Viva Mexico!

So I'm getting ready to head off for a long overdue vacation to Mexico! I've never been, but I've heard it's amazing. I'll get some time on the beach, as well as numerous days exploring the old Mayan ruins on the Yucatan peninsula.

So, unfortunately in my excitement the only thing I can focus on is the trip, so today you all get treated to Mexican eye candy!

Famous artist Frida Kahlo's father - Guillermo Kahlo - in 1899. From here

Mexico railways poster from the late 1940s, from here

Movie still from "The Aztec Mummy vs. the Human Robot" - shot in 1957.

The image above actually comes from a site with an interesting article and some clips about 50s sci-fi movies filmed in Mexico. Who knew they had such a sci-fi fad as well? Read more about it here

Barbie and Ken from 1964. Info about their outfits here

I also love 50s hand-painted Mexican circle skirts. Below are some great ones to buy online...

Only $50 here

$99 here

This one is $150, but that's all embroidered! Buy it here

Modcloth.com

Has everyone been to Modcloth.com recently? As with most stores in my good graces, I have periods where I will see nothing I like, and then suddenly everything that pops up seems amazing to me. If I wasn't trying to save money to pay for my (insanely expensive) wedding dress and upcoming nuptials I would be buying up all sorts of clothes from them. It also doesn't hurt that they have great customer service aside from all the fantastic clothes!

My current favorites are below. I will take any of them right now please and thank you. My measurements are 34-26-35...

Louisa May Blouse $34.99


Wesleyen Blouse $79.99



Gondolier Dress $49.99


Skipper shorts $64.99


Golden Days of Glamour Dress $174.99


Sidecar Tour Dress $42.99


I could go on forever as there seems to be even tons more on their site I want. I'm on their mailing list and check the site almost daily, yet somehow I always miss the great one of a kind vintage pieces they feature here and there. Oh well!

As always all pieces above link to their pages. Stop by modcloth.com soon. Trust me, you won't be sorry!

Sunglasses

It's finally getting to the point where it's pretty sunny out each day. I'm not a huge sunglasses person, and never have been. I don't really enjoy having something on my face, and I have a pretty petite nose which generally causes lots of slipping and pushing back up. I am trying to be protective of my eyes though this season, so I figured if I could find super cute sunglasses I might give them another go. Checked ebay and etsy first for any good vintage and came up heavily lacking (though I did see a great pair of CLEAR sunglasses in cats eye style - don't want to give away the link!). Next go to for something standard like that - Urban outfitters online. HOLY MOLY did I hit the holy grail of retro sunglasses! I'm pretty tempted to just buy up a whole slew of them since a bunch say "online only" and then return anything that doesn't fit or look right on my pea head. They're all just so cheap, and awesome, and most come in a variety of colors.
Here's just a (large) sampling of the goods, and as always, clicking on the image will lead you to the webpage...


Madame Butterfly $14.00


Crystal Risky $14.00


First Lady $24.00


Skyline $24.00



Glitter Cat Eye 6.99



Diner $12.99



Mrs. Robinson $12.99



Two Tone $6.99


Plastic Circle $6.99



Oversize square $16.99


Sweet Heart $16.00

Anthropologie Shoes

I have an insane love for shoes. I don't even know how many pairs I have right now, but I'm sure it's over 100. I can't bare to part with ones, even when they don't fit me correctly or are painful to walk in, so are never worn. I have a pair of brownish purple satin brocade shoes with a gold brooch on the toe that are so amazing, and yet I've never worn them once in all the years that I've owned them.




You might be asking, what does this have to do with anything? Well, for months now I've been dreaming about these shoes I saw in Anthropologie one night while waiting for my fiance to meet me for an evening event. Anthropologie's shoes are always pretty good looking shoes, usually very retro in feel, but always ridiculously expensive. It hurt my heart, but I had to walk away from them as $186.00 was just way too much, especially when you also add in over 8% NYC tax.


For months I tried to convince myself it would be worth it to just get them. "You'd wear them with everything!" and "what other shoes have tiki heels!" I'd say to myself, but no, the little devil couldn't push over the angel. So this weekend I was doing a random check to see if they had gone on sale yet, and they had!! Just over 50% off and yet they didn't have my size on the website. I thought, for sure this is the sign that I'm not meant to have them. However, my stubborness prevailed and I took the subway 30 minutes to get to the only anthropologie in the city (that I know of) that stocks shoes. There on a small shelf in the back corner were my shoes lined up for sale - with one pair in my size. They might as well have been glowing in their own heavenly light because that's all I saw as I flung myself towards the shelf.


Today they are on my feet and I couldn't be happier. One seems a little loose, as I'm sure it was the try on pair, but I don't even care. I wont let these be like the others that sit in my closet unworn. I will wear these with pride, and know that for once it was worth holding my breadth until they finally went on sale.


Below are a few other Anthropologie shoes that I just think are darling - but wont be for me since I just blew my monthly shoe budget! All shoes link to the sale site, so Enjoy!

Shaded Path heels - marked down to $79.95 - available in 9 and 10
Courtyard Gate Oxfords - marked down to $89.95 - available in 7.5 and 10

Windorn heels - marked down to $99.95 - available in 6 and 7

transitional coats

Plaid 50s-60s era swing coat. An Ebay steal for $14.95



It's always hard for me to dress when the weather is being indecisive. All I want to do come spring is break out my light weather jackets and cute sweaters, and one day it will be possible, then the next it'll be so cold and I'll have forgotten that I need to wear a heavier coat.
The perfect thing for this time period is a bit of what I like to call transitional dressing. Coats that are just heavy enough should it be breezy and chilly out, but cool enough that if the sun came out and the temperature warmed up you'd still be ok. Maybe undo a button or two, but it's not like you're wearing your vintage wool and are sweating under your layers!

I started breezing through my first go-to's for this search (etsy and ebay) and came up with a couple cute selections. A nice variety for your size and taste.

Navy blue and hunter green plaid jacket. Etsy - $55.00

How neat is this one? The coat buttons up like a full jacket, but it's got an attached cape to keep you extra warm and dry! Only $49.00 on Etsy

Menswear inspired baseball jacket. I'm known for sporting lettermen style sweaters in the warmer weather, and this would fit in perfectly. Just $12.00 on Etsy!

Another cape swing coat. I can't help but love this style, especially for transitional dressing. When it's chilly you pull your arms in, when it's warm let them dangle free in the air! I'm prety tempted to get this myself but I own so much plaid already! Only $32.99 on Etsy.




There are also tons and tons of vintage clothing dealers online where you can find similar style clothes, perfect to take you from winter into spring! Remember to always check and ask for measurements, as vintage clothes are not sized the same as today. I have a few items that were claimed to be larges, and are really about a small in today's standards. Happy hunting!

vintage shows

Every few months I read about a vintage show in another country than my own and wish I had some similar resource for the shows they actually hold here in New York. I'm going to try and list shows whenever I can, despite the country, in the hopes that I might help someone discover something they didn't know was happening.




Coming up:





The Sydney Vintage Clothing, Jewellery and Textiles show!

Dates:
17 - 19th April 2009
Venue:
CANTERBURY PARK FUNCTION CENTRE
CANTERBURY RACECOURSE,
King Street SYDNEY


From their site: "There will be many exhibitors selling clothing, jewellery, accessories, linen, lace and collectables. The show will also feature a presentation of vintage fashions, lectures by Guest Speakers, Swing Dancers, Vintage Cars, Demonstration of Vintage Makeup and Hairstyle Techniques and other fabulous entertainment - see program page for more details"






The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

Dates:

Saturday 4th April (The fair will also be visiting Leeds 29 March, Lincoln 25 April, Nottingham 26 April, and Liverpool 9 May.)
Venue:
Fym Fyg Bar
231 Cambridge Heath Road
Bethnal Green
London E2 0EL
11:00 – 16:00
£2.00 Entry


Online glossy Queens of Vintage will be setting up a gorgeous dressing room with 40s pin-up model Fleur de Guerre offering free vintage makeovers for everyone!

Manhattan Vintage Clothing and Antique Textile Show
Dates:
Friday, April 24th - 1:00 PM TO 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 25th - 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM
Venue:
Metropolitan Pavilion 125 West 18th Street (Between 6th & 7th Aves)
Admission $ 20.00

images courtesy of Queensofvintage.com, refinery29.com and lovevintage.com.au

Vintage NYC Shopping list

So I decided I knew way too many places for vintage and thrift shopping that I would compile them into a list. They're over there on the left where it says "My NYC vintage shopping map". When it takes you to the google map, some even have notes as to what is expensive, and what is truly fabulous. I will add to it from time to time, but for now it will act as my memory bank.