Passion for fashion: Howard County woman collects vintage attire

Hundreds of pieces of vintage clothing fill two rooms of Lois Bell’s historic 1845 house, including dresses, purses, belts, shoes, hats and jewelry.

There’s the Victorian-era hat with an actual bird stitched to the side. A mannequin showcases a heavy, beaded 1920’s black dress. A 1909 mink stole is tucked near antique clutches and purses. Intricately woven lace wedding gloves from 1884 are stored in a box with a note listing the name of their maker.

Together, the pieces form a kind of personal museum inside Bell’s stately brick house located in western Howard County, where fashions from the flapper age and beyond are all on full display for her own enjoyment.

And each piece in her collection has a story – even if she has to make one up.

That’s the case for the oldest and rarest piece in Bell’s collection: an early 1800’s Regency waistcoat from England. Bell bought it on eBay. The moment she received it in the mail, her imagination kicked into high gear.

Bell wonders if a dashing young man out courting a young lady wore the waistcoat. Or maybe it was worn for a special occasion like a wedding.

“As pristine as it is, I know that this is not an everyday piece,” Bell said. “It wasn’t something that he wore every day.”

All it takes is one look at the intricate handsewn beadwork on a bodice or vestiges of pink blush left behind in an antique compact to guess that Bell’s pre-owned clothing collection is from a different era. Most garments hanging in her closet are at least a century old.

The 58-year-old has always had an appreciation for vintage fashion. Growing up on a farm in Tipton County, Bell’s mother, who was born in Japan, made her own clothes, as well as clothing for all the kids. Bell loved the 1950s pencil skirts and Hawaiian floral dresses her mother made.

It wasn’t until she got older that she started looking for vintage clothing and accessories in antique malls or estate sales. Soon, she began wearing pieces from her collection, particularly ones inspired by the Victorian era.

“Everything has a time and place,” Bell said. “I prefer vintage, but I’ve always been like, ‘I will wear what I want to wear and I’m not going to follow the style rules.’”

When she met and married her husband, Terry, 11 years ago, her hobby quickly expanded to include hundreds of clothing items spanning the 1800s to the 1980s that she now has on display.

Part of the inspiration came from Terry, who collects Ford Model A and Model T cars. Bell started dressing the part when they would go on drives or to car shows. Today, most of her outfits and accessories are from the 1920s to match the era of America’s first mass-produced vehicles.

“I love the ‘20s and ‘30s,” Bell said. “Especially because everyone just looked so nice. And even up through the ‘40s and ‘50s, where everyone dressed so well.”

Occasionally, when she and Terry chauffeur a wedding for friends and family in one of their antique cars, Bell will dress the part in an authentic 1940s men’s tuxedo as they drive the wedding party around town. On date nights to the theater, she’ll likely wear a vintage dress or antique opera coat.

But Bell doesn’t need a special occasion to dress up. Even a trip to the hardware store might call for accessorizing with a vintage hat or jewelry. She doesn’t mind the customers who tell her she looks too nice to be shopping for paint or nails.

“My mom always said, ‘When you’re going to go out in public, make sure you have on your best,’” Bell said. “So, if I’m out and about, I might not necessarily be in a dress, but I don’t want to look like I work in a factory – because that’s where I work. I wear jeans and t-shirts every day. I want to be out of those after work. I want to be in something nice.”

Bell finds most of her vintage clothing from eBay, antique shops, estate sales or people who gift her a piece – or a box full of them. Bell checks the authenticity of the clothing by determining if it’s completely handmade, because tags and brand names were almost non-existent at that time.

If there’s a certain look she wants, Bell will consult her old Vogue magazines or Model A fashion books before buying a piece. They don’t have to be in the most pristine condition. Often, she looks for something with a little character.

“Nothing has to be perfect,” she said. “I don’t care if it’s perfect or not. If it has a stain, it has a stain. That stain’s a story.”

And it’s the stories that really intrigue Bell. Who made the 100-year-old dress she found at a thrift shop? Who donned the coat or stepped into the shoes or carried the purse?

“It wasn’t just something that hung on a mannequin all the time,” Bell said. “Somebody actually wore that maybe two times, maybe 100 times. Maybe it was the one nice dress they ever had. What parties did she go to? Was she the belle of the ball?”

Now, when Bell wears one of her 1920s cotton dresses or wraps herself in a 100-year-old cocoon coat from France, she’s transported into the mysteries and forgotten stories stitched into each piece she wears.

“In my heart, I’m hoping someone, somewhere is looking down on me going, ‘She’s wearing my dress. My dress is still there. I loved that dress.’ I’m just kind of hoping that’s what’s happening,” Bell said.