Meet Kate Dutcher: The stylish jazz age wearing, passionate pet mama behind the blog Retro Rover

When this month began and my laptop died on the first of the month, I feared (especially once I knew that my new one would need to be ordered online and that it wouldn't arrive until around the end of February) that my usual monthly "Meet a Fellow Vintage Blogger" interview post might not happen.

Thankfully, this month's interviewee was very understanding about the whole situation, especially since she herself is presently making due without a working computer or iPad.

Between our respective cell phones, we were able to swap questions back and forth and I'm delighted to report that even with all of the unforeseen bumps in the road this month, I was still able to carry on as planned and interview none other than Katherine (aka, Kate) Dutcher from the marvelous blog Retro Rover.

Kate is one of those highly cool people whose interests span a diverse and engaging spectrum of different areas. Not only is she a passionate 1920s - 1960s vintage wearer, but she and her husband are awesome parents to a number pets, including several adorable dogs (so hence the "rover" part of her blog's name), plus she adores classic cinema, Star Trek, kitschy collectibles, and oodles more, all while holding down a career in the highly commendable field of special needs education.

As well, Kate is an active blogger and blog commenter alike, the latter of which I always admire so much in my fellow vintage bloggers.

She's kind, sweet, passionate, loads of fun, stylish, and a supporter of my Etsy shop to boot, so it was with no small amount of joy that I posed the following selection of questions to Kate this month and then lapped up her terrific answers!

Read on to find out (p)oodles more about this fabulous vintage sporting, critter adoring, kitsch collecting lady behind Retro Rover.

Your blog is a wonderful marriage of two of the most important elements of your life: your dogs and your love of vintage. Was it a conscious decision to combine the two or did it come about more organically? 

It was definitely a conscious decision. In 2011 I started a dog blog, Urban Hounds, about my pets. As time went on and I blogged more and more, I started to like the idea of blogging about one of my other obsessions, vintage clothing. In May of 2013, I started a second blog about my love of vintage, that I originally called 'The Old Fashioned Way'. I kept up both blogs for about five months, but it was tough maintaining two blogs. In December of 2013, I decided to combine them both and I created Retro Rover. 

What are some of the elements of vintage that really draw you to it? 

I’ve always liked images, objects, and clothing with an element of whimsy and fun, most utilitarian modern clothing is totally lacking this. However, vintage clothing, as well as vintage reproductions, has it in spades. I’m also a sucker for details, like a pretty button or a bow at the neck of a dress.  I find that these sorts of flourishes are prevalent in vintage styles. 

When did you first begin wearing vintage styles? 

I’ve had elements of vintage style in my wardrobe since I attended high school in the early 1990s.  I used to love shopping in thrift stores for vintage bits and bobs that I’d work into my wardrobe.  Occasionally  I even wore full-on vintage. For example, I wore a 1940s dress to my high school graduation. When I got married at age 23, I wore a 1920s style veil and the wedding definitely had a vintage feel. In my 20s and early 30s, I continued to have vintage elements in my wardrobe, but I didn’t really embrace full on vintage until I turned 34. 

That was when I discovered vintage style blogs, including yours, plus Etsy and various repro companies. I realized there where lots of people dressing just like I had always wanted to. I decided that I wasn’t getting any younger and it was now or never. I made a vow that from them on I’d dress only to please myself and I set about creating a vintage wardrobe.

I’m nearly 38 now, quite a bit older then most vintage bloggers, but I think my age has given me the confidence I lacked when I was younger to wear more "out there" styles. For example, in my 20s and early 30s, I would have been embarrassed to wear a giant 1940s hat. It also helps that my finances are better now and I have more funds to spend on my hobby.

How has your personal fashion sense changed/evolved since then?

When I first got really into vintage I was pretty much all about the 1920s and 1930s. I was really inspired by images and films from the era. As time went on, I became more interested in the 1940s, mostly because the hats are so incredibly fabulous! Lately, I’ve been dipping into the 1950s and 60s, as well, and I’m particularly drawn to the kitschy accessories from this era such as novelty offerings. 

You're a big fan of ordering from independent seamstresses on sites like Etsy. What are some of your favorite such sources for old school style clothing?  

I have some gorgeous custom things from Sew Vintage Seamstress. I also love Swell Dame, Jitterbuggin, and Nudee Dudee who are all on Etsy. I have some things from Time Machine Vintage on Facebook, as well as Girl in a Whirl, who is on Facebook and Etsy. She makes amazing 1950s style novelty skirts! 

Any advice you wish someone would have told you about doing so before you started shopping from indie repro brands?

Of course it varies by the seller but it can take a long time to have something custom made.  I’ve waited up to 6 months for a custom dress.  So its very important to plan ahead if you need something for a special event.  Its also a good idea to make sure the seller is totally established and reputable.  I’ve been burned once by a seller who never sent my custom sweater order.  

Another huge love of yours is old movies, which also feature heavily on your blog. What are five vintage movies that you could watch over and over again a hundred times and never get tired of?  Oh my gosh its so hard for me to narrow it down to just five, but here it goes.

1)  It, 1927, with Clara Bow. I think this is a great silent movie for beginners to silent film. It's very entertaining and easy to follow and Clara lights up the screen.

2)   Dracula, 1931, with Bela Lugosi. I’m a big Lugosi fan and this is of course his best film.  

3)   It’s A Gift, 1934, with WC Fields. This is the one of the funniest movies I have ever seen and it manages to hold up wonderfully even 80 years after it was made.

4)   Top Hat, 1935, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I love all of the Astaire and Rogers films, and this is probably the definitive one. 

5)   Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan. I suppose 1982 is vintage enough. I’m a huge trekkie and this is my favorite Star Trek film.  I love that Ricardo Montalban is in it. 

Are there any points that strike you as being much better about vintage movies than modern day ones? And vice verce,  to your mind, do 21st century movies beat those from past eras on any fronts?

I’m a big science fiction, fantasy, and horror fan and one thing I notice is that while modern films have amazing special effects, it is sometimes at the expense of the story. 

I really love the ingenuity of classic science fiction in regards to special effects and make up, they made do with what they had and came up with incredible things. The best example I can think of in this regard is Boris Karlof’s iconic make up in the 1931 classic, Frankenstein. 

You also adore many different TV shows. What are some of your all-time favourites?  

My all time favorite show is definitely Star Trek.  I love all of the Trek series but my favorite is the 1960s original.  I love everything about it from the costumes and sets to the story telling and philosophy. I also love the Twilight Zones. Most of the other shows I love are from the 1990s or early 2000s, such as Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Twin Peaks, The X Files, and Futurama. 

Any series that you've discovered in the past couple of years that you've really connected with?  

Well its been on for 11 years now so its not quite new but I love Supernatural. I also like the Miss Fisher Mysteries a lot and I think the new Muppet show is wonderful, too. 

When it comes to vintage fashion, you often gravitate towards the 1920s, 30s and early 40s. Are there any particular reasons why this time frame speaks so deeply to you?  

My late dad was a huge fan of Fred Astaire so I grew up watching the Astaire and Rogers films as well as lots of other musicals and films. He also introduced me to the comic author PG Wodehouse.  Wodehouse’s stories are all set during the 1920s and 30s. So I think it was being exposed to stories and films from that era at an early age that drew me to the styles of those periods. 

Who are some of your favourite style icons from that era?

From the 1920s, I adore Clara Bow. She has such a fun, exuberant, and approachable style and she always looked comfortable with herself.  It also helps that she was born in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, which is where my husband is from. 

From the 1930s, I love Ginger Rogers. She always had amazing outfits and she wore a wide range of styles, and of course Fred Astaire always looked amazing.  Esther Williams is my favorite from the 1940s.  I think her 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter with Ricardo Montalban is one of the most stylish films ever made. 

If you could only wear the fashions of one continuous five years period (e.g., 1930 - 1935) for the rest of your life, what would you pick and why?

I had to get out my 1930s Style Sourcebook to answer this question and I choose 1930-1935.  I love the day wear from this period, beach pajamas and simple bias cut dresses.  I think such looks were flattering and comfortable. 

Are you a big fan of accessorizing and if so, what are some of your favourite types of accessories (including jewelry)?

I’m definitely a huge fan of accessorizing. In fact, it is my love of hats that first really drew me to vintage. I think the right accessories absolutely make the outfit. Of course I love all types of hats and I’m a big fan of fun novelty purses. 

As far as jewelry goes, I quite like Bakelite bangles and vintage brooches. I’m a sucker for any accessory with a dog or cat on it.  One thing I have no interest in is precious jewels - I’d take Bakelite over diamonds any day!

Have you had many opportunities to interact with others in the vintage/rockabilly subculture where you live?

Unfortunately not at all. The only people I know who are into the vintage scene are people I know through social media. I am a homebody though, so I don’t go out that much and while I love to watch dancing, I don’t dance myself.

Your husband doesn't wear vintage. However, are there other other elements of the past that he particularly enjoys?

When  I first met my husband twenty years ago, I was much less into vintage then I am today, my obsession has definitely grown! We do share a mutual fondness for old movies.  For example, we named our first pet, our cat, Baby, who is now 16 years old, after the leopard in 1938’s Bringing Up Baby.

What are some of your favourite things (vintage or otherwise) to collect?

I love to collect kitschy vintage novelty purses, I have about ten now and I display them in my home, as well as use them. I have a collection books from the Victorian Era through the 1950s that I also display. 

I don’t do it often as there are not many affordable ones in my area, but I love going to thrift stores and looking for pyrex and kitschy vintage bits and bobs.  I’d love to collect more vintage Star Trek stuff, but its hard to come by and can be pricey.

For those who aren't familiar with your blog, please tell us how many pets you currently have.

We have 9! 5 dogs: Ping a 12 year old female pug, Bob an 8 year old English bulldog, Weasley a 3 year old male pug, Philip J. Fry (called Fry) a  1 year old pug, and Mr. Tuvok a 1 year old toy poodle. Our four cats are 16 year old Baby, a female, 14 year old Scooter, a male, 12 year old Ernie, and one year old Spot.

Are there any types of animals that you'd like to keep as a pet, but which you've not yet had the chance to do so?

Our current cats are all rescues or foundlings so they are American Short hairs, but I definitely plan on owning a hairless Sphynx cat one day as well as an Exotic short hair cat. I’d love an Angora rabbit, but I don’t think  I could convince my husband or the cats! 

What is your day job and does it allow you to wear vintage while at work?

I’m a high school special education teacher. I work with students with significant intellectual disabilities in a self contained classroom, which means I have the same 12 students all day long. I do wear vintage or vintage inspired looks to work every day. 

I might not wear my most elaborate hats or delicate dresses, but I regularly wear things like a simple 1930s style dress or 1940s style slacks and a sweater.  My eccentric sense of style is well known around the school and often commented on by staff and students. 

Can you share five cool things about yourself that most of your blog readers wouldn't know about you?  

This is a little hard because I’m kind of an open book but  here we go:

1) I love vintage style  but I don’t consider myself old fashioned by any means. I wouldn’t want to travel back in time to a past era and I try not to over romanticize the past. I’m pretty happy in 2016, we have our problems but they did in earlier eras, too.

2) I’ve been married for 14 years and together with my husband for 19 years - he was my first boyfriend. I’m certainly beyond lucky to have found him and have him put up with me! 

3) My blog is somewhat inspired by my late dad.  He passed away four years ago and he really instilled in me my love of vintage because of his passion for old movies.  He always encouraged all of my interests and in some ways my blog is a supplement for the conversations we used to have.

4) I’m pretty shy and not very social, and despite my "out there" vintage outfits, I don’t really like to attract attention. I’m very much a homebody and I’m often more comfortable interacting with people through social media then I am face-to-face. On Saturday night you will always find me at home on the couch with my dogs and my husband watching TV, eating pizza and drinking wine. You’ll never see me at a party.

5) I’m the most scatter brained person on earth and would easily lose my head if it wasn’t attached!

What are you looking forward to on the vintage front for 2016? 

Well I’m not planning on going to any events or anything, but I am planning on adding some things to my wardrobe.  I’m getting more into 1950s and 60s looks and I’m planning on adding some fun pieces from this era to my treasure trove.

And, last but certainly not least, what would your "holy grail" of vintage items be?  

Oh my , so many things! 1) I'd love an authentic pair of 1930s beach pajamas; I already have some reproductions.  2) Something from the 1920s Egyptian revival like a dress or jewelry. 3) A 1940s 1950s high school or college pennant sweater. 4)  A 1930s, 40s, or 50s coolie hat.  5) Something with an atomic print from the 1950s.

Connect with Kate on: 

Her blog

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

Twitter

Meet the past interviewees who have taken part in this delightful ongoing post series:

February 2015: Emileigh | March 2015: CiCi | April 2015: Helen Mae | May 2015: Esther | June 2015: Ms. Falcon |July 2015: Jessie, and Laurence & Sylvain | August 2015: Holly | September 2015: Rhia | October 2015: Franny | November 2015: Emily | December 2015: Porcelina | January 2016: Nora

♥  ♥  ♥

Thank you very much for the great interview, Kate. I adored getting to know you - and your precious pets - even better and really appreciate that even with your own computer related issues, we were still able to make this post happen.

Delightfully, next month will see - on paper at least - the return of spring and with it will come another exciting installment in the fun Meet a Fellow Vintage Blogger post series.

Due to unexpectedly being computer-less this month, I've had to shift lot of my posts for February and March around and rejig some blogging plans, so I'm not a million percent certain yet who next month's interviewee will be, but I'm sure that they'll be be inspiring, fashionable, and a blast to chat with, too! :)

Lapping up the history of cat food

✯ Day 338 of Vintage 365 ✯

Very recently, in the midst of a highly stressful month, a special date nearly slipped by without my remembering. "Nearly" is the keyword here though, for I think that no matter how chaotic, frazzled or harried a month, I could never let November 23rd go past with recalling how that particular date just happens to be the one on which my husband and I adopted our splendidly sweet rescue cat, Stella, back in 2008.

Naturally on the petite size, Stella was still quite tiny when we brought her home (despite being about 11 weeks old at the time), and so we've really had a chance to watch her grow both in terms of size and maturity over the past three years. In that time she's filled our lives with an abundance of immeasurable joy, entertainment, and feline friendship, and we are beyond grateful for her presence in our lives every day.

Last month on the 23rd, as I sat watching Stella playing merrily with one of her toys (of which she has a hefty collection - given how much the mister and I love to spoil our darling kitty!), I began thinking about the history of domestic cats which in turn lead to reflections on the origins of commercially prepared cat food.

History buff that I am, I knew that I'd soon be writing a Chronically Vintage post on that very topic for all of my fellow cat lovers to enjoy.

For nearly as far back as humankind has kept dogs and cats as pets, these dear companions were either left to fend for themselves when meal time came around or provided with scraps/less desirable pieces of human food.

Evidentially this approach was enough to keep both species alive as a whole, yet as the Victorian era progressed, the view on pet food gradually began to change with the introduction of the first commercially prepared dog and cat food (both of which the brand Spratt was a driving force of in the late 1800s).

Though today many people might argue that some of the ingredients in the first moist pet foods were shockingly unpleasant to think about (e.g., horse meat), the availability of store bought cat and dog food meant that pet owners could now take the task of feeding their pets out of those very animals’ hands (paws) and into their own, thus helping to cut down on the malnutrition and poor health that sometimes arose when pets were left to hunt/scavenge for their food themselves.

By the mid-twentieth century canned cat food was  available in various seafood flavours, such as the tuna fish variety offered up by the brand Purr during the 1950s in the charming advertisement image below.

{Darling 1950s illustrated Purr cat food ad via hmdavid on Flickr – don’t you just love the cute slogan (“the Catillac of pet foods”) at the bottom?}

 

It was around this same time that dry cat food (aka, kibble) began to emerge on the market, following in the footsteps of dry dog kibble and biscuits, both of which had been around for a few decades (particularly biscuits), as brands that are now household names like Purina started manufacturing their well know pet food products.

Over the decades that followed more and more varieties (and one might argue, in the case of some brands at least, better quality) of cat food - both wet and dry - started hitting grocery and pet store shelves, including (but in no way limited to) beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon, mixed seafood, and surf & turf versions.

Cats and their owners are spoiled for choice these days, which an especially good thing if you have a finicky eater like our precious Ms. Stella, who's partial to poultry flavours of pate and finely diced/minced varieties of canned cat food, as well as dry poultry centered kibble and treats. Initially, as a wee little kitten she was adverse to seafood (save for boneless, skinless canned salmon), but as she's grown up, I've been able to introduce a couple of wet seafood based cat foods into her routine without much in the way of an objection.

While I'm all for a great many elements of days gone past, I'm thankful for the progression (including a good understanding of proper feline nutrition) in pet food that the world has seen in the last century and highly suspect that Stella (who got a very generous sized portion of her favourite chicken pate cat food on her adoption anniversary) is too!

Happy 3rd birthday, darling Stella!

✯ Day 243 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Born on the streets of a metropolis city, as so many of her kind are each year, Stella was an urban feral cat from her first meow of life.

How exactly she went from that state to laying sweetly in a tiny cat bed at the rescue shelter when we found in in November 2008 is anyone's guess, but chances are she and her littermates were picked up by the local animal control squad.

Lacking early human interaction, Stella developed a shy - yet highly tenacious, independent personality. Ever-curious, bright as her name (which is Italian for "star") implies, and just about the sweetest bundle of tabby grey fur you could ever hope to encounter, Stella has blossomed and thrived as indoor cat under the loving care of my husband and I.

The first pet and we've had the pleasure of sharing as a couple, Stella is a breath of joy of happiness in our lives. She never ceases to delight us with her clever games, cute posses, elegant beauty, and inquisitive soul.

Though we don't know (as the shelter didn't either) her exact date of birth, she was approximately 11 weeks old when we adopted her, so counting backwards that would place her birthday squarely at the end of August.

Thus, from day one, Tony and I christened August 31st Stella's birthday and have happily celebrated it as such every year since.

Now turning three years old, Stella has morphed into much more of a lap cat (aka, cuddle bug), yet is still as energetic, curious and entertaining as a young kitten. We love her dearly and in celebration of her (official unofficial) birthday, I wanted to share a selection of delightful vintage cat images with all of you.

{Image sources: 1. Vintage illustration kitten with party hat, 2. Vintage Cats, 3. Honky Cat - Taken Between 1949 and 1952, 4. animal - cat and TV, 5. Woman with Cat, 6. aunt nona's cat on the car, 7. Cats - For PERSONAL use only, 8. Cats - For PERSONAL use only, 9. 1959 Sarah cat, 10. Kittens in a Box, 1960, 11. Cats - For PERSONAL use only, 12. MYSTERIES OF THE CAT 1932, 13. Vintage Cats}

And how could I note include one of my all-time favourite shots of the adorable feline birthday girl herself in this post, too?

 

I love that each year Tony and I get to cap off August - the last full month of summer - by celebrating Stella's birthday. It seems both an awesome way wrap up summer and to start autumn off on a fabulous note at the same time.

If you're a proud pet parent, too (or have been in the past), do you enjoy marking your furry friend's birthdays as well?

Vintage 365: Darling vintage Dogette ad for dog nail polish!

 

✯ Day 55 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

There are certain vintage finds that can't help but put a wide grin on your face. They're those images or items that someone how seem so off-beat, so quaint, so entirely irreverent compared to the ways things are generally supposed to be that they instantly become likeable. "Give me a 'for instance', Jess", I hear you say. Delighted to! :)

Ladies and gents, I present a vintage ad for Dogette Nail Enamel: nail polish for your favourite canine companion. Matching was big in the 1950s (not of course, that there's anything wrong with that - I can think of few things more lovely than matching one's lipstick and nail polish, and do so myself quite frequently), from home decor (think kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms in primarily one colour) to identically hued hats and shoes, it was seen as classy and classic at the time to colour coordinate.

{Wonderfully interesting Vintage Dogette Nail Enamel poster, measuring 18 x 12.5 inches, $19.99 from All Posters.}

 

Evidently, thanks to the fine folks at Dogette, you could match your dog's claws (nails) to many popular fashion and automobile shades of the day. As we can see in this delightful vintage ad, Dogette came in a range of au currant mid-twentieth century colours, from whisper pale lilac to bold sky blue, these hues were definitely going to get your pretty (and pampered) pooch noticed. (Can't you just imagine regal, highly groomed 1950s poodles sporting perfectly manicured nails?)

While Dogette may seem like a rather strange product (after all, it is a cosmetic product for dogs!), the brand (for whom I honestly could not find much information at all; if anyone knows more about this company, please don't hesitate to share your knowledge in the comments) was decades ahead of their time. In recent years a handful (pawful) of companies have hit the market with their own lines of dog nail polish. It would seem though Dogette has gone the way of the Molossus of ancient Greece (which is a shame, their logo and packaging was downright adorable).

Color Paw (which comes in a wide array of colours) and OPI's Pawlish are two of the best known brands of dog nail (both companies produce formulas that differ from human nail polish and which are safe for use on dogs) on the market today, proving that sometimes even the quirkiest of yesteryear beauty products - be it for people or pets - has staying power.