Vintage Indie

Vintage Fashion Forward - Summer Blends

Floral Print Flock Sun Dress

Low Wedge Cut Out Flats

Hot Pink 1950's Style Dress

Vintage White Polka Dot Dress with Black Velvet

All Images Copyright respective shops.

Vintage Fashion Forward - Eco-Fresh

Well it's officially summer break here, wahoo!  I'm so excited for all the things the boys and I will be learning and exploring together this summer. I'd love to hear your plans for summer break and if you work at home I'd love to hear what you'll be doing this summer.

Eco-Friendly and fresh is today's Vintage Fashion Forward feature. Uber creative and an eye for mixing vintage and scratch materials Tangente has a line of delicious tops perfect for summer.

A convertible top that can be worn as a tunic or a top bares a delightful pattern in it's vintage scarf base.

Soft Jersey cotton is paired with another fabulous vintage scarf for an upcycled and vintage fashion forward top.

Head over to Tangente for other great upcycled and re- purposed fashions perfect for summer.

Vintage Fashion Forward - Makool

Fashion comes from all sorts of inspiration. We talked with Anisa Makhoul the designer behind Makool on her inspiration and how vintage plays a role in her line.

1. What inspires your clothing design? 
Anisa -" Horses, feathered hair, singing in the rain, marshmallows, panda bears, semi trucks, pontoon boats, mates of state, puffy stickers, secret love notes, well dressed toddlers, ballerinas, folk tales, castles, bonde do role, old european cities, yellow submarines, cottages, bicycles, smokey the bear, danish modern design, chocolate, feeling really good inside, clouds, Mr. Peanut, paper boats, birds, and roller skating!"

How is that for inspiration!

Above is some of the latest fashions from Makool. Top Left Annie and Alvy Top Top Right Organic Ottodulf Smock.  Rust Herringbone Petticoat Bag.

2. How does vintage play a role in your line?
Anisa - Sometimes I go to the antique mall in Sellwood, (it's huge like 4 buildings worth) just to stroll and be inspired. A new dress I'm working on for summer is completely inspired by one of those old travel tea towels from England. Going to the antique mall helps me with print, I find that there are a lot of iconic images there

Thanks to Anisa for an inside look at Makool, be sure to visit their website along with their Etsy shop.

Vintage Fashion Forward - Vintage Prom Queen

Vintage Fashion Forward - A Perfect Match

Vintage . KHAKI . gauzy . Secretary . spring . Dress  - NikitaJade
SIZE 6 CUTE Black Leather Ballet Flats  -  Espanolita

Vintage . lavender . Purple . SHIRTDRESS . belted . Dress - NikitaJade
40s 50s Satin BALLET FLATS Slippers Shoes sz 6 - 50sfashions

Vintage Fashion Forward - Accessorize Me

Welcome to our newest feature on Vintage Indie, Vintage Fashion Forward. Where we do "fashion right" with a mix of vintage and modern indie clothing, accessories , trends and more.

Today's collection of fabulous vintage and modern accessories comes from one of my favorite shops ModCloth. Love those Mustard Knit Flats? Grab them while you can, they are on sale now.

Vintage Fashion Forward - The Cloche by, Gilded Cage Design

Vintage Indie would like to welcome you to the latest Fashion Forward Feature. The lovely and talented  Robin Hand from Gilded Cage Design, is here as our special guest. A talented artist and designer herself, she'll give us an inside look into the history and life of the Cloche, that continues today as a fashion style icon.

Cloche, the French word for bell best describes the iconic style hat of the 1920’s. While the cloche hat invokes images of carefree bobbed haired flappers, the hat was actually worn as early as 1910 and continued into the 1930’s. As with all great design, the Cloche evolved from a looser fitting, larger brimmed variety of the Edwardian period to the extremely close fit of the middle 20’s. The bell shaped hat now conformed so tightly to the head, it made a bobbed haircut necessary. The Cloche hat of the 1920’s was intended  to be worn low on the brow nearly covering the eyes. This required the wearer to tilt the head slightly back in order to see in front of her. This exaggerated posture caused one to look at the world from down the end of the nose.

 

Cloche hats were made from a variety of different material with the most common being wool felt. Felt was utilized in the hats mass production for its ease in conforming to the bell shaped form. Typically, the hat’s surface decoration was kept to a minimum and was held to one side. That side most often was on the right. Feathers, simple bands, flowers and art deco appliqué were popular embellishments. Many women applied their own style through the use of a brooch or diamond clip for adornment.

 

 

 

This hat became so popular that many couture houses opened atelier shops. These new hat shops allowed customers to purchase complete ensembles from one source.

Great design endures the test of time and the Cloche hat is no exception. Fall of 2007 showed the cloche hat on many fashion runways. The September 2007 issue of Elle magazine referred to the modern cloche as “the haute accessory of the moment”. This glorious hat can be purchased today from talented milliners like Boring Sidney on etsy. While the style has been altered for current times, the essence is still the same making the cloche hat of the 1920’s a true fashion icon.

Thanks again Robin for a fascinating look into this timeless accessory. Head over to Gilded Cage Design for an amazing line of accessories and Victorian inspired handcrafted items from Robin.

Special Guest - Cloak and Muff Vintage

Vintage Indie Welcomes Cloak and Muff Vintage shop owner Sandy, celebrating the uniqueness of vintage and what it offers for today's trends & styles!

A bygone era where men were men and women new how to bake a chocolate cake.
Vintage to me congers up a flavor and dimension of color,  charm and history. When I slip on my vintage
grass green wool winter coat I wonder who had the character and charisma to wear this beauty in its
hay day. I envision a bombshell blond with flaming red lips and a flashing smile dashing out the door to
hop in her pals convertible for a swinging night at the jazz club. Cloak and Muff Vintage celebrates the unique quality that vintage has to offer and the history each and every garment holds for the customer.

When I spotted this little black number I snapped it up with
every intention to name the piece "Sophia Loren". Envisioning in my mind the sweet smell of a hot summer
night, sitting in an outdoor cafe, sipping wine, looking gorgeous and having all eyes on you.
Part of shopping for vintage is not only the hunt and the find but also the reclaiming of it for yourself. There are no hard and fast rules to wearing it. What it important is how it makes you feel and how it celebrates your individuality. In a day and age where chain retail stores and cheap market togs have taken over, vintage seems to be the way to go if you are looking for quality and attention to detail.

"Mans the Man" is the beautiful wool winter  coat that I see on a well dressed yet ruggedly handsome
gentleman taking his lady friend out to the theater after a good  meal.

Unleash the vixen in you with this blood red grip. Pair it with some red nails and a tight black pencil skirt for a hot night on the town!

At Cloak and Muff Vintage we strive to make vintage accessible to everyone. Enjoy!

A Special thanks to Sandy from Cloak and Muff Vintage for this special celebrating vintage!

Special Guest - Penelopepup's Vintage Clothing

Welcome to another Special Guest Feature on Vintage Indie. Today we welcome Penelopepup's Vintage Clothing  shop for a look at this years fashion trends, by exploring past years vintage! Here's what Penelopepup's shop owner Jen, had to say.

The beauty of buying vintage clothing is that it allows you to easily keep up with current fashion trends while saving money and keeping your wardrobe uniquely you. Designers are constantly drawing inspiration from the past and you can wear that inspiration for a fraction of the cost of the designer piece while resting assured that the chances of someone else showing up in the same outfit are  slim to none.

Some of this years fashion trends that easily translate to vintage include-

Plaid prints-  Usually saved for fall, but big on the runways for spring this year as well. Wear it bold with a vintage fitted blazer or add just a touch with a whimsical vintage plaid cap.

Floral prints-  Big for spring this year from soft and sheer romantic to big, bold and colorful. Vintage dresses are a great place to find amazing floral prints from prim and proper 50's and bold 60's to soft 70's and over the top 80's.

Metallic's and sequins- Still going strong in 2008 and it's so easy to add a touch of sparkle with vintage. Go disco glam with a sequined top or add a touch of shimmer with a classic 60's metallic clutch (clutches are big this year as well).

Whether you choose to follow trends religiously, add just a few here and there or create your own, vintage has something to offer everyone. Especially those who like to save money and stay eco conscious while remaining  fabulously fashionable. Happy shopping!

A special thank you to Penelopepup's Vintage Clothing for sharing these fabulous trends with us!
Head over to Jen's lovely shop for a huge selection of wonderful vintage clothing and accessories. 

Special Guest Blue Velvet Vintage - Vintage Fashion Trends

Welcome to another Special Guest Feature on Vintage Indie. Today we are visiting with Blue Velvet Vintage owner Theresa who's going to share some fabulous vintage fashion trends for 2008. Theresa is passionate about preserving the past and incorporating it into the modern day. Pull up a chair and find some fabulous inspiration from Theresa and then head over to Blue Velvet Vintage for a full line of vintage fashions to fit into your every day life.

When people find out you deal in  vintage clothing for a living, one of the first things they want to know is what the most popular eras or styles are that you sell. It’s always a tough question to answer,  because the vintage market attracts those who choose clothing because they love a specific era,  its classic style or unique look.   So at any given time we’re selling a mixed bag of styles from the 30s right through to the 80s.





If I had to narrow it down,  the first thing at the top of the vintage top seller list would be dresses.  Designers have definitely caught onto this and have been showing lots of vintage inspired dresses for several seasons now.
(Photo left, Elle Magazine November Issue 07 showing 50s inspired sun dresses for spring.)















As far as my business goes, dresses  from the 40s, 50s, and early 60s are always in demand, with 70s a close second. Depending on what vintage style is being interpreted on the runways for a particular season,  it will often reflect in an  upsurge in sales of the authentic vintage clothing from that era.


(Picture left, Janet Russo 50's Style Embroidered Satin Swink Dress Blue Velvet Vintage)

For instance,  many designers have shown  bright floral print 50s style sun dresses and  70s maxi dresses for their 2008 spring/summer collections. Even though these styles are always popular sellers with us,  we’re already seeing a higher than usual demand for  them,  though it’s only January.

(Photo's up, maxi dresses from the Diane Von Furstenburg(left) and DKNY spring/summer collections, via)

Photos up our dresses we have at Blue Velvet Vintage, the styles of which we’re seeing a higher than average sales volume.

We’ve also noticed increased interest in very feminine dresses with ruffles and lace, pouffy 50’s prom dresses and anything with Grecian/Roman style draping.

What vintage fashion trend will you follow this year? Special thanks to Theresa from Blue Velvet Vintage for a great feature & offering some fabulous vintage clothing!