Rockabilly Online’s Rhythm Rocker revue on October 27th, is not only about music, but also about a barber, a photographer and… vintage clothing.Once a month there’s an art market in Rotterdam, called Swam Market. It’s inside the Rotabs building, which is like a small art mall. Real Deal Vintage is one of the shops in the Rotabs building. Willem van Dullemen is the owner and passionate Vintage clothing collector. I know Willem also as a fabulous blues guitar player.
How did it all start Willem?
A couple of years ago I got fired from my job. It was hard for me to have nothing to do all day, so I started to take a good look at my immense wardrobe. That’s when I got the idea of a little shop. I found an empty spot at Rotabs in Rotterdam. That is a great location.
I order my clothes online, especially the bigger sizes. My fellow musicians spread the word, that’s how I get my clients and of course through social media and at Rockabilly or other music festivals!
To make a difference between the real thing and repro, is a matter of experience and enterest. You get to know the brands, fabrics, style details. The traditionals have the “loop collar” or the “flecked” fabrics.
I have a collection of Rockabilly clothing, and brands and design in forties/fifties westernclothing. Names as HbarC, Nudies and Nathan Turk, etc. Both make good combinations and I have quite a supply of them.
My show piece? The one and only “Nudie”, that I own is a western belt. I bought it (online ofcourse ) from a rancher from Colorado. The payment was troublesome because he was attached to his chair. He had a wounded leg because he was injured by his own bulls. It can’t get more real than that, right?!
I also own a beautiful western jacket, once worn in a US tv series! I forgot the title unfortunately.
Nudie’s and Nathan Turk etc, stuff are collectors items nowadays. They’re being auctioned for big amounts of money. Sometimes even on Ebay!
About the repro’s/ retro’s. I don’t like them myself but a couple of brands like Nat Nast, Tommy Bahama and BC Ethic, are of excelent quality and for sale for a good price second hand. So I have some of those in my store too.