My job at Cats Like Us often requires me to do some research on brands and products, especially now that we are carrying true vintage clothing and accessories in addition to just retro. (Retro is new clothing in vintage styles.) The other day I came across a vintage dress online that had a funny cat print all over and the brand was Vested Gentress. I've come across this brand before but never thought anything of it until the cat print caught my attention. (I'm a bit of extremes, either pink and fuzzy or dark and spooky. I have a problem with cat clothes. I blogged about it before.)

This is the dress I saw, available online here.

Vested Gentress was a husband and wife team ~ Bud and Naomi ~ from Valley Forge, PA. Bud was a very good doodler and had some cartoons published. He started a men's clothing line and screen printed vests made-to-order in his home bedroom for some big names like Ambercrombie & Fitch. They played around with a women's line and eventually dissolved the men's line. The women's clothing was official in 1961. Many of the early animal drawings were designed by Bud. The big Newfoundland dog that was part of their hang tag and featured on many prints was actually their real-life dog named Briney Bear. 

There was an activewear line that was sold in country clubs and a kid's line too! They advertised in The New Yorker and even had four storefronts along the east coast. Some of the designs were exclusive to the shops. How exciting...and collectible! The company closed in 1985, after Bud's passing. 

Now I want to go out and find all their cat dresses. I have a new mission. Send help. Lol.

Here are some other fun designs...

I love them all. I hope you enjoy the whimsical style and wear what makes you happy!

We finally got a cat cafe! The Purrfect Cat Cafe opened in Buffalo last year and Andrew and I decided to check it out. It wasn't exactly what we expected. We made reservations online for a certain day and time, and picked the afternoon "Nappy Time" because it was discounted at $5 a person, per hour. We filled out a waiver and read all the rules. I brought slippers otherwise you were supposed to wear the ones provided. I also brought a book thinking it would be lazy time with the cats, not so much!

We got there and there was no cafe part ...yet, just a cat room side, which was fine. They are working on the cafe side. We went in and were told there are ten cats roaming around! There was about five other people there too. I only found seven cats, but I'm sure the others were hiding in a back room somewhere. The room had lots of toys, places for the cats to climb, a bunch of chairs, and two love seats. It's also a mini gallery with local artist cat paintings.

(Side note: We had four cats once and one didn't get along with the others so I couldn't imagine ten cats getting along in the same room!)

Andrew petting Geno at the cafe.

In the hour we were there, two TV's were going and music, two cats hissed and swatted at each other, one cat I tried to pet scratched me, and another tried to bite me ~ but that time I prob deserved it. So it wasn't easy to curl up with a book and a cat. On the contrary, it was stressing me-ow it. If I was a cat I'd be over stimulated and hiding the whole time. It made me feel bad for them.

BUT we did see a kitty get adopted out. They are provided by the Ten Lives Club. So I think it's a good place, but personally I found it unnerving. With the new cafe part going in, I'll be content just to snack and look through the windows at the kitties.

We'll stick to Nappy Time at home with Vicktor & Ginger for now...