Carnival Color

Some eras in history seem only to exist in black and white. It's so rare to see a photograph from the 30's or 40's in color that it's sometimes easy to forget the the world was full of vivid color at that time. Every time I watch old black and white movies I wonder what color all the beautiful silk dresses are and what color the walls are painted. The Flickr photostream from The Library of Congress changes all of that. Loaded with scans of color slides from pre-WWII to the late 40's, it showcases the world in all its full color glory. The images range from Rosie the Riveter war workers to poor Southern share croppers to (some of my favorites) small town carnivals. They give a whole new perspective on what the world looked like at that time.

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

dress: vintage
tights: AA
shoes, purse & hat: vintage

Yesterday I planned on waking up early to finish posting all of my Ebay auctions and cook our vegetarian turkey and gravy all in time to leave for Tom's sisters house for the family Thanksgiving gathering. I didn't set the alarm because I have pretty a accurate internal clock and can usually wake up on time on my own. Of course, the one day I need to wake up early I overslept! A little bit of panic set in when I rolled over and the clock said 10:40. Yikes! How did that happen?! So... long story short I cooked but didn't finish getting all of the auctions posted. Not to worry. I'm finishing them up this morning and they'll be in the store by this afternoon.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm going, going, gone for today! I'm off to celebrate Thanksgiving by doing the usual. Eating too much! I'll be back from my tofurky and stuffing induced coma tomorrow. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

This Week's Auctions

Here's a little peek at this week's auctions. All of these pieces will be posting in the store on Thursday afternoon. There are so many good pieces this week, I can't help but point out a few of my favorites. The little black dress with the Peter Pan collar and bow tie would be staying in my closet if it fit me - it's just a wee bit big :( The red and black tiger face sweater has been in my closet since the end of last winter. I just wasn't ready to sell it! But now I'm sure it will find a good new home. That motorcycle jacket is right out of my high school dreams! And the little grey dress on the last row reminds me so much of something Leanne would have made on Project Runway. And the collar on that trench coat is perrrrfect! Ok, Ok. I'll stop now. It's a wonder some of this didn't end up in my closet. Thanks so much for stoppin' by!

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

sweater: Anthropologie
skirt: vintage (altered by me)
tights: AA
shoes & purse: vintage

The snow has all melted away and we're left with bright blue skies, wind that cuts right through you and sunshine that can't quite compete with the cold. I'm keeping warm today by staying inside and baking. This morning I've already finished a batch of pumpkin muffins. Yum!

Spats

When I saw this photo from The Sartorialist pop up on my Bloglovin’ list, I was instantly captivated. I love seeing how other people wear their vintage. The girl on the left has the perfect autumn color pallet and that dress…oh that dress! The girl (should I say lady? woman?) on the right has found a way to dress in all black without being the least bit boring. When I first glanced at the photo I was drawn to what appeared to be a pair of military style boots with snaps or buttons up the side. Upon closer inspection I realized that they are not boots but a pair of what seem to be t-strap heels covered with a pair of spats. Hmmm. I’m intrigued. I was considering ways to try this out myself when I suddenly remembered that ages ago I had bookmarked this page. That particular pair doesn’t seem to be available any longer but the seller (Straight Razor Slasher Designs) says to convo her for custom orders.

Yay!! Orla Kiely Giveaway!!

You may remember the post I wrote a bit ago on the complete adorableness that is Orla Kiely. Her prints are simply the best. The post had such a great reaction that Juli from All About Cute contacted me about doing a giveaway for my readers. All About Cute is an online boutique that carries one of the largest selections of Orla Kiely in the U.S. They also carry other cute lines such as Corey Lynn Calter, Delilah Crown and Twinkle by Wenlan. Like the name implies, they are indeed, all about cute.

Here’s all you have to do… send Juli an email at info@allaboutcute.com and let her know that you’d like to sign up for her newsletter then leave a comment on my blog. Make sure you do both in order to register to win! Next Sunday Juli and I will randomly pick a winner to receive an Orla Kiely print wallet. Simple as that. Oh, and if you visit All About Cute and see something you like, Juli would like to give you a 30% discount! Just use the code word DESIGN when you check out.

First Snow

coat: H&M
boots & hat: vintage
tights: Undercover

The first snow fell yesterday, blanketing the grass and rooftops. I know that come February I'll be begging Mother Nature for a little sunshine, but for now I'm relishing bundling up in my winter coat, walking down the sidewalk with big, fat flakes collecting on my shoulders and the quiet stillness that it brings as it covers the ground.

dress: vintage
shoes: vintage
tights: Banana Republic
hat: Miller's Hats

Here are a few more photos from the abandoned house shoot. I wish this place was within walking distance from where I live. I could go back and shoot so many more photos in its rooms. I couldn't help but wonder who in the world lived here. There were flower stickers all over the ceiling in the kitchen. One of the bathrooms had a toilet seat printed with the Greek gods while the other bathroom had the most amazing playing card wallpaper. It was kooky to say the least. One of my favorite parts (of course) was the dogwood flower wallpaper that was hanging inside the kitchen pantry.

Gladstone Bag

Lately, with the dearth of good television shows (I miss you Mad Men!), we’ve been watching tons of movies. It seems that in every old movie, at some point, there is one particular prop that makes an appearance. It’s the holy grail of flea markets and antique store, a doctor style Gladstone bag. Barbara Stanwyck had one in You Belong to Me There was another in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Baby’s daddy had one in Dirty Dancing. There was even one in Magnum Force for crying out loud!

I’ve had my eye out for one for ages but most of them seem to be located in the UK (they were named after William Ewart Gladstone, the four-times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who was noted for the amount of traveling he did). I’ve seen a couple at antique stores around town but they were pretty much falling apart. I want one that’s seen the world but still has some life left in it. There’s something about those careworn bags that conjures a romantic vision of travel. No one says it better than J. Peterman (these always crack me up and make me think of Elaine and her urban sombrero):

Try looking in the attic first.
You don’t have one? Then it’s time maybe to go to the secret barn. Somewhere there is one.
And it’s filled with everything.
Look…there under that huge pile of saddles and hats…it seems to be the hood of a car. Oh no. It’s the Packard. It’s the 12-cylinder Packard convertible somebody (Emily?) once drove across the country. The doors are locked.
…but inside the car seems to be stuffed with old clocks, framed oil paintings, a leopard skin, books, boots, brass fishing reels, stamp albums…
You can’t take it all in. At the other end of the barn you notice a marble table, a beautiful slim-wheeled two-seat carriage, a stack of a dozen carved chairs, a leather trunk…it’s all too much at once…
You trip on something. What is it? A leather suitcase of some kind. You lift it by its handles. It has old European hotel stickers on it. You grab it and practically run…you’ll come back to the barn some other time…
In broad daylight you examine it. A beautiful, mellow old leather Gladstone. (That’s what they used to call them.) Rather defiantly and ruggedly old-fashioned looking. Strong enough to go down the Nile, across the Alps, through the Canal, over the oceans, but still small enough to carry aboard a plane. A thing like this would cost a fortune these days…

Tomorrow's Auctions

Here's your first look at some of the items that will be going into the store tomorrow. Along with more shoes of course! Thanks so much for stopping by. Love ya! - SJ

Shoe Switcheroo

I’ve been on the lookout for a pair of brown stacked heel oxfords for quite a while. I love the idea of pairing them with black tights and dresses but I’ve never been able to find a pair. That is until a couple of weeks ago. When I was in Alabama collecting vintage goodies to bring home to sell I ran across the pair on the left. Perfect! They were everything I was looking for; a rich brown leather with lots of perforated detailing and sturdy stacked heels. The problem? They’re a bit too big! I took photos of them to sell but hadn’t actually convinced myself to put them in the store. I figured I could try all the old tricks like putting in insoles and wearing thick tights so I could keep them for myself. That is until I went to the flea market on Saturday. Luckily I found the pair on the right in just my size. So… I’ll be putting the first pair I found in the store on Thursday. I’m sure they’ll find a good new home.

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

shirt: H&M
sweater vest you can't see: vintage
cape: vintage (a gift from Jesse at Humane Recipe)
jeans: Topshop
boots, purse, belt & umbrella: vintage
hat: Miller's Hats

Over the weekend Tom and I walked downtown to go to the Punk Rock Flea Market that is held twice a year at The Chameleon. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find three floors worth of stands selling everything from DIY jewelry, homemade soy candles, collector's toys and, of course, vintage clothes. We walked out with a pair of brown leather oxford with stacked wooden heels exactly like I've been searching for (more on those later) and three bottles of independently brewed hot sauces that I can't wait to try.

Vintage Finds

Ninety-nine percent of my recent purchases have been things that I'm putting up for sale in the store. Only a few pieces have snuck (sneaked?) their way into my closet. Among them are this little olive green jacket that I found in the children's section of a thrift store. I've already decorated it with my grandmother's brooch and it's been the perfect cover up for these ever-cooling fall days. I found this early 60's plaid dress in an unexpected place - an antique store. Sometimes the best part of vintage clothes are the funny tags sewn in the collars. This one says "guaranteed to bleed". I'll be sure to keep that in mind. ;) Both pairs of shoes I picked up in Alabama. The ones in the back are Marc Jacobs that I scored for just two bucks! Oh, how I miss those Bama thrift stores. By the way, does anybody spy a kitty tail? The whole photo shoot was being supervised. Last but not least I found this vintage pre-teen (that's what the tag says!) dress at a local vintage shop. It's the prettiest shade of emerald green velvet. The eccentric man that runs the shop warned me that the least bit of liquid that touches the velvet will ruin the nap forever. Yikes! I'll have to check the weather before I put it on.

Least Wanted

One of the most fascinating photostreams on Flickr isn’t fashion related; it’s not filled with photos of landscapes or cute animals. It’s Least Wanted’s stream of vintage mugshots. The photos date from the early 1900’s all the way through the 80’s. Some give nothing more than an image of the face while some contain information ranging from age and height to occupations and reasons for arrest. I can get lost for hours digging through this photostream, imagining the stories that go with each of the photos. The crimes listed range from vagrancy and begging to public drunkenness to being a communist to writing bad checks. Recorded occupations run the gamut from fireman to chauffer to divine healer.

The old saying goes “the eyes are the windows of the soul”. Something about the way the mugshots force the subject to look directly into the lens of the camera reveals an intimate look that a normal snapshot doesn’t show. Most casual snapshots are taken of happy moments that you want to capture in order to remember them. In contrast, these are images of people in distress, perhaps angry, sad or scared. Each one tells a story and I think that's the most important thing a photograph can do.

dress: vintage
tights: AA
shoes, gloves & headband: vintage
faux fur collar: taken off of an H&M sweater

As you may already know, one of my favorite pastimes is exploring old, abandoned buildings. A couple of weekends ago my boyfriend and I had the opportunity to go into this wonderfully dilapidated house to take photos. On these trips I'm typically dressed in my exploring uniform of cargo pants and a sweat shirt since the whole deal usually involves getting pretty filthy. But every time I go into one of these places I'm always imagining how much fun it would be to have a fashion shoot against the lovely peeling paint, dusty walls and broken windows. So... this time I took along a few outfits just in case the condition were right. It felt a little silly at first, traipsing around in my heels, setting up my tripod and posing in front of the camera. But after a few tries I got into the idea and ended up having a lot of fun with it. I'll be posting more of the shots over the next week or so as I get around to picking my favorites. I have to say a big thank you to Laura for taking us to this wonderful house. Thank you!

New at Sally Jane Vintage

Here'a peek at just a few of the items that will be posting in the store today. There's a little something for everyone: dresses, jackets, skirts & sweaters. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Through the Looking Glass

One of the best things about writing a blog is all the amazing people you run into out there in wide world of the web. You may remember that I recently wrote about the Mine collection from Katherine Pont. Afterwards, I was contacted by Kelly, a lucky lady that worked on that very collection. How fantastic would that have been? Kelly thought I would like to know about a new project in which she is involved call Looking Glass. Boy, would I ever! It's an online store whose new collection "encapsulates everything that is feminine, stylish, playful and sophisticated with an all round vintage appeal." I'm especially smitten with the Abigail dress, Lola dress and Nicole top. With the dollar still being buried by the pound the prices are a bit out of my range but it never hurts to look, right? But if you're in the States and have a few extra dollars to spare, they will ship to the US. Just let them know before you order and they'll give you a personalized shipping quote.

Oh, and for those of you who asked, Kelly was also kind enough to let me know that the tights used in the styling of the Mine collection are from Emilio Cavalini.

Me and The Giant Tree

shirt: vintage
sweater vest: vintage
jeans: vintage Jordache
coat: H&M
boots, purse & belt: vintage
hat: Miller's Hats

I know it's silly to become attached to a tree, but this is my favorite tree in all of Lancaster. It's a ginkgo with huge branches that spread out over the sidewalk and drop their cute little fan-leaves all over the ground. While most of the trees in the area have already dropped their colorful fall leaves, the ginkgo was stubbornly staying green. With a ginkgo, the leaves usually change quickly then all fall to the ground in just a day or two so I knew I was going to have to keep an eye on it if I wanted to catch it in all of its fall glory. Luckily, as I was out for a walk the other day, the leaves had finally changed and the sky was filled with the vibrant yellow leaves. Now I want to go back to check if the leaves have fallen because they're just as pretty when they're blanketing the ground.

Also, I must say thank you to my boyfriend for the wonderful new blog banner. I wanted something that felt like fall and it's just perfect.

Elizabth Hawes

I’ve been reading a lot lately about fashion designer Elizabeth Hawes. I imagine that she’s the embodiment of those spunky 1930’s movie heroines with a quick mind and sharp tongue; a lady that could put you in your place with a simple look. Despite being a French trained designer, she worked hard to prove that fashion didn’t only come from the Houses of Paris but could originate here in the States. She saw no reason why mass-produced clothing shouldn’t be equally as distinctive as clothing from Paris and she became increasingly interested in designing for the wholesale market. It was an unhappy collaboration: Hawes' clothes were both too simple and too forward-looking for most manufacturers. She found her ideas compromised time and time again in the finished product.

Hawes called fashion and the fashion industry parasites (there’s that sharp tongue!) on true style. Style, she said, gives the feeling of the period, and changes only as there is a real change in point of view. Fashion, by contrast, changes not in response to events or to public taste or need, but because industry payrolls must be met, magazines published, a myth perpetuated (from answers.com). She was so right on and so ahead of her time!

All of this has served to make me seek out her 1938 book Fashion is Spinach. Unfortunately it is long out of print and the cheapest copy I’ve found was $85 on Ebay. Imagine my delight when I realized that the book is available digitally online. For free! (I have to thank Casey for this). Now that I’ve devoured that title I’m moving on and reading her WWII era feminist tome Why Women Cry: or Wenches with Wrenches (don’t you just love that title?). The book has chapters titled "Les Rich Bitch", "The She-Wolves", "The Common Woman" and "Sweaters! Uniforms! (Sex!)". LOVE! IT!

Wool and Water

I've spent the afternoon thinking up new graphics for the blog and store, working my way through a pint of Tofutti Better Pecan Ice Cream and admiring the work of Wool and Water's Amy Earles. Her aritculated paper dolls have really stolen my heart. I love the little worlds she dreams up for them to live in. She's got me racking my brain to figure out how I can be a paper doll next Halloween. I guess I have a little time to figure that out.



See her Flickr here, her blog here and her Etsy store here.

What I'm Wearing

blouse: H&M
sweater: H&M
skirt: vintage (altered by me)
tights: AA
shoes: vintage
hat: vintage

From time to time I get tagged with one of those "me-me's" where you're supposed to make a list about yourself. I almost never get around to them (sorry!) because as much as I like a good t0-do list, I'm terrible at making lists about myself. I have three lists started that I never finished! So... rather than let them sit unseen on my computer, I figured I'd share what I came up with so far.

Things I Like:

• Rummaging around in thrift stores. I can, and do, spend hours at a time picking through each and every pieces of clothing and knick-knack in thrift stores. Often people ask to go thrifting with me and I warn them that it could take hours. I don’t think they really believe me and they usually get bored about 30 minutes into the whole deal.
• Being by myself. This sort of relates to #1. I find it meditative to be by myself at the thrift store, digging through racks of clothes. But I also like to do things like take long walks by myself, going out to eat by myself and going to the movies by myself. I once went to see 28 Days Later by myself and ending up being the only person in the theater. Super creepy! I don’t do this much anymore since I really enjoy the company of my boyfriend. I suppose it’s quite different choosing to be alone than being alone because you have no choice.
• This is a brand new addition to the list. Wii Fitness! We visited friends last weekend that have it and I was instantly hooked. Can I just say that I’m awesome at Wii Hoola Hoop? Thank you, thank you. One of my prouder accomplishments. Although I have to admit I was a bit bummed that my Wii age ended up being 11 years older than my real age. Guess I have some work to do!

Things I Don't Like:

• Elevators. I think it’s mainly the closed in space that I don’t like. Whenever I step into an elevator I instantly feel like everyone is breathing my air. I’ll usually opt to take the stairs whenever possible although I have gotten used to riding the elevator in the building where I live (I think that’s because I’m usually the only person in it).
• Other people doing my laundry. I’m super particular about my clothes (no surprise there, right?) and I don’t like for anyone else to do my laundry. Certain things don’t go in the dryer or need to be dried flat or need to hang to dry. Some people stuff too many things in the washer at once and it makes me crazy. I’d just rather do it myself. Even though we have a washer and dryer in our apartment, my boyfriend and I always do our laundry separately.
• Sushi. I really, really wish I liked sushi (the vegetarian kind at least). It’s just so cute and bite sized! I love to look at all the little rolls lined up and the sushi dishes are always so adorable. Even back when I still ate fish I tried eating it many times thinking this will be the time that I love it. Nope! Not even a little bit.

Odd Things About Me:

• I read magazine backwards, that is from back to front. For some reason I always start at the last page and flip to the front. I even find myself reading the last paragraph of an article and then skimming to the beginning. It’s a terrible habit. Some sort of compulsion that I can’t seem to shake. I’ll even do it to books if I’m not careful. Sometimes I have to paperclip the last few pages of a book together to keep myself from spoiling the end by peeking before I’m done reading.
• I always have to put on my left shoe and sock first. If I accidentally put the right one on first without thinking, I have to take it off and start again. If not, I’ll feel strangely crooked all day. I’ve noticed that this practice is spreading to things like gloves, earrings and anything else that comes in pairs.
• I don’t know if this really counts as being odd, but being from the South I have several expressions I use on a regular basis that frequently garner strange looks. For instance, I call shopping carts “buggies” and winter caps “toboggans” (or just "boggans" for short). I call fingernail clippers “snips” and often say things like “fixin’ to” and “might could”. And when someone’s taking my photo I’ll say I’m “getting my picture made”.

Mankind Magazine

When Design for Mankind asked me to answer a few questions for an article they were doing on wearing handmade clothing for an upcoming issue of Mankind Mag, I have to admit I wasn’t familiar with the magazine. Boy, have I been missing out! The newest issue "focuses on the growing popularity of the handmade market." Inside you can find all sorts of inspiration from artists, designers and craftmakers. Need an idea for the upcoming holidays? You're sure to find it in here. Be sure to check it out. I’m already looking forward to next month’s Consumption Issue. Can’t wait!

This Week at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a sneak peek at the pieces that will be going up for sale in the store tomorrow afternoon. Plus lots of shoes and boots of course. Thanks for stopping by! Love ya - SJ

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Remember when I mentioned that I picked up a suitcase full of shoes and boots on my trip to Alabama? Well, I spent the better part of yesterday organizing and photographing the collection in order to get them ready for the store. Here's just a taste of what I've been doing. Half of these will go in the store tomorrow and the other half will go in the store next week (and some are already for sale). And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

shirt: J. Perse
vest: vintage
skirt: vintage (altered by me)
tights: AA
shoes, belt, hat & purse: vintage

Dear Mother Nature,

I would just like to clear up one thing. I said "Fall". You know, like Autumn. That means bright blue skies, colorful leaves, crisp sunny days. Not blustery grey skies, drizzling rain and bitter cold wind. If you could get that straightened out for me, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

Orla Kiely

Whenever I know I don’t have an extra penny to spend on fun things like clothes and shoes, sometimes it’s just better to stay away from the internet. There are too many tempting things to lay my eyes upon. So, to be on the safe side, I’m just looking at lovely things that are so very out of my price range I know I can’t actually be tempted. Torturous, right? Take, for instance, Orla Kiely. I adore her mid century modern-esque prints and playful color palette. All of the looks are styled to perfection with thick tights and platform sandals. And that luggage?! Yes, please. I’ll take two. And how much easier would it be to pick your pretty luggage out from all the boring black bags when you’re standing at baggage claim? I suggest you go to their home page and watch their little slide show of images. Each new photo made me squeal with delight – both the clothes and the photography.

Looking at these reminds me that I’m lucky enough to own one Orla Kiely dress. I got it from Anthropologie a couple of years ago on super-duper sale. I had a fancy-schmancy fashiony event to go to when I was living in LA and wanted a cute new dress to wear. I got a couple of compliments on the dress and one girl even asked where I bought it. When I answered Anthropologie she gave me a snobby little laugh, turned up her nose and walked away. Ha! So very LA!

The Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie -
skirt: vintage
sweater: Anthropologie
beret: Miller Hats
shoes, belt & scarf: vintage
gun: Toy Arsenal

Clyde -
pants & vest: vintage
shirt: Banana Republic
hat: UO
shoes: Moo Shoes
gun: Toy Arsenal

As promised, here are a few of our photos from Halloween. It was a beautiful night out and we had a blast hanging out at the creepy old Elk's Lodge, playing duck pin bowling and enjoying everyone's costumes. Perhaps the best part of the night though was when Tom, um, I mean Clyde, and I were leaving we snuck up to the top floor of the Elk's Lodge where it was dark and empty to snoop around and take photos.

Shadow Puppets

For the most part I try to keep the focus of this blog on fashiony things and personal style. But from time to time I run across other fun things I’m tempted to share with you. I’m never quite sure where to fit those things in because 9 out of 10 times they have absolutely nothing to do with fashion. So… I’ve decided to dedicate my Saturday posts to what I’m calling Random Goodness: good things I find that I don’t want to keep to myself. It could be illustrations, photography, music, design, movies or whatever happens to tickle my fancy that week. It could even be something as random as shadow puppetry.