What I'm Wearing

cutoffs: vintage Levi's (Salvation Army)
tank top: J. Perse
vest: vintage (Slow on Melrose, LA, CA)
boots: vintage (Salvation Army)
purse: vintage (Salvation Army)

A cooler summer evening with rain in the skies calls for summer time boots. Maybe I'm delusional but these seem to not get as hot as wearing black boots.

Under The Big Top

Lately, I've really been inspired by the romanticized circus fashion editorials I've seen popping up in magazines. The latest issue of NEET Magazine featured one of my favorites. Shot by Courtney Brooke (another huge inspiration for me), it features girls romping through a magical setting of big tops, dressed as the high wire artist, bareback riders and trapeze artists that would have been featured in circuses past.

Judging by Topshop's preview of their upcoming fall line, I think they got the circus memo (or, perhaps, at least the Miu Miu memo). Whether you fancy the ring master, the daring high wire artist or the slapstick clown, there's something for everyone in the collection.

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

dress: Topshop
socks: ???
shoes: vintage (via Ebay)
purse: vintage (America's Thrift)
sunglasses: vintage Raybans (Salvation Army)
flower clip: H&M

I'm sort of addicted to having this flower clip in my hair. They would be so super easy to make. I must put a trip to the craft store on my list of things to do.

Blondie

During the day it is typical for me to be typing away on my laptop as my boyfriend is sitting at his desk typing away on his Mac. A few weeks ago as I was walking through the room, I spied the fabulous Debbie Harry staring back at me from his screen. Since she's one of my all time favorite fashion icons, I was excited to learn he was working on the design for the Parallel Lines Deluxe Collector's Edition package (see more designs here). Check out some of the final product below. Don't you love the shot where she's pinning her dress shorter for the photo shoot? The CD is available now for all of you Blondie fans out there.

My New Toy

As I was making my last round through the thrift store yesterday, scoping out any little treasure that may have escaped my eye, I spotted this gem buried on a shelf underneath a pile of discarded knick-knacks. A Smena 8M! The word “Smena” literally means “Young Generation” in English – an apt name for a line of cameras produced by the esteemed LOMO factory in St. Petersburg, Russia. Introduced in 1952, it was designed to make photography affordable and convenient to the hardworking young Soviets at the time. I've already loaded it with film and plan on snapping away this weekend. I'm pretty addicted to digital photography at this point so it will be an interesting experiment to see what it produces. I mean, the thought of taking a photo and then having to wait days before I actually see it seems so... archaic. I know, I know! Technology has us all so spoiled.

On a side note, if you are interested in a camera like this you should check out the Lomography site. They offer all sorts of refurbished vintage cameras like the Smena 8M, the Diana and the Lomo LCA.

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a look at just a few of the goodies that are now for sale in the store. If you missed out on that embroidered cream mod dress the first time around, now's your chance (thanks to a non-paying bidder). Be sure to stop by and check it all out. Thanks so much!!

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage

sandals: vintage

sunhat: Fairfax Flea Market

sunglasses: vintage

My ginormous sunhat was bought at the Fairfax Flea Market last year as part of a 70's costume for a theme party. I never thought it would come in so handy but the sun has been relentless in its pursuit to burn my shoulders.

Four Ways - Sheer Bow Blouse

I know, I know! It's been far too long since I've done one of my Four Ways posts. Forgive me! ;) Several of you have been asking about them so I thought it was due time to bring them back. For those of you new to the blog, this is where I take one piece from my closet and show four possible ways to style it. Simple as that! Today we tackle a great new basic - the sheer bow blouse. I've seen them popping up all over the place - from street style sites to fashion blogs. It's a really versatile piece for anyone to have in their closet. This one happens to come from H&M.

• First, I styled the blouse with a pair of military style denim shorts and a boyish vest. Then, to counter a bit of that boyishness I added a fun pair of printed tights.
• Next, for a more sophisticated look, I mixed the blouse with a high waisted taffeta skirt and a pair of fun tights and high, high heels. I would loved to have topped the look off with some sort of feathery hat or hair comb, but that's one thing that's missing from my closet. Mental note: must remedy that soon.
• Then for a more casual look the blouse gets paired with high waisted jeans and skinny suspenders (or braces, if you wish). Complete the outfit with a classic straw fedora and your favorite pair of brogues.
• Lastly, for a girly, romantic feel layer a floral print dress over the blouse. For a little more frill, let a lacy slip hang out from the bottom hem and stick a flower in your hair.

**Thank you to reader Market Publique for reminding me that I forgot to mention one of the most important parts! When you wear a sheer blouse, of course you need to wear something under it. A lot of people make the mistake of always wearing white under something sheer (like a white bra under a white tee shirt). But really the best thing to wear is something that closely matches your skin tone. That way it just blends right in! I'm wearing a simple "nude" colored tank with a built in bra from Old Navy.

The Traveling Shirt

I was really thrilled when Beth of The Vintage Society asked me to participate in her "Traveling Shirt" project. The idea is that one shirt travels all over the world, stopping with bloggers and Wardrobe Remixers. Each girl gets a chance to wear the shirt, styling it any way she likes. This past weekend the results were displayed in Los Angeles as part of Beth's SiteLA project. Here's what I came up with. I liked the nautical feel of the stripes on the shirt so I ended up wearing it with a pair military inspired shorts. To see all the fantastic ensembles that the other girls came up with, make sure to drop by The Vintage Society!

Thank you to Christine for the photo!

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Mamalicious, Lancaster, PA)
boots: vintage (Ebay)
necklace: vintage (Ebay)
sunglasses & hair clips: H&M

Remember the good ole' days when arcades only cost a penny? Yeah - me either! I guess nowadays it would have to be called DollarLand.

Dreamy Dresses

Over the last couple of weeks, I've saved all of these photos into my style inspiration folder. It wasn't until last night that I noticed the same pastel pink theme running through all of them. First we have the always lovely Effie in perhaps the prettiest vintage dress I've ever laid eyes on. Next is this ruffled number captured on the streets of NYC by super.fantastic.picture.time. Then we have Betty and Alix both rocking the same floaty dress by Topshop. So... this realization sent me on a late night internet hunt for something equally dreamy.

My favorite find is this ruffled dress being sold at Pret a Portabello. Did you know you could shop London's famed market online? Now we know! Next is the very same Topshop dress worn so well by Alix and Betty. A couple of great stateside alternatives are this dress from Forever 21 and this one by Urban Outfitters. Oh! Decisions, decisions.

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Fairfax Flea Market)
shoes: vintage (Salvation Army, PA)
purse: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL)

This little vintage dress is one of my all time favorites! If for no other reason than it's made up entirely of bandannas sewn together and trimmed with white rick-rack. Oh, how I miss the Fairfax Flea Market. I used to walk there almost every Sunday when I lived in LA. Yet another reason to wish I was there this weekend. :)

Wishing I Was In LA...

If you happen to be in Los Angeles this weekend, don't miss out on the best party in town! Everyone is invited to the launch party for The Vintage Society. Stop by and meet the fabulous Beth and mingle with all the other Society Girls. This is certainly making me wish I was still living in LA!

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's your sneak peek at all the pretties that will be posting in the store later today. Be sure to stop by and check them out. Lots of summery shorts and dresses, more rompers and high waists. Thanks so much! - SJ

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Fairfax Flea Market, LA, CA)
scarf: vintage (Salvation Army)
shoes: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL)
sunglasses: H&M

I guess all I'm missing is a crystal ball. Would you like me to read your fortune? ;)

Victory At Last!

Like so many others, I haven't been able to stop staring at this lovely girl that the Face Hunter snapped on the street. I'm loving her look from head to toe (except the white tights, for which it is much too hot at this point - maybe later). I quickly made an inventory in my head of what items I would need to recreate a look inspired by her: pleated black skirt, nude lacy sweater, black and white oxfords. I plan on keeping a keen eye out at the thrift store on my next trip.

Luckily, the black and white oxfords can be crossed off that list. After all of my recent Ebay woes, I did not have high hopes that these would end up in my hands (or on my feet as the case may be). I placed a bid, walked away and pretty much forgot about them. I was thrilled last night to find that I had won the auction. It's a bloody miracle! Expect to see them in W_R soon!

What I'm Wearing

tank top: American Apparel
vest: vintage
jeans: Superfine
bow tie as necklace: vintage
shoes: vintage

This outfit combines two of my favorite recent thrift finds. The first is this vintage bow tie. I just clipped it to a gold chain that I already had to make a necklace. I've also thought about wearing it on a belt. The other find is this pair of vintage Hush Puppie oxfords. I actually saw them at thrift store a few weeks ago but didn't buy them because one of them was missing a shoelace and I didn't feel like bothering to replace it. Lazy, I know. But this past week, at another thrift store I ran across a bag of unused vintage shoelaces still in their original packaging. I immediately thought of these shoes and hoped they would still be around. Well, I guess they are ugly enough that no one else wanted them because when I went back to get them, they were still there. Yay!

Hel-Looks

Thank you to everyone that commented to let me know that Sally Jane Vintage had been mentioned on Hel-Looks. I was so excited to find out! Hel-Looks was one of the first street fashion sites I discovered and I've been following it faithfully for the past couple of years. I have so many of their photos saved in my inspiration file. The only thing that could top this would be walking down the streets of Helsinki and having my picture taken! :)

And also, Hi to Essi in her adorable high waisted shorts. Thanks for reading my blog!

Something to Look Forward To

The adorable Audrey Tautou, best known as Amélie Poulain, is portraying Coco Chanel in a new biography. I'm can only hope that the movie is filled with lots of 1920's and 30's fashion to drool over. And speaking of fashion on film, when in the world is the new Grey Gardens movie coming out? Ah, ha! When I linked to the IMDB page I saw that it is coming in November. Yay for Little Edie!

What I'm Wearing

tank top: UO
shorts: Lou Doillon for Lee Cooper
shoes: H&M
sunglasses: H&M

Happy Friday the 13th! :)

Frequently Asked Questions

First, I want to say thank you for reading this blog and for all of your comments. It's been nearly a year ago that I started blogging and I feel it's grown leaps and bounds since then. I can't even tell you how many posts I did before I got a single comment. It's been wonderful and most unexpected to "meet" so many people that I consider my friends even though we've never met face to face. I thought I'd take a moment to answer some of your questions that have come up lately in the comments. Maybe from time to time I can include a FAQ section in the blog so if you have any other questions, please let me know. Thanks again! Love ya! - SJ

What kind of camera do you use?

I use a simple digital snapshot camera, a Canon Powershot SD1000. It’s small and light and fits in my pocket or purse with no problem. I do love vintage cameras and between my boyfriend and me, we have collected quite a few: a Holga, a Polaroid Land camera, another Polaroid instant camera as well as several others. But, for everyday shots, the digital is my best friend.

How do you get your photos to look like that?

While I love the look that you achieve with these vintage cameras, I find the cost of film and developing to be prohibitive. Plus, with most of these (besides Polaroids) it takes too long to get the photos back; especially for the purpose of using them on the blog. Look, here’s what I wore two weeks ago before I sent my film to be developed! ;) Also, there’s the added consideration that the chemicals used for developing film, even Polaroids, are highly toxic and terrible for the environment.

So the short answer is I’ve learned to use Photoshop to achieve the look of a vintage photograph without all the cost – to me and the environment.

Who takes your photos?

Most of the photos on the blog are taken by me, myself and I using my digital snapshot camera and a tripod. Sometimes, my lovely boyfriend lends his eye and snaps a few shots for me. Anytime he helps, I credit him under the photos. You can see more of his photos here and here. If you don’t see him credited it’s safe to assume that I took the photos. It would be nice to have your own personal photographer follow you around at all times but it turns out that all you really need is a camera, a tripod and no sense of embarrassment. Trust me. Set that tripod up in public and start taking photos of yourself and you’ll get some seriously strange looks.

How do I start my own Ebay store?

I’m sure everyone that has started an Ebay store has taken a different path. My path started nearly a year ago when I posted twelve items. I had no idea if anyone would even see my auctions or if any of the pieces would sell. Luckily people did indeed discover the auctions, the pieces did sell and I’ve been going ever since.

I did a lot of online research, learned some basic HTML, asked my graphic designer boyfriend for help and dove in head first.

Is it a lot of work?

Yes. But it’s also a lot of fun. I mean, I vintage shop for a living. I feel lucky everyday for that fact alone. But it’s not all about the shopping. There’s also taking photos of each piece, writing the descriptions and taking measurements (for some reason this is my least favorite part), keeping up with all the correspondence from your buyers, preparing packages for mailing including all customs forms for overseas shipments and trips to the post office. It can become quite time consuming. These are just a few things to consider if you want to start your own store. If you do, good luck!

New at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's what shakin' at Sally Jane Vintage today. Lots of new goodies going up for sale in the store. There were so many things I was tempted to keep this week! But, alas, I have to let them go. The perfect high waisted acid wash denim skirt, the black jersey ruffle dress, the ultimate keep-cool-in-the-summer-time dress, an adorable floral romper, it just goes on and on. Be sure to stop in and check it all out. Thanks so much as always! :)

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Salvation Army, PA)
vest: Slow on Melrose (Los Angeles, CA)
shoes: vintage (Goodwill, PA)
purse: vintage (Fairfax Flea Market, LA, CA)
sunglasses: vintage (Root's Market, PA)
hat: H&M

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. I didn't intend to take the day off but the morning was spent trying not to melt into a puddle on the floor as our air conditioning stopped working the night before and the rest of the afternoon was spent watching the spectacular thunderstorms roll through the sky while trying to convince my cats that, no, the thunder is not trying to kill you. Today Mother Nature seems to be offering a bit of a respite from the sweltering weather of which I plan on taking full advantage.

I awoke this morning wanting to wear a little floral dress and quickly realized that I had put every single one I've found up for sale in the store. I rescued this one off of the to-be-sold rack but I'm sure it will end up right back there eventually. And for now, these shoes found at Goodwill are soothing the Ebay-loss pain.

Ebay Woes

We all know what it's like to fall in love with something on Ebay and have someone else come in and swoop it up at the last second. Lately it seems that I've had this happen a lot. Mostly I just watch items and then forget to bid. Like I did with these cute white vintage maryjanes. How unique are they!? They sold for only $10.49. Oh well. I never wear white shoes anyway.



And then there was this pair of brown and white oxfords. I'd been planning whole outfits around these puppies for days. Up until the last hour they were going for $9.99 so I put in a bid and hoped that somehow I was miraculously the only person that had found the listing. Not so much. They ended up selling for $145! Holy wingtips, Batman.



I used to love going into fabric stores as a little girl and flipping through the pattern books that were on the counter. When I found an estate sale that had several of the old books up for auction I thought it would be so much fun to have one. I love the illustrations and could gather all sorts of inspiration from the pages. Apparently lots of other people thought they would be fun to have as well.

What I'm Wearing

dress: reworked vintage by Super Lucky Cat
shoes: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL)
sunglasses: H&M
purse: vintage (Salvation Army, PA)

This morning I walked downtown to a new swap meet. With temperatures reaching the mid-nineties the only thing I want to wear are loose, breezy dresses like this one. That, and lots of sunscreen. I think I need to be on the lookout for a cute sunhat too. I didn't find anything at the swap meet, but I did make another purchase this weekend that I can't wait to show you. You'll have to wait and see! :)

Thank you so much to Malin for suprising me with this lovely rendering of one of my "What I'm Wearing" post. What a talent! Be sure to check out her blog to see more of her illustrations.

What I'm Wearing

top: vintage (Wasteland, Los Angeles, CA)
jeans: vintage Gloria Vanderbilt (Salvation Army, PA)
shoes: vintage (Salvation Army, PA)
purse: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL)
sunglasses: vintage (Root's Market, PA)

This morning's picture taking didn't go as planned as somewhere along the road I picked up an assistant in the form of a nine year old boy. He was one of those really gregarious kids that asked a million questions about what I was doing, why was my camera so small, was I supposed to be here, did I ask permission to take photo in the cemetery... and on and on and on. I finally said, "Where is your mother?!" But since he was incapable of taking a hint he just kept following me around bouncing his ginormous ball all along the path.

Anyway, these are the Gloria Vanderbilt jeans that I found at the thrift store last week. I can't tell you how long I've been looking for a pair of vintage jeans that actually fit. I think they are the Holy Grail of vintage clothing. These are super high in the waist with lots of stretch. They are a little worn in the knees and even have the little swan logo embroidered on the watch pocket. In other words, just about perfect. All I did was take them in a little through the legs. Here's a tip: If you want to sew your jeans tighter through the leg, sew a straight seam down the side using a long stitch length then try them on. If they are where you want them to be, go back over that long stitch with a shorter stitch length to strengthen the seam. If you messed up and have to take the seam out, the longer stitch will make it much easier. From experience, a seam ripper is quite a pain to use on denim.

New at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a look at all the pieces that will be posting in the store today. More cute rompers, summery maxi dresses, 80's blouses, high waisted shorts and the best blazer I've ever seen! Be sure to stop by and check it out. Thanks!

super.fantastic.picture.time

When I ran across the above photo on Altamira my initial reaction was MUST. HAVE. BICYCLE. It is the picture perfect vintage bike I have my heart set on but have yet to find. But, I digress. This is not about vintage bicycles (a future post, perhaps?). After replacing my eyes in my head, I finally got around to reading the text below the photo and learned that this man on the bike of my dreams is a NYC based street photographer with his very own street style blog, super.fantastic.picture.time. It seems there are a million street style blogs out there and I can barely keep up with the few I check in on daily so I'm hesitant to add yet another site to my repertoire. But after scrolling through the first couple of pages, I was hooked. His images capture that certain something that New York girls seem to possess. I, for one, will be checking in on a regular basis.

Inspirational Spaces

I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch watching Cash in the Attic on BBC and flipping through my recently acquired interior decorating books for inspiration for tomorrow's thrifting trip. As I was looking through Flea Market Style I started noticing that several of the photos (even the cover shot) were from the same gorgeously decorated loft. Whoever occupies this space has the most amazing collection of vintage furniture and knick-knacks, well, ever. I love the vintage scarfs hung from the ceiling to separate the work space from the rest of the loft, the perfectly broken in furniture partially reupholstered in vintage fabrics, the collection of vintage dresses hung on the walls like pieces of art, the um, chocolate brown velvet bed with racing seats (?!) all being shared with two adorable orange and white cats. I can't help but wonder who is the amazing woman who lives in the space and what does she do?

(click on any of the photos to view the details)

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Zap & Co., Lancaster, PA)
purse: vintage (Salvation Army, PA)
shoes: vintage (Slow on Melrose, Los Angeles, CA)
sunglasses: vintage (Root's Market, PA)

There's a lovely vintage store in town called Zap & Co. that I go into frequently. I always browse through the racks but have never found anything to take home with me. Most of the clothes are quite old, from the 20's, 30's and 40's, and too delicate for everyday sort of wear. The last time I went in, I saw this dress and my heart skipped a beat. It nearly jumped off the rack and into my hands. Luckily it fits like a charm. I think I'm in love!

Decorative Vest

Sometimes I get fixated on random things that I'd like to find at a thrift store or vintage market. Right now I'm on the hunt for some type of little decorative vest to wear over t-shirts or dresses. So far, I haven't had any luck at all. So... I've turned my attention to Ebay to see what I can uncover. The real trick on Ebay seems to be knowing exactly what words to use in the search. After many attempts at searching with "decorative vest", "embroidered vest" and "beaded vest" I finally figured out the magic word. I searched "folk vest" and came up with exactly what I've been looking for. Apparently these pieces are quite collectable and go for pretty high prices on Ebay so I haven't placed a bid. I guess I'll have to keep searching.