I like when the items I'm shooting for a shop update all come together...whether it's as an outfit or a color scheme, I always feel like it's fate. This week's photo shoot had some great maroon/burgundy/oxblood (whatever you wanna call it!) shades.
The sweater+skirt combo looks SO chic-70s! Remember, if you see a piece you love, you can always reserve it before it goes into the shop...that's part of what previews are for, dear friends! ;)
Find some more maroon/oxblood favorites from the shop--bags! jackets! even a pair of jeans!--HERE.
xo,
Amanda
P.S. We're still looking for February partners...it would really mean so much to us! We've been trying to blog regularly, respond to all of our comments, and improve the blog with each month that passes. But besides that, February is going to be AWESOME around these parts...(you'll get a little peek into that tomorrow!)
I was fortunate to come across the incredible Sera Cahoone a year and a half ago, when a friend of mine's band opened for a show of hers (I was there to see him play, but stayed for the whole show...and boy, was I glad I did.) It was love at first sound. I had never seen/heard of Sera--she was just milling about DC9 while the other bands played, totally casual in jeans and a hoodie. I could have hung out with her, had a beer--she was so low key. When she got on stage, I was surprised. Her casualness was unexpected and refreshing. And any girl who loves cowboy boots as much as me is cool in my book.
Sera is awesome. There is no other way to describe her. She drummed on Band of Horses' first album, but then set off on this solo career (after the end of another band she played in, Carissa's Weird). Based out of Seattle, she brings a bit of twang with a band that includes banjo and lap steel (be still my heart!). Her voice has a little smoker's edge to it, but still manages to be pretty. She rocks the guitar. She's basically the perfect chick. And you can tell she knows how to hang with the guys. This, my friends, is Sera Cahoone:
I am a super girly-girl, but always wish I could pull off more masculine/tomboyish looks., so I went for a little virtual shopping spree a la Etsy, to find vintage pieces that totally captured Sera's laidback, hip, country-meets-city-girl style. Here's what I found:
And if you do nothing else after reading this blog, you MUST watch this video of Sera's song, Baker Lake. Not only is the song gorgeous, but artistically, the video is beautiful. Totally my romantic, folksy, country girl aesthetic...would you believe that I grew up in the country and would seriously like to live on a farm? (As long as there were good thrift stores nearby...ha.)
And if you're ever in a city where Sera's performing, don't miss her. I will be so jealous. She's all over the Northwest, and I just want her to come back east again!
I'm SUPER excited for next week's girl fashion crush, but until then...
Note to our readers: This is a new weekly feature on our blog...Virtual Vintage--it's online window shopping! Each week we'll feature one of our favorite fellow vintage sellers and the items in their store that make us drool. If you have a vintage shop online (or know someone who does) and would like us to put the spotlight on you, just drop us a message or a tweet.
This week I made a (virtual) trip to VerseauVintage after seeing a link on Twitter to a pair of amazing red flats (seen below) in my size. Once I was there, I couldn't stop admiring the wide variety of amazing vintage items in her shop. I put together a day look and an evening look with some of my favorite pieces.
I'd add some skinny jeans and a soft white tee to complete this look.
In honor of Earth Day, many of our online vintage friends on Twitter (ps: follow us @miskabelle!) are advocating the green advantage of vintage---and it's an excellent point to make! Used clothes need love too! And these pieces from VerseauVintage are easy to love.
Hi there! Welcome back. Can you believe it's already Wednesday again? I'm excited that it is because it means I get to share another one of our adorable Miskabelle ReDesigns!
This week's refashioning is another creative take on an oversized vintage top in a great print. We loved the graphic print and the small button detail on the shoulder, as well as the dolman sleeve. But it was so huge that we were both swimming in it as a top and belting it wasn't flattering either. Rather than just trying to take it in (or selling it as-is to some unfortunately dressed soul), we re-envisioned it as a loose, open cardigan. Such an easy change, and yet it creates this amazing new, one-of-a-kind piece that would look great on any shape or size. Throw it on over a basic tank or tee, like we did here, and it will look like you put way more effort into your outfit than you actually did. Chic AND easy? Yes, please!
This cardi will be ON SALE later today in our shop, along with last week's bright blue top, and a few additional redesigns we've been working on (including a ROMPER!). Be sure to check in and see if you can snag one of these one-of-a-kind pieces!
Hope you've checked out our new website--miskabelle.com. We're so excited to have a place where you can access all of our little endeavors. And of course, check out the Etsy shop tonight for brand new lovely vintage finds for spring!
Why, hello there, sunshine. It's been so long since I've seen your beautiful face...
Yesterday I went on our first small shopping spree in anticipation of spring. One bag of stuff only, but some exciting pieces that will be coming to our shop VERY SOON!
Choosing items for our store is not something we do haphazardly...there is a method to our madness. One of our goals with vintage is to apply it to trends that are happening right now (what goes around comes around), so you are looking at pieces that a modern woman can wear every day.
Before each big season, we like to peruse the web and magazines and create our own Lookbook to give us an idea of styles to look for as we go on our shopping trips. Sometimes we're into the big trends--sometimes we see looks we like from past seasons or looks that we like "just because" and create our own trend wave. With these delicious visions in mind, we're able to streamline our shopping (so it's less like digging for a needle in a haystack and more like finding piles of buried treasure). We put our desires out into the universe and are rewarded with vintage! It's that easy (sometimes...)
Below, we share four pages of our lookbook, some easy-to-wear trends for Spring 2010 that we're hoping to be able to transpose into some vintage goodness.
That's just a taste, for now... It's a bright, sunshiney day and there's work to be done!
Up here in Pennsylvania, the sun is setting later, but the evenings are getting chillier. It's only mid-July, but already I've started dreaming of my favorite season: autumn. Leaves crunching underfoot, that campfire smell, jeans, back-to-school anticipation. And of course, back-to-school SHOPPING!
Right now, Miskabelle is running a SUMMER SALE: almost all of our summer items are 50% off. We know times are hard. I'm moving back home for a while (at 27! ugh. But excited to centralize our business in one city/state.) and J and her hubby just bought their first home (yay! We will even have a room devoted just to Miskabelle!). Money is tight--and it's probably the same for most of you. It seems like nothing's free these days....except for this blog, which will show you some awesome ways to stretch your summer wardrobe into fall.
Transitioning Hot Summer into Cool Fall
The Sleeveless Blouse Once the air gets a little cooler, bare arms need some coverage. We paired this sleeveless blouse with skinny denim and boots, a long cardigan and hat--slouchy, earthy, and comfortable. Perfect for a weekend in the country checking out the trees' changing colors.
The Grunge Tunic Top
This top is hip and perfect for summer with its cut-off sleeves, but we layered it over another top and some tights and boots for fall. The hat is our final touch for those chilly fall evenings out at the football game or party. This displays the key element to the summer-->fall transition: layers are essential. They keep you warm and they look so put-together.
The Miniskirt
A tucked-in tank and a miniskirt is a perfect outfit for hot, hot summer days.Add a tee, long blazer, and some booties, though, and you have a totallynew look for the fall. You could also do this look with tights once the weather gets too cold for bare legs.
The Floral Shift
This is the perfect upscale summer garden party dress. Wearing pastels in the fall is NOT a faux pas! We layered a scarf, blazer, and belt over this dress for an eclectic, bohemian look. The dress was the perfect centerpiece for the outfit.And instead of open-toe, pastel sandals, we paired them with closed-toe pumps to walk through the leaves.
The Sundress You can still wear your favorite lightweight summer dress through the fall. We added an equestrian blazer and boots (very IN for fall!) and some tights and it became a completely different outfit! It's all about covering up, but keeping it sexy too: sexy doesn't have to mean showing copious amounts of skin! Thank goodness.
Top Five Tips to Take Away:
1. Replace sandals with boots or closed-toe heels or flats. 2. Pair darker neutrals with pastels and summer brights for a more polished, season-appropriate look. 3. Layer long sleeve tees under sleeveless tops or pull on cardigans over them. 4. A blazer is a quick and fashionable fall addition to a summer dress. 5. Hats and scarves are easy fall accessories to spruce up (and warm up!) your summer duds.
So there's the SALE going on...and we've posted a few new things to the site (dresses to die for)...and gave you a ton of ideas to transition into fall (it'll come sooner than you think). So what's keeping you from shopping?! Sorry we have been pretty M.I.A. (sometimes life gets in the way of fashion...and that's okay! If it was the other way around, we'd be shallow) but we PROMISE we're back in the game and will be bringing the best end of summer and fall vintage fashions straight to you. Yay!
