.  It is 50's or early 60's. Tight bodice and very full skirt with a crinoline slip underneath. The fabric is semi-sheer pink and yellow floral chiffon over pink satin. It could be strapless, but has twin spaghetti straps on the shoulders. Very, very feminine.

I know there is a story that also goes with this dress.  Would you share it? 

Jill and I took it into the bathroom, down a short hallway just outside of the auditorium. This bathroom is original to the 1920's building. Massive, with clean white hexagonal tile and a full wall of mirrors and sinks attached to the wall. I can just see women over the decades leaning over those mirrors re-applying their lipstick!  Anyway, Jill helped me into the dress and managed to get it zipped. I had to hold my breath and mentally minimize my boobs, but the dress fit like a dream. I had spent a few seconds twirling around, making the skirt fly out in a huge, chiffon parachute when a woman I guessed to be in her early 60's came in and caught me in mid spin. Kind of embarrassing. I haven't been young enough to get away with that kind of behavior in about 35 years.

She gasped and begged me to go show her husband, who was waiting for her in the hallway. Feeling a little silly, I padded out into the hallway in my socks and gown.  The woman's husband was patiently waiting just outside the door. She didn't have to say a word. He looked straight at me, froze, then GOT TEARS IN HIS EYES! He then looked at his wife and said "Oh my God, I remember that dress!"  Wow!

(I love this story… thanks for sharing it.)

So which venue do you prefer to sell in?  Brick and mortar or online?

There are plusses and minuses for both a brick and mortar and online stores.

Online, I have to be very careful to paint the picture of the garment. I realize many buyers will understand what I mean when I say "rayon crepe" or "nylon jersey with slight vertical stretch", but it is a major challenge to accurately describe a garment, the way it feels, how it fits, its strengths and weaknesses...even how it smells...so the buyer will know it before she holds it for the first time.  I've had some very close calls, but have maintained a 100% Positive Feedback rating on my Etsy site (and previously on my Ebay site), by being so anal about my descriptions.  The online shops that describe the condition of their vintage as "Excellent" without further comment annoy the hell out of me. No vintage garment is perfect--not even New Old Stock. The devil is in the description. Online sales are my bread and butter, but more importantly, I have developed a base of return customers, pen pals, and friends I have never met. This blows my little mind!

In my brick and mortar shop, description is not an issue.  The vast majority of my customers are a delight. I encourage them to come into my shop anytime, whether or not they buy a thing!

Any favorite designers?  Fabric? Era?

I just can't pick a favorite designer, fabric or era!

I am absolutely seduced by the freedom the fashions of the 20's, 60's and 70's afforded women.  Oddly, I really don't like Victorian or Edwardian fashion. Collectors love it and I have some in my shop.  Weeks before I opened my shop, a woman in town closed the booth she had in a local antique mall that contained mostly Victorian and Edwardian clothing / accessories. It was lovely...  I have had several sideways comments that my shop isn't nearly as beautiful as that one was. True dat.  Victorian clothing represents to me the most repressed time in women's history. Ugh. Corsets, whales sacrificed for tortuous boning, lacing. Teeny tiny shoes. Women must have had to fold their feet in half to get into them.

I've heard women had their lower ribs removed to better fit into wasp-waist garments. Women's activities included intricate, artful needlework because their cloths prevented them from having a real life.  If they ever ventured outside they had to fight cumbersome skirts and petticoats. How did they pee? If they were brave enough to ride a horse, they had to have both of their legs on the same side! How is that even possible?  To me, that is the saddest and most repressed era ever. If you want romance, think about the bonfire the flappers must have made of their armored underwear. They traded it for curved flasks secured by lace thigh garters. Romance (sex) takes TWO! 

Fair enough.  Any other insights about the style of an era?

I also love the suits of the 40's. Women worked, travelled, and got married in those suits. As versatile as the women of the era!  And, despite the rumors of the Cleaver family unit of the 50's, don't tell me a woman couldn't effectively run a 50-yard-dash in all the room in those New Look skirts! (Okay, I won't!)  And the 60's and 70's ushered in no-maintenance fabrics that moved with the wearer. A great option, considering nudity was also a favorite uniform of the day.  Lingerie has evolved with the outerwear of the day. I admit nothing beats a 20's silk teddy.

Since you've brought it up… let's talk about lingerie..   People seem to like it!

So about the lingerie--  I do sell some online, but it sells 10 to 1 compared to any other item in my brick and mortar.

Really…Any thoughts as to why?

Why, I don't know. But women (and men) seem to find an emotional connection with my white cotton 20's era nightgowns, 30's and 40's house dresses and 60's nylon slips that is universal to the customer.  I myself am developing a new appreciation for it as I explore other clothing avenues away from my jeans and Ts. If you are going to wear a vintage dress, you NEED a slip! My favorites are extra slinky and extra lacy. A shame, since no one sees them but me. Sigh.

Where do you place vintage lingerie in the scheme of things?

Vintage lingerie is an absolute neccessity. And I say that with all seriousness.

Most slips are not only incredibly beautiful but are mandatory protection for the vintage garment you are wearing. (Good point!) For example, my legs never tan. Either I suffer through 100 degree Southern Colorado summer heat in jeans and sweat pants or I paint my legs so I can go out in public without blinding traffic. I wear self-tanner and, yes, some of it rubs off on my slips...and easily washes out. Wouldn't want to get it on my dresses.

Ok, that's one of my practical answers. Now for the real answer:  

Oh good.  I can't wait to hear it.

My personal experience getting dressed for work for the last 25 years has been throwing something on that is a step above pajamas, driving to work, and putting on my uniform, bullet-proof vest, and gun belt in the women's locker room with several other women. Fun, gossip-loaded, communal. We discussed the fit of each other's pants and gun belts and whether or not they were shrunk at the dry-cleaners because we could not possibly be putting on donut weight.  I'm not knocking it, but I think dressing for women in past generations was more sacred.

In what way?

Vintage lingerie evokes images of dressing rooms furnished with low-benched, oversized-mirrored vanities. Women carefully selected their garment to the time of day and occasion. Then it was donned with foresight, from the ground up.  My mom used to lay her outfits out on their bed (no dressing room, but yes vanity), in order of its appearance: grand, high-waist nylon panties and bullet bra. Stockings and garters. Slip, dress, shoes, jewelry, scarves, etc.  My mom was pretty low-maintenance, so she didn't wear make up, but I picture most others sitting on the bench in front of the vanity, carefully applying eyeliner, lashes, lipstick... Of course this was done in a garment especially for the purpose--a dressing gown. Not a house coat, not sweats, not a ratty old robe... Dressing was a ritual. It was performed at a measured pace, either all alone (some rare "me" time) or in quiet conversation with children or husbands. Eye contact made via the mirror...  This was not a time of throwing orders at other members of the household. This was Momma's time, played by Momma's rules. Obey or leave...

Ahhh… I see your point.

How does that translate into modern lives and habits?  That kind of thought, order, meditation, and time carved out of the day to pay attention to yourself is as spiritual and important today as it was then...we just don't do it.  ..at least we didn't. I think the romance of dabbing Chanel No. 5 onto the hollow of your throat as your husband watches over your shoulder is coming back in style.

You asked about the Harley...  Yes, I did…

Women's history can be told in fashion and transportation...  From hobbling around in too-small shoes in too much clothing, to finally being able to don a split skirt and ride a horse the way God intended, to the invention of dungarees for the 40's working woman, to jeans.  Harleys are similar. They once had kick starts that were notorious shin-breakers and suicide shifters. They were tall and unwieldy and too big for an average woman to operate.  Harley won't admit this, but a huge part of their customer base is now women. Mine is a large, heavy bike, but it has a low center of gravity and a 24" seat height, which means my smurf legs touch the ground on both sides. It has an electric start, easy clutch, and fuel injection instead of a cumbersome choke.

So, we have come full circle. Yes, we have.  Any closing comments or observations?

If women today want to dress in Victorian costume, they may do so without sacrificing life and limb.  The world is an open door to us as never before and our clothes register that. If we look back it is because we choose to.

Beautifully put.  Thank you,  Rita.  It's been a true pleasure.

Rita Gysin is the owner of Firefly Vintage on Etsy.com.  You can find her store by following this link:  http://www.etsy.com/people/FireflyVintage