Wishlist: Seamed Stockings

I've been coveting seamed stockings as of late. Fall is right around the corner and I'm already thinking of ways to wear fur and keep my legs warm in skirts.

What Katie Did stockings are the right price. I really like the nude stockings with contrast seam.

buy it here

And I know they're not very authentic, but I'm liking the idea of the contrast seamed tights too. No garter belt to deal with.

buy it here

And for a bit more money there's Dita's line with Secrets in Lace.

buy it here

Lisa.xo

Outfits: Blue Streak

The weather in Winnipeg has cooled off early this year and so has my penchant for pink. Back to blues. After cleaning out my collection a bit (both in my hoard and personal wardrobe) I remembered that I have a few neglected dresses. This being one of them. 

It's a mid-century handmade housedress which still bears a few small stains from housecleaning tucked among the pattern. This doesn't bother me a bit - it tells the story of the dress. 

I'm sadly counting down the days until I'm back at work. Two weeks of holidays left. I'm trying to make the most of them and doing some planning for the blog so I don't abandon you all again when I start work (wish me luck!). 

To The Boy: "What do you think I'm doing?! I'm taking blog photos!" Yeesh...

The perfect photobomb. I had my "serious blogger" face on and everything....thanks Dave. lol

50's Cotton House Dress: Ragtime (in Ottawa)

Polka Dot Floral Brooch: Ardene

Vintage Navy Leather Belt: Thrifted

Vintage Tooled Leather Purse: Thrifted, Value Village

Striped Peep Toe Wedges: Forever 21

Lisa.xo

Winnipeg Vintage Reviewed: Debbie's Vintage (at the Johnston Terminal Antique Mall in The Forks)

Debbie's Vintage (in the Johnston Terminal Antique Mall) 25 Forks Market Rd
Facebook
204-947-3952

*** out of 5

Debbie's Vintage does not have a physical storefront, it is a "booth" within the maze that is the Johnston Terminal Antique Mall at the Forks Market in downtown Winnipeg. Debbie emailed me a number of months ago and asked if I could stop by her booth and review her shop. Little did she know I'd already been shopping at her secret spot for a few years now.

Without any knowledge of this shop from an outside source, one may never know of its existence. And this, my dear readers is why I love reviewing local vintage shops. Some are well known, but I am thrilled to be able to share this secret little treasure trove with you all.

Debbie's section of the antique mall is tidy, organized and well kept. It's very easy to shop. Her stock is comprised entirely of women's wear (if there was men's wear there, I missed it) from the 40's to modern clothing with a retro flair.

Novice vintage shoppers beware though: there are no sales staff helping with your purchase (the antique mall has staff at the front counter to ring in sales, but they are not familiar with specific dealer stock, unfortunately) and no dressing rooms to try on clothes. So if you are not familiar with labels, construction, sizing and fit you may end up with an 80's dress that looks 50's and not the real deal since Debbie's Vintage carries a very wide range of eras. If this is not a concern for you, then shop with wild abandon!

This being said, Debbie's section of the mall is clearly well curated. Every piece is clean, well kept and in excellent condition. So even if you buy a modern piece, I assure you that it will be in great, wearable, like-new condition (I bought a modern black silk skirt on my last visit and it has been one of the best purchases I've made in ages! I love it!).

Prices in Debbie's shop are reasonable and well within what is expected in the Winnipeg vintage market.

And let me not forget the accessories! Debbie's Vintage has a plethora of beautiful accessories ranging from shoes, hats, purses, costume jewelry and even vintage glasses - most of which are behind glass. Be sure to ask staff at the front desk if you are interested in a closer look. They will be happy to help you.

On this note, if you have a burning question about one of the pieces in the "shop" the staff will typically try and call the seller to see if they are available to chat and answer your question. Debbie also has a Facebook page where I'm sure you could message her if need be.

I would recommend this little "shop" to vintage shoppers with a little more experience under their belts as you are shopping without a safety net. Otherwise, this is a fun, relatively unknown spot tucked in amongst some other beautiful vintage treasures in the heart of one of Winnipeg's best antique malls.

Lisa.xo

Ask Dita Von Teese on xoJane

unsourced via Pintrest

Had to share. I just discovered that Dita is answer reader questions over on xoJane.

Go check it out here.


Lisa.xo

Another Dressing Room Update

This should be one of the last ones. lol! This room is nearly complete.

I've got a curtain to hide the treadmill, a laundry basket and a few more floating shelves to purchase, install and she's done!! :) But I couldn't wait to show you, so here it is!

The gallery wall I hung (with a little help from The Boy - he hung the anchors for the venetian style mirror). I love this. It makes me smile like crazy.

And what it looked liked in previous incarnations.

You can see the old carpet and wall colour really well in this photo. 

And now:

Pretty awesome! :) Lots of elbow grease in this room, but worth every second.


For more photos of the progress on this room click here. 
For Dressing Room inspiration check out my Pintrest board here.


Lisa.xo

Around Here...

I just thought I would post quick and give you fine folks a little update on what's been going on around here...
(if you stalk follow me on Instagram you're in the loop)

The Boy and I drove out to a wedding on the weekend in Lac du Bonnet. No pictures of the two of us (as usual), but I did manage this selfie in the truck from the ceremony to the reception.

The groom and groomsmen made a splashy entrance (no pun intended) by 9 seater plane. They flew over the guests 3 times and then flew low over us and the trees, landed on the lake and taxied in to the dock. Best wedding entrance in history! They almost upstaged the bride it was so good!

We camped on a neighbouring yard (the reception was on her parent's property on the lake - so lovely. Perfect weather on Saturday. They were very lucky!) in a rented vintage Boler. We enjoyed it, but decided that we wouldn't buy one. The Boy is too tall to stand up in it and it felt a little squishy with us and the dog.

We've also been reno-ing and decorating my dressing room. New wall paint (fresh, crisp white), new carpet and today we hung drapes! It's coming along nicely!

We've also been doing some MAJOR purging in the house (our basement looked like an episode from Hoarders!). A truckload of stuff went to Goodwill and I've got some furniture listed on Kijiji. Still working through the house and getting rid of things we no longer need or use. Feels so good!

Plus, I took the plunge and went through my vintage clothing and made a massive pile of things I A) am ready to let go of B) don't fit me and C) were given to me and aren't my style. I have an appointment with a local vintage seller to sell everything next week.

So other than that, things have been pretty low key around these parts. I've been spending most days at home, surfing Pintrest and my favourite blogs, puttering around the house and hanging out with The Boy and Dave. Plus, I've been enjoying the occasional afternoon nap. :)


How have you been enjoying your summer?

Lisa.xo

Outfits: Something a Little More Modern

Sorry for the absence in the last two weeks...someone in my family passed away on the 14th and I've not really been feeling like myself since. The last few days have been better, I'm finally starting to come around. :) Just wanted to let you all know why I suddenly stopped posting after such an amazing run of posts!


As you know, I don't always "dress vintage" and by that I mean a vintage inspired look from head to toe. I moderately follow current trends and incorporate those into my wardrobe that I feel compliment my personal fashion aesthetic. Like peplum tops. I love them. So feminine! They are a great modern take on a retro look, so a few months ago I went on a hunt for one I liked. This beauty from Jacob was the winner. The construction is really great - it fits me incredibly well. The fabric is non-stretch and I really like the side zipper (even though it's invisible) which I feel is a throw back to vintage garment construction (I love me a dress with a side zipper!).

I sometimes get worried I'm sacrificing my aesthetic when I dress in such trendy clothes (the skinny pants, the peplum top etc..) from head to toe, but Jill over at lune totally squashed that idea when I posted this pic on my Instagram.

She said "Very Varla of you"(as in "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!").

Haha! I thought that was awesome! Thanks Jill!

Tortoiseshell Cateye Sunglasses: Rhymes with Orange

Vintage Leather Jacket: Vintage Glory

Necklace: Le Château

Peplem Top: Jacob

Vintage Gold Belt: Ragpickers

Navy Trousers: Jacob

Navy Floral Heels: Forever 21

Vintage Navy Purse: Wildwood Rose Vintage

Lisa.xo

Inspiration: Summer Girls

Love this image. Total summer chic.

source

Lisa.xo

Wishlist: Leopard Print Dress

Like any good vintage/rockabilly girl I love leopard print. I have several leopard print shoes and live in my leopard print scarf in the winter. 

Until very recently I considered this bold print to be for accessories (and possibly a cardigan) only until I bought myself a pair of leopard print skinny jeans! I have since reconsidered this opinion and have been lusting over leopard print dresses in chic lady-like cuts. I want my leopard to be classy!

This Christian Dior dress from 2008 is obviously a fantasy, but look how gorgeous it is!! 

Christian Dior at Couture Fall 2008 Runway

image source

These two 60's dresses found on Etsy are much, much easier on the wallet!

Buy it here!

Buy it here!

Lisa.xo

Liebster Award!

I've been nominated for the

Thank you Frocks and Frivolities for nominating me!! :D

So what exactly is a Liebster Award? Well,

"It's a token of recognition that bloggers award to fellow bloggers who they think deserve more recognition. The terminology "Liebster" roughly translates to "Dearest" from German"

Here are the "rules" (if you will):

1. Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominating blogger*.

2. Nominate 11 blogs to receive the award who have under 200 followers. 

    (Let them know in their comments.)

3. Post 11 new questions for them to answer.

4. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.

*This is meant for fun, please by no means feel obligated to participate if nominated, but it is a fun way to get to know some other bloggers out there with similar interests. If you have done this before and want to do it again then do or post a link to your previous answers. If you are not interested in participating then no pressure or hard feelings...I look forward to reading your answers if you choose to do this I would love it if you would leave me a comment with a link to your post!

11 Questions Asked of Me:

1. What are your blogging goals for this year?

It was a bit of a slow start this year, but I'm well on my way to achieving some of my blogging goals. I always strive to post with more frequency (which can very difficult at times with my demanding job in theatre) and this year I fell off the blogosphere for a month or more in the spring due to work. 

But the big goal for this year was to purchase a tripod and start taking my outfit photos outside. As of last week I can tick this one off my list! Feels good to be moving forward and accomplishing goals!  

2. Who are your biggest influences?

In terms of blogging, my influences are currently Chronically Vintage (Jessica posts with incredibly regularity without sacrificing content),  Esme and the Laneway (I love love love her photos. They are always beautiful) and The Vintage Valley (this girls style is so simple and chic. Plus her blog is beautiful).

In terms of personal style, Dita Von Teese tops my list. I love her polished vintage look - how couldn't I? It's perfection. Stylin' rockabilly girls - like Vintage Vandalizm - influence my casual looks. 

3. What was the first blog you read on a regular basis?

Sally Jane Vintage and the now defunct Lulu Letty. I'm sure there were others, but those are the ones I remember. 

4. How did you get interested in vintage?

I've been wearing vintage since I was in high school. My Mom had a friend whose style I loved. Well, it turned out that she bought most of her clothes second hand. I asked her if she would take me sometime and she did! I learned the thrifting ropes at the tender age of 14 and never looked back. I wore vintage in the 90's when it was very uncool. I would often have people in school ask me where I bought my pants/shirt/jacket and when I told them it was second hand I was usually met with disgust at wearing "dead people's clothes". High school found me wearing a lot of 70's wide leg pants and vintage printed tee-shirts and loud button up shirts.

I refined my style and found "my era" in university working with my best friend in Winnipeg's best known vintage shop Ragpickers. My love for vintage, knowledge and personal collection grew in leaps and bounds while I worked there. 

Blogging has also really helped me feel more comfortable with my unusual personal style (Winnipeg is the North American capitol for sweatpants I think - it's such a casual city!!). I am not afraid to dress a little more out of the box these days. I know that despite the fact that there is little to no "vintage subculture" in my city that it abounds elsewhere and that I am not alone. Blogging has helped me connect with people who are passionate about vintage in the same way I am. 

5. What are your favourite topics to blog about?

Even though this is fashion heavy lifestyle blog, I really love posting about my work in theatre and truly hope my readers enjoy it too. I have such an unusual job that I love sharing my work with my readers. No one has complained yet, so I'll keep posting! lol!

6. What would your dream vintage piece be?

Vintage Dior or Chanel dress from the early 50's. 

7. What is your current favorite piece in you own closet?

Tough question...It would have to be a dress - I have a serious weakness for dresses....

Today, it's this one:

You can see more pics of this dress here and here. 

I bought it at Ragtime in Ottawa. I was there stage managing a show for a festival two years ago. Everything goes with this dress and I can wear it dressed up or dressed down. 

8. If you had to pick one type of vintage item to collect what would it be? (purses, shoes, hats, jewelry...)

If I could only collect one vintage thing it would be dresses. I love vintage dresses. I can usually resist any kind of vintage treasure, but vintage dresses are my achilles heel. Gotta have 'em and I will never have enough of them. I think it's a sickness really...

9. What do you find most challenging about blogging?

Posting when I'm working. I do my best to stockpile posts in draft and schedule, but sometimes I just fall behind the eight ball. Thankfully I'm not a pro blogger...so I try to forgive myself for my lapses in frequency. 

Sometimes I also have nothing to say, but have an outfit to show. In these situations I usually feel some sort of weird guilt about not having anything witty or interesting to say expect "Hey! Look what I wore the other day! Isn't it great?"

10. What do you enjoy most about it?

Like so many other blogger, what I love the most is connecting with my readers. I love reading comments and especially love getting emails. I've also made a few great acquaintances and online friends. 

I also love sharing my love of vintage. Most of my "real life" friends don't wear or collect vintage and I enjoy being able to geek out on my blog about the vintage things on my mind I can't connect with them about. 

11. What is one thing not vintage related that you love?

Nature! I love the outdoors! Walks, hikes, bike rides, boat rides, snowmobiling...nature is my happy place. 

My Nominees (I have tried to include as many Canadian blogs in this list as possible. :

1. Bella’s Boudoir - This girl has a serious passion for making and wearing costumes - which I can totally relate to (having worked in two costume shops in the last 10 years). And her "Expectations/Reality" posts crack me up every time.
2. Doll in a Sugar Coma - This girl has wicked retro style and beautiful images on her blog. 

3. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Another lovely UK lady with impeccable 40's style. I am very envious of her beautifully styled hair. 

4. Grey Lashes - A local Winnipeg blogger. I love her thrifting posts - she finds great stuff! 

5. Leopard and Lipstick  - I love this girls outfit posts (she has beautiful style!), her inspiration posts and her taste in housewares. I never miss a post!

6. My Twelve Cents Worth - Another Canadian! This lady hails from Edmonton. I enjoy the posts of her outings with her vintage loving friends. 

7. Paige Virginia - This girl is adorable! Disney and Disneyland are a common post theme here - so much fun!

8. Past Perfect Vintage - This blog is full of beautiful vintage eye candy. It usually features items from the Past Perfect Vintage Online shop and often contains great information on eras and vintage designers. 

9. Retro Reporter - Another Edmonton blogger. She has super cute style and her posts are always a good read.

10. Three Cats Vintage - What's not to love about this blog. Pretty images, a beautiful etsy shop and her outfit posts are always lovely.

11. Miss Bee Vintage - Another Edmonton blogger (clearly I've got some vintage gf group envy here! haha!). A burlesque dancer, thrifter and homemaker (check out her post on how to pick the perfect pot roast!). All around good stuff here. 

11 Questions for my Nominees:

1. How long have you been blogging? What made you start?
2. Where do you shop for your vintage wardrobe? Mostly online? Or local?
3. What was your first vintage clothing purchase? 
4. What do you do for a living? (be it school or work)
5. City girl? Or country girl? Why?
6. How important - or not - is having an authentic vintage look from head to toe to you and why?
7. What was your best vintage buy ever? 
8. Do you own a vintage car? If not, what is your dream car? 
9. Any other eras of interest to you (other than the one that informs your fashion)?  
10. Heels or flats? and why?
11. (I'm reusing a question here because I liked it) What is the one thing non vintage related that you love?

Nominees: Please let me know when your answers go live on your blog! I can't wait to read them!


Thanks again for the nomination Frocks and Frivolities!


Lisa.xo