20 January 2012

The Ones that Got Away

As a vintage clothing seller, my personal wardrobe is usually full of finds (drastically limited now that nothing fits).  Sometimes there are pieces that I thrift or discover that I just can't stand to let go of.  Like anyone, though, I also sometimes agonize over purchases for my personal closet. The delight of vintage clothing is that you're not going to find someone else wearing the same garment as you, but that's also, of course, one of the limitations with vintage.  The message is, if you don't buy it when you see it, you will probably lose it to someone else.

Whenever I wait too long and lose something I really love, I am instantly filled with shopping sadness. Sometimes I keep these items in my favorites so I can go back and stare at them and think about what could have been.  This has happened to me so frequently lately, that I couldn't help but feature some of these lovelies. Maybe one day I'll see them (or their twin?) around vintage land.  Until then:

 1960s dress by Judith Martin found at Custard Heart Vintage

Why I liked it: I loved that this dress had such fun sleeves and this nice, thick quilted skirt. Also, the wrap around ribbon finished it off perfectly. Major bonus, because of the height of the waistline and the fullness of the skirt, it looked like something I could wear in this weird middle stage of pregnancy I'm in as well as postpartum as well.

How I would wear it: I envisioned myself sporting this lovely frock to teach in with maroon tights and brown boots.  If I was cold, I thought I could easily put on a long sleeved tissue tee underneath for some layering action.

Why I hesitated: Because my body is changing, I wanted to try on some things in my closet and compare those measurements to this dress.  This, my friends, is always a smart idea, but if you keep dragging your feet on it like I did, someone will steal your dress. True story.


1960s wool and faux fur coat found at Hollie Point Vintage

Why I liked it: This coat is the perfect combination of factors. I confess I love some leopard print, but it can be overwhelming. This coat has the right amount and the cream really offsets it well.  This coat is also my preferred winter coat length for blustery northern NY days.

How I would wear it: This would be a go to coat for me. I think it works as a staple and I'd probably have taken it everywhere.

Why I hesitated: Because of the cut, this really isn't pregnancy friendly.  While I have quite a few coats in my wardrobe, I don't have one that will work for me until the cold weather clears out so I decided I should save my pennies and use them on something that can keep me warm now rather than later.

vintage kimono jacket found at Pretty Little World Vintage

Why I liked it: This red is such a gorgeous color and the tone on tone flowers really add to the overall look.  I also liked the square neckline and, of course, the drape of the sleeves.

How I would wear it: I would have put this with skinny jeans or gray skinny pants followed up by some chunky heels. I probably would have gone with black shoes, but a contrasting color would have been amazing as well.

Why I hesitated: I'm not entirely sure! This really would have been pregnancy friendly. I think I had a long moment of if I could pull this outfit off and look fashionable in my rural, conservative area.

1960s crewel work dress by Anne Fogerty found at Raleigh Vintage

Why I liked it: This dress is impossible not to love. I mean look at that design! Plus I remembered seeing this dress's twin on Veronika of tick tock vintage and loving it then.

How I would wear it:  I would have worn this to work with some coordinating heels and later paired it with a cardigan. I do like how Veronika layered it with a long sleeve tee and I would probably have tried that out as well.

Why I hesitated:  This was a case of me being too cautious of spending any money.  My mom loved it so much that she offered to buy it for me, but then that made me feel guilty.  And then I almost bought it and then didn't and then almost bought it and then didn't. While I was arguing with myself, it sold.


What are your shopping regrets?

6 comments:

Pretty Little World said...

My biggest shopping regret was not buying a 1960s floral cotton maxi dress. It had this beautiful vining floral print: tiny little black flowers on the bodice that wound down into bright colorful ones at the bottom.

It was an eBay auction and went too high, but I regretted it immediately. So I stalked eBay. Every week. For over a year.

And then the miracle: I found another one!! I couldn't believe it and I made sure that I was winning that auction, lol!

Anonymous said...

I know exactly how you feel! I constantly add things I love to my etsy favourites only to ponder them for too long and see them sold later on.

I actually had that cute dress from Custard Heart Vintage in my faves too! So adorable and I'm so very jealous of the person it now belongs too.

Amber said...

Bye bye, lovelies! I suppose that's the double-edged sword of selling vintage. You have to say goodbye to beautiful things every day. Fortunately we get to keep way more than most people ever find!

Erika said...

I also have a long list of "ones that got away". Sadly, I've learned to just take it with a grain of salt.

Aimée - Vint Condition said...

The nice thing about being a seller (beyond all the goodies I get to keep for myself) is that I know that even though I don't have any of these lovely pieces, someone has them now and is so happy to own them. It also shows you that even if you work in the "industry" you never learn your lesson of the need to pounce on things when you see them. Pondering = regret.

Maria Ramona said...

so true! i completely feel the same way. for instance, i know i'll regret selling this sweet little sailor dress in my shop at the moment, but gonna sell it anyway because that's what i do!