Vintage Shopping Advice

I was reading an interview of Emily Schuman (the girl behind Cupcakes and Cashmere) on Danapop, and I came across some great advice for vintage and flea market shopping. I have devoted several posts to vintage, thrift and Ebay shopping, and I realize that it can be intimidating to sift through piles of stuff at flea markets and thrift stores. I hope Emily's advice helps you all conquer your fears!

Danapop (dp): I’m a horrible shopper at flea markets or stores where a lot of sifting and sorting through bins or unorganized racks are involved…what can you recommend for someone like me to look for at flea markets?

Cupcakes and Cashmere (c&c): I would say that you should think about what it is you’re looking for prior to showing up to shop. For a newbie to vintage shopping, start with boots, belts and bags since figuring out your sizing with clothes takes a while. Also, when in doubt, find a stylish girl and keep an eye out for the booths that she visits and the things she scopes out.

dp: What are key things to check out when shopping for vintage items?

c&c: I’d say quality is the most important thing since no matter how cute something may be, if it falls apart a week later, you’re out of luck (I learned this the hard way with a vintage Gucci purse that turned out to be fake). Always check the soles of shoes, the straps and closures on bags and all parts on clothing to make sure there are no rips or stains.

Shop 'til you Drop!

Any girl or boy that loves fashion inevitably loves shopping! But what do you do with all those plastic and paper bags you get from every store? I always feel so wasteful walking around with five bags from each store I have shopped at. My solution has been cute reusable bags. I realize that this is not a new trend, everyone from Marc Jacobs to Gap has designed hundreds of cute reusable totes for fashion forward folks everywhere. I want to share with all of you some of my favorite totes! My absolute favorite is the Le Pliage by Longchamp. It comes in various sizes, shapes and colors, and folds into a small little square that fits perfectly into your purse. I carry the 121/4X12X71/2 inches because it is big enough to carry as an everyday tote too. I use it every time I travel and when I was in school, I could fit all my books in it. I also love the Want Organic for JCrew Mirabel day roll bag. It is made of certified organic cotton and sustainable leather from Norway. It rolls into itself so that it can fit into your suitcase or purse but it is large enough to fit a laptop, and it comes in four basic colors! I also love the classic boat and tote bag from L.L.Bean. It comes in four sizes and eight fun colors. It's a prep classic that will never go out of style, plus you can get it monogramed. What makes it even better is that it is made in the US (Brunswick, Maine). These classics (and any other cute totes you can find), will have you shopping in style for years to come. Now get to shopping!

Longchamp.com ($145)

Jcrew.com ($145)

llbean.com ($25-$38)