Happy Halloween

dress: vintage (the one I bought in NYC)
tights: ??
shoes & purse: vintage
mask: vintage

My favorite local vintage store put out a collection of vintage Halloween masks. When I saw this creepy little bunny I couldn't resist. If you want people to think you're a little strange, set up a tripod in public and start taking photos of yourself. If you want people to think you've completely stepped off the deep end and are ready for those nice young men in their clean white coats to come and take you away... get all dressed up, put on a bunny mask and then run around a cemetery taking photos of yourself. Happy Halloween! ;)

All Hallow's Eve

Halloween, perhaps my favorite holiday of the year, is right around the corner. Perhaps it’s my favorite because it’s connected in my mind with the changing of the seasons, vibrant fall leaves, crisp cool nights and getting together with friends. Not to mention getting to dress up in costumes! I’m quite the costume snob in that I really dislike all of those pre-fab plasticky store bought types. And don’t even get me started at how overly-sexualized all Halloween costumes have become, even for children. If you want to dress up as a nurse, it has to be a sexy nurse! A sexy pirate! A sexy fairy! A sexy witch! Ugh, gross. I’ve always enjoyed putting together my own with bits and pieces from thrift stores, using a little sewing and old fashioned ingenuity to come up with an original costume. In the past I’ve been everything from an Edward Gorey character to Strawberry Shortcake (and no, not a sexy Strawberry Shortcake!). Sadly, I think the days that I’m willing to go out in full hair and makeup are over. This year I’m taking it a bit easy and simply raiding my own closet to come up with a costume. My boyfriend and I knew we wanted to go as a couple, but who? Travis Bickle and Iris? Johnny and June? Leon and Mathilda? I decided to let a trip to the thrift store decide for me. When I ran across a perfect three piece grey pinstripe suit in just Tom’s size, I knew we’d have to go as Bonnie and Clyde. We’ll be sure to snap some photos for you!

In the spirit of Halloween, I was researching (read: trolling through Flickr) to find vintage costume photos to post. I couldn’t decide whether to go in the direction of über-creepy kid costumes or adorable Hollywood starlets. Hmm. Decisions, decisions. Let’s do a bit of both, shall we?

Back before icky chain stores started pumping out pre-fab costumes of all the latest super heroes and Disney princesses, kids used whatever they could find to dress up as witches, goblins, hobos and clowns. It certainly made for a much creepier Halloween! Let’s just say if any of these kids ring my doorbell on Halloween I might not open it. Yikes!



On the complete opposite end of the spectrum you have pretty Hollywood starlets doing their best stage-lit renditions of Halloween jesters, frisky felines and swashbucklers. Pretty, sure, but not nearly scary enough for me!

My Favorite Coat

I just had to give you a better look at my very favorite piece going up for sale tomorrow. Isn't it just darling?! I'd keep it for myself but my closet's already overflowing. See everything else that's going in the store down below. :)

This Week at Sally Jane Vintage

All of these items will be going up for auction tomorrow at Sally Jane Vintage. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me during the last crazy week or so. It should be business as usual from here on out! Remember, if you see something you like, you can click the photo to see it a bit bigger. Love ya! - SJ

What I'm Wearing

dress: H&M
sweater: vintage
tights: American Apparel
hat, purse & shoes: vintage

While I was visiting Alabama, my sister and I had too much fun dressing to the nines and taking pictures in the woods around my parent's cabin. It was a nice relief from using the tripod and timer! Ha. One of the nice side effects of my trip home was I had a little extra time to visit some of my favorite thrift stores. I was smart this time and packed a small suitcase inside of a large suitcase so I could check two bags on the way home. I didn't have too much luck with finding clothes (all of the stores were being raided by people looking for Halloween costumes) but I really hit the jackpot with boots and shoes. I just imagined whoever the airport employee whose job it was to x-ray my luggage on the way home had to think, "How many pairs of shoes can one girl need?!" Lucky for you only a couple of pairs fit me so they'll all be going up in the store over the next few weeks. Speaking of the store, I'm sorry for the sparse listings right now but the past week has been a whirlwind. I'll get back to business as usual this week so look for 20 new listings this Thursday.

Caravan Style

One of the best things about the internet is the ability to window shop all over the world. London? Paris? Milan? They’re all just a click away. But sometimes the two dimensional world of the web just isn’t enough. Such is the case whenever I venture over to Caravan Style. There’s not a website out there that makes me wish I could crawl right through my computer screen and into their Shoreditch store more than Caravan Style. The shop is owned by Flea Market Style author Emily Chalmers. You can read more of me gushing about her book here (as well as see a few photos from the book). I imagine the store is filled to the gills with perfectly worn in leather suitcases, antique dressmaker’s forms, vintage rugs from around the world and well-loved furniture. In a perfect world I would hire Ms. Chalmers to decorate my home. Has anyone visited the store? Is it as perfect as I imagine?

Street Styles

I have to admit that I'm living quite a frugal fashion life right now. I think that the lack of new purchases forces me to be more creative with what I have in my closet and I like the idea of that. Looking over my favorite street style photos from the last couple of weeks has given me lots of great ideas on how to incorporate pieces I already own into new looks.

• First, from HelLooks, I love the casual mix of colors and textures in this girl's outfit. It's effortless in that just-put-on-the-first-thing-I-grabbed sort of way that I can never quite accomplish.
• Next is a shot from The Sartorialist for style.com. I've seen her pop up on tons of style sites and Beth even did a great collage of her photos but I don't have a clue who she is. Anyone have an idea? I've had this photo in my inspiration folder for a couple of weeks and I finally realized that I pretty much have everything she's wearing hanging in my closet. Not literally of course, but I could easily recreate this look.
• This girl from Style Sightings really takes the cake. She's like Paul Bunyan's adorable niece. Lately I've been steering away from really casual looks but this is making me want to break out my corduroys.
• I don't usually go for monochromatic looks like this one from Stockholm Street Style. Thinking about it is already making my head feel like it might implode. I'm still not sure if it's something I really want to conquer, but it's certainly making me look in my closet in a whole new way.

I was trying my best to come up with a nice fashion-y post for you today but frankly my brain is tired and I just couldn't think of anything interesting to write about. Instead I'll share a few more photos of my stay in Alabama. The huge porch on my parent's cabin wraps all the way around and each corner is filled with comfy rocking chairs and swings. This corner might be my favorite. It's the perfect hammock to curl up in and take a nap. Little did I realize I had to share my space with this little guy. He didn't seem to mind too much and scurried away right after I snapped this shot.

What I'm Wearing

photos by Allison (my sister)

dress: vintage
tights: Urban Outfitters
shoes: vintage

This is the tree swing I mentioned in my earlier post. It's hanging from a huge pecan tree in one of the pastures where my parents live in Alabama. The weather has cooperated and it's been wonderful with big blue skies and perfect white clouds. Something about the way the sun filters through the leaves here makes everything seem a bit magical.

More "Buy It Now" Items

I'm still on the road so instead of a brand new batch of auctions I've listed more items with the "Buy It Now" option. Head on over to the store to check it out! I've linked all the photos to their auction pages so if you see something you like, just click away. Thanks!

Where am I?

I'm still in Alabama but I thought I'd take a quick second to say hi and show you a few snapshots of where I've been. I've been staying with my parents in their perfect little log cabin in the woods. It's filled with pretty antiques and family heirlooms with lacey curtains in the windows. You can sit on the porch for hours and watch the birds and lizards scurry about. There's even a family of flying squirrels living under the eaves. It's surrounded by thick woods and rolling pastures and has two streams that wind through the property. One of the best parts is the giant tree swing that hangs from the biggest pecan tree you've ever seen (more on that later). I'm sure you'd all love it!

Itty Bitty Hiatus

Something's come up and I'm going to be taking a few days off from blogging. Last minute arrangements have been made and tomorrow morning I'll be boarding a plane and jetting off to Alabama. Perhaps I'll be able to find a moment to post a few photos or silly little things to pass the time, but I'm not counting on it. I'll be back to regular posting on Friday at the latest.

Also, remember a few posts back when I lamented the fact that we could no longer post YouTube clips on Blogger? Yeah, scratch that. I'm just super lame and didn't see the link. Oops! Don't you wish fashion shows today were like this one? It would definitely make things a little more interesting...

What I'm Wearing

tank top: J. Perse
crochet shawl: vintage
skirt: vintage
tights: American Apparel
shoes: vintagepurse: vintage
headband: made by me

Ebay Schmebay

Hiya all! I've got good news and I've got bad news. Let's start with the bad news. I want to apologize to any of you that may have been bidding on or watching one of my items for sale on Ebay. My Ebay account has some serious knots in it right now and all of the listing have been canceled. Oy vey! What's the good news you ask? Well, I've relisted most of the items with "Buy It Now" prices. So, if you're one of those people that hates getting outbid at the last second (and who doesn't hate that?) today could be your lucky day. Hop on over to the store and get 'em while they last. I should have all the kinks worked out in the next week or so and then it will be back to business as usual. Again, I'm so sorry if you were bidding on an item that was canceled. Below are all of the items that I've relisted. If you were watching or bidding on an item that you don't see here, that item will be relisted with next week's batch.

To make it easy for you, I've linked all of the photos to their auction pages so all you have to do is click on the photo and it will take you right to the auction page. Who knows! If this goes well maybe it will be my foray into the world of Etsy. Thanks so much for stopping by! ;)

France Gall

France Gall, like Francoise Hardy, is yet another of the yé-yé girls of the 60's French pop movement. Here she is appearing in a 1968 issue of Madamoiselle Age Tendre modeling adorable French fashions of the time. You can see on the cover that some of the other yé-yé girls must have appeared in the issue as well: Sylvie, Francoise, Sheila! If you'd like to see more of France you should check out her adorableness here and here. (Why can you no longer post YouTube clips on Blogger?!)

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage
belt: thrifted at Salvation Army
boots: vintage
knit beret: vintage
purse: vintage
tights: American Apparel

On our recent trip to New York I ended up buying two vintage dresses. One is the little brown mod shift dress with the lace ruffle collar you saw in the NY photo collage (it's still in my to-sew pile) and this is the other one. Surprisingly enough I found it at one of the many American Apparels that dot the city in their California Select vintage section. I expected to find lots of flashy 80's vintage duds but was quite pleasantly surprised at their selection. I ended up trying on four dresses and felt a bit like Goldilocks. This one's a bit too big, this one's a bit too small and this one is juuuust right. I know that every time I buy a vintage dress I say it's my new favorite dress and once again I'm declaring this my new favorite. With its brown velveteen trim and pockets on the hips, how could I not?

Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with bloglovin´

Hiya! I'm sure by now you've all signed up for bloglovin' as I'm usually the last person to get around to doing things like this. I finally got around to adding an icon to my sidebar (over there -->>) to make it easier for everyone to follow my daily posts. Just click on "follow this blog", sign up (it's super easy) and you'll be able to follow all of your favorite blogs on one page. What could be better? I've already marked all of my daily reads as well as discovered a few new blogs to follow. Thanks so much!

Four Ways - Doc Martens

A couple of weeks ago when I posted photos of my recent vintage buys I included a pair of perfectly broken in Doc Martens. Several of you commented that you would like to see ways to style the boots so... here you have it.

• On a day when I want to be 100% comfortable, say going to a thrift store to dig through piles and piles in search of that one perfect find that makes it all worth while, I'd throw on a pair of vintage Levi cut-offs, a beat up old tee and a slouchy cardigan. I'm not much of a sneaker-wearer so the Docs are the perfect alternative.
• Now this is cheating a bit. I personally love this look, however, I don't think I could leave the house in this. It's not that I don't think it's a good combo, I do. It's just that the one rule of fashion (if there are any hard and fast rules) that I tend to follow is that if you wore it the first time around, you shouldn't go back. I think I literally wore this outfit when I was a sophomore in high school (yes, I'm that old!). But just because I've already lived my grunge years those of you that weren't even born in 1992 shouldn't miss out. And since I won't be wearing it out of the house, you can buy it here. ;)
• OK, this is more my speed. I think the trick for me will be to mix feminine pieces with tougher pieces like this floral dress with my motorcycle jacket. The girly dress balances out the tougher pieces in the ensemble.
• In the same way, I like to pair skinny jeans and a black tank top with a feminine sweater to balance things out. If I wore my motorcycle jacket with this outfit I'd feel a little too biker-chick.

New at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a look at some of the pieces that will be going up in the store today. I'm busy right now trying to get the auctions ready to post. Be sure to stop by and check them all out. Thank so much!

(If you see something you like, click on the photo to see it a bit bigger)

What I'm Wearing

sweater: vintage (and for sale right now in my store)
jeans: Superfine
boots: vintage Etienne Aigner
hat: Urban Outfitters

One of my favorite things about living in Lancaster is walking to Central Market. Central Market is the oldest operating farmer's market in the nation. There you can stroll the aisles and shop for local grown fresh fruits and veggies, fresh apple cider pressed by the Amish, and Pennsylvania specialties such as shoo fly pie and lots of fresh pretzels. You just have to make sure you avoid other Pennsylvania specialties such as scrapple and headcheese. If you don't know what that is, don't even ask. Going there always makes me feel like I'm living in a bustling little city in another time.

New York Shopping

Thanks again for all of the recommendations on vintage stores to check out while we were in NY. I think it would takes days or weeks to discover each and every little store. It seems they're on every street and around every corner. So here is a short synopsis of most of the vintage stores we visited on our trip. We visited more than this but a few of them have melded in my mind and I can't remember which was which. These were my favorites.

• Daha: Ahh, boot heaven. Boots lined up against every wall, stacked on shelves, piled in corners. I’m a sucker for a great pair of boots and I’m currently on the lookout for a pair of chocolatey brown ones. I think no matter what you’re looking for you could probably find them here. In fact, I found a perfect pair, rich and brown with cute little pleats on the sides that looked and fit like a dream. However, I wasn’t prepared (or willing) to shell out well over a hundred bucks for a pair. Oh, and they have lots of cute dresses too!
• The Dressing Room: I think the ladies that run this place are geniuses. Evil, evil geniuses. How else can you explain this store where you can vintage shop and have a cocktail at the same time. That’s right! It’s a clothing store/bar. The upstairs is stocked with independent local designers while the downstairs is filled with vintage treasures at very reasonable prices. I bought the brown dress with the lace cuffs and collar that you see in the NY photos for only $28. It needs a few minor repairs but I’m sure you’ll be seeing it pop up on my blog again soon.
• Cobblestones: Luckily I’d been warned before going into this little shop that the owner likes to sing. A lot. So when she suddenly broke out into a chorus of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” I didn’t jump out of my skin. The place is tiny (as is the norm in NYC) and is piled floor to ceiling with treasures dating from the 20’s to the 70’s. It’s a bit like being in your crazy aunt’s attic so be prepared to dig through the piles to find what you’re looking for.
• Stella Dallas: Unfortunately by the time we discovered this cute little shop it was getting late and we were tired from walking. That and I’d already spent my shopping budget on two dresses. Oh well. If it weren’t for those two things I’m sure I could have spent quite a bit of time and quite a bit of money in there. The prices were moderate. I found a mint green double breasted 60’s cape that's still haunting me a bit for $130. I also tried on a couple of vintage hats that could have easily come home with me for about $40. I walked out empty handed but it’s definitely one of the first places I’ll go on my next trip.
• Screaming Mimi’s: If you’re shopping with your boyfriend this is definitely the shop to hit up. The entire front of the store is filled with guy's button downs, sweaters, vests and jackets. It’s also perfect if you’re looking for a slouchy cardigan or vest of your own. There is a section of women’s clothes in the back with racks of dresses and tops.
• “Thrift Shops”: It was recommended to me that I visit several thrift stores. Among them were Salvation Army, Housing Works and Angel Thrift Shop. As soon as I walked into the first one I could tell the definition of “thrift store” is significantly different in NY than any other place I’ve been. I suppose if you’re local and can go on a regular basis there is a chance that you’ll find something good. I found them picked over and over priced. The most interesting thing I saw in any of them was Fred Schneider from The B-52’s shopping for furniture.

New York City

Thanks again for all of your well wishes and suggestions for things to do while we were in NYC. We had a fantastic trip. On Friday we got into the city around lunch time, quickly grabbed a bite to eat at a cute little Mexican restaurant then got busy walking around the streets of the LES and Soho. We had no real destination but just wandered around and went in any little store that caught our eye (more on those stores later). By nightfall we had worn ourselves out so we stopped for dinner at Vegetarian Paradise 2. We planned on going to the bar at the Chelsea Hotel for a drink but when we got there we discovered it didn't open until 11:00. Come on people! I'm too old for that. ;) Instead we went to East of Eighth, ordered a big glass of Hoegaarden, sat on the patio and people watched.

Saturday morning was filled with Chelsea art galleries. We discovered a couple of amazing exhibits - one photography and one sculpture. Then I had the most amazing Challah french toast for brunch at a diner in the meatpacking district. Afterwards we headed to the ginormous four story Barnes & Noble for an afternoon break. I looked for fashion magazines and photography books while Tom perused the design section. I found a fantastic book on photographer Francesca Woodman (thanks Shreve!). Somewhere in there we also stopped for a vegan cupcake at BabyCakes. Pumpkin cupcakes, yum! It felt like we'd already had a full trip and we hadn't even gone to the show that was our entire reason for going to NY. So, that night we walked to dinner at Rice then over to catch the Nick Cave show. Amazing!

Whew! It was a full weekend and we had so much fun. Now it's back to work. Speaking of work, I'm working on a post detailing which vintage stores we made it to and what I bought. Later! :)

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

I'll be back on Monday with lots of photos from our trip to New York. Have a great weekend!

DIY Belt

A while back I mentioned that I wanted to try to recreate the belt on this girl's outfit from HelLooks. Whenever I go shopping at thrift stores or flea markets I keep an eye out for dresses or shirts that have lots of fabric that I can use to cut up for projects. It's a great way to get a lot of fabric for not much money. At any given time I've got a sack full of oversized dresses that I bought simply because I liked the fabric. Ever since I saw that little striped belt on HelLooks I've been looking for the perfect fabric to use in my recreation. Last week I finally found a dress in the right color, with the right size stripe in a fabric that I liked. I went to work and made my own version of the belt. As is usual with most DIY projects, I'm not 100% happy with my first attempt but I thought I'd show it to you anyway. I learned from my mistakes and I plan on making it again. I'm really terrible at how-to's but this was a pretty easy project if you want to try it yourself. All it takes is a couple of long strips of fabric and some iron-on interfacing. If anyone is interested I'll try to make up some more detailed instructions when I go for my second attempt.

This Week at Sally Jane Vintage

Once again ladies, it's that time! This week lots of goodies will be going up in the store: woolly jumpers, sweaters for layering, cute mod dresses and lots of boots and shoes. Be sure to check in tomorrow when everything goes live. Remember, when they're gone, they're gone so don't miss out! Thanks! :)

(Remember, if you see something you like, click to view it a bit bigger)