I’m not sure if you guys know this, but I’m terrible at making friends. Seriously. Some ladies have groups of friends, not me. If I’m lucky I can manage to scrape up about one friend in any given situation. One friend from my first college, one friend from that summer program I did… and really, only one real-life vintage community friend! I feel like I’ve been lurking around the vintage world for a while but I haven’t really done a good job meeting people. The one vintage friend I have managed to acquire is the lovely Hannah (you might know her as giltriddengal on instagram), who lives just far enough away that I don’t see her half as often as I would like.
So I was thrilled to hear she’d be up in Massachusetts to attend a wedding, and we immediately plotted a breakfast outing together (the best meal!) to catch up.
It’s a bit tricky planning to go for breakfast with one of the best-dressed ladies you know, so I got Hannah to tell me what sort of thing she planned on wearing so I wouldn’t feel woefully underdressed. I only wish I had known not to wear such tall heels, I look like some sort of very tippy giant in all our pictures together, trying to be closer to the same height!
Since Hannah had told me she was going for 1940s floral rayon, I decided to get out the very best summer dress I have that fit that description! Novelty print, scalloped edges, sheer neckline… and I was able to snap it up on Etsy for a real bargain since it has a few tiny condition issues.
I paired it with a super silly tilt hat from Modern Millie which I like for these sorts of outings because it doesn’t really have a veil to fuss with. I opted for my BAIT “Lacey” pumps from Royal Vintage Shoes* since they were a perfect match for color and style, if a bit on the tall side in comparison to Hannah’s sensible flats! I finished off the look with a pair of chartreuse rhinestone earrings, also from Etsy, and my grandmother’s winding watch from the 1940s. My big black handbag is modern, but it conceals my camera in style!
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* I’m a brand ambassador for Royal Vintage, so I got these shoes at a discount in exchange for a review and I haven’t stopped wearing them since!
I’ll let Hannah take over for her part!
Heading to Massachusetts for a wedding, I had two things on my agenda: buy all of the antiques and vintage, and cover Frances in enough hugs to tide us both over for the foreseeable future. I was successful all around. 😉
Traveling with a vintage wardrobe is less challenging than many would think, but it definitely requires a different breed of packing than the contents of a more contemporary closet do. I think the real key is planning. Each ensemble I wore, from my look for the wedding to my antiquing get-ups, was curated in advance to ensure that I had all the necessary components, and I specifically plotted outfits that would pack easily but present well.
Knowing before I even set foot in MA that our breakfast would be accompanied by blog picture taking, Frances and I co-ordinated ensembles based on the theme of 40s florals. I selected one of my favorite rayon dresses, featuring a bright color palette and some flowering vines with rather stylish Medieval ladies hiding in the busy print. A devout and frequent hat-wearer, I opted for an early 40s flea market impulse buy tilt hat that always seems to match everything in spite of its unusual coloring. The 1950s turquoise and gold belt was my grandmothers, the 50s handbag was a solid antique mall score, and the vintage inspired shoes are Clarks and are a perfect and comfortable alternative to heels while on the road! As far as the rings go…. What can I tell ya? I’m a junkie for deco jewels. They’re all 20s and 30s and have been accumulated from the never ending series of antique malls and flea markets I haunt.
Hope you like the look! ❤️
(And I, Frances, am definitely not plotting hat thievery in this picture…)