ModLife » My Favorite Find

Teal of the Century!

Julie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:58:42 +0000

Who: Mary, a fashion and food lover at stylefyles.tumblr.com

What: A teal, vintage-inspired secretary dress

Where: Goodwill. Dayton, Ohio

How Much: $4

When I use It: It’s brand new, so I’ve only worn it once so far! I wore it to the office with a modern blazer for an updated Mad Men feel. I can’t wait to wear it outside the office. The simplicity of the dress allows for such versatility… to be dressed up for a night on the town, or paired with pieces that are flowing and white or cream colored for a day at the park or thrifting around town.

Shopping Tips: Try on everything! I learned this when shopping for homecoming dresses in high school. It seemed to always be the case that the dresses I loved on the rack were only mediocre when I tried them on. Surprisingly, dresses that I was hesitant to try on, always turned out to be lovely in the fitting room! Now, I try on everything that catches my eye, whether it seems tacky, the wrong size- whatever! I love finding those hidden surprises. Also, keep your eyes open for any kinds of steals and deals, even if you might have to transform or alter them before wearing. The necklace I have on in this picture is made out of two Goodwill finds….a ribbon choker necklace and a pearl necklace. I cut the bow off the choker necklace and sewed it onto the pearl necklace and ‘Voila’! Something new, fresh, and unexpected.

Attention Blog Readers! – We know you guys are the most clever and most stylish bunch on the web, and we’d love to feature you on future Favorite Find Posts! Please email us (favfinds@modcloth.com) a picture of you with one of your favorite shopping finds (a piece of furniture, a hard-to-find record, the perfect vintage boots, or any other treasure) and answer the questions: Who, What, Where, How Much, When I Use It, and Shopping Tips. We can’t wait to see all the cool items you’ve discovered!

Mo Favorite Find!

Julie — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:06:36 +0000

I’m going to be a little selfish this week, and post one of my favorite finds! With possibly too many to choose from, I’ve been thinking about sharing this special find for a long time! Plus, I want to encourage more submissions of find of all sorts from decor, furniture, clothing, to anything!

Who: Julie, Fashion Writer

What: “Sleepy Sam” Pfaltzgraff Mug

Where: Medina Antique Mall, Ohio

How Much: $5.00

When I use It: All. The. Time. This is by far one of my absolute favorite finds! And what better time to talk about it than Movember? Thanks to my mother, who has done a great job of informing me of how to spot better vintage finds, along with a love of watching the “Antiques Roadshow”, when I flipped over this mug and saw the printed words, “Pfaltzgraff” among other text, I knew it had to be worth more than $5. Names don’t really mean much to me, other than it’s cool to find a vintage piece that also has a little bit of significant history attached to it. Quite possibly a steal, more than anything, I absolutely love the expression on his face (some mornings our mugs match), his 3-Dimensional eyes, nose, unique painted detail, and moustache!

I’ve spotted the same mug on a few different occasions from a price range of $20-$60, and it turns out Sleepy Sam is just one of a set of six Muggsy Mugs! Made from the 1940s-1950s, the history of the Pfaltzgraff Muggsy Era is pretty interesting, and in the future I just might pursue the rest of the set!

Shopping Tips: I really like locations that have multiple dealers. Each dealer’s booth or space is like a little peak into a whole new style/world of their own. Plus, prices are set by dealers themselves, sometimes items are way overpriced, and sometimes items can be way underpriced, either way that’s part of the thrill of the hunt! The Medina Antique Mall in particular is 52,000 sq. feet and has over 500+ dealers!

Perfect Psychedelic Pants!

Julie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:04:14 +0000

Who: Katie Y.

What: A pair of truly awesome vintage pants

Where: Local antique store

How Much: $29.99

When I use It: I purchased this in 7th grade for a Girl Scout convention, and have kept wearing them ever since! When paired with a matching neon orange halter top, this makes a great going-out outfit. Casually, these are amazing and comfortable pajama pants. And one leg is wide enough, so you can convert this into a unique dress.

Shopping Tips: Good finds take time. Look around for something truly unique to avoid an item that is only so-so.

Vintage Dior Addict

Julie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:02:01 +0000

Who: Becca Boo, hair accessory collector in a sunny state of mind

What: Vintage Dior beaded belt, handmade floral dress

Where: Savers Thrift Store

How Much: $6-belt, $3-dress

When I use It: Any day I want to feel pretty and girly I wear this light and airy floral cream-colored dress. Such a great and random find. The belt goes with so many things and can be dressy and casual– such a ridiculously awesome piece to come across. This entire outfit including shoes cost me only 9 dollars because the rest of my accessories were my grandmother’s.

Shopping Tips: Hunt for great pieces. Shopping is all about finding artful and rewarding items, not just settling with what the mainstream is throwing your way.

A deal to ‘Freak Out’ about!

Julie — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:05:36 +0000

Who: Suzy Creemcheese

What: Original pressing of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Inventions “Freak Out” with “freak map” (not pictured)

Where: n/a

How Much: 49 cents

When I use It: Well it’s from 1966 and I believe it to be an American pressing on Verve Records. (Hah they also had The Velvet Underground. So much for non-commercial music.) “If you were to graphically analyze the different types of directions of all the songs in the Freak Out! album, there’s a little something in there for everybody. At least one piece of material is slanted for every type of social orientation within our consumer group, which happens to be six to eighty. Because we got people that like what we do, from kids six years old screaming on us to play ‘Wowie Zowie.’ Like I meet executives doing this and that, and they say, ‘My kid’s got the record, and “Wowie Zowie’s” their favorite song.

Shopping Tips: Well I’ve been collecting rare vinyl from the psychadelic 60s underground for the past three years (I’m 17 now so that’s quite a long time for me). If you have a record in mind it’s best to go to a record shop (middle man). The staff can sometimes be well educated in their music. The most I’ve ever spent on vinyl was about $90 for a 1st pressing Canadian wax of Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Lady Land”. Usually thrift stores have the best hidden gems. Record stores will pay people to score rares from thrift stores and flip em for profit to collectors. I once found Arthur Lee & Love’s “Forever Changes” that had not even been played for 49 cents as well. Lovely, never give up the hunt. Look at me, I have an allergy to dust and mold and I’m always at the flea markets and thrift stores.

You can count on Craigslist!

Julie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:01:03 +0000

Who: Laura, a vintage-hunting novice

What: A lovely formal dress in a cool shade of blue with a delicate floral print, circa 1950s or 60s

Where: A garage sale in Grand Rapids, MI

How Much: $3

When I use It: I haven’t worn it yet, but it is perfect for summer weddings or impromptu tea parties. Believe me, I will be inventing excuses to wear this beauty – the picture definitely doesn’t do it justice!

Shopping Tips: Scour Craigslist for garage sales and find some friends to drag with you – it makes for a wonderfully fun day of vintage hunting. The day I found this, I searched the garage sales section of Craigslist for “vintage” and came away from my quest three dresses richer, each for only $3 apiece! I don’t expect to get that lucky every time, but it just goes to show that you can never count out garage sales. I went in not expecting much, but ended up paying a lot less than I would have in a thrift or vintage store.

Thrifting: Exposed!

Julie — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:08:09 +0000

Who: Catherine, also a blogger with the name of “Silhouette Girl”

What: A beautiful linen dress with an incredible tie-dyed bodice, and an exposed zipper

Where: The Punk Rock Flea Market held in Philadelphia semiannually

How Much: $25

When I use It: Anytime! I’ve only worn it once so far, but it can be casual enough for running errands, for a fun night out, or even dressed up. (Believe me, I’ve come up with tons of combinations that I can’t wait to wear out!)

Shopping Tips: Even if you find yourself buying impulse items (I try to avoid them, don’t we all? But sometimes they just… happen), try to look for versatility. If I can’t come up with enough ways to wear an item to get my money’s worth, it’s clearly not worth it. It may be cute, but if I wear it once, it’s not something that will help me further develop my style. I’m all about being versatile.

Schoolhouse Frock!

Julie — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:22:59 +0000

Who: Blair, of abookofblair.blogspot.com

What: A pretty creme colored blouse with black skirt (It’s a dress, actually)

Where: Salvation Army

How Much: $4.99

When I use It: This is my perfect school ensemble for the fall, but I can also wear it to the office where I work in the summer time. It’s really comfortable, so all I have to do is strap on a belt and go!

Shopping Tips: My advice is to try on everything. Even if you think something might be a very wrong size, or just looks ridiculous…you might be surprised!

How to seek Owl-t a vintage skirt at the flea market!

Julie — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:32:58 +0000

Who: Jenna

What: Vintage Owl Skirt

Where: Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, NYC

How Much: $15.00 (but originally priced at $30!)

When I use It: So far I’ve worn it out to dinner with my boyfriend and his parents and out to lunch with a friend! But it’s a great skirt for any casual occasion. Also, I’ve included a picture of the lining of the skirt – little shorts! I didn’t realize it ’til I got home and tried the skirt on. I was so confused when I was pulling it on, I thought it was a skort! But no, it’s just a skirt with shorts underneath.

Shopping Tips: At a flea market, don’t be afraid to bargain! I was worried about offering $15 for the skirt when it was marked at $30, but the guy selling it agreed right away! It made me think I should have offered $10… Also, for thrifters living in NYC, head to the boroughs for thrift shops. I’ve found my best finds (aside from this skirt, of course) in Queens.

A Vintage Swimsuit: Sea-led the Deal!

Julie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:12:05 +0000

Who: Jen

What: Vintage swimsuit; Circa 1960s

Where: Footloose in Granville, Ohio — the tag inside says “Honolulu, Hawaii” though!

How Much: $15.00

When I use It: When I don’t feel like wearing the conventional two- piece. This summer, I’ve worn it not just for swimming, but around the house when I want a summer-y, laid-back look.

Shopping Tips: Make friends with the owners! Often, small vintage shops are operated by only a handful of people. When I bought this suit, I was an established Footloose customer. Barbara, the owner, knows I am a poor college student (now poor college graduate) and often knocks a few dollars off my purchase or throws in a free piece of jewelry. Also, don’t be afraid to bargain when a piece has a small flaw or imperfection. This suit was originally $18 but when I pointed out the light stains (visible only on the inside), I saved $3 — just enough left to support my iced coffee addiction!