Seasaw

I'm in dire need of more separates.  Don't get me wrong, I adore gorgeous dresses, but in the end it's a complete outfit.  Sure you can accessorize and layer cardigans and sweaters to switch it up, but eventually the dress will get old, and have to retire from the world of blogging, and can only return when enough time has passed so that it's new again.  And I love that feeling.  Someone very close to me once said that I should shop in my closet because I have so much stuff, I end up rediscovering things that I've lost and/or forgot about.  And he was right.  I look in my closet and find things, and it's like "whoa I forgot about this, how cute, have I even worn this?" haha.

But I need to return to what I was originally blabbing about; I need separates.  I was never good at math but I do remember vaguely in statistics we were trying to figure out how many possible combinations we can get if we have a certain number of one thing and another number of another thing.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry, like I said, I was awful at math.

Anyway!  If you like clothes like I do, mixing and matching to create more outfits out of less things sounds like a grand idea.

The notion that I "love" clothes sounds very materialistic of me.  But I don't think that statement is as accurate as it could be.  A more concise statement would be: "I love how clothes help me maintain a healthy level of self esteem."  When I wear a particularly pretty outfit, I feel confident and happy with myself.  I find myself staring at myself in the mirror admiring my ensemble.  When you are happy with how you look, it in turn can feel like a suit of armor.  No matter what happens, I am happy with the me I am presenting to the world right now.  And if they don't like it, they don't have to look at me, I don't want people with mal attitudes to look at me anyway.  Also, as I consider myself a creative person, I think that my sense of style is another outlet for self expression.  I like to look different, stand out, you know, be someone that easy to spot in a crowd.  It reminds me that I'm special, which is difficult to remember when there are so many people in the world.

Hmm...

aqua twist scarf - american apparel 

pastel plaid shirt - urbanoutfitters 

denim pants - pin up BOO-tique 

black velvet heels - thrifted vintage

Okay so before I spin off into an existential crisis I'll talk about my outfit.  I've had that super thin plaid top since I first discovered Urban Outfitters during my first year of college.  I was going through my plaid grunge phase, and was a bit of a tomboy.  I was in college, I was trying to rebel against something I assume.  I guess rebelling against the fact that I have and will continue looking like a little Asian girl for god knows how long.  tangent warning!...Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire knows how I feel...  This outfit is particularly awesome since I'm wearing pants!  I never wear pants because I tend to feel free-er with skirts and dresses.  So free, I tend to accidentally flash people my undies every so often.  But these pants are amazing.  There is a good deal of stretch, a nice denim look, and an adorable contrast red stitch and zipper.  And they are so comfortable!  I got them at this fairly new pin up/rockabilly clothing store in Ontario Mills, an outlet mall that can be found in the Inland Empire.  It's like a retail oasis in the desert.  But the crowds, sheesh, if you suffer from claustrophobia, run the other way.  If you can stand the drive, the middle of no where, and the insane amount of people, a visit to the store is worth it for any pin up or rockabilly Betty.  The store is called Pin up BOO-tique.  They carry a good variety of pin up brands, like Bettie Page Clothing, Stop Staring!, and Hell Bunny.  And if you are into retro clothing, you know that these reproductions cost a pretty penny.  This is where the fact that it's an outlet is a bit of a godsend.  If you're in the area I say go look, but unless you intend to stock up on clothes, the savings won't be worth the drive if you don't live a reasonable distance away from it.

Okay, I love these pants, and hey it's a "separate."  :)

- Minxy

Gil Elvgren "A Nice Crop" Dress by Bettie Page Clothing

see i told you i'm back, and more awkward than ever i'm afraid.  the months of cyberspace isolation made me forget how to pose for pictures, and now i'm pretty shy.  however the last picture is just proof of my sister's photography skills, because she managed to get me to smile for realizies.

 

gil elvgren "a nice crop" dress - bettie page clothing

hair clip - h&m

pink polka dot tights - forever 21

red heels - thrifted vintage

anyway...so the dress is by Bettie Page Clothing, and it was one of the dresses from their limited edition Gil Elvgren collection.  if you are a pin up fan, you already know about the iconic painter of pin ups, and if you aren't familiar with his work i suggest you look up his extensive body of work featuring cute, sexy, and playful women.  this dress is based off of his painting entitled A Nice Crop.

source

ok, i don't have anything else to say, so until next time.

xoxo

a bit of fluff

i was feeling under the weather for the past week, battling a doozy of a cold that transformed into a slight case of bronchitis.  feeling ill and having to spend a week not looking your best does a number on a gal's self esteem, and so i found myself turning to the usual methods of comfort, including soup and snacks.  but tell me, what's a better get well present than a pretty new dress to prance around in when you're feeling a little better?   haha there are a few things, and for the most part has to do with food, but let's not get into that.

a couple of days ago this dress arrived from sugarlips.  when i had initially seen the dress online i knew that the style was a far cry from the 1940s/1950s vintage inspired/retro style i've grown accustomed to.  the crochet and braiding detailing screams 1970s boho chic, but i couldn't help but be drawn to the fun art deco-esque triangle print, and the sexy but sweet open shoulders.  flash forward a week or so later, i find myself feverishly opening a package, slipping out of a 1950s striped number, and into this soft flowy dress.  after a minute or so of twirling around i realized that the bottom half of the dress was a perfect circle skirt.  so with the help of a petticoat i added a bit of fluff to the dress, giving it that 1950s full skirt silhouette.  throw in some vintage black velvet heels and a peach braided velvet headband i had made just 30 minutes before taking pictures, and i had cute retro look that turned out to be exactly my style.







peach braided velvet headband - diyneue pinakothek dress - courtesy of sugarlips apparelpetticoat - gift from my mother black velvet heels - vintage

vivir la vintage vida

This is what I wore to the Huge Frocking Sale! at Frock You! Vintage Boutique in San Diego, CA.  I've only been to this shop once before, which isn't surprising because I rarely shop at vintage boutiques, but once I stepped foot into Frock You! I was immediately smitten.  They offer a great selection of vintage clothing and accessories, all of which are seriously cream of the crop items, all neatly arranged in an adorable shop in one of my favorite SD neighborhoods (North Park).

I, for the most part, find my vintage clothing at thrift stores primarily because I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and those bargain prices that you can only find if you're willing to dig through tons of undesirables.  However, once in a while this thrifty gal likes to treat herself to the luxury of perusing through a large selection of crème de la crème vintage clothing.  Boutiques are like candy stores for vintage lovers.  And for a vintage obsessed chocolate fiend like me, boutiques are quickly becoming a bit of a bad habit of mine.  Parce que, pour la créme de la créme, tu dois dépenser beaucoup d'argent (hah, forgive my French, I am a mediocre student of languages, ergo the awful Spanglish entitling this post).

Luckily, there are awesome vintage boutiques like Frock You!, that hold awesome sales that fuse the bargain prices of thrifting with the premium selection found at boutiques.  So what you get is a bunch of awesome vintage clothing and accessories, most of which are under $20 bucks.  Pretty good deal when some vintage shops and online vendors will sell a 50s party dress for around $90-$300 bucks (but I have seen them cost even MORE).

Under these conditions I just knew that when I attended day 2 of the 3 day sale, I was bound to find something just for me.  Who would have thought that I would end up finding a knockout of a dress that was exactly what I have been looking for these past couple of months.  I know, sounds strange to be looking for things that are basically one of a kind.  But I had an idea of something I wanted, a 1950s light blue lace and chiffon party dress.  Ahah! Super specific I know, but I have an imagination that knows no bounds.  And would you believe it?  I ended up finding a dress matching that exact description.  It was crazy!  It needs a little work though, as there was a bit of tearing on the ruched waist, and the zipper needs to be replaced.  Once the dress gets some tlc I'll wear it, and you can bet you'll see it on this blog. 




  hah don't you hate it when your heels sink into the ground?

1950s light blue blouse - vintage (La Bomba, Long Beach)
hawaiian floral shorts - vintage (Flashbacks, San Diego)
black velvet heels - vintage (Salvation Army)

By the way, the blouse and shorts were both found at vintage boutiques that are worth checking out, for the selection and for what I believe is fair pricing.

stop staring!

I'm sure that all of you retro loving minxes have already heard of Stop Staring!, one of the fashion industry leaders in creating original retro/vintage inspired clothing. Sexy but always classy, Stop Staring! creates stunning pieces that flatter all body types, and has wearers exuding infinite amounts of confidence and elegance.

I myself have had a curvier physique for most of my post-pubescent life, and clothing that molded to my tiny waist but ample hips was something that was hard to come by. And I'm sure that if I came across Stop Staring! sooner, my former hourglass body would have been strutting around in their hip hugging, waist cinching clothing a long time ago.

About two weeks ago I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Stop Staring! sample sale at the Stop Staring! showroom in Paramount, CA. I had made up my mind that this would be the year that I would finally get myself a Stop Staring! dress after years of admiring their line of clothing. However, I was hesitant about going because as a person constantly struggling with severe bouts of anxiety, I had lost a substantial amount of weight over the course of four months, and I no longer had my familiar curvy physique that I was genuinely proud of. This new petite body had me terribly insecure and I was afraid that a trip to Stop Staring! would confirm my new found fear; that I had lost my feminine shape. But with the encouragement of my mother I went anyway, and I am so glad I did.

I expected the sale to be a stressful frenzy of women, like black friday, minus the testosterone and with 50 extra shots of estrogen. I imagined pushing, snatching, dirty looks, and caddy remarks (a nightmare for someone with severe anxiety). Instead what I got was one of the most pleasant shopping experiences of my life. Everyone was super friendly, an occasional bump into another customer was accompanied with mutual apologies and smiles. The staff on hand were extremely helpful and sweet, making sure that everyone left with something that made them look and feel amazing. It seemed that everyone, customers and staff alike were just happy to be there, and I think that's part of the euphoria of uniting a pretty dress with a pretty women.

The dresses. I tried on about 15, which sounds crazy for someone like me who hates stepping foot into a dressing room, but it's true. And pretty much every dress I stepped into looked great on me. I felt like crying. I was so worried that with my new body I would look like a 13 year old boy in anything I tried on, but boy were those anxieties far from reality. Those dresses hugged my tiny waist, accentuated what was left of my curves, and molded itself to my newly petite, but not any less feminine body. And when I walked out of my dressing room to show my mother what I was wearing, I was not a bit shy, and many of the other lovely customers complimented me on how cute some of the dresses were on me. I even saw other women much curvier than I wearing the same things but the dresses looked just as amazing on their body type too. I was in awe. These dresses look good on ANY body. No kidding. Needless to say I left with two Stop Staring! dresses instead of one, and at the up to 50% off price tag it wasn't too big of a financial blow. But with how well these dresses fit, and how beautiful they make you feel, it's like an investment in self esteem, and feeling that good about yourself is worth every penny.

See you at the next Stop Staring! Sample Sale ;)


 
 
 
romance dress in pink - stop staring!
nude peep toes - vintage (thrifted)

welcome to my closet

chalk full of retro and vintage threads.