Adieu 2012

As we prepare to say good bye to 2012, I thought it might be fun (for me at least) to take a quick look at some of the highlights...

We're so thankful for all of the milestones and successes we've had this year!  

Best of all were all of the many new friends and customers we met!

We hit over 2000 sales on Etsy and over 2600 Facebook fans.

We made the Top 10 list for Lulu's Vintage 2012 People's Choice Award for best online vintage store and Racked's Vintage 38 list of top online vintage sites.

Many of our items made their way into the wardrobe departments of movie and tv studios.

CBS's Vegas

Bomb Girls

Grace of Monaco (starring Nicole Kidman) 

Showtime's Masters of Sex

among others.

And, we were honored to have Taylor Swift appear on Fifi & Jules in one of our dresses. 

Photo courtesy of http://fearlessandfashionable.tumblr.com/

I also wanted to share with you some of my favorite pieces that found new homes in 2012, but it was so so hard to pick just a few.  So, here is a not-so-short sampling of a few of favorites.

Dresses, dresses, and more dresses (we went a bit dress crazy in 2012)...

1930s rayon knit dress

1930s chiffon dress with bakelite buckle

Early 1940s plaid suit

1950s floral sundress

1950s red holiday party dress

1950s floral cotton dress

1950s black and white graphic sundress

1950s crepe and pink peek-a-boo party dress

1950s bombshell wiggle dress

1950s floral halter sundress and jacket 

 1950s navy party dress

And the coats and jackets of 2012...

1960s MOD winter coat

1930s blue wool and sheared beaver coat

1940s wasp waist jacket  

Early 1950s princess coat

1940s Asian style jacket

And the purses...

1960s HUGE John Romain basket purse

1930s Meeker tooled leather clutch

1930s crocheted bag with lucite handles 

1960s Aigner oxblood leather purse

And the shoes...

1940s green pumps

1940s swing dance shoes

1940s peep toe oxfords with embroidered spiders

We had such a great year in 2012 thanks to all of you!  Isaac and I are really looking forward to 2013 and sharing more memories, milestones, and vintage with all of you.  

A 1920s Women's Sailor Top

Isaac & I took a few detours from during our Thanksgiving travels to hit up some small town antique malls.  Most of them had little to offer in the way of clothing, but we did find one little gem.  From a rack of old linens, Isaac pulled out this old, very worn sailor shirt.  The cotton tag was completely faded, but we both suspected it was probably from the 20s or 30s.   It looked a little familiar.  So it came home with us.   I finally got around to doing a little research on it and was lucky enough to find some really close comparisons in the 1922 Sears Catalog!  

Our 1920s sailor blouse! 

1922 Winter Sears Catalog.  Here these shirts are called "The Middy Blouse"..."There never was a more practical or more attractive costume for the schoolgirl or co-ed; for sport or for year round utility wear."

And the details...

Little glass buttons on the waist band and the cuffs.

It is still in "as found" condition (I just couldn't wait to share it with you!).  We haven't even washed it yet.  Although it is totally wearable, it's going to need some work to bring it up to tip-top shape.  Look for it to be in the shop next year!

1940s Campus Suits for Women

There is something so iconic about these early 1940s wool suits.

The silhouettes are simple and flattering and the colors are chic.  They're youthful and sophisticated at the same time.  Kinda makes me want to go back to school and prance around campus...hhmm, is there a grad program for vintage clothing?

Early 1940s plaid suit is in the shop.

Sears Catalog, Winter 1942-43 

Dorothy Shapard, student at Vassar, in a career classic blue grey wool dress with a plaid jacket in blue, grey, red and black and a red hat, Spetember 1941.  Image from  © Condé Nast Archive/Corbis

And I love these 1940s black suede oxfords (never worn & still in the original box) to complete the look.  Get them here.

To learn more about the elements of 1940s style, visit our favorite vintage style expert, Sammy Davis Vintage.

Perfect Harmony - A 1940s Asian-style Jacket and an Asian Garden

While Isaac & I were in Portland a couple of weeks ago, we were lucky enough to make it out to the Japanese Garden.  It is truly an amazing place - so peaceful and beautiful.    When we returned home, I was inspired to bring out an Asian inspired 1940s jacket that I'd been keeping in our backroom (where I keep the spectacular items that I just can't let go of) and share it with you.  

Stunning silhouette with wide shoulders and a nipped waist.

Hand-rolled toggles using the same fabric as the jacket.

Glamorous wide, asymmetrical sleeves.

Golden silk with a classic woven pattern.

Fishtail peplum back.

This amazing jacket is available in the shop!

I think the photos from the Japanese Garden speak for themselves.  I hope you enjoy them.

And, yes, I do realize that the jacket is a Chinese-style and the garden is Japanese...
but I was inspired nonetheless. :-)

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.