Roadtrip!

Whoa, I can't believe this is my first post of the year! Shame on me! It has been a very busy and eventful year so far. . . traveling around the country a lot, planning events in Madison, and working on various projects. I'll get into that later, but for now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Tulsa, OK.
Josh and I are on a mini-tour through a part of the country that I really hadn't spent much time in before. Two nights ago we were in St. Louis and had a great time with some musician friends. Yesterday we drove through some pretty intense weather in Missouri and into Oklahoma (right now we're crossing our fingers that a tornado isn't heading this way). I forced him to pull over when we passed through Springfield, MO because I knew the Red Velvet Vintage boutique is there! I've been following their blog, A Beautiful Mess for a long time so was very excited to see the brick-and-mortar store. It was very cute and well-merchandised, full of very nice, reasonably-priced pieces but not so packed that it's hard to look at everything. I have always said that if I ever open a store it will look like Urban Outfitters but be filled with unique vintage pieces. The RV boutique definitely fits that description! It actually reminded me a lot of a smaller version of the Blitz vintage "department store" in London.

Turns out, downtown Springfield has several vintage shops (and not much else). . .but unfortunately, we were in a hurry to get to a gig in Tulsa and didn't have much time to rummage. Ah well, next time!

XO,

Jess

Fall Is Here!

Well, it crept up like a thief in the night. . . Suddenly, it seems, there are golden leaves covering the ground, the high temperatures plummeted from 80 to 55 degrees, and I had to dig through my closet for scarves, mittens and wool tights. Fall is here. Summer is officially over, and while I'm a little bit sad- mainly because my long "to do" list of Summer activities was once again unfulfilled, I'm also excited about the changing season. Fall is the most beautiful time of year here in Wisconsin. Growing up in the South, I didn't get to see the drastic change in seasons that we have up here. Going for a drive out in the country to an apple orchard, kicking around in the piles of muli-colored leaves, having a bonfire with friends on a chilly Autumn night. . . these are things to look forward to. Also, Fall is my favorite fashion season. Layering is key and that means there are endless possibilities.
Even two weeks ago when it was 85 degrees outside, I was thinking about and planning my Fall wardrobe. Josh and I will be in the UK in a couple weeks, so unfortunately (well, not really. . .) I'll miss a good chunk of the season here, but I hear the weather there is sort of comparable this time of year. So, here is my list of my top 10 favorite Fall wardrobe items/looks, and a few outfits from my closet that pull these ideas together.

1. Boots- I have a bit of a boot fetish, with around 10 pairs from cowgirl to biker to ankle (yet I always come back to my favorite pair of beat-up old tall boots)
2. Tights- This is a no brainer. If you're going to wear skirts and dresses this time of year in Wisconsin, you need tights. Luckily, places like Target carry an incredible array of colors, textures, patterns. . .hooray!
3. Black & Brown-  My favorite color combination! It's no longer a taboo to mix neutrals. . .in fact, it looks pretty damn good.
4. Longer Skirts- On the runways this year we've seen a lot of "longer" skirts, from the knees to the floor. My favorite length right now is "3/4" or just-below-the-knees. . .with a high waist, of course!
5. Hats!- I'm obsessed. I feel like all these years my head has been naked, but now I've discovered an enormous love for hats. Unfortunately, my head is also enormous, so finding vintage hats that fit me is tricky.
6. Androgynous- Again, this look was all over the runways this season, and there are a myriad of ways to pull it off. I prefer Annie Hall meets Heidi Klum-- not too masculine, but I love a funky vintage tie- paired with a mini-skirt keeps it sexy!
7. Plaid- Mad for it, I am. What's more fall than a plaid wool blazer or skirt with knee socks?
8. Southwest - Funky Native American and Southwestern-style prints have been popping up everywhere, and I love it!
9. Feathers- If you saw the pics from my recent fashion show, you probably noticed the fabulous feather hair pieces, handmade by my friend Emily Neumeier. Of course, I had to buy a couple for myself and have been wearing them frequently. . .now I've commissioned her to make me feather earrings!
10. Belts- Almost any outfit looks chic if you cinch at the waist!

3/4 length skirt & belt, thrifted; t-shirt, Alternative Apparel; hat, vintage; leather shoes, for sale on etsy

black & brown skirt, vintage a la Good Style Shop; boots & bag, thrifted

plaid wool blazer, vintage Pendleton (part of two piece suit); 1960's skinny tie, my boyfriend's closet (really); vintage men's fedora, thrifted; bag, vintage Dianne Von Furstenburg (thrifted); skirt, Forever 21; top and boots, thrifted

Southwest-chic via prints and/or accessories
skirt, handmade using thrifted fabric (see tutorial); sweater top, thrifted; bronze eagle necklace, yard sale; handmade feather hair extension, Emily Neumeier (unfortunately, not yet for sale online)

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday

Wow, I have done a lot of thrifting this week. I've hit up just about every thrift store in the greater Madison area. Also, this past weekend some girlfriends and I went up north to a small town named Minocqua, and we spent at least an hour in this adorable little thrift shop. . . I found a few little trinkets there, like this ashtray and tea tin.

Today I "stopped by" Goodwill, and ended up scouring the entire store. Found some great things, though. 

 I must have (subconsciously) had Valentine's Day on the mind because I was drawn to clothes in lovely shades of red and pink. . .

I altered this flowered skirt-- originally it was much longer. Now I'm considering keeping it because it makes me long for Spring. But it will be a few months before I can walk bare-legged through the streets of Wisconsin!

All of these goodies will be for sale on the website shortly!

XO,

Jess

Outfit Post: Restaurant Week

So last night Josh and I went out to a very nice dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant. We're kind of poor right now, but figured that we should take advantage of it being Madison Restaurant Week. This is a wonderful twice yearly event where numerous local restaurants offer a 3 course dinner for $25. . .and when you're dining at a place that usually charges $25-$40 per entree, this is a great deal!
Also, going out to eat is always a great reason to get dressed up. It is difficult, though, to look chic when it's 5 degrees outside. I solved this problem in part by wearing my wool-lined black leggings instead of tights. Here's the outfit:

Vintage gold dress that I recently altered to fit me (it was about 2 sizes too big) and added the black ribbon waisband and black bowtie.
1950's black cardigan with beading and pearls decorating the front and hem that I purchased in Atlanta over Christmas.
Brand new (to me) boots that I found at a thrift store this weekend. . .  They're brown suede with snakeskin embellishment and gold-capped toes!

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday!

Yesterday I took a trip about 20 miles out of town to the mythical Columbus Antique Mall (and Christopher Columbus Museum). I say it's mythical because I've been hearing about it for a long time, but for some reason have never made it out. My friends told me it was so big that we would need to spend the whole day there. I was skeptical, but it turns out that they were right. It just went on and on- booth after booth of antique kitchenware, knick-knacks, vintage clothing, jewelry, collectibles-- it was crazy!

Luckily (I think), it was not super cheap so I didn't come home with a trunk full of stuff. But I did find a few great items, like this pink and white wiggle dress (which I didn't try on in the store but it fits perfectly!), and this amazing upholstered handbag that I've decided to sell.

Happy thrifting!

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday!

Today I went back to my new favorite thrift store, where I had so much luck a few weeks ago. Seems they haven't brought in much new stuff since last time I was there. . . but I still found some treasures. This time I took Josh with me, and to my surprise he didn't get bored after 15 minutes (he just doesn't have the stamina for thrifting that I do). He was actually a great resource, because he combed the menswear section more thoroughly than I would have, and that's where we found the most goodies.


Here are some of our finds-- a reversible plaid vest and a bright orange tie with an abstract pattern of people playing tug-o-war, several 1960s/70s plaid suits (one 3 piece!), and a killer black blazer with the most amazing lining. . .

Oh yeah, and also this amazing leather jacket. . . I know, I know, I have been buying too many leather jackets lately. I'm not sure what it is about them, I just love a nice soft broken-in leather.

The only piece of ladywear that I found is this lovely pair of leather flats:

Unfortunately, they're too big for me (size 9.5), but I'll put them up in the shop tomorrow.

Josh also did a good job searching through the housewares section (while I was fruitlessly digging through aisles of sweaters, skirts and dresses).  He found a roasting pan and a killer stir-fry pan for the apartment, and also this funky ice bucket:

It's got a silver pirate's ship on it. pretty awesome. But we already have a vintage ice bucket, so I think I'll sell it.
Finally, I found some fabric and other materials for an upcoming craft project. . .I'll tell you more about it once I get started!

XO,

Jess

The Exploitation of Vintage

Ok, can I rant for a minute?  I'm not sure how long this has been going on, but Urban Outfitters is now selling vintage on their site.  It's not surprising, given the success of indie sites like ModCloth that sell both new and vintage clothing. Also, I assume U.O. has had success with their "Urban Renewal" clothing line, which involves designers "re-inventing" vintage/second-hand pieces. I usually like their Urban Renewal items-- I certainly am inspired by some of the designs I see-- however I personally never buy these pieces because I think they're a tad overpriced, and I know I can make them myself. Well, the straight-up vintage items they are selling now are beyond overpriced. Take this wool dress from Pendleton. Sure, it's cute. . .but $238 cute?! Pendleton is a brand that I come across all the time. It's not designer.

Now, why would anyone pay so much for this dress when they can go to any number of sites, like Etsy, and find a very similar dress at a fraction of the price? I did a quick browse on Etsy for Pendleton wool dresses, and I came across all of these lovely finds (and none of them over $60!):

photo credits: fine and dandy vintage, vintage perspective, love fox vintage, heart city, tharpstout

I know that vintage has become mainstream and hip, but I think we need to remember that part of the appeal--part of the reason I buy vintage at least-- is the affordability and the desire to promote small businesses over large corporate chains.  I hope teenagers today can tell the difference.

Ok, that is all. Thanks for letting me vent. . ,I'm going thrifting now!

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday! on the road in Atlanta

Happy Holidays! I hope Santa was good to you all. I just returned from a week long trip to my homeland, Atlanta. It was great to spend so much time with the family, as well as old friends. We didn't do much besides eat, drink, watch the snow fall (yes, we actually had a White Christmas in Georgia!), and of course, shop. Josh was such a good sport-- on Tuesday he let me drag him all over town to various thrift stores, antique malls and vintage boutiques. Mostly, I re-discovered places that I had been to before- Little 5 Points is a favorite neighborhood for shopping vintage.

These pics are from a vintage shop that I've been to several times- the Clothing Warehouse. I was really bummed when they recently closed their "clothing by the pound" outlet store on the south side of Atlanta, but their flagship store in Little 5 is always worth a visit. It's a tad pricey (like most stores in Little 5) and very popular with the young hipster crowd, but I love browsing their  selection of dresses from the 70's and 80's, and especially their huge wall-o-boots!
Btw-- in case you can't tell from my "Hipstamatic" photos-- I got an IPhone for Christmas! It's a huge step up from the archaic flip-phone that I formerly used. . . I'm so excited!

My absolute favorite vintage store in Atlanta has always been Stefan's, also in Little 5 Points. This place has been there for as long as I can remember. It's very swanky and, of course, pricey-- but everything in the shop is in pristine condition, and most of the items are at least 40 years old. They have a great selection of 1950's party dresses, furs, men's suits and rhinestone jewelry. I splurged on a lovely black cashmere cardigan from the 50's with pearls and beads lining the front and hem.

So, when I googled "great vintage shops, Atlanta" this place came up several times-- Kudzu Antiques in Decatur. I couldn't believe that I'd never been! The place is huge-- we must have wondered around for at least an hour and a half, and I'm pretty sure we didn't see everything. In classic antique mall-style, they have it set up in booths, which vendors can rent and do whatever they like with. The refreshing place about Kudzu is that all of the booths are great-- they have very high standards for what kinds of items people can sell- no junk. Everything is authentic vintage and in great condition. Again, that makes for pretty high prices-- I found some great vintage dresses in one booth but they were all over $100! Still, if I were looking for a special occasion outfit or a nice gift, this is a great place to go.
Well, we're home now, and I'm pretty excited to get back to work on the website. However, I'm not excited about tomorrow- I'm working at the restaurant for their NYE extravaganza which goes until about 6 am. Better rest up!
Happy New Year's!

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday! The Wishlist.

Brrr. . .it's nasty cold outside! It's snowing. It's been dark for hours. I do not feel like leaving the house. So instead of going out thrifting today, I decided to stay in and do some "shopping" from my computer, with a cup of hot tea and my coziest sweater on. I started out looking on Etsy for Christmas presents. . . my sister wants a pair of black cowgirl boots, my boyfriend needs a new winter coat. . . but, of course, I ended up finding several things that I want as well. I'm so selfish. Anyways, here is (part of) my Holiday wishlist:

I mentioned before that I'm obsessed with gold. . .This is an amazing black and gold lace party dress from Maries Vintage! After all, a girl can never have too many party dresses, right?

What a divine peacock blue peacoat from Nickie Frye. I can't have enough blue in my wardrobe, and I always love a pop of fur! Great for this chilly time of year.

Ok, I really don't need another pair of boots. . . I believe I'm up to 9 pairs now- cowgirl boots, ankle boots, snow boots, etc. I'm obsessed. I still don't own a pair of Frye boots, though (well, not in my size. . .I have one pair in my shop in a 6 1/2).  I also don't own a pair of camel-colored cowgirl boots. So, these very reasonably-priced Frye boots from Bootmeister are going on my wishlist.

One thing that I do kind of "need" is a new go-to handbag. I currently use (the majority of the time) a wonderful cream-colored leather bag, much like this one, from Valhalla Brooklyn.  I simply cannot say enough wonderful things about these handmade bags. For one thing, every time I look at mine, I think How did someone make this by hand? it's too perfect! That being said, my current VB bag is still in amazing condition (nearly 2 years after I bought it!), but it may be time to change things up a bit. I'm thinking something darker this season. . . maybe chocolate?

What's on your Holiday wishlist?

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday--Back from Minneapolis

Well, I think I've said it before, but Minneapolis is one of my favorite thrifting towns. . .I never spend more than a day or two there at a time, but I always make sure to stop in at least one or two thrift stores. This week, Josh and I went up for a night because he was playing a house concert with our friend Brianna Lane. We had a great time-- our hosts cooked an amazing spread of food, and all of the guests were so nice and welcoming!

Brianna is wearing an adorable 1950's-style dress with a watercolor bird pattern (*she bought the dress from me-- I'm so happy when my clothes find a good home!)

OK, so onto the thrifting. . . On our way out of town, Josh and I stopped at a couple of good thrift stores.  Value Thrift (on Hwy 94) was one of the absolute best thrift stores I've ever been to! First of all, it's enormous! Like a whole thrift store mall. . . Unfortunately, I didn't really have the time to properly devote (like a whole weekend), but in about an hour I was able to the at least skim the whole place. Now, the prices are not as cheap as many thrift stores, but the selection is amazing, the garments are all well maintained, and the place is pretty clean, so maybe that makes up for it.
Here's what I found: boots, boots and more boots! As well as some great leather men's jackets.

 

All of these new goodies will be up on the website soon. . .Promise!

Thrifty Thursday!

I am so inspired and overwhelmed with projects right now! I can't wait to get started! I don't think I've mentioned yet that we're having another Vintage Madison event (following the success of our Fall Fashion Show/Sale). . .This time were doing a Holiday "Pop-Up" Shop!

I'm so excited, because we're able to have it at this great art gallery/concert venue/general-use artists' space called the Project Lodge. This morning, I met with the director of the Project Lodge, along with my Vintage Madison co-sponsor, Claire (of Mamushka Marie Vintage). We started brain-storming display and decorating ideas, and came up with some great ones! Claire is making jewelry and vintage ornaments to hang on our faux-tree. So, I got inspired to make things as well--I'm thinking pillows, for starters.
So, after the meeting, Claire and I went to Goodwill to find more inspiration (and, of course, there was lots of shopping involved!) We found all kinds of cool display items, as well as things to sell. I got an armful of funky vintage plaid fabric to make pillows out of. Claire found a funky red suitcase and several adorable garments. . .

Besides fabric, I found the most wonderful thing-- something I've been looking for for a long time. . .

Yes, it's a birdcage. But Jess, you might say, do you even have a bird?  Well, no. . . but I've always thought that birdcages were the most beautiful items. Now, it needs some work, but I will turn it into a piece of art. First off, I need to spray paint it (probably bright gold). . . I'll post some "after" pics when it's done. 
Time to get crafty!