Sorting Through Etsy Vintage

Kimberly of Beauty & Bangles just asked me how I sorted through the overwhelming amount of Etsy vintage to find the clothing, shoes, and accessories I featured in my recent post. I thought I'd answer her question here, in case anyone else wanted to know.

I'm feeling a little bit like I want to selfishly hold onto my Etsy shopping secrets, but since it is the holiday season (Happy Hanukkah, everyone!), I guess I'll share them with you all.

I'm a bit of a shopping nerd. I spent a couple of days when I was home sick sorting through the Etsy vintage selection to find the best vintage shops. And then I subscribed to them on Google Reader, so that every time the stores add more vintage clothing, I'm notified and can easily locate the new stuff. Every so often I add more shops, so the list of shops I subscribe to is steadily growing.

Here is the current list:
♥ 80sdiva
♥ allencompanyinc
♥ atomicyente
♥ CHERRYPICKVINTAGE (one of my favorites)
♥ modernmoonlight712
♥ NikitaJade
♥ Nostalgia
♥ nstylevintage
♥ putonthatdress
♥ ramonawest
♥ revivalhouse
♥ RunzWithVintage
♥ Salvage Life
♥ santokivintage
♥ TresChicVintage
♥ ultraretro

Yes, I am a nerd. But I figure you can sympathize, since I can't imagine anyone who hates shopping would bother to read my blog.

Vintage Etsy Fashion

For some reason, my latest obsession is combing Etsy for vintage fashion treasures. At first I searched for designer labels (and yes, there is even a bit of Chanel to be found for fairly good prices), but gradually I grew more interested in the non-designer stuff. Because - believe it or not - there are a lot of amazing vintage pieces that look like couture (or at least they look really cute). And they're cheap!

You wanna see 'em? I'll post 'em!

Clockwise from top right:

♥ Gold ruffle jacket, $42 Cherry Pick Vintage. Okay, so I'm not brave enough to wear this. Maybe you are?

♥ Leather motorcycle jacket, $36 Salvage Life. That's right - a mere $36 for a leather jacket! I had to force myself to share this with you, because I selfishly wanted to add it to my own wardrobe. In my defense, it was only because I kind of want to look like this girl.

♥ Layered cocktail dress, $45 Tres Chic Vintage. Simply gorgeous.

♥ Mod mini tent dress, $60 '80s Diva. Isn't it cute?

And now for shoes:

♥ Blue suede shoes, $54.60 Artinsilk. They may be blue suede, but they're decidedly un-Elvis-y. Look at that ribbon embroidery! And the shape is so this season!

♥ Cream round button ankle boots, $50 Revival House. Oooh!

♥ Black Italian leather boots, $85 Cherry Pick Vintage. Very Chanel! J'adore!

♥ Metallic Pumps, $22 Salvage Life. Patricia Field used metallic faux snakeskin in her Payless collection. And since she can do no wrong, it must mean metallic faux snakeskin is hot!

And now for bags:

♥ Clutch with rare map design, $7.00 Brugmansia. I adore this. It's so charming, and so cheap!

♥ Mesh silver clutch, $25.00 Good Eye. Very glam.

♥ Faux leather purse, $15.00 Revival House. The bow makes it oh-so-sweet.

♥ Cherry brown doctor bag, $24.00 Allen Company, Inc. A deep, rich color in a stylish shape = yum!

Well, that's all for now! If you saw something you liked, remember that these are one-of-a-kind pieces. Don't wait for someone to swoop in and buy your vintage treasure before you can!

Etsy Headband Fun

I wouldn't call myself a "hat person," but I definitely have a few basic hats to add an extra punch to my outfits or hide a bad hair day. When it comes to head wear, most of the time I prefer tying a scarf doo rag-style around my head (Sometimes you just want to feel like a pirate), or wearing some sort of beautiful headband. Still, browsing Etsy always involves some serious ooh-ing and aaah-ing over glorious hat creations. I admire their veils, their shapes, their jewels, but I would never buy one. I'm not one for oppulent or complex hats. Oppulent or complex headbands, on the other hand, are another story. Check out these beauties! They kinda remind me of the beautiful Beth Beverly combs featured over at Style Bytes. Only cheaper. And not combs. But now I'm just rambling, and I'm sure all you wonderful people are waiting to see the goods. I'll stop rambling, I think. Although once I get into it, it's kinda addictive...

Shut up, Kori!

Okay, now here are my headband finds. For real this time.

Cool, eh? I like the one with the colored feathers. It's quite fabulous.

All of the headbands are from this cute little Etsy shop, Birdbaths.

Etsy Joy

I was browsing Etsy tonight when I stumbled upon the most beautiful shop. I stared. I gasped. I oohed and aahed. And then, like the true blog nerd that I am, I rushed over here to write about my find. Louise Black Designs boasts a variety of gorgeous dresses, tops, corsets, wrist and arm cuffs, necklaces, etc. All are exquisitly detailed and ultra-femanine, with a decidedly Victorian slant. I'm in love. The prices are far above what I can afford, but just browsing the shop is a visual feast for the eyes. What do you think...Should my next Etsy interview be with Louise Black? I'm thinking that might be a good idea. Surely someone who creats such beauty will make for an interesting interview.

P.S. I have also discovered an item that elicited shrieks of joy, but I can't share it because I may buy it, and t would cause me deep sadness if someone got to it first. But you will be the first to know what it is when I make my decision. I assure you, the said item is quite fantastic.

An Interview with Kelly of I'm Your Present

I've decided to introduce a new kind of post. From now on, I'll interview Etsy clothing/accessory sellers, other bloggers...whoever I want, really....and feature the interviews on my blog every now and then so you can all join me in admiring their fabulousness. First up is the lovely Kelly, with her Etsy shop I'm Your Present. I always stop by to admire the wonderful things that she designs, makes, and sells - frilled playsuits, cupcake-printed babydoll dresses, blinged out fannypacks, kitten earrings, Barbie tote bags - generally everything cute. And as if I wasn't already convinced I wanted her for my best friend (C'mon...how could someone who makes dresses with cupcakes on them not be awesome), she was a total sweetheart to deal with. And, not to give anything away, she listed Francesca Lia Block's books as one of her inspirations. How fantastic is that? I've always thought that the Weetzie Bat books would make great inspiration for clothing, and I guess I was right. I think I'll stop gushing embarrassingly and just post the interview. Enjoy!

Do you do the clothing thing fulltime, or do you have a day job? FULLTIME! Lucky me.

What is your inspiration? Lots of things... I'm often inspired by weird things I find, like kitschy things from the dollar store or vintage toys. Lately it has been overly decorated frilly things, like valentines and cakes. Also... my friends because they are all hot and awesome and all have unique styles. Cute girls I see and want to dress... vintage dresses... childrens dresses... Female icons like Brigitte Bardot and Courtney Love... books by Poppy Z Brite and Francesca Lia Block... Designers like Heatherette, Anna Sui, Betsey Johnson, & L.A.M.B.

What kind of girls do you see wearing your clothing and accessories? Who do you make your clothes for? I mostly just make clothes that I would love to wear... which is really the only thing that makes sense to me. I think its bizarre when people make clothing or jewelry that they personally wouldn't wear. And it's nice being on Etsy because I can actually see the girls that buy my stuff! They are like how I thought they would be.... like me! They want to find things that are different, and fun and special... they are young, cute, have their own senses of style and a lot of the time are creative and make stuff of their own.

Is there anywhere people can buy your clothing and accessories besides Etsy? Right now you can buy my stuff at a place in Philly called the Conspiracy Showroom, and I sell a ton of stuff to Alley Antique in Korea (its a little out of the way, i know). I have a few other places in the works right now too, so by the end of the summer there should be at least 3 or 4 more.

I noticed you have a few fanny packs in the shop (which I love, by the way). Do you think fanny packs are making a comeback? Thanks! Fannypacks are the hottest. Actually one of the places I am in the process of making stuff for is thepaperdoll.net, I have 4 in the works for her. I absolutely love making fannypacks, and would make millions except each one is so time consuming to make because of the way I have to sew them and the lining and everything. I think they are definitely making a comeback, which is great because you can't really find awesome ones around (as soon as i say this they'll probably be at Urban Outfitters) so I feel really cool when I rock mine and everyone else around me just has a subpar one from the Salvation army.

Anything else we should know about you or your Etsy shop? Let’s see.... not really. I did just open another Etsy shop though, which is a project my boyfriend and I started. We sell supplies... I think this is just an excuse to do more thrift shopping and to buy more wholesale vintage jewerly parts. But its fun to work on something together... We only have a few things listed so far but if you want to check it out: http://www.fancyfeast.etsy.com/

Well, that's it for the interview. If you're not excitedly plotting outfits around one of those fanny packs, then clearly we can't be friends. It may seem shallow, but it's a rough 'n tumble world out there, and I just can't be too picky about who my friends are.

Okay, I'm kidding.

But I want a fanny pack! And a cupcake dress. I need to stop my random cheap purchasing long enough to save up for one of these handmade lovelies.

P.S. Is it just me, or is the formatting on this post weird? I can't figure out how to fix it...

Etsy is Love

Let me just say that I love Etsy. It's like the biggest, best crafts fair mixed with a flea market, a thrift store, and your grandmother's attic full of everything fantastic. Last night I went Etsy-crazy. I tend to go on Etsy for large spurts of time, and each time I add a million beautiful items to my favorites. And each time has a theme, mostly because my interests change depending on my mood. Last night's theme was all things girly. I think I'll share a bunch (and when I say a bunch, I mean a BUNCH) of my finds with you so that you can oooh and aaaah along with me. And if you decide that you absolutely must have one of them, you are not alone.


Hooray for cupcake stuff! I love cupcakes. They're so happy.
Cupcake dress
Cupcake necklace
Cupcake flats


This stuff reminds me of a sweet, girlish grandmother. Love.
Earrings
Teacup/saucers
Headband
Brooch


This stuff it kitschy and girly and fun. I love it all!
Dress
Fanny Pack
Handbag
Crafty Curios

To see more of my sweet finds, go here.