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)

Bicycle Post #2

I have a love for cute and fashionable blondes on bikes! So here are a couple for your viewing pleasure. I hope they inspire you all to ride in style!

I love the use of texture in her outfit from the lace-like scarf to her updated tweed coat all the way down to her worn leather bag. Plus, I want her basket!
Source: www.copenhagencyclechic.com

Look at that amazing poncho! I want one to wear when I ride my bike!
Source: www.copenhagencyclechic.com

A Few Days Late

RIP Alexander McQueen. We all miss you. In memory I would like to highlight one of my favorite shows by McQueen: his Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection. He used a video projection of the Earth and lined the runway with stuffed animals, including many endangered species. The designs evoked nature through animal inspired prints and textures, and varied florals. In program notes he explained that he had been thinking about the negative affects of industrialization on our Earth and Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. The message is so important and the collection has stuck with me. It is necessary that bold and relevant designers like McQueen use their art and talent to convey important messages to the fashion world at large. Read the Vogue review and view the entire collection at Style.com. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the collection:

Green is Sexy

I discovered this neat new green website while reading the article about Rachel McAdams in the January issue of Vogue. I was so inspired by the way she lives her life, out of the spotlight, riding her bike or walking everywhere and living with the earth in her heart and mind. She and some of her closest friends started a website called Green is Sexy, to help educate people about lowering carbon footprints. The website is incredibly comprehensive,insightful, inspiring and absolutely adorable. I hope that all of you will go check it out and support the tremendous effort of these beautiful and sexy women. Go get sexy!

Bicycle Post #1

Bikes! What is not to love? A fashionable form of transportation that is good for the environment and gives your legs a great workout (so they look fab in mini skirts)! My best friend Nick built me a beautiful 1972 Centurion a couple of years ago and it immediately became one of my favorite possessions. I often come across pictures of fashionable folks on their bikes and I have decided to start posting them here. Hope you enjoy the ride and much as I do.

This man is so adorable. The epitome of a stylish bike rider! I want a red satchel just like his for my bike. It is the perfect accessory and I love that he highlighted it with a matching red scarf.

Picture from Sartorialist

Etsy

In an earlier post I mentioned different places to get second hand and vintage items. One amazing website I failed to mention is Etsy. This site is great because it is a much smaller scale than Ebay (meaning it is easy to search on), but still has a huge variety. You can shop for vintage, handmade, supplies or even shop by a seller's name. You also have the option of shopping locally (support your economy and the enviornment)! My friend Abby just recently started her own vintage shop called Leather Lace and Velvet Vintage (search the sellers for leatherlaceandvelvet). She has already added some pretty incredible items, including a vintage tank covered in wolves (which I am lusting after). Another fun thing about Etsy is that you can purchase one of a kind hand made crafts and even clothing. My friend Yu Yu is a clothing designer and sells some of her designs through Etsy. You can check her sweet duds out at FreeApples (again, search for this name under sellers). Enjoy the search!

Jade Nails

Who What Wear just did a beauty post highlighting pretty green nails for fall. They listed several different brands of nail polish in varied shades of green. There were some great brands on the list including OPI and Chanel. Sadly, there were no Eco-friendly suggestions. But, have no fear, I have found several shimmering (and matte) shades from mint to neon green. My personal favorite is a pretty shade of icy mint from SpaRitual called Delight. I discussed this company in an earlier post because they carry nail polishes that are vegan, DBP, formaldehyde and toluene free and the glass bottles are made of 50% recycled materials. Another great choice is a vegan, water based nail polish from Suncoat called Apple Green (#21). No Miss also has a sparkly shade called Jenson Beach Jade which is Vegan, and does not contain, formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl-pthalate or camphor. What a perfect way to go green!

Calling all Greenies!

Samsung and service provider Sprint have released a new smart phone called the Reclaim. It is made from 80% recyclable materials and for every phone purchased a donation will be made to the Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre Program. It comes in two pretty colors: Earth Green and Ocean Blue and from what I have read has pretty good consumer reviews. There are also several eco-friendly applications available on the phone (although I am not quite sure what that means). If any of you have this phone, I would love to know what you think of it! Let's get to talking!

TOMS New Style

TOMS Shoe Company just created a new style with laces! They include a more supportive insole and stronger outsole and look like super cute, casual oxfords! These cuties can be worn with or without the laces and are a fantastic alternative to sneakers. The shoes come in three different colors for women and men. This new style is called Cordones and if you buy a pair they will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. I can't wait to order my pair in natural canvas with brown leather detailing. Start shopping!