Raiments Recontextualized

Old black-and-white movies can make our grandparents' wardrobes seem awfully romantic. Women didn't leave the house without stockings, men always wore hats and T-shirts were considered underwear. But anyone who goes out in a New Deal-era getup on a summer day in 2008 risks looking affected and getting sweaty. Aubergine Vintage Couture, the new boutique at 1719 West 39th Street, has a solution. Designer Heather Rama, creator of the Castoffs clothing line, breathes new life into forgotten frocks, using vintage materials and patterns to make pretty things that won't make you look like you're late to Marty McFly's prom. The fruits of Rama's needlework light up her new, airy space overlooking 39th Street, which is becoming midtown's vintage vortex. (Donna's Dress Shop and Boomerang are just a few blocks east.) Rama doesn't have a sign yet, but it's coming. Be among the first to score one-of-a-kind finds; Aubergine is up one flight of stairs from restaurant Room 39. See myspace.com/auberginevintage.
Starts: May 7. Daily, 2008