Category: Vintage shops

The Vintage Stylist’s spring table

On By Nancy LaPonzinaIn Bibliotherapy, Boomer generation, Clothing Telepath, Loving Vintage Series, Tablescaping design, The Vintage Stylist, The Vintage Telepath, Vintage consignment, Vintage shops, work in progressLeave a comment

Mimi Shepherd, the Vintage Stylist, asked if I might share her featured tablescape table here on the blog and it was so pretty, I agreed.

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She has a way with design style: the bright sunshine yellow table runner, the all-white, new beginnings plates, paired with those crocus-blue patterned napkins. The Cotswold sheep at the centerpiece were collected just outside Windsor Castle and a great inspiration for her shop’s followers. She reports the new tablesetting display feature is receiving much interest, along with the usual vintage selections of clothing and accessories. I think her shoppers are anxious to get on with pre-Covid normal life and that includes small dinners to entertain friends and host family gatherings.

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From the sweet, fresh blue and yellow-faced pansies, the mini daffodils, and the goblets ready for toasting and bringing in a brighter season, the table is joyful and celebratory. She’s invited me to join Rhose Guerin from Yellow Pansies in a Blue Cobalt Jar, and Annie Savone and Julie Bishop from Loving Vintage. I can’t wait to see them all again!

Wishing all a happy and healthy Spring!

The Vintage Telepath

On By Nancy LaPonzinaIn Book Clubs, Clothing Telepath, Loving Vintage, Loving Vintage Series, period clothing, Raleigh NC, Vintage shops, work in progressLeave a comment

The world of vintage clothing introduced in the Loving Vintage series opens an entire new realm of clothing history that mixes both past and trending fashion. How the two worlds collide is up to how yesterday‘s pieces are paired with today’s—an art form for self-expression.PRINT cover Vintage Telepath

In The Vintage Telepath, we follow Julie Bishop, the Loving Vintage authenticator, who feels publicly humiliated because she knows things unknown to everyone else merely by holding an object. Julie is a clothes telepath. While this makes her job as vintage authenticator easy, she hides this ability from everyone.

There is much to learn about vintage. For instance, clothing categorized as Vintage is 20 years prior to current date, and Antique is applied to items older than 75+ years. The best way to learn is immersion. Visit many shops and experience how vintage makes you feel.

Hints to help with the process:

  • Don’t pass by items that may not look good on the hanger, try it on
  • Try on items for fit rather than relying on garment’s actual size, sizes have undergone standardized changes across the years and often use Vintage sizing versus Vanity sizing
  • Incorporate one piece at a time
  • Dead stock vintage means the items are vintage, but have never been worn
  • Don’t feel comfortable in it? Hang it back up

Once you dip a toe into the Vintage world you may be pleasantly excited by its design and quality workmanship. Included below are links to popular Vintage shops across the nation. Enjoy exploring!

RaleighVintage, Raleigh, North Carolina

Hey Betty Vintage Clothing, Pittsburgh PA

Rue St.Denis, New York, NY

Screaming Mimi’s, New York NY

Researching vintage and loving it!

On By Nancy LaPonzinaIn Loving Vintage, period clothing, Vintage shops, work in progress2 Comments

My current work in progress, Loving Vintage, has renewed my quest for exploring vintage articles and made me more appreciative of period clothing. Heroine Annie Savone knows all about vintage clothing and selects only the finest for the shop she manages. She had a lot to teach me. My research is rich with vintage shops here in the Raleigh, North Carolina area and I’m making a point of visiting each one. I’d love to share these shops as I come across them.

The most recent is Two Birds, a darling little shop in Neuse that’s packed with artfully, curated pieces of interest. There’s much to be said about how the items in a shop are arranged. If the articles are just thrown  Two birds shop together they appear like clutter. When items are thoughtfully assembled, you can definitely feel the pull of a grouping … and consequently find yourself wanting to take them all home! Self-discipline is an important ally when visiting the cutest shops for sure. Annie has on staff, a celebrity stylist who has an eye for display, and a vintage authenticator who is a clothes psychic. The clothes psychic can receive impressions about the clothing’s past owners. This trio is involved in quite the adventure right now!

Do you have favorite vintage shops where you are? Let me know!