October PFS Vintage Updates

Long time no post, I know, but I've been busy finding new stuff for the shop and finally added new items! Here's just a small taste, you can see the rest at PFS Vintage's Etsy shop!

Red Plaid Clueless Blazer with Gold Plated Buttons by PFS Vintage - $29 CAD

Floral 3/4 Length Sleeve Seventies Blouse by PFS Vintage - $26 CAD

Shiny Black Leather Bow Purse by PFS Vintage - $24 CAD

100% Silk Leopard Print Skirt by PFS Vintage - $30 CAD 

Wool Brown Plaid Blazer by PFS Vintage - $40 CAD

Lots of new fall stuff like blazers and sweaters and wool skirts, and I'll be adding more this weekend so stay tuned!

Vacation Sale

I've been busy and now I'm taking a vacation visiting the fam in Nova Scotia for a few weeks, so I haven't been able to come up with an actual post, sorry! I just wanted to make you all aware of PFS Vintage's Vacation Sale: all of the shorts and rompers in the shop are now 20% off until the end of August! Check it out:

Bright Yellow Denim Shorts - Now $20.80

Purple Floral 80s Romper - Now $22.40

Navy Blue Nautical High Waisted Shorts - Now $22.40 SOLD

Upcycled Pale Pink Floral Shorts - Now $16.00

Denim Button Up Romper - Now $24.00

 I'll also be adding lots of fall stuff when I get back next week, so stay tuned for new items (finally, I know)! Until then I'm spending all of my time at the beach, have a great last few weeks of summer!

Fab Four

The following is a sampling of the myriad of vintage bloggers I follow on the internets. I thought I would pay tribute to them because they are so great at capturing my attention and keeping me from working on my own endeavours.
The four ladies below are, in my opinion, the cream of the crop. Let's just accept the fact that they all have amazing style and more beautiful clothes than one could ever dream of and appreciate the fact that they are putting together outfits to share with everyone on a regular basis.

 

First up is Erin from CaliVintage, a blogger from you guessed it...California. I think she works for ModCloth or something. I love her simple yet quirky style with short skirts and bright solid fabric choices. She also does a great job of promoting other style bloggers with her 'Weekly Roundup' collections of her favorite looks from the week.

Next is Ashley Ording, of Fancy Fine Vintage (which is also the name of her amaaaaaaaaaazingly curated Etsy shop). I think she is actually also from California, but her approach to vintage is much more nostalgic and detailed than CaliVintage's. This lady has an enviable collection of vintage dresses and accessories and puts together great outfits.

I love Nicole Eymard of Fashion Forestry's offbeat colorful style. The four above photos are actually of some of her more toned down outfits. She seems to have an incredible collection of vintage hats and does a great job of mixing patterns and looking totally cute and awesome. She's currently living in London although I think she is from...California! Surprise!

Last but certainly not least is a blogger who is not from California, but Chicago. Bianca of Avant Blargh is probably the lady whose style most closely resembles my own. Said to be the love child of myself and my wifey Cha-nese, she does the stylish geek extremely well and I love that her style heros are Elaine Benis and Denise Huxtable.

So there you have it. My top four go-to vintage bloggers whom I admire the most and look to in times of boredom and need for ideas of what to wear. With the help of these fashionable ladies you now have the power to go forth into the world and put together an inspired outfit of your own. Good luck and God speed!

The Other Sister: Dianne Wiest in Hannah and Her Sisters

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) by Woody Allen is one of my favorite films. It's very much in line with most of Allen's New York films in that it's basically a 'slice of life' of a group of people who are all closely related and living in Manhattan. They all have a bunch of different problems and are trying to figure out life. The most complicated and interesting character for me is Hannah's sister Holly, played by Dianne Weist. Her character is a (supposedly) reformed coke addict who is struggling to find work as an actress and who works as a caterer with her friend April (played by Carrie Fisher, AKA Princess Leia). Throughout the film she's described as 'manic', 'off beat' and even 'a great dope fiend', and her style definitely reflects all of these things. She is one of my favorite characters in film and also has the best 80s wardrobe I have ever seen (sorry Molly Ringwald!). I often find myself unconsciously channeling her style, with her amazing blazers and crazy accessories, although I definitely can't do it like she does. I usually start out watching this film for her outfits alone but get sucked in by the characters and their wackiness and end up watching the whole thing. 

These two, my god! A-dor-able. The lady has so many good coats. Pairing a denim jacket underneath a wool coat is a terrific idea. 

Holly is kind of a departure from Woody's normally casually sexy and effortlessly cool leading ladies. She's quirky and insecure, which totally endears me to her and makes me really care about her as a character.

Holly does the belted blazer look better than anyone I've ever seen. 

Amaaaaaazing belted blazers and sweaters Dianne Wiest style at Rodarte via Style.com

That collar. 

Holly at one time describes herself as 'my own person', and it's somewhat obvious that she started dressing how she does in order to differentiate herself from her two sisters, especially her sister Hannah - played by Mia Farrow - whom it is implied throughout the film that she is intensely envious yet in awe of. She uses clothing as a way to express herself and her creativity because she feels she must prove herself to everyone on a regular basis.

Wondering how to 'brooch' a touchy subject with her sister Hannah. 

Holly would approve of my 'more is more' approach.

This is my favorite scene from Hannah and Her Sisters, not to mention my favorite outfit of Holly's:

It's a little bit of a shame that by the end of the film when Holly is supposed to be seen as being content and finally figuring her life out that her style gets more subdued and a little bit boring. I love her manic style and amazing collection of brooches and necklaces and how she just makes it look so easy to pile on accessories without looking like a total basket case or like a crazy old lady who wears everything she owns all at once (IT'S NOT EASY). I definitely need to stock up on some more costume jewelry. 

Red Hot Chili Dress

I don't have internet at the moment and have been busy moving and learning to drive standard so I don't have time for a real post, but I just don't want to forget this dress:

via The Sartorialist

What a beaut! The lady is alright too. That hair and those sunglasses, woooooah. I think I might have chosen a different purse, but to each her own.

The Art of Upcycling

90s Fishtail Floral Dress by PomPom Clothing

I've been seeing a lot about this 'upcycling' business lately, which is something I have been doing since I started buying second hand clothes. It's basically a trendy name for altering weirdly shaped or awkward clothes into something that someone in their right mind might actually wear. It's also interesting to reappropriate something from a previous decade into something wearable and stylish nowadays.

As always on Etsy you have to browse through a lot of crap in order to find the goods (kind of like thrift shopping in real life), but I did manage to find a few decent upcycled pieces.

Polka Dot Babydoll Blouse by 11eggs

Orange Floral Print 60s Shift Mini Dress by Shop Betsy's Boutique 

60s Aqua Dress by Pip and Pepper

PFS Vintage also features several items which I've altered:

Knee length bright plaid cotton skirt - $26

Nineties babydoll dress - $30

Floral crop top - $26

Sleeveless White Blouse with Large Embroidered Collar - $26

  

 Bright Sixties Paisley Print Tank Top - $24

With minimal sewing skills, a good eye for potential and the right amount of planning you can turn something outdated into something modern and cute. It's a great way to save money and still be able to have unique and fun clothes. Give it a try, or check out my stuff!

Shop shop shop!

New items in the shop! We did another photoshoot yesterday and all the pictures turned out great, thanks to my wonderful photographer Germain!

Floral Tank Top with Lace Insert - $20 at PFS Vintage

Hawaiian 80s Sixties-style Sundress - $38 at PFS Vintage

Frilly Floral Hippy Blouse - $30 at PFS Vintage 

Nicola looks weirdly small in this picture, I think I was standing on a rock. 

SUMMERTIME YUMMERTIME

We did it! Finally new items in the shop, and outdoor shots! It was a beautiful day and my lovely model Nicola looked great and did a fabulous job. 

We're going to shoot some more this afternoon, sun permitting, and then this evening we're going to Pop Montreal's open house for their new 'Espace Pop'. Free bagels and nice people! This weekend I'm also going to be working at Spring POP at Fiat's 2012 Little Italy Racing Weekend in Montreal's Little Italy so if you're in the area come check it out for some sidewalk espresso and race car ogling. Puces Pop, with whom I've been volunteering for the past few months is also having its Annual Spring Craft Fair on the 9th and 10th, so don't even try to say there ain't nothin' doin' this weekend.