Suit up for West Seattle's Alki Art Fair

NEXT WEEKEND, July 23-24, you may wish to visit Alki Beach for its Alki Art Fair. Former West Seattle Herald editor Clay Eals, who is also the step-in photographer for this week's "now" repeat, notes that this beach fair is a "fun raiser" not a fundraiser. Past editors are permitted such pleasantries.

The weekend's beach celebration will include a fashion show of antique swimwear, much of it more than a century old. For his "repeat," Eals persuaded four West Seattle women to take poses, which are improvisations of those held by the four flappers kneeling in the sand ca. 1920. It took no coaxing, however, because the members of this modern quartet are connected with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society's landmark Log House Museum. Both Eals and Carol Vincent, far left, are former presidents of the society.

Continuing to the right from Vincent, the remaining contemporary women are Lucy Kuhn, Kerry Korsgaard and Charlene Preston. Except for Vincent's suit, which she owns, the swimsuits they model were loaned to the society out of Goodwill's historical collection of diverse duds. They date from ca. 1910 and so are typical of swimwear at least a decade older than the more-revealing suits chosen by the women in the "then."

Wool was once the commonplace material for swimsuits, and it may be that all eight of these women are dressed in it. Considering how much of Seattle's weather in 2011 has resembled Juneau, Alaska's, wool might be an appropriate material to wear to the beach next weekend. We hope not. Whatever, readers are encouraged to join in the fashion show this weekend wearing their grandmother's — or grandfather's — suit, if they can find them. If not, be creative.

Check out Paul Dorpat and Jean Sherrard's blog at www.pauldorpat.com.