My New Old Shoes

I’ve grown so accustomed to buying vintage shoes that I’m finding I don’t even like new shoes anymore. Whenever I try on a brand spanking new pair my feet suddenly feel very conspicuous, like “Hello! I have feet! And I’m wearing NEW SHOES!” Vintage shoes are already broken in; creased and scuffed in all the right places. I also find that vintage styles suit my aesthetic more than new styles. I’m not much for pointy toes or neon colors or skinny heels. Give me a sturdy pair of chunky-heeled, round-toed, granny-esque shoes any day. Hence, my favorite new pair…

Have you ever stumbled across something on EBay that you knew you just had to have? Something that had your name written all over it? Say, a lovely pair of granny shoes for example? And the thing about EBay is, even if you know you want to buy the shoes, you still have to sit and wait days and days for the auction to end, all the while fearful that some one else is going to discover your shoes and want them too. How dare they?! Well, lucky for me the EBay gods were on my side this time and my bid held out. I woke up this morning to discover that someone else had not stolen my new shoes from me. Whew! I can’t wait to wear them with black tights (or better yet some long grey scrunchy socks) and a little mod dress this fall .

Bat For Lashes - Whats a Girl To Do

Bat For Lashes - Whats a Girl To Do

My boyfriend and I just got tickets to see Bat For Lashes when they play the Troubadour in October. I love their dreamy, dark melodies and I can't wait to see them. Natasha Khan and her band have an avant-garde, quirky hippie meets Ziggy Stardust style and I'm sure it will be quite the stage show.

Humane Recipe

A huge thank you to Jesse from Humane Recipe for her feature on my sewing post! It's a great blog with loads of tips on being earth friendly and fashionable. Definitely check it out.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

I purchased these shoes from EBay more than a year ago. They've been my favorite pair of shoes in my closet ever since. The problem? They don't actually fit on my feet. I really don't know why I've kept them this long. I guess I keep hoping that the next time I pull them out of the closet they will have magically grown or my feet with have mysteriously shrunken (shrank? shrunk?). It hasn't happened yet. I think it's time to say goodbye so they're going up for sale in the store tomorrow. Somebody find them a good home!

Out and About

My best Susie Bubble impersonation.

For the first time in several weeks, I went out vintage shopping over the weekend. Not having a car has put a damper on how often I can make it out to all of my favorite store. So Sunday I put on my walking shoes and headed out to La Brea to hit up a few stores. It seems the problem with vintage shopping here is that there seems to be two types of stores; the ones that have amazing stuff that is all priced very high, or the ones that are populated by hipster employees that grab all the good stuff before anyone else gets to it. At the first store I found a million great pieces but every time I fished out the priced tag, I had to back away slowly. At another store I only found a few pieces but the staff was impeccably dressed in head to toe vintage. My suspicions were confirmed when I complimented the girl at the register on her dress and she said she got it from their stock. Next I headed out to a parking lot sale where everything was a dollar but you had to dig, I mean literally dig, through piles and piles of clothes. At the end of the day, I came home with a couple bags of goodies, all of which will be going up in the store in the next couple of weeks. Here are a few undercover shots from the day (taking photos in the stores here is a big no-no!)

Sneak Preview

Here's what's in store this week at Sally Jane Vintage - lots of great Fall looks! Are you as ready for the seasons to change as I am?

Girl Crush

Last summer I happened to catch a story on NPR about a young recording artist by the name of Regina Spektor. I was intrigued by the music and the stories she was telling, but as things sometimes do, it slipped my mind to follow up and find out more about her music. A few months passed and I noticed that she was going to be playing a show at the Avalon in Hollywood . I still had not heard her music and I’m usually reluctant to go to a show where I don’t know any of the songs. It’s not that I don’t like live music, I do. I would just rather be familiar with an artist before seeing them perform. I feel like I can be more involved with the music that way. Well, despite my usual hesitations, I decided to give it a whirl. I gathered up a couple of friends and headed out to the show. Needless to say, I was completely blown away. The voice, the songs, the command of the stage; she has it all. Just her, a piano and an occasional drum stick. When I got home, I hit up iTunes and loaded up with songs from a variety of her records. Not only is she super talented in the music department, she has a killer look and style. I love that her type of beauty challenges the standards of what we see in magazines and movies today. She’s timeless, as if she stepped right out of another decade. Lucky for me, she’s playing LA again this October. If she comes to a city near you, I highly recommend it.

Things I Love Today

• A vintage train case would be perfect to use as a sewing box.
• A embroidered tapestry bag and black granny boots to complete an outfit like this one. I think it's the perfect ensemble.
• This little sweater from Topshop would be perfect for my Faye Dunaway as Bonnie dream outfit.
• I think Joanne Olian's series of fashion books provide endless inspiration. Right now I'm loving Everyday Fashions of the Sixties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs.

Tyra Mail !!!!

There are so many reason I should hate this show. Tyra Banks' over the top performance. The catty bitch fights that break out amongst the girls. The cheesy photo shoots. The make-over episode that inevitably leaves at least one girl in tears. The fact that none of the winners have ever gone on to actually become a "top model". But I don't hate it. In fact, it's the one TV indulgence I'll allow myself to get sucked into. Until "Project Runway" comes back, of course!

Little Brown Dress Project

When I set out to create Sally Jane Vintage, I had reasons both selfish and unselfish. On the selfish side, I love vintage clothes and shopping and this gives me an opportunity to shop for vintage clothes. A lot. How convenient! On the other hand, the consumerism that plagues our daily lives makes me cringe and this is an outlet for people to satisfy their wants and needs in the way of clothing without worrying about sweatshop labor or how their latest purchase is affecting the environment. Vintage clothing provides a unique opportunity to recycle and I love taking advantage of that. Thinking about this has me revisiting the Little Brown Dress Project. The website chronicles a year in the life of a Seattle woman that decided she was tired of giving into the whims of the fashion world and set out to wear the same homemade brown dress every day that year. She allowed herself to accessorize the dress with items she already owned, layering for weather conditions and such. It was the ultimate in wardrobe remixing. While the dress she made is not quite my style, I find it to be quite an interesting social experiment. I wonder if I could go a year wearing the same dress. Would I have the restraint to not purchase a single item for one year? For now I think I’ll settle for making the majority of my purchases vintage.

Sally Jane Vintage

Take a look at all of the great pieces that will be going up for sale tonight at Sally Jane Vintage. I've listened to your requests and have added a wider range of sizes. Be sure to check it out. Thanks!

Color Me Peeved

Hello? H&M? Please, please don't put these lovely socks in ALL your new ads and then not stock them in your stores. Seriously? Are you trying to kill me?

Sewing Class

I'm almost convinced that something in the universe is trying to tell me to not take this sewing class. I had my new bus route all mapped out, printed, and in hand so there was no way I could screw it up this time. Well, when I got to the bus stop, this is the scene that greeted me:

I think half of West Hollywood was on fire. Of course that's the corner my new bus stop was on and there was no way a bus was getting through there. Luckily, I was able to call my boyfriend at work and he went online and found a new bus route for me. Unluckily, I wore my favorite wedges and had to sprint half way across WeHo to catch the bus. Sadly, they paid the price.

I've actually had this problem several times lately. I buy a pair of vintage shoes in pristine condition and a few months later they are falling apart. I think the rubber heels are dry rotting. Is there any thing that can be done to prevent this? Anyway, I digress. Two buses later, I made it to class right on time. Here's a shot of my future dress. I look at the pieces and I can't imagine they're going to actually be a dress. I guess we'll see!

Fall Look

This girl has nailed the look I love for fall. Black tights with brown shoes? Check. Graphic print mini dress? Check. Swingy short coat? Check. Well done, love!

Things I Love Today...

• 1960's Yellow Pages vintage Pop Art paper dress. Recycling at its very best.
• Vintage Lanz mini dress with a graphic black and white print.
• Berets, berets and more berets. Every color of the rainbow.
• Celia Birtwell printed scarf.
• I always want tights in every color, but today I want yellow the most.
• For those of us who aspire to not buy leather, these faux leather high heel oxfords.

60's Fashion

If you have the patience to sit through the nearly nine minutes of this video, there is some amazing fashion to behold! Viva la Biba!

Sewing Class Project

Assuming that I actually make it to class tonight (after last week's bus debacle) I'll be starting work on a 50's inspired house dress. It buttons up the front and has a collar and either short or 3/4 length sleeves (I haven't decided which yet). I also have the option of making an a-line, gathered or pleated skirt for the bottom half of the dress. I think I'd like to learn pleats.

At the fabric store on Saturday, I was having a hard time deciding on a fabric. Budget is definitely a factor, as they have many beautiful fabrics that cost $40 a yard. Not exactly learning materials.

I finally decided on this robin's egg blue cotton with a brown and white floral design. The silhouette of the dress is very 50's house wife and I thought the color palette here would suit that nicely. Also, the flower pattern on the fabric is not directional, so I don't have to worry about keeping all the flowers going the same way when I'm sewing.

Here's the pattern that I'll be using. Not really something I would pick to sew on my own, but for class purposes it does in corporate a lot of skills I am excited to learn.

And I couldn't help but include a shot from the "Wall of Fame" at the fabric store. Yes, that is Britney Spears and Rob Schneider.

When Fashion Meets Film

I recently ran across an article about the greatest fashion captured in movies. That got me thinking about what movies have influenced my way of looking at fashion. Below I offer my very own list of movie fashion infuences. Mind you, I do not in any way consider this a list of the greatest fashion on film, just the ones that have had an impact on me.




First, I should say that I am not a fan of musicals. There are a few exceptions – holdovers from childhood (“Grease” for instance). But I’d sooner blind myself than sit through a showing of, say, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Musical numbers aside, “Funny Face” has to be one of the greatest fashion films of all times. Audrey Hepburn channeling Suzy Parker, France Sinatra channeling Richard Avedon all the while dressed to the nines in every style imaginable, living in a dreamy mid-century modern world. Thank goodness for the mute button.



After she married Frank and before she got involved with Woody, Mia Farrow donned amazing little dress after amazing little dress all while battling the ultimate evil in “Rosemary’s Baby” . No one’s ever looked as cute while carrying the devil’s spawn.


Just as she did with “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, Amy Heckerling created a time-capsule of a movie with “Clueless”, capturing all the nuances of fashion in the mid-nineties. I coveted all of Cher’s school girl dresses and knee socks. I still haven’t quite gotten over the knee sock thing.

In “Singles”, Bridget Fonda with her flannel, combat boots and fishnets epitomized my perfect high school wardrobe. I spent much of my adolescence in baby doll dresses and Doc Martens. I actually consider myself lucky to have grown up under the influence of grunge fashion; to have come of age at a time when being fashionable wasn’t about dressing in a revealing or overtly sexual way. I can’t imagine what it must be like for girls growing up under today’s fashion influences.

While fashion is not exactly a major topic in this movie, I couldn’t help notice Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bow-neck blouses and tailored skirts in “Secretary”. It was almost enough to make me want to get a job as a secretary just so I could wear the outfits. Minus the sadistic boss, of course.

No doubt the decade that is my biggest fashion influence is the 1960’s. I even love the 60’s interpretation of previous decades. Case in point, Faye Dunaway’s 30’s inspired wardrobe in “Bonnie & Clyde” . No one’s ever rocked a scarf and beret quite like Faye’s Bonnie. I go through a Bonnie phase at least once a year, every time the weather starts to cool.

I love the dreamy color-saturated world in which Audrey Tautou's Amelie resides. She has a timeless quirkiness to the way she dresses that, while I don't think it exactly works for me, I very much admire.