Reclaim-Recycle-Reuse: Vintage Duster & Thanksgiving

Like for nearly everyone in America this year, Thanksgiving celebrations for my family did not involve travel to the home of another. Nor did we spend most of Wednesday and Thursday prepping and cooking for what seems like an army-sized crowd that would have traveled to ours. No, and most probably like yours, our celebration was a rather small and intimate affair. Just three of us. I did, however, still dress for the occasion.

Along with a brief share about this fabulous “new to me” vintage duster, I’ve also got two “new to me” recipes to pass along. Both of these eats is easy to make, quite delicious, and now at the top of my go-to list in their respective category. But first, my vintage duster.

Isn’t it gorgeous? While I’ve curtailed my in-person shopping quite a bit in the last several months, I had occasion recently to make a brief browse through a nearby location of the well-known buy-sell-trade fashion merchandiser Buffalo Exchange. A few weeks ago, The Husband and I had plans to have a socially-distant meet-up with a small group of friends at a food/drink establishment that has an outdoor patio. We were early which gave us some time to venture into a few of the shops that are close by.

My typical plan of attack in any thrift/resell store is that I hit the jacket/coat/blazer racks first and move on from there. This vintage duster was a standout on the rack due to its color palette and lively pattern. The brand on the label, Platinum by Dorothy Schoelen, was unfamiliar to me. The colors/pattern of the lining coordinates with the outer fabric and the garment is beautifully finished. Based on the size of the shoulder pads and the “made in USA” on the content label, I originally dated the duster to the late 80s through early-mid 90s. Subsequent searches on the label have confirmed that dating.

Trying to find any personal information about Dorothy Schoelen has been a disappointing venture. The limited details I found were that than the clothing company she and her husband ran had been located in Los Angeles and that her daughter is the actress Jill Schoelen. I did manage to find one newspaper article from 1986 which shares Ms Schoelen’s vision for the newly established Platinum line.

“Women are very comfortable with their femininity,” she said. “They’re not making excuses for being a woman. They can have children, work and that’s all a part of it. I always think of my customer as a career woman, although she might not be. She’s figure conscious and has a feeling for young clothes. She’s definitely quality conscious and knows good fabrics.”

Dorothy Schoelen

To showcase this lovely piece, I opted for a simple route and paired it with an LBD for a classic ensemble suitable for a Thanksgiving celebration. It would just a good dressed down paired with jeans for a more dressed-down look.

Now, about those recipes that I promised to pass along. Since I’m not a food/recipe blogger per se, I didn’t take photos of their preparation nor do I have lengthy explanations about how the recipes were developed. What I will tell you is that these recipes are geared for anyone looking for low-tyramine options and/or gluten-free ones.

First up is Easy Butternut Squash Soup from the blog Once Upon A Chef. It really was easy to make, however, I did make a couple of small changes. Instead of an onion, I used a shallot which is more compatible with a low-tyramine dietary requirement. Also, I didn’t have cream on hand so I used regular whole milk and it turned out just fine. For a vegan option, you could easily use your favorite cream alternate.

The second recipe I’m passing along to you is Hypoallergenic Pumpkin Bread which I found on the Allrecipes website. It’s absolutely yummy and you’d never know that it is gluten-free. I’ve made it several times already and given away several of the loaves as holiday treats to family and friends.

I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving and have been enjoying safe, socially-distant Black Friday shopping.

Be well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, the links to clothing items (if present) are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.