Wanderlust: Volume Two

Hello, all! Today I bring you another edition of my little series, Wanderlust. This is where I go for a walk and share with you what I wore and what music I listened to.

I spent today's walk with a friend of mine; we walked around the park and shared music. It was rather fun! Everyone should share music with each other. I think it's a great way of getting to know your friends better.

Here's what I wore!

I'm addicted to this last pose, and I'm also addicted to my huge floppy hat! 10/10 would recommend.

Hat: Reflection

Dress: Vintage

Bag: Vintage

Shoes: H&M

And, of course, here's what we listened to (these were all the ones from my iPod, anyway):

1. She Wasn't Lying - Amos the Transparent
2. And I Love Her - the Beatles
3. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major - Bach
4. Sadist Sagittarius - Cinema Strange
5. Darling - Eyes Set to Kill
6. Misery Loves Company - Emilie Autumn
7. Gee - SNSD
8. The Reason - Hoobastank
9. Riding a Black Unicorn - Voltaire
10. Punk's Not Dead - the Exploited
11. One Step Closer - Linkin Park
12. I'm So Fancy - Iggy

Our playlist was kind of all over the place, haha!

What are you listening to this summer? Comment down below!

Another Day, Another Market

Last Sunday, I went to one of my favorite places to shop--the Topanga Vintage Market! Check out my last post about the market to know exactly what I'm talking about. Going around all the different booths is always fun. I find great bargains every time I go!

But I won't keep ya with all the details. Here's what I wore:

Hat: Target

Blouse: Urban Outfitters

Shorts: Vintage

Bag: Vintage

Shoes: Old Navy

Are there any vintage markets in your area? Comment down below, especially if any of them are around Los Angeles! I'd love to see them.

Urban Vamp

Happy Saturday, everyone!

So it seems that Urban Vamp is the best way to describe my outfit today. My sleeves are so poofy, it looks like I have shoulder tumors. No big deal.

Am I melodramatic or what?

I feel compelled to put a hand in my pocket when wearing pants.

Blouse: Vintage

Pants: Forever 21

Shoes: Reflection

I got lots of compliments today! Must be the shoulders.

Stay beautiful,

Patricia

Topanga Vintage Market

Hello, all! Long time no see (if anyone's reading this, that is)! School is crazy, but no excuses; let's get started with today's blog post.

Last Sunday, I spent a good five hours at the Topanga Vintage Market in Woodland Hills. In essence, it's a flea market that sells primarily vintage and antique items--right up my alley. It's held every fourth Sunday of the month at Pierce College from 8 AM to 3. I love it and go as often as I can.

Upon entrance, you're given a sticker that pretty much serves as your ticket. The stickers always have cute sayings on them. I went with my friend, and hers said "I have more junk!" in Spanish; mine said "vintage vamp" (quite appropriately, I might add!)

We scored a bunch of stuff at great bargains. Stay tuned for my haul from this trip! For now, here's what I wore:

Taking a back photo was my friend's idea, but I think I'll do it more often!

  

Hat: Vintage

Dress: TJ Maxx

Bag: Vintage

Shoes: Reflection

All photos were courtesy of my friend Bao and the friendly passerby who took this photo!

Wrapped up in all this excitement, I forgot to take photos of the booths and whatnot, but to anyone who lives in or is visiting the Los Angeles/Woodland Hills area, I definitely recommend stopping by the Topanga Vintage Market! Admission is only $2, and children under 12 are free. It's run by lovely people, and great crowds show up every month!

Stay beautiful,

Patricia

Guide to Vintage/Thrift Shopping

I am a huge, huge fan of thrift shopping. In fact, I'd be content with shopping at vintage and thrift stores for clothes for the rest of my life. I'm in love with the idea of recycling clothes and expanding their shelf life. I feel like if more people shopped at thrift stores, we could increase product sustainability and help decrease the superfluous consumerism that characterizes today's society.

Yes, I love Macklemore. Sue me. 

Anyway, here are some tips for those of you who frequent thrift stores!

1. Don't judge a store by its window display.

Some thrift stores seem really dirty/gross/messy/etc from the outside (some from the inside, too!). However, don't let that stop you from seeing what they have! Just tolerate the not-completely-par quality of these stores for the time that you're inside, and the gems that you find will be well worth it. Most thrift stores, in my opinion, are diamonds in the rough. All the thrift stores in my neighborhood are less-than-luxe, but the great deals I get on good-quality clothes are beyond worth it.

2. Be careful when trying on clothes.

Especially with vintage clothes, be careful with how you handle them. Much of these items are very old, so there's a higher chance of them ripping or tearing. Make sure to tug gently when pulling things off your head or over your hips. Also, be wary around things like buttons and zippers. The majority of thrifted clothes don't come with extras!

3. Leave no section of the store unexplored.

Just because you couldn't find anything in the women's section doesn't mean there isn't something ultra rad waiting for you in the men's or children's sections! I've bought a couple shirts and jackets from the men's section that I wear oversized over dresses and skirts. You can also try looking outside your size range. The opportunities are endless, I promise.

4. Give these clothes a chance!

One time, I bought a men's button-up shirt from Goodwill and wore it as a dress! You never know what you can make. As my sewing teacher puts it, see these clothes as fabric that you can transform into whatever you want. Even minor changes like adding new buttons or ironing on a patch can make a huge difference in the look of a garment.

5. Be flexible with sizing.

This really only does for vintage clothes, but just because something isn't exactly your size, doesn't mean it won't fit. Sizing charts from ages ago tend to run a lot smaller. Don't be freaked out when you find that something that's normally your size doesn't fit you! For instance, I'm usually a size 2 and I recently bought a size 14 dress that fits me perfectly. If it looks small/big/long enough to fit you, then by all means try it on!

6. Wash or dry clean your purchases before wearing them out.

This goes for any time you buy clothes, but for thrifted stuff especially. As a rule of thumb, I generally dry clean my thrifted clothes. If you don't know whether or not an item needs dry cleaning, and it doesn't have a tag, take it to your dry cleaners and ask. Also make sure to wash or sanitize your hands before and after thrift shopping. Always be wary of germs!

Well, that's all I have for now! I hope that was helpful for some of you. Stay tuned for my upcoming thrift haul.

Do you have any tips to share that I've left out?  Please share in the comments below!

Stay beautiful,

Patricia

VINTAGE vs. RETRO

One of my biggest pet peeves is when retailers market their products as being “vintage” when what they really mean is vintage-inspired, or retro. There’s nothing more annoying than someone saying they bought a vintage dress, when in reality, they bought it last week at Forever 21.

Indeed, Fossil. Indeed.

In essence, “vintage” means old. Merriam-Webster defines it as “dating from the past or “of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality.” Vintage clothes, then, are clothes that were made decades ago. When people talk of vintage clothes, they are usually referring to clothes that are thirty years old and older. These are clothes that have been preserved, maybe passed down from generations, and most importantly, are no longer available in stores. So when someone says their brand-new outfit they just bought from the mall is vintage, it really puts a thorn in my side.

On the other hand, “retro” refers to an article of clothing that resembles an old or outdated fashion style. Think of the word retrospective, meaning to look back into the past. That’s chiefly what retro or vintage-inspired clothing is—a peek into the past. When old trends like shoulder pads or high-waisted skirts are brought back, they are often dubbed as retro. Many, if not most, of today’s popular trends are recreations of previous styles. As with all history, fashion history always repeats itself. When retailers like Forever 21 or Modcloth release dresses that look like 50s swing dresses or pants and shirts that reference the 70s hippie movement, these products are retro, not vintage. Your cute, 20s-inspired slip dress from Macy’s sure looks vintage, but unless it was actually made in the 1920s, it’s only vintage-inspired. It will be vintage, though—just thirty years from now.

To clarify, let’s take a look at a couple dresses. This first dress is Romwe’s “Retro Lapel Neck Black” dress, available here. It has some very evident 50s-esque details, such as the A-line skirt and the collar. However, because it was manufactured in 2013, it is retro, not vintage (its name is kind of a big hint).

Doesn't this look like what Wednesday Addams would've worn in the 50s?

This next dress is a Jay Herbert lace day dress from Posh Girl Vintage, available here. It dates back to the 1950s and is by a brand that is no longer around today, thus making it vintage. In addition, it's also adorable. Anyone have $255 they want to lend me?

No but seriously, someone buy me this.

Don’t get me wrong, I love vintage and vintage-inspired fashion. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being retro; in fact, I’m excited to see what old trend will be brought back next. It just bothers me immensely when I hear clothes being sold as “vintage” to try to attract gullible consumers. As a rule of thumb, if you buy something from a common, modern retail store that is labelled vintage, the odds are that it probably isn’t.

What do you think? Are you easily fooled by the vintage name-drop scheme, or does it peck at you when is falsely labelled vintage? I’m sure some of you share this pet peeve of mine. Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day,

Patricia