Archive for July, 2009
Friday, July 31st, 2009
The summer time is the best time to hop on your bike and take a ride around your neighbourhood or across town. The fresh air and scenic route is good for your soul and the environment, too. We were inspired by the idea of going green via the bicycle and what that lifestyle meant for the biking enthusiast. All of these items were found on Etsy.
First, how cool are these recycled bicycle part clocks? Just another way artists are looking to work with recycled materials, and we think these are awesome! We found lots of adorable prints of bicycles on everything from T-shirts to note cards, but we think nothing is better than a reusable canvas tote bag with cute little images of different kinds of bikes.
Now where to go? Can’t beat vintage shopping with one of our NYC vintage store maps! That sounds like the perfect bike ride to me. One must be comfortable in their outfit when they bike. This light weight blue ice cream print dress and red canvas wedge shoes will keep you looking and feeling cool this summer!
1) Recycled bike wheel clock#1 $109 from Pixel This shop on Etsy
2) Recycled bike clock #2 $32 from 1byliz shop on Etsy
3) Recycled bike clock #3 $57 from Pixel This shop on Etsy
4) VSG NYC vintage store map $5
5) Blue ice cream dress $39.99 from Tnunu shop on Etsy
6) Bike print bag $6 from The Bold Banana shop on Etsy
7) Red wedge shoes $32 from Mint Print shop on Etsy
Tags: bicycle, bike clock, recycle, recycle bike parts, tote bags
Posted in Shopping & Gifts | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Everyone knows that wearing vintage is great for the environment. After all, the three R’s of vintage are: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. However this online vintage store is taking the idea of going green to a whole new level! Zuburbia.com recently launched its e-commerce site where they sell vintage clothing. However, they are truly pushing the envelope when it comes to promoting the actions of going green from their laundering with eco-detergents to the use of recycled packaging materials and soy-based inks. Did we mention that 20% of all fur and reptile sales are donated to animal activist charities, and ten trees are planted with every order? Wow! Doesn’t that make you just want to go hug a tree right now?
Mary Kincaid, founder of Zuburbia.com, has been a vintage dealer for over a decade. She was looking for a way to combine her love of vintage clothing with the green movement. Kincaid tells us, “By its very nature vintage clothing is green. However, there were no “green” vintage stores.” Zuburbia.com set out to change that.
The site was originally a blog that Kincaid wrote that coincided with her vintage dealings, which she also used to promote eco-friendly awareness. The popular site has now re-launched into a totally green vintage e-commerce site with a community behind it. Kincaid is using this already established community to help build its resources by promoting the idea of working as a village. You can become a “Vintage Crusader” and get credit toward future purchases when you “swap” your previously Zuburbia purchased items for a new one. You can also collect a “finders fee” when you give them a heads up on vintage collections soon to be available (estate liquidations, etc.). All in all I would have to say that Zuburbia.com is a beautiful example of what vintage can mean to us all.
Tags: eco fashion, eco-detergents, eco-friendly, soy-based inks, vintage clothing, Zuburbia.com
Posted in News & Events | No Comments »
Monday, July 27th, 2009
Hop the pond from Manhattan over to Brooklyn and there is a nest of hidden gems waiting to be uncovered. Brooklyn has grown over the years into a hot bed of young artist and creative professionals. There is a cloister of vintage shops in Williamsburg Brooklyn waiting to be explored. Just take the L train to the first stop and get off on Bedford Ave.
1. Beacon’s Closet – (88 North 11th Street) This industrial location turned retail space brings in young stylish people in droves. The store is jam packed with inexpensive lightly worn and vintage casual pieces all coordinated by color. They offer mostly women’s and a fairly large selection of men’s clothing with a smattering of accessories and shoes for each.
2. Fluke – (86 N 6th Street) This is a fairly new addition to the Williamsburg area, but it is no Fluke that it is raising a lot of attention. This store has a tight selection of dressier vintage pieces that are perfect for going out in. There are beautiful additions to your wardrobe to be made here. They sell only women’s dresses, separates, and shoes. There are mostly European collections here that have been handpicked and styled for their clientele. The price ticket is higher, but so is the taste level.
3. Buffalo Exchange – (504 Driggs Ave.) This is just one of a huge chain of stores that built their reputation around the concept of swapping goods; hence “Exchange.” However, this franchise is clearly doing something right offering up a great selection of casual pieces from T-shirts to Western shirts, Levi’s to jean skirts. You will have plenty to pick through all at a low price.
4. Malin Landaeus – (155 N. 6th street) This tiny store offers up a great selection of middle of the road fashion. It’s not super casual, but not designer fancy either. It is just right! They stock floor to ceiling women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. You are sure to find a new outfit or two here. Prices are middle of the road too.
5. Amarcord Vintage Fashion – (223 Bedford Ave.) Amarcord is where you are going to find your upscale European designers and other hard to find labels. This store is stocked with carefully selected and well merchandised goodies that are brought over from seasonal buying trips to Europe; especially Italy the home town of owners Patti Bardoni & Marco Liotta. This is the sister store to its Manhattan location. The company has made a name for itself working with fashion industry professionals. They have another inspiration studio location that is open by appointment only where they work exclusively with designers, stylists, and media where items are available for rent or purchase.
6. Horizons– (377 Metropolitan Ave.)This is a tiny little store off the beaten path owned by stylist Breanne DiDomenico. She hand picks all the items herself. For the most part each of the items are really intended to be statement pieces. They are a little on the pricey side, but you won’t be disappointed with the selection.
7. 10 ft. Single by Stella Dallas – (285 North 6th Street) This is a fun, BoHo style, Hawaii 50 inspired shop. It has a huge selection of stylish casual wear for both men and women that will add fab additions to any wardrobe. When you walk in you feel super relaxed with beach boards overhead. Prices are very reasonable and the staff is very friendly and helpful. This is actually the sister store to its Manhattan location, Stella Dallas, which is smaller and more South West inspired.
8. Sweet Virginia Vintage – (164 Havemeyer Street) This store is not shown on the map, but just walk four blocks down on Havemeyer Street between 2nd & 3rd and you can’t miss it. This is also a new comer to the neighborhood. It offers a little something different as many of its items are reworked vintage! The reinvented looks are casual and fun with prices very cool to your wallet.
Tags: fashion, shopping, vintage accessories, vintage clothing, vintage shoes
Posted in Walking Tour Maps | 19 Comments »
Friday, July 24th, 2009
Naomi Campbell with her Birkin
Have you been lusting for the famed Hermès Birkin handbag but can’t afford the hefty price tag? On November 10th, 2009 the House of Hermes will host its annual charity event. Celebrities donate their vintage Hermès Birkin handbags to be auctioned off. Proceeds will benefit The White Ribbon Alliance, a charity aimed at stopping women’s mortality in childbirth. The most recent celeb to take part in the cause is Naomi Campbell, who is a global ambassador. She is donating her pale green alligator Birkin.
The tradition of celebs donating their famed Hermès Birkin bags started after Jane Birkin auctioned off her namesake purse, followed by Princess Stephanie of Monaco contributing a bag that belonged to her mother Grace Kelly. The iconic Birkin bag is known for having a three-year waiting list and retails from $6,000 and up for more exotic skins like Campbell’s version.
Tags: auction, Birkin, charity, Hermès, vintage accessories, vintage handbags
Posted in News & Events | 6 Comments »
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Do you have vintage items that you want to sell but don’t know where to get started? We are here to help! The first thing you need to determine is which vintage store or dealer you are going to sell your items to. Not all vintage stores are alike. Each store has its own niche and its own customer base. So you will need to do your homework to find out which stores might be interested in what you have to offer. This is not as hard as it sounds. It simply requires that you visit a few different stores. By looking at what type of merchandise is currently in a store, you can decently gauge whether or not your items will be of interest to the store owners. If you are trying to sell a pricey Chanel jacket, you are not going to want it sitting on a rack of $50 price tickets. No! You want your jacket hobnobbing with other designer brand items with comparable price tags.
Start by looking on the Vintage Shopping Guide’s store listing page. You can do a search by city or by state. This will give you a list of all “true vintage” stores in your area.
Now that you know where you want to sell your goods here are some tips:
- Make an appointment. Do NOT show up unannounced! Stores might only look at potential merchandise on specific days or times when the store is not as busy or when the owner is there.
- Are your items right for the season? Don’t try to sell your fur coat in the dead heat of summer! Vintage stores do not have huge warehouses to store items. They buy for right now to fill their racks. Hold off until the right time to sell or you may be losing money.
- Size does matter! The size of your item will help determine whether or not the dealer can easily resell it. That goes for shoes too! If you have a rare size (big or small) it doesn’t mean that no one will buy it. It just means you may not get as much for it because it will likely sit on the shelf longer.
- Designer or Generic. Just because something has a designer name does not mean it is going to sell for a higher ticket. People are willing to pay more for something special; not a generic silhouette.
- Give the dealer a break. At the end of the day you are still selling used clothing. Keep in mind when you are negotiating the price for your items that the shop owner has expenses for running a store and still needs to make a profit. Be reasonable!
To read more about how to sell your vintage clothing and accessories check out our e-book: How to Make Money Cleaning Out Your Closet. It goes into detail on the five main places to sell your items: charity, resale shops, vintage stores, auctions, and online auctions. It’s just $9.99!
Tags: selling used clothing, vintage accessories, vintage clothing
Posted in Care & Storage | 7 Comments »
Monday, July 20th, 2009
I have been in deep thought lately about the future of fashion during this demanding time and how it relates to the designer. Stores and customers are really demanding two entirely different things from designers right now. Stores want to play it safe and offer good quality saleable items. Whereas the customer wants more than ever something new; something that gives them a reason buy. I think it’s very interesting to see the amount of creativity that has come out from the shows from this past Spring going into Fall. I am seeing three distinct trends: The true artist, structure unfolded, and return to the 80s. Today’s trend report will focus on the first.
Many designers are going back to their true core as artist and serving up some great fantastical items in both clothing and accessories. When I talk about artful designs I am talking specifically about garments that are either hand painted or designed to supersede trends. A walking form of art never goes out of style because it never was a trend to begin with. It is simply art.
Some of my faartists from the past you might think of are Emilio Pucci, Todd Odham, Marni, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Moschino.
The garments shown here from left: Emilio Pucci dress from 1960s, $425 from PoshGirl Vintage.com. Top right: Versace dress from 1980s $6000 from The Way We Wore sold on 1stdibs.com. Btm right: Therry Mugler rainbow dress from 1990, from The Way We Wore sold on 1stdibs.com.
Tags: 1stDibs.com, art, fashion, Pucci, vintage clothing
Posted in Trend Reports | No Comments »
Friday, July 17th, 2009
Vintage shoes can be a great addition to your wardrobe, but many people are a bit squeamish about how sanitary they are. We don’t blame you! Don’t turn down those fabulous pumps just yet. Here is what you need to know about buying vintage and used shoes and how to make them ready to wear once again.
First, let me point out that not all vintage shoes are even used. Many vintage dealers buy their products from what they call “dead stock” which means from the original manufacturers trying to offload old merchandise. Now this is certainly not the case from all vintage shops and/ or thrift stores. If you purchase used shoes you will want to disinfect them before wearing them, unless this has already been done for you. Follow these easy steps to disinfect and clean your used shoes.
- Pour half a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the outside of the shoes and let them sit for at least five minutes, killing any present bacteria. Be careful not to use an alcohol-based solution with more than 10% water, because this may water damage the shoes.
- Place the shoes in direct sunlight for two hours. This will dry the alcohol and help to remove any germs in the shoes.
- To disinfect the inside of the shoes mix 1/4 cup bleach with one cup water. Spray the mixture into the shoes. This will kill germs and fungus. Make sure that the bleach only touches the inside of the shoes. Allow the shoes to dry thoroughly. ***Note bleach may damage certain materials such as leather! This is why we say to be sure to only spray the inside of the shoes. As an alternative you can use a spray bottle full of antibacterial solution such as Lysol or another anti-fungal spray to the inside of the shoes. This will kill any fungus, such as athlete’s foot, and help to prevent it in the future.
- When in doubt, replace the insole completely. Dr. Scholl’s has really stepped up the technology on their famous insoles. You no longer have to settle for big, ugly pads. They even make an open toe version.
- To clean the outside of the shoes use a hand cloth and wet it with an alcohol-based cleaning solution. Rub and clean the outsides of the shoes. This will take any dirt out of the shoes.
- Spray the outside of the shoes with a disinfectant spray. This will kill some germs, but disinfectant sprays will usually only disinfect non-porous surfaces.
- To deodorize shoes try two options. 1) Fill two stockings with cat litter and baking soda. Place one stocking into each shoe. 2) Dust baking soda, any kind, on the insole. Leave overnight and dump out the next day. I think the first option is less messy personally.
- Air the shoes out for a night. Remove the laces and pull the tongue out as far as possible if applicable.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of cleaning your new vintage shoes yourself you can always take them to a nearby shoe repair shop.
Tags: disinfecting shoes, shoe cleaning, used shoes, vintage heels, vintage shoes
Posted in Care & Storage | 12 Comments »
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
I love big chunky jewelry. This season the easiest way to add glamour to a simple outfit is by adding oversized pieces that make a statement. We’ve been seeing abstract pieces from Vera Wang and other brooch style necklaces have become very popular.
Style Folio is a great online website that sells big beautiful bold statement jewelry. They are on our radar now that they have added vintage costume jewelry to their mix! If you don’t think you are the type of person who can pull off a bold necklace you need to check out their Trend Updates section where they mix cute outfits and show you how to wear the pieces in a fresh new way. Take this simply chic summer outfit. Nothing too special about shorts and a T-shirt untill you add this 1940s Art Deco stunning necklace of gold plated link designs that feature Black Onyx cylinders decorated with gold tiered detailing trimmed in Rhinestones.
Yvette Craddock, founder of Style Folio, tells me, “As a collector of vintage jewelry, I felt like adding key vintage pieces would be a logical addition to StyleFolioJewelry.com which is devoted to bold, modern and luxurious jewelry. My love for wearing and collecting vintage jewelry began with the purchase of a 1940’s long blue glass and pearl necklace and earring set from Germany. I remember the day in the early ‘90’s that I fell in love with these pieces while shopping in a quaint Ventura Boulevard store in Sherman Oaks, California. These pieces marked the beginning of my personal collection that has grown with my travels and my personal style evolution. There is something undeniably breathtaking about vintage pieces.” We have to agree!
Black + Jet by StyleFolio featuring Diesel bags
Tags: Art Deco, costume jewelry, shopping, Style Folio, vintage, vintage accessories, vintage jewelry
Posted in Trend Reports | No Comments »
Monday, July 13th, 2009
Yoox.com, the Italian e-commerce site for exclusive and hard to find designer and couture apparel and accessories, appears to be going back in time once again. This time to the glitz and glam of the 80s with a new collection of vintage costume jewelry made available exclusively by Deanna Farneti Cera an avid collector and jewelry historian. The author of seven books, Farneti Cera is recognized worldwide as one of the foremost experts on costume jewelry.
Just to give you an idea of how rare this collection is consider throughout Farneti Cera’s career she has had the opportunity to deal directly with designers and their factories, and has amassed thousands of items for her personal collection. Many of these pieces are one-of-a-kind prototypes never put into production and unique samples made for the runway. “A sale like this is a testament to the collector’s knowledge, taste, and choices, and it allows me to re-distribute the same pleasure that the I found in bringing these items together,” she says.
This collection is just the beginning. Farneti Cera has partnered exclusively with Yoox.com to offer a series of themed sales. The first is “Return to the 80’s” which began July 8th and includes approximately 20 pieces from Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, Ugo Correani for Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld and others. We look forward to future collaborations which promise to be every bit as historic and exciting!
Tags: Christian Lacroix, costume jewelry, Deanna Farneti Cera, designer jewelry, Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, shopping, Ugo Correani, vintage jewelry, Yoox.com, Yves Saint Laurent
Posted in News & Events | 12 Comments »
Friday, July 10th, 2009
vintage lingerie by Ballyhoo Vintage
This week was Paris couture fashion week. One of the most outstanding shows was John Galliano for Christian Dior who sent models out half dressed. The designer said he was inspired by pictures from the houses fashion shows from the 1950s taken behind the scenes where models were getting ready.
His Fall 2009 collection was a mix of intricate corsetry and structured jackets and voluptuous petticoats. Models wore combinations such as exquisite tap shorts or girdles with a Bar jacket that revealed an embellished corset underneath.
Could we be seeing a new trend developing for wearing your undergarments as outerwear or under layers of transparency? Trends have always trickled their way down from the fashion elite into the main stream. No doubt that these divine master pieces of lingerie will find their way onto the streets. Do not be surprised if sales of thigh high panty hose, girdles, and crinoline skirts sky rocket this Fall!
But need us not forget that vintage lingerie offers this same high quality workmanship, beautiful detailing, at half the price. There are several vintage dealers that specialize exclusively in vintage lingerie with a wide selection to choose from. Check out a recent interview with Illisa Goldman owner of Illisa’s Vintage Lingerie. I picked the above vintage pieces all from www.Ballyhoovintage.com.
Tags: Christian Dior, couture, fashion, John Galliano, lingerie, shopping, vintage, vintage lingerie
Posted in Trend Reports | 6 Comments »
