Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a look at just a few of the items that will be going up for sale in the store today. I'm still working a bit on cleaning out my closet. You may recognize this dress or this dress or this blouse. Be sure to stop by the store and check it out!

Last but not least, to celebrate the one year anniversary of Sally Jane Vintage, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING to blog readers for all of the items posting in the store today! Yes, that's FREE SHIPPING for domestic and international packages! If you're the lucky winning bidder on any auction that ends August 10th, just email me to let me know you saw this annoucement on the blog and I'll send you an invoice with FREE SHIPPING. Good luck bidding and thanks so much for reading.

Quiz Winner

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted their answers to the quiz. I hope you all had as much fun playing along as I have putting this all together. Alas, there can be only one winner!

Congratulations to yingli ! She is the lucky reader who's answers were randomly picked as today's winner. Thank you yingli. Please email me (sallyjanevintage@yahoo.com) with your mailing address so you can receive your vintage goodies. :)

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement for the store tomorrow and a super prize on Friday!

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage
sandals: vintage
sunglasses: H&M

I photographed this dress towards the end of spring with intentions to put it up for sale in the store. When I tried it on I realized that it was the perfect hippie mini dress that I'd been dreaming of for summer. The entire front of the dress is covered in the most intricate embroidery - so pretty! For some reason it's just lingered in my closet ever since, sadly unworn. I decided to pull it out today for one last hurray before it finally goes in the store tomorrow. It deserves a home where it will be worn more often.

Monday's Winners & Tuesday's Contest

Time's up! Thanks everyone for the wonderful response to my new Myspace page. I hope to use it to spread the word about Sally Jane Vintage as well as bring you super sneak previews and exclusive photos. And now for the winners...



Lily from Michigan, Laurenn from the UK and Vivian the Koneko Kitten from California

If you are one of these lovely ladies, I've left a message for you on your Myspace page. You'll be getting a little package in the mail soon! Thanks again. :)

And now for Tuesday's contest...

Over the past few weeks I've been collecting vintage knick-knacks, accessories and any little thing that caught my eye and storing them in a pretty hat box. It can all be yours if you just answer these five questions (leave your answers in the comments). Hint: All of the answers can be found in the archives of the blog.

1. By now I think everyone has figured out that Sally Jane is not my real name. Where did the name Sally Jane come from?
2. Name three movies that have influenced the way I view fashion.
3. Who was the very first “It Girl of the Month”?
4. I’m currently living in Lancaster, PA but where did I live before that?
5. Name three albums that I could listen to over and over.

Tomorrow I'll collect all the correct answers and randomly pick one to win the hat box! You're on the honor system ladies - no copying. Besides, you never know if someone else got all the right answers. Thanks as always for reading and go0d luck! :)

What I'm Wearing

blouse: vintage
skirt: vintage
shoes: vintage
hat: vintage
purse: vintage
flower pin on hat: H&M

As I was snapping these photos a thunderstorm was quickly moving in across the horizon. I had to stop when the lightening got too close. I love thunderstorms (a product of growing up in the South I suppose) so I was looking forward to it but this one just blew right by.

Monday's Contest

When I first started Sally Jane Vintage, I thought that creating a Myspace page would be the perfect way to spread the word about all my plans. Well, a year later, I've finally completed my profile, uploaded photos and set my page into action. I know, it only took me an entire year! Better late than never, right? ;) The only thing is I don't have any friends yet. Wanna be my friend? Today's contest is super simple - just sign up to be my Myspace friend in the next 24 hours and you're automatically registered to win one of three prizes I've hand picked on my vintage shopping adventures. Thanks a million!

Mad Women

I'm not usually one to watch a lot of television shows but I've found one that is an exception. Last summer I got sucked into the beautiful world of AMC's Madmen. Set in the early 1960's the show follows a group of Madison Avenue ad men through their daily lives. The sets and decor of the show are absolute perfection. Every scene is rich in color and textures and every detail has been thoroughly thought out. The very best part, however, has to be the wardrobe; men in trim suits and hats, women in fancy dresses and gloves, children in petticoats and patent leather shoes. While the men are impeccable it's really the women in their lives that grab my attention.


Joan, the office vixen and head secretary is always seen in body hugging dresses in rich jewel tones.



Peggy, the ambitious up-and-coming ad woman, plays it conservative for her office job.

Betty, the dutiful, long-suffering wife with a dark side, is seen in New Look silhouettes and pretty day dresses.

One Year Anniversary

I can hardly believe it's been an entire year since I posted my first auctions and wrote my first blog post. In some ways that year has just flown by and in other ways it seems as if it was a lifetime ago. Looking back over the year I'm so happy with how much this has all grown, how many great people I've been in contact with through comments and emails and I'm excited to see where the next year takes me.

To celebrate the one year anniversary of Sally Jane Vintage, I'll be announcing a new contest everyday this week. And with contests come winners, and with winners come prizes! Look for instructions after my usual daily posts. Thanks so much reading! Love, SJ

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

top: J. Perse
skirt: vintage
shoes: vintage
purse: vintage
flower clip: H&M

My boyfriend and I went on a date to one of our favorite stores in town. The downstairs in an architectural salvage store filled to the brim with old doors, stained glass windows, antique stoves and boxes of glass doorknobs. But my favorite part is upstairs where they keep all the vintage knick-knacks, dishes and books. I always want to take everything home with me!

Sally Jane Vintage in BUST

I've long been a fan of BUST Magazine. It's always been a place of inspiration - from their interviews to their editorials, it feels like a magazine written by real girls, girls you know you'd be friends with if you met them on the street. I was so thrilled when Tara asked me to participate in the August/September issue of BUST. Tara put together a great piece in the magazine about blogger/wardrobe_remix fashion. I'm seriously coveting that Samantha Pleet romper (you know me and rompers!). Besides little ol' moi there's also an excerpt of photos from the upcoming book Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens: A Life in Pictures that is an absolute must see as well as a Twin Peaks inspired editorial that's left me pining for Fall. Get your hands on a copy, pronto!

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Yet another batch of fab pieces will be hitting the store this afternoon. Here's your first look at just some of the items. Some of these pieces were discovered on my Massachusetts adventure while others have been hiding out in my closet for a while. I'm especially lamenting parting with this dress, but a girl's got to clean out her closet every now and then. I'm quite sure it will find a new loving home.

Vintage Vaudeville

I've been digging through Flickr again looking at old photos for inspiration. It's quickly become one of my favorite pastimes. Today I was on a particular mission to find photos of Josephine Baker, the expatriate singer and entertainer famous for (among others things) being the first African-American female to star in a major motion picture. I've always admired the flapper inspired costumes she wore during her acts, even though most of them are far too theatrical for practical, every day wearing. I did find one great set of photos that contains images from throughout her career. As often happens in Flickr, one photo led to another and then another and before I knew it I was digging through yet another great set. This time I found myself flipping through photo after photo of vintage vaudeville performers and their wonderful costumes.

Working on This Week's Auctions

photos by Tom b.

I've been working all day on getting this week's batch of auctions ready to post tomorrow. For some reason I haven't been able to get too much done. Hmmm... I wonder why? My faithful assistant has fallen asleep on the job.

What I'm Wearing

shirt: vintage
shorts: Topshop
shoes: vintage
sunglasses: vintage
flower clips: H&M

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

tank top: H&M
skirt: vintage
shoes: vintage
bag: vintage
sunglasses: vintage
flower clip: H&M

Home sweet home! We had such an amazing time on our adventure through the Poconos and up to Massachusetts. Lots of hanging out with great friends, lounging in the pool, eating yummy food and yes, thrift shopping. I'm still trying to gather myself after the long trip home and all the unpacking. Later this week I hope to show you some of my finds and the goodies that will be going up for sale in the store. 'Til then! :)

On The Road Again

Hi everyone! So sorry for the lack of fashion posts this week. We've been on the road again since Thursday morning. We're currently holed up in Massachusetts taking a break from all things work related. Thank you so much for all of your comments over the past few days. I love opening my email and reading all of your thoughts. Sorry I haven't been able to return more of them this week but being on the road puts a real damper on my internet time. You'll be happy to hear that I'm hitting up lots of thrift stores along the way and hope to come home with a carload of goodies for the store. Besides the thrifting, here's the highlight of my trip so far...

More Adventures in Maryland

After spending several exciting hours exploring the old clothing factory we jumped back in the car to head to our next destination. To reach this place we had to hike a mile or so through the woods down a railroad track. What seemed like an hour in the hot sun later we finally reached the buildings. And oh, what beautiful dilapidation they were! The now abandoned buildings used to be Henryton Hospital which was a tuberculosis treatment center for African-American children started in the late 1920's. All that is left is room after room of peeling paint, broken mirrors and stray sinks and tubs. I must have taken over a hundred photos! I kept thinking what a wonderful place this would be to have a fashion shoot. Unfortunately, on days like these I have to resign myself to my exploring gear of cargo pants and hiking shoes. Here's a sampling of the photos that I took (except for the one of me taking a picture of my boyfriend who's taking a picture of me taking a picture of him... you get the idea ).

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Once again here's your sneak peek at just some of the pieces that will be posting in the store today. A few of these are going to be really hard to part with! I got especially attached to that red skirt when I put it on. And then there's the red Diane von Furstenberg dress and that navy and cream 40's style dress I told you about the other day. There's also more adorable floral dresses and the most amazing black lace avant garde dress. Make sure to stop by and check it all out. Thanks! :)

Adventures in Maryland

If you asked me what my favorite pastime is, I'd have to answer hunting for vintage treastures but a close second is exploring abandoned buildings and homes. My boyfriend and I got a tip on a couple of places in nearby Maryland that we knew wanted to explore. Walking into these places can be like walking into a time capsule. It never ceases to amaze me what can be left behind when a business is closed for the last time. The first place we went was a clothing manufacturer that shut down in the early 80's. When the business closed everything was left behind. Walking into the space was like walking into an industrial sewing machine graveyard. There were thousand upon thousands of overcoats and blazers hanging from floor to ceiling. Scattered across the floors and shelves were vintage fabric samples, boxes of buttons and spools thread. Most all of the clothing was menswear and almost all of it was ruined by the years of neglect. I luckily found one rack of women's coats that were still covered in plastic. Let's just say there's a lovely navy cashmere coat at the cleaner's right now with my name on it. To be continued...

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Wasteland, LA, CA)

shoes: vintage (America's Thrift)

purse: vintage (America's Thrift)

hat: Forever 21

Tag, You're It!

I've been tagged by Vintage Vinyl with a unique task. It seems that these are the rules: pick up the closest book, turn to page 123, find the 5th sentence then post the next three sentences. Here's mine:

"The piggish noise irritated me, and for a while it seemed to me that the only way to stop it would be to take the column of skin and sinew from which it rose and twist it to silence betweeb my hands. I feigned sleep until my mother left for school, but even my eyelids didn't shut out the light. They hung the raw, red screen of their tiny vessels in front of me like a wound. "

Pleasant, huh? I don't think part of the task is asking people to figure out where it comes from. That would be way to hard! This is from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. It's one of those books that I reread at least once a year. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.

I'm quite terrible at passing along tags so if you'd like to play along, consider yourself tagged. If you'd like, you can leave your sentences in my comments. I'd love to read them! :)

Vintage Finds (and that bathing suit)

We've returned safely from our adventures in Baltimore with hundreds of photos to sift through, a task which I've only just begun. I'm so excited to share them with you as soon as I get them organized. More on that later. Right now I'd like to show you some of my favorite vintage finds of the last couple of weeks.

I'm not much of a "bag" girl. I've never been concerned with carrying whatever is the "it bag" of the moment. I couldn't even tell you what bag is "it" right now. I tend to pick one simple vintage bag and carry it until it falls apart. I'd like to mix it up a bit. I'm going to try carrying one of these little clutches for nights out. The 50's woven bag and the blue structured bag will be perfect for days when I need to tote lots of stuff around.

The shoes are just a smidgen big but nothing a couple of thick insoles won't take care of. It's 90 degrees outside and I'm already thinking about wearing them with tights this autumn.

The little gold toned rose earrings were just too sweet to pass up.

And then of course there are the clothes...

• First is a little vintage lace jacket/shrug thingy that I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to wear. I think it would work over a dress or even with jeans and a tank top.
• Did you know that Diane von Furstenberg used to make children's clothes? Well, I didn't! I discovered that fact when I found this little DVF dress. Yes, it's technically a child's dress but it's perfect for a small adult. Look for it in the store this week.
• I'm not exactly sure what era this navy and cream dress is from. It has the look and feel of a dress from the 40's but it could have been made as a "retro" dress in the 60's. Either way, it's a real gem. It has an open seam down the back and the attached belt is navy on one side and cream on the other so when you tie it in a bow you can see both colors. It'll be in the store this week as well.
• Last but not least here is a shot of the bathing suit I mentioned in my last post. I tried to take a photo that would do it justice, but I'm just not sure that's possible. Hopefully you get the idea. :)

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

I've spent the afternoon in my pj's working on some sewing projects and going cross-eyed looking through Flickr groups like this one. I finally, finally altered a vintage bathing suit that I bought last summer. It's red, white and blue, from the 50's and perfectly all-American nostalgic. I haven't decided if the ol' world wide web gets to see me in a bathing suit just yet so no photos for you. Yikes! Tomorrow we're off on a road trip adventure to Maryland. I'm sure to return with tons of photos. Those you'll get to see!

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

dress: vintage (Salvation Army)
umbrella: vintage (Salvation Army)
purse: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL)
shoes: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL) - you can see them here.

I've been meaning to take some photos of my favorite vintage finds as of late but just haven't gotten around to it. I guess these will have to suffice for now as they incorporate two of my most favorite finds. I've been searching high and low for a vintage umbrella. All the ones I'd found up until now were a bit masculine and I wanted a pretty girly one. This one's just perfect! It was hot and sunny on our afternoon walk and came in handy to stay nice and cool. I've also been craving cotton sundresses from the 50's - 60's that are fitted at the waist. I had a very specific look in mind and was so surprised to actually run across just what I was looking for. I had to take it in a bit through the bust (as usual) and took a couple of inches off the bottom hem. I used the extra fabric to make a little belt to tie in the back.

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's your first look at just some of the items that will be posting in the store today. Lots of cute florals for summer, mini dresses, rompers, and some shoes I'll have a very hard time parting with. Be sure to drop in and check it all out. Thanks! :)

By the way, the romper in the middle on the third row is this romper. I love it, but it's time to find a new loving home. Maybe yours?

What I'm Wearing

romper: vintage (Wasteland, LA, CA)
boots: vintage (Salvation Army)
sunglasses: vintage (Root's Market)
belt: vintage (America's Thrift, B'ham, AL)

1930's Inspiration

Night before last, after watching one of my all time favorite stylish movies, Bonnie & Clyde, I decided to go online in search of more 1930's inspiration. I know that Flickr is a virtual treasure trove of photos but I've never really done much searching through the archives. Rhiannon is always coming up with the most amazing collections of photos so I know they're out there somewhere. A little digging around turned up this set titled "Grandma 1930s-1940s". What a fabulous sense of style this lady had! I'm especially loving her striped bathing suit and the polka dot dress in the last photo.

Found Objects

photo by Tom b.

It's not unusual on any given day to find my boyfriend and I exploring local abandoned buildings or road-tripping to scout out abandoned sites. It's also not unusual for us to come home with a few found treasures from our adventures. One of our favorite things to find is vintage photographs and this has to be one of my favorites! Tom ran across it while out in an abandoned industrial site last week. After snapping the above photo he tucked it away to add to our growing collection of found objects. And it just gets better... on the back of the photo it's written "Toots and John, Disneyland 1972". Her name is Toots! I took a close up of the photo so you can check out the awesome sailor dress Toots is sporting. Wouldn't I love to run across that at a vintage store!

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

romper: vintage (Salvation Army)
shoes: vintage (Ebay)
flower: H&M
purse: vintage (America's Thrift)

Yesterday when my boyfriend and I walked to the farmer's market to buy the week's fruits and veggies we picked up a few extra apples to take to the horses and pigs at the Hans Herr House. After the animals were done munching on their treats, we explored the old barns where they still store some of the creepy old slaughter house equipment from when the farm was operating in the mid 18th century.

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage (Can't recall where I picked this one up. Somewhere in LA)
shoes: vintage (Salvation Army)
purse: vintage (Salvation Army)
sunglasses: vintage (Root's Market)

If you're in the States, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! If not, have a great weekend! Love ya! - SJ

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a sneak peek at a few of the auctions I'm feverishly working on for this afternoon: cute summer dresses and high waisted skirts, more must-have rompers and lots and lots of florals. I was almost too attached to that little IZOD denim skirt to let it go! It even has an alligator on the hip. To see everything, hop on over to the store and check it out. Thanks a million! - SJ

What I'm Wearing

dress: Evidence of Evolution (Maxfield, LA, CA)
jacket: vintage (Aardvark's Odd Ark, LA, CA)
shoes: vintage (Goodwill)
sunglasses: vintage (Root's Market)

I bought this little jacket when I lived in LA. It's been hanging in my closet unworn ever since. The circus editorials that I've been so fond of recently inspired me to revisit it. Something about the wide coral and cream stripes remind me of the big-top tents. Now I'm wondering why I haven't worn it more often. Next time I'd like to wear it buttoned up instead of open. I'm looking for a skirt to match it with.

Four Ways - Flower Clip

This is just a little mini-four-ways post I thought of today as I was getting dressed. I swear I've worn these little flower clips some way or another everyday since I got them. As a matter of fact, they're in my hair right now! Some days they decorate my favorite hat, giving it a little extra touch of summer. Other days I've clipped them to my vest or the straps on a tank top as a brooch. They've even been clipped to a pair of peep toe shoes. I'd really love another pair in pink or red or maybe cream. I haven't made it out to the craft store yet but it is certainly on my list of things to do.