Diva Dollz boutique

Feminine styles of previous decades reign at Diva Dollz, a vintage-inspired shop in Pioneer Square. The light-filled shop looks like it has occupied the corner location on First and Cherry, well, for decades. The store's 18-foot high ceilings with crown molding, honeycomb-design flooring and massive chandelier set the stage. An intricately carved wood display case occupies the bulk of one wall and glass display cases are filled with vintage and new jewelry. Ladylike pairs of gloves from the '30s with leather as thin as paper lay casually on the countertop. Red-lipped mannequins swathed in fur pieces peek out beneath wide-brimmed chapeaus.

New Orleans transplants Shay Cemo and Steven Adams opened their shop last October. Survivors of the Katrina catastrophe, the young couple picked up the pieces of their New Orleans vintage shop and moved to Seattle. It's obvious from the proprietors' enthusiasm they're passionate about their new endeavor and excited to assist customers. While I was there Cemo flitted about her shop helping a young woman with dresses and steering her away from black. "You're too young to play it safe. Go with the blue. You'll get tons of compliments," she advised.

Cemo has long been a collector of vintage fashion. "I always admired the way my grandma dressed – with matching hat, gloves and shoes." She selects designs that reflect styles from the 1890s to the 1960s, but favors the decades from the '20s to the '40s. The store is filled with the feminine fashions from New Orleans designer Candice Gwinn under the Trashy Diva label. Dresses, skirts and tops are decidedly retro with prints such as cherries, polka dots and cameos. Styles include halter dresses, dresses with tight bodices and full skirts -- sort of like what you'd see June Cleaver wear, but in flamboyant prints. Cemo prefers styles to show a woman's curves and carries them in sizes 2-16. Prices for these silk pieces by Trashy Diva are $56-$418.

You'll also find Vollers silk brocade corsets ($185-$358), vintage purses and clutches, and retro pumps from Na-Na ($79). The jewelry counter is filled with everything from Art Deco rhinestone clip earrings to Bakelite bangles. New jewelry by Kenny Ma features Swarovski crystals. Cemo is also an accomplished milliner. Her handmade hats are often embellished with vintage trims and ribbons ($189-$500), and she takes custom orders. What better way to have your hat match your shoes and purse?

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company