Fall-ing in love – with autumn fashions

Posted on September 4, 2012 by vpvintern

80s Oslo Snowflake Sweater

I took a brief hiatus with writing my blogs, but now I’ve returned to talk about all things autumn. It’s been a busy last few months for me, dear readers – I moved and started two new jobs. I’ve been accumulating antique decor, learning how to properly cook pasta, and basically navigating life as a single city girl as summer comes to a close. I’m really excited about fall fashions, and have been on the prowl for sweaters, boots, tights and maybe a whimsical chapeau or two.

I took a half-hour drive to the outlet mall last weekend, and it was crammed full of foreign travelers, as this was Niagara Falls, USA and this particular outlet mall draws a gaggle of tourists. My friend and I perused the Off Saks 5th Avenue Outlet store and I almost had a heart attack as I discovered Alaia and Prada suede boots that I still could not afford. I unearthed several soft, comfy sweaters from A+Ro and Rag & Bone for a steal compared to their original tagged prices. But really, are designer tags everything? Certainly not! Vintage stores offer quality goods that no one else will be macking on or copying.

Rag & Bone is one of my coveted design duos of the moment, since their English and rock n’ roll sensibility caters to my aesthetic.  On their Fall 2012 runway, striped knits were all the rage, as were super warm looking sweater coats.

Rag and Bone Fall 2012

70s Fireside Sweater

With such luminescent offerings, it can be tempting to whip out your credit card. But wait! Vantage Point Vintage now has a plethora of sweaters and coats to keep you toasty when the weather turns. Keep the chills at bay with some new knitwear, and if you pluck up some bargains from a thrift store pile, treat yourself with a delicious latte. My personal favorite at-home concoction is hot chocolate with maybe some bourbon tossed in. Have a great autumnal beginning, XO, Ann Marie.

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The Latest Frills

Posted on August 16, 2012 by vpvintern

Peplum is this seasons latest trend, with skirts of all different colors and lengths showing up on the streets. Be it work-wear, casual or even party wear – peplum has made a big statement this season and looks to be here for the long-run. VPV has peplum of all different styles covered – just for you.



Have you been wearing peplum??

Cheers,
Nicole

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Tan lines and dead fish – staying stylish on the shore

Posted on May 29, 2012 by vpvintern

cut-offs: a summer staple.

Your bags are packed, you’re ready to go, your ride’s downstairs blaring Bananarama’s “Cool Summer” – Memorial Day weekend is prime time to hit the sandy shores and dunk in the refreshing waves at the beach. I went with a small group of pals, drank beer and margaritas, grilled bleu cheese burgers on a portable grill, and accidently fell asleep on my towel, winding up with really jacked-up tan/burn lines. The beach can be glamorous of course, but it can also do serious damage to your skin and hair. Yesterday I came home from the shore with dry hair that reeked like a skunk, my aforementioned uneven tan/sun burn disaster, parched skin, and a sand-encrusted apartment.

Be a beach goddess in a vibrant caftan cover up when the sun sets.

After a morning of showering and moisturizing and deep conditioning and vaccuuming, it’s important to remember to stay chic underneath it all by using sunscreen and UBA/UVB ray-blocking hair treatment, so you don’t wind up with red skin and orange hair. Then – and only then! – will your style truly shine through.

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It’s summertime, and the living’s easy

Posted on May 22, 2012 by vpvintern

90's Avant-Garde Leather Bikini Top, VPV

a Baywatch-inspired look, appropriate for 2012!

Call me an exhibitionist, call me a nudist, just don’t call me a washed-up fashion victim this summer. When the weather is hot, I want to wear as few articles of clothing as possible, since I live in a climate that gets humid in the summer and frizzy hair is bad enough. Perhaps the most ubiquitous and iconic ensemble of the summertime months is the bikini, and no matter what style you choose, it should still reflect your personal style.

I’ve seen a resurgence of Baywatch-inspired one piece swimsuits, as well as high-waisted bottoms and athletic-inspired surfer looks.

Thankfully, since swimwear has been out on shelves for months now, we should be seeing some discounts and bargains in stores and online shopping destinations. I scored a hot pink Wildfox surfer top for $25 off the original price, by subscribing to e-mail newsletters and comparing prices on different websites, and ended up scoring free shipping.

Vantage Point Vintage is always on trend, yet far ahead of them, as times past often reflect current trends (and whatever might become all-the-rage tomorrow). Plenty of their one piece swimsuits have been sold out, since VPV shoppers know where it’s at!

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Runway to reality

Posted on May 14, 2012 by vpvintern

Fashion inspires me from a purely artistic standpoint. To see a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, beaded Rodarte gown, or Mulberry satchel standing out from the pages of a glossy magazine can be visually inspiring and a royal tease at the same time. I’ve always been a daydreamer, and lately I’ve been finding myself envisioning walking down my street in a pair of denim Lita boots from Jeffrey Campbell with some artfully-disheveled Alexander Wang model-off-duty look. The Litas will be mine, I’ve been saving up my cash from tending bar, my nighttime hustle! I’m a busy girl… Daydreaming and poring over magazines can help inspire you and lead you in the right direction when it comes to crafting individual style.

Even if you can’t afford Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs, staying abreast of the latest trends can lead to a search for similar pieces at vintage and thrift shops. I brought home an impressive yield from my most recent adventure at the thrift store- lace-up denim high-waisted shorts, cropped burnt orange tank, black off-the-shoulder cocktail minidress (I’m guessing it’s late 80′s to mid-90′s era), gold chain belt, and an English bone china ceramic plate to display jewelry or candles on, haven’t yet decided. If your mind is informed as to what’s going on with designers in their runway shows, no matter where you shop you’ll be able to find something comparable to that.  Check out this Look for Less pairing, for example:

Royal purple made an appearence in the Alice + Olivia spring 2012 ready to wear show, and can also be found in this striking 80′s sequined jump suit from Vantage Point Vintage, available for $44.95. 

Alice + Olivia, spring 2012 rtw look.

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Date night dressing dilemmas

Posted on May 7, 2012 by vpvintern

Be yourself on a date, and bring anything you need in case you need to make a getaway

Have you ever gone on a date with someone who turned out to be an absolute weirdo, and it made you regret wasting a cool outfit? There’s nothing wrong with being eccentric and odd – in fact I’d rather go out with a man who is completely on his own planet instead of someone who is drier than a mummified Saltine. Remember last week when I mentioned I’d been asked for a casual rendezvous (not the kind advertised on Craig’s List, a couple beers on a bar patio, I mean)? Well, he was totally boring, strange, and his outfit was wrong, wrong, WRONG!

The evening was still balmy and the sun was shining when I made my way over to the yuppie bar where the after-work professional crowd likes to sip microbrews and discuss stock options (not typically my crew). I had on my cotton one-shoulder American Apparel black minidress and black leather motorcycle ankle boots. I was having a really good hair day because I now work at a hair/skin/body care shop.  I didn’t immediately see my “date,” who I didn’t really know, just met out the previous week…but then I saw someone with a pouffy bowl cut, business casual attire, an umbrella stuck in his back pocket (it was sunny?) and soccer cleats.

Needless to say he looked better in the dark and I’ve been dodging his calls. I don’t even want a boyfriend; I only go on dates for the outfit options and the pure entertainment of it all.  But that’s life, you know!

Some date-night fashion tips to keep in mind: 1) Skip anything noisy and complicated, and keep it simple and easy to move in. Now that the weather is warm, a mini dress and ankle boots or wedges are prime options. 2) Smell good. Nobody likes a Smelly McSmellyson. 3: Be yourself! And be safe out there.

XOXO,

Ann Marie

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Color Color Color

Posted on May 6, 2012 by vpvintern

Why not try this seasons latest trend, color blocking with some of these great VPV pieces…

What’s your two, three or even four favorite colors you love to wear together??

Cheers,
Nicole

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Making an entrance

Posted on April 30, 2012 by vpvintern

Don't be shy - a vintage hat will make a strong impression.

I don’t know about you, but I never want to see someone else wearing what I’ve got on. This is why thrift stores and consignment boutiques are so much fun to sift through; there’s only one of everything in there, so chances are you won’t see a doppleganger of yourself slumped over a bar stool, putting your new burgundy crochet minidress or aqua blue smoking jacket to shame. Make an entrance in something vintage and vivacious – you never know the excitement that awaits you on the other side of the boutique’s door.
I perused my favorite local consignment boutique this weekend with a friend, and she definitely veered out of her comfort zone with her purchase: a vintage seafoam green, sequined hair accessory. It’s regal and could turn into a rockabilly look with the right lipstick, high-waisted shorts and a wife beater. I plucked up a silk caftan – I’m a real caftan connoisseur.
My pal placed her purchase right on her head, and off we went to my favorite cafe, where they serve beer, wine and cocktails, not to mention the most excellent food that satisfies my appetite following an afternoon of bargain shopping. Unfortunately, my barista crush, with his crazy red curly ponytail, was nowhere to be found… but my stromboli and glass of Hoegaarden was a magical denouement to my day.
And then, to my amusement, while poring over the latest issue of Nylon and painting my nails navy blue, I received an actual phone call (not a text, how outlandish) from a gentleman that I just met, asking me for an actual date for this coming Thursday. So naturally, my next blog will be about Date Night Dressing. Stay tuned!

70s era Mickey Mouse hat, VPV

60s era straw hat, VPV


XO,
Ann Marie

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Some Inspiration…

Posted on April 28, 2012 by vpvintern

For the grooling work week ahead…

Why not be bold, be out-there, be different and be memorable.

Cheers,
Nicole

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Fashion: the story that you tell the world

Posted on April 23, 2012 by vpvintern

Do you have a gift for thrift?

I once read a short story, I think it was by Anais Nin. In it, a woman loses one high heel on a hill, but keeps the other, through which she recollects a former lover (and the torrid scene that caused her to lose the other shoe). This is certainly not the only literary ode to an article of clothing or an accessory. See also “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, or take it from Virigina Woolf, who wrote that “Clothes have more important offices than merely to keep us warm; they change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.”

Perhaps every vintage fashion hound knows and appreciates this aspect of clothing, as a medium through which to tell their story, and allow others to view the world as they do. Imagine stepping into another land, another place, and experiencing things beyond your typical realm. Well, if you peruse secondhand shops and discover thrifted gems, you do just that. You pick up where another’s story left off and continue the story with your own version of life.

I would like to share some of my recent thrift finds. When I hit the shops, I beeline for the jackets, vests, dresses, jean shorts, and boots. I’ve found some real treasures, both versatile everyday items and going-out statement pieces. Some articles of clothing that I own carry personal memories and stay relevant in my wardrobe due to the things I did in them. My $3 Gap denim vest and my $5 cropped Levi’s vest are my everyday throw ons, but I hang on to my 50 cent estate sale black lace top, that automatically sexifys my mood, even though I’ve only worn it once to date. I’m definitely saving it for a special time.

I usually reach for a mini skirt, but this floral maxi skirt makes me feel like a 60′s folk singer, plus I can sit however I want if I’m drinking cheap wine on an outdoor patio. My high-waisted jean shorts will get me through this summer, as will cropped tanks, bustiers and my caftans and kimonos. I didn’t pay more than $20 for anything shown, with most averaging at $5. Can you tell which items I splurged on and which I unearthed at my local Goodwill?

I can’t wait to see what adventures my 90s shorts will bring this summer.

XOXO,

Ann Marie

“It is always better to wear a becoming dress three times straight than to alternate it with two frights” -F. Scott Fitzgerald

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