With Spring in the air and Summer closing in fast, I have been pining for some more great vintage pieces to add to my wardrobe. I love summers in Flagstaff, they are so beautiful, green and there is so much to do! Like a true pinup, I love dressing to the nines and going to events (whether they are rockabilly events or not!). Subscribe to my blog for information on upcoming events in and around Flagstaff, events I have attended along with photos, product reviews, pinup hair styling tips, photo shoots and much more. Lately I have been searching eBay, Etsy and local shops in preparation for upcoming events and photo shoots and have found some beautiful things. I am so excited about these finds I thought I would share a few of them with you.
I have a serious love affair with dresses. In my opinion, there is nothing more feminine, sexy and attention grabbing than a dress you feel fantastic in. A girl, pinup or not, can never have too many dresses that make her feel great. As someone who used to wear mostly jeans with band shirts (not fitted ones either), I was shocked at how different I felt when I started dressing nicer and doing my hair. I stand a little taller, I am more outgoing, I believe in myself more, and there is a subtle sway to my walk that was never there before. (I am not by any means saying that anyone needs a dress or great clothes to feel great, I am just saying I feel even better than I already do when I’m dressed up.) The dress below will need some altering to fit me correctly since I am so tiny (4’11” and 98 lbs) and I can’t wait to get to work on it. It is vintage from the late 50s and is in beautiful very wearable condition. This one was found on eBay.
I am so excited about this dress from the 1940s (shown below). You just don’t see attention to detail like this in most modern clothing. The gathering at the shoulders and waist, the decorative buttons, the pockets (why don’t modern dresses have pockets?!) and of course the beautiful embroidery on the pockets all make this dress a killer find. This was bought at one of my favorite stores in Flagstaff, Incahoots. They specialize in used and vintage clothing (mostly vintage) as well as costume rentals. When I bought it, they said that so many people had tried it on but I was the first one to fit in it so sometimes being teeny is a good thing! I do not need to take it in at all, gasp!! I just need to redo a hem on one sleeve and patch a few tiny, barely noticeable holes as are common with vintage clothing. Despite the minor flaws, the way this dress fit me I knew I had to buy it. If this dress were a person, I’d take it on a date I love it so much.
The dress below is not vintage but it’s so fantastic and I got such a deal on it, again on eBay, that I thought I would share it with you. It is made by Stop Staring! If you are into vintage and vintage reproductions (and really, why else would you be reading this post?) and have not looked into Stop Staring! do it now! Well, do it after you are done reading this. 😉 They are known for amazing construction, great fit and some of the best, softest stretch bengaline ever. This dress will get many, many years of use just like all of their clothing. It has a tailored waist and bust and a swing skirt that moves and hangs beautifully. I can’t wait to go dancing in this one! A lot of people shy away from amazing clothing like this because of the price but you really do get what you pay for. If you are a die-hard like me, you tend to think of it as an investment. Just think of how many ways you could wear this dress! You can wear it just like it is, with a crinoline (petticoat), a bolero, a cardigan, a waist cincher, leopard print, striped pieces for a pirate-y look, polka dots, navy blue for a nautical look, cute flats, hot heels, cuban heel stockings, oh and the list just goes on!
I can’t wait to shoot in these dresses and start working them into my wardrobe more.
Xoxo,
Melissa
Melissa Misfortune 