100 Best Vintage Shops Online

Sammy, from Sammy Davis Vintage has written a new e-book, The 100 Best Vintage Shops Online. 

And it's fabulous!

SLV is featured as one of the best 10 independent shops, thank you Sammy! She has done an incredible amount of work to spread vintage love and find the best vintage shopping online. 

This beautiful book is now available to all for $4.98

Beautiful photography and interactive links, I highly recommend this book for all who are thinking of buying vintage and even for those who have been buying for a long time. It is vintage eye candy!

 

Trying on A Piece of Rock History

Want to own a piece of rock history? If you are familiar with Kim Gordon and the band Sonic Youth, she is selling off a collection of her clothing at Mercy Vintage. With a very sixties vibe, there is some vintage, some designer and some of her own clothing label, X-Girl.

Lisa over at Collector's Weekly, alerted me of this fabulous sale as she is lucky enough to live just a short distance from the store. But hurry, sale only lasts until September 15.

For more information, read the entire Collector's Weekly article! 
Have a great weekend!

Dear Vintage Goddess....

Dear Vintage Goddess, 

I keep hearing different words to describe vintage. What's the difference between vintage, thrift and retro? 

Thanks, Jennifer

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Dear Jennifer, 

With the ever increasing popularity of vintage - the terms used to describe it are also becoming more confusing. There are disagreements however, but basically it follows this:

Vintage - an item that is at least 20 years old. So this would put 1992 in the vintage category. However, ask a die-hard vintage collector and they would insist (as I do) that pre 1980s is 'true vintage'.

Thrift- Anything used. So this can mean used from last week. It is not necessarily of good quality nor old nor collectible. It applies to not just fashion, but all second hand items. A.K.A. recycling.

Retro - This is more tricky. Traditionally, retro meant the 1950-1960s era. However, it is now encompassing the 1980s. (We're not sure what happened in the 70s here...). Think Mad Men, Las Vegas and swinging cocktail parties.

Hope that helps!

 

New items now available! 

Have a great weekend everyone!

1950s Nat Kaplan Blue Lace Dress $135

 1950s Seafoam Green Organza Dress $85

1960s Blue Chiffon Winged Dress, Zou Bisou Bisou $65

1960s Black Polka Dot & Marabou Trimmed Dress $105

1960s Striped Dress with Matching Shawl by Ruth Dukas $125

It's Vintage Ossie Clark

Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy

I have yet to own an original Ossie Clark - but when I do, believe me you will be the first to know! Original Ossie Clark pieces are in high demand, particularly in London, and is a label to covet.

Mr. Clark was a major fashion designing influence, in what is famously known as the swinging sixties in London, England. Influencing many current fashion designers, his studies of architecture were an invaluable tool - allowing him to recognize the fundamentals of height, proportion and volume and apply it to his fashions. It is often said his wife Celia was his muse as she designed the fabrics prints from which he created his fashions. The two worked in tandem - one could not have designed without the other. Her patterns inspired his lines.

1969 Dress of the Year, Bath Museum

The Happening Dress

Ossie had many famous clients including Mick Jagger, The Beatles and Liza Minnelli demonstrating his international success in New York and Paris. Originally, the exclusive London boutique Quorum featured his designs, but due to less than successful business management, the UK fashion house, Alfred Radley bought Quorum and the Clark designs.  This expanded Ossie's audience and introduced the Ossie Clark for Radley collections.

By the 1980s however, the punk rock scene was taking over and Ossie's designs were considered dated. He met an early death at the hands of a former lover, and was stabbed to death in 1996. He was only 54 years old.

Imagine if he was still designing....



 

Advanced Style

Tziporah Salamon

Lisa over at Collector's Weekly thought you may be interested in this fantastic woman, Tziporah Salamon. A refined lady of Manhattan, she proves that age has no limits when it comes to dressing. Her incredible collection of vintage and antique clothes are not just to admire, but to wear - and she does it with such style.

Tziporah is 62 years old and a regular on Ari Cohen's Advanced Style blog. He showcases beautiful women - older women who can put an outfit together like no young stylist today!

So take that you mini skirts and plunging necklines. A woman's refinement, good taste and confidence outweigh those nasty stripper platform heels any day.

Read the full article here:

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/leading-the-charge-against-casual-style/

New Items Now Available!

Toronto High Park

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom here in Toronto - High Park is a beautiful sight to see at this time assuring that spring is here.

Have a blossom-y weekend everyone!

Retro navy blue cotton dress with petal sleeves $85

1960s cranberry striped shift dress $65

1960s teen girls formal dress $75

1950s green secretary dress by Miss Couture $65

1950s green chantilly lace cocktail dress $42.50

New Items Now Available!

I am having soooo much fun going through my pre 1930s collection that I recently acquired. 

Dating back to the 1880s, it is a pleasure to examine the hand sewing, the quality of the silks and appreciating the enormous amount of time it took to make these garments. In a strange and good way, it makes me slow down too. It forces me to be grateful of time and not rush through life - to live life in the moment. 

As Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said: "There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden, or even your bathtub."

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

1920s Navy Blue Beaded Flapper Dress

Edwardian Lawn Dress

Antique Silk Bustle Gown

1930s Crepe de Chine Evening Dress

1920s Navy Blue Silk and Satin Suit

You Want How Much?!

Ah, this coat. This fantastic 1920s wool wrap coat.

As soon as I listed this I was hit with a flurry of interest. Fabulous right? Of course. But it made me ponder the question (again....) of how to price vintage clothing. 

The price of this coat was a very reasonable $125. Some may think, why so cheap? Others may think, that's about right, and yet others may think too expensive.

This coat was sold within 48 hours of listing and because I received so many emails of people interested in this coat, hoping the sale would not go through and could I let them know, I re-evaluated the price I placed.

There were a few issues with the coat. Obvious yellowing was apparent on the front, right where the buttons are, there was a small hole and the pocket had a repair.

 

Generally when I price something, I think to myself, "What would I pay". So I stand by my price because of the issues. Regardless of how old this coat, I feel $125 was fair and not too cheap, and not gouging. 

I refuse to be one of those sellers who sell at outrageous prices just because something is old. I stand by my integrity and price valuations. If something is a lower price, then kudos to the buyer who snapped it up. If something is a higher price, then the buyer who wants the item is willing to pay for it. I am a fair seller of vintage clothing and believe quality = value. That is how I shop and that is how vintage consumers should too - don't be fooled by high prices and thinking it must be really valuable. In many cases, high prices do not mean better quality. It could mean something is more rare and definitely that is worth the higher price. Just be careful out there and do a bit of homework.