The Provenance of Vintage

Every now and then I need a really girly read. Something sentimental and touching and with enough appreciation of a certain aspect of my life that I can get over how fluffy it is and just enjoy it. In this case, the pleasant writing and wonderful topic of this book made it easy to forget about reading something a little less than literary, and to just lose myself in the girly-ness of it all. There are constant references to vintage designers, and I'm a total sucker for it.

The story begins like this: Phoebe Swift abruptly leaves her job as a vintage clothing assessor for high-profile Christie's Auction House and decides to make a go of it by herself. She opens a vintage store in a small England town. And through this she meets an old French woman with cancer, who is looking to sell her vintage garments and ends up telling her hidden secrets to Phoebe. Now...this tugs at my heart strings.

In the end, the book turned out to be less about Phoebe Swift opening a vintage store, and more about the stories that clothing tells. What we vintage sellers call the provenance of a piece of clothing - the story behind it that makes it so important. In the book a child's sky blue 1940s coat that the French woman does not want to sell holds a story, which she imparts to Phoebe as she overcomes and deals with the end of her life arriving.

It really reminded me how much I love the stories behind vintage clothing. When you buy a piece of clothing, you are continuing the story of that garment. Maybe the last time it was worn was to a gala or ball in 1950, and now you are wearing it to this year's Christmas party. Maybe the owner was proposed to in that dress, or maybe she had a simply glowing time dancing and drinking. And it's that ability to story tell that makes vintage clothing so fabulous.

It changes your perspective on the garment, and brings a whole new dimension to what you are wearing. Think about it... a homemade 1960s dress is a charming thing on its own..nicely stitched in a beautiful fabric with a full lining (better quality than you'd find at most stores now!) but what if it was made by...say... Jackie Kennedy. And what if she was wearing it on the day her husband was shot. I'm being overly dramatic here, but only to get a point across: It's the stories tied to the clothing that add not just monetary value, but emotional value as well.

For example...I have a strawberry print 1950s dress. I know it came from the estate of a woman who had a twin, and that they often had the same dress made so that they could dress the same. And that makes me immensely happy for no real reason other than that I know some tiny little snippet of the life of a woman who lived half a century before myself. Maybe it's the fact that I have a creative writing degree, but I love a good story.

More than finding a great score in a thrift store or antique shop...I love estate sales, because I can learn so much more about a person from their possessions and it opens up a whole new dimension for my purchases. I greatly enjoy passing that on to my customers. If a garment came from an estate of a high-end collector or a woman whose clothing I felt was particularly elegant...I like to impart that knowledge on to the buyer.

I'd definitely recommend A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff as a good read. I think similar to books like Postmistress's Wife or Those Who Save Us. It's a little emotionally trying, but well worth it. And the pretext of the vintage shop and modern relationships eases the burden just a little, so that the book isn't dumping everything on you at once without a chance to breathe. A good read.

And maybe next time you go to buy a vintage garment, you'll think about who wore it before, and how much they loved it.

A Very Vintage Wedding

This weekend I attended a close friend's beautiful vintage themed wedding. From the mis-matched vintage china and crystal water goblets to the hand painted bird-themed tables and s'mores bar, this outdoor wedding was simply lovely.

As a bridesmaid, we were asked to find large print floral dresses and, of course, being a lover of the 1950s I had to go with one from that era. In the spring I found a dress I loved at the Vintage Textile Expo in Sturbridge and snapped it up. I decided to accent the dress with some 1950s accessories and finished off with some modern purple suede wedges and a cardigan. All the gals wore cardigans for the chilly morning - it was a cute look!

The sun was out despite a rainy forecast and the backyard was beautiful and green.

The bride was a total 1950s doll.

Some creamy crochet gloves and a once-necklace that broke and was made into a necklace. Fit nicely with the bird theme.

Each table had a bird theme. You matched your name cards up with the bird on your table. The birds were even hand painted by the bride's talented mother.

The bride's flowers were lovely. Crystal flowers were worked into the bouquet and the bride wrote her vows on a monogrammed handkerchief in fabric marker - no crinkling paper and an emergency tissue for dabbing the eyes! So clever.

The s'mores bar was a big hit.

The blueberry infused vodka lemonade was a huge hit for cocktail hour!

The flowers were amazing.

Aj and I tore up the dance floor!

All in all a wonderful time with great company! What a beautiful day Margaux and Brian had for their adorable wedding!

A Year of Dressing UP not DOWN

A little over a year and a half ago I was watching an episode of Project Runway (total junkie!) and the graceful Laura Bennett made some statement or other about how black riding pants and a crisp white button up was her version of sweatpants and a ratty tee, and that it was a slippery slope once you started to dress down.  Something hit me then, and I realized that she was right and somehow in the back of my mind I logged it away as true, important, and actionable.

Previously I had spent 6 months in Japan, where wearing jeans is unpopular and walking out the door without makeup is pretty unusual. The Japanese (and many other societies) put lots of effort into their appearances, whether crazy or sedate. There is no "jeans and t-shirt" in Japan. This struck me as interesting when I was there, but since I wasn't too much in the habit of wearing jeans or t-shirts I didn't think much of and adapted right along with the culture. (I took only my favorite pair of jeans overseas)

What Laura Bennett said on that episode really reminded me of Japan, and re-focused the stark contrast I felt when coming home to America. What were we doing in this first world country when we walked out the door in Spongebob pajamas and ratty old white t-shirts? Really. No think about that. What are we saying, about ourselves, about our culture, about our values? Nothing good, that's for sure.

At some point after watching that episode and having that little epiphany, I decided to make a conscious effort to dress UP, and not down. Contrary to what you may think, dressing up does not always have to involve makeup or mean you can't wear your favorite jeans. What it means is a year of having respect for yourself, and reflecting it in your appearance. It doesn't mean dressing trendy, but staying true to yourself while bringing a level of present-ability to your appearance that shows the thought and effort you put in.

From learning basic hair styles to choosing tasteful or bold accessories, it's often small details that really push you from "dressed" to "dressed up." In this year, I found comfort in walking out the door knowing I looked good, and feeling approachable and attractive for the entire day. It was worth the extra time in the morning.

I've never looked back. I've never wished I was wearing pajama pants in public or wished I had slept in an extra 10 minutes and left my hair sticking out all over the place. Better yet, people notice. You think they don't, but they do. You exude an air when you are dressed nicely. People tell you you look nice. They compliment the things you are wearing and look at you in a different light. After awhile it goes from "you look nice today, what's the occasion?" to simply "you look nice today!" Nowadays, I hear a compliment about my appearance at least once a day. Sometimes from complete strangers, other times from coworkers, friends or family. No matter where they come from, they are endlessly gratifying. The pleasure of looking good to a stranger and looking good to a spouse are completely different, and you really never tire of either. Not just looking good, but the confidence and self assuredness that come with presenting yourself as you want to be seen.

So how did I do it? How did I decide to open up my closets and put myself out there to the world? How did I decide that the things I love that seem too fancy for everyday wear are really acceptable for me to wear everyday? Simple. I committed. I committed to a year of dressing up, and never dressing down. I looked at my wardrobe and removed the things that didn't fit me right, didn't flatter my shape. I got rid of the blouses that popped buttons when I spread my arms. I nixed the pants that sagged too much or were too tight. I stopped buying clothes I loved but didn't fit me correctly. I got rid of the comfy shirts with holes in them or turned them into night shirts. I took these things to a donation center or a consigner depending on their condition. I sold some of them online. I gave them to friends with the right shape to make them work. I went to a clothing swap. I got them out of my wardrobe, and filled my wardrobe with thrifted and vintage pieces that really work for my body and my style. I stopped being shy about wearing dresses or pieces that I would have previously considered too dressy for everyday wear.

Around the same time I made this commitment was when I started selling vintage. I'll have to do another post about how the dress up, not down philosophy and Foxburrow Vintage are so closely connected... and perhaps a post with a few tips for how others can dress up not down without a lot of cost or changes to their wardrobes. Until then, stay inspired.

Some outfits through the year... plenty of learning curve in there!

SHOP UPDATE: DRESS it up

Well I've been away from the Etsy shop too long! The vintage has been piling up but the time to photograph and list it has been going down --- this week was a change in pace and a chance to list some of the beautiful vintage goodies I've collected. Here's a charming collection of vintage dresses for you!

1960s Screen-printed Shift Dress

1950s Perfect Floral Day Dress

1970s Peplum Floral Sheer Dress

1980s Rayon Maxi Peplum Dress

1950s Silk Taffeta Brown Polka dot Cocktail Dress

1950s Lace Overlay Dress

1940s Silk Form Fitting Dress

1950s Metallurgy Cocktail Dress

1970s Silk Bow Maxi Dress

80s does 50s Metallic Gold Polka Dot Dress

So what are you waiting for??? Get dolled up! See the Dresses Section of Foxburrow Vintage Etsy shop for even more lovely pieces.

From Pinterest to Realtiy #2 - An Outfit Post

Every now and then I like to cruise through my Dress Up, Not Down board on Pinterest and look for some inspiration for dressing for the day. For this outfit, I spotted a great (and in my opinion very versatile) pin from Polyvore that matches a cute dress, cardigan and riding boots. As soon as I looked at the pin I saw this outfit pop into my mind. I have a magic talent for remembering all of the clothing I have and putting pieces together without ever taking them out of my closet.

This vintage Avon bow necklace came from Etsy. Here's another one for just a few bucks. I saw this and just had to have it. I love how it rests just at the base of the neck. I think it would be perfect with a button up shirt so I'll have to try that soon!

I've been experimenting with what I am calling the "mini beehive". I noticed that when I push a headband back it gives me a tastefully small bump and adds some volume to the hair. I've been adding some hair spray for extra volume and this do held up all day long without any fly-aways. I like it.

Here's the original outfit I used for inspiration on Pinterest. I love the comfy look of that cardigan, but anything I have that is that heavy is most likely in storage for the summer. The thing I love most about this outfit is that it's so easily substitute-able. It would match perfectly with any number of vintage dress such as this high-collared polkadot 50s dress or this navy blue and white dress from Tori Richard.

It's been really rainy here, but I managed to snap a shot of my garden gnome in his natural habitat. I think he needs a name... Any suggestions? The pink plant is new this year - it's a perennial which is great because it means I have to buy fewer plants year after year.

Some exciting news coming up this week... stay tuned!

Polkadot Me

This is a lovely dress that friend and fellow Etsy seller Katie (Dose of Happy) pointed out to me when I was at a big vintage textile event a few weeks ago. We both loved it and I said right away "Well if you're not going to buy it, I am." I figured it would go into the shop - people adore polka dots (well... I adore polka dots and the general consensus is that the rest of the world seems to as well!) After a heavy overnight soak in oxyclean and a bit of scrubbing, I put it on to go do a photoshoot and decided that it wasn't going anywhere except my closet.

With vintage clothing, finding something that's perfectly fitted and flattering is not easy... and you don't give it up easily when you do find it!

Outfit Post: Underwear as Outerwear

Being on Etsy so much I come across a lot of vintage items. Some of them I decide that I can't live without. It's tricky, isn't it? Because until you see it, you never knew you needed it. But once you see it, now you know it's out there. And there's a very good chance it's the only one of its kind, or the only one still existing in your size...and you have to get it.

One of my favorite shops on Etsy is Minxouri Vintage. Maya's items are incredibly tasteful, her shop well curated, and everything always comes so nicely packaged. Plus, her prices are good. You really can't go wrong.

Today, my dress and belt both came from Maya's shop Minxouri Vintage.The dress is actually a 1950s/early 60s nightgown by Van Raalte. I loved the leaf pattern and the way it scattered across the skirt. The belt is stretchy and looks like copper scales. This was a popular belt style, but this one is particularly well made and sturdy. I have a similar one in black that is waiting to go to the shop.

Part of the way through the photoshoot, my husband showed up at the gate.

Dress (nightgown), Minxouri Vintage, similar here

Belt, Minxouri Vintage, same one here

Earrings, Vintage, similar here

Bracelet, Vintage, similar here

Necklace, (old) Forever 21

Cardigan, Jcrew

Shoes, Marco Tozzi