It’s one of the best times on the blog again, where I’m turning the Spotlight On a favorite vintage store! Given my penchant for mid-century garments, it’s no surprise I’ve stacked up quite the collection. But in doing so, I’ve also stacked up quite a few amazing lovely sellers-turned-friends along the way.
I have probably seen the Sound of Music about 12 billion times. The music, the family dynamic shift, the historical context, Julie Andrews twirling on a mountain top – I just love it all. I remember coveting Liesl’s dress in “I am 16, Going on 17” and having serious wardrobe envy over the drapery-meets-dresses, make it work moment (clearly). But, the song I find myself still humming today always starts with, “Raindrops on roses…”
Nothing makes me happier than discovering new shops carrying vintage or vintage-inspired dresses. It’s like uncovering a hidden treasure trove that, for that moment, only I get to know about. And then, of course I get so excited I immediately need to share it with all of you!
I think we all have certain elements of clothing we just can’t resist. For me, that element is a beautiful print. In particular, a scenic print. And it honestly doesn’t matter how many scenic print dresses Bernie Dexter produces – I will want them all! I try (with a certain degree of effort) to minimize my scenic print craze to one-print per style, and I’m proud to say that while my resistance often fails on many counts, this is my first of her Paris style dresses.
Something you may have noticed in all of my ramblings, is that I tend to write the way I speak (not that you’ve all necessarily heard me speak, but I’m sure you can imagine it. Picture a whackadoo american-aussie hybrid accent speaking way too quickly). On the blog, I try to keep my writing fairly conversational and will jot down most things that pop into my head. Along with my stream of consciousness prose comes a tendency to abuse ellipses… You know, those magical three little dots that indicate a pregnant pause. An omission. A fill-in-the-blank…
Ahhh it’s so nice when life returns to it’s normal level of crazy! It’s incredible how disruptions in the regularly scheduled program can make things feel all out of whack. But (for the time being) I’m actually in this time zone, healthy, and experiencing a workload that only makes my head spin the standard amount, as opposed to helping me audition as an extra in The Exorcist…
I find that there are certain dresses you just can’t seem to get out of your head. This chocolatey number was just scrumptious – so much so that I would ‘visit’ her regularly (via the Trove Vintage Etsy shop), but never took the plunge to purchase her. She was one of those dresses that I couldn’t shake though – with amazing shoulder detail and the twirlable skirt of stratified cocoa hues, like the delicious layers of a hot fudge sundae, melting into perfection.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – one of the best parts of learning how to sew for me is the ability to see a dress that is very likely to be forgotten or discarded, and give her the opportunity to feel like new again. I spied this cherry red cutie at Pursuing Andie Vintage – an absolutely stunning Vicky Vaughn with lace trimmed collar and sleeves and a scalloped drop waist, all wrapped up in a cloud of dotted swiss adorableness.
A few months ago I was contacted by the organizers of the Bindaring Red Cross Clothing Sale to see if I wanted to be involved and help them promote this wonderful event (taking place on 14th May at the Claremont Showground). If you’ve never heard of the Bindaring Clothing Sale before (I was admittedly a neophyte as well), this is a charitable event, selling new and vintage clothing and accessories, and all funds raised go to support local Red Cross services. Vintage and charity? I didn’t even hesitate.
A few months back, I went on a shopping adventure with a friend of mine and she asked me, if I ever had to choose between fashion and science, which would I choose? As most of you know by now, I’m a marine biologist and I love my job. Like, get-up-and-be-stupid-excited-to-go-to-work kind of love. You know that feeling of discovery you had when you were a little kid? Being a scientist basically means that part of you never has to grow up. Although there’s a bit more red tape and bureaucracy involved than when I was digging up critters in my…