Shop Share: Weezi

I got a very upsetting email this month that one of my absolute favourite stores in the whole world, Weezi, was closing it's bricks-and-mortar shop in my hometown of London, Ontario. Thankfully, the very talented person behind Weezi, Lisa Gaverluk, will continue to operate her website's online store and Etsy shop.

In light of this news, I thought I would give the Weezi shop a bit of much deserved promo, because I love it! Lisa makes handmade, retro and vintage-inspired stuff for ladies - clothing, aprons, accessories, jewellery, bags, etc. Her stuff is fun and funky and lovingly made in Canada. I've been a patron of her store since I was a teenager (when she had a shop in Galleria Mall, for those of you Londoners who remember it). Over the years I have acquired some amazing stuff from her, from dresses and skirts (I wore a fab pencil skirt in my recent blog post); to purses; pillows; aprons; my set of Audrey Hepburn coasters; jewellery; and as of this week, an adorable Russian Doll eyemask:

I only sleep in style

Even though, for the sake of this blog, her stuff isn't vintage or second hand, (although, she does use upcycled clothing and materials to make her stuff - you know, using old sweaters to make purses etc.), her shop fulfills the goals of this blog - to support local, small businesses and unique, high-quality fashionable goods. And it's all handmade in Canada!

So if you're looking for something fun and fashionable for yourself or a gift for someone else, I highly recommend checking out her website or Etsy shop. When you support local and handmade, you'll not only look fab, you'll feel fab too!

A picture is worth a thousand words

It may not be vintage fashion (per se), but I had to share this anyways! One of my favourite websites, Cute Overload, the holy grail of all things cute and fuzzy, shared my submission this week for their Flashback Friday:

I was so thrilled on Friday, when I went onto the website for my daily fix of pictures of adorable kittens and fluffy puppies, to see two pictures of my Nana staring back at me!

Photo caption:
“This is my Nana when she was around 16 or 17, in the late 1930s. This was taken while she was growing up in Germany and had to do an obligatory  “Landfrauenjahr” (year of land service). Usually girls were sent to work on a farm – hence the animals! She hated her year there, but found joy in looking after the animals. She survived WWII and emigrated to Canada, where I’m writing this from! I love your website – it makes me so happy inside!” -Britt.

I found the comments below the photo from various Cute Overload-ers very touching. These are two of my favourite pictures of my Nana from her youth; I'm so happy that Cute Overload decided to share them with the rest of the Internet-world!

And really, they do provide a nice little glimpse into European fashion in the 30s. ;)

Fabulous Finds: Purchases from the 2014 Toronto Vintage Clothing Show

As mentioned in my last post, Mama and I had a fantastic and successful trip to the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show last weekend. I could have easily blown through my life savings, but I'm very pleased with what I did settle on, without going too crazy. So without further ado, I present to you - our purchases!

Mum spotted the first find for me within about 5 minutes of us checking out our first stall (vintage boutique Retrouver) - a sleek, black wool dress from the 60s in absolutely flawless condition:

The minute I tried it on and looked in the mirror, I knew it had been hanging on that rack just waiting for me to take it home! Gorgeous pure wool with delicate gold braided detailing, fully lined, a very cute (and very typically 60s) front pleat and matching belt to boot. Who says there's no such thing as love at first sight?

THE DETAILS:
Era: 60s
Label: Rona New York
Material: 100% pure wool
Made in USA

 Mum's got a keen sixth sense for fashion, and in no time she had pulled another dress out for me from Larkspur vintage's booth. This time, a colourful and flowy piece from the 70s/80s:

Guess what I wore to work today! This dress is not only super fun, but also very comfortable. I love the flowery pattern and the subtle colours. Bell-bottom sleeves yes please!
 
THE DETAILS:
Era: 70s or 80s
Label: Tessuto
Material: Rayon
Made in USA 


And last but not least, the shoes! Yes, I had mentioned in a previous post my disdain for pre-worn shoes. But guess what?! There's such a thing as new vintage, and luckily for us, one booth had A TON of it in footwear. "New vintage?" you ask? In a nutshell, brand new items that were never sold and sat in a warehouse for 40+ years (commonly known as deadstock). So it's not "new" per se, but not used either. However, it's still vintage, and in my books that means it's up for grabs! 

Mum and I tried on a number of styles before settling on a pair each. At $25 per pair for quality leather, hand-made in Canada shoes, who could say no to that?

A pair for me...

...and a pair for Mama!

They're also super comfortable (apparently this brand specialized in comfort footwear - and they either made too many or weren't popular enough to get rid of them all!) 

The sizes were all a bit wonky though, so my new size 9's are currently being stretched out at home. >>>>>


THE DETAILS:
Era: 70s
Label: Celebrity Handmade
Material: Leather
Made in Canada




"But what about mum!" you're desperately wondering. Oh don't you worry - I've also got the knack for picking out clothes for other people (it's genetic). So when I spotted an original 60s Lilly Pulitzer shift, she didn't have a choice but to try it on. 

"But is it me?" She asked. "Of course it is," I scoffed, "it's Lilly Pulitzer!" You never say no to a Lilly:

Fashion sense runs in the family. Female side only.

I think it looks fantastic on her! Brightly coloured with beautiful lace detailing and fully lined - even a hand sewed hem! An absolutely gorgeous vintage designer piece. (You can read more about the history of Lilly Pulitzer on their website - they still make fabulous clothes to this day; one of my favourite designer labels!) Considering that on Ebay and Etsy, original 60s "Lilly" dresses go for between $80-300, mum got hers for a bargain, only $40! Summer can't come soon enough...

THE DETAILS:
Era: 60s
Label: Lilly Pulitzer (sold by Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave. for their spring/summer line)
Style: "The Lilly"
Material: 100% Cotton
Made in USA

So there you have it - three dresses, two pairs of shoes and two very pleased women. All in all I spent less than $150 - not a bad day, I'd say! Oh, and I did pick up a wee something from a booth on the way out:

No cheeses for us meeces

 Well, what else was I going to spend $3 in change on? A TTC token? HA!

Awe-struck: Impressions from the 2014 Toronto Vintage Clothing Show

Toronto may not be my favourite place in the world that I've lived, but after today, it just earned itself a couple extra brownie points. Today, I found my mecca. My pilgrimage is complete.

I spent an incredible day at the annual Toronto Vintage Clothing Show with none other than my mama! She drove up from London for the day, and I'm so glad she did! We had a marvellous afternoon at the Toronto Convention Centre perusing racks upon racks of beautiful vintage clothing and accessories from independent vintage dealers all over Ontario.

While conventions and trade shows can be packed and overwhelming (which can make for a very stressful shopping experience), I found this show to be extremely well organized, easy to get around and navigate, and while it was indeed busy, we weren't jammed in like sardines. Vendors were very friendly and helpful, and we had no problems finding places to change (even if they weren't designated changerooms...). The variety (and quality) of items was, in a nutshell, fabulous. Edwardian to 90s, there was something for every vintage lover. Dresses, hats, jewellery, shoes, coats, luggage, bags and purses, accessories...even linen and silver vanity sets! My brain almost couldn't handle it - I wanted to take everything home! Mum and I had a super time browsing the wares; trying on various dresses, coats, hats, sunglasses and jewellery; gaping in awe at 1900s Edwardian embroidered blouses and gawking in horror at awful 80s velvet dresses. It was, in essence, a hoot.

I managed not to go into bankruptcy, and did exercise a lot of control. In the end, I walked out with four fabulous items and spent less than $150. Mum also did very well and found two fantastic items herself for a bargain.

Unfortunately my photographer/BF is away in L.A. until Wednesday (he lives such a hard life...), so I can't post pics for a few days. Oh, the suspense! I promise, it will be worth it. Here's a hint - 2 items are clothing, 1 is footwear (yes, footwear!) and one is jewellery. Mum's buys also deserve some publicity, so I'll be posting them as well.

Already looking forward to next year's show!

Back to Basics

Usually when we think of fashion "basics", plain t-shirts, cardis, tank tops and jeans spring to mind. I often hear people say that H&M is a good place to find cheap basics (I would agree) or American Apparel; (sparkly metallic uni-tards might be pushing it...)

But what were considered "the basics" in the 50s? 60s? 70s?

I'm fairly certain that blouses would have been considered "must-haves", especially in the 70s and 80s when the female workforce was strong and there was no such thing as business casual. Ever since my little challenge began, one thing I've been hunting for is a creamy, dreamy silk secretary blouse with an ascot. Sounds fancy, sure, but secretary blouses (aptly named) were a wardrobe staple for any working woman.

Such was my luck when I popped into Vintage Vibes Boutique in my neighbourhood of Riverside this past weekend. I pulled a very lovely pale pink silk secretary blouse from the racks - ascot and all! I had originally been searching for ivory or cream, but I'm tickled pink (no pun intended) with this find, especially since it's in mint condition!

This working-girl is office ready with this chic ensemble! The blouse did, however, have EPIC shoulder pads, which I removed. The Lego-person look just isn't me.

I'm still trying to figure out different ways to tie the attached ascot...all I can seem to manage is a floppy bow. Tips, anyone?

THE DETAILS:
Era: 70s
Label: none (no tags)
Material: silk

Skirt: Weezi
Photography: A.H.

Fashion Flashback - Mum's the word

We all have different fashion influences; be it fashion magazines, celebrities, our friends, vampires,...or, just wearing whatever the hell you want to wear!

My resolution has allowed me to reflect on what influenced my own personal style and love of vintage clothing in the first place. "Vintage" was never a word I really heard growing up, but I realized my fondness for it came from none other than my own mother.

As a woman who had grown up in Europe, where quality clothing and style were valued, she (and my Nana) brought many lovely European-made clothes back to Canada (as they moved back and forth...a lot). And luckily, she hung onto quite a few items from her youth that were subsequently passed on to me! (Good thing we were roughly the same size...)

So today I share one of my favourite outfits handed down to me from my mother - a luxurious 70s Pierre Cardin cashmere sweater and a 70s high-waisted button-up suede skirt. Oh, and I dug up an old photo of me wearing it, in 2003 (at the tender age of 17):

The original boho-chic

Yep that's me - braids and all! I was one pretty stylish teenager (or so I liked to think! No one else was wearing this stuff in high school.) Not even realizing that what I was wearing was technically "vintage", I just thought it was really neat to be wearing clothing that my mother had worn to school when she was my age. It was like wearing a little piece of family history! 

I still have the sweater (and it still fits!) It's my favourite cashmere garment I own, and one of my most-loved vintage pieces. Unfortunately my mum didn't keep the skirt, since neither of us kept our teenage 24" waists. But these hand-me-downs made a lasting impression on me, and solidified my love for vintage - not just for the style and quality, but that every piece has its own history. 

SOh Canada (also titled "An Introvert's Guide to Valentine's Day: Part 2)

Even though I bought it the same day as the last item, I thought this next piece deserved its own blog post - and you shall soon see why! (I mean, isn't every piece special enough to have a chance to bask in the limelight?)

After my very successful experience at Bungalow West where I obtained one very cute 60s Mod dress for the low low price of $12, I didn't think my shopping for the day could get any better. Boy, was I wrong.

As I walked happily down the street with my purchase in hand, I realized I still had a fair bit of time before I had to be at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I figured most stores would be closed (it was after 6pm, after all), but I decided to wander up Kensington Ave anyways. That's when I saw it.

Stopping dead in my tracks (as dead as one can stop on an ice-covered sidewalk), I turned my gaze to the racks of lovely vintage winter coats outside the fantastic vintage shop Flashback 2, and the sign above them that read All winter coats 50% off. It was a sign. Yes, an actual cardboard sign, but I mean a sign in the metaphysical sense. A sign that was saying "Come hither and explore my glorious racks" (minus the innuendo). But what made me stop so suddenly was the coat hanging front and centre in plain view. A fabulous red vintage Hudson's Bay Company Alaskan Parka. I immediately grabbed it off its hanger and gave it the once over. Great condition, no obvious flaws, looked to be my size, definitely HBC, and $95. Which meant, at 50% off, it could be mine for less than $50.

How had no one scooped this up yet?! Excitedly I took it inside the store to try it on properly (and check myself out in the mirror - what's the point of buying something that doesn't look good on you?) I whipped off my coat and slipped into pure wool perfection. It fit like it was made just for me. I had never expected to buy a vintage wool HBC parka, but the thought of becoming an owner was just too appealing.

I immediately brought it up to the cashier. "How was it?" she asked.
"Perfect!" I exclaimed a little too excitedly.
"$47" she said.
Uh oh, I didn't have cash (as I noticed the Cash Only sticky on the counter). "Do you take debit?" I inquired (knowing full well what the answer was).
"We don't, but our other store up the street does, I can ring you in and you can pay there. But they'll charge you tax - we never charge tax when you pay cash here. But there's a TD bank machine up the street!"
Well, why pay $53.11 when you can avoid the tax man altogether? I told her I'd be back in a flash. I hurried up the street to the little ABM, only to see that it was flashing Machine Out of Order. Curses! Just my luck. I couldn't see another machine in sight along the street, but on my way back to the store I quickly searched on my phone for the next closest bank. Spadina Ave, no more than a 5 minute walk away. I poked my head back into the store:
"It's out of order, but there's another bank nearby...how much later are you open?"
"Oh, another half hour or so." replied the cashier.
"I'll be back in 10!" I blurted out. I didn't care how much runaround I had to do, that coat was mine!

I hastened down the street and around the corner, bobbing and weaving around pedestrians who had decided that a narrow icy sidewalk was the perfect place to try to break a world record for slowest walking. It's not easy to speed-walk in the rather congested area of Chinatown to begin with. With each of these little obstacles blocking my path to buying this particular garment, I couldn't help thinking that someone up there was trying to tell me something, like "Now Brittany, don't you think you've spent enough for one day?" And that's when I gave the voices in my head the mental middle finger, and continued onwards to my destiny to the kingdom of HBC vintage-coat ownership.

The coat chose me

I made it to the bank and cackled gleefully as I withdrew my funds; (well, mental cackling...I would have scared away the couple at the machine next to me).

I rapidly made my way back to the store to pay for and collect my new (old?) treasure. I couldn't believe my luck - I had come across two amazing pieces of clothing in the span of an hour, and had gotten both for a combined total of $59. I skipped elatedly all the way to the AGO; (oh, okay...mental skipping. It was icy, after all).

So without further ado (drumroll please), here is my very Canadian Hudson's Bay parka:

 

So Canuck

I now no longer have to feel envious about seeing them on other people - I am a proud owner! Igloos and pine trees? Canadian pride 100%.

Can you feel the love?

THE DETAILS:
Era: 1970s
Label: Hudson's Bay Company
Material: 100% wool outer, nylon/polyester inner lining
Made in Canada...my home and native land