vintage found

If you like this....

2011-07-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Then you'll loooove Good Day Howard. It's the best parts of Vintage Found plus outfit posts, photoshoots, music, art, and lots more love. Please follow me to gooddayhoward.com.

meet brown bag vintage

2009-08-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

well, good golly gee, it's been a long time since i posted pictures of other people's vintage. bad tracy. i've been saving up a bunch of 'favorites' to show you from shops i found via twitter (now that i'm actually using my twitter page). but now i've waited so long, the goods have just piled up, so i'm going to dose you with installments of beauty. first up, the magnificent brown bag vintage.

basically, i want everything in this shop. she posts those great vintage pieces that new clothing designers wish they could rip off.

and please check out the amazing shoe section! there's almost forty pairs of the most to-die-for soles...you're bound to find something you have to have.

now, really, get on twitter. i've found so many amazing vintage shops there that i can't wait to show you!
and if you ever wonder what i'm doing when this blog lays sleeping for days at a time (which i'm sure you have been pondering incessantly), follow me on twitter! i keep that up to date more regularly, and i tell you, it is quite exciting!

gypsy love

2009-08-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

this is what i wore last weekend when i hosted a $5 vintage sale in front of my house during midtown's monthly 'art walk.' the sale went really well, and it was fun sitting out on my front stoop all afternoon chatting with shoppers and passers-by.
i've kind of dubbed this my 'gyspy' skirt - especially since i usually pair it with mis-matching patterns, i believe this skirt belongs dancing about under stars and candlelight at a party like the one in chocolat.
maybe because i've been dreaming of this simple, colorful, fun lifestyle i call 'gypsy,' or more likely because some pretty major things are changing in my life right now, i have begun to hear the call of the road more persistently lately. after graduating college, i traveled around the west coast for six weeks, and then spent the next year flitting about rather insanely. now i'm getting the itch to go exploring by myself again, but, hopefully, with a more sensible head on my shoulders this time.
i've got to plan a little adventure for myself - at least i already know what to pack.
more things i'm looking forward to: crisper photos, less awkward poses, and the appearance of boots in these photos! i should have all three down by fall, which is only a month or two away! (summers here are loooooong.)

top: thrifted
skirt: thrifted
sandals: thrifted
belt: urban outfitters. dang! so close to 100% thrifted!

it's like that, but better

2009-08-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

here's your vintage version of the a.p.c. collection everybody's raving about! add tights and a long sleeved shirt for the look on the left; unzip the dress a little and add a short sleeve v-neck sweater for an (even better) ode to the look on the right. i just saved you like $200.

leather jackets. mmm, fall.

2009-08-07T19:06:00.001-07:00

i've been buying a few fall pieces here and there all year, and keeping them wrapped up tight until the right time came. i'm not really sure that time is now either, but when i found these two jackets last week, i couldn't bear to hold them back!

and so, the first lil' peek at deborah jean's fall collection, already in the shop. i think i'll probably let some of the others out of the closet next week. are you ready for boots yet?

sweet babydoll

2009-08-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

i've been so lucky -- i found five (five!!) adorable babydoll dresses whilst shopping this week. and i'm only keeping one of them! it's the one on the left below. i put it on for the shoot, but it just fit me too perfectly and i love the colors too much. the other four are going into the shop by the end of the weekend. they're great for these end-of-summer days. light and breezy with sandals or flats now, and super cute when it's boots-and-tights time!

you'll feel just like penny lane in almost famous. i think i'm going to put that in my queue and see what other inspiration penny can bestow upon me.

paint box

2009-08-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

i am loving these bright tops! (going into the shop shortly.) i am especially loving the two crop tops with my super high-waisted vintage deadstock braxton jeans. i am maybe-too-much loving said jeans rolled and scrunched up with my new 60s wood-stacked heel oxfords (with fringe!).
i hereby announce uber-excitement for my upcoming transitional fall wardrobe. too bad i don't get to keep any of these tops.

more on this week's finds coming soon! they were so good, they need their own posts even!

it's an outfit post!

2009-08-05T13:25:00.001-07:00

this week i've been overcome by my new-found love for 90s floral prints and the cute little mini-dresses they adorn. i bought this halter dress for the shop but found out later that the adorable print had obscured from me a huge rip in the fabric -- so, she's mine!
remember how i called it a dress before? i think on normal people it would be a really cute little mini, but i'm a giant, so it's a really cute little tunic i can wear over my cutoff shorty shorts.
i'm hoping i'll also get to wear it by the pool over my chocolate brown boyshort bikini bottoms. then it will be my 90s/40s pinup swim suit!

glasses: 70s christian dior on etsy
top: thrifted
shorts: f21
belt and shoes: urban outfitters

heart palpitations

2009-08-02T19:51:00.001-07:00

these will probably be gone by the time you read this because they are the most wonderful shoes ever. but perhaps by sheer luck, you will be the lovely girl with size 5 1/2 or 6 feet who gets to snap these up. are you seeing this?! mustard. patent leather. round toe. double strap. bows! lauren, you rock.

it's still summer

2009-08-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

found on ffffound

here we are, caught with a whole month of hot summer weather left, but all kinds of fall fashion photos floating around, and more frequent little glimpses of the cooler weather to come. we're already picking out the layers we can't wait to add on, but can't really even think of wearing that much clothing. when i go out shopping lately, i don't know what to buy for the shop -- it's kind of silly to still be picking out little sundresses for you, and i find myself gravitating towards the coats and boots. oh, the confusion!
so here's a little summertime picture that makes me happy i'm still sporting flimsy little dresses and lots of bare, tanned leg (i know i don't look at all tan in shop photos, but trust me, that's tan for me - i'm much whiter elsewhere!!)

also, please look at the 'reading list' on the right side of the page. it more than doubled today! i've been collecting all these blogs in my reader for way too long without adding their links. some i've been reading for months and months, others are pretty new to me. i really admire these girls for their designer's eyes, writing styles, and the beautiful pictures you'll find on their pages. check 'em out!

this dress

2009-07-23T18:08:00.001-07:00

yesterday i found the perfect dress. i knew immediately it would not be going into the shop. i even picked out one of my favorite dresses in my closet to substitute for this one because i felt so bad for keeping it.
but, alas, it will be going into the shop. because it doesn't fit.

life is so unfair sometimes.

new lovelies

2009-07-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

this has been one of the busiest weeks i can remember. i've been running so hard, i actually slept for 11 hours last night - and boy did i need it! it was pretty slim pickings in the shops this week, so it took extra hours of hunting to track down these goodies, but it was worth it because they are ah-mazing. i found great everyday dresses and skirts, and some more avant garde pieces. everything was so fun to try on during the photo shoot today, i had to strike some more 'model-y' poses -- the sass was just too much to contain!
check out the shop....these babies will be arriving throughout the week. hope you likey!

coming soon...

2009-07-21T23:39:00.001-07:00

here's the rest of last week's goodies, arriving late (again) in the shop over the next couple days.

estate sale finds

2009-07-21T22:29:00.001-07:00

some of tomorrow's goodies came from the estate sale i went to on friday. the house belonged to a pack rat who seems to have lived many, many years by herself. most of the rooms had been decorated completely in purple - the exact same shade as these awesome t-strap heels i found there. i think it may have been her favorite color. she had also turned one whole bedroom into a closet (a woman after my own heart, indeed) filled with racks and racks of crochet-covered hangers holding mostly awful pastel 60s polyester. the clothes were actually pretty cute - girlfriend had bangin' taste up until about 1982 it looks like. i just can't buy you guys all that synthetic stuff. so here's about half the stuff i smuggled out of there - of course, i had to keep some too. the tank top is so adorable - a poly blend knit henley with tiny little whales all over! i would live in those two dresses, but i'm going to let you do it instead.
the other thing you should know about our stylish benefactor: she spilled a lot. these three knits have slight stains on the fronts of them - but the prints make up for it by being so adorable and also distracting the eye from the stain! swell!

i'm hoping to start listing this stuff in the shop tomorrow. next up...the rest of the update!

remember her?

2009-07-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

i just caught a glimpse of one of my long lost loves.

the amazing, peter pan collared, earthy green, wildflower printed, perfect-in-every-way, 50s cotton daydress that i bought for myself but sold in the shop, is available again.
i was super excited to sell it to the lovely ms. emma, author of one of my very first favorite blogs, closet shots. you know you're doing okay when one of your style heroes is shopping from you!
well, emma found the dress a tad too long, and is selling it in her brand new etsy shop! the shop announcement claims this is just a practice round, so make sure to bookmark the shop - when she gets going, i know it is going to be awesome.
and for now, if you missed out on this dress the first time around, or are only now meeting and falling in love with her, snap her up now by clicking right here.

pretty finds

2009-07-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

i should be fast asleep right now, but i got trapped looking through the etsy vintage pages. these beauties are the first look at what i'd like to be wearing in the fall - and, yes, i do find it absolutely ridiculous that i am thinking about fall outfits when i can barely stand to wear any clothes at all in the miserable heat wave that struck here this week.
i love the little details on the dresses and the blouse, and all three shoes just made me swoon -- those first ones especially. the vest is faux-fur, so don't hate me for including it, and it came from a shop that just opened on etsy this week which i think will definitely be one to watch out for.
now i am sleepytime. g'night!

oxfords from the greedy seagull, dress from santoki vintage, green 30s heels from easy street vintage, 50s peach blouse from siouxsiette

faux-fur vest from she loves vintage, plaid sailor dress from lethilogica, two-tone oxfords from rarae aves

new this weekend!

2009-07-17T22:50:00.001-07:00

these items were actually supposed to be photographed last week and listed already, but i had an out-of-town guest and a case of the lazies so it didn't happen quite as planned. that means these lovelies will be listed over the weekend, and the things i was supposed to photograph on thursday will be ready on monday so that i can get back on schedule and have 20+ more items for you by this thursday! sheesh! i am so behind!
p.s. this is seriously my favorite collection yet -- i really pared my finds down to the items most likely to be found in my closet. and this first dress actually stayed in my closet for a bit before i had to get it ready to live in your closet! i love it so much i wore it to get my new driver's license photo taken last week so that i can remember it forever. or at least for the next five years.
p.p.s. click here to shop!

best. skirts. ever.

2009-07-16T15:23:00.001-07:00

yikes! it's crazy how amazing these skirts are! that is why they deserve a whole post all to themselves!
not only are they all four in mint condition, impeccably well made (handmade, mind you!), and made of the finest, softest cotton in the most perfectly wonderful prints and colors, they are all size large! a rare find indeed.
i am wearing them folded in the back and belted to show how they are supposed to fit. i seriously contemplated keeping them all and taking them in, but it's hard to bring myself to alter perfection.
the green, the red, and the black/blue one were handmade by a very talented seamstress. they are practically couture! the waistbands can adjust from 31"-34." and they have pockets!
the brown jungle print one is store-bought and labeled size medium, but the elastic waistband stretches the same 31"-34."
i will list these all at the same time in case you want to collect all four! you can also request to reserve them in advance.
more of next week's goodies coming soon!

lack of inspiration post

2009-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

today's shopping trip was a tad frustrating.
i wonder if it's my lack of inspiration that leads me to walk out of the thrift stores empty-handed, or if it's the lack of goodness in the stores that leaves me feeling uninspired. i think it's the latter, but either way, today was not good for vintage hunting.
i find on days like this that if i buy anything, it's generally for my closet and not for yours. the few clothes i buy are the ones that i'm not sure are unique enough for the shop, or extra weird things that i think might be too unique and maybe the shop is not ready for them. i bought four such skirts today -- sidenote: i want to really start doing outfit posts, so hopefully i'll show you these finds i speak of someday, properly styled so you can tell me yay or nay.
i also spend more time looking through the home stuff on these disappointing days, hoping to at least find something worth driving all over the place. i adore these new lovelies i scored for my home....
the little mirror thingy is another throwback to my mom's decor when i was a little girl. really, i should just move back home instead of trying to replicate my parents' house. the 'bread and roses' poster is the 1912 textile worker's strike slogan, and i just love the graphics. the bowls are a similar style to, but totally different from, some other ones i have, so i had to buy them. i'm working to build a completely mismatched matching set.
hopefully tomorrow will be much more satisfying in the dress and shoes department. tomorrow should also be a photoshoot day. i still have last week's pile of goodies lying around! and hopefully there will be another post too!

two returns

2009-07-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

first of all, it's the return of me! to the blog! i have been missing for far too long. missing commenting on all the lovely blogs i adore, and missing posting anything for you lovely readers (because i was missing the energy to work on anything at all). but here i am, excited to get back to 'the grind' -- although, really, a job where all you have to do is shop for pretty things and talk about them is hardly 'the grind.'
what i'm really here to talk about is the return of the 90's. i never thought i would fall for this comeback. i was actually pretty horrified when i started noticing light wash denim and ditsy floral dresses last year around this time. and yet, somehow, all this rayon has snuck its way into my closet.
now i'm interested to see what the next trend will be... i actually bought one of those dresses with a lightweight floral skirt but what looks like a little jacket on top for next week's shop update. (i like it way more than i feel allowed to admit!) should i be putting doc marten's on my shopping list? baby tees with black binding around the collar and the sleeves? maybe i'll just get my eyebrow pierced like that girl on the real world. my mommy wouldn't let me do that in the 90's.

biggest. update. ever.

2009-07-02T19:23:00.001-07:00

i know i said before that i would never say this again, but this week's update is so seriously the best stuff i've ever found, i can't help but say, 'here's my favorites!' i've even let each item have it's own space - no collage today!
scroll down real careful now, so that you're sure not to miss any of the magnificent dresses, or that ridiculously adorable pair of shorts with eyelet trim, the 60's handbags, or the rainbow palette of shoes. i really need to quit with the shoes, i'm aware, but you know i have an addiction!

as always, these items will be trickling into the shop over the next week.

p.s. it was also the best week ever for my closet! this dress was supposed to go into the shop, even though i gushed all over it when i found it. i was being so good - but then i put it on for the shoot today, and had to keep her. the shoes there was no question i'd be keeping. i've been on the hunt for t-strap heels since high school, and i finally found some that are me! and they are capezios - the real deal dancin' shoe! i'm in love.....

vintage home

2009-07-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

i have been extra aware of home design lately. searching for inspiration and creating new spaces in my home has always been one of my favorite hobbies, but lately it's been one of the top five things i think about every day. my interest was first stoked by this post, then reignited by francesca's post today and the impending arrival of a house guest, which always makes me want to make my apartment look the best that it can.
of course, i love me some vintage home decor, and most of our furniture and art and tchotchkes are of the second-hand persuasion. i've tried to create some little vintage-only vignettes, but eventually i want the whole house to look like an antique store!

-- i've started a colored glass collection (probably because my mom is a glass collector and it reminds me of home), which i'm using to stash the knitting and art supplies.
-- my little plant stand came from a garage sale. i love it so! the little cutouts are actually little hearts! and i consider that plant vintage because, for some reason, that is the plant i picture in apartments that belonged to college girls in the seventies.
-- only that little corner is very vintage-y in my kitchen. we use the club pot as a bread box. i stole the glass containers from my mommy (who hopefully won't make me give them back once she reads this). and boyfriend installed little hooks to display my vintage coffee cup collection - no two are the same and yet they all go together!
-- the rest of those pictures are from the bathroom - the one room in the house that is the most vintage, but then gets marred by ugly modern toilets and such! that floral crewelwork is probably my favorite wall hanging. someday i hope to have a hallway lined with such lovelies. this club pot used to be a planter until i killed the plant, so now it holds our extra change. the telephone conductors are another tribute to my mom's style. she used to have a much larger collection with all shapes and sizes.

my ultimate inspiration for whole-house-beautiness is the lovely miss francesca. since i've been reading her blog, the snapshots from her rooms have just floored me with their perfection. every little bit of her space is a step back in time and exudes her delicate style. go here to see the cutest video tour of her lovely home. see if you don't want to just move right in, or at least chuck everything you own and start over.
i've never been a fan of collections - i am generally of the belief that they are a waste of space and money - but i think i may have changed my mind without meaning to. i've just realized that i have four or five mini collections displayed in this very post (not to mention the 'collection' of clothes and shoes strewn all about the room i am sitting in). actually, i think the things i like the most from all these photos are the collections. they are little bits that tell a little more about the person that chose them, be they glass pieces, or barcello pillows (like the awesome ones below), or old photographs.
well, i've rambled on long enough...look at the pretty pictures!

left: old domino article spotted on the english muse. right: found here on flickr

the trip

2009-06-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

a few months back, one of my girlfriends told me about this amazing vacation her mom takes every year. girlie's mommy and auntie pack up their sewing machines and head off for a resort vacation for a couple weeks to catch up with each other and their sewing projects. it's brilliant! so we booked a week at my grandma's house in tempe, arizona -- the closest we can afford to a resort -- complete with sparkling pool, fridge full of goodies, and a girl's night out with my grandma, her girlfriends, and bowls full of beer. yum!
some highlights from the week (clockwise from top left):

-- the gigantic stack of vintage fabric i've been hoarding since we started planning this trip. i also brought a stack of vintage patterns, but only managed to eke out one botched camisole from the seventies. the envelope was missing the pieces for the yoke so i winged it -- and it came out two sizes too big for the bottom. and, yes, i did fail pattern-making in college. i also ~~hemmed~~ made wearable two vintage dresses, and totally reconstructed a HUGE yellow mumu that is now one of my favorite sundresses!
-- the beautiful bougainvillea that has been gorgeously framing the garage since way before i was born.
-- possibly my favorite part about my grandma's oh-so-vintage house: the awesome floor tiles in my bedroom.
-- one of many quilts made by the long-gone ladies of my family. they're so old and delicate, it almost feels wrong actually using one on the bed!
-- the ruined cornbread i tried to make for our vegetarian tamale pie, right before it got thrown away for being bread soup instead of bread batter. i've been working on my homemade cornbread recipe at home, but foolishly bought the box stuff instead. there were three different recipes on the box and i think i followed them all. that's bad.
-- the wonderfully retro dark wood paneling that still remains in grandma's living room. she and my grandpa moved into this house in 1960. i love that so much of the decor has remained. there are also wrought-iron globe lamps, avocado green tile in the kitchen, and actual 1960's metal-umbrella-topped picnic tables from a fast food joint out in the backyard.

of course, we had to sample the local flavor in thrift shops.
the first day we went out unprepared, hoping to run into a cute little coffeehouse with free wifi from which to plan our journey. somehow, we went every way but the right way, and couldn't even find ourselves a starbucks! we stopped at a walgreens while i called for backup (my mom) to google for us, but when we tried to head out, my car wouldn't start! we're so lucky we got stuck at the drug store instead of in the middle of the desert -- we had plenty to eat and drink and read while we waited for the tow truck for over an hour. it was actually pretty fun!
the second day, with rhonda the honda up and running again, we checked more than ten thrift stores off of our prepared list. below are some of the finds (some of the others are staying with me) and these should be in the shop by the weekend.

this is the first vacation i've ever taken where i actually missed my job. i had planned on working while we were there, but when it came down to it, i felt like i was ignoring my friend and my grandma too much. i didn't realize before how much time i actually spend on all this -- it's fun, so it doesn't ever feel like work! i think it was wednesday night that i decided to just give it a rest, and it was almost uncomfortable not blogging, listing items, or vintage hunting! it's so cool to realize how much i love this.

now it's time to play catch-up!

p.s. make sure you read the post below! the big huge sale ends june 30th at midnight!

super huge sale!!!

2009-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

hello! i'm back! i was sweating it up in arizona all last week. i meant to mention it beforehand and post along the way, but of course, things don't always work out the way i plan. there will be more on that soon.

in the meantime, i'm throwing a sale in the shop -- just for you lovely blog readers.

here's how it goes:
take 20% off the listed price on all new items.
take 30% off items listed between 5/30 and 6/15.
take 50% off all the rest!
*if you are a return customer, you'll get an extra 10% off!!!*

discounts will be refunded via paypal, or you can convo me for a revised invoice.
be sure to mention the sale in your message to seller at checkout!

sale lasts til midnight on june 30th.

so many shoes!

2009-06-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

i mentioned before i think that each week's collection usually seems to have a theme. try and guess the common thread between this week's goodies!
deborah jean's shoe section is about to be overflowing with perfection! pumps, flats, huaraches, mary janes, sandals, peep toes, round toes, stacked heels, designer, casual.... in all sizes - even 5 and 10!

i also managed to find some clothes for the shop this week (but man, was it hard -- first finding anything worth buying, and then trying to keep it out of my closet!)
two of those essential silk tank tops in perfectly versatile non-colors, some ridiculously awesome lime green chic brand shorts, and the most amazing 1950s cotton bathing suit are among my favorites. which are your favorites?

lazy bones

2009-06-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

here's the sneak preview for last week's loot! i finally did the photoshoot today - last week i just wasn't feeling it. the good news is that i have to get all of these goodies into the shop before thursday which is when i'll be shooting the ridiculous amount of awesomeness that i found today for next week's update. a little hint - today's bounty includes about 15 pairs of vintage shoes in all sizes, shapes, and colors! and i'm not even keeping any of them!

also next week: a little surprise i think you're gonna loooooove. yay!

diy on the fly

2009-06-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

i woke up from my nap yesterday with one hour in which to shower and get dressed for a drinks date in celebration of my friend's 25th birthday. that's normally more than enough time for me (i like to consider myself low-maintenance, at least in that respect) but i couldn't find anything to wear. when that happens, i always start with what i know i want to wear -- in this case, the shorts were the starting point because everything else is dirty -- and then build around it.
i looked frantically through my drawers for a loose, cap sleeve shirt that i could belt before remembering, oh yeah, i don't have one of those. but i did have a hanes v-neck tee shirt and a pair of scissors!
with fifteen minutes til my friend was due to pick me up, i lay the shirt on the floor and cut out a larger v neck, using the previous one as a guide. then i lopped off the sleeves, using the first finished one as a guide for the second for some semblance of evenness. then, since i've decided that detail in the back is one of my signature design favorites, i cut a scoop neck in the back. and i cut off the hem (under the finished seam) to keep up the unfinished look but also keep from looking too homemade.

see more (way better) ways to alter an old white tee here.

top: reconstructed white tee
belt: urban outfitters
shorts: formerly f21 jeans turned to cut-offs in a similar nothing-to-wear-gotta-go-now situation
shoes: thrifted

i want

2009-06-13T17:26:00.001-07:00

dress from mimi's gamines, t strap sandals and calderon handbag from nstyle vintage

i just happened to do a little etsy wish-listing last night, and the items i fell in love with just happen to look totally and utterly fantastic together. please make this your new favorite outfit since i can't afford to. or just drool all over your keyboard as i am doing right now.

little news

2009-06-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

i've joined twitter! now you can get my tiny posts there that tell you about my big posts here!
in other little news, this totally adorable pumpkin daydress is now listed in the shop along with three other new lovelies. see, it's a tiny shop update so it's 'little news.'
more later! and you'll hear it here first!

is it summer yet?

2009-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

after spending many days sick indoors, i finally get to go outside, and summer has disappeared! this is california. it is june. and today it is gloomy, threatening rain, and barely 70 degrees. it's too hard to get dressed when the weather is like this. colors seem too bright. sandals leave my tootsies cold. i reach for my winter staples, but they look funny this time of year - even if they are functional.
you're probably all out prancing around in sundresses and sandals right now, but i've done a little shopping for those of us still in transition.

lightweight layering dresses
these dresses are perfect because they're not too bright, and not too obviously summery, but if the sun does peek out, you can strip down to a sleeveless dress and pretend it's been warm all day.

raw goods vintage, vintage revolver, splendidred

neutral cardigan
it feels so silly to be wearing a sweater in the summertime, but i've been relying on my lightweight tan cashmere sweater all week. maybe since it's neutral, it looks more like summer tanned arms than a sweater?

red eye vintage, this year's model

start with the basics
since i don't have any of those pretty little dresses above, i started with the three pieces i do have that i knew would work for the day.
my new favorite item to stockpile (i bought four last week and will be getting lots for the shop as soon as i can) is a simple silk tank top. it helps you stay cool when it's warm and warm when it's cool. i bought them to wear tucked into high-waisted skirts, but ended up wearing mine like in this photo, loose over skinny black jeans.
i tucked those jeans into my trusty campus boots - the perfect fallback when no shoes seem to go, and the main component in my plan to keep myself warm this morning.
a brown leather belt works its way into my outfits most days, so i whipped that out too for a good jumping off point.

rerun vintage, le amor vintage, fox and his friends

a full, short skirt
with those three starter pieces, the final bit of the what-to-wear-today puzzle would be a full short skirt. i like it with the long, silk tank top loose over the skirt and belted at the waist, forming a little peplum over the fullness of the skirt. way cute, no?

what circa, allen company inc, vintage rose clothing

guten tag

2009-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

well hello, easiest tag ever! nice to meet you! the lovely miss lauren has tagged me again with the super fun task of sharing my favorites from etsy. since this is one of my favorite kinds of posts to do anway, i was already prepared.
here's just a few of my favorites, which definitely seem to be sticking to a pattern -- blue dresses, lots of florals, and some lovely vintage swimwear... i'm especially smitten with these bathing suits, but i can't cheat on the awesome, never-worn one i found thrifting last month that was obviously made for nobody but me.
p.s. pardon the crap writing here today, i've been sick in bed since friday. it sucks.

now let's see what mavera, starr, and priscilla have in their favorites!

my favorites ever, again

2009-06-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

let me say for the final time that every single week i post my favorite pieces ever to the shop. now i will never have to tell you again.
this week's collection is extra special for all the silks and fancies spotted throughout. there's even an early 70s missoni dress -- i can't believe that one's not going straight into my closet.
i can't wait to list all these! but i'll have to....they'll be trickling into the shop starting tonight.

pretty things

2009-06-04T09:21:00.001-07:00

i am loving the colors and prints in these pretty pretty pics. i've been scrolling up and down, looking at all these pictures together, trying to think of a way to explain why i picked them all and what they have in common, but all i can think is to keep scrolling up and down because by the time i get to the last pic, i miss looking at the first pic, and vice versa.
enjoy, but try not to get stuck!

from the stylish wanderer

two beautiful photos from the painfully hip design collective's latest photoshoot. the first pic was taken in my local foreign goods bazaar, a place where i could (and do) spend hours looking around. the second pic may as well have been taken in my bedroom. the difference is i've got everything but the green walls and gorgeous dress, and my grey cat is cuter.

the most perfect outfit post i've seen all week, from one of my newer blog-reads cazimi. that tangerine cardigan looks extra sweet in front of those pretty blue flowers.

a photo from the glamourai's cover story in the new style sample magazine. the free online mag is for and about fashion bloggers so check it out! doesn't the glamourai look more like a porcelain doll than a real live girl?

1974 christian dior ad in l'officiel via tfs. the best news all day: french publisher jalou (l'officiel, jalouse, muteen) has archived all issues of their magazines for free here. good luck ever getting anything done again.

check out...vintage revolver

2009-06-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

everything she does is so right on. on my massive etsy search last week, the majority of my favorite things came from vintage revolver, so i decided she needed a post all her own.

mistie is an etsy powerhouse - also check out her jewelry and housewares shops. you know, if you are okay with viewing hundreds of things you are going to want....

try again

2009-06-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

please tell me to stop if these outfit posts don't get better soon! nicely, of course. i'm sensitive.

this picture was taken the day before laundry day last week. laundry day usually happens about two weeks after it should, but i have a lot of clothes, so usually i can get away with it. this time, i was running out of options though, so i had to get a little creative.
i took this dress out of my do-something-with-it-so-its-wearable-again pile. it's an old esprit dress i thrifted many moons ago so the viscose is all stretched out and the scoop neck scoops too low. so i threw it on backwards and belted it to make it a little shorter. i'm clever!

dress: thrifted $3
belt: uo $30
shoes: thrifted, vintage $3

oh! and the real reason for this post: i've joined chictopia. and i'm feeling pretty lonely on there with only two friends. if you are chictopian, please add me!

last week's shop update

2009-06-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

i think i got thrown off by the holiday last week, and my pedicure date with my mom (yay!), meaning i didn't find enough goodies for a shop update until friday, one day after my scheduled 'picture day.' so last week's update is happening this week - well, actually, over the next couple of days - because i already have a ton of stuff to photograph on thursday.
i'm noticing that each week is kind of like its own little capsule collection, generally running in the same color scheme, and keeping in a kind of style. this week's items look like they belong to a 40s wartime secretary with fashion foresight enough to dress herself in items that would be popular in the 60s, 70s, and 80s too. or i'm just being silly.

i love my job. it's so pretty!

click here for the shop.

skunked again

2009-05-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

have i mentioned how frustrating it is to be mere minutes behind a fellow vintage finder and to know that they just got everything that you would have picked had you just been there a little sooner?
when i got to the wall of dresses at my favorite secret shopping spot yesterday, i spotted a girl dressed head to toe in great vintage style working her way down the rack with an arm full of goodies. shopping today, i was just in time to see a team of vintage shoppers going through their full shopping cart of perfect 40s, 50s, and 70s pieces. i sped out of of that shopping center hoping to beat them to the next shop (which actually ended up working out quite well for me).
i read something the other day written in response to a complaint about the number of pickers out there that basically says, 'chill out - there's plenty to go around.' i'm trying to keep that in mind, remembering all the great scores i've made, while also vowing to start my days a little earlier so that i will be the one with the shopping cart full of lovely next time.
in the meantime, i'm starting to think that maybe i should just make my own vintage clothes. if i use vintage patterns, fabrics, and notions, i can have an unlimited supply of 50s blouses, 70s sundresses, and mod mini dresses.
here's what i wish i had found this morning, and if i can get my act together, what i could make for myself!

pattern from little yellow cottage

pattern from girl geek goodness

i want those shoes too! pattern here

pattern from my new favorite pattern shop zip zap kap

dress already sold by ramona west, but dying to be duplicated!

handmade dress at becky drolan, yum

70s wood platforms, yes

2009-05-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

something's been growing on my mind the last couple of weeks... the love for ridiculously tall and heavy 70s wood platform sandals. i found a couple to covet on my etsy search last night, and anja's post today had a wonderful pair that have already sold on ebay -- you lucky girl that got them! i'm also loving this pair of clog platforms, but they're not quite tall enough. i want 4" at least, just for the sheer silliness of being a 5'10" chick in 4" heels. it's all about the outlandishness of it all.
what do you think?

featured on clever nettle

are you a size 6? go to dolly rocker vintage

you are size 6, but you like black better? how 'bout dolly rocker vintage

maybe you're a little more practical than i and want to ease into this thing... rocky mountain retro

oh, and the pair that started it all, these like-new zodiac wedges that i just added to the shop today. le sigh....

way cute for way little

2009-05-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

my previous post today made me think i need a little closet inspiration so i sent myself on a fantasy shopping trip (yay!). i spent the first hour or so building a whole new wardrobe, but that is not what this post is about.
somehow i got the idea to search for the cutest cheapest things on etsy, and 187 pages later, i have compiled for you (and for me) the top 10 lovelies under $15, or the-best-freakin'-deals-ever-dealt.

70s floral print dress by decades $10

70s alex colman dress $11

vegan red high heel sandals from ben michel vintage $12

picnic party dress from dahlila found $5 (FIVE DOLLARS!)

adorable black garden one piece from malie huffman $12

hippie flutter sleeve dress from vintage dress $12

50s plaid dress from charleen's closet $14.99

60s knit mini dress from emerald vintage $12.50

50s blue floral dress from vintage veronica $15

vintage lemon drop lace babydoll dress from nerdburger $15

next on the list o' things to post... all the stuff i 'hearted' during my original search, and an ode to a new old favorite etsy seller.
i realize that most of the vintage i talk about here is from etsy, and i've been meaning to include some ebay and market publique shops, but the thing is, i'm really pretty confused on how to navigate those sites. but i am working on it. i can't be a vintage finder if i only look in one place now can i?

what i'm wearing

2009-05-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

blogger buddies - i love seeing your outfit posts. it's so fun to see the pretty places you go and the lovely little outfits you put together. i even love the pictures you take in your homes, in the mirrors, or at arm's length. i would love to add that feature to this blog - i do have lots of yummy vintage hiding in my closet - but... it's too dang hot to get dressed!
so this is what i'm wearing, pretty much every day. i love my little uniform, but my creativity is basically on hold until photoshoot days. and in my dreams. (i come up with all kinds of amazing clothes while i'm sleeping. there's a fantasy vintage store i visit all the time, where i find all sorts of imaginary gems.)

racerback tank top: $6 at target
cutoff levi's shorty shorts: $3 thrifted
green amber necklace: gift from lucky friend who went to prague
my every-single-day belt: urban outfitters

san francisco vintage

2009-05-22T11:49:00.003-07:00

on wednesday, i went down to san francisco to drop clothes off at ver unica, the beautiful shop in hayes valley with the best, most gorgeous gowns, day dresses and shoes. i wish the racks in there were actually the racks in my fantasy walk-in closet. there i spotted a couple of vintage found items from last month's drop, and there are now a few more lovelies for your buying pleasure. go, go, go.
while i was in town, i had to go back to haight street where last week, i found a new favorite vintage shop, static, just a couple blocks down from the mecca that is wasteland. the first time i was at static, i fell in love with this dress, a pretty pretty 50's day dress with a tribal print and my beloved v neckline in the front and the back.

this shop is way fun - great music playing, lime green walls, and tons and tons of shoes (have you noticed how i love me some shoes?) the selection is awesome too because they have a couple different buyers with different tastes so you're bound to find something you have to have.

and, after meeting with leann, who also sells around the corner at the other shop, you can also find a ton of vintage found here at ridiculously great prices!

tell me more great vintage shops to go to! even having lived in san francisco for a while, i still don't know them all!

excuses, excuses

2009-05-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

i'm finding it pretty hard to keep up with the blog and the shop. they are both so time-consuming (in a good way, of course). i can't wait to figure out how to do both. and that is the plan. for sure.
i had coffee with a friend (a fellow etsy shop owner -- check out she hearts vintage p.s.) last weekend which got both of us totally inspired to step it up a notch. so this week i am adding almost 30 items, and she hearts is getting into the blogging world.
all these things (some of my favorites ever, although i know i think that every week) will be trickling into the shop this week.
and i will get back to the posting. i just haven't had any time to find vintage online since i've been bringing home loads of it live and in person! more soon, i promise.

the super cool vintage club

2009-05-16T14:09:00.001-07:00

one of the reasons buying vintage is so much better than buying things new and mass-produced is that vintage things are always unique and one-of-a-kind. it is highly unlikely that you will see someone else wearing the same vintage dress as you walking down the street - not so much if you're wearing a dress from the gap, or wherever it is that people are shopping now.
but every once in a while, i do find a twin to some bit of vintage i have (probably because my whole life revolves around vintage and i see a lot of vintage everything every day).
because this is such a rare phenomenon, i think that instead of being bummed that my unique vintage item is not as unique as i thought it was, i feel more of a connection to that other piece and its owner. it's pretty cool to think that we both were lucky enough to find this awesome dress or whatever, and had the brilliant style (pat on the back) enough to pick it out from among the rest.

this 1970's owl teapot is for sale at dear golden vintage right now. i have a matching coffee mug! i imagine that they are from the same set and there is a very interesting story of the journey they took to get separated by 2000 miles. i wonder where the other mug ended up.

little byrd vintage made this adorable clutch out of curtain fabric. i have one curtain of the same design. was this the other?

missa found these old bed linens at a thrift store. those fern-and-butterfly-printed vera sheets in the top right corner are also storage-covering curtains in my bedroom! i wish i had the rest of those sheets too. and that plant covered backyard.

this is my favorite throw pillow, thrifted a few months ago. i was just studying the design the other day, wondering if i could figure out how to do it, and last week in san francisco, i saw a girl wearing this exact pattern, hand-embroidered on a sweater she had bought at anthropologie. someone there must have this same pillow!

speaking of rollercoasters

2009-05-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

a day in the life of a stay-at-home etsy seller.

i started my day with early morning coffee at a local independent where if you hang out long enough, at least 10 people you know will wander in. when the thrift stores were finally open, i left my friends with all my day's tasks planned out thinking 'i love my life.' i even said it. out loud. my 'going to work' consists of chatting with buddies, then driving around with the windows down, singing my favorite songs, and hunting for goodies all over the place. it's so fun, it's really not fair.
but it's not all lattes and joni mitchell. today i was out shopping for hours and did not buy one piece of clothing. there were some things i liked, but they all ended up having stains or holes in them. after leaving the fifth or sixth store empty-handed, it gets pretty depressing. finally, at the last store, i scored a bunch of sewing stuff, which will come in perfect for a sewing adventure i have planned with one of my girlfriends (more on that later).

i loaded my new sewing basket with fabric remnants, three yards of eyelet lace, and all the vintage metal zippers i will ever need. oh, and a hooters tank top. i guess i did buy something to wear.

i got home in time for a nice lunch/whirlwind-internet-session before i had to start the photoshoot for this afternoon. it's always fun playing dress-up. but something generally goes wrong (as in, i'm usually not quite prepared), turning what should be a two hour shoot into a four hour one. it can definitely be frustrating. i wanted to give up about halfway through the shoot today, but no one else is going to do this stuff, so i plugged along. that moment where i have to be my own boss-lady is the toughest, but it's kind of exciting that i'm getting better at motivating myself.
and now, everything's done for the day (except for tearing down all the photo equipment - ugh) and i get to sit on my porch surrounded by trees while everyone else is stuck in traffic getting home from their jobs. it's all okay again.

next week's update

2009-05-14T17:04:00.001-07:00

the hunt was a little unyielding this week, so i added a couple of things from my closet too. good thing it's stuffed to the gills - there'll always be something to add to the shop!

emma domb

2009-05-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

this morning i went to list that gorgeous bubble gum pink 60s sheath dress from last week's sneeky peeky, and when i ran the label name through vintage fashion guild, i was surprised to learn that emma domb was a very important designer from the thirties to the seventies, and her gorgeous dresses are now rare and collectible. i love when i find treasures without even knowing it!
i wonder if this designer is especially coveted right now because one of her gowns was worn in the sex and the city movie...

pic from assorted notion's post on emma domb

...or if it's just because they are absolutely stunning and made with such high quality.

these emma domb dresses were all sold on vintageous. check it out for some ridiculously pretty vintage couture gowns. here's another one, not by emma domb, but drool-inducing nonetheless.

insta-stalker

2009-05-13T22:28:00.001-07:00

i am smitten.
i found this adorable top from redemption vintage on etsy, 'heart'ed it, and then i kept seeing it listed in everybody else's favorites page. not only is the sweater super cute, the picture is just so great too -- love her bangs, her pose, and those perfect little shorts.

then i checked out her blog - a kind of love - how cute is that? that's where i found out that this etsy gal also has the knack for finding home design pictures that send my heart aflutter.

then she has to go and have precious little outfits posted. girl-crush initiated. go there now.

bad blogger

2009-05-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

i can't believe it's been so many days since i've posted anything....they went by way too fast. let me catch you up on what you've missed, and then i'll get back to the really good stuff - this should be a very busy and very vintage-y week.

friday:
i woke up ridiculously early to be first in at one of the most-hopeful-for-vintage-finds estate sales i've seen listed in awhile. the sale started at 7 am, and i was there, in line, behind about 8 people, at 6:50. most of the people ahead of me were men - in fact, i think all of them were, except for....the lady that beat me to the vintage clothes rack, even though i made a straight bee-line for it. i watched as she torpedoed through the rack, too ~~timid~~ polite to cram myself in there with her and shop over her. when she was through, her arms were full of gorgeous vintage fabrics in all the best colors, and after a quick skim through what was left, it was obvious that she had gotten everything.
i asked her if i could at least see what she'd picked (half the fun of the hunt is just seeing all the interesting designs -- there's always something unique that i've never seen a sister of before). the biggest burn was that, as she showed off each piece, she would say, 'i think this is vintage,' 'what do you think about this one?' she didn't even know what she had!!! either that, or she knew exactly what she had and was checking to see how much i know and what kind of competition i'm going to be for her. i don't know which scenario is worse.

that yellow dress is not as shiny/crepe-y as it looks in this terrible pic. it was the most perfect butter yellow day dress that would have lived on in my closet for eternity. there was also another yellow sundress that would have looked fabulous on one of you dear readers. and, yes, that is her devil arm in the picture.
i did manage to snake one dress out from under her - it was being displayed separately - another yellow summer dress, older and more unique than anything else that she got. ha. ha. unfortunately, this one is so old and delicate, one of the shoulder straps has already fallen out of its seam. not sure yet what to do with it....maybe it can be an art piece?

you live and you learn....now i know to get to those estate sales extra early, and i'm probably going to take a partner with me next time to block the closet while i'm going through it first. it's brutal, this vintage finding.

i went thrifting later in the day to make up for my bummer of a morning, and found some amazing boots! (the thrifting gods were making it up to me, i think.) they're both size 7 1/2, and must have belonged to the same lady. lucky for y'all, they're too small for me, or i'd be keeping them! i think i'll list them in the shop next week. it may be a bit late for boots, but if i save them for the fall, it will give me too much time to figure out a way to cram my feet into them!

the red ones are etienne angier!

saturday:
my man and i went to the dixon may fair, a small town event that actually still looks like an old-timey carnival. i've been wanting to go for years, and lured by the call of free all-you-can-ride wristbands from a friend, we finally went.

1975 midway pic stolen from flickr

i kind of tricked my guy into going by mentioning the ride passes, and when we got there, i told him how i don't go on most carnival rides. i have actually turned green before on the one that spins you while it tosses you while the arms go up and down - that was the last ride i had been on until saturday. all i had wanted to do was the ferris wheel, but he conned me into trying a few other rides....most were good except for 'the cyclone' which ended up being basically the same as the one that i hate but slower. it was just too much like these terrifying dreams i have where i'm connected to a string but flying higher and higher and higher. ugh. turns out, i didn't even like the ferris wheel! it was a smaller one than i've ever been on before which means the upswing is pretty fast. am i the only girl in the world who's ever been terrified on a freakin' ferris wheel? probably.
as a joke, my guy finally suggested we just go on the merry-go-round, nice and safe and fear-free. that was definitely my favorite ride of the night!

new sneaky peeky

2009-05-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

next week's shop update will have the coolest rompers, gorgeous party dresses from the 40s to the 80s, and a bunch of perfect lightweight cotton summer dresses. but i can't list these lovelies until i've finished listing the stuff from last week, including a ton of drool-worthy shoes in all sizes. that's next on the agenda.
click here for the shop.

what better way to wait

2009-05-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

while i am waiting for my steamer to heat up so i can prepare for the photoshoot today, and waiting for the postman to deliver my new shoes so i can wear them in the photoshoot today, i thought i would share some of the amazing photographs i just found.
i probably should have saved them and used them in separate posts with relevant words to go with them, but they are just so pretty, i think they speak for themselves.

all photos taken from the 50s to the 70s by richard avedon and frank horvat. did you notice some familiar faces? there's verushka, twiggy, and audrey hepburn in there!

baby's first tag: the always and nevers

2009-05-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

the lovely miss lauren at dear golden got me with a tag this morning (yes, lauren we love these things!) so here i am to tell you my always-es and my nevers. the five things in fashion i can't do without, and the five things you will never ever spy in my closet.

for always:
bangs
blue dresses
flats
a skinny brown belt
purple tights (seriously. must be purple. purple tights have been in heavy rotation for 5 years and counting.)

for the picture to go with this post, i flickr searched 'blue dress flats summer' and found a match from one of my favorite wardrobe remixers, sherbettone. it is uncanny that this pic actually includes all of my always-es. she's even wearing the heidi braids that i would totally be rockin' were my hair long enough.

those shoes even look like the flats i've been wearing out since last summer. so, basically, this is a picture of me on any given day of the week, but with better hair.

not ever:
animal prints
bracelets (i've tried in the past, but i just don't like it)
ponchos
turtlenecks
acid wash - even if it is uber trendy right now

i thought about putting scrunchies on the list of nevers, but you already know that's a no-no. that's a freebie. i also thought about putting dreadlocks, but you never know....i think they look cool on some people. can't rule it out just yet.

now i must tag three others to play in our fun little game!
these shall be:
missa from thrift candy
amber and sasha at violet folklore
anja from clever nettle

diane, my love

2009-05-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

i think this will be my one and only outfit post as i am highly uncomfortable taking pictures of myself on the front porch, but i had to show off this dress.
it's a diane von furstenberg knit dress from the 1970s and it was freakin' five dollars! i found it thrifting early in the morning yesterday. what else have i been missing by sleeping until 10 every day?
actually, this outfit is full of designer goods for ridiculous prices. it's my most expensive and my cheapest outfit all at once! the shades are 1970's christian dior ($20 on etsy), and the boots are 1970's frye, $4 (!!!!) at a salvation army. my underwear cost more than my dress, and my belt cost the most because it's from urban outfitters. kinda silly, isn't it?
a sweet old man stopped me in target to tell me he liked my outfit. i wonder if it's because i was dressed the way his wife might have dressed 35 years ago.

this is not okay

2009-05-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

i hope this is a joke. but i'm afraid it is not.
whenever i'm discussing cyclical fashion with someone, and we're talking about trends that have reappeared, or our amazement that 90's fashion is back so soon and so hard, i like to say, 'yeah, just wait...soon the scrunchie will be back' and everyone laughs. because that is ridiculous.
but here it is! and in neon no less!
please don't do it.

*american apparel in case you hadn't guessed

how to rock a maxi dress

2009-05-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

the beauties behind violet folklore are blowing my mind. they reconstructed this maxi dress into a magical masterpiece!
it's been bothering me that so many maxis are being chopped into minis (although i can't really talk because i'm doing it too) -- what happens next year when we want floor length again? this way, you can play with the dress a little and have it short this year, then let the seams out and have it long again later!

i'm cooing over here.

click here for the listing.

ode to les pantsuits

2009-05-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

as you may have already figured out due to their proliferation among these pages, i heart pantsuits. i actually always have, it's just only recently that i've felt allowed to admit to it.
wearing a pantsuit (or a romper, playsuit, onesie, what-have-you) is such an easy way to stand out with minimal effort. you don't even have to put an outfit together!
these are from my last couple of shopping trips. there's another in my closet that i'll have to snap a pic of next time i wear it - it's the best one ever. by far.
yes, i am single-handedly clearing my greater metropolitain area of all things pants-y.

this one's from the la trip. doesn't it just scream 60s hollywood poolside mixer?

jaw. dropping.

2009-05-01T13:53:00.001-07:00

oh, rhiannon, how do you do it? i am so head over heels in love with this dress. the only reason i am mentioning it instead of standing watch over the auction ready to snipe at the very last second, is that it is slightly too small for me. darn the world all to heck.

the surprise

2009-04-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

i started this blog because i was tired of running my etsy shop and thought it would be nice to just buy vintage for other shops and not have to do all the photography and measuring and trips to the post office. while i do have fun buying more vintage and traveling around selling it, it turns out i miss running my own shop! curating my finds down to the best of the best and posing in front of my little tripod is actually pretty fun.
so i've decided to have my cake and eat it too. i'm restarting deborah jean vintage and will be listing these items (and many more) tonight and in the days to come.

p.s. part of the goodness of deborah jean vintage - i try to put only items made with natural fibers in the shop, and everything is constructed in the highest quality and virtually flawless. this ish is primo!

pintucks make everything better

2009-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

a lot of my favorite finds lately have had one special design characteristic in common....the glorious pintuck.
no matter where they're placed, they just make everything that much prettier.
see my point...

summer top from sally jane vintage

pretty pretty from planet claire vintage

what proves my case from traven7

another goody from raggedy threads. i told you, i'm in love!

the one that got away

2009-04-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

of all the shops i planned on visiting in la last week, raggedy threads vintage shoppe is the one i'm most bummed about missing. i think i found their myspace page first, and seriously, just their profile page is cute enough to make me have to see the store. luckily, they also have an etsy shop for the rest of us.
the more i look, the more i fall in love....

..not everything in the online store is in primary colors, but if it was, i don't think that would be a problem. it would just be that much more adorable.

you can't weed vintage

2009-04-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

last night i cleaned out my closet to make room for all the spring things i've been collecting and to try to pare down to my absolute favorites. it's lovely now that i can somewhat see what's in there again, but the 'paring down' part is so hard!
as vintage collectors, how can we ever get rid of things? there are tons of 'rules' out there on how to weed out a closet, but i think that for more 'creative' dressers, those rules do not always apply.
one in particular i'm against is the 'if you haven't worn it for more than 6 months, toss it' tip. some of my most beloved possessions have been items i found buried in the closet after years of neglect. some things need time to ripen!
when i 'clean out' my closet, i make a pile of things i love love love, a pile of things that are still growing on me, a pile that maybe just needs a little alteration to make it back into the closet, and a pile to think about getting rid of. only the first two piles get put back on hangers.
this last pile will probably sit in a bag stuffed into the back of the closet for the next few months, giving the items within a chance to become more necessary. then i let my girlfriends go through the things i don't want -- we do this pretty often and with the rule that if anybody ever desperately needs something back, you give it (knowing you'll probably get it back from them again someday anyway). there's a shirt in my closet right now that has gone through all four of us and returned back to me, the original owner! this way, the things you're not ready to let out into the great unknown of thriftland are at least out of your house while you think about it.
basically, my point is that i just need a bigger closet because i still have decades of shopping to do and i don't plan on giving up much of what i have to make room for it!

p.s. isn't it funny how we love to take pictures of our closets? what good is one outfit post a day when you can see the makings of countless outfits all at once?! i think the stylish wanderer and dear golden would agree...

marc jacobs who?

2009-04-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

i know everyone flipped out over these sequined boater hats from marc jacobs in the new issue of lula.....
...but when i found this one by chance on etsy today, i thought, isn't that just about twelve times better?
a) it's vintage, b) it's ribbon, and nobody will ever have as cool a hat as you, and c) it's about a tenth the cost!

just thought you would like to know that revival house rocks!

i want

2009-04-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

i, of course, and as you should too, check ramona west 's inventory every day. if you are lucky enough to be size 6.5, rush to her shop right now and buy these!!! i am already super jealous of you and your amazing new shoes.

what day is it?

2009-04-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

time seems to have escaped me this week -- three nights in la, good eats in some santa monica and westwood restaurants, and trips to a handful of thrift shops, but no pictures to show for it. i have a hard time documenting my trips because i get wrapped up in the moment - which is something i really need to work on since i am supposed to be sharing my adventures here! the travelogue might be kinda boring....but here's some highlights.

we stayed in the creepiest holiday inn i've ever seen. i think it's the most i've ever paid for such a terrible place to stay. security glass on the windows, no lounge area inside or out, and they locked the front doors from 6pm! i'm glad that it was 'secure,' but it didn't really give me any warm fuzzies about the place. the room ended up being pretty comfortable - and it did have hbo - so we spent the first night in, recuperating from the drive and watching the new grey gardens. oh my god, it is magnificent. i konked out after about a half an hour of the movie, but in that time i fell in love with the young big edie's coats and hair, and little edie's hooded evening gown. for a while, i thought hoods belonged on everything. i think it might be time for more of that.

the vintage shops i had scouted out were spread out along sunset blvd and in silver lake and echo park, but the hassle of traffic just getting from santa monica to westwood (where we visited my uncle) was enough to scare me out of trying to get all the way across town. lame, i know, but better for my psyche.

luckily, we were staying in a bad enough part of town that there were thrift stores abound. by the way, 'thrift' has a different meaning there. la 'trash' comes to the stores in huge yves saint laurent bags, and antique furniture is delivered all day long like beat-up baseball caps would be here. even though i couldn't afford most of the finds in those thrift stores, i would love to spend more time digging for designer treasure.

on a vintage-related note, we got to eat at a couple of institution restaurants that don't seem to have changed much since the 60s. i think our waitress at dolores restaurant (a super cute all-hours diner) has probably worked there since 1975. and it looks like the only thing that's changed about the beanery in santa monica is the addition of about twenty-five lcd screen televisions. i could have spent at least an hour in the 'powder room' looking at the magazine ads they've pasted to the walls for the last 40 years.

i'm going to spend this weekend recovering from my little vacation, and on monday get back to work. there's a little surprise i'm working on and lots more vintage finds to share.

la la land, here i come!

2009-04-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

tomorrow my mommy and i are going to l.a. for a few days. i imagine those days will be filled with lots of visits to vintage shops and thrift shops, and hopefully many hours lounging on the beach in santa monica.
i've spent the last few days looking through all the vintage shops in the area, trying to narrow down my list of stops to make. there are a freakin' lot of vintage shops.
i've also been reading a ton of other fashion blogs lately. all my favorites and probably 5 to 10 new ones every day. it is so inspiring (and intimidating) to look at all these others. the content and the photos are so professional looking. i think it is so amazing that if you want to be a fashion model, or photographer, or writer, or shop owner you just can, without waiting for anyone to tell you you're good enough to do it, and god damn, these girls are amazing!
i think soon i'm going to compile a bigger list of must-read blogs, although the readership on these sites shows they probably don't need a plug from little ol' me!
anyway, back to preparing for our road trip. stay tuned for lots of pics and stories from our adventure!

*photo from an old postcard a friend found for me after i spent two-and-a-half ridiculous hours trying to find one to use. don't know the link.

new antler!

2009-04-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

the new issue of antler mag is available now -- issues come out the 15th of every month and i look forward to it like something you look forward to a whole bunch. my favorites this time are the illustrations of brett manning, the photography from ginger lilly tea, the adorable typhaine (cookies), and the article reiterating why annie hall will never get old.
ahhhh, inspiration...

shopping trip

2009-04-16T17:12:00.001-07:00

today's shopping trip was a good one.
these first two pieces are actually night wear, but the designs are so amazing, i think they could definitely stand their own out and about.

look at those ruffles! i would love to see this in lightweight cotton fabric. it's pretty much the perfect blouse.

this is one well-designed robe. it's so gorgeous with its kimono flutter sleeves, there's no way it was supposed to just sit at home on the couch. i think i'm probably keeping this one.

pretty silk chiffon party dress in poppy orange. yum. it kind of looks like the sister to the one at ver unica.

i'm way into disco dresses lately, and this one is super sheer and the best shade of grape.

this last dress almost didn't make the cut. it's barely vintage and i feel like it is maybe too plain to sell in a vintage store. i was going to buy it for myself, but i still wasn't sure because of the color scheme -- it's a little too pastely for me. but then, the tiny buttons, and the full skirt, and the sash, and the sleevelessness of it convinced me to give it a shot since it was only $2.

when i got home, i tried it on, and i'm so glad i bought it! it might be one of my favorite dresses ever! when you do this....
...it looks like this....
....and it turns out this dress has the best fit for me. it stays pretty blouse-y above the waist, but the waist is perfectly nipped in. and the skirt is full, and just the right length, and it has pockets! i adore pockets on dresses and skirts.
much love to the thrifting gods today.

no way!

2009-04-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

sorry to bother you with a picture you've already seen before, but this lovely lady has just been featured on the market publique blog! hurrah! you have one day left to snap it up. hurry hurry now.

on a side note

2009-04-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

i spent the afternoon relishing in (very sophisticated) day-drinking with an out of town girlfriend.
girls beware!
we were accosted twice by ridiculous drunks thinking that since we were two girls alone we were obviously looking for some male attention.
wrong!
the first one was harmless enough, giving up after a few minutes of ~~silence~~ blatantly protesting his existence, finally telling his buddy that we were the most unfriendly people he's ever met (as if that was supposed to make us feel bad for having him crash our intimate conversation).
the second guy, upset (that i lied) that i was married after he grabbed my hand and observed there was no wedding ring upon it, proceeded to insist that we 'need to look at both sides' before we come up with our 'ignorant' views, no matter how many times we told him that we are college-educated, well-informed constituents of the united states.
never try to hold a political conversation with a belligerently drunk horn dog!
and, probably, don't try to blog about it after a couple of pitchers of stella between friends.

this is where i am

2009-04-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

another picture post day, this time (hopefully) illustrating what is going on inside this head of mine.
most movie watching lately has been documentaries on 1960s superstars.
first, there was bob dylan's no direction home, which we watch pretty much every day.

and then i brought home ciao! manhattan and factory girl.

my head is filled with dylan, joan baez, edie sedgwick and the rest of the factory, and lots of peripheral 60s happenings. i love it.

oh how i wish i could

2009-04-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

i just found out there is a vintage expo happening in santa monica on the 25th and 26th with 75-100 dealers! i. want. to. go. i'm planning on being in la the whole week leading up to the expo but for some terrible, life-must-hate-me reason, i won't be able to stay for the vintage extravaganza! bah.
if you are in the area, or can figure out a way to be there, please check it out for me!

the vintage expo also travels to san francisco twice a year, so hopefully i'll be there in september. maybe by then, i can even finagle a way into being one of the dealers!

*photos from past exhibitions

shot down

2009-04-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

the plan for today was to go to san francisco and scout out some new vintage shops.
bad news is, as i pulled up to each and every one of them, i found that they are closed on tuesdays. i guess it would have been a good idea to check on that before driving all the way there.
the good news is, i found this, the sweetest of the sweet summer dresses, at wasteland on haight. i forgot how affordable their prices are! this is made of a beautiful cotton and in really good condition and it was only $22.

now i just need two garden parties to go to so i can show this baby off -- two because i have a gorgeous sunshine yellow, braided trim, 60s wiggle dress that's been waiting patiently in the closet for warm weather and an important event.
maybe i can convince my friends to throw weddings this summer. but probably, i'll just wear these dresses grocery shopping and be the prettiest one in the produce section.

UPDATE: i actually did wear this dress to the grocery store, and it was lovely.

do you like portland?

2009-04-13T12:21:00.001-07:00

of course you do! if you live in portland, or are ever planning on visiting (which you most definitely should), be sure to check out shop vintage portland.
lulu has done my work for me, finding and categorizing all the vintage shops sure to tempt your wallet in the area. she also posts about local vintage events and sales, and keeps track of what's new at the best shops.
it's the no-fail guide to portland vintage!

go get you some...huaraches

2009-04-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

i love huaraches. and i think you probably do too. no longer wielding the yuppie miami vice man connotation, huaraches are more like the gladiator sandal of yesteryear.
see if these shoes aren't perfect for taking a summer's day bike ride in cutoffs and a camp shirt.

the basic, wear-every-day-pair

brilliant in lemon yellow to brighten your day

she hearts vintage has the essential brown ones

get them in white too from nifty thrifty owl

a turquoise blue pair to stand out a little more in awesome town

be quirky and cute in multi-colored huaraches from the factory vintage

click the pics or the links above to purchase! (the first two pairs are vintage found.)

on being jealous

2009-04-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

the very same day i decided that i now worship camille bidault-waddington (yes, worship), i finally cracked open the new issue of lula and who do you suppose was the star of her very own editorial?!

photos via the fashion spot

more proof that camille knows style, and lula knows everything.

this isn't really vintage

2009-04-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

aprons from vintage girl scout online museum

what i'm about to say has nothing to do with vintage fashion. or fashion. but it is the best news i've ever heard, and i am obliged to share it with you.
someone has finally shared a recipe for the girl scouts' samoa cookie!
i know.
i missed out on them this year because my mommy didn't buy me any, and i live in the part of town that girl scouts' mommies don't allow them to go. but that is all okay now because i can make my own samoas any time of year, whenever i want them!
and now, so can you.
the recipe came from baking bites via the kitchn on apartment therapy.
to make up for this having nothing to do with anything i purport this blog to be, i've found some vintage girl scout aprons for you. the ruffled pinafore ones in the middle might be cute in a little sunny, summer afternoon, picnic outfit, no?

it's a picture post day

2009-04-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

i can't believe i got any work done today at all, after the whirlwind internet session i embarked upon this morning! well, maybe i didn't get that much work done after all; but i suppose you could call looking at pretty pictures part of my job. (i'm going to anyway....)
somehow i got directed to we've moved on...why can't you?, an artist collective that is attempting to get back to the human-ness of art (rock on). one such artist caught my eye, and on her site i fell in love with some fashion photography she did for another magazine (one of the prettiest mags).

the shoot was styled by camille bidault-waddington. i had to see more of what she's done...she is now my number one personal hero.

camille's work is amazing and oh-so-inspiring, and her personal style is just as wonderful, turning the fanciful fun from her work into more wearable and equally pleasing to gaze upon ideas.

part of my stylist stalking led me to luyi's blog. she kicks ass at creating a strange and beautiful space in which to roam.

of the many wonderful photographers luyi exhibits, i felt called to tim barber's portfolio. it's part of a larger website called tiny vices that i didn't dare delve into yet since it seems i am probably going to get lost in there for days. and days.

thanks to all whose photos i've stolen for making my page that much prettier today. they include: lina scheynius, the fashion spot, some required, image shack, and tim barber.

phew!

painfully gorgeous

2009-04-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

last week i was invited to go play dress up with amber from painfully hip. as part of the painfully hip design collective, amber is creating vogue-worthy fashion editorials by connecting all her friends in the industry on super fun collaborations. i brought along some things from my collection that i thought would work with her film noir inspired, old-hollywood-glamour-meets-80s-futuristic-edge theme.

(this one's my favorite. and i just found it the day of the shoot! such luck!)

how amazing is the model, eileen? this was her first photo shoot and she looks fabulous in every picture!!!

also part of the shoot, some amazing threads from thunderhorse vintage, one of my very favorite vintage shops.

this fur coat is ridiculously awesome. the fur is arranged in chevron stripes and the coat is fitted in a 40s fashion. it's five times pretty.

all the items in the shoot are for sale, lucky you! some are on etsy, but most are up for auction on market publique, a brand new vintage only (!!!) marketplace.
i have stolen amber's descriptions of each of the items as they are far better worded than my own would be. click on the links below to find them in the shop.

Unbelievable pleated backless jumpsuit with lace applique
Perfect red and black 80s cropped marching band jacket
Awesome 90s off-the-shoulder eyelet jumpsuit with stirrups
Hot 70s mint green halter maxi dress
Exquisite Oleg Cassini deep V sequin beaded blouse
Haute 80s Glam Silky one-piece Deep V Harem Jumpsuit
Art Deco Pendant Statement Necklace
Futuristic black, silver and gold waist belt
Sweet 80s black ruched leather heeled bow boots 7.5-8
40s sumptuous vintage fur jacket with tres chic angular shoulders

crystal, of article salon, turned eileen's hair into an amazing marlene-deitrich-meets-flock-of-seagulls masterpiece, perfectly in keeping with amber's vision. tyler and christina made magic of the makeup and the photos, and also held the shoot in their home, inviting us in with open arms and making the day extremely fun.
i had no idea that 'work' could be such a blast!

girl, i like yo style!

2009-04-07T15:04:00.001-07:00

you can judge a book by its cover, and i often judge a blog by its title. so i knew chic and cheap was going to be right up my alley. cheap is my very favorite kind of chic!
the blog is in i'm-not-sure-what language (i think polish?; am i illiterate because i don't know this?) and the translator option makes the words even more confusing. that doesn't matter though, because the one word i do recognize on the page: vintage. most of latajaca's outfits use at least one vintage piece.
not only are the outfits great, but the pictures are creative and fun with great attention to color. and she creates pretty, artistic collages for each outfit post.
i want to find more foreign blogs to stalk so that i might improve my worldly vocabulary. for example, i think chic and cheap has taught me that spodnica means skirt. and buty is shoes!
(of course i would learn the word for shoes first.)

hey 'frisco!

2009-04-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

i just got home from dropping these few little goodies off at ver unica in san francisco.

lovely 70s leather spring sandals. brazilian on the left. cherokees on the right!!

a terrible photo of three gorgeous nipped-waist party dresses

ver unica is a beautiful little shop run by a sweet-as-pie husband-wife team. there's a rack in the back of the store of museum-worthy pieces most of us should be lucky enough to touch, let alone wear. the jewels case is stocked almost exclusively with 'signature pieces' -- if you wanna stand out, you got it. they have another store around the corner, encore vintage, filled with shoes, shoes, and more shoes. my weakness.
if you're in sf, go there now. otherwise, put ver unica on your list of san francisco landmarks to site-see, you know, right after the golden gate, but before anything else.

other highlights of the trip:

the view of the city on a cloudless blue sky backdrop as spyed from the secret attic in my friends katie and allan's place
the monstrous veggie burritos we took home from taqueria cancun in the mission
the bald guy with the 415 tattoo on the back of his neck i spotted in hayes valley this morning

p.s. san franciscans hate the name 'frisco.' beware.

in the valley of grass

2009-04-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

today my love and i drove into the foothills to visit grass valley, mainly out of boredom but also because he'd never been there before. we headed to the downtown part which is a lot like most downtowns with tourist traps, restaurants, historical sites, and....antique shops!!!
we browsed through the clocksmith where i met karla of polka dot rose, a woman who knows her vintage 'stuff' and runs a beautiful blog featuring all the pretty vintage you can take.

the polka dot rose corner in the clocksmith. don't you wish that was your bedroom?

i took pictures of the things in the shop that would totally be in my home if i had found them at a thrift store instead. unfortunately for them, i'm cheap.

at another shop, i found this marianne faithfull album which reminded me that i need to check out her music.

but first, and maybe foremost, i need to find more pictures of her because they're beautiful and i plan on ripping off her style.

this one's by robert mapplethorpe ( i love). i must replicate that blouse/jumper combo.

*marianne pics stolen off flickr

after another hour spent picking goodies from my most favorite kind of book shop -- the co-op kind with tons of the most interesting and random tomes -- we split a pizza at frank's. it's obviously the best place in town because after we placed our order we watched the place fill up and heard the wait time grow from 30 minutes to 2 and 1/2 hours before it was even five o'clock. it was a damn good pineapple and mushroom pizza.
and that concludes today's adventure.

pretty pretty spring tops

2009-04-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

here's a lovely little collection of spring tops that should get all the bases covered.

you got your country/gingham/ruffle/pearl snaps fix.

must-have peter pan collar and the perfect white blouse.

a little ethnic-inspired and embroidered details.

the secretary blouse.

and the verrry essential slightly threadbare camp shirt.

one of each of these and you are super set for spring. save all other closet space for dresses.

my favorite piece today

2009-04-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

1970's sheer kimono sleeve tent dress with little cord tassels at the neckline. so gypsy! i'm picturing tan legs, windblown hair (from the ocean of course) and italian leather sandals to make this even more perfect.

vintage found....

2009-04-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

...all over my bed!

this afternoon, while i should have been outside basking in the warmth of a bare-skin-worthy day, i was going through the last few weeks' worth of treasures, de-tagging and re-discovering amazing finds.
yup, those are zodiac boots right up close there, and the most awesome sequined roller disco dress that i'm trying sooo hard not to keep. that's a snow whiteish circle skirted summer dress sitting on top of the pile, and there's a few '50s cocktail dresses poking out of the other pile. as i unearth everything again, i'll get some close up photos....i shot a few today that are to appear shortly.

vintage found

2009-04-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

here’s what you need to know about me, the Vintage Finder:

i love all things vintage
i love recycling (one reason why i love vintage)
i hate ‘working.’ i plan on living my entire life like a retired person. (so far, so good.)
i am pretty darn good (lucky?) at finding awesome things in funky places
i have to travel or i start to wilt
some people say i have an internet addiction. but it’s only because i’m constantly online looking for pictures of pretty ~~shoes~~ things.
i think entering html code is a nice way to spend a morning. as long as there’s also coffee involved.

i am in the process of turning all of those facts into the ‘career’ of my dreams. career is in quotes because i actually meant ‘fun-way-to-make-enough-money-to-buy-food-and-lots-of-clothes’....i don’t believe in careers.

with this blog, i will be sharing pics of the vintage that i find, and the adventures from the trips on which i find it. i will have links to all things amazing and vintage-related (such as the shops and blogs on your right there ------>). there may be editorial-type photo shoots from time to time – such as next week, i hope, when the first one is ready(!!). and there will probably be some whining and/or helpful tips about making your dream job a reality.