Leaf Me

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Victoria

My mama and papa said all the leaves are brown and the sky is grey. Well, almost – but not quite.

I chose my leaves in the form of a thrifted shift dress. The leafy vine motif in an autumn inspired color palette of orange and green is so appropriate for the season. It reminds me of the picturesque leaves changing colors on treetops – one of my favorite features of fall.

Since the dress is so short, it requires some careful ladylike maneuvering. My floppy hat serves a dual purpose: not only does it shield the sun from my face but it also preserves my modesty when I sit down. A dress this short deserves some flats or low wedges. I found an excuse to wear my new Jeffrey Campbells – I love the allover perforation and tonal cutout detail on top of the shoes. The nude color is versatile and the low wedge height makes them so comfortable I can practically live in them everyday before it gets too cold. My initial cluster necklace gets a bit lost in the busy print of the dress, but since V’s are so rare, I just had to wear it. The outfit wouldn’t be complete without my thrifted Anne Klein II purse to keep all my worldly possessions together.

Now make like a tree and leave.

thrifted dress / H&M hat (similar) / Jeffrey Campbell shoes (similar) / Anne Klein II bag (similar) / Urban Outfitters initial necklace (similar)

Summertime Sadness

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Victoria

Just when my golden tan is finally coming along nicely, it’s already time to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn.

The change of seasons brings about my favorite time of year in stores: end of season clearance sales. Markdowns galore, it is a barganista’s paradise if you don’t mind digging through chaotic racks of clothes. To me, its almost like shopping at a thrift shop – the piece you pick up really might be the only one left of its kind.

I think I swooped up on the last pair of these distressed denim cutoff shorts – they were exactly what I’ve been looking for all summer. And what could be a more perfect companion to these shorts than a lightweight airy blouse? I bought this blouse many years ago, but it has become a staple in my wardrobe – I absolutely love the floral pattern and the lace details. With shorts this short, I shied away from high heels, but still wanted a bit of height. A pair of vintage peep-toes with a woven straw mini wedge was the perfect answer to my shoe dilemma.

Summer days, drifting away – how dare you leave me when I look this good?

thrifted blouse (similar) / Urban Outfitters shorts (similar) / vintage wedges (similar) / vintage elephant necklace (similar) / vintage wooden cuff (similar)

The First Year

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Victoria

When I first started this blog , I didn’t really know where I was going or for how long I would maintain it. Now a year into it, I am still refining my voice on style and fashion. I plan to continue to catalogue my vintage journey through flea market finds and my dense closet, while providing style tips for my followers. I hope you continue to enjoy reading my posts as much as I delight in writing them.

The hardest part about blogging is finding the time for it when I have a 9-5 job. Taking photos can be a challenge; it has to be the right time of day for optimal lighting. I am picky about my backgrounds, and sometimes my face isn’t always photogenic, my posing is awkward, or the photographer isn’t available when I am. I often encounter writers block – what have I not written about already? Is the topic interesting? Am I witty enough? I tend to over-edit my posts, reading them over and over again for grammatical errors as well as to improve the content as much as possible before publishing. And finally, the hardest part is finding similar items for the outfits I’m wearing. It is a challenge to find clothing in stores that are comparable to my thrifted and vintage items, but I do my best – all for my readers.

If you asked me for my favorite decade of dress, it is hands-down the nifty fifties. Yet, as I go through my archives, I realize I have an overwhelming amount of posts dedicated to the swinging sixties. Had it not been for my blog, I don’t think I would’ve realized this about my own style. I’ve had to dissect and analyze each vintage item with detail and do diligence researching the history of a silhouette or the origin of a style with great accuracy. As a self declared fashion blogger and vintage lover, I must be a credible source for my followers. I don’t just pull this stuff out of nowhere.

Between my whimsically styled outfits to my witty and innuendo filled written content, I don’t think I can pick a favorite post. That would be like a parent saying that they love one child more than the other, and that’s just not possible, now is it?

It feels like just yesterday that I started you, oh humble blog. And now with the mere blink of an eye, a year has already passed. I must be getting senile at age 1 because I forgot my blog-birthday had passed a few days ago. Although I am not famous (yet), I am thankful to have a handful of followers (and growing). My dear readers, you love me, you really love me! Happy belated birthday blog!

Jan: You Can Toucan

Mar: Green with Envy

Apr: Flower Power Suit Part 2 – Pattern Play

A Little Birdie Told Me…

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Victoria

…That whomever said it is wrong to wear white after Labor Day is a Dodo bird.

Labor Day is supposed to mark the end of summer, but my golden tan and the hot asphalt outside beg to differ.

Even in this 90-degree weather, I’m maintaining a cool 60s. I was smitten for this sweet 1960s eyelet blouse when I laid eyes on it; anything eyelet exudes an air of innocence and a demure-like quality. What I love about wearing white is that you can treat it as a blank canvas. Just add some colorful accessories and voila, you’ve got yourself a masterpiece.

I chose a vibrantly colored scarf with three birdies on it and perched my new feathered friends atop my head. I accented the yellow in the scarf with matching wooden canary earrings. My wrists wouldn’t be complete without a cloisonné bangle and a vintage two-toned wooden cuff. Is it possible to take this outfit up a notch? I went from the 60s to the 70s with my newly acquired pair of Swedish Hasbeen wooden clogs, which originated in 1970s. Who doesn’t like wood?

I guess the age-old fashion faux pas of wearing white after Labor Day and the Dodo bird have something in common after all.

60s vintage eyelet blouse (similar) / Urban Outfitters jeans (similar) / vintage bird scarf (similar) / wooden canary earrings (similar here & here) / 70s vintage wooden cuff (similar) / Swedish Hasbeens

Party Like a Rockstar

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Victoria

Or how about dress like one?

Mercy Vintage recently hosted a pop up shop featuring limited one of a kind items from the closet of Kim Gordon, rock icon from Sonic Youth.

It was a hot summer evening as a small crowd of people gathered into the cozy boutique. With a glass of spiked lemon ice tea in hand, and a plate of delectable pickled veggies in the other, my eyes devoured the sights of Kim’s clothes – all in perfect vintage condition and only at an arm’s length away. Marc Jacobs, Pucci, and Alexander Wang were amongst some of the designer duds for sale, as well as other vintage items.

I also couldn’t help but sift through the racks of Mercy’s regular merchandise. They have an amazing collection of dresses ranging from casual cotton day dresses to fancy chiffon and tulle fit for prom – no wonder I love shopping here. All of the frocks were so darling and I swear I heard one call out to me, “Chic Vic!” To my surprise, it was not a dress, but Brandy, the fashionista-confectionista blogger from Will Bake for Shoes. We oogled over which of Kim’s pieces were our favorites.

Alas, I was good to my pocketbook by not spending a dime, but I assure you this is one act you don’t want to miss out on.

Floppy Wall Flower

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Victoria

Whoa! I’m Blossoming every time I put on this floppy denim hat – minus the oversized flower.

I hastily bought this hat a few seasons ago for a summer trip. Although it is cute and my face is shielded from the sun’s harmful rays, I always feel like I will walk into a tree or a telephone pole – it’s just too damn floppy for my own safety. Yet, as most fashionistas do, I sometimes sacrifice comfort and practicality for visual aesthetic. Floppy this hat might be, but a fashion flop it is not. The camera captured my floppy hat in all its glorious motion.

The light denim color of the hat lends itself well to this thrifted silky blouse with washed out citrus colored flowers and a dash of sky blue. Likely once a home sewn project, I date this shirt back to the 1960s. The print is reminiscent of wallpaper, floral motifs on dishware, and flower power stickers that were all the rage in that era.

I wore mid rise denim skinnies to balance out the blouse’s short boxy silhouette. The fact that my jeans are nearly the same shade of denim as my hat is no coincidence. Why, that’s just made in the shade.

Where my girl Six at?