“Don’t Throw In The Towel” Erin Silvers’ Haute Terry Cloth Loungewear

Erin Silvers has built her luxury loungewear and outerwear company, ZingaraTerry, a division of Zingara Vintage, using rare and designer terry cloth towels. “To me, they look like tapestries and three-dimensional paintings,” pronounces the devoted collector who wants to wrap you in comfort while looking absolutely fabulous.

Erin is one of a growing crop of upcycling designers who are reworking vintage bath towels into inclusive, absorbent, and sustainable year-round staples. It all started with a vintage towel jacket Erin found and fell in love with in 2015. She was instantly hooked. “I quickly became obsessed with how beautiful these jackets were, and it was beyond me why EVERYONE didn’t have one and why they weren’t still popular.”

“Erin’s vintage terry towel collection is an evolution of her ability to re-purpose and transform vintage textiles into relevant and highly fashionable creations. As an early adopter of her towel collection, I have the good fortune of having several spectacular sets which go from the beach to evening cocktails.”

Amy Abrams, Co-Owner, Manhattan Vintage Show

So, she began collecting, repairing, restoring, and reimagining. “I would find them stained, torn, and frayed. It was through hundreds of restorations that I learned where the problems were with these traditional designs,” says Silvers, who began looking for matching towels so that she could restore the old garments. Then it struck her to create better designs that would never need repair.

While Silvers founded the company about 8 years ago, it was in 2020 that the business really took off. As Erin quickly points out, towels symbolize comfort, dressing, and self-care, from bathing to the beach.

“There’s an intimate history with towels because we wrap ourselves throughout our lives in this material,” Erin Silvers, founder, and designer of Zingara Vintage.

Erin Silvers, founder, and designer of Zingara Vintage

Nothing is more intimate than a towel covering us when we are born and when we bathe. “At the end of the day, we all want to feel good and comforted by just putting a towel on our body. It’s something you will have forever, and it’s a wonderful thing,” says Erin, whose backyard is the beach.

The Long Island native resides in a private home across the street from the boardwalk in Far Rockaway. Conveniently located just a few blocks away is Erin’s store, Zingara Vintage & Handmade Treasures, which is filled with her terry treasures, curated vintage, and design studio. Doing boardwalk pop-ups and watching how beach-goers used their towels inspired Erin’s designs.

Silvers has the largest vintage terry cloth collection in the world. Over 700 towels, and several hundred additional original terry cloth garments are currently in her possession. Each one is meticulously cleaned, restored, preshrunk, and pre-bled before sewn. Erin makes her own soaps and potions, and each towel has its own recipe and receives its own individual treatment depending on the color of the towel.

It takes years to match the textiles’ color, wash, pile, and quality before Erin collects enough to create a garment or set. This might seem painstaking and arduous, but it’s a labor of love for Silvers, whose evident love and devotion to her craft are extraordinary.

Prices range from about $400 for the smallest pieces (bikini tops, skirt sets, drawstring pants) to $1100- $1500 for jackets and duster coats. Some coats can go as high as $2200 depending on whether or not there is a hood or pockets, how much material Erin needs, and if it’s a designer textile.

Among the vintage designer towels Erin uses are Fendi, Pucci, Bill Blass, Pendleton, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, and Ralph Lauren. Erin says she paid $600 for a Chanel towel and already has a waiting list for the finished product.

My favorites are the richly dyed, graphic, and linear Fieldcrest towels designed by YSL in 1969. Erin, who has full sets of these towels agrees. With their velvety velour jacquard pattern, they are of the highest quality and most luxurious. Tory Burch and Rachel Zoe are proud owners of a ZingaraTerryCoat made from one of these highly sought-after bath towels.

FYI, Tory bought several things from Erin at Hampton Flea in Southampton last summer, and when Erin asked if she planned to copy her designs, Tory’s unabashed response was, “probably!”

“To collect rare towels like this one by one takes years and costs tens of thousands of dollars,” says Silvers, whose business has gotten so big; she now has a team of buyers worldwide who help source the towels for her. And while Silvers does a lot of the handwork and finishing herself, she works with top-notch tailors to ensure that the finished product is perfect.

Unsurprisingly, Erin has amassed a loyal cult-like following, including vintage maven Cameron Silver, Jemima Kirke of the HBO series “Girls,” and Shay Mitchell, who has appeared in “Dollface” wearing one of Erin’s ZingaraTerry sets. Moreover, Silvers has designed capsule collections for celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger and the popular brand LoveShackFancy.

A few weeks ago, Jennifer Lawrence was filming a movie just steps from Erin’s home in Far Rockaway. Erin, a huge fan, wrapped up the coat with a personal note and gifted it to the star. A video shows Lawrence wearing the coat from the trailer to the set.

In addition to doing the Manhattan Vintage Shows (the next one is in February), Erin is a beloved presence at vintage markets from the Hamptons to Palm Desert. In fact, On December 4th, Erin will be presenting a new collection with the Hampton Flea & Vintage Holiday Show at The Prince George Ballroom at 15 East 27th street.

Silvers does not have a website, but she sells in her Far Rockaway store and through Instagram @zingaravintage. Also, you can tune in to Zingara LIVE at 7PM every Tuesday on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/zingaravintage/channel/Zingara.

Last summer, the de facto towel historian traveled to Kannapolis, North Carolina, home of Cannon Mills — once the largest towel manufacturer in the U.S. and Silver’s favorite towels — to gather material for a book she’s writing on, yes, towels.

Interested clients can schedule a virtual appointment to create custom piece by selecting the style, design and textile right in time for resort season. 

Latest Comments:

1. 

   LOVE all of this. Thank you, Marilyn. <3

2. 

   My fave is the Gorski. Best look and function to me!

3. 

   A Marvelous Tribute to IRIS, a one-of-a-kind work of art!

4. 

   You beautifully, tastefully, and rightfully said it all. I do think Melania’s Adviser Herve Pierre influences her choices.

5. 

   Fascinating article–fascinating man! Thanks, Marilyn!