This past weekend, attendees from as far away as Los Angeles arrived at the Alameda Elks Lodge for the ^Second Annual Vintage Clothing and Style Festival.

The two-day event offered live music, hair and makeup demonstrations, two bars serving cocktails at vintage prices and three floors of vendors selling fabulous clothing, accessories, jewelry, luggage and more.

Among the vendors was Oakland shop owner Ginger Takashashi who makes home décor items, such as lamp shades and pillows, from antique fabric. Singer Sara Klotz de Aguliar did double duty selling vintage kitchen wares while also entertaining the crowd on the piano. Alameda resident Tara Evans showed her jewelry line, Velvet Otterhound. Evans combines everyday vintage items like coins and hardware items, creating one-of-a-kind pieces of bling.

While festival goers shopped under the lovely stained glass dome, Alameda’s own Ricky Quisol donned a newsboy cap and strummed his ukulele, singing frisky 1920s tunes. 

High school students Kayla Giarratana and Sami Mast came to the festival from Redwood City. Both are just starting their vintage collections; both inspired by a desire to look less casual.

“The styles from the '30s to the '50s were a lot more together and elegant,” Kayla said.

Sami loves lace and as a little girl she enjoyed sifting through her grandmother’s closet. Both girls said they wear vintage to school and even though they are among the minority, they feel confident in their vintage clothes.

This was Oakland resident Pam Beard’s first time at the festival. Donning a navy blue summer dress and carrying a '60s patent leather handbag, Beard described herself as eclectic.

“I like to mix it up,” she said, looking through a rack of 1930s dresses. Pam said she’s always in search of daywear like shirtwaist dresses, which she likes to sport while running errands.

Vendor Leah Vass stayed busy thanks to her reasonably priced stock of elegant '40s suits, '30s gowns and designer labels like Lilli Ann. This was Vass's second show.  

Festival’s producers partnered with the Art Deco Society of California and presented a slide show on how to prepare for the upcoming Gatsby Summer Afternoon – the 1920s event to be held Sept. 12 at the Dunsmuir Hellman Mansion in Oakland. Touring models also showed off floral chiffon afternoon dresses a la Daisy Buchanan. For those who wanted a complete look ready to go, photographer and event planner Laurie Gordon was on hand offering the perfect Gatsby ensembles to rent.  

Oakland-based designer Theresa LaQuey displayed her original vintage-inspired gowns, dresses and travel suits. While LaQuey stepped on stage to sing, her husband, Joe DiPietro, president of the Art Deco Society of California, gave tours of his wife's designs, pointing out quality details like bound button holes.  

By all accounts, it was another successful festival for promoters Kimberly Manning Aker and Jula and Roberto Isola. People hung out, chatted in the dressing rooms, socialized in the bars, bartered and bargained. Additionally, the event raised money for the Alameda Elks Lodge #1015 Community Welfare Fund and held two drawings for disabled children’s medical expenses.

Rumor has it that the festival will be back in February 2011. This fashion reporter can’t wait.  

Photos from past events