The Ones That Stayed

I love seeing sneak peaks into the closets of other vintage sellers. What do they keep for themselves? I often find myself asking. I also frequently get comments from friends, acquaintances, and strangers about what must live in my own closet. Unfortunately for me (or fortunately for my buyers) my own personal collection has dwindled instead of grown since I became a seller. Twice a  year I clean out my closet and many of my personal finds end up in the shop like these ones here or here.  And when I do find something in my size now I often list it rather than keeping it for myself.  What I do tend to keep is vintage that's too damaged for me to feel comfortable listing in my shop but these lovelies  sit around in piles waiting for the repairs necessary to make them functionally wearable.

Recently, Maria of Adelaide's Homesewn shared a gorgeous dressing gown that she couldn't stand to part with which inspired me to share a few things from my closet. You see, at some point around 30 weeks I had a pregnancy-induced meltdown in which I wanted to burn every Liz Lang maternity tank in my closet, but alas I would have no clothes that fit me if I did that. I missed my vintage desperately so I consoled myself with shopping for some post-maternity clothes.  I decided to treat myself!

Now the tricky part of this whole treating myself endeavor is that I have no clue if or when I'll actually be able to wear any of these lovelies. Who can predict how pregnancy will change the shape and design of your body? But hopefully sooner rather than later these will appear on me and in some outfit posts. Fingers crossed, y'all.

Don't tell the other finds, but this one is my favorite. Hello, 1960s gorgeousness! Those colors, that pattern, the cut! It measures a bit larger than my old size, so maybe!

This is a Swirl dress which were these awesome wrap dresses which were typically used as house dresses. Swirls tend to be very popular now and you can tell why! They tend to have lovely prints and are easy to wear. Since it's adjustable (it closes with the belt) I'm guessing this one will be a win!

 

This lovely dress is by Jeanette Alexander. I love the print! And the cut of the dress! But I'm not sure if this will work since this cut has never been really flattering on me before. Having slightly wider hips is always a bit awkward with these.

 My husband cringed when he saw this and told me it looked "too vintage." Whatever. It's stunning. It's one of the few reasons I won't mind when it becomes bitterly cold here for 8 months of the year.

 

And finally, this 1970s wrap skirt. Wrap = flexible fit right?  One of my favorite things about this skirt, you know beyond the obvious, is that someone added little pieces of velcro down the front. Clearly at some point this skirt was responsible for an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.

New Family Member

 

Meet the latest member of the Vint Condition family, Eileen.  Eileen was found today at an auction, and after a pretty fierce bidding war in which I spent more than I anticipated, Eileen came home with me.  I think she actually would have gone for more, but she had a hideous rubbery head plopped on the top.  We got quite a few strange looks as we carried her to the car.

Eileen is a J. R. Bauman dress form. I've wanted one of these for awhile, and not just because Bauman and Bauman/Wolf dress forms are all the rage amongst etsy sellers. I wanted to use a vintage dress form since it fits with the whole concept of selling vintage clothes.  On a practical level. I also wanted to have a dress form that isn't white.  While Peggy (our other dress form) is a breeze to work with, Victorian whites and light colored clothing doesn't show up well against her.

 Speaking of things showing up, we're entertaining opinions about our new backdrop. I made a wallpaper backdrop out of, well, wallpaper and a window shade.  It's not perfect and if I had to do it again I wouldn't pick wallpaper with quite so much shine.  I'm on the fence about it thus far, but it does have the advantage of creating contrast.  What do you think?

A Pop-Up Shop!

A few weeks ago, I queried my friends and acquaintances on Facebook. I wanted to know if I rented a booth in an antique store if they would be more likely to shop from me than buy online.  They response was that they would.  They wanted to see the clothes in person.  While they're always welcome to stop by my home, I don't know if they always feel comfortable doing so alone.  A few days after that, I received an email asking if I had ever considered doing a trunk show or party with a select group of people who could peruse the vintage goods.  While I'm not ready to bring my selections out of the house, because that involves a lot of foresight in terms of display, I am ready to host my first ever pop up shop from my gorgeous front porch.

On September 24th and 25th, everyone is invited to shop Vint Condition in person. There will be a select collection of dresses, skirts, and accessories that I've been hoarding just for a moment like this.  I'll also have light refreshments available.  I would love for people to come and hang out rather than shop and rush off.

I wanted to do this specifically for the ladies of northern New York. We don't have a vintage clothing store in the area, and in fact I travel far and wide to round up the vintage I do have.  If this is a success, we'll keep doing it.  So if you're local, help out and spread the word.  The event is here on facebook, so share the event with your friends, post it on your own wall, and come join me in September for what should be a lovely time!

Sneak Preview: Today's Excursion

Do you hear me cackling with glee? Because I am, and maybe some mad scientist finger tapping as well.
Today I went on a shopping excursion with my mom. We went to a new place today and did some shopping before stopping for a cup of tea. Re-energized, we tackled a few more stops before heading home.

Here's a sneak peak at what I got and they'll be in the shop shortly.  Sorry for the fuzzy nature of these photos, but the lighting wasn't the best by the time I got home. 

The one that makes me giggle the most with glee? The monkey slip just above here. 

Frumpadelicious

Frumpydee frump frump. Ladies and gentlemen (?) that's how I've been feeling the last few months. Fresh back from my honeymoon and we were hit with the dreaded chill of winter. In the summer, when I come home from work, I get comfortable by throwing on a sundress or embroidered tank top. When winter comes, I dream about getting home and crawling straight into my fuzzy sweater pants and my husband's giant sweatshirt. While I know he loves me in all my forms, I don't feel beautiful, or cute, or anything remotely close to sexy in the winter. In such a state, the idea of trucking on over here to my vintage blog seems...well...wrong. What would I have to say about clothing. I know I'm not alone here, yes?

In the interest of feeling cuter, I've been researching vintage nightwear and lounge options. I know all of what I'm about to post may not be suitable for keeping warm on a chilly night, but they certainly up the cute factor.

1910s ivory silk crepe and silk floss embroidered robe. Available on ebay through Violetville Vintage with a buy now of $248.

1940s rayon Asian-inspired pajama/lounge set. Available through ebay with northstarvintage with a starting bid of $39.99 and a buy now of $69.99.

1950s nylon and lace nightgown. Available on ebay through RageVogue with a starting bid of $19.99.

1940s rayon lounge set by Munsingwear. Available at Dorothea's Closet for $255.

Red silk Givenchy peignoir set. Available on etsy through seller queenoftheangels for $75.

And though this isn't vintage, these are some awfully cute and cozy slippers from J. Crew onsale for $29.99

Outfit Idea

So today won't have a Find From Every Era Friday. Jar gets off work early today so I plan on spending the afternoon with him instead of blogging. The FFEEF post takes quite a bit of time. Instead, I'll be spending the day getting a Chipotle burrito, probably doing some laundry, washing the car, and a host of other errands. At least that's the plan. I'm sure Jar might actually just fall asleep. He did have to get up awfully early today.

Today I'm posting an outfit idea for that Hawaiian print dress from yesterday. I showed Jar my purchases and he made a face. Despite the fact a large percentage of my clothing is vintage, he has a strong aversion to anything used. Out of 50+ items of vintage that I own, he likes just one dress. But since I don't dress for him, I dress to make myself feel happy, I'm quite content to continue to wear what I like. He at least says I look cute even if my outfit doesn't. Ha! So here is an idea of what to do with that dress. Recommendations for other outfit potentials are something I'd love.

Look what I bought today

Also in order to beat the blues I did some retail therapy on ebay today. I know it might not be the best idea, but I justify small expenditures like this. They were each under $20.

1980s silk leopard print skirt from ebay seller The Mint Mall.


1970s Hawaiian print dress from The Factory Vintage.

I'm so excited. I'll let you all know how they work out once I get them and maybe I'll even take pictures.

Ebay success!

I've been in a bit of an ebay bidding slump lately. Either the clothes I love go for more than I set aside, or I completely space on the fact that something I desperately love is ending soon. Today, in a desperate ebay bidding war, I finally came out on top and won a dress. As you can see from the photo below it's a 1970s cowl neck sweater dress. It's a bit warm for a place like Arizona most of the year, but hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll be heading back to the east coast before I know it.


As an obsessive polyvore user, my first thought was to see what sort of outfit I could construct using this outfit as a base. Perhaps I'm being unimaginative or I'm uninspired at the moment, but I thought this would look great with all of the accessories and additions being black. If anyone has any other suggestions for this dress, let me know.

Below is the outfit I threw together on polyvore. I obviously wouldn't need all of these items. I already have a great standard black purse from Nine West and some pointed toe heels, although mine lack the cute ruffle like these have. I added an additional vintage purse to the mix just to tuck inside the larger one. I like the idea of having a work outfit that can transition a bit more to going out for drinks or a date and the smaller purse could be pulled out of the larger one for this purpose.

Outfit consists of:

Black Kenneth Cole Reaction cotton trench. Available at bluefly.com for $119.

Black leather pumps by Shoes for Lovely People. Available at zappos.com for $136.

Black enamel and metal ring. Available at Tilly's for $3.99.

Black quilted satchel by Xhilaration. Available at Target for $13.99.

Black braided leather belt by Lucky. Available at zappos.com for $72.

1980s black vinyl clutch. Available at Ruby Lane seller That Purse Place for $45.

A Find From Every Era Friday

Today's FFEEF was a bit delayed as I caught up on all of my lost sleep. A 5 hour nap tends to cut into blogging time. I must admit there were no guiding principles to today's finds. I simply gathered together clothes that I think are beautiful.


1910s

I've always wanted a skirt with interesting fabric on the inverted panels since I saw one in a magazine. There's something surprising and refreshing about the whole look. Since the skirt is really the show here, I'd pair it with a soft gray cashmere sweater and some ballet flats and head off to work. It's a simple yet elegant look.

Blue linen skirt with gray and white stripes on inverted panels. Measurements: 34" waist, 38" hips. Available at Woodland Farms Antiques for $145.

1920s
I know it's a bit confusing to guess what this is by the picture above, but it's the only one I could nab of it. It's actually a gorgeous shawl and you can click the link below for a full view of it. Some places play movies in the park during the summer. If I lived some place cooler than Phoenix, I'd wrap this around myself while taking in a good classic movie. I like versatility though, so I'd also convert this to a wrap skirt. It might take some finagling, but simply wrap this around, pin it with something equally pretty, grab a tank top, find some boots with high heels (height dependent on length of the shawl's fringe) and go. I love this idea so much that I'm wondering why I'm sitting around in pajamas instead of wearing it.

Printed silk jacquard shawl with fringe (click the link for full view). Measurements: 49" square. Available at Contentment Farm for $395.

1930s

I'm sure I'll be blogging next week about my love of ruffles. Until then you can get a glimpse of my obsession with this gorgeous top. I love how feminine and elegant it is. Lately high-waisted pants and skirts are making a comeback which works marvelously with this top. I'd choose some wide legged trousers or a pencil skirt to tuck this blouse into. The ruffles would end just before the skirt or pants began. Now how's that for a pulled together look?

Ivory chiffon ruffle front blouse. Measurements: 36" bust, 24" waist. Available at Contentment Farm for $95.

1940s
I know summer is ending for most of you in the US, but it's still in full swing in the southwest. It's hard for me to think sweaters quite yet, so it's no wonder I'm still coveting gorgeous summery dresses. This one has such amazing color and really it wouldn't take much thoughtful wardrobe planning. With accents of black and white there must be plenty of accessories already in your closet to use with this. Buy it now and take it on vacation as you head south to escape the winter chill.

Cotton batiste dress with applique accents. Measurements: 38-40" bust, 32" waist. Available at Ballyhoo Vintage for $79.

1950s

Oh skirt how I love you! Seriously how often do you see skirts in this pretty of a color? You could pair it with a neutral top or sweater in gray or taupe, or you could liven it up even more with something wild in apple green. Personally I'd put it with a white corset cover or camisole like I featured last week and add a cardigan for good measure. See I can think fall/winter.

Coral pink Evan Picone pencil skirt. Measurements: 29" Waist, 37" hips. Available at etsy seller Green Eden Vintage for $37.

1960s

As winter approaches you may want to start thinking about gloves. I can clearly remember the days back east when getting in the car and putting your hands on the steering wheel meant cold hands, not burnt ones like out here. Protect your fingers and look stylish at the same time.

Dark blue Italian leather gloves with lambswool knit lining. Size: 7 1/4. Available at Ballyhoo Vintage for $22.

1970s

I feel like this dress could go anywhere that there's a party. Grabbing a martini with friends, heading to Vegas to play the slots, going on a tropical trip. Just add a few coordinated accessories and look super sexy.

Yellow polyester knit dress with banded floral trim. Measurements: 42-32-38. Available at Rusty Zipper for $34.

1980s

I confess, I have a shoe problem. I have so many shoes that every once in awhile I come across a pair I'd forgotten I even had. In one day I bought 8 pairs. My mother seems to think I should follow the declutter rule of buy a pair and remove a pair. I don't know who she thinks she's talking to, but if it's me she clearly doesn't understand the need to have shoes in every color and shape for any occasion. These shoes are clearly party shoes and they have a lot of life left in them. I think they need to go dancing. I'm sure you'll agree.

Bronze silk shoes with pastel rhinestones. Size: 9 1/2N. Available at Vintage Martini for $135.

A Find From Every Era Friday

Since I've been traveling, I haven't been able to do Friday finds since the first time. The last few weeks the news has been dominated by the economic crisis which makes shopping a bit nerve racking. How can we spend money on clothes when everything is so out of control? Luckily I've been perusing the internet looking for some great stuff at great prices so we can continue shopping but with an eye toward a bargain. So here are my current picks. I hope you like them!

1910s

This is an early 1900s corset cover with a 36" bust and 26" waist. I know what you may be thinking, what do I need a corset cover for? Who wears corsets these days? But picture it as more like a camisole and picture it with a pencil skirt in plaid for example. Picture a cozy and bright cardigan on the top cinched (or not depending on your style) with a patterned skinny belt. What I love about this top is the exquisite detailing. It's not like you're going to find something like this at your local Wal-Mart, yet it's at a Wal-Mart comparable price with ebay seller peggysvintage for a current bid of just $9.99.

1920s

This purse fascinates me. I saw one recently at an antique store, but it was a bit out of my price range. Basically it looks impossible at first. You wonder how you would get anything in there. But as soon as you pop the top open, the bag expands. I've heard this is called a tango purse which makes sense since you could secure this to your wrist and keep dancing. Though dance moves have changed, the need to find something to do with your purse while dancing hasn't which makes this lovely buy awfully useful. This one is by Whiting and Davis and is available at ebay seller rosecrk for a starting of just $9.99.

1930s
If you like pattern, you'll love this floral print dress. The colors are vibrant and fresh and will make you long for spring all winter. Since the pattern is so bold, I'd put it with neutral toned accessories and shoes just so that you don't blind your friends. The description by Ballyhoo Vintage says this is a cocktail dress, but I'd be tempted to wear this anywhere special. This dress measures 40" at the bust and 36" at the waist and is for sale for $95.

1940s

Who could resist owning a dress in this beautiful blue? If I hadn't banned myself from ever buying wool (I get hives just thinking about it) none of you would stand a chance bidding on this dress on ebay. Maybe if I wore...no, no it's not my size...but....You can see how tempted I am. **sigh** I'll just have to live with telling you about it. This would be perfect for work. All your coworkers will sigh with envy too. It's available at Violetville Vintage and its measurements are 42-32-46. Its starting bid is $34.99.

1950s

As we all know by now (I hope), I have a great love of animal print. I also have a great love of flattering dresses. The picture above is the deadly combination of both. You think it's just a simple yet pretty dress until you work your way down to that peep of zebra print. Wow! Occasionally there's a cocktail or holiday party one has to attend for work and wouldn't it be lovely to be remembered as the girl who wore that amazing dress rather than the one who had too many martinis? I'd personally keep the shoes and any accessories to this dress black so that it's really that shot of zebra print that stands out. You can get this silk dress (measurements 36-26-36) over at Vintage Martini for $85.

1960s

The seller of this gorgeous top says the pattern looks like equal signs. Some might say it's a broken check. Whatever the case is, this pattern makes me happy. I love the way they paired this for a casual weekend look, but it would look equally (haha!) pretty as a work top. During a tipsy economy we all need multi-functional pieces in our wardrobes. I'd pair this with some bright accessories, I naturally head toward red, but a kelly green or electric blue would really make this outfit pop. This versatile top (bust measurement of 38") is at etsy seller Tialey Vintage for just $28.

1970s

I can't get over how much I love this top. This is how a piece of clothing reminds us that an era had some pretty wonderful ideas. I can't think of a place I wouldn't wear this accordion pleated blouse. It could go to work or out casually or even on a whirl around some nighttime hot spots. With jeans or a skirt or even over the top of the right dress. It's as versatile as a cardigan but much sexier. I think it would look best with a very simple cami or tank so that the emphasis is on the lines of this top. Pairing it with a longer bold necklace like the one featured in the picture calls attention to the neckline. This top with a 40" bust and 31.5" waist can be found at etsy seller Planetclairevintage for $32.

1980s
The Urban Collection says this polyester Joni Blair top would be great with a pencil skirt or with skinny jeans as they've done here. I happen to agree and think pairing it with a skirt could easily take this shirt to the workplace. It's great in that it's sexy but not overtly so, and for ladies who want to call attention to their waists this would be extremely flattering. Really someone should be wearing this beauty. It's got a 35" bust and costs a very wallet friendly $22.

1990s
I know I said previously that I wasn't ready to consider the 1990s as vintage. Perhaps it's because I'm not fully comfortable with the era I grew up in being termed vintage. Nonetheless, this cute B.B. Club cotton blazer top forced me to include it on this week's list. It recalls 1940s and 1950s fashion, but its asymmetrical hem updates it. Not to mention the gorgeous colors in the fabric. I'd button this up on an early fall day to have lunch with my mom or wear it to work with a nice fitted pant and some yummy raspberry colored heels. This top has a 34/36" bust and is for sale at VintageTrends.com for $45.

Fall Fashion Colors Shopping Guide

MSN tells me that this years fall fashion colors are black and white, purple, gray, chocolate, and gold. While I'm not sure who exactly the authority on fashion and color is over at MSN, I'm game. I love all of these colors probably because I look good in them. So in an effort to stock up for the fall, here's some goodies I found for you out on the internets:

Black and White
Zebra stripe linen shift by Elizabeth Arden at Vintage Martini for $128.

Black and White 1970s cotton/poly blend Mexican skirt at Debutante Vintage for $40.

Purple
Purple polyester 1980s shirt dress by Rona at Alley Cats Vintage for $22.

Purple 1930s silk crepe evening dress at Contentment Farm for $495.

Gray
Dove gray 1970s acrylic sweater at The Urban Collection for $47.

Gray 1940s pumps by Natural Poise from etsy seller LivingDollVintage for $24.

Chocolate
Brown silk/cotton dress from Cemetarian on ebay starting bid of $39.99.

Brown 1970s Amano slingback heels at sabrosavintage on etsy for $16.

Gold
Gold chain belt at Penelope's Vintage for $20.

Gold lame 1950s dress from ebay seller The Tartan Princess, starting bid $19.99.

A Find From Every Era Friday

I'd like to take Fridays to feature vintage finds from every decade, that is from 1900 to 1980. I don't think I'm quite ready yet to start seeing the 1990s as vintage just like I'm not ready to hear Nirvana on the classic rock station. Fridays are a day when everyone is eager to leave work, you're counting down the minutes until the weekend. This way you can start the weekend off early and maybe get a bit of shopping in.

1910s:
Bustown Modern, one of my favorite ebay sellers, has this great turn of the century top for sale. Back in the day this would have been worn with a long skirt, but I appreciate what Bustown has done with this. They're using it as a jacket and I think it would look great on a cool night grabbing drinks with the girls. Pair it with some dark jeans and flashy heels and you'll be good to go. Starting bid is $9.99 and if I thought it would fit me I wouldn't be telling you about this.

1920s
Often I find myself with nothing to wear to special occasions like weddings. I mean I have plenty of clothes, but never quite the right one that I want at that moment. If I had this dress I'd be wearing it to every wedding that I was ever invited to plus finding some excuse to wear it to the grocery store. "Oh this? But I thought you said we had a wedding to go to after picking up milk!" This pretty little dress is made out of pink velvet. That's all I can tell you because it's new to Hemlock Vintage. Harass them and find out how to get it and what size this is and it could be yours!

1930s
I love embroidery on clothing. Okay I take that back, I like certain kinds of embroidery on clothing. Above is a 1930s organza blouse that has the perfect amount in exactly the right way. This even has little drawstrings on the arms so they can be tightened to flounce perfectly. This pretty little number is over at Posh Girl Vintage. At $165 it's at the higher end of my personal range for vintage buying, but it's so cute. I think it would look great for a weekend gathering with friends.


1940s
This dress passes one of my vintage tests, would you wear it to work? I give this a resounding yes. I'd even throw on some red heels as well. If I was feeling particularity ridiculous I'd wear this on the 4th of July. Violetville Vintage informs me that this dress is actually a rare larger size and it's merely pinned on the model to show you its silhouette. As any vintage hunter knows, finding vintage in modern sizes is a bit tricky. More than once I've tried to tell myself I could whittle down to a 24" waist in order to buy something lovely. But this dress is pretty on its own without any starvation. Bidding is currently at $34.99.

1950s
I'm going to take a moment to warn you about the 1950s beaded sweater. They are simply gorgeous, it's hard not to stare for hours at the intricate work that goes into constructing them. At the same time, they can come across as dated and that's the last thing we want. I personally think to carry this off you need to make sure that the rest of your outfit and accessories are modern. Modern jeans or pants, a tank for underneath, a well cut bag. Oh and don't button this all the way to the neck either. This sweater is a perfect example of the loveliness inherent in 1950s beaded sweaters. This one is made by McMullen, a clothing designer that worked in Glens Falls, just a stone's throw away from my hometown. The label used on this sweater is consistent with the ones from the 1950s, so this is the real deal. You can pick it up on ebay where bidding is currently up to $52.99.

1960s
I admit I have an embarrassing love for animal print. I have four pairs of leopard print ballet flats alone. If I ever leave the searing heat of Arizona I am more than certain that I'll buy myself a leopard print coat just like this one. Until then, you can snatch this one up from Posh Girl for $325. It's faux fur as well!

1970s
Maxi dresses were an answer to the 1960s mini skirt. They're long and amazingly forgiving on most figures. It probably has a lot to do with the empire waist construction. Not only are they great now for throwing on to go to a barbecue or over a swimsuit, but they'd be equally great for the early stages of pregnancy. It's all about planning ahead. This lovely little number has such a great mix of colors and for a starting bid of $19.99 on ebay it would be hard to pass up.

1980s
The other night I watched 200 Cigarettes on television and it filled me with some 1980s fashion love. In particular Casey Affleck's punk look and Christina Ricci's black and white furball of a coat. It makes you think the 80s weren't such a dark time for fashion. I know that the style world tried to convince me the 80s were back not too long ago, but I refused to listen. In any case here's a cute example of 1980s wear. It's not punk or layered, but I'd throw it on any day. It's made by Leslie Fay and it's being sold on ebay right now for $16.00.