Etsy VFGteam Featured Seller

Happy New Year & welcome to our new VFG Blog series featuring members of the VFGteam at Etsy!

You will be introduced to a different Team member in each new post. Please check out our Team Gallery page here.
 
Today's featured seller is Josette Elstad and you can visit her shop JojosRetroandVintage here.

1. When did you first get interested in vintage fashion & why?

I started collecting and wearing vintage in 1984 as an inner city teen. At that time we used to go to the original Ragstock, which was just a warehouse with barrels of old clothes and racks of old dresses in pretty tough shape. As a punk, this was pure heaven - a mix of cheap, cool clothing that guaranteed individuality, and I had quite a collection! Later in college, I studied art, design and theater, which resulted in working as a freelance costume designer for local theaters, as a tailor and as a buyer for a costume/set production company.

After my second child, I decided to stay at home and found vintage selling online as a way to preserve my sense of self amidst the toddler toys. I currently rent a studio/storage, present at shows and have plans to open a small brick and mortar shop in the near future. I will be launching my own website this spring. I do all the work for my online shop including buying, cleaning, repairs, photography, makeup artistry, photo editing, writing copy, and shipping.

2. Do you regularly wear vintage?

Yes, I love to mix vintage with modern and am especially fond of funky 70s graphic polyester blouses with jeans and boots as daily wear. My nicer dresses are reserved for special occasions.

3. Do you have a Holy Grail?

I have a few pieces that I adore that are up for sale in my shop. If I ever find a beauty that fits my mature figure, its MINE! Probably the loveliest item I've ever had was a 1952 pink tulle, sweetheart neckline, rhinestone encrusted, halter dress (with original box) that I sold. It was to die for.
 
4. If you could visit the atelier of any fashion designer (dead or alive), who would it be?

House of Givenchy in the 50s and early 60s or Edith Head's workshop.

5. What do you see as the future of vintage?

Each season's trends use design elements of the past that spark new interest in vintage. It appears that with the increasing number of period piece shows like Mad Men and Pan Am and the country's affection for the Kennedy era, vintage may be in vogue for awhile. Although the runways may not always reflect the past, there will always be collectors, clothing history geeks, and youth subcultures that relish vintage clothing treasures.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop?

60s vintage black lace party dress / illusion neckline drop waist / xsmall to small, it is so delicate and feminine and the workmanship on it is very fine.

Here are a few more items from Josette's shop:


vintage 60s floral quilted jumpsuit by Jane Martin / petite xsmall to small

50s vintage sheer striped L'Aiglon dress / medium to large

80s vintage blue ruffled taffeta dress / rhinestoned big bow / small

60s vintage white chiffon formal by Mike Benet / white swan / xsmall

Etsy VFGteam Featured Seller

Welcome to our new VFG Blog series featuring members of the VFGteam at Etsy!

You will be introduced to a different Team member in each new post. Please check out our Team Gallery page here.
 
Today's featured seller is Diana Craig Sparks and you can visit her shop bctreasuretrove here.
 
1. When did you first get interested in vintage fashion & why?

I've always loved history and fashion, so I suppose it's inevitable that the two would come together. My first love is 19th century fashions and when I had the opportunity to open an antiques shop, I thought it would be fun to offer antique clothing and jewelry. As time passed, customers would ask about other eras and one era led to another and before you knew it, I was offering clothing dating from 1840 to 1980!

2. Do you regularly wear vintage?

No. Larger sizes are hard to come by in vintage, but I do have a few dresses that I like to wear. Interestingly, they're all summer dresses so I wear those in warm weather! I do wear vintage costume jewelry on a regular basis.

3. Do you have a Holy Grail?

Oh yes! A Sybil Connolly pleated Irish linen dress. I was fortunate to have been asked to provide an appraisal of one of these dresses, so I enjoyed the opportunity to actually see and inspect one. I'm absolutely fascinated with and appreciate the construction.

4. If you could visit the atelier of any fashion designer (dead or alive), who would it be?

Charles Frederick Worth.

5. What do you see as the future of vintage?

I think it will be interesting to see what items actually survive long enough to become vintage! So much of today's clothing and jewelry is being made with inferior fabrics and materials that I wonder how much of it will still be wearable after 50 years.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop?

Barrel Shaped Purse with Raffia Decorations

Here are a few more items from Diana's shop:
 1960s Vintage Little Black Dress Party Dress Medium

Peignoir Set Sheer Cherry Red Nightgown and Robe Small

Hat Vintage 1950s Black Brown and Ivory Straw

Antiqued Gold Metal & Rhinestone Filigree Victorian Revival Bracelet

Etsy VFGteam Featured Seller

Welcome to our new VFG Blog series featuring members of the VFGteam at Etsy!


You will be introduced to a different Team member in each new post. Please check out our Team Gallery page here.
 
Today's featured seller is Barbara Boyce and you can visit her shop Another Time Antiques here.

1. When did you first get interested in vintage fashion & why?

My heart was lit back in the mid 1970s when the concept of vintage fashion was "young" in our region. I was fascinated in history from the woman's point of view and found an immediate connection to the fashions we wore. The field is huge! The most intriguing aspect I learned is that you can take any singular point of women's fashionable goods and create world history from it: lace, dress, hat, jewelry, fabric, trim, bags, shoes - anything! The connections weave an amazing story.

2. Do you regularly wear vintage?

I used to, but this ol' body mostly accents vintage costume jewelry which I love love love! My next favorite item to find and wear are warm wool coats and jackets.

3. Do you have a Holy Grail?

I do and 1 was conquered! I own a historical piece of fashion history: a collar that was once owned by Martha Washington and given to a Captain's wife as a gift. It is safely tucked away. The story will be on my blog in the future.

The second Grail is to have someone come to me and say: I like your look - I'll take it all! :)

4. If you could visit the atelier of any fashion designer (dead or alive), who would it be?

I guess I'd have to pick Lily Daché. What an amazing story and who on earth doesn't smile over one of her hat concoctions!

5. What do you see as the future of vintage?

This is a tough question. Partly dismal because I see too much reproduction of the same old. My opinion has always been that the circle of silhouettes has gone full circle and fashion designers ceased to be creative starting in the 80s. Every "new look" I see I can immediately go ... oh That's from the 40s or 60s or 20s etc. The emphasis is on fabric technology & shock more than creating beauty.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop?

1800s Antique Victorian Black & Steel Beaded Bag B Monogram

Here are a few more items from Barbara's shop:

Vintage 800 Silver Scroll Pendant with Red Stones

Victorian Collar & Cuffs Italian Crochet Lace c.1900

Antique Ribbon Watch Chain & Gold Ornaments

Antique Sash Buckle Gilded Sun Dragonfly Dragon

Etsy VFGteam Featured Seller

Welcome to our new VFG Blog series featuring members of the VFGteam at Etsy!
You will be introduced to a different Team member in each new post. Please check out our Team Gallery page here.

Today's featured seller is Gail and you can visit her shop GailDavid's Memory Lane here.

1. When did you first get interested in vintage fashion & why?

I consider myself an everyday/average person with no interesting background in fashion. My interest started 11 years ago as I ascended my attic stairs and started to purge my house of unwanted items. My husband and I raised six children and had generous friends and family who donated many sacks of clothing to help us out. The unused items eventually made their way into my attic. My first bag revealed an Alfred Shaheen skirt which I researched and sold on eBay for a nice sum of $75. Each new treasure became a learning block to build upon. Eventually, the bags were empty but I had developed a passion for more. In order to continue my new-found interest, I needed to search outside my private box and checked out antique stores, sales, thrift stores, etc. The hunt is as exciting as the sale, in my humble opinion.

2. Do you regularly wear vintage?

Although I have yet to find a piece of vintage that fits me well and flatters my figure, I do carry a special vintage purse which generates lots of praise from people I meet. I can understand why those with "normal" figures seek out good quality vintage to wear on a regular basis: the fabrics and styles make the wearer very unique.

3. Do you have a Holy Grail?

I don't really have a specific "Holy Grail" item. Each time I come across a "new" label for me, I am equally as excited. (Although I must admit when I won two Puccis at an auction I thought my heart would stop!)

4. If you could visit the atelier of any fashion designer (dead or alive), who would it be?

I honestly do not have a favorite designer. My eye is more drawn to a fabulous print...or a specific era.

5. What do you see as the future of vintage?

Although I know time is not standing still, I have a hard time comprehending that anything past the 70's is vintage ;>)
I do feel it will be harder and harder to find items from the eras I enjoy. And, although there are many modern designers whose works will undoubtedly be sought-after in the future, I will continue my personal search-and-rescue mission for pre-80s items.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop?

Currently, my favorite item in my shop is the mouton fur coat in a generous XL or 1X size!

I so wish I was taller ......it would definitely be in my personal closet!!!
I do have many other items to add to my shop and my favorite is bound to change. Stay tuned...

Here are a few more items from Gail's shop:

Vintage 60s Cobalt Blue Silk Cocktail Party Mad Men Dress S

Vintage 60s Mad Men Damask Marilyn Wiggle Dress w Rabbit Fur Trim S

Vintage 1950s 50s Plum Shelf Bust Taffeta Party Evening Dress S M

Vintage 60s Mad Men Floral Sheer Sun Dress Jacket and Belt S M

Etsy VFGteam Featured Seller

Welcome to our new VFG Blog series featuring members of the VFGteam at Etsy!
You will be introduced to a different Team member in each new post. Please check out our Team Gallery page here.

Today's featured seller is Hollis Jenkins-Evans and you can visit her shop Past Perfect Vintage Clothing here. Her website is pastperfectvintage.com

1. When did you first get interested in vintage fashion & why?

I noticed vintage clothing back in the Dark Ages of the late 70s when I was in college and really starting to study costume history and do research. I saw there were actual Victorian and Edwardian dresses still hanging around in antique shops. Then I found an actual Vintage clothing store, and I was fascinated to see the actual clothing I was studying in classes.

2. Do you regularly wear vintage?

Oh yes. I have been rebuilding my wardrobe for the last year and a half, and vintage acquisitions are a major part of the plan. As I find vintage pieces I love, I am coordinating thrift and modern garments to work with them. And I am still in a 49er Jacket phase.

3. Do you have a Holy Grail?

My holy grail is the next great find - a designer I haven't handled or seen in a long time. I just found my first good Halston. Now to find a good Claire McCardell!

4. If you could visit the atelier of any fashion designer (dead or alive), who would it be?

That would be a tie : Norman Norell vs. Gilbert Adrian. Too close to call. Obviously, I am a fan of both fine tailoring and grand gowns.

5. What do you see as the future of vintage?

I see even more international exchange of vintage clothing - a huge portion of our clients are now outside the USA. I also see the need for larger sizes for the modern woman meaning that that will be even greater interest in post 50s clothing with looser fits and knits. I also think we will see a lot more 80s and 90s clothing due to availability and larger sizes.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop?

I just put it up:
Antique 1880s Victorian Bustle Print Cotton Dress

Here are a few more items from Hollis's shop:
Vintage 1920s Black, Green and Gold Chiffon Tunic Dress with Fringe

Vintage 1960s or 70s Bark Cloth Hawaiian Dress with Green Orchids in Beautiful Colors

Sweet Vintage 1950s Bouffant Coral Organza Party Dress

Sporty 1940s Vintage Floral Linen Pants and Blouse Set

Snow Day Sale at NorthStar Vintage!

Even though it's snowing like crazy outside, I am itching to move some inventory so I can start adding spring items.  So it's time for a sale.

Use the coupon code SNOWDAY in my Etsy store for 25% off.

 

Or use the coupon code SNOWDAY in my webstore and get 25% off.

Or heck, use the coupon code in both stores! I promise I'll use some of the proceeds to buy some seeds.

Out with the Old, In with the "New"

To celebrate the New Year and to make room for more gorgeous clothing and accessories, we at NorthStar Vintage Corporate Headquarters have knocked down the prices many of the pieces in our Etsy Store.  Sale items include Frye Boots, Doc Martens, North Beach Leather, and L.L. Bean.

Click on the picture (my model rocks!) to go to the Sale.

Best wishes for a Joyful New Year from NorthStar Vintage and the Vintage Fashion Guild!