Where to Buy Vintage Clothing Online

More and more vintage stores are going online now which is a great time-saver for searching for unique and hard to find pieces.  Here is a collection of some of my favorite sites for vintage fashion.

Poshvintage

This site has been around a long time specializes in higher-end vintage pieces mostly from the 60's and 70's.  I covet everything in the designer section, but have found some really great day dresses as well.  The photography is excellent and I like that everything new is listed on the "What's New Page".

Adored Vintage

This is a great new site for earlier decade vintage.  Very pretty dresses, hats and other accessories and fantastic descriptions and photos of every piece.  Located in Los Angeles this site has a great blog as well.

FreePeople Vintage Loves

Yes, this is a corporate store, but it also has an interesting selection of vintage pieces.  I use this more as an inspiration and gallery because the prices are super high.  However, what's great is how the collections are organized and curated.

Etsy

Etsy is a great source for vintage because there are lots and lots of sellers on there, but you have to be ready to dig and sort through pages and pages to find great things.  You can favorite individual sellers that have more curated collections, but the quality really varies from seller to seller.

Strange Baby Vintage

I have to do a shameless plug for my latest endeavor here as well--a collaboration with my daughter.  We are just getting our online store off the ground, but are aiming to provide a curated collection of later-decades vintage (70's, 80's and 90's) that is extremely wearable and "current" and more rock n' roll than ladylike.  This is mid-range vintage, not designer high-end or collectible vintage.

Online Magazines

I love magazines. They are the perfect junk food at the end of a long day when I am too tired to read a book, but can make it through a short article.  Even just flipping the pages looking at all the pretty pictures can be inspirational and therapeutic.

Lately there have been some new magazines that have launched online without even having a print version.  Although I prefer the tactile feel of print pages, these new online versions have all the look and feel of their print cousins. One added benefit is that if something catches your eye you can click on it and go immediately to a website to buy it or learn more about it.

Here are some of my current favorites in this genre:

Lonny

This magazine was founded by a former staff member of the print magazine Domino which I loved, but sadly this magazine did not survive.

Named for London and New York--the hometown of the two founders, Lonny magazine comes out bi-monthly and focuses on home decor, interior design, and lifestyle.

I love the photography and the design aesthetic which is clean and eclectic.

Sweet Paul Magazine

What started out as a blog and showcase for craft and food stylist Paul Lowe Einlyng, has turned into a successful online magazine with a cult following.

Full of recipes, crafts, entertaining ideas, and shopping tips, I find this to be the more creative and interesting version of Martha Stewart magazine.

Rue Magazine

This magazine is based out of my hood in San Francisco and focuses on home decor, fashion and shopping. In fact, a good portion of the content is in "Editor Picks" and product highlights which I like.

Now the magazine has added a robust new website and daily content as well.

Self-Titled

This is a music mag with great photography and content that I actually want to read.  Not a traditional music magazine at all, the interviews and features are actually interesting and draw you in.

Best Made Company

I just came across Best Made Company while browsing through the latest edition of Lonny Magazine. I love their simple and beautifully designed products. Here's a few items I just might pick up for holiday gifts.

Playing Cards

These beautifully designed playing cards ($8) would make a great stocking stuffer. Printed by the same company that makes Bicycle and Bee brand cards, these sport nifty lightening bolts and cool stripes.

Steel Mugs

These steel cups come from a 100 year old factory in Poland. A set of two cups is only $32. Dishwasher safe or great over a campfire two. These cups are both sturdy and steadfast.

Japanese Higo Knife

A beautiful and useful tool.  These japanese folding knives ($60) are made of white steel with a hand-hammered finish and inspiring message of "courage". 

El Cosmico Provision Company

I've posted about El Cosmico--the amazing luxury hotel/artist retreat in Marfa, TX where you stay in vintage travel trailers.   I have not yet been, but love the aesthetic and hopefully will be able to go one day.

In the meantime, El Cosmico has launched an online store so I can recreate a little bit of the vibe at home.  Here are some of amazing treasures you can find there:

Brass Necklace

A hand-stamped 6-sided brass necklace ($85)  custom made for El Cosmico by Fort Standard.

Pink Pocket Knife

I love the contrast of this pink pocket knife--something sweet with something tough.  Made by Moore Maker of Matador, TX.  $40.

Bolivian Blankets

These colorful vintage wool blankets ($350) are hand-dyed and hand-loomed in South America.  Each one is unique.

Marin Country Mart

Larkspur landing goes upscale!  I just discovered the completely redone Marin Country Mart. Wow!  What a great place to stroll around and hang out in the sunshine with upscale shopping, great food, live music in the middle.  Here are the some of the new shops that have recently opened there.

Unionmade

Awesome men's store with high-quality clothes and accessories and a small selection of women's like the classic French striped t-shirt. Voted one of the country's 10 best independent mens stores by GQ Magazine and San Francisco's best mens store by SF Weekly. Visit online at unionmadegoods.com.

Calypso St. Barth

This shop features cool boho chic clothing and accessories from caftans to sparkly dresses for the holidays. There is also a selection of housewares like pillows with printed skulls, colorful pig statues and more. Visit online at calypsostbarth.com.

Erica Tanov

This Berkeley outpost arrives in Marin County. Erica Tanov designs upscale bohemian clothing with an emphasis on amazing textiles. Visit online at ericatanov.com.

Belcampo

Belcampo features a butcher shop and restaurant and also sells some other miscellaneous food and kitchen items. All of the meat is grass fed on their 10,000 acre ranch near Mt. Shasta. This company was recently featured in the December 2012 Sunset magazine.  Visit online at belcampomeatco.com.

Malia Mills

Malia Mills features swimwear and clothing for every body shape. Visit online at maliamills.com

Christmas Wishlist 2012

Okay, Santa, are you listening?  I haven't blogged in a really long time, but what better occasion than just before the holidays when shopping is at a peak.  Here are all the presents that I would probably never buy for myself, but would be thrilled to find under the tree.

Equipment Silk Pajamas

These menswear-inspired pajamas from Equipment ($440) look so comfortable I might just be persuaded out of my ubiquitous sweats. In brushed silk with a drawstring waist, I love them in this bright fuschia shade that is oh so feminine. Available from Net-a-porter.com.

J. Crew Cashmere Wrap

I have been wanting a nice big cashmere wrap for travel--something that can double as a blanket on long plane flights, but is not so big that I can wear it as a scarf every day. This Collection cashmere wrap from J. Crew ($275) fits the bill nicely. I love it plain black.

DVF Fingerless Opera Gloves

These fingerless opera gloves ($275) in black leather definitely add a rock n' roll look to an evening dress. I would wear them with t-shirts and jeans and just about anything. Available from DVF.com.

Rodin Olio Lusso Perfume

I love the combination of floral and spice in Rodin's Olio Lusso Perfume ($220). Very earthy and simple--it is absolutely a scent I would wear every day. This is an oil-based perfume with Jasmine and spicy Neroli. Available from Barneys.com.

Alkemie

Alkemie jewelry is an LA based jewelry design company founded by husband and wife team  Dara Gerson & Ashley Lowengrub.  The Alkemie collection is forged from 100% reclaimed metals  and the leather used comes from sustainable cattle farms and is dyed with earth friendly dye.


Their designs themselves are also inspired by nature.  There are amazing cuffs and rings and so many great designs it's hard to really pick a favorite.


The thorn bangles ($99) look like they were picked fresh from a vine and wrapped into a cuff.  They would be great stacked in a group of 3 or 4.


Another favorite is the Monkey Ring ($154). I just love the design, but the symbolism is great too. In Hinduism the monkey and god Hanuman bestows longevity upon those who revere it.

Alkemie jewelry is available online, but I originally found it at a little shop in the Mission called Candy Store Collective which is at 3153 16th Street in San Francisco.

Après-ski

I am inspired by a red, white and blue 60's ski sweater that I picked up this weekend at the Alameda Antique Faire for $25.

The one I got is by Demetre and is very heavy wool in navy blue with red stripes and cool spiders on each sleeve.

You can find these vintage wool sweaters on Etsy or eBay, like this one with reindeer on the sleeves for $39. Or, this striped and somewhat nautical version for $23.

Meister and Demetre seem to be a popular brands of this type of sweater and a good keyword search on the vintage sites.

A little out of my price range, but beautiful, is the the Authier arm band sweater ($895) from J. Crew.  This sweater  is a modern version of the vintage 60's ski sweater.  Made in Italy in navy blue with a red stripe at the sleeve it is sporty and elegant at the same time.

These would be great paired with skinny jeans and boots.

Peacock Blue

I must be in a blue mood right now, but am currently obsessed with painting my bedroom a deep peacock blue.

The latest issues of Lonny magazine featured a family room with turquoise walls and silver grey furniture rugs with a few pops of bright red for accent.

I also just saw the French film Le Havre which was shot like an old movie or a play and most of the backdrops were this same color of turquoise with small accents of red.

I think I may just tackle this over the holidays.  Stay tuned for before and after pics.

Stuff on my Christmas List

Nespresso Milk Frother

My mom and sis bought me a Nespresso machine for my birthday last year and it is the most incredible machine ever.  Usually I like to just drink a double espresso with a small bit of sugar, but every now and then it would be nice to mix in a soy cappuccino.  Nespresso makes a cool milk frother add-on called the Aeroccino ($99) which makes perfectly frothed milk at the touch of a button.


Boiled Wool Slippers

I already own a pair of these Haflinger boiled wool slippers ($65) that I have worn to death.  They are cozy and warm without being too warm and they slip on easily.  The only problem is that I tend to wear them outside when I shouldn't.  If I get a new pair I promise to take better care of them!

Joe Beef

Joe Beef is hands down my favorite restaurant of all times, but unfortunately it is in Montreal, QC and it's a little hard to get there. The next best thing would be this new cookbook, The Art of Living according to Joe Beef ($40) with recipes from the restaurant as well as stories and tips.

Fur Infinity Scarf

This fur infinity scarf ($160) by 525 America is so soft and cozy I might never take it off.    It comes in black, grey and natural, but I definitely like the natural color best.

Polaroid Camera

I used to have a kodak polaroid camera when I was in 3rd grade.  I wish I still had that thing.  I am in love with the PX 600 Black Frame film ($23.50) that is available for the Polaroid 600 series camera.  The only problem is that I need a Polaroid 600 to go with it!  I like the Business Edition camera which you can find on eBay for anywhere from $50-$200.

United Nude

It's been a while since I've had the time to blog, but finally with a few days off I'm feeling like it's time to come back to tracking my various finds.

I just discovered these amazing elastic shoes in all kinds of cool colors from United Nude. They come in high heel, medium heel and flats and prices range from$180-$195.

I love how they are kind of bohemian but still modern at the same time. I didn't try them on but have a feeling that the elastic is super comfy.

Miami Vice

I love this look from Lucky magazine with the pink pastel blazer over the bold geometric dress. It's sexy and different, but still work appropriate with just a touch of 80's miami vice.

Asos has a great silk dusty pink jacket ($109). The color is not too bright and I like the slightly oversized fit and wide lapels.

This vintage romper ($30) from Brownbag Vintage on esty.com looks a lot like the graphic dress in the photo, but for an amazing price!

Pair with a chunky necklace and an oversized bag and you have a great summer work outfit.

Flea Market Style

I just discovered Flea Market Style magazine, a new magazine chock full of ideas for using flea market finds in conventional and unconventional ways.

I was so inspired by this outdoor table setting from the latest issue.  Soup tureens stand in for vases and a simple burlap runner dresses up a plain white tablecloth.

I love the mix of antique plates and goblets with new wine glasses too. The whole effect is feminine and festive, but unfussy.

Paint it Black

I wouldn't think to paint a small space black, but I love the effect of this bathroom painted in black in the June/July issue of Lonny Magazine.

The bright spots of color from the towels and Chinese stool as well as the vintage photos that line the walls give it such a posh and cozy feel.

The contrast of the white tile shower and white pedastal sink are spectacular against the glossy black paint.

I Sing the Body Electric

That bright 80's electric blue is back and showing up everywhere right now. I love it paired with white or black as in this look. That pop of color against a neutral background is amazing.

It's easy to recreate this look for not too much money. There are a variety of vintage electric blue skirts to be found on etsy.com in the $20-$40 range. For example I like this vintage silk floral skirt ($28).

You can also find more plain options like this longer linen blend skirt ($28) with side pockets.

A pair of bright blue pumps like these suede Steve Madden heels ($70) finishes off the look. You can also find some vintage blue heels on etsy.com.

Pair the skirt with a white t-shirt or an eyelet blouse and you are ready to go from work to evening.

The Kooples

I just discovered the French boutique chain The Kooples which carries cool understated basics, with just a bit of an edge. Unfortunately they do not yet have an outpost in the US, but they do have a webstore.

I love the quilted leather jacket (395 euros) which looks great with jeans or dressed up with a skirt for work.

The draped tulip skirt (125 euros) in rayon/polyester has a metallic sheen to it that almost looks like leather.

I also love the buckle wedges (195 euros) which I would wear with absolutely everything right now--from sun dresses and shorts to skinny jeans.

I love the super wide chain bracelet (80 euros) with rows of chains connected to a studded leather clasp. So dramatic and cool!