Memory of summer

Yesterday The Style Line celebrated their first anniversary at Mid-Atlantic Mercantile in Lawrenceville. Shop owner Emily Slagel invited my sister and I to bring a capsule collection of late-summer vintage clothing to the event, and we spent the afternoon sipping cocktails from the Livermore and generally having an amazing time.

I wore this vintage 1950's skirt that I found at an estate sale a few weeks ago. It's an unusual garment. The skirt has button holes around its hem, and the button holes fasten onto buttons around the hem of the attached half-slip, creating a bustle effect. The colors remind me of childhood vacations to North Carolina--peaceful and nostalgic and surprisingly reflective of my mood these days.

Outfit details:
Anthropologie camisole
1950's skirt (part of a blouse and skirt set) purchased at an estate sale
Vintage shell necklace purchased at a flea market
Madewell heels

Underneath

Every so often I suffer from vintage burn-out. A customer is unhappy with a dress. Or a pile of garments purchased at an estate sale turn out to be riddled with holes. Or my vintage collection seems lacking compared to the items I "like" on Instagram... Vintage burn-out. Something usually shakes me out of it, and this time, it was the outfit I'm wearing in these photos and--more specifically--a friend's reaction to it. The notion that 100-year-old undergarments can look modern and interesting is so, so great! And the possibility that an outfit might spark someone else's creativity is even better.

Outfit details:
Edwardian blouse purchased at an estate sale
Edwardian skirt purchased at a flea market
J.Crew slip
1950's belt purchased at an estate sale
Madewell heels
Victorian mourning necklace via The Deeps
Antique bracelet purchased at an estate sale

Almost summer

It isn't summer yet, but it sure feels like it. I've been drinking almost-daily frappuccinos (which I can only justify because I still have Starbucks gift cards left over from Christmas), and ladybugs have taken up residence in one of my bedroom windows. Two signs that the weather is changing. It was actually a little warm for jeans, but I felt very summery in this high-rise pair from Gap and a funny 80's wrap top that I tied in an enormous bow. And the bracelet! A few weeks ago I went to an estate sale with tons of vintage jewelry. It was mostly costume and not all that old, but while I was digging, the woman running the sale started unpacking some extra boxes. She handed me a Ziploc bag filled with jewelry, and when I opened it, I realized it was all Victorian! Portrait pins, lockets, monogrammed bracelets, etc. This bracelet was one of my favorites in the bag, and it only cost me $3!

Outfit details:
Vintage polka dot wrap top via etsy
Anthropologie tank
Gap jeans
Nine West flats
Antique bracelet purchased at an estate sale

Ode to common things

The Chilean poet Pablo Neruda loved "things." His three homes are filled with his treasures--colored glass, figureheads from old ships, masks from around the world--and he composed odes to birds, to salt, to socks. In "Ode to Common Things," he writes, "many things conspired to tell me the whole story. Not only did they touch me, or my hand touched them: they were so close that they were a part of my being, they were so alive with me that they lived half my life and will die half my death." He believed that everything ever made bore "the trace of someone’s fingers on their handle or surface, the trace of a distant hand lost in the depths of forgetfulness."

I can relate to Pablo Neruda, because that's exactly how I feel about vintage clothing. That by slipping on a dress I might be able to share a piece of the previous owner's spirit. It's not about capital-F Fashion at all. So I wasn't even mad today when the wind kept blowing my dress askew or passersby stared. I felt romantic and content, illuminated by the hazy afternoon sunlight, and it was a nice feeling.

Outfit details:
1940's dress via Dethrose Vintage
Madewell heels

Lately

I know it's a little silly to start a blog post by talking about the weather, so I'll keep it short and just say that we've had a few really beautiful days in Pittsburgh. I've been eyeing my floral rayons all winter, and I finally pulled one out of my closet for a coffee and tea date with my sister.

Nothing much new to report since I last updated this blog. Life has been dance studio choreography, yoga classes, and prep for the Vintage Mixer. It's this Saturday, April 12th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Heinz History Center, and I'll be selling clothing from the 20's through the 60's. If you're in the area, I'd love to see you there!

Outfit details:
1940's dress via etsy
Coach belt
Nine West flats

Cozy

Today was finally "warm" enough for an outfit that didn't involve multiple layers of pants. Bundled up in cozy flannel, thick wool, and an oversized hat from knitting rockstar Yokoo (purchased during her fantastic after-Thanksgiving sale), I felt very much like a Scandinavian grandma.

Outfit details:
Penfield shirt via Mid-Atlantic Mercantile (a Pittsburgh clothing boutique)
1950's wool skirt purchased at an estate sale
1940's men's bowling shoes purchased at a (different) estate sale
Yokoo hand-knit "English Thompson Hat" in "Walnut Shell"
J.Crew belt

Animal crackers in my soup

I recently purchased 28 Fashion Frocks style cards. Fashion Frocks was a dress manufacturing company located in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1908 to the 1970's. They sold their dresses door-to-door (Avon style) and gave their salespeople sample cards with illustrations of each dress style accompanied by fabric swatches. The Fashion Frocks cards I purchased are from the early 1940's, and feeling inspired by the gorgeous printed rayons, I decided to toss on this fun elephant dress I got for a tiny sum (in the neighborhood of $20) from Lawrence. It seems that folks who collect vintage have a couple categories they love best--printed cotton 50's dresses, Edwardian whites, or, in my case, printed rayon 30's/40's dresses (along with a few others). In that spirit, I'll be posting scans of those Fashion Frocks cards within the next few days.

Outfit details:
1930's dress via Lawrence
Golden Ponies heels

Chicago-Style

I purchased this 1960's knit set at Market Supply Co. in Chicago. I mostly hated the new Bonnie and Clyde miniseries, but Bonnie's wardrobe of colorful 1930's knit sets and slouchy berets was outrageously good. The nice thing about the set I'm wearing in these photos is that it looks like something out of the 20's or 30's but is actually much sturdier. (I have plenty of almost-too-precious-to-wear vintage dresses.) Topped with a winter coat, it was perfect for a quick stop at Phipps to check out the winter flower show.

Outfit details:
1960's does 1920's knit set via Market Supply Co.
J.Crew belt
Nina Payne heels via Anthropologie

Chicago

My brother always comes to Pittsburgh for the holidays, but this year, when he left for Wisconsin, he took my sister and I along with him. We've been here since Saturday, and yesterday, we visited Chicago. It was a wonderful, busy day, and though I didn't take very many photos, I wanted to share the few that I did.

I really wanted to see Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, even though it was outrageously cold. (I just looked it up, and it was 14 degrees yesterday afternoon.) My brother, sister, and I took turns snapping touristy photos of one another. In this one, you can see me clutching a bag of goodies from Market Supply Co., a vintage shop partially owned by Karyn of Dethrose Vintage and located in the Pilsen neighborhood. Karyn was nice enough to open her shop just for my sister and I, and it was even better than I expected. I wish I had taken a few photos while we were in there, but I didn't want to seem like a creepy fangirl. Luckily, Leilani of Thriftaholic already wrote up an amazing post (with tons of gorgeous photos) about the shop prior to their grand opening in September. And my purchases--a 1950's barkcloth skirt and a 1960's does 1930's knit set--should make their way onto the blog soon enough.

Another view of the Bean. (Shortly after taking this photo, we hustled to Intelligentsia Coffee, where I ordered a much-needed latte.)

We ended our day at The Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and debuted as a science museum during the 1933-1934 Century of Progress Exposition. I've always been pretty fond of the World's Fairs, especially the Century of Progress, so I was psyched to check out the museum. In this photo, I'm standing in front of the 999 Steam Locomotive, "The World's Fastest Locomotive" (112.5 mph), which was displayed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

Outfit details: Top purchased at an antique shop in Monongahela, PA || 1950's corduroy skirt via Wildfell Hall Vintage || 1940's knit turban via sonnet and bough || 1950's mink collar via Bohemian Bisoux || L.L.Bean boots and camp socks

And a photo of my brother's adorable cat, Maya. Because cats!

Small Business Saturday

Apart from two brief stops at Anthropologie (where I won a pretty set of ceramic measuring spoons) and Gap (where I buy most of my dance teacher clothes), I tried to avoid this year's Black Friday crowds. Instead, I visited a few local antique shops, and today, I went to Butler Street in Lawrenceville for Small Business Saturday.

I was determined to take outfit photos in spite of the cold. While I really wanted to wear a rayon 40's dress (a brown and teal polka dotted one in particular), this cozy, layered get-up seemed a little more appropriate. You'd think I'd be used to the cold after spending so many Saturday mornings standing outside in estate sale lines, but apparently, I'm not. Just look how pink my hands are!

Lastly, I have lots of new findings to share with you guys: a 1950's sailor-inspired playsuit that I'm slowly bringing back to life, a perfectly worn-in pair of bowling shoes from the 1940's, loads of great dresses for the shop... Stay tuned!

Outfit details:
J.Crew men's chambray shirt
J.Crew men's cardigan
1950's wool skirt via Hey Betty! (a local vintage shop)
J.Crew belt
Bass Outlet boots
L.L.Bean camp socks

Wardrobe staples

My new job at the theater allows me to dress up a little more, as opposed to the dance studio where I wear a less than exciting mix of tank tops and yoga pants from Lululemon and Gap. After finishing grad school, I felt a little strange putting together fancy outfits for the blog when all I really wanted to wear were oversized button-downs and jeans. I still lean towards jeans these days (especially for late evening shifts), but I try to put in a bit more effort every now and again. And I do feel more myself in outfits like this one--all dresses and layers and vintage clothes with history.

I will say that while I love my pretty rayon 40's dresses and vintage wool sweaters, they're such a pain to clean! I'm also getting to a point where my most treasured vintage pieces seem almost too precious to wear, so sturdy cotton dresses like this plaid number quickly become wardrobe staples.

Outfit details:
1950's dress purchased from my friend Amanda
Thrifted H&M striped top
Coach belt
Nine West heels

On new jobs and girls of the woods

This is the outfit I plan on wearing tomorrow for the first day of my new job. I'm going to be the House Manager for a local nonprofit community theater. At 26 years old, I already feel so much pressure to have a capital-C Career, but I think for now, this part-time position--in addition to my dance teaching job--feels right. I'm just happy to be working for a really fantastic arts organization.

In an Instagram post, Kater from all this happiness described her outfit as "girl of the woods goes to the mall," and I feel like that's the direction I'm headed in these days. Cable knit sweaters, well-worn boots, oversized button-downs, and lots of rich, earthy colors.

Outfit details:
Thrifted sweater (borrowed from my sister)
Vintage velvet skirt purchased at a church rummage sale
Bass Outlet boots
Vintage Paris souvenir bracelet purchased at a yard sale
1920's barkcloth tote via Demure Folk

Star-studded

This dress--a 1940's rayon number with star-shaped studs--is one of my favorite estate sale purchases. Something about the shape, especially paired with slightly ugly, chunky sandals, looks really modern to me. It came from a house that felt damp the moment I walked through the door. Most of the other dresses were literally rotten, but this one only had a few spots of rust on the studs and a little surface dirt.

It's starting to feel more like Fall here in Pittsburgh, especially with morning temperatures in the 40's. Dance classes are in full swing, and my muscles are screaming, so I tried to take it easy today, icing my ankle, sipping hot chocolate, and indulging in some terrible daytime television.

Outfit details:
1940's dress purchased at an estate sale
Coach belt
Madewell heels

Romero at Phipps

I've been sitting on these photos for a while now, because I couldn't decide whether or not I liked them. (I'm trying to get away from the whole look-down-and-away moody blogger pose. In my defense, it was really bright outside?) But this type of outfit--a printed cotton 50's skirt paired with one of my Madewell tees--was pretty much my uniform for the last semester of grad school. Summer already feels over to me, since dance classes start up again on Friday, and I wanted to post this outfit before I'd completely moved on.

I wore this to go see Phipps Conservatory's corpse flower, named "Romero" after the director of the 1968 zombie flick Night of the Living Dead, which was filmed near Pittsburgh. Corpse flowers only bloom once every 6-10 years for 24-48 hours, and for 12 of those hours, they emit a strong odor that resembles rotting flesh (hence the name). Romero bloomed on August 20th, and I hustled over to Phipps right around opening time the following morning. It's a pretty strange-looking plant--like a 6-foot-tall prehistoric peace lily--and I'm glad I was able to catch it while it was blooming. There were also several families there when I went, and it made me irrationally happy watching little kids run around with their noses pinched, dramatically complaining about the smell!

Outfit details:
Madewell tee
Vintage 50's skirt via Very Vintage Store
H&M flats

Knit the Bridge

Earlier this month, a group of 1,900 (!!) volunteers from Pittsburgh and the surrounding area covered the Andy Warhol/7th Street Bridge with 508 knitted, crocheted, and woven blankets. I heard about the project, called Knit the Bridge, a few months ago, and I checked out the finished installation yesterday. It is gorgeous, especially lit by the late afternoon sun, and I couldn't be more excited to see community arts initiatives taking place here in Pittsburgh. So awesome.

Outfit details:
1940's wrap dress via Lawrence
Coach belt
1980's oxfords purchased at an estate sale

Fields of purple

Guys. A couple minutes away from my parents' house there is a lavender farm--technically a lavender, fresh-cut flower, and berry farm--and today my mom, sister, and I visited for their annual Lavender Festival. I had no idea what to expect, but it was gorgeous--rows and rows of fragrant purple flowers tucked away in Washington, Pennsylvania. We made lavender sachets, then sampled lavender-infused honey and lavender blueberry gelato. But my favorite part was heading into the fields where visitors were able to pick their own lavender. My sister took these photos while I wound through the rows, carefully snipping flowers and avoiding the bees.

Outfit details:
1940's dress purchased from local vintage sellers Vince and Michelle
J.Crew seahorse print shirt
Anthropologie sunglasses

Recital season

I wore this dress to my dance students' year-end recital. When it comes to getting dressed, recitals are weirdly difficult for me. I always feel a little out of place in fancy vintage clothes. Plus, I generally spend most of the evening sitting on the [filthy] floor backstage and sweating as I race around helping kids get dressed and onstage in time. But I had a sudden urge to wear this dress, and since it's been hanging out unworn in my closet for about a year, I figured why not?

This dress is awesome for a number of reasons. First, it cost a whopping 8 bucks, and second, it does not require a bra and reduces my chest to an absolute minimum. It's also pretty unique as far as tiki-print 50's dresses go, what with the enormous bow and unusual straps. Plus, my students really seemed to love it, which is the best way to tell if an outfit is a success.

Outfit details:
1950's dress purchased at an estate sale
J.Crew belt
H&M flats

Macarons and marigolds

This week has been pretty crazy, between my dance studio's dress rehearsals and recitals and a truly absurd amount of schoolwork. Today was a nice break, though. My mom, sister, and I decided to spend the day hitting a few estate sales, buying enormous macarons from a French bakery, drinking coffee, and finally, stopping by a local farm for their annual strawberry festival.

I rarely put any effort into getting dressed on estate sale days, but I decided I wanted to be a bit fancier today. This breezy rayon skirt (printed with columns!) and chambray top with candy-like buttons seemed just right. The top was pretty rumpled by the time I got around to snapping photos, but it seems silly to post only photos of clothes that look barely lived-in.

This year, I convinced one of my senior dance students to use the song Ghosts by Laura Marling for her solo. The music video definitely references the Day of the Dead, and since marigolds are associated with the holiday, my sister suggested that I make my soloist a marigold barrette to wear onstage. Marigolds have been on our minds ever since, so we made sure to pick up a few particularly fluffy-looking ones.

Outfit details:
1960's chambray top via Lawrence
1980's skirt via Allen Co.
Anthropologie sunglasses
Forestbound bag
H&M flats