Spotlight On: Sweet Life Vintage

One of my all time favorite posts that I do on occasion here on the blog is where I turn the spotlight on one of my favorite vintage shops. I always think it’s important to support small businesses – and knowing what goes into sourcing vintage (from the endless searches and estate sales, to the cleaning and mending, to the photography and promotion), I appreciate these entrepreneurial rockstars all the more. They keep our vintage-loving closets stocked and happy and that is no small task…

Ladies (and any gents who may frequent these cyber pages), let me introduce you to Sweet Life Vintage, run by the lovely owner and proprietress Jasmine. I bought my first dress from Jasmine back in 2016 – an amazing red gingham number that has me dreaming of apple pie and lazy Sundays in the park. Since that fateful day, it’s safe to say I’ve become a Sweet Life Vintage addict – scouring her Etsy shop almost daily to see what new treasures she’s managed to procure and get my next vintage fix….

Jasmine runs her shop exclusively on Etsy, selling out of Long Beach, California. I think she’s got her own DeLorean, because her pieces are always out-of-this-orbit amazing. Like, shouldn’t-exist-but-does kind of amazing. One quick perusal of her shop, and you’ll instantly be transported to a land of border prints, full frothy skirts, and femininity. If you know my style, it doesn’t take long to see why Sweet Life Vintage is one of my absolute favorites.

Because I always like to know a bit more about the woman behind the dresses, Jasmine kindly obliged my peppering her with questions about her shop and her process – hoping to glean some insight into how she manages to source so many pieces that literally take my breath away…

Q: Can you tell me a bit about yourself, about your shop, and your reason for starting as a vintage seller?

Jasmine: I’m Jasmine! I’m a 28-year-old certified dog lady, currently living in Long Beach, California. I came to vintage in a rather unorthodox way – Louis Vuitton Fall 2010. I fell in love with the femininity and silhouette of this collection but it was far out of my fashion student budget at the time. Looking to recreate this magic on myself, I turned to my sewing machine, creating my very own 50s inspired dresses. Though I’d had an intense love affair with vintage for years prior, I actually didn’t buy my first vintage dress until 2013, which I still have – a 1960s Lili Ann knit dress with matching jacket (very Pan Am). I’ve been buying vintage ever since.

I started Sweet Life Vintage as a passion project and also as way to earn some extra income during my student days. I quickly fell in love with being the one to find the perfect dress for the perfect girl somewhere in the world – I also fell in love with the hunt. I love what I do, even the cleaning (which is a lot coming from a girl who HATES doing laundry). I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Q: Your shop covers range of time periods, but you obviously have a passion for the 1950’s – What do you love about that era?

Jasmine: I love the inclusivity of the 1950s “New Look” silhouette —A 50s dress looks good on everyone. I’m also obsessed with florals and prints, and I think that the best novelty prints and florals came about in the 50s, so there’s that.

Q: True vintage is getting harder and harder to source. I’m sure you get asked this all the time (and probably can’t give away any trade secrets), but HOW do you find so many amazing pieces?

Jasmine: I don’t think that there are necessarily any secrets to finding great vintage, it truly is the luck of the draw. I find vintage in the common places: estate sales, flea markets, antique malls, and auctions. Sometimes your buying trips are super successful, and other times not so much. I truly believe the key to it is to always be on the lookout because you NEVER know when, or where, your next great finds will find you!

Q: What’s your personal style aesthetic? Do you wear vintage every day?

Jasmine: I would say about 90% of my closet is vintage, and it’s all 1950s. I have a few repro dresses but they definitely don’t get as much love as my vintage. I’ve got my hoodies, leggings, and pajamas for lounging around, but when I get dressed, its always in vintage.

My personal aesthetic is quite feminine – ½ my closet is pink, and ¾ of it is floral. I’m pretty simple: throw on a dress, cardigan if its chilly, and my flats (I have the same flats in 5 colors – they’re perfect, I love them). I never remember to accessorize, but sometimes I wear earrings. Its all about the dress for me.

Q: Do you have any tips for cleaning and repairing vintage?

Jasmine:  Oxyclean and Synthrapol are two of my best friends. Nothing lifts yellow underarm stains like a good Oxyclean soak: a simple paste of Oxyclean, water, and a touch of classic blue Dawn dish soap will work wonders on 90% of those stubborn vintage stains, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE YELLOW.

Synthrapol is a life saver when it comes to color bleed and dye transfer; it’s a true necessity for those vibrant rose prints that love to bleed and ruin themselves! It suspends excess dye onto the surface of the water so that it doesn’t cling to other parts of fabric — I literally add it to any wash or soak with pretty much any colored clothing.

Q: Do you have a favorite piece in the shop right now? 

Jasmine: This pink rose print cotton pique dress has been my favorite for quite some time: I’m surprised no one has claimed her yet! It’s all of my favorite things — pink, floral, pique, and it has pockets — and definitely would not be for sale were she my size. To me, this is the perfect dress!

Q: As a vintage collector, I can’t imagine being able to let so many beautiful pieces go! Have you ever sold a piece and later regretted it?

Jasmine: I can’t say that I have. This is simply because if I feel particularly drawn to a piece, and if I can visualize myself feeling regrets over selling it, I’ll keep it. If somewhere down the road, I find that I’m ready to let it go, then I will. But I don’t force myself to sell something that I truly want — I say NO to sellers’ remorse! I recently purged a few things from my personal collection because I was ready to let them go: a gorgeous yellow sunflower sundress, an adorable apple print sundress, and an AMAZING Huckleberry Finn novelty print (which now belongs to you!). I’d had those pieces for about 2 years and couldn’t bear to let them go when I acquired them, but now I decided they needed new homes.

Q: Do you have any tips for women who are just starting to buy vintage online and are unsure of where to start?

Jasmine: Know your size and know yourself! Its easy to want to go crazy when you first get into vintage, but I think its important to take the time to get to know what type of vintage girl you are. Really get to know what eras, silhouettes, colors, and prints you’re into. Novelties and rose prints aren’t for everyone, so don’t go broke buying them just because they’re popular. Also, really get to know your body and measurements, as nothing is more heartbreaking than buying a garment only to find it doesn’t fit because you were unsure of your size – be honest with yourself. And don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need!

For Sale

Given how much I adore all of the pieces in Jasmine’s shop, I took a bit of time (okay, a few hours – so much fodder for drooling, people!) and narrowed down some of my absolute favorites for sale in a range of sizes – but I have a feeling they won’t be for sale for long! Links to each below…

I might need a minute to fan myself and cool off after all of that pretty (my all time favorite has to be this one – why oh why is it too short in the bodice on me???). Jasmine updates her shop regularly, and nearly every day I spy yet another dress I want. Not only is it a great way to shop green, but I always feel like I’m preserving a piece of history when I take home a one-of-a-kind vintage dress.

To make it a bit easier on your wallet, Jasmine is generously offering a coupon code exclusive to my readers (is that awesome, or what?). Use the code sweetlife15 to take 15% off any purchase at Sweet Life Vintage through the end of July! I hope you also stop by and visit Jasmine on Instagram to see new pretties hitting her shop – and give her a follow!

Let me know if you scoop one up – dying to know which dress (or 3) you get!

xoxo

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I want to mention that any shop I feature I have personally shopped in and love – I was given no personal incentive for this post. I chose to feature Sweet Life Vintage because I adore this shop and trust Jasmine to source amazing vintage pieces, always accurately describe and measure her garments, and provide exceptional customer service. I think it’s important to create a network of sellers that you know you can trust – and support small businesses along the way! If you want to see my last Spotlight On feature, check it out here.

1950, dresses, etsy seller, fashion, favorite, for sale, shopping, spotlight on, vintage