Couch dress

This dress is basically made of upholstery fabric. It reminds me both of William Morris' textile designs and of the Grace Coddington-directed couture photo shoot from The September Issue. I'm pretty fond of it, in spite of its beat-up lining and half-broken zipper (the bottom part is sewn shut?), and it's definitely loads more weather-appropriate than the 1940's rayon dresses I've been reaching for these days.

Also, I couldn't resist purchasing Frankie's latest tote bag. Hers was one of the first blogs I fell in love with, and I'm constantly at risk of spending all my money in her online shop. Speaking of which, I've been trying to track down new blogs to follow. Any recommendations?

Outfit details:
1960's dress purchased from local vintage sellers Vince and Michelle
Gap cardigan (that I've had since high school)
Lawrence Hare tote bag
Nine West heels

Lately

A new clothing rack that is slowly filling up with favorites.

Morning light on a 1920's velvet dress embellished with pearls.

A trio of old apothecary bottles. The tallest one is a really subtle lilac color that's difficult to capture on film.

My antique treadle sewing machine (purchased at a florist's closing sale) covered in jewelry, hats, and miscellany.

My treasured 1940's varsity sweater.

On feedsack dresses and Egyptian shawls

I've been wanting to post pictures of this 30's feedsack dress since I bought it back in October, but it was a really strange length, and almost every seam had a break in it. My mending pile is truly ridiculous at this point, but I finally tackled the dress a couple weeks ago and braved the wind this morning to take a few photos. I love the perfectly faded fabric and the time and care that likely went into cutting apart multiple feedsacks and transforming them into a dress.

In other news, I just had a really wonderful bit of estate sale luck. I paid $2 for a long shawl made of ecru netting embroidered with metal. After doing a bit of research, I learned that this kind of fabric is called Assuit and has been made in Egypt since the late 1800's. Assuit was introduced to the U.S. at the 1893 Chicago Exposition and became really popular after the 1922 discovery of King Tut's tomb. I wish I knew the history of my particular shawl. When exactly was it made, and how did it find its way to Pittsburgh?

What are your best estate sale/flea market/thrift store/etc. finds?

Outfit details:
1930's dress purchased from local vintage sellers Vince and Michelle (and shortened by me)
Thrifted heels

Dreamboat dress

It seems that all I want to wear lately are dresses in shades of cream and blush. So when I saw this 1930's dress at a local vintage shop, I purchased it without a second thought! It's a total dreamboat as far as I'm concerned. A perfect silhouette, floral lace, beautiful seams... I had to take a few photos in it today, in spite of the cold weather.

Also featured in these photos is my new-to-me vintage Scottie dog. When I saw him in an antique store in Monongahela, it was love at first sight. (I may have teared up when my sister suggested leaving him behind...) The shop owner told me that he belonged to a former opera singer now in her eighties. She apparently lives in a massive house filled to the brim with interesting objects and occasionally swings by the shop to sell a few things. I love this little guy so much, and I feel like it's easier to justify purchasing old stuffed toys when they are as tiny as he.

Outfit details:
1930's lace dress via Yesterday's News (a Pittsburgh vintage shop)
Victorian mourning necklace via The Deeps
Coach belt
Nine West heels

Bits, part two

I've been meaning to do another post about the old things I pick up at estate sales, flea markets, and antique stores, and online. The light was really nice the other day, so I gathered some favorites from the past few months and took photos. It's funny how attached I become to worn-in stuffed animals and old tins, but I find them oddly beautiful and comforting. All the little scuffs and cracks are a part of a history that I may never know, and I think that's pretty great.

A 1950's poodle trinket box. When this little guy popped up in one of my ebay searches, I submitted a best offer and crossed my fingers, and luckily, the seller accepted! I've been having a surprising amount of luck making offers on ebay, even when listings don't include the best offer feature. There's definitely a possibility that I'll offend a seller or two, but I need to save my money for tuition, and besides, every good flea market shopper wants the best price!

The most recent addition to my antique mourning jewelry collection (and another ebay purchase)--a Victorian-era rolled gold and woven hair brooch.

My long sought-after JHP Paris seahorse bracelet! These pieces were made in the 1930's and were sold in French department stores to coincide with Jean Painleve's 1934 film The Seahorse. (The blue pieces are bakelite and are super pretty in person.) I see JHP Paris jewelry on ebay from time to time, and I'd like to get a little collection going.

A set of date stamps manufactured in 1910. I found this set at a local antique mall and immediately fell in love with the tin's beautiful typography.

An Elsa Schiaparelli makeup compact. Like a lot of vintage-loving folks, I'm a huge Schiaparelli fan. And even though it's her early work that has my heart, I couldn't resist buying this compact at a recent estate sale.

A vintage (1930's, I believe) tin for Three Flowers Dusting Powder by Richard Hudnut. I found this at the Scott Antique Market in Columbus, Ohio, back in November. The show was enormous, incredible, and a little overwhelming. I came home with lots of new-to-me things, though, including a vintage Halloween cat whistle that I love to an embarrassing extent. I don't even think he's that old, but after passing him up on my first pass through the Scott Antique Market, I begged my sister to help me track him back down. He's currently sitting in a place of honor on top of my dresser alongside an old pumpkin decoration from my grandparents' house.

First post of 2013!

I've been experimenting a lot with my hair the past few days, and last night I slept in sponge rollers. I'm pretty happy with the result, though I felt a bit poodle-ish right after taking the curlers out. (If you know of any good online hair tutorials, let me know.)

Also, I obviously don't understand how to dress during the winter, in spite having lived in the Northeast my entire life. My hands and feet were completely numb by the time I finished taking photos!

Outfit details:
1940's dress via ebay
J.Crew cardigan
Nine West heels
1960's barrette via the Washington Antiques Fair