31 January 2010

Greenwich Village 1969



If you have roughly eleven minutes of your life to spare, I highly recommend checking out this short film. It's one part creepy-whitewashed-mid-century-utopia, one part cotton-industry-propaganda, one part American-history-lesson and a whole lotta awesome.

P.S. The girl that appears at the sidewalk cafe at 3:05 - can I puh-lease have her entire outfit?

James Jowers

Often Tom and I will have discussions that start with something like, "if you could go back and live in any time and place, where would it be?" My answer usually revolves around wearing flapper dresses and dancing the Charleston in speakeasies or hanging out in the Bowery and watching Television and Blondie play CBGB's. James Jowers' photography makes me want to slip a little further into NYC's past. It's the world outside of Don Draper's office window; NYC in the mid-60s, full of hippies and beatniks and possibility. Through Jowers lens it seems like a place where all the rules were off, for better or for worse.

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All photos by James Jowers from the George Eastman House collection.

30 January 2010

dace and Dallas Shaw

Remember that sweet little video from dace that had us all longing for days of sunshine and bike riding and sidewalk cafes? Well, they're launching their spring 2010 collection online on February 1st and have commisioned Dallas Shaw to create fashion illustrations of their pieces to be given to the first three purchasers come Monday. I think the illustrations are just as pretty as the clothes. If you had your eye one something, now's your chance to snatch it up!

dace

29 January 2010

Finders Keepers

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I'd made a sort of late unofficial New Year's resolution to take more daily outfit photos. I was doing good this week until the temperatures plummeted back into the teens with wind chills in the single digits. I just can't do it! Instead I thought I'd show you a few things that have made their way into my closet lately. Think of it as an if-I-was-going-to-do-an-outfit-post-this-is-what-I'd-be-wearing post.
  • I was good and sold most of the 60s dresses I'd been collecting in the shop last week. But these two have made a semi-permanent place at home in my closet. The brown and plaid one may end up in the shop because I haven't really worn it yet except to try it on and it may be a smidge too big for me. The yellow one is seriously yellow. Like crazy bright yellow. I haven't gotten up the nerve to wear it yet but it might be just the thing I need to cheer me up when the cold is gettin' me down. Mostly I love them because they both have the most important thing a dress can have... pockets!
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  • I found a really lovely navy and white polka dot chiffon blouse at a thrift store last week. It reminded me a bunch of the Fletcher for Lyell one except even better since these dots are tiny. But I'm super picky about the fit of things, especially across the shoulders and this one was just a bit big on me. I racked my brain and finally came up with an answer. I added a bit of ruching across the top of the shoulder seam and then pressed the gathers down with another stitch running across the top the gathers. Now it fits wonderfully across the shoulders and has pretty little gathers too.
  • No explanation needed on this one: a floppy straw hat to wear with sundresses once the weather warms up.
  • And this is a pair of 30s looking oxfords that I'm pretty sure were made in the 60s. I love the detailing across the toes. If I dig deep enough into my closet I probably already have a pair similar to these. In that case I'm sure this pair will end up in the shop as well.

28 January 2010

I will settle in and dream of a slow and funny scene...

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- 60s child's coat
- Fletcher for Lyell silk blouse
- thrifted wool J. Crew cardigan
- vintage skirt (shortened by me)
- AA tights
- UO boots
- vintage Coach bag
- vintage hat
- Francisca Botelho escapulario necklace
- listening to: The National - The Virginia EP "Santa Clara"

b

Denim Shorts

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???, stockholm street style

Maybe it's because I'm starting to get ready for warmer weather or maybe it's just wanting to step a bit out of my comfort zone but I think I'm ready to try to whole denim-shorts-with-tights thing. I hadn't really given it much thought but upon looking through my street style folder I realized I had saved quite a few shots like these. I guess I was trying to tell myself something! I'm pretty sure I have an old pair of Levis stuffed in a box with some summer clothes somewhere in the attic. If it wasn't so cold up there I'd go fish them out now. ;)


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calivintage, the snail and the cyclops

27 January 2010

Velvet Dresses

Here are a few new things to add to the Etsy shop. There are two perfect black crushed velvet grunge dresses - one in a small size, one in a large. Next there are two wonderful 60s era velvet mini dresses. They're both adorable and I'm already feeling like I'm going to regret selling the brown one so somebody snatch it up before I take it! On the last row is a dress that reminds me a lot of the Rachel Antonoff collection and a a beautiful Victor Costa for Neiman Marcus dress that I would also probably keep if it fit me.

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It’s so many miles and so long since I’ve met you...

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- 40s wool jumper
- chiffon blouse by Fletcher for Lyell
- AA tights
- UO boots
- vintage wool beret
- 40s Bond Street bag
- listening to: Vashti Bunyan "Train Song"

b

26 January 2010

Marlene Marino

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I love discovering new photographers and flipping through their catalogs of images. This morning when I stumbled across Marlene Marino's images I knew I'd found a new favorite. Then suddenly the images started to look familiar. It only took me a second to place them. She's the photographer that shot the spring UO catalog that we've all been fawning over. The rest of her work is just as lovely (although some is probably NSFW, just an FYI).

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Things I'm Excited About Today...

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  • I just scored tickets for Tom and me to see The National play the DAR Hall in DC! It's not til June and I'm already excited.
  • I can't believe my Etsy shop just reached 500 sales! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in this venture. I'm working on a new update today - lots more dresses!
  • I started a Tumbler page. I'm still getting all the kinks figured out. So far I've posted some really random things just for practice. I think it's going to be a good place for me to put things that I like but just can't quite figure out how to make a whole blog post about them. We'll see where it goes from here.

25 January 2010

Casual Saturday Afternoon

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photos by Tom b.

- boy's coat from the 1964 Winnie the Pooh Collection at Sears (the tag inside is very specific - ha, ha!)
- vintage Lee jeans
- thrifted 80s camp t-shirt
- vintage Ferragamo oxford flats
- vintage Coach purse
- vintage wool beret

When I posted these photos on Flickr yesterday I got a comment that it was weird (in a good way) to see me wearing jeans. I have to admit it was weird (in a good way) to be wearing them. I honestly can't remember the last time I wore a pair. I think I just hadn't found a pair that was as comfortable to me as wearing a pair of tights and a dress. Somehow they always manage to make me feel a bit claustrophobic. I actually have a little stack of vintage jeans that I've brought home from thrift stores hoping they would finally be the pair but always ended up being not quite right. I should put them all in the shop! These are by LEE and are the perfect amount of broken in and high waisted and everything I was hoping for.

OK, must run now. Rosemary's Baby is on HBO and I'm busy reveling in her perfect, perfect wardrobe in that movie. That deserves a post of its own!

b

23 January 2010

UO Spring

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I, like so many other bloggers, was quite taken with the latest Urban Outfitters catalog. It usually gets tossed into the recycling after a quick look through, but this one is filed away on my desk to keep. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with this store. On one hand it sometime seems filled with things I could thrift for a tenth of the price and the quality of the mass produced items is at times questionable. On the other hand, they continue to be one of my biggest guiltiest shopping pleasures.

For a while there it seemed as if they were heading into Alexander-Wang-worshiping territory and forgoing the lighter side of things but this spring collection really caught my eye. I wouldn't mind having all of the pieces pictured below in my closet. Especially those black 40s style sandals! Serious must have. I love shoes from the era but it seems every time I find a vintage pair they fall apart after a few wears. I never found the perfect boater hat last spring (they look too Amish!) but maybe this one would be OK. The little floral dress and the cream sweater are examples of things I think I could thrift something similar enough to make me happy. The little rose colored "silk" romper is lovely too. It kind of annoys me how UO will use the word "silk" in the title of an item and when you look closer it's actually made of polyester.

Hmmm... this post is giving me a bit of spring fever. I think I actually see a bit of sunshine peaking in my window. Better get out there before it goes away again!

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22 January 2010

But you don't really care for music, do you?

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- 60s wool dress
- AA tights
- UO boots
- vintage wool beret
- 40s Bond Street bag
- listening to: Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah"

This is one of the very first vintage dresses that I bought. I can't believe it's never made an appearance on the blog before. It's funny how certain dresses have specific memories attached to them. Every time I wear this one, I think of the time Tom and I went to a show at the House of Blues in LA. As we were walking into the venue we passed under a balcony where a bunch of biker dudes were hanging out. One of them was whistling at me to get my attention and against my better judgment I actually turned around to see what he had to say. You can imagine my surprise when he said, "Hey honey, I really like your dress!" So I returned with a "Thank you!" Then of course he followed that up with, "Come on up here so I can play checkers on you!" Ummm... no thanks?

c

21 January 2010

60s Dresses: Part 2

Here's another batch of goodies straight out of the 60s for ya! There are some simple but really lovely dresses in this batch. I tried every which way to make that navy shift dress fit me (#5) but it was not to be. They're all in the shop now!

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20 January 2010

Rachel Antonoff SS10

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images by Dan Moody

It's enough work keeping up with four seasons' worth of fashion so when it comes to things like "cruise collections" and "pre-fall" I really can't seem to make room in my head for it. Those collections usually go right in one ear and out the other, so to speak. Right now I'm even having a hard time concentrating on all of the SS10 collections I've seen sneaking onto blogs. But... this one's different! It's the Rachel Antonoff collection and I have to say this is the first one I've seen that's gotten me really excited for warmer weather. Although really I think part of the reason I like it so much is because I can see wearing those black lacy dresses right now. Spring clothes I don't have to wait until spring to wear... Yay!

Be sure to check out the interview that Pamela from Market Publique did with Rachel on the Dossier blog. She seems to have such a charmed life (one she works very hard for, but still!). Imagine spending your days having ballet lessons with Sarah Sophie Flickr, dreaming up collections inspired by ballerinas and private detectives and planning a fashion show disguised as a stage play... or was it a stage play disguised as a fashion show? Hmmm.

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Shadow People

Now that Tom has gone back to school (as a professor, not a student!) I'm back to the old tripod for blog photos for the most part. The other day when I was setting up to take a few shots I had the hardest time positioning everything so that the shadow of the tripod wasn't showing up in every photo. Somehow tripod-shadow isn't nearly as charming as these vintage photos with their shadow people lurking about.

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All photos from Flickr.

Hair Inspiration

So I've been thinking I'm going to try to let the bangs grow out. This is the photo I'm going to have to look at everyday in order to keep the scissors out of my hands.

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19 January 2010

When the rivers freeze and summer ends...

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- 30s cotton dress
- Fletcher for Lyell velvet jacket
- AA black tights
- UO boots
- vintage wool beret
- 40s Bond Street bag
- listening to: Bob Dylan "Girl of the North Country"

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18 January 2010

60s Dresses: Part 1

I've just added a handful of 60s dresses and jumpers to the shop. Lots of them are size medium/large (40 inch bust or so). I'll be adding another batch on Thursday. I think from now on I'm going to try to update the store in this manner... a few smaller updates throughout the week rather than a huge update once a week. Thanks for stoppin' by!

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16 January 2010

Clothes, Cameras and Coffee

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I'm constantly astounded at the number of blogs out there. It seems like every other day I discover yet another amazing one that has gone under my radar for one reason or another. Seriously, my Bloglovin' list is getting ridiculously long. This morning I logged in to 166 new posts! Well, I've just added another one to the list... Clothes, Cameras and Coffee. The blog is filled with gorgeous imagery that looks like it came straight out of a magazine; lovely vintage outfits set to the backdrop of rural England... what's not to love?

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15 January 2010

A Warm Day

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- 50s Betty Barclay wool sailor dress
- AA tights
- thrifted belt
- 80s ankle boots
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Gladstone bag
- vintage silk scarf
- 60s wool cableknit sweater from my shop (somebody snatch it up before I keep it!)

Yesterday I dare say it was actually warm! Well warm-ish. It's sad to say that 44 degrees feels warm after weeks of freezing temperatures but I'll take it! I was finally able to make it out of the house without thirteen layers of sweaters and scarves so I stopped off at one of my favorite spots to snap a couple of photos of my outfit. I'll try to do so more regularly if the weather will continue to cooperate.

This week I also made it out to the Salvation Army (on half off day - what a zoo!) and scored a bunch of 60s mini dresses that will make their way into the shop next week. I was also finding a lot of craziness and I was having the hardest time telling if it was good-crazy or just plain crazy! I came to the conclusion that someone needs to create a "should I buy this?" app for iPhones (not that I have an iPhone... I don't have a cell phone at all). Theoretically, all I'd have to do is snap a photo of something, it would automatically upload to my blog and you gals could tell me if I should buy it! It would work, right?! Right?!

One final note... last night I was hanging out with a few friends who decided my outfit made me look like a Mennonite flight attendant. So now I'm always going to think of this dress as my Mennonite flight attendant dress. Only in Lancaster!

y

Topshop SS 10

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I have to admit that my first Topshop shopping experience was a bit of a let down (sailor coat excluded). I remember when I first discovered their online store long before they started shipping to the US and wasting way too much time sitting at my office desk flipping through item after item that I wanted to get my hands on but couldn’t. Perhaps they’ve changed their style a bit since then? Perhaps I have? Either way, when I walked into the store there was not much that appealed to me. It was all a little too tough for my liking.

So looking at their S/S 10 lookbook, I’m trying to get past the styling and see if I like any of the actual clothes. If I break it down, I think there are a few pieces I could see working their way into my wardrobe. Is that a pretty lacey dress peeking out from underneath that scary furry sweater? There’s a sailor style blouse that seems to have some potential. And there are a few little floral dresses that seem they would be perfect for spring.

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14 January 2010

Things To Keep You Warm

I've been workin' on a big ol' Etsy update for the past couple of days. Be sure to check out all the new goodies in the shop!

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A Beauty of a Magazine

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article about Fleur Cowles and Flair Magazine from the February issue of Print and I thought you would too. Now I'm putting She Made Friends and Kept Them on my must-read list!

Click on each page to enlarge...





13 January 2010

Found Photos

My new favorite Flickr photostream to stalk is mrwaterslide. A collection of found photos from the earliest photographic portraits to 60s polaroids, there's a little bit of everything to be discovered; creepy turn of the century children, happy couples, pretty girls in pretty dresses and an occasional animal or two. Many of the photos contain background information on the subject, some factual while others have stories made up to go along. There's even a countdown of the top 100 photos for the past couple of years. Seriously, I could get lost in there for hours.

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12 January 2010

New Old Things

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We haven't done this in a while, hmmm? Played let's-see-what's-new-in-my-closet? For a while there I was feeling pretty spurned by the vintage gods. Lots of goodies being found for the shop, but none for me. It was a bit like Goldilocks, ya know? Everything was a bit too big, a bit too small or just not quite right. Then in the last couple of weeks it started raining vintage dresses in my size. Don't you love when that happens?
  • This 30s era cotton voile dress is... perhaps my favorite find of all time? I know I always say that but this time... for reals. Perfect sailoresque collar? Check. Side ruffley bits? Check. Hand stitching that tugs my heart strings? Check!
  • This Betty Barclay dress is pretty much on the opposite end of the same spectrum of the first dress. That same sort of sailor girl feel but in super soft wool with lots of professionally tailored details. It's just about perfect now that I took about 7 inches off the hem.
  • Ummm... how many months, nay years, have I been searching for a brown Gladstone style bag? Many! This one (with original key!) finally came my way via Etsy. Now I just need a soft leather one big enough to crawl into.
  • I wish I had found this gem back in the fall. Doesn't it have the nicest fall colors? This one came via Etsy seller Carmalized Vintage in a package so pretty I hated to open it.

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Weardobe 100

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I just wanted to say a quick thank you to Weardrobe for featuring me in their Weardrobe 100 of 2009! It was so nice to be included and even better to be featured right across from the lovely Glamourai! Isn't she the epitome of a cool NY gal? If you haven't checked it out yet, hop right over to flip through the pages. If you're like me, you'll discover tons of new blogs to follow!

11 January 2010

New York Shopping

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photos by Tom b.

- wool dress from UO
- thrifted cashmere turtleneck
- Undercover wool tights
- Topshop sailor coat
- vintage riding boots
- vintage knit beret
- vintage Coach purse
- H&M scarf

While we were in NY over the weekend I managed to fit in a little shopping. Imagine that! Ha, ha. A couple of vintage shops turned up no treasures for me so I decided to hit up a couple of shops that we don’t have in Lancaster like Urban Outfitters and Topshop.

I didn’t mention it on the blog but a few weeks ago (maybe just before Christmas) I finally gave in and order the Fletcher for Lyell black velvet jacket I’d been eyeing for so long. Everything seemed fine with the order and I even received an email confirmation from them. Then… nothing. When I checked the order status, I found it had been cancelled and was now marked “out of stock”. Ugh! Way to toy with a girl’s heart, UO. So… I tried not to get my hopes up when we went into the store but was secretly keeping my fingers crossed they would have it in stock. Sure enough, there it was! They had it in black, grey and purple but I still just got the black.

Then on to Topshop we went. Now, here’s the crazy part of the shopping story. The day before, I posted a few photos on the blog of wintery looks. One of them included the Topshop sailor coat that I think we’ve all been coveting. I received a comment letting me know that Jenny from Fashion for Writers was getting rid of hers so I shot her an email to see if we could work something out. Unfortunately I hadn’t heard back from her when we left for shopping the next morning so upon walking into Topshop I secretly had my fingers crossed (yet again!) that the coat would magically be there. And there it was… the only one in the whole store! I was seriously shocked. I tried it on, fell in love and bought it on the spot. The only small snag in the whole transaction was when I got to the counter and realized it didn’t have any tags on it. So… when I got back to the apartment and checked my email, there was an note from Jenny apologizing because she had just returned the jacket to the store! Another email exchange later, Jenny and I came to the conclusion that I had purchased her coat just after she returned it to the store. How weird is that?!

Sorry for the long rambling story. I’m not known for my coherent story-telling skills.

e

10 January 2010

New York Weekend

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(1. Generation Records, 2. Eerie Von, Mike D, Tom & Kerri on our way to VP2, 3. rehearsals at GR, 4. Lyle, Eerie, Tom and Mike hanging out before the show)

We're home from our weekend in NYC and taking the day to relax and recover. We had such a great time. It always makes me a bit sad leaving the city behind. I think my New Year's resolution will be to win the lotto and move to New York. ;) Here are a few highlights from our trip:
  • Eating Kung Pao spaghetti at Vegetarian Paradise 2. I could eat it again right now. Right now.
  • Waking up to a light dusting of snow over the city. Doesn’t everything look prettier with a little bit of snow?
  • Having a conversation with Tom about Ethan Hawke then walking right by Ethan Hawke on the sidewalk about two minutes later.
  • People watching! How on earth is it that so many attractive, fashionable people live in such close proximity to one another?
  • Spending more time behind the camera than in front of it for a change!
  • Getting to see musicians from three of my favorite bands (Danzig, Minor Threat and Killswitch Engage) rehearsing and performing together.
  • Hanging out with friends from afar: New York, Jersey, Massachusetts and PA.
  • Stopping into Stella Dallas, one of my favorite vintage shops in NY. How convenient that the shop is just two doors down from Generation Records. ;)
  • Having a serious kismet moment shopping at Topshop (more on that later!).
  • Finding the Fletcher for Lyell pieces I wanted that are sold out online.
  • And most of all: seeing Tom’s name in lights! Umm… or at least a light box. He worked so hard on this project it was great to see it all finally come together.

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(1&2. Tom and Eerie signing copies of the book, 3. Erin's amazing tattoos and Lyle signing books, 3. Shop kitty Lulu, 4. Tools of the night: silver sharpies, Heineken and Jim Beam.)