It's good to see you again! Honestly, life has been a bit crazy lately and blogging has unfortunately taken a back seat. I realized that I've been waaay behind on shooting and posting new looks, so I thought the perfect catch-up would be to talk about one of my new-old obsessions in fashion: Vintage!
I've always appreciated the past, especially when it comes to clothing. These bygone designs have a level of craftsmanship that seem a little unheard of in this modern day and age. It got me thinking that these pieces have a lot more life to give, so why not invest in ones that bridge the gap between today and yesteryear?
To get started, I thought of exploring the many vintage shops around the San Diego area and seeing if the pickings caught my fancy. After researching a bit, I eventually reasoned my way out of this idea due to my lack of experience knowing what to look for in a quality piece, and lack of familiarity with fair price points. (Plus the idea of going through a secondhand store in a pandemic was not so much what I wanted to do...) So, I turned to Etsy. Through IG, I had gotten to know some vintage housewares sellers on the platform, and I figured it would be a good place to start when browsing for clothing. As the search results were seemingly endless for the term "vintage dress", I decided to narrow down my search to a particular era that both fascinates and inspires me: the 1960s.
Maybe it was the photographs I've seen of my grandmother and great grandmother all done up in the bouffant-ish hairstyles and dizzyingly-printed empire-waisted frocks of the day, or the idea of that free-spirited glamor that permeated my favorite movies from the time (like Breakfast at Tiffany's); either way, this was an era I was excited to explore. Fast-forward about two hours and, after refining my search by size to ensure I was at least narrowing down the options to a general ballpark of what might work, I fell in love with two stunning dresses that seemed to be in excellent condition (which is my top rule when shopping vintage!), warranting the slightly-higher-than-expected price tag. All in all, I spent about $200 including tax, and the shipping was free; not too bad for a first-timer like me! And, despite very minor signs of character, both dresses arrived exactly as described.
Per the advice of a friend, I wanted to put a modern spin on these pieces to avoid them looking too costume-y and out of place, while still highlighting their unique charm. I decided that current accessories with a classic feel were the ticket to bringing these pieces back to life, coupled with photoshoot locations that encapsulated the individual character of each. I didn't want rewrite the past entirely; instead, I hoped to remember its relevancy in a way that seemed in tune with the present. (Which turned out to be a rather unexpected life lesson in and of itself...)
The results were exactly what I was hoping for! The first dress, an A-line shape with a pleated skirt and green-and-orange stylized flower pattern, was paired with my favorite mod-style Tory Burch Mary Janes and a see-through Staud tote, along with some plastic sunglasses that hearkened back to the days of Flower Power. The whole look felt really preppy, which is unusual for me given that's not typically how I would describe my style, but I wanted to play into that a bit more by doing the photoshoot for it at some local tennis courts. It was achingly hot outside, and already pretty busy on a Labor Day weekend, but we managed to get some really cool shots! (See below for a few highlights!)
The second dress was, as my grandmother later explained, an old prom dress, complete with a crinoline underskirt and velvet ribbon details to adorn the summery yellow daisy pattern of its very-polyester-feeling fabric. It also had a charming embroidered daisy chain trim on the neckline, waist, and down the back of the long skirt! The prom dress aspect instantly reminded me of the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's where Holly Golightly steps out of the cab onto an empty, early-morning street wearing her evening dress from the night before and wistfully gazing into the windows of the store. To bring a bit more of a San Diego-style to this vibe (my dress was rather hippie-ish after all), I decided to make a dawn trip to one of our favorite retro Mexican food restaurants before it opened for the day. The oversized sunglasses I grabbed for a few shots added a bit of Audrey Hepburn glam, while the straw bag and Sophia Webster espadrille wedges gave a dose of SoCal flare.
It was a really nice change for me to style these pieces from the past. I loved letting their character shine through; even though they both had previous lives, I surprisingly found more freedom in their styling than modern clothes. With current trends, I always seem to have a specific idea of what to expect, what look is "supposed" to be achieved when styling outfits. Sometimes vintage doesn't really have that expectation because it's pretty perfect the way it is, and its style isn't trying to conform to anything else. It escapes the confines of trends; despite the era, good vintage pieces always seem timeless. In that way, I think you can really make it yours.
I hope you enjoyed this little travel back in time! Hoping to start managing my time a bit better so I don't have to stay up till 1:00am anymore to get a blog post in, but we'll see how that goes... I think all-night writing sessions are just my jam! Goodnight/Good Morning!
Xx Tabi
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