Music

Music has always been a big part of my life, way before I got into fashion. I've gone from spending my allowance on cassette tapes as a young girl to going to Indie concerts to now feeling like I'm getting a bit too old for music fests. Anyway, I wanted to share some new stuff that I'm excited about.

First off, Hot Chip's new album came out today, "In Our Heads." I haven't had a chance to listen to it in it's entirety yet, but this song stuck out to me:

If you're not familiar with Hot Chip, I recommend checking out one of their most popular songs Over and Over. 

Next up is Fiona Apple. Her new album has another obnoxiously long title that has been shortened to "The Idler Wheel..." and comes out next Tuesday. She may not be everyone's cup of tea, but she's been one of my favorites since her first album came out in the mid 90s. Here's the video for her new single Every Single Night.

Jens Lekman has been another favorite of mine. He's set to release "I Know What Love Isn't" in September. Check out his new single Erica America. If you've not heard of Jens, listen to A Postcard to Nina.

Finally, I'll include a song I like by Grimes.

Why fake it?

Many women have been faced with this dilemma before: to fake or not to fake? Get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about handbags! I have to admit, I've faked it. How was I to know that the "Kate Spade" bag I bought off the street wasn't authentic? That was many years ago. I'm older and wiser now. So imagine how excited I was to find an AUTHENTIC vintage Gucci bag for dirt cheap! 

I wanted to share, so below I've listed the 3 easy steps I used to determine that this little beauty was the real deal.

Step 1: Look at it. Easy enough, right?

At this point, you see the Gucci monogram and signature stripe. Your heart skips a beat. Things are looking good. Let's get closer...

Step 2: Get in there.
Is the bag in good shape? It's normal to see some signs of wear and tear, especially with a vintage bag. However, excessive wear either means the bag was used a lot and is not worth much in it's current condition OR that it's a poor quality fake. Either way, it's not something you want to waste time with. Remember my "Kate Spade" bag? At one point the strap broke and the label started to peel off. I started to get suspicious...

If you look closely at the above photo there are a few scuff marks on the bottom left corner of leather trim. Other than that, all clear...

Stitching

Check out that stitching! A high quality bag will have immaculate, uniform stitches. Also, look at the hardware. This bag has the iconic double-Gs stamped on the buckle and strap connectors. A manufacturer of fakes usually doesn't get involved with the special details.

Step 3: Really get in there!

Next look at the label. Designers often use different label designs and they change over the years. As I've said before, Vintage Fashion Guild's Label Resource is fantastic.

Gucci Label

Now the label is one thing, they can be faked. If you can find a serial number, then you're pretty much guaranteed that you've got the real thing. I looked underneath the label and boom! Hello serial number! 

Serial Number

Thrilling, yes, but the excitement didn't end there, look what else I found:

Zipper pull

It even had the zipper pull! After my deduction, I concluded that this is a real Gucci from the 80s. How did I know it was from the 80s, you ask? I just did a little online search and it was evident that this bag hailed from the decade of big hair and even bigger shoulder pads. 

I hope this was helpful and please let me know if you have any questions! I have one: what do you think of fakes and have you faked it before?

Chester appreciates authenticity

Size Matters!

Accurate size information is crucial for a great listing.  Buyers need to know that the item they desire will fit, especially if your shop doesn’t allow returns.  Here’s what you need to know:

·         Modern Sizes: Clothing that has been purchased in the past 10-15 years should be fairly consistent in sizing, however, different brands will vary. The labeled size should be included on your listing.  If the item doesn’t have a size, you can estimate. Just be sure to indicate that you estimated the size, for example: Estimated size 4.

·         Vintage Sizes: Vintage sizes are different from modern sizes due to what we call “size inflation.” Vintage sizes often run smaller than today’s sizes. For example: a vintage size 8 could fit more like today’s size 4. Measuring the item is SO important (read below)!

Measure!

As we mentioned, sizes vary A LOT! That’s why we’ve included a measurement section for each listing. First, get out the tape measure and lay the item down on a flat surface. Then measure in inches using the instructions below:

Apparel:

-Waist: measure across the waist and multiply by 2

-Length: 

     --Tops: measure from collar seam to hem

     --Bottoms: measure from waist seam to hem

     --Dresses: measure from collar seam to bottom hem

            -Sleeve length: shoulder seam to bottom hem of sleeve

-Inseam (for pants/shorts): crotch to bottom hem

Accessories:

            -Scarves/Belts: measure length and width

            -Handbags: measure height, width, depth, and strap length

            -Jewelry: measure length and width of pieces when applicable

                  --Necklaces: measure length of chain

                                         measure size of pendants if applicable

                  --Bracelets: measure length of chain

                                        dimensions of charms/adornments 

                  --Rings: measure if size is not available

Shoes:

-Size: If unsure of size, measure length and width of shoe, though widths may be labeled as below:

     --Modern Shoe Widths: 

            M=Medium, W=Wide, N=Narrow

     --Vintage Shoe Widths:

            A= Narrow (AA is narrower and AAA narrowest)

            B=Average, C and D=Wide

-Heel size: from where the heel meets the shoe to where the heel meets the floor

Even if your item doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, you can still include it’s measurements. Just be sure to specify which dimensions you are listing.

I hope this post helps and if you still have questions please email me at contactus@unthrifted.com. Happy Unthrifting!!

Vintage

Hello my pretties,
  I've recently been working to expand my knowledge of Vintage clothing and wanted to share. My interest was piqued after learning that even some of the lower end vintage items are often of better quality than a lot of today's clothes (unless you can afford Couture). They just don't make 'em like they used to, ha!
 But seriously, think about it, the whole reason we have vintage is because those garments were made using quality materials and intricate construction techniques that have allowed them to sustain over the years. I have a hard time believing that my fast fashion purchases will be in one piece in 20 years.
 The greatest difficulty when shopping vintage is determining which decade an item is from. If you can't date an item, you won't really know it's worth. Clothing manufacturers have never been required to include a date on garment tags, so you have to do some digging. Labels, fabrics, and garment shapes (big shoulder pads=hello 80s!) can provide clues.
 One of the best resources is Vintage Fashion Guild. They have some fantastic tips on dating items and have a directory of Labels that can help narrow things down. Check out their Quick Tips for Dating Vintage to get started.
 Another good intro to Vintage is Melody Fortier's book "The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping." She discusses how fabric, fit, and styles have changed in the last century and includes a Retail Price Guide. It's the perfect size for slipping into your handbag for your next shopping expedition!

xoxo,
Rebecca

Vintage Evan-Picone Blazer dated to the 1970s

Vintage Pendleton Blazer dated to the 1980s

Photos! Photos! Photos!

  As the launch of Unthrifted nears, I thought we should talk a bit about selling online. The info that I include here will also be available under "Create Great Listings" on Unthrifted.com.

Photos! Photos! Photos!

Photography of your items is SUPER important. Unclear photos or those lacking detail might make a buyer say, “buh-bye.” Here are some of our tips for the best shots:

·         Work it: Use a live model, namely YOU! We want to see your style and how the item looks on a real person. It enables the buyer to see the scale of the item and understand how it would fit into their life.  If you’re not quite feeling like Gisele (but who does, really?), transform your nearest friend into your muse!

Workin' it 

·         Variety is the spice of life: Take photos of your item from different angles. Typically this would include: front full length, back, side, front close-up, detail view, etc. Detail photos could include a close-up of buttons, print, or the fabric, as these can look quite different from far away.  Give the buyer the “full picture” (pun intended).

Detail view

·        Keep it simple:  Use a solid/monochromatic background for most of your photos. You don’t want a busy background to take away from your fabulous piece. Let it shine!

Lush green grass=great background!

·         Don’t keep it simple: After you take some photos with a simple background, strike your best pose with a distinctive background to give it that cool fashion blog feel. Why not try that industrial building, interesting staircase, or sunlit field?

·         Maximize: upload all 5 photos. Our philosophy is: the more photos, the better. This way, the buyer truly understands what your item has to offer!

·         Beware of the flash: Photos taken with the flash on can sometimes appear washed out. Try taking some photos without a flash and compare to ones with a flash. Which one represents the item’s color most accurately?

With Flash=Washed out black!

Ok, sometimes you need a flash...

·         A tag is worth a thousand words: Including a photo of the item’s tag is important for Vintage. This confirms to the buyer that the item has truly reached vintage status (20 to 100 years old).

Tag View is also a good detail view!

Hope you find this helpful and please post any questions!

Unthrifted to launch soon!!!

I can't tell you how excited I am for Unthrifted to finally (almost) be a usable website. It's been over a year and a half of work, but it's been SO worth it. My dream is for Unthrifted to become not only an engaging resale site, but a place for real people to discuss fashion (style + dialogue=Stylogue!). What we choose to wear is something we do every single day, why not have fun with it?

Furniture Rehab

Well folks, turns out my love of thriftiness does not just apply to clothes. Nick and I decided to check out one of our favorite thrift stores for some furniture.  We wanted to find a bedside table we could fix up. No luck there but we wound up taking home 3 chairs! First we found these two guys:

These were in great condition and for $15 each, how could we pass them up? They just needed a little makeover; some sanding and a few coats of paint did the trick!
Below is a shot of the original paint color on the left and the new paint color on the right. Love a little Bird's Egg blue :)

Doesn't the chair on the right look brighter and more modern? I think so :)

Our third chair is my favorite. I fell in love with this one. Yes, you have to look beyond it's facade and it'll require more of an extreme makeover. Here she is:

We took this chair for an estimate to get repaired and reupholstered. It's not exactly cheap to do all that, man I need to learn how to reupholster on my own! We're still trying to decide on a fabric, below is a "dream fabric," because white is just not gonna work with 2 adorable cats running around.

I'll keep you posted on the yellow chair, we're thinking of doing a charcoal gray...

I couldn't just mention our kitties without including a picture of them now could I?

Chester

Riley