Poyvore of the Day: Valentine's Confession

Can we talk "love" for a minute? I had a revelation recently about the state of my relationship. (Sorry to get personal here, but it's relevant to the topic at hand.) Ever since I can remember, I've done everything I can to not be THAT girl - the needy girlfriend, the princess girlfriend. I've always wanted to be "down," a guy's-girl, low-key, low-maintenance, and so on and so forth. But the other day, I looked my boyfriend squarely in the face and admitted it....

What, you ask, did I admit to? I admitted to needing to be showered with kisses, needing to be held, needing to be swept off my feet and serenaded and all of the other stuff that has been buried by years of tomboy training. This is not to say that my wonderful man doesn't already do these things (he sings me Frank Sinatra ballads quite often in fact), but it felt good to actually say that I needed it out loud.

And so, in keeping with the spirit of sharing my girly side (and even though you guys do not collectively equal a boyfriend), I'm going to bare my soul to you. Here goes...

I NEED one day a year, where I can wear pink. Unabashedly. Bright pink. Rasberry pink. Flamingo pink, even. And what better day, than a day when it's not quite as dangerous to venture out in this eye-popping hue - Valentine's Day!

Just in case you're ready to wear some pink too, I've picked out some lovely Polyvore inspiration for us - a set that features my new color-du-jour. It comes to us from polyvore-er, likeomgnoway. (love the username - how very apropos.) The set is a perfect example of how to wear pink without looking like a giant...I don't know...pink blob. Plus, I dig the mint green / rasberry combo.

Sigh. See, now don't you feel like we've bonded? In the words of the immortal Chevy Chase, "good talk, Russ."

Luv,
Vava

p.s. "But it's only January 17th," you say. "Valentine's Day is a month away!" I know, but if you're going to do some online shopping for V-day, you'd better get started now.



And here are my picks for the best pinkage on the web:

1. Big Date Night: frothy pink frock @ Mary Moore Vintage
2. Valentine's Gala: pink ballgown @ Vintage-a-Peel

Polyvore of the Day: Better Sweater

Let's face it. There are about 8 billion cool sweaters on this planet.....so how do you choose? For me, it's all in the details. And by details I don't mean that the sweater has to be covered in buttons or lace or embroidery. I just mean that one feature really has to grab me. For this season, I'm interested in solid colors with exaggerated sleeves or collars. Proportion DOES matter, and I like balance. I'm sort of bored with the typical slouch sweater these days. In general, I find that if I can buy it new somewhere else, I'm less inclined to invest in the vintage precurser. I do like prints occasionally, but I find that a pattern can actually be a prime indicator of poor quality. So if I invest in a print, I invest. I've included 3 of my favorite sweaters at the bottom of this post, so be sure to check them out.

The Polyvore of the Day features a really nifty little sweater, and the styling is spot-on. Kudos to Faboulishoes for putting this outfit together.

"Better Sweater" Picks:

1. 1970s Gil Aimbez Flamenco Sweater @ Metal-Thread Vintage

2. 1980s Betsey Johnson Sweater @ Le Robo Vintage Clothing

Polyvore of the Day: Plaid & Flannel

One of the few definitive trends in "street" vintage this year seems to be plaid flannel. When I think of plaid flannel, I'm immediately whisked back to my days as a grunger in the early 90's, but the history of this snuggly fashion goes back MUCH further than that. Technically speaking, kilts are the ancestor, but you can also look to the godfather of the woolen plaid shirt - Pendleton. Here's a snippet from Pendleton's website about the history of said shirt:

Wool shirts for men were largely utility items in the early 20th century. Drab in design and color, they were worn for warmth and protection from the elements by those who worked outdoors. Clarence Morton (C.M.) Bishop had a vision for wool shirts in vivid colors and intricate patterns. The production of woolen shirting material was a natural extension of the mill's capabilities. In 1924, the legendary Pendleton virgin wool men's shirt was born. By 1929, Pendleton was making a full line of men's virgin wool sportswear...

...A new thread was woven into the Pendleton corporate cloth in 1949 - womenswear manufacturing. Market research identified a need and an opportunity for branded virgin wool classic sportswear for women. Nevertheless, no one could have predicted the enormous success of a single garment introduced with the Pendleton womenswear line that year. The 49er jacket gained instant popularity. Its simple, casual styling and intrinsic value were a perfect match for the emerging suburban lifestyle of postwar America.

Now, don't get confused. If you're in the market for a TRUE 49er jacket, then it must be labeled "Pendleton." I've included an advertisement from 1954 below to give you an idea of what one looks like. Here are some other features to look for:

General Features:

* hip length
* shell buttons down the front
* offset diagonal patch pockets on the front

For early jackets:

* notched collar
* flanged at the shoulders
* shell buttons at the cuffs

If you are looking for a Pendleton manufactured piece, the plaids should be matched up at the seams. If you find one where the plaids seem to be off, then it may be a home sewn piece. Pendleton often sold their fabric to home seamstresses and provided a tag as well.

Also, keep in mind that if you want an early 49er jacket from the 40's or 50's, then you'll need to do some research on what the original tags look like AND what mid-century materials feel like. 49ers post-dating 1964 will have the wool symbol on the tag. Pretty soon, our sister site, myvintagecompass.com, is going to be launching a label resource that will be able to guide you on these matters.




If you're just in the mood for something remniscent of the style, and you're itching to get your hands on some vintage plaids for your wardrobe, I've found a few for you already (you can find them at the bottom of this post!) My tip is to avoid paying big bucks for common 80's flannels and stick to the real deal. Or, if you're gonna go newer and non-Pendleton, try a variation on the plaid theme with items like plaid wool coats, accessories and tailored tops. Trust me, quality gets you more bang for your buck - especially with woolens.

All of this brings me to the Polyvore of the Day, brought to you by Yannisa*. This particular Polyvore is a great example of how the modern woman might actually wear a plaid piece.




Where to get the Look:

1. Original Composition: 1970's Pendleton 49er Jacket @ Bustown Modern
2. Variation on a Theme: mid 1990's Vivienne Westwood Belt @ VintageCouture

To Vintage or not to Vintage...

Before I write my very first blog, I just want you to make sure that you're in the right place. Sooooo, I thought I'd devise a little test.

Read the following statements, and rate each on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being "no, this doesn't describe me at all (followed by a look of disgust) and 5 being "yes this is me EXACTLY, and...and...it all makes sense now" (followed by a long, deep sleep.)

Here we go:

1. After extolling the virtues of vintage clothing, someone in the vicinity usually slaps you and tells you to snap out of it. Huh. Didn't realize you looked so crazed, DID you?

2. Instead of curing your boredom at work with a game of Solitaire (otherwise known as Crack-taire), you figure out how many words you can make from the letters in "Vintage." Weird.

3. You know how sometimes late at night, you wish you could have pizza delivered...directly to your mouth? Strangely, this is also how you feel about vintage clothing. Except for the whole mouth part.

4. You know the detailed history of every major fashion house going all the way back to the time when there were such things as giant sloths and tiny 2 foot tall horses.

5. You reference old-school designers out of context so often that your "uneducated" friends think Charles James is your great uncle and Vionnet is your pet guinea pig.

Ok. How did you do? If you answered mostly 5's, then you stay right here. no, no. DON'T get distracted by something less fun.

If you answered mostly 1's, then you get the heck out of here. Or stick it out, and just make yourself a stiff drink. Now would be a good time.

If you answered somewhere in the middle, then I will have to Jedi mind-trick you a bit into staying. Or you could also just make yourself a stiff drink. Whichever.

Moving on...

Waiiiiit, okay, just one more little test. I know, I know, you're beginning to feel like a CIA recruit, but I promise this test involves pictures, which we both know are MUCH more fun than words.

The name of the next test is "How Vintage am I?"

Rate the following images on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being "I'm not vintage at all and this test is stupid" and 5 being "I'm so vintage I speak in a dialect that's no longer even used today. Like Sanskrit or something."

Annnnnnd go.

(www.vintagetextile.com)

Take your time. These are tough.

Good, good. Alright, here's the next one:

(www.marymoorevintage.com)

(Insert jeopardy music here.)

Okay, yes. And now for the next one:

WHOA! What. Giant Sloth?

Well, at least I have your attention now. You're probably starting to realize that all of those little tests were really just a ploy to get you to stick around and read this whole blog. If the giant sloth didn't scare you away, and you want to see more of the pretties above, then maybe you'll be back. Because for next time, I PROMISE it will be something really rockin' - as in, over the next 2 weeks, I'm going to chronicle the very best vintage dresses on the web. I'm going to scour high an low to find you the most stunning, most exciting, most unusual and MOST vintage frocks available. So stick around for the whole series because it's gonna be rad.

And in the meantime, check out my vintage picks from eBay on our sister site, myvintagecompass.com - a brand new (still under construction) vintage clothing resource for buyers AND sellers.

Peace,

Vava