Cielo Azul Happenings: August 2019

IT'S TIME FOR THIS YEAR'S ADDITIONS TO THE CAPSHAW COLLECTION OF FIESTA-WEAR, SQUAW DRESSES AND SPANISH/MEXICAN FASHIONS.....Addendum Nine

It's that time of year again--time to get ideas for your Santa Fe Fiesta attire from this year's
batch of new additions to the CAPSHAW COLLECTION. Please note that at the end of this post is a link to the rest of the collection. Since this is the ninth addendum, the link will take you to the very first posting and at the end of that will be a link to Addendum One and etc, etc up to #9.

This is a particularly lovely China Poblana skirt modeled by Bianca along with a newish embroidered Mexican peasant blouse. Because of the "one-size-fits-all" waistline and the reinforced sequins, this might be one of the skirts from the costume trucks that used to rent costumes for the four days of fiesta in days gone by.

Although this blouse and skirt both with "Made in Old Santa Fe by Ganscraft" labels are obviously a perfect match, they were not originally "married" together. I've had the blouse with self ruffles and silver buttons for many years. I purchased the skirt this year at a Garage Sale. This red paisley two-piece, light cotton dress earns a full rating of *****. This partially due to sentimental family ties to Gans of Old Santa Fe. (only true squaw dresses are rated.)

Sisi models a light gauze Mexican off-the-shoulder dress that a very generous Sandra Dippolito donated to the collection. This dress, in a comfortable style that was quite popular in the 1980s, belonged to Sandra's mother. Sylvia's fantastic gold necklace was purchased in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Come the Holidays, this Original design by "Boutique Las Mariposas, Georgia Charuhas, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico" makes a perfect hostess outfit. This two-piece cotton dress with bi-tone applique and self belt would also be perfect for hosting a Fiesta Party on a cool September evening.

Anyone who grew up in Santa Fe in the 1950s or 1960s would recognize this popular fiesta style for young ladies--three-tiered skirt, link "silver" belt and peasant blouse. On our photoshoot at the School of American Research, I asked Jocelyn to "give me a little attitude" when she posed for this picture-- she only had trouble with the "little" part.......

This Mexican skirt is painted in metallic gold, silver, and copper paint as well as blue and green. It is modeled with a coordinating shawl, a silver belt, a Mexican sombrero and jewelry with the "Santa Fe" cross purchased to celebrate the Quatro-Centennial of Santa Fe in 2010.

This very old (late 40s-early 50s) and very tiny, two-piece Mexican dress is modeled by the not-so-old, but very tiny Chiara. The dress features "Hand painting by Londy of Mexico" and is embellished with sequins. In her inimitable style, Keeks paired it with work boots and a beret.

These newer style crocheted ruffle blouses are very versatile being equally apropos with jeans or velvet skirts. Although the coloring of this photo doesn't demonstrate it, this particular blouse is a dark olive green.

Buenos Dias, Senorita! Our happily transplanted New York model, Jennifer, models this 1970s style Mexican wedding dress . The style includes the dress constructed with crocheted lace and tucked cotton and is modeled with a mantilla and comb.

Up close and personal, a Spanish fan and shell jewelry complete the lovely picture.

This Provincial two-piece outfit is constructed of a vibrant print cotton and is worn with a woven sash. It sports a "Jocar, Hecho en El Salvador" label.

Queen of the Silva Saloon, Kiki models another tri-color metallic painted skirt teamed with a copper belt and copper/silver jewelry.

THE BALLAD OF A SINGLETON RED SKIRT: At Christmastime, Banquita teamed the cotton three tiered skirt with a vibrant red blouse with silver buttons and a snazzy belt.

Come summertime, I matched the same red skirt with fiesta attire from the "Red Sky At Morning" era: saddle oxfords, an embroidered blouse and an embellished wool jacket. (And yes, Fashion Police, I am actually wearing nylons with bobby socks.)

Adorable back view of the wool jacket.....

Same skirt--with a totally happening modern vibe: at Orlando's Restaurant in Taos, Jenny gives the skirt a twirl teamed with an embroidered midriff blouse and cowboy boots.

In this postcard-like pose at the Martinez Hacienda in Taos, the embroidery is more visible.

A fiesta original!--a classic Fiesta dress and another Santa Fe classic--the multi-talented Maria!: her pleated three-tired skirt and matching top squaw dress by Jeanette of Albuquerque was donated to the collection by Blanche and Scott Harrison. The dress belonged to his mother who would be over 100 years old now. She preserved her dress on a special crocheted hanger and kept the skirt in tight pleats by storing it in a nylon stocking. This cotton raincloth beauty (the dress, not the model) is embellished with white and silver ric-rac and braid. Rating: *****

Another outfit from El Salvador, this double tie cotton skirt with colorful embroidery sports a Mexican sash. I actually think that this is a Mexican provincial style manufactured in El Salvador.

On Museum Hill, Sylvia models an artsy "Juana, Hecho en Mexico" skirt and ruffled peasant blouse with a wool sombrero..

A fiesta mystery: (besides this little know fountain in the photo at the Santa Fe School of American Research) Fiesta dress aficionado, Michelle Mellor, generously donated this pure white dress to the collection. It is obviously made with a standard squaw dress pattern by : "Styled and stitched at Casa Carlotta, Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque" of the traditional cotton raincloth but it is obviously devoid of any other decoration. Additional labels on the garment lend a clue as to why this dress is so plain. One is the name of the actual seamstress "Mary E. McNeese", but the real clue is the other label that reads: "Handprinted by Nizonih Studios, Albuquerque".......

Just by happenstance, while I was pondering this aberration, this outfit came up for sale on Ebay. I believe that this similarly designed plain squaw dress is the finished product that the other dress was destined for but which was never completed. Although I thoroughly enjoying the pure white dress as is, in terms of squaw dress tradition, it rates ***

I know you have all been waiting for this model--our beloved Renata! She is modeling a Guatemalan playsuit with embroidery and crocheted placard and pockets teamed with a peasant blouse. Although we had no squaw dresses for her to model, when she saw me with the camera and she was wearing a full party dress, she fell right into our standard "skirt pose".

Miss Sisi strikes a comely pose at the Martinez Hacienda in this Mexican banded wool skirt with coordinating blouse and shawl. There is no question of the origin of this outfit as the name "Mexico" is woven into the fabric.

My favorite of the new squaw dresses: This two-piece sheer, pleated dress is embellished with gold braid and ric-rac. Because the fabric is sheer a slip is necessary and that explains differences in skirt color in the lobby of the Taos Inn. A great dress *****

Baby Binks models a Mexican painted skirt with a super high waistband teamed with an elaborate sombrero.

On Cinco de Mayo, a classic velvet painted skirt and top resplendent with painting and sequins atop the Drury Hotel, Santa Fe.....

In Taos Pueblo, Chiara models an intricate printed skirt and lace top teamed with strings of spotted bean beads.

A squaw dress of more recent origin based on the paucity of decoration, this coffee colored cotton "Jeanettte's Originals, Albuquerque" two-piece heavy cotton dress sports black, tan, white and silver ric-rac and braid. It is beautifully pleated and because of sentimental reasons (it is a 70th birthday present fro my son, Giancarlo), I rate it ****

Sylvia unfurls a real treasure--a heavy cotton fringed tapalo that is a generous gift to the collection by Celeste Duran.

Ladies through the centuries of Old Santa Fe wore these heavy shawls often with black stockings, shoes and dresses, Those of you who grew up in Santa Fe might remember seeing these apparitions in black as they traveled by foot through the city streets up into about the mid 1970s.

This is an iconic photo of our Great-Grandma Belle in her tapalo that was on exhibit at the 1936 World's Fair.

And here is a new iconic picture of our Sylvia in the Duran Tapalo. Thank you Celeste!

A painted Mexican postcard skirt depicting village life in Mexico with a black peasant blouse and Mexican silver jewelry.....

Being a "California Girl" now, Binks is the perfect model for this Mexican tourist skirt depicting the ocean. She teamed it with a coral peasant blouse and a silver belt.

Another "California girl", Renata rocks this Mexican set featuring embroidered butterflies.

Another ruffled crochet lace blouse in tan.

Angelica models a pure white cotton, two-piece fiesta dress with black lace and one helluva silver belt. The sombrero is pretty spectacular as well!!

Another intricate sequined Mexican skirt teamed with silver jewelry and a sequined top--in Taos Pueblo!

Chiara's friend Liana Ortega kindly donated this pale yellow squaw dress to the collection--it belonged to her mother. The two-piece, raincloth dress sports black and silver ric-rac and braid. I suspect it to be from the 1960s when the cost of ric-rac and the labor it took to sew it on had made the elaborate designs of the past too expensive for manufacture. Despite the lack of fanciness, a lot a fun can be had in such dresses..............*** (In this photo Keeks is dancing with the Matachines at the Coronado Monument in Bernalillo, NM.)

A simple Ana Cano gauze skirt teamed with a peasant blouse and a silk applique belt at El Rancho de las Golondrinas.

I couldn't locate these dresses to check for labels, But these raincloth dresses both sport white and silver ric-rac and braid. Bianca's is two-pieces and Renata's is one-piece. Renata is also wearing white beaded Santa Domingo moccasins. Her dress was a bit large for her last fiesta when the photo was taken, but hopefully we can get her to model it again this year--she definitely has her "pose" down to an art. Because this was her first real fiesta dress, it is now part of family lore: *****

An elaborately embroidered peasant blouse and a plain skirt.....

We teamed this gorgeous singleton brown cotton skirt with copper ric-rac and braid with a sheer blouse featuring copper braid and with an orange slip underneath to approximate the copper sheen of the skirt. We may devise something more apropos next year. The vintage copper jewelry is perfect though.

Also at Golondrinas, a "Monica and Penelope Cruz" skirt teamed with a Ralph Lauren fringed split pancho and a vintage straw and leather sombrero.

Although Chiara is an excellent model for this heavily sequined Mexican tourist skirt with a turquoise peasant blouse, she is handily out-shone in this photo by a cute little somebody........

Our final dress for this season, a homemade two-piece, heavy cotton, bitone squaw dress with silver, red, and white ric-rac and braid. Despite the great fun taking the picture, this dress lacks any real imagination-**.

Just for fun, a few shots of the varied locales we ventured to for this year's photoshoots.......here Kiki sits perched up a giant boulder at the Albuquerque Petroglyphs.