Huge Slubird Vintage Update

Mustard Cozy Cabled 60s Sweater, Teal and Auburn Striped Dolman Dress, Hunter Green and Navy Plaid Dress With Velveteen Trim



Indigo Blouse With Allover White Venise Lace Detailing, Pleated Olive Wool Evan Picone Knee Length Skirt, Black and Gold Floral Party Faux Wrap Sweater



50s Maggi Stover Red and Black Plaid Bombshell Dress, Blue Mod Shirt Dress with White Stripes and Pockets, Black with White Pinstripes Double Breasted Long Sleeve Shirt Dress



Creme and Cocoa Tribal Patterned Kimono Sweater, Handmade Green Velveteen Cocktail Dress, Scallop Neck and Sleeved Dusty Rose Blouse



60s Black Lace Wiggle Cocktail Dress, Chocolate Brown Pumps with Gold Filigree Detailing Size 8, Jungle Green Pencil Skirt Knit Dress with Pleats

Lots of great party dresses and cozy sweaters! I really adore that pinstripe dress, red plaid bombshell dress, mustard sweater, and green velveteen dress especially. If only they fit me better! My loss is your gain, check out the shop! I might add a sale section soon, need to clear out some things. I also already have a few things to list (figures, eh?) especially these HATS I keep forgetting to. I have 4, all completely different styles.

I am lucky to be featured in these great treasuries at the moment: For The Love of Plaid, Treasury Name! (haha), Every Day Is Like Sunday, Purply Passions Punctuated, Like Ice Cream In Winter. I also made one, Dreams of Spring. It expires tomorrow so be sure to check out everything and leave me a comment! I get so excited making these, already cooking up themes for the next ones.

And, finally, I was featured on Etsy's front page Tuesday morning!



Exciting! Okay, I swear, my next post won't be about Etsy, haha. It's been consuming my life lately. Ahhhhh.

Shop Update, Seymour, and a Treasury!

Last night I added the following ditties to my shop



Chartreuse and Blue Brocade Wiggle Dress, Black Leather Pixie Booties, Coral and White Day Dress



Red and White Housedress, Black Skirt with Abstract Pattern, Jane Colby Geometric Zip-Back Tee

I have some great hats that I was not very pleased with the pictures of, due to awful light. Blech. I may try to rephotograph them on Saturday. I also need to get crackin' on my jewelry store!

Here's my Seymour at my "new" "set":



And before they end, I am in an adorable treasury on etsy, Going on a Date by Oh My Ampersand!, please check it out.

Wardrobe Remix for 11.15.09

champagne sweater - thrifted
black high-waisted jeans - H&M
black leather belt - thrifted
brown boots - thrifted

This outfit is kind of an equestrian-meets-glam look. Just imagine Alison Goldfrapp wearing it as she sings "Ride A White Horse."

I notice on and off how heavily 80s my look is. But not in a tacky neon-acid wash way, but in the retro-modernized 1940s way a lot of well made 80s pieces look. It's no secret there's a lot of 80s-does-40s stuff at the thrift store and why that speaks to people. I think I like it best because it has a lot of the style points of 1940s attire I love- classic pieces and cuts, high waist, just a touch of elegant drama in the sleeves or collar- but in the 80s it was made more accessible. I don't wear heels every day, and neither did women in the 80s. It's nice I can wear a skirt that's 40s inspired but only hits my knees so I can wear flats and not look matronly. And while I love 50s and 60s looks, especially for their comfort and ease, I always find myself drawn to 80s-does-40s pencil skirts at the thrift store (my closet is full of them, wool to thin rayon, every colour of the rainbow), a fitted high-waisted sweater, a lot of cozy neutral knits, classic flat shoes, and for the colder months in particular.

Are there styles you feel drawn to? Why? Do you associate with cyclical fashion like I do? (I also really really love 70s-does-Edwardian but that rant is for another entry.)

The Perks of Being a Packrat

I'm really trying to be a good girl and pare down my clothes to the essential. It's taking years, and it certainly doesn't help that I still shop a lot. However, in the past few months I'm finally donating a few bags to Purple Hearts, attended two (one I hosted) clothing swap parties, and eBayed/etsied a lot of my better looking new and vintage garments. I am just now finally letting go of many of the beautiful vintage dresses I purchased in high school and inherited from my family that I hoarded for costumes for photography series in college.

One thing that is helping me finally purge is the fact that I have lost weight from when I was sixteen so a lot of these things don't even fit me anymore. On the other hand, dresses I saved even though they had never fit me that I am now willing to part with suddenly fit me like a glove. Luckily those items are in the minority and I've come out of my sorting with three gorgeous frocks.



This is one such dress. I was all prepared to sell it this week. Though this morning when I was showing it to my roommate I thought that maybe it will finally fit me. I received this dress when I was seventeen from a penpal who sent me many great thrift store finds, including Electric Warrior on vinyl. I was never able to zip it up the back so blaming my ribcage (and not the fact that I was on the chubby side) I would wear it with a corset over it for photoshoots). Today I was able to zip it up save for the first few inches at the top, which I will either continue to lose or be able to just let out a tiny bit with the help of a seamstress.



Otherwise, look how perfect it fits me! I cannot bear to part with this dress. If nothing else it would be a perfect wedding dress. The lace and the ribbon...and I'm not wearing a bra since the corset is boned, and you can't even tell. How dreamy.

The other two dresses I wanted to post about I was too lazy to put on and take pictures in, but here they are anyway:



This green floral maxi dress never fit me, even when I was 14! I was going to sell it in the early summer but I figured what the hell, tried it on, and it also fit like it was made just for me. It's the perfect length for my height and is the first dress with a long skirt that doesn't make me look stumpy. I was also surprised how perfectly it fits my boobs since this dress belonged to my mother and she was a 32A her whole life. The back is also deliciously low, it's so sexy and I love showing my back off.





Same story with this dress. Never fit me even when I was 14, was gonna sell, figured what the hell, fit me perfectly. However, this dress was purchased by my skinny dad in his 20s when he went as Joan Crawford for Halloween- ha! And that's not the only dress dad thrifted for a Halloween costume in the late 70s that I think is very pretty and fits me, my parents were into Halloween in a big way. Anyway, I love 70s take on Victorian dresses, and the detail on this one is stunning!



I really love the lace with the ribbon (a pattern is emerging I see here) and the high neckline. It's also a great length for my height, but I'm thinking of hemming it to just above the knee. Opinions? I also am not sure if I hem to leave the skirt as-is or attempt to make it a pencil skirts. Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Anyway, I am going to update my etsy shop soon with a ton of great dresses, a few blouses and pairs of shoes, and a whole bag full of hats! Stay tuned.

Peplum

I was a bit apprehensive about this trend at first. When I started seeing it last spring, it mostly showed its face in too-short neon dress form. Instead of me thinking neo-'40s! I thought '80s hooker! But now that fall wardrobe is all over the place and peplum is still here I am finally able to see it in its classier form, and I am starting to develop a bit of a crush.

To preface, I have never tried on any peplum clothing myself. However, as a short, top-heavy girl who wants everything super fitted except around my lower stomach, this style seems ideal. I think that, since it's tailored but not allover snug, this is a style that I can imagine looking good on every body type. It's certainly a welcome change of draping to the pregnant-looking sloppy empire waist on so many shirts!

To begin, here are a few finds with a classic '40s vibe. Some of these are vintage (but from the '70s and '80s), and the newer items really adhere to the neutral/tailored variety.



Peplum Knit Skirt. $13.80, Forever 21.



Vintage EMMA Tan Black Peplum Dress. $40, brownbagvintage on etsy.



Vintage 1970s Mustard Autumnal Boater Dress. $45, greatestfriend on etsy.



Austin Reed Plaid Peplum Jacket. $169, amazon.com

What follows are some modern takes on the peplum silhouette. I like the unconventional colours/patterns and neat little details, such as the bows, buttons and pleating that make these look fresh.



Geometric Vintage Crescent Moon Dress. $32, lovesmenot on etsy.



Polaire Vest. $118, Anthropologie.




Cafe Peplum Sweater. $34, Forever 21.





Tie Front Sweater Dress. $32, Forever 21.

There were even more peplum styles on various garments I found; from subtle curves on a jacket to a long, exaggeratedly draped skirt. They are everywhere now, and since you are bound to find something in this cut in your price range and style be sure to look around.