Off~Topic: My Latest Vintage Purchase

Howdy GE  followers!

As I’ve mentioned before, every once in a while I like to stray from topic and show off my recent vintage purchases. Oh and let me just state for the record that it has been a while since I have made any so suffice it to say, I was long overdue, mkay?

Feast your eyes on this 1950s Shirtwaist Dress.  To say I am longing for the quick arrival of spring/summer just so I can wear this, would be a major effing understatement.

So what do you think?  Adorable right?  I purchased said adorable dress from the following Vintage Seller on Etsy:  Gretels Boutique

Also, I have let my pixie haircut grow longer…because…well, it’s winter,  dammit and sometimes a girl needs a bit more hair for warmth!  So in addition to waiting with anticipation to wear the above dress, I am also eager to chop off my hair  Jane Seberg Style.

Photo Source: http://shesgoteverything.blogspot.com/2010/06/breathless.html

 

Can you stand it?

Look what I just purchased on Etsy:

 

Isn’t she a beauty?

As some of you know, I am a fan of vintage clothing, not just because the clothing tends to be well made with textiles that used to be manufactured in this country, but because as part of my GiRRL Earth mantra, purchasing vintage clothing is a great way to Re-use  and Re-purpose existing items rather than supporting the “throw away” clothing that is made today.

This past weekend, I had a rather lengthy conversation with my dry cleaner/tailor about the textiles that used to be made in Fall River, MA. What prompted the conversation were the Youthcraft coats I purchased on Etsy.  We also swapped stories about the way our grandmothers and mothers use to dress. Back then, women (or families) didn’t have the means to shop the way we do today. There was no such thing as *retail therapy*.   My grandmother made all of her and her children’s clothing. Growing up, my mother used to make her and our clothes.  Making your own clothing is a dying skill (or perhaps it is already dead?).  Most people can barely sew a button.  I can sew a button, but I wouldn’t slap a frame around it, that’s for sure.

Nowadays, women rack up credit card debt in an attempt to “keep up with the Jones’s” so-to-speak.  They are driven by media to keep up with the latest fashion or trends. Meanwhile, they toss their no longer desired items into a bag for Goodwill or the like.   It’s a shame most of us barely know how to sew.  It is something I have considered taking up. I found someone who teaches private classes not far from where I live, but the cost associated with said classes is more than I want to spend right now, especially given the fact my house is a priority. In the meantime, I will continue to shop Etsy in search of well-made vintage items.

I hope the next time you are in the market for a new outfit, you’ll consider a new *used* item from http://www.etsy.com

Have a good day everyone!

Yours truly,

GE

 

It couldn’t be helped, it just couldn’t….

I’m sorry. For what you ask? I don’t know exactly… I think I’m sorry for my complete and utter obsessions with vintage. I honestly do not know what has gotten into me. I’m generally not a shopper; in fact, I hate shopping. I hate clothes, well maybe hate is a strong word but I do not care for following the latest trends in clothes. I don’t give a rat’s fuzzy what some Hollywood actress or singer is wearing.   I much rather spend my money on my house, my cats, animals in shelters, Farm Sanctuary, organic vegetables, soy lattes from SBUX, 60% dark chocolate, honey crisp apples, and wine…but Etsy.com is a deep dark glorious black hole of vintage.  [Sigh]  As a fallen away Catholic, I do not necessarily subscribe to the whole heaven and hell thing, I mean c’mon, the walls might not be red, but isn’t this hell right here on good ole Mother Earth?  [Let’s not go there.] Anyway, I think my idea of heaven is going back to the 1950s like that movie Back to the Future, minus M.J. Fox (I was never a fan).  Leave me Doc; at least he seems more interesting to hang out with. Load him up with liquor and watch him blow shit up.  Did I just say shit? I did.  Sorry for that too.

This past Tuesday, I was home, sick from work and bored out of my effing mind. I recently cut the cord with cable so there wasn’t anything on TV and I was too sick to do anything productive like, say, tend to my garden so what’s a GiRRL-Earth to do?  I know, SHOP! Shop for what? Vintage shit (there I go again) Shop where?  Etsy.com where else? Sheesh!

So in a hazy shade of sickness, I purchased two more coats.  If all goes well, I’ll post the link to the sellers.  Of course, you know I am hopelessly devoted to DaisyandStella (you never forget your first, do you?), but I like to spread the wealth around, I mean, it’s the least I could do for the economy, right? Riiiiiight.

With the smell of fall lurking around the corner like an ugly snake ready to scare the ever living shit out of me [this actually happened to me. Last weekend I happened upon an ugly snake in my basement (blech). I may blog about that at a later time depending upon whether or not I want relive the entire, horrible, shook-me-to-the-very-center-of-my-core experience].

As I said, with fall lurking, I bought the following coats.  Feast your eyes on these beauties.  Not that I want to rush the summer or anyting but c’mon let’s be honest, Thanksgiving will be here before you know it and I’ll be bitching about how I have to remind everyone I am a vegan and no I do not want any G.D. turkey, especially one  who lived a horrible existence before being slaughtered… but I digress.

These are the coats.  Aren’t they groovy?… Admit it, they are, c’mon…you know you love them. Well, I do and that’s all that matters.

Coat Numero Primo [and no that is NOT fur. As if!] :

9/2/2012 Update:  I received the above coat yesterday (Saturday 9/1) and it is even more beautiful in person! The photo does not do this coat justice.  Additionally, as it turns out, this coat is also a Youthcraft. So this purchase was a win-win all around.  Lastly, I purchased the above coat from the following (awesome!) Etsy vintage  seller: ByMidnight Sparkle.

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And coat Numero Secondo [which is a Youthcraft! Also, seller is throwing in the scarf for free because she said, “…based on your Etsy profile pic, the scarf would look fabulous on you.”  Wasn’t that sweet?]

I cannot WAIT to wear these coats… I’m giddy with anticipation…

-GE

© 2012 GiRRL_Earth

Vintage Clothing

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I love vintage, especially vintage 1950/60s clothing. Lately, I’ve been wearing 1950s shirtwaist dresses (Think: Edith Head). One of the women I work with, who is in her early 60s, continues to remind me that I was born too late. I have to agree, I was.  However, I blame MadMen for creating the vintage monster I have become. (Sorry Matthew Wiener.)

Today, I am wearing a chocolate-brown shirtwaist dress. This morning on the Commuter Rail, a couple of women stopped me to comment that I looked fabulous. (Awe shucks!) One woman said I was “rocking it” with the dress, the plain white sneakers and my pixie haircut. She said I looked like a modern day Audrey Hepburn.  (And another: Awe shucks!)

Today at lunch, I decided to purchased more vintage dresses from the 1950s (2 dresses to be exact). Now, with that said, I am not sure if any of you following this blog have noticed but I love to give shout-outs to other blogs I admire. Well today, I’d like to give a shout-out to one of my favorite vintage sellers on Etsy.  So without further adieu, I would like to introduce all of you to: DaisyandStella at http://www.etsy.com/shop/daisyandstella

If you love 1950s/60s vintage as much as I do, and want to do your part in recycling clothes versus buying new stuff, that was probably made in some 3rd world sweat-shop, then please take a moment and check out their wonderful Etsy store.

Yours truly,

GE

🙂

© 2012 GiRRL_Earth

P.s. here is a photo of one of the vintage dresses I purchased… meant to include it before but forgot.