The hundreds of hats, coats, pairs of shoes, dresses and accessories that make up Nancy Bordine's vintage clothing collection tell a story. She shared that story with those who attended the 12th annual vintage fashion show and tea held Saturday to benefit the Grand Traverse Heritage Center.
Bordine, a vintage clothing aficionado, spoke about how fashion reveals the history of women's culture as she presented items in her collection dating back to the late part of the 19th century.
More than 45 outfits, including a Brownie Girl Scout uniform from the 1930s, the uniform of the first female Naval physician which included pants, a 1960s era wedding dress and an assortment of bathing suits from the past century were modeled by local women.
In addition to commenting on the construction of the garments, Bordine also gave insight into how clothing changed over time to meet the needs of women.
"Padded shoulders were added to women's clothing in the 1940s to show that they could handle responsibility,” said Bordine, who also noted that zippers became popular in children's clothing during that time period so that youngsters could be more self sufficient.
Bordine also noted how women's fashions were altered by what was happening in the world around them.
"Women were asked to stop wearing corsets during World War I to help save metal. More than 28,000 tons of metal were saved, and women liked the new sense of freedom,” said Bordine, who began accumulating her massive collection on a dare.
"I always loved going to vintage clothing stores when visiting my sister in San Francisco in the 80s. I always said someday I'm going to have a store like this,” said Bordine, who says her sister dared her to follow that dream.
"I began accumulating items for a store I owned in the mid to late 80s, but I couldn't bear to sell them. I just wanted to keep it all,” said Bordine, who acquires clothing and accessories from vintage stores, estate sales and from individuals looking for a good home for a well loved garment.
One thing that Bordine enjoys most about her collection is the opportunity to share it with others. The Grand Traverse Heritage Center has been the beneficiary of her passion for history and fashion as a sponsor of the annual event.
"Clothing really represents the change in culture. Nancy's collection is a great way to tie learning to artifacts,” said Dan Truckey, executive director of the Grand Traverse Heritage Center.