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Vintage styles hit the runway at Terre Haute fashion show

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) - Long, flowing dresses. Beaded gowns. Short gloves. Fascinators. Vintage and modern style clothing converged into one fashion show Sunday in downtown Terre Haute.

Eleven ladies walked across the floor of The Saratoga Restaurant, 431 Wabash Ave., donning outfits, accessories and hairstyles representing different eras, from the 1920s to the present. The event was dubbed, "A Brunch Affair with Vintage Flair," a collaborative effort between the restaurant and vintage store The Little Blue Box.

The models smiled, twirled, posed - and one even blew kisses - to the fascinated audience of 60 people, as they walked in between tables modeling the dresses from the downtown vintage store, which opened just three months ago.

"We are super excited to show you some really fun" dresses, Jennifer Davidson, organizer of the event and owner of The Little Blue Box, told those in attendance during the opening. The dresses were vintage, vintage-inspired and "revival" outfits from Davidson's own clothing line, the Tribune-Star reported (http://bit.ly/1AoxxXU ). Several outfits at the event were very recognizable today.

The mood was light and relaxed. The audience chatted, smiled and appeared to enjoy looking at the dresses and accessories, in between a four-course meal at the restaurant.

One participant, Liz Pine, 58, received a lot of attention as she modeled a green, floral print dress representing the '50s and '60s. Her get-up was complete with gloves, heels, big, white pearls, a black purse and a head piece known as a fascinator. But as she walked around, she may have had a "wardrobe malfunction" - although not the Janet Jackson kind - because the audience noticed that she may have been adjusting a part of her outfit.

When the emcee, Davidson, asked about it, Pine told the audience, "I wanted to show a little leg but not that much." This was followed by laughter from the audience.

Speaking with the Tribune-Star by the dressing area, Pine, an employee at The Saratoga, said she personally chose the outfit from the store's collection because she likes bright colors. She also loves vintage items, she said.

"I think I was born in the wrong era," the Terre Haute resident joked. "I think I should have been born in the '40s and '50s when the ladies looked so sophisticated" and pretty, she said with a smile.

Another vintage fan served as a model during the event. Just like the other models, 17-year-old Margaret Mary McMurty modeled several outfits for the event. One of them was a teal suit with rhinestone buttons - à la Jackie O - complete with matching heels and clutch.

The high school student said she enjoyed modeling the outfits and "turning in it." At first, it was nerve-wracking because there were a lot of people looking at her, but as she walked across the floor, she quickly gained confidence, she said.

"It was a lot of fun," she told the Tribune-Star during one of the breaks.

A fan of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, McMurty said she finds it funny how much fashion repeats itself over the decades. She also thinks that clothes and fashion tell a story about people from a different era. If she can, she would like to dress up in a vintage-style every day.

But "I think it's a little too much for school," she said and laughed, as she wore the teal suit.

In addition to the show and the four-course meal, there was also a raffle, prizes, music and merchandise for sale at the event.

Davidson, a Marshall, Illinois, resident, said she hoped to "marry the vintage styles to today's fashion" through the event. She wanted to show people that there's something for everybody in a vintage shop.

"I really just want to show people how they can wear it today, and it looks fabulous," she told the Tribune-Star. "And it's affordable."

The event brought not only a convergence of vintage and modern styles, but also a product of a partnership between downtown Terre Haute businesses including The Saratoga and The Little Blue Box, which is at 125A S. Seventh St. The Serendipity Salon, also downtown, did the models' hair, and Tiers of Elegance provided some of the food, as well.

Alexis Green, the daughter of the owners of The Saratoga, said the restaurant is pleased to help the new vintage store as it tries to get its name out in the community.

"As we are a local downtown business, we want to do everything we can to help other ones and bring people downtown," Green said, as she wore a black dress with a rhinestone collar, her first outfit for the fashion show. "It can help us all. I'm glad that we're able to work together on this."

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Information from: Tribune-Star, http://www.tribstar.com

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