If you find yourself visiting Milwaukee, Wisconsin … make a point to check out historical Brady Street on the ‘East Side’.

Back in the early ninties I used to work at the renowned vintage clothing store, ‘Marlene’s Touch of Class’ of Brady Street. If you were a Milwaukee resident back then and were interested in the very best in vintage clothing, you surely know about Marlene and her awesome shop.

Marlene. .. always larger than life with her impossible, bright orange beehive hairdo and superhero persona … man, she had STYLE with a capital ‘S’!

It was such an honor to work for her, all that bubbly, super-positive attitude and graceful spirit always at the ready to indoctrinate anybody who wanted MORE than what the ‘fashionable’ were wearing. She taught me so much … not only the history and patterns of era and decade, but knowing how to work the floor properly while ‘looking fabulous’ while doing it.

Here’s to you, Marlene! *tink*

– John

Marlene, thank you! Miss you and yes, I still have that 44 long brocade electric blue smoking jacket you ever so gratuitously supplied for my back-then stage antics (I was singing in a few bands then, and Marlene was the perfect costumage outfitter for any stage performer who had a penchant for the extraordinary). My mom sends her best as well!