pleats and folds

i love this vintage dress so much. good fabric, great color, and amazing details. sara at used & abused didn't even have to alter it for me- it fits like a glove. she actually thinks that it was a home made dress- can you imagine? i wore this out on saturday with my grandmother's mink swing coat. some odd looks were thrown my way on the subway but i couldn't have been happier!

vintage dress from used & abused, club monaco belt, h&m wedge booties

black & blue

this skirt is heaven. a gift from the used & abused girls, i smile every time i see it in my over-crowded closet. something about the way the leather was broken in makes it fit like a glove. that's me being nosey and watching my neighbors out the bay windows- not, by any means, attempting to strike a pose.

vintage skirt, american apparel tshirt, aldo shoes

shop til you drop

just a brief weekend update:
our good friends sara and jazz over at used & abused are putting on their first trunk show featuring one of a kind and re-worked vintage clothing. there will also be vintage jewelery and accessories for sale. the best part is they're offering 10% off when you rsvp. if you're in nyc stop by for some shopping, a glass of wine, and a hello to the girls of used & abused and rara.avis.

details:
used & abused trunk show
saturday december 6th
1-8pm
soho
620 broadway, 2R
btwn houston and bleecker
email sarawidya@usedandabusedshop.com to rsvp and to receive 10% off all day

follow their blog and check their website for more details. hope to see you there!

(also, more examples of their vintage clothing can be found here on our blog)

more inspiration...

outfit posts will resume tomorrow--i promise!

in the meantime, jennine over at the coveted has a great interview with indie fashion photographer courtney brooke hall. head over there and then check out courtney's flickr for even more amazing photos. all of her work has this unbelievable vintage feel to it--it's incredible. i am much more of a fan of this 70s-style vintage feel than the more dainty stuff from the 30s, 40s, 50s (sorry anyone who's ultra-girly and loves that stuff--it's nothing personal!) this is just much more my style. :)



(all photos found randomly via the internet and copyright, of course, belongs the lovely ms. hall)

ebay fun

i'm pretty much addicted to shopping on ebay for vintage clothing. there's something about being able to browse all high-waisted skirts or size 8 1/2 shoes that really appeals to my inner organizer. i also think there's a lot to be said for walking away the "winner" of an auction- the thrill of victory can be a little bit like crack. and, as you probably guessed, i'm coming down off a high right now.

last night i won this great wool jacket. the details at the shoulders and collar totally won me over. the downside is i'm already jonesing for my next fix!

like what you see? check out thefamilyvintage on ebay. but be forewarned, I have my eye on that leather trench...

black, gray, and blue

i wore this out last week to a beck concert. obviously i don't get out much because if i did i would have known that this is way too much clothing to wear to a hot, sweaty show. it was easy enough to lose the jacket but i think there would have been a problem if i'd taken my boots off...

thirfted navy blazer, american apparel tshirt, richard chai for target skirt, steve madden boots, vintage necklaces

vintage bags

i kind of have a thing for collections...

i assassin down the avenue

i love plaid. especially oversized plaid that is reminiscent of early 90s grunge and especially when it is mixed with stripes (what can i say, i'm an all or nothing kind of girl when it comes to patterns). i can't help it, i've just always had a little grunge in me.



(plaid shirt: vintage, striped cami: f21, jeans: uniqlo, shoes: bakers)

all my lies are always wishes

the oversized men's shirt. perfection, especially in dress form.





brooks brother's mens shirt, vintage red leather belt, nine west heels

the long and short of it

this skirt use to be about two feet longer- it looked scary and more than a little amish. jessie and i found it thrifting together and she was savy enough to tell me to take it home. after a good wash and a trip to the tailor's it's my all time favorite skirt. the pockets, the color, and the pleats are all perfection.

jcrew tank, vintage skirt, aldo platforms, club monaco belt, grandmother's necklace

jumping on the lace bandwagon

inspired by the prada fall 2008 show and all of the bloggers who have experimented with this look before me, i knew i just had to give it a go too.





grandmother's dress, express lace tights, h&m booties

proof that cheap can sometimes be chic

like most people, i hate spending a ton of money on clothing. it is just so not necessary. actually, some of my favorite pieces in the world (and the ones that get the most reaction from people) are from thrift stores. i'm sure most of you could probably say the same. that being said, these pants were quite a surprise from a random trip to forever 21. they are well made (especially by f21 standards) even double lined! i love them, they are the perfect amount of drama without being out of control.




blouse: vintage, pants: f21, belt: f21

used & abused

this past weekend Jessie and I were lucky enough to take part in a photo shoot for our friend's new vintage clothing store on ebay. the shop, Used & Abused, offers original re-worked vintage clothing. with open backs and higher hem lines as some of their signature alterations, the pieces really trandscend the years working amazingly well today.

so this past saturday, for about eight hours, I tried on the most amazing outfits while Jessie and our friend styled the looks with an endless supply of shoes, socks, jewelery, belts, and hats. basically it was three girls playing dress up, fueled by spanish food and a bit of gin. in other words, it was heaven. here are some of my favorite looks. all of the clothing should be available soon at Used & Abused's ebay store.

Aren't the shoes great too? I'm trying to figure out if I can possibly afford the Tod's booties in the last photo and how I can borrow/walk in Jessie's shoes from the first photo...

wishing the summer away

towards the end of august I'm always over-eager for fall to begin. maybe it's the thick, glossy autumn magazines or perhaps the anticipation of layering. this year one thing's for sure- I'm itching to break out my new vintage coats!

first 3 photos: Used & Abused vintage cape, club monaco belt, h&m booties -- second 3 photos: grandmother's mink coat from the 50s, parasuco jeans, grandmother's feather lariat necklace from the 60s, vintage red studded heels from the brooklyn flea

black magic

lately, i've been really obsessed with finding a long black jumper. it is such an easy, complete look (or maybe i'm just lazy). while the shorts versions are very cute, sometimes they can feel a bit too five year old/romper-ish on me (i'm only 5'3''). this one is perfect though, i couldn't be happier.

next up on the thrifting wish list: coveralls a la punky b





jumper: vintage (from used and abused vintage), shoes: aldo mirror platforms, belt: kristin's