Retro Rack

Managed to get down to Santa Cruz this weekend. Went down for a little celebration, and stayed for the shopping and some peace and quiet.


We went to Moon Zoom, one of my favorite places to shop in the Bay Area. It's a store that has multiple buyers with different taste who specialize in different vintage periods. I like Terry who buys a lot of 1950s and 1960s stuff (of course). I really didn't need any new dresses, but I make it back to Santa Cruz so rarely these days I feel like I have to stock up while I am there.

I did need a white vinyl purse.

And I found one! It's not quite as big as I woudl like. I tend to go for day bags that will hole a small pair of flats and a paperback along with the necessities. But this one is in great condition ~ the clasp is strong, the lining undamaged the internal pocket and zipper are sound. It'll hold a paperback in a pinch and at a cool $18 I decided I'd better snap it up.

One of the things to keep in mind when shopping vintage is how many repairs the dress is going to need. As a general rule I don't advise "buying with the intent to modify." One shoudl be able to wear the item right away. But the rain makes me come over all nostalgic abotu hand mending and domestic chores so I picked up a several dresses that are in need of a little love but so cute I couldn't resist. Plust the green one I wore Saturday night got torn.

How to identify a girl who wears vintage?

She stashes safety pins in all purses and every available pocket.


So this Edith Flagg, Califronia beauty ($32) came home with me because it's nice and light weight, and I'm a sucker for a dress top combo. For one thing it goes form day to evening with just a change of accessorizes ~ I'd pair it for day with the flowered top and a red hat and red pumps or tan oxfords and brown, chunky red beads; swap out for evening with red, black, tan, or gold sandals, gold jewelry and a cute little headband. I checked the seams on the under dress and they are fine but I am going to have to move the button on the shirt over quite a bit so it nips in at the waist. East fix, that.



Then I fell for this black and emerald green cocktail I.Magnin $36. It's sublimely well made, unlike some other vintage I could name, of a nice thick material, and the green roses are fuzzy! How could I resist?



It's in perfect condition but I am goigg to have to hunt from some accessories. I wouldn't mind a nice pair of emerald green gloves, shoes, hat, and clutch to go with. I'm not saying I need to go hunting, just that I have my eye out now . . . Of course, it'll do perfectly well with black.


The most practical of my purchases was this Nelly Don seersucker cream with gray stripes, $32.  It's incredibly cool and light, packs without wrinkling, and goes with a million things. The cut is quite flattering but it needs a few adjustments. It's in fine condition, but I want to bring the hem up to above the knee for a less dowdy length, and it'll need extra snaps over the Rack area, of course.


Lastly I had to have this brown check.


It's labelless, and in need of much love. It has a little bow that needs to be attached at the collar, a pull tag put onto zipper, and all of its seams check over. But it's a beautiful ultra-cool lightweight muslin, and its check (I love check) and it;s brown, I don't have any brown dresses in my collection (unless you count the brown plaid which isn't vintage).





Also I can't forget my new cream hat, from (where else) Bon Marche Thrift Store in Sonoma (I was back visting for a bit). So cute, and the lovely lady in charge is always so appologetic that she must charge me $7 for such a lovely little creature. I wore it that day! Bows!


So there you have it, my shopping addiction continues. Moving house and getting rid of half my wardrobe only seems to put a dampener on it.



I'm inordinately proud of myself for buying only dresses that are step into and pull up, rather than over the head. Such dresses allow me to do my makeup before dressing, which I much prefer. Fortunately, I'm flexible enough in the shoulders to do up my own zippers. I do have a few dresses I love but I can't get into without the AB's consummate help (or occasionally a stranger in the hallway of a convention). These get neglected as a result. I will however, be in one of them for the Goodbye Parasol Protectorate Tea in SF at the end of February.

Many of us, Fashionable Reader, have more purses than we can use. Which is to say, you can really only carry one purse at a time. With the possible exception of the cute tiny purse necklace from ModCloth.
However, as I like to say to those who object to my shoe collection (why do you need so many, you can only wear one pair?) why do you need so many TV channels? You can only watch one at a time.
My purse collection is inferior to my shoes. But then again it's harder to switch between them. I have only about 15, most of them clutches, less than half vintage, and my day bag which I use all the time. Nevertheless, I love them each in their own special way. And I do invest in leather, it just lasts so much better, although it's much harder to keep clean.