As a scientist, I’m lucky enough to get to travel a lot for work – tissue collection, conferences, invited talks – they take me far and wide, often to places I may not have gone otherwise. And although these trips are often chock full of meetings and scientific shenanigans, a perk of the job is squaring away a bit of free time to explore my surroundings and get to know a new city. Yeah, you can read that as: Kara Hunts For Vintage.
A few weeks ago, while I was browsing one of my favorite blogs In A Nutshell, the fabulous Sara Lily unapologetically announced that her closet could be mistaken for a fruit salad. And I had to laugh out loud. One glance towards my own wardrobe, and I can safely say we’ve got an ambrosia situation threatening to jump out of the fruit bowl and onto my person. Well, if you can’t beat em…buy more fruit themed things!
Part of what makes vintage amazing is the hunt – wondering where the next gem will be hiding. It’s the thing that keeps us digging through racks of consignment stores, feverishly browsing our tried and true vintage shops, and “just having a quick look” as we pass through Small Town, Population 50, thinking this could be the place that holds the illusive Holy Grail.
I think we’re all trying to get more versatility out of our wardrobe – to figure out new ways to mix and match what we have and make it look new again. This isn’t always the easiest task when you’re as into bright colors, bold prints, and novelty handbags as I am – it’s kind of obvious when you wear those things several times. But enter the latest range of handbags from Vendula London…
Well, day we have all been dreading is nearly upon us: the End of Summer. I know for many of you you’re staring at your screen in disbelief. “Ummm, Kara? You know it’s only mid August, right? We’ve got weeks of summer left!” Sigh. If only. Tomorrow officially marks the first day of school. It’s back to writing lectures, proctoring exams, and seeing far less of my comfy bed than I’ve grown accustomed too these past few months…
Ladies and gentlemen, I am wearing pants. Now, before you start to think that the fabric of the universe has started to unravel, I must assure you that I am of sound mind and body and that, although this is an anomalous occurrence, it does in fact happen. Generally, it happens when I’m in the field chasing sharks, on a 36 hour flight, or, as in this case, when a pair of pants is just too cute to pass up….
Although I realize I am embarrassingly late to the party, I never managed to watch the Emmy winning show Mad Men when it was on (I know! don’t judge). While we lived in Australia, we were very much out of the loop with regards to when new shows were airing, because most things were many months behind, and got into a general habit of streaming old favorites and not really paying a lot of attention to shows that were au courant.
To me, there are definitely some items in my closet I just couldn’t live without. Usually described as “basics,” these are the staples of your wardrobe. It should be the pieces you know you can reach for that go with just about everything. Now, in my world, this probably doesn’t mean what you think it means. I’m not talking about black pants and neutrals. I find the basic foundation of my wardrobe include full skirts, novelty prints, bright colors and that perfect go-with-everything striped tee….
These days I do the bulk of my shopping online. I think this is partly due to the natural progression of technology – there is a veritable ambrosia of options with the few clicks of a button. And when I lived in Australia, I struggled to find shops that had the kind of clothing I loved, so I would naturally venture cyber-ward more and more. After so many years of being used to online shopping, I developed a practiced eye for the way something might fit me – a model or blogger shot could usually reveal whether the cut would…
As is true for most of us, I’m always on the lookout for ways to spice up my wardrobe. Although I absolutely have my tried and true shops I frequent (both vintage and vintage inspired), discovering a new shop comes with it it’s own thrill. In particular, I love discovering new small businesses – shops that source local material and put time and care into the art they create. Enter SAMDE La Jupe.