A few weeks back I had my annual closet clearout. It’s always such a good feeling to pass on things you no longer wear to fellow vintage-lovers who can be another chapter in their story. But, as my husband always says, it’s not really a closet clearout. It’s really a “Make Room for New Dresses.” He clearly doesn’t know me at all…
Ever since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with Broadway musicals. While my sister was rocking out to the latest boy band, I was belting out showtunes in my bedroom. And I knew them all: I languished over Les Miserables, playing Eponine and her unrequited love. I was Christine, both fearful of the Phantom and hypnotized by his music. I hopped and skipped around the furniture to Cats, rode the horses in Carousel, and allowed myself to be eaten by the greed of Audrey 2 in Little Shop of Horrors. It’s safe to say I was a dramatic teenager.
I must admit, the last few months of summer have been pretty blissful. Although there’s the normal stress of day to day, I’ve luxuriated in the lack of frantic lecture writing and racing between campus and my office. I think it’s so important to stop and appreciate the downtime, because before I know it, the fall semester will be greeting me with a knowing smirk.
It’s that time of year again! Every year, I try to charge forth into my wardrobe and clear out things that I haven’t worn in awhile. Particularly with vintage, I always feel it’s been entrusted to me for a period of time, only to be passed on to the next woman who will be a part of her story.
Okay, I’m going to level with you. Occasionally, pants happen. Now, before you think that the fabric of the universe has started to unravel or I’ve been possessed by some trouser-wearing demon, those days are few and far between. They are usually reserved for things like moving house, field work, and traveling. Or if it’s a Dark Day (in which case, best to just walk on by). But, there is one other event that I rarely ever speak of: and it’s when a pair of trousers is just too darn cute to pass up.
When readers email me and ask for advice, I’m more than happy to give my opinion. More often than not, it’ll turn into a post of some sort: my favorite crinolines or my makeup must-haves. Well, lately the running theme seems to be: where can I get the vintage look in modern sizes? And whether you love vintage but want a few vintage-inspired pieces to mix in to your wardrobe, or you love the look but don’t have the time to put into the care true vintage requires, or you’ve become a bit frustrated with your favorite vintage-inspired retailers: this is the…
Oh, hello there June! Now that we are officially in the throws of summer, I can’t think of a better way to officially kick off the season than with a summer Lust List. There’s just something about this weather that inspires all shops to unearth the most amazing vintage. My wishlist and I almost can’t keep up!
For every bit of floral and polka dot I swoon over, novelty prints really are my jam. You just know when you see one that the person who created it had a sense of whimsy about them. And if there’s one thing I love in my clothing, it’s a sense of whimsy. Enter UK-based clothing brand Voodoo Vixen, with a bevy of beautiful vintage-inspired styles. When scrolling through this season’s offerings, I couldn’t help but notice that every piece came complete with a wink – an adorable detail, a unique print – which always inspires me to step outside of the norm.
You are all very well aware of my love for novelty handbags. The cuter and more ornate the better. So, it’s no surprise that I instantly fell in love with Vendula London when I reviewed their Chocolatier Grab Bag last year. I get more excited every season to see their latest releases, as they are definitely a company with no shortage of ideas. The instant this Circus Box Bag came across my retinas, I was ready to run away with the circus…
This past weekend I did something I haven’t done in months: I painted my nails. I realize this seems like a very mundane thing to most people; but for me painting my nails has always been the purest form of indulgence. Because when you work in a profession like mine, you are quite literally getting your hands dirty in one shark or another, or clattering away on the keys of a computer for hours on end. Thanks to these occupational hazards, it’s unlikely that a manicure will ever last very long. But somehow it never matters. It doesn’t matter if it looks…