Menswear Monday

We've listened to our fashionable male customers who tell us they want MORE vintage menswear, that a sprinkling of clothing for them is just a tease.   So, we will now have a day devoted to menswear!  

Introducing...

 Menswear Monday!

Every Monday, we'll be adding awesome vintage items to our menswear collection.

We'll have a little bit of everything...from classic to funky, from hipster to preppy, from 1920s to 1980s. 

There should be a little something for everyone.

1960s Brocade Tuxedo

1950s Dobbs Grey Fedora

Late 1960s MOD Jacket - never worn!

Late 1930s / Early 1940s Hickok Suspenders

Late 1960s Navy Double Breasted Jacket

1950s Red Silk Self-tie Bow Tie

Check out more of our vintage menswear collection in our Etsy shop!

Vintage Shopping - Portland, part II

Yep, Portland has so many wonderful vintage shops that it takes two posts to cover them all...

After taking a day off vintage shopping to visit the Japanese garden, we were back on the trail of amazing vintage goodies.

Our first stop on this day was Magpie Vintage.   Sadly, we didn't have a most wonderful experience here.  It wasn't "bad", but it wasn't thrilling either.  There were three people working in the shop and two customers when we arrived.  The three employees were busy cleaning shoes and putting out new vintage.  While I love to see busy employees, none of them stopped to acknowledge that we'd entered the shop or offered any help...even when Isaac and I both had our faces pressed against the jewelry case that two of the employees were using as a work surface.    So, while the service was lacking, the vintage collection was fun.  Being fairly  close to Halloween, there was lots of cheap costumes, but we also found racks of older vintage dresses and a huge case of amazing vintage jewelry.  Needless to say, since the employees here were rather non-responsive to customers, we didn't even bother to ask about taking photos.

Photo source: Lindyshopper

On to the next stop...Ray's Ragtime.  I have to admit that I was a little weary about this place since I'd heard/read some stories about the rather rude owner and staff (and coming off the rather blase experience at Magpie, I wasn't feeling too upbeat myself).  But, wow...just walking into this shop can quicken the heartbeat of a vintage lover.  It took a bit of time standing in the middle of the shop to take it all in and get a grasp of the sheer amount of vintage in every nook and cranny, even hanging from the rafters.   I snaked my way back to the vintage jewelry, behind which were the shelves with amazing 1920s - 1940s shoes and hats.   A very sweet sales clerk patiently showed me piece after piece, pulling out any shoes that seemed close to what I was looking for.  I tried on a few hats, while he continued to patiently smile.  So, with no seeming rudeness from this salesman, I inquired about the older dresses handing from the ceiling, way out of reach.  He was happy to pull down dress after dress and we laughed and chatted as I picked out a few to try on.   Another salesclerk help Isaac with the older suits (again hanging way out of reach).  Ray had appeared in the shop by this time and rather than scolding Isaac for trying on a jacket that was a little snug on him (a common complaint from the reviews I'd read), he asked about where Isaac would be wearing the suit.  Yes, he was actually interested in finding a suit to match Isaac's needs.  

The last hurdle, taking pictures.   We'd heard that Ray does NOT allow photos of the shop.  But, after we purchased a few things, I asked one of the nice staff if we could snap a few.  He hesitated, said that Ray doesn't allow it, but that he'd stepped out for a bit...so be quick and subtle about it.  THANKS nice salesclerk! 

1930s dress display in one of the nooks.  

Hard to tell, but this is the sales counter/check-out.  So, so much eye-candy in this store!

Next stop...Avalon Vintage.  I have to confess that here we got so wrapped up in looking at everything (and the fact that it was time for a much needed cocktail!) that we pretty much forgot to take photos.  The store is so lovely though.  It kind of has the feel of walking back in time to an early century clothing store.  Great displays.  Very organized.  The gentleman and woman working were very nice and super helpful.  In fact, Simon (the gentleman working) was so extremely helpful, passionate, and knowledgable about vintage watches that Isaac added "vintage watch" to his Christmas wish list.  If you're looking for quality vintage from a really knowledgable staff, definitely add Avalon to your list!  (Simon...you'll probably be hearing from me about some of those watches!)

Restored vintage watches at Avalon.  

So, after our stop in Avalon, it was definitely time for some libations and food.

All in all, the shop we visited had amazing selections of older vintage, really helpful staff, and fair prices.  There were a lot more places still left to visit, but, sadly, we were leaving the next day so we still have a partial list for our next visit.  Hopefully soon...

Check out our first day of vintage shopping in Portland here.

1930s Vintage Tie Collection

A while back, Isaac was lucky enough to find an old box FILLED with men's neckties.   We finally started going through them and getting them ready for the shop.   We were pleasantly surprised to find that they all appear to be deadstock ties dating to the mid- to late-1930s.  

Here is your sneak peek...Don't worry, we'll have them in the shop in time for holiday shopping! 

We're not exactly sure what "the story" is with the box of ties.
There are many different labels, but there is one customer's name on the box.
Perhaps the department store was preparing for them to be either shipped or picked-up by this loyal customer?
Or was the box being re-used for ties that didn't sell?

Here is a sampling of less than half the box.  

So many different colors and patterns.

Some of the labels are really interesting.

This label for Cheney Cravats is definitely my favorite label.  How often do you see a camel on a vintage label?

My three favorite ties from those we've already sorted.
Left: late 1930s silk "bubble" tie in greens, teals, and blues.
Middle: late 1930s silk tie with striped umbrellas and...well...I'm just not sure what  the other image is.
Right: late 1930s silk tie with turtles on lily pads.

Vintage Shopping - Portland, part I

After seeing so many amazing on-line vintage shops based in Portland, I was so excited to actually hit the streets and see what the city had to offer "in person".  And, I wasn't disappointed!
(Please forgive the photo-quality.  We opted to leave the huge camera at home and used the iphone instead.)

Our first stop was Decades Vintage since it was just around the corner from our hotel.  The shop was small but packed with mostly pre-1970s vintage for men and women...and it was SO organized.  The young man working behind the counter was really helpful without being pushy or getting annoyed that I kept asking to see things, but ultimately didn't find that perfect piece to take home.   So many things to drool over...

The first thing that caught my eye was this 1930s red velvet tilt hat.

Vintage jewelry at Decades Vintage...love!

Lots of beautiful bakelite!

The shoes were well curated and in amazing condition!
There was a pair of 1940s purple platforms that would have gone home with me if they'd only been a 1/4" wider.  Sigh.

See...so organized.  Everything was clearly marked with a date and size.

Isaac was really impressed with the men's suit collection.
A 1940s blue-gray chalk-stripe suit caught his eye (maybe for Christmas Isaac!).   

This 1920s cloche hat and Art Deco peach mesh compact purse were amazing!

The next stop was one of my favorite stops...LuLu's Vintage.  I've been following LuLu's (aka Anne) blog Shop Vintage Portland and her shop blog for a while, so I was really excited to meet Ann and check out her shop.  Lulu's is such an inviting shop with lots of eye-candy!  And Anne was so sweet and helpful with pointing out some fun things for us to do and see while in Portland.  If you're in Portland, you MUST stop by.  Lulu's is located just down from Powell's, so it is really easy to find.  

Our first vintage purchase of the trip was made here.  Isaac found a fab plaid newsboy cap.

Window shopping at Lulu's Vintage

I LOVE the vintage hankies Anne framed to make lovely wall art.  Inspiration for my own studio!

Anne and I chatting about the differences between the East coast and West coast vintage cultures.
(There were a lot; we'll talk about these more in a later post.)

Gorgeous pink dresses at Lulu's.

I loved that Anne also stocked some locally-made pretties along with vintage and hand-made postcards.
Isaac and I both picked up some lovely locally-made postcards for parents and friends back home.

Beautiful gold mesh purses.

The sweet and lovely Anne of Lulu's vintage.  Give her a hug from me if you stop by!

After leaving LuLu's, we followed one of Ann's suggestions and hit up The Living Room Theater for drinks.  Isaac even did a shot of Hot Monkey Vodka...yikes and yum!

If you're heading to Portland, definitely check out Shop Vintage Portland for maps and suggestions about places to shop, eat, sleep, etc.

Prada Menswear Fall/Winter 2012...or 1912?

There have probably already been a million blog posts about the Prada Fall/Winter 2012 Menswear collection, but I just couldn't resist...it is fabulous on so many levels!  Prada combined some classic vintage and Steampunk fashion with some amazing contemporary actors to create some serious  magic.  Actors Gary Oldman, Adrian Brody, Jamie Bell, Garrett Hedlund, and Willem Dafoe pulled off a visually delicious runway show.  

How original is this Prada collection?  Well, probably not the most original or forward looking to come from Prada (by contrast check out the Spring/Summer 2012 collection) .  But isn't kind of fun to see haute couture following street fashion?  

So boys, get out your cravats, spectacles, and waist coats...its time to be the Dandy you've always wanted to be!

Check out the entire show