Once every month or so, I’m turning the Spotlight On some of my favorite vintage treasure troves – both local and online – and give you a bit of insight into the shop owners and their curation process (see last month’s feature here). Today’s spotlight is on one of my very favorite etsy shops: Capsule Vintage. One question I am hands-down asked most often is: Where on EARTH do you find these dresses?? To find out the answer to this question, read on….
Meet Sonja, the owner and curator of Capsule Vintage, who is based out of San Francisco, CA, veritable mecca of vintage gems, with her lovely hubby and adorable pug. Her shop is home to some of the most swoon-worthy vintage clothing I’ve ever clapped eyes on.
I had the chance to ask Sonja a few questions about her shop and curation process:
Q: Can you tell me a bit about yourself, about your shop, and your reason for starting as a vintage seller?
Sonja: “Hello, Kara’s readers! My name is Sonja and I am the face behind Capsule Vintage. I am 24, I live in the best place in the world (California, duh!), and I have two loves in my life—my partner in crime, James, and our little pug, Oliver. Capsule Vintage is my shop which I started in my junior year of college when I, ahem, had a panic about what I would do with my life. I was torn between the conventional, corporate world I was absorbed in learning about during class and the creative mindset of doing what I truly love. Having ample vintage in my closet to spare, I thought I would give Etsy a shot and within a few months I was hooked and loved being a seller. By the end of my first year as a seller—and many, many hours of work later—I had a successful business and was able to gain some financial stability from it. When I graduated college I decided to take a risk, commit to my shop full time, and I am so glad I did. I love what I do and I would not trade it for any other job!”
Sonja: “I work from home at this point, so half of our apartment is dedicated to the shop. I don’t have a storefront, so I am exclusively online and don’t intend to change that anytime soon. I love being able to have a global audience and meeting amazing gals all over the world through the convenience of the internet. However, I do offer private appointments for anyone who is in the area and would like to come try on any of the shop’s items in person!”
Sonja: “Finding my stock is the hardest part of the job. Unfortunately it’s not easy to source and it’s only getting harder to find good vintage. Essentially that means I am shopping for goodies almost 100% of the time! Fortunately, I am lucky to have made a couple of really good connections with private sellers who offer wholesale buys at fair deals. I am also lucky to live in the Bay Area, where there is an abundance of good vintage shops in the near vicinity and I’m constantly scouring them for new finds! I may be my own boss, but I am essentially working every hour that I’m not sleeping!”
Sonja: “My most important recommendation for gals who are starting to buy vintage is: know your size! Take your bust and waist measurements, and have a good sense of the length you like on yourself. Also, know what silhouette works best on your body. Fit-n-flare 50’s dresses suit almost everyone, but be in touch with your body’s characteristics (i.e. a longer torso, broad shoulders, etc). That way you are knowledgable about what will work for you before you even begin shopping, which I guarantee makes the process so much easier and more rewarding, because you will have the security of knowing it will fit well before it arrives at your doorstep!”
There’s a great guide for determining your measurements and understanding vintage sizing here. I couldn’t agree more that acquiring this skill is a vintage-loving gal’s best friend – once you know your measurements and body type, your purchases will fit like a glove! Sonja just knew this Gigi Young beauty was for me and my exceptionally long torso:
Shoes: Betsey Johnson (similar here, here & here)
Shoes: Betsey Johnson (similar here, here & here)
I am proud to say I am amassing quite the Capsule Vintage collection. And whenever I slip one on I am transported to a world of border prints and prong-set rhinestones, of fish scale pockets and cosmic prints…
Star Crown: Giant Dwarf (similar) // Shoes: Chelsea Crew via Modcloth (similar)
Shoes: Seychelles via Modcloth (similar)
Though it may not seem like it, I haven’t bought out her entire stock. But, there are always 12 or so dresses I have my eye on at any one time! It was difficult to narrow it down, but here are a few favorites currently for sale in the Capsule Vintage shop (ranging from sizes XS to XL). I will warn you, Sonja’s dresses tend to sell quickly, so I advise to pounce while you still can!
You can also check out Capsule Vintage on Etsy, Facebook, and Instagram – there is almost no way for the retina to absorb all of the beautiful vintage at once, so you may want to pace yourself…
Be sure to keep me posted on any beauties that found their way into your closet – I love nothing more than when vintage finds its way home!
xoxo
instagram // twitter // facebook // pinterest
.
I do 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 Capsule Vintage because I adore this shop and trust Sonja to always accurately describe and measure her garments, provide fast shipping, and 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 last month’s Spotlight On feature, check it out here.