This is a suuuuuuper quick post just to say that I have some exciting, fun holiday posts planned, but I am currently without a computer charger and my laptop is dead, so all I have is my iPhone and that's not very conducive to blogging...as evidenced by the fact that I'm typing this on my phone and it's taking for-ev-er.
I should have my charger by Tuesday, so I'll be back to a more normal posting schedule soon after!
xx
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
How adorable are these pups in their Pilgrim hats? #obsessed.
Hi friends! I hope you're all having a relaxing day full of family, friends, food, and football! I'm so pumped to stuff my face full of my mama's good cooking and snuggle up on the couch in a food coma the rest of the day. I'm so thankful for all of you sweet readers and so many more things. Happy Thanksgiving y'all!
xx
Monday, November 19, 2012
Relaxing and Recharging
I'm having a great time at home, but I just wanted to pop in and say that posts will most likely be sporadic all week, since I'm trying to soak up as much relaxation time as possible before finals hit. Ideally, I'd prefer to be relaxing in the little nook pictured above, but my bed and the couch will have to suffice for now.
Have a great week y'all!
What Kate Likes: Vintage Shopping
I wouldn't say I'm a huge vintage shopper, but I get a good portion of my clothing from vintage shops. I mainly shop on Etsy for vintage because there are some amazing deals on there and I don't have a good vintage shop anywhere near me. Another point in Etsy's favor is that the selection has (for the most part) already been curated by the shop owners, so I don't have to spend my time picking through endless racks of clothing that may or may not be actual vintage.
Here's some tips and tricks that I've picked up through the years:
1. Know your measurements: This is so vital when shopping for vintage online. Vintage sizing runs differently than today's, so don't ever go by the size on the tag, go by the measurements of the garment. If they're not listed with the garment, don't be afraid to message the seller and ask, almost all of them will be more than happy to oblige. Measure your bust, waist, and hips and compare them to the garment to see if it'll fit. If you have wider shoulders, like me, you may want to measure your shoulder width as well to compare.
2. Condition is key: I try to only buy items that are in a "like new" condition or in a really great, hardly-been-worn condition. Again, don't be afraid to ask the seller a million questions about the condition or for more pictures. I try to avoid items with moth holes, stains, ink marks, missing beads/sequins, or other issues that can't be fixed. Is this always avoidable? No, I have been known to fall in love with a sweater or coat with a few teeny moth holes and end up purchasing. Use your judgement.
3. The tailor is your friend: Tailoring is definitely helpful when you're shopping vintage. Find a dress you love, but it's way bigger than you? A tailor can help reshape it so it'll fit you perfectly. I get a ton of my clothing (vintage and non) altered so it fits me really well. It may be a little bit more expensive, but the results are so worth it.
4. Narrow down the search: Use any criteria possible to help narrow down your search online. I tend to have a few fallback designers and decades that I use to help narrow down the selection, but you can really search by anything. If you're looking for a coat, try searching 'wool coat' or 'blue coat' or 'dress coat' or 'Ralph Lauren coat' rather than just 'coat'. This is really helpful if you're searching for something specific, but is also helpful when you're just browsing.
5. Buy what you love: On Etsy, you can add items and shops to your favorites. This is helpful if you're on the fence about something, just add it to your favorites and think about it overnight. The one downside is that it could be gone. I try to buy things that I either just love, can't stop thinking about, or are easily worked into a wardrobe of contemporary clothing. I tend to ask myself "would you buy this if you saw it in a modern store today?" and if the answer is yes, it's a winner. If the answer is maybe or no, then I think about it and most often pass. This helps you avoid looking like you're wearing a costume.
6. Don't overlook potential: Love a dress but really hate the long sleeves and think it would look better and be worn more with 3/4 sleeves? That's what your tailor is for. A good tailor will be able to do almost anything to a garment to make it more wearable.
I tend to avoid vintage shoes because worn shoes gross me out, but that doesn't mean you have to. I mainly shop for clothing, but really the possibilities out there are endless. Do a little research and know what you're comfortable with, then go shop! I am definitely not a vintage expert, but I know what I like, what I'll wear, and what looks good on me. I read all of the available information and ask questions if I need more, which helps me avoid problems most of the time.
Happy shopping!
Here's some tips and tricks that I've picked up through the years:
1. Know your measurements: This is so vital when shopping for vintage online. Vintage sizing runs differently than today's, so don't ever go by the size on the tag, go by the measurements of the garment. If they're not listed with the garment, don't be afraid to message the seller and ask, almost all of them will be more than happy to oblige. Measure your bust, waist, and hips and compare them to the garment to see if it'll fit. If you have wider shoulders, like me, you may want to measure your shoulder width as well to compare.
2. Condition is key: I try to only buy items that are in a "like new" condition or in a really great, hardly-been-worn condition. Again, don't be afraid to ask the seller a million questions about the condition or for more pictures. I try to avoid items with moth holes, stains, ink marks, missing beads/sequins, or other issues that can't be fixed. Is this always avoidable? No, I have been known to fall in love with a sweater or coat with a few teeny moth holes and end up purchasing. Use your judgement.
3. The tailor is your friend: Tailoring is definitely helpful when you're shopping vintage. Find a dress you love, but it's way bigger than you? A tailor can help reshape it so it'll fit you perfectly. I get a ton of my clothing (vintage and non) altered so it fits me really well. It may be a little bit more expensive, but the results are so worth it.
4. Narrow down the search: Use any criteria possible to help narrow down your search online. I tend to have a few fallback designers and decades that I use to help narrow down the selection, but you can really search by anything. If you're looking for a coat, try searching 'wool coat' or 'blue coat' or 'dress coat' or 'Ralph Lauren coat' rather than just 'coat'. This is really helpful if you're searching for something specific, but is also helpful when you're just browsing.
5. Buy what you love: On Etsy, you can add items and shops to your favorites. This is helpful if you're on the fence about something, just add it to your favorites and think about it overnight. The one downside is that it could be gone. I try to buy things that I either just love, can't stop thinking about, or are easily worked into a wardrobe of contemporary clothing. I tend to ask myself "would you buy this if you saw it in a modern store today?" and if the answer is yes, it's a winner. If the answer is maybe or no, then I think about it and most often pass. This helps you avoid looking like you're wearing a costume.
6. Don't overlook potential: Love a dress but really hate the long sleeves and think it would look better and be worn more with 3/4 sleeves? That's what your tailor is for. A good tailor will be able to do almost anything to a garment to make it more wearable.
I tend to avoid vintage shoes because worn shoes gross me out, but that doesn't mean you have to. I mainly shop for clothing, but really the possibilities out there are endless. Do a little research and know what you're comfortable with, then go shop! I am definitely not a vintage expert, but I know what I like, what I'll wear, and what looks good on me. I read all of the available information and ask questions if I need more, which helps me avoid problems most of the time.
Happy shopping!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Back to Texas...
On a happier note: to me, Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season, so I'm going to have a few little holiday-inspired posts leading up to the holidays to get you all in the holiday spirit! Get exciteddddd!
Have a good weekend!
Friday, November 16, 2012
What Kate Likes: Essie Winter 2012 Collection
I'm not a huge nail polish person, but I saw Essie's winter collection at Target today and just fell in love. The colors are all perfect for winter when you need sparkly holiday colors and bright solids to brighten up a dreary day.
Take a little look...
L-R: She's Pampered, Snap Happy, Leading Lady, Beyond Cozy, Where's My Chauffeur, Butler Please
Leading Lady and Beyond Cozy are glittery but it's teeny tiny glitter so it doesn't look cheesy at all. Beyond Cozy looks silvery in the picture, but it's really more of a champagne...so great for parties! She's Pampered is a perfect red, almost better than Russian Roulette, in my opinion. Where's My Chauffeur is a solid turquoise (so pretty!), Butler Please is a really gorgeous bright blue that's almost periwinkle, and Snap Happy is a deep coral that would be perfect year-round.
Can you guess which is my favorite? Which is yours?
Take a little look...
Leading Lady and Beyond Cozy are glittery but it's teeny tiny glitter so it doesn't look cheesy at all. Beyond Cozy looks silvery in the picture, but it's really more of a champagne...so great for parties! She's Pampered is a perfect red, almost better than Russian Roulette, in my opinion. Where's My Chauffeur is a solid turquoise (so pretty!), Butler Please is a really gorgeous bright blue that's almost periwinkle, and Snap Happy is a deep coral that would be perfect year-round.
Can you guess which is my favorite? Which is yours?
image
**I need a little bit of help with some Blogger stuff...if anyone is willing and able to help me figure out a few things, please shoot me a message! Thanks!!**
Thursday, November 15, 2012
What Kate Likes: Letters for Our Daughters
Have you heard about the Letters for Our Daughters project? Basically, women from all over write letters to younger girls/women in order to "give [them] the combined wit, wisdom and general wondrousness of all of the women of the world". The letters are then collected on the blog and will hopefully one day (soon!) be made into a book.
I am so excited about this project. I feel like sometimes it's so hard to be a woman today, and young girls are influenced so heavily by media and often in a negative way. I think it's great that women are banding together and offering positive insights, advice and stories in order to help girls grow up to be strong women who realize that they're so important and valuable and unique in their own ways.
I think any woman, regardless of age, can read through these letters and feel inspired, loved, valued and encouraged by the words these women have taken the time to write. I only went through a few pages of the blog, but my soul was definitely touched (I may have shed a few tears...).
Read the letters here and learn more about the project here. If you feel so inclined, submit your own letter here!
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