Party, Party!

New to the site, we have 3 Party dresses. 50s? Yes. 60s? Yes, indeed. 70s? Of course. The 1950s butter yellow taffeta party dress is a hard to find larger size with a V waistline, puff sleeves, flared skirt and pouf. The 1960s dress is a lovely quality black silk chiffon with rhinestone and bead encrusted yoke and cuffs. And the 1970s is a gold and black sequin tank style dress has a flared full

Etsy Collection: Summer Marigolds

I'm pretty excited about the pieces included in today's Etsy shop update. There is a wide variety of sizes in this batch from XS to XL. There are lots of light silk blouses and skirts. I did a little closet cleaning and included a few of my own dresses as well. This color scheme reminds me of the marigolds we always had growing in our yard as a girl. I've just finished adding them all to the shop so they're up for grabs. I hope they all find good new homes!

Row 1: windowpane smock dress, bohemia crochet dress, marigold linen dress

Row 2: summer sunsets dress, fleur de lis dress

Row 3: geology major dress, vanilla wrap dress, bonnie floral dress

Row 4: crosshatch dress, ships ahoy dress, fresh grass dress

Row 5: straw boater hat, music man hat, summer squared purse, olive teardrop bag

Row 6: buttercream silk blouse, pastel petals blouse, sunflower blouse

Row 7: paperwhites silk blouse, brick dust silk blouse, creamy knit blouse

Row 8: goldenrod pleated skirt, pistachio silk skirt, clover fields skirt, terracotta silk skirt

Betty Magazine

Have y'all checked out the second issue of Betty magazine yet? There's some seriously good stuff in it! I've had to pull myself away from it for now because I need to get back to work on today's Etsy shop update (I'm pretty excited about all the new items for today) but as soon as I'm done I'm going right back to reading this issue. There are quite a few things that caught my eye; an interview with Nadinoo (a favorite collection of mine), a piece about social networking (I'm the worst at using social sites), some perfectly styled editorials (I spy polka dots and a TBA dress), a guide to London for under 20 pounds (my sister leaves for a month long stay today, I'll have to forward this to her) and a guide to growing your own vegetables (I'm trying but the birds and the bugs keep beating me to everything) and a road trip guide for the US (another cross country drive is on our list of trips to take). My apologies for the excessive use of parentheses here. ;)

To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die...

photos by Tom b.

- vintage dress
- vintage woven oxfords
- vintage Coach purse
- Fletcher for Lyell cardigan
- listening to: The Smiths - "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"



Do you remember the other day when I mentioned that when we were in LA we visited the bench that was featured in 500 Days of Summer? Well, here we are! For those of you wondering it's in Angel's Knoll park in downtown LA; right next to the trolley that goes up the hill. Once you get into the park it's sort of hard to miss the bench since there's a pretty conspicuous plaque on the back of it. After we snapped a few photos there were some other folks who came along and were clearing doing the same thing we were. It's apparently quite the attraction.

After sitting in the park for a bit and enjoying the view we walked over to the Bradbury Building, one of our favorites in all of Los Angeles. It wasn't our first visit but I'm always awed every time we go. Once when we visited we were the only people there and the guard let us ride the elevator up to the top (there may have been a small bribe involved in that). It's probably best known as the Blade Runner building but once we were there we realized that it also has a 500 Days of Summer connection. It's where Tom goes for his job interview at the end of the movie.

It's Summer Sale Time at Past Perfect Vintage, the Etsy Division!

 


It's summer, so it's time for the annual Summer Etsy Sale at Past Perfect Vintage. We have the entire shop - womenswear, menswear, accessories - everything- on sale at a whopping 50 % off. This is a one week only event, ending July 5. Then we will restore prices, or remove items from the shop. So now is the time!

Here's few items to tempt you - head on over to pastperfectvintage.etsy.com to

Summer Outfits

Madewell blouse, Topshop shorts, Steven Alan hat, Le Botte Gardiane sandals, necklace

Somehow summer managed to sneak up on me without my realizing it. Luckily we haven't had too many of those hot sweltering summer days that make you want to sit in the air conditioning, never venturing outside. Last night we took our nieces out for miniature golf and an ice cream dinner. I was wearing something very similar to the outfit above although I would have been perfect happy wearing the ones below as well.

Monki dress, Rachel Comey sandals, sunglasses, necklace

Topshop dress & boots, sunglasses, necklace

Signs of the Times: More from the West

More signs, more neon. Can there be too many? I think not. Motels, bars and cafes. 

Shelley's Cowboy Bar and Golden Spur Cafe in Afton, WYIt's a dining room, a cafe, a bar, a package liquor store, and of course, that is a spur with rowel between the cafe and bar signs. Not a lot of neon, but a fine sign nonetheless.  
 The Rawhide Motel, Jackson,WY I didn't get it lit up,but a fine sign, yes?

I lost myself on a cool damp night...

- H&M dress
- vintage oxfords
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: Jeff Buckley - Grace "Lilac Wine"

Le Potpourri du Vintage

For your viewing and shopping pleasure, we bring you a small potpourri of vintage. Two dresses and two hats. The dresses? 1920s. The hats? 1940s. The through line? None, except Pretty. First up, a 1920s net lace dress with period slip. We just happen to have the perfect slip in stock - we have been holding onto it for  over 10 years, and now we have the perfect dress.  Then a 1920s green satin

Secret Squirrel Botanica Book Shoot

Secret Squirrel from Jim Papadakis on Vimeo.

I was so excited to watch this behind the scenes video of the shoot for one of my favorite labels, Secret Squirrel. I'm pretty much in love with everything that they do so getting a sneak peek at their spring line was quite a treat. I spy pretty pale dresses as well as perfect little black ones. I can't wait to see the rest.

Photography: The Beatles London

I had so much fun looking through this collection of then-and-now Beatles photographs. First of all, I love the Beatles. Second, I've always wanted to visit London and third, tracking down these spots is totally something nerdy Tom and I would do. When we were living in LA we visited the diner from the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs ("I don't tip because society says I have to"), sat in a booth at the Quality Cafe where countless scenes have been shot (Old School, Ghost World, Seven, Training Day) and ate possibly the worst grilled cheese and french fries of our lives and on our last trip we sat on the bench from 500 Days of Summer and took photos (speaking of which, I need to put those on the blog soon).

I like seeing how much these spots have changed (or haven't changed as the case may be) in the years since the Beatles walked the streets of London. I hope to one day visit and see some of these place for myself. Also in the list is finding places where The Smith had their photos taken in Manchester!

Signs of the Times: Movie Theatres

Small town theaters. Or neighborhood theaters, if you will. These have all but disappeared in our area. The multiplexes ate them. We do still have the great and grand Palace Theatre on 4th St - and it is fabulous. But the neighborhoods? Long gone.  AS we travel, my personal measure of the health of a small town or city has long been: is there still an old 1930s - 50s movie theater in the

All those things you sent my way, I never saved a thing...

- Steven Alan chambray shirt
- thrifted Gap sweater
- Fletcher for Lyell shorts
- H&M hat
- vintage purse
- vintage oxfords
- listening to: Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Through the Devil Softly "Trouble"

It sort of looks like I'm standing in front of a fake farm backdrop in that first photo doesn't it? I assure you, I am not. That's a pretty typical view of Lancaster's surrounding Amish countryside. This is also a pretty typical outfit that I've been wearing lately. It's funny that I was looking so forward to wearing sundresses and I've found myself in shorts nearly everyday this week.

Etsy Update: Marigold & Mocha

Row A: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row B: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row C: 1... 2... 3... 4...

Palm Spring in Your Step Sandal courtesy of Modcloth

New in June at Past Perfect Vintage

Our June additions at Past Perfect Vintage included these summer dresses in cotton, linen and rayon from the 1940s to 1960s.  Also new to the site? A lovely 1920s net lace dress, vintage hats from the Teens and 1940s, and four vintage combs we will feature here in the coming days. Plus even more, as usual!    Early 1940s Cream Crepe Dress with Red Print Sash and Hood
1950s New Look Cotton

Fleabags

I'd love to get my hands on one of these classy Fleabags (doesn't that sound like an oxymoron?). They're described by their creators as "dapper, large, lightweight and sturdy carry-alls - that are also eco-minded." I think they're the perfect combination of half purse-half tote.

Signs of the Times: The Rte 66 Edition, Part 2

 
In no particular order, but all on Tucumcari Blvd/Rt 66/Bus 40 in Tucumcari,NM we saw this great array of signage. And there were more - I didn't begin to get them all. Plus I missed the Odeon, a 1930s movie house that is still open.  I found photos of it online - and I am sad to have missed it. Except for Tepee Curios, these were all taken early in the morning light from a moving car. I

Wild Morning Glories

- Taupe of the Heap Tunic courtesy of Modcloth
- thrifted silk skirt
- Rachel Comey boots
- vintage hat

Did everyone have a nice Father's Day weekend? Mine was pretty quiet since I live so far away from my family and Tom was out of town for the weekend on a photography trip to the much abandoned city of Detroit. I did things like put up strings for the wild morning glories that are growing behind our fence, eat lots of homemade brownies and watch a True Blood marathon even though I'd already seen all of the episodes. I'd forgotten how good the first season was compared to the last one which was pretty terrible. The next one looks even worse but I'm sure I'll watch it just for fun anyway.

Signs of the Times: The Rte 66 Edition, Part 1

Just back from a great road trip of the American West. No vintage fashions to report on, but Fantastic scenery, both natural and man made. I had not planned on documenting great old signage, but there were too many great designs.I couldn't help myself, especially along old Route 66 through New Mexico. Many of the old businesses are derelict along the roadside. But those in Tucumcari, NM were

Photography: Lula Magazine

Model: Ilvie Wittek, Photography: Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiello, Styling: Samuel Francois

Since it's darn near impossible to get your hands on a copy of Lula Magazine if you don't live in a major metropolitan area, I guess I'll have to make do with the scans that pop up on the Fashion Spot thread. If this editorial is any indication it looks like a great issue.

Etsy Update: A Touch of Pink

Row A: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row B: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row C: 1... 2... 3... 4...

Lunar Landscapes

photos by Tom b.

- H&M striped top
- vintage shorts
- vintage Ferragamo flats
- vintage hat



Here we are back in Joshua Tree. I hope that these photos convey at least a little bit of just how strange and wonderful this place is. The rock formations that dot the horizon for as far as you can see are perfect for climbing to get a better view. The sky that day was so blue it looked fake and the sun warmed up very quickly. I'm glad I picked up that sunhat the day before!

Founders & Followers

When you visit Founders & Followers you're greeted with the following options: shop fashion, shop art, atelier, editorial. There's a little bit of everything all in one place. I'm partial to the "shop fashion" part, of course. I love the simple styling and muted palette of the outfits featured in the shop.

But then I'm also drawn into art section with work by Esra Roise and Marie Molterer and the atelier section with behind the scenes looks at the workshop of designers such as Bodkin. And then there's the editorial section with a shoot styled with pieces from designers such as Samantha Pleet, Rachel Antonoff and TBA.

A Beautiful Day

- vintage lace camisole
- Madewell chambray skirt
- Palm Springs in Your Step Sandal courtesy of Modcloth
- H&M hat

Today was one of those gorgeous days that you just can't waste by spending it indoors. I spent a bit of time in our own backyard trying to identify the birds that are frequenting our new bird feeder. What Bird is my new best friend! So far we have house sparrows and European starlings. Did you know that European starlings were first brought to North America in the 19th century by overzealous Shakespeare fans who wanted to introduce all of the species that were mentioned in Shakespeare's works? Such are the things you learn on What Bird. I've totally been nerding out on bird facts.

A couple of the wardrobe basics I've been searching for have finally landed in my closet. This chambray skirt is from Madewell and the straw hat was found in the guy's section of H&M. Hopefully it's more Panama Jack than Amos Stoltzfus. I guess asking to not look Amish is a bit much when I'm standing in the middle of an Amish cornfield.

Sunlit Serenity

Last month I welcomed a new sponsor to my blog, Shop Ruche. They have such a lovely, well edited selection of dresses in their shop. I wore this one when we went out for drinks in LA on our trip. I really love their new lookbook for early summer, titled Sunlit Serenity. The photos make me want to plan a trip to a whitewashed cottage along the beach for a lazy weekend.

Etsy Sale: Heatwave!

There's one more day left to grab anything and everything from the Etsy shop for 20% off!

Photography: Deadphotographers

Deadphotographers is a project curated by UK photographer James Dodd. It is a collection of images gathered through house clearances of the deceased. If they hadn't ended up as part of this collection, they would have been discarded and never seen again. It's sad to think of someone's beloved memories discarded once they're gone. I love the idea of letting these images live on and tell some anonymous story to its viewer. These remind me of family vacations and hot, humid summer days.

Joshua Tree National Park

photos by Tom b.

- Milky Way dress courtesy of Family Affairs
- Jeffrey Campbell sandals
- vintage hat



So far in documenting our California adventures I've tried to keep things in chronological order but today I'm going to jump ahead just a bit to our days spent in Joshua Tree National Park. I think this was our third or fourth visit to the park and it's always just as spectacular as the first time I saw it. It's easy to feel like you're walking around some lunar landscape once you're out in the middle of all those barren hills and strange prickly creatures.

On this particular day we woke before dawn so we could make it into the park for sunrise. There's no place I've been that's quite like the early morning desert. There were so many rabbits hopping around! We also spotted lots of ground squirrels, desert quail, about a million other birds and two snakes (no rattlers).

I knew it was going to be a scorcher once the sun was high but the morning started out pretty chilly. I actually had to wear a sweater over my dress until it started to warm up. Speaking of my dress, it was fun stomping around in this Milky Way dress that Nina was sweet enough to send to me (it's on sale!). Of course I was completely overdressed and had to change into my hiking shoes later on but I just wanted a moment of luxury and this dress was just the thing. I was going to comment that it has yards and yards of fabric and then I read the description from the website and it literally says that exact same thing. I'm also wearing a sunhat that I picked up at American Rag on La Brea during my shopping day in LA.

White Skirts

Francesca via Street Peeper ... Blushing Ambition

I saw these photos and instantly added a long white skirt to my list of things to add to my wardrobe. This one is lovely, though out of my price range. I'll have to keep my eye out at the thrift store.

Etsy Update: Americana

Row A: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row B: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row C: 1... 2... 3... 4...

Etsy Update: Pastoral Pastels

Row A: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row B: 1... 2... 3... 4... Row C: 1... 2... 3... 4...

BSF at the Trocadero

photos by Tom b.

- 80s knit top
- UO jeans
- Rachel Comey boots
- vintage Coach purse
- Garnett Jewelry necklace



This past Thursday Tom and I headed to Philly to see Boy Sets Fire play at the Trocadero. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that most of you probably did not spend your adolescence going to 90s hardcore shows (I think most fashion bloggers were probably born in the 90s) or perhaps I'm wrong and we were all at the same Snapcase show at some point in time. There was a club called Frankie's that was located under a pizza parlor in 5 Points South in B'ham where I spent many a night taking in local bands or whatever traveling band might be passing through at the time.

Of all the bands that I've listened to over the years, I must admit that BSF holds a very dear place in my heart. I actually remember the exact first moment I heard After the Eulogy. I was completely blown away and still can't help but get all wired when I hear "Rookie" (who can resist that song?). I played the entire album on repeat for the next year or so. The band hadn't played a show in the US since 2007 and we hadn't seen them live since a show at The Knitting Factory when we lived in LA so getting to see them on Thursday was a real treat.



Lucky for us, Tom is actually good friends with several members of the band from his years working in the music industry. Since they live close by in Delaware we've been able to hang out with them a few times since moving to PA and always have a good time when we're with them. Tom designed the artwork you see on their web page (it's also on their merch) and photographed the entire show (you can see more photos here).

So... the night of the show we made a very slow trek to Philly (it took us 2 1/2 hours with traffic!), met up with Nathan beforehand to have dinner at a pho restaurant right across the street from the venue then headed in to catch the opening bands from side stage. When BSF finally took the stage I was pretty excited. Tom was running around doing his photography thing while I watched the show from the stage. They certainly did not disappoint! The cutest thing about the show (if there can be something cute) was that most of the guys in the band now have kids... so I was sitting along the stage with a bunch of little girls who were singing along to all the songs.

As for what I'm wearing, I've been feeling a little more casual lately so I threw on a pair of jeans, a knit top and these Rachel Comey boots that I haven't stopped wearing since I got them (someone asked how they fit... a little snug so I'd size up if you're in between). The funny thing is I thought I was looking all casual but when I was getting ready, Tom walked into the room and said, "wow, you're all dressed up." Ha, ha. I think it's the shoes.



P.S. If you'd like you can check out a guest post I did at Lulu Letty...

Photography: At Home with Erin Fetherston

I discovered this collection of photos from Erin Fetherston's apartment via Francesca's twitter. Apparently her talented friend Jeff was an assistant at the shoot. Lucky him! I love getting a little peek into anyone's closet, but especially when it's someone as fashionable as Miss Fetherston. Oh my goodness, that closet! It seems that she actually has two closets... one for inspiration and one for getting dressed. Wouldn't that be grand? Her collection of glove forms reminds me that I have one that I bought ages ago at Fishs Eddy. I need to find more!

Bustles in The Queen: 1875, part Deux

Two more 1875 bustle dresses from The Queen. I do think this period had the most graceful line of the bustle variations. Not as short waisted and puffy as the earliest 1870s version, which looks a little wedding cakesque, yet softer and less rigid than the 1880s version. And this has a more graceful profile line than the truly horizontal bustle of the later era, as well. That said,it is still an

Fairfax Flea Market

photos by Tom b.

- 60s cotton dress
- Fletcher for Lyell cardigan
- vintage Etienne Aigner flats
- vintage hat
- vintage Coach purse
- Fox tote from Libris Lunaria



One of my favorite things to do when we lived in LA was wake up early on Sunday morning and walk to the Fairfax Flea Market. I do miss having a flea market within walking distance! I nearly always came home with a vintage dress or some sort of trinket. I made sure to keep our Sunday morning free for this trip so I could return to the flea market.

It was a beautiful day and lovely to be outside. Sadly the flea market did not live up to all my expectations. It was mostly cut-off blue jeans and hemmed polyester dresses. I did find one lovely 40s cotton dress but I knew by looking it wouldn't fit me so I didn't even ask about a price. I didn't buy anything for myself but managed to find some souvenirs for friends back home. The best thing we found all day was that adorable little pup chillin' by his owner's stand and soaking in the sun.