Why Vintage?

My latest musings and thoughts have been set towards vintage clothing. Why do I dress the way that I do? What is the true appeal of vintage and pre-owned goodies? After asking myself these questions, I came up with a few illustrated answers I think are worth sharing.

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{This top was a thrift store find. It is a smooth silk and judging by the construction it was hand made. A huge bonus to it's handmade quality, it fits like it was made for my body measurements!}

Vintage styling can be an expression that says "Hey! I'm not so down with main stream culture!" In a way it is a rebellion against status quo. I am not completely dissing contemporary fashion and style, I am merely expressing my freedom of choice. Mixing vintage with modern is a great way to have a very full and rich wardrobe.  

{This dreamy mint colored sun dress is another thrift store find. My heart jumped a little when I saw it. I also squealed with joy when it fit perfectly.}

By wearing vintage I am paying tribute to women I look up to. Women such as my grandmothers, mother, and aunts. These are people who worked hard and looked great doing it! I was raised by my mother to take pride in how I dressed. A person's impression of another is strongly based on looks. Why not put your best foot forward? There is a certain great feeling that comes with dressing well.

 {This funky beauty was a generous gift from Kelsie McNair, owner of the vintage boutique With Lavender and Lace in Norfolk, VA. Check out the facebook and give it some likes :-) Thanx Babe!}

On a more material level, I feel like I am rescuing and reusing something that is a quality made item. If it can last as long as it has, it was made right the first time. Some people may have qualms with used clothing but once laundered or tailored most clothes can be good as new.

{I scored these lovely shoes at an antique store in Richmond. Having a size 9 & 1/2 can prove to be a challenge in the shoe world. When I do find great shoes in my size I almost always buy them.}  

 It is all in the details. Small cut out shapes, intricate laces, screen printed patterns, etc. Vintage clothing tend to have amazing and quirky details. It is this attention to detail that makes a piece of clothing unique.

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What vintage or reused beauties get you excited about dressin up?

Jar Chic

 For the past few days, I started reorganizing my home studio. Instead of mundanely cleaning up the joint, I took the time to be creative with my storage options. Recycling jars to be used as containers for tiny objects is not new to my organizational methods. To put a new twist on jar storage, I decided to create hand stamped paper wraps.  

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 Lucky for me, I have access to an array of stamps and inks. At a moment's notice I can roll up my brayer with turquoise ink, cover the surface of several stamps, and print out a couple strips of soon-to-be wraps.  Even if you do not already have a collection of stamps and ink, the supplies are not expensive. You could make your own stamps or use store bought ones that match your surroundings. 

Pictured above are the jars au naturel.

            For the best result, I first wrapped the stamped paper around the jars to measure how much was needed to cover it. I left about a half inch overlap. 

The next steps are easy enough and I am sure pictures help. Create four tape rolls and then place them in the four corners of the paper strip on the reverse side. Then simply place the strip centered on the jar and roll the jar over until you reach the end. At the end of the strip, smooth the paper with your hand to make sure the tape will keep the paper in place. 

Now that the jars are finished, they add a custom and colorful touch to my studio. One of the best things about this project is how easily you can change the colors and styles of these jar wraps. I hope these little beauties inspire the use of recycled jars in new ways.

Keep it Clean

        Cotton kitchen towels make for amazing blank canvasses for stamps. The towels perfectly soak up dye colors to create vibrant saturation. After I hand dye or tie dye the towels, I use a fabric friendly ink to stamp them. It is fun to create sets of two towels and make each set have a common theme. Recent inspirations for my themed towels are song writing I have been doing, and the exciting OpSail exhibition that happened last week here in Norfolk. Many more themes and colors to come. I would love to know what themes everyone has in their kitchens. That way, I could create special sets for everyone.    

 

 

Crowning Glory

           Sometimes a gal needs a head dress to make her feel glorious. On those days when I want to pick my spirits up, it helps to play a little bit of dress up. You would be surprised how light you will feel just by rocking something colorful. Also,on humid days, like the ones we have in Norfolk, a head band like this can be pretty handy to control wild locks. Featured in this post are a few pictures of the head dresses I created using scraps from the tie dye projects I did a couple weeks ago. If you are interested in getting your hands on these little babies, you can kind them at Kitsch!

**Alright Kings and Queens, until next post, stay glorious!**