By Laurie Toth
The Chicago History Museum’s Costume Council held their Annual Meeting on the evening of Tuesday, June 11th. Starting with a short meeting detailing the years events and achievements followed by the election of two new Executive Committee members. John Rogers was elected Membership Vice President and Kathleen Haines-Finley was re-elected Treasurer. There was discussion of the upcoming not to be missed events, including the Men’s Fashion Awards on Sept. 5th at Freeman Hindman and the much anticipated 50th Anniversary event on October 18th!
The guest speaker was an incredible fashionista, Tziporah Salamon, nickname “Zippy”. She was born in 1950 in Israel to Hungarian Holocaust survivors. Her father was a tailor and her mother a seamstress. She was surrounded by fashion from early childhood. They moved to New York when she was nine years old. Her mother could recreate any dress seen on the cover of Vogue within a week. So, Tziporah was fashionably dressed from early on. She had an eclectic and varied career of teaching high school, then becoming a psychotherapist, a stylist at Bloomingdales and then enjoying a job as a coat check girl earning $700 a night in the 1980’s! She loved and still does love shopping for antique
clothes.
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She presented a fashion show, adding garments until she had a fabulous look. She started with a jacket, then added a hat. She said the hat is the exclamation point to your outfit. Then she added earrings, which are very important to frame your face. Next came a bag or purse. Another important piece is a scarf. Adding gloves will ensure someone will take your picture, she claimed. Her rule for adding an item to her wardrobe is “if it is a good piece and it speaks to you, someday you will need this! “Along with the question “Do you want to own this for the rest of your life? If no, do not buy it!” Seven excellent rules she gave us were:
- Know your body, what looks good and what does not
- Know your comfort level? Pants, Dress, skirt?
- Always Dress for the occasion
- Be willing to have fun and play!
- Buy Quality over Quantity ALWAYS. Collect one great piece at a time.
- Staples everyone needs in their closet, a white blouse and a black turtleneck.
- Take good care of your clothes and shoes.
The evening was an enjoyable and perfect ending to another great Costume Council year!
