Our Vintage Redesigns: The First Preview!

We mentioned a little while back that we're venturing into new areas in both the shop and the blog.   The idea that's encompassed in all this is making use of things you already have, spending very little, re-using/recycling, etc.  That's just always something Amanda and and I have naturally done in most every part of our lives.  It's fun to try to see the good in things that are already in front of you, rather than constantly buying NEW NEW NEW...  and it is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

With all that said... we have been diligently working on redesigning some vintage pieces that just needed some extra love.  A great fabric, or detail may have caught our eye when we first bought the piece, but flaws or ill-fits caused us to not post them to the shop.  Instead of tossing them, we're making these pieces new again and one of kind, at that.  Here is the first look at Miskabelle's redesigned vintage line...

BEFORE

We couldn't pass up this adorable butterfly print... but the dress was such a strange and unflattering fit.

AFTER

Chopped in half and reconstructed, we have a cropped blouse and a simple mini skirt.

Want to see more?  Well, we will be finalizing our vintage redesigns lookbook very soon--so you'll get to see the pieces on real live models.  We are so excited to share more of our creations with you!   

xo

Jayme 

Wednesday Re-Fashion: The Overdone Dress

When we found this dress while thrifting, we fell in love with its details--the animal print-like graphic, the turquoise and black color scheme, and the lacy, sailor-dress collar.  We posted it for sale as it was, but every time we looked at it, there was something missing.  Alas, it became our next re-fashioning project.

The sleeves were long and the skirt came to an awkard length, so we decided to shorten it (for summer!) and take off the sleeves altogether to bring the focus on to the collar and its black edging.  Here's how it turned out:

Now it's the most adorable summery dress!  I love how the edging on the collar creates a bit of a sleeve.  And the fabric design still stands out, even without all that fabric. And isn't J SO GORGEOUS?

This is a one-of-a-kind sundress--ON SALE NOW in our Etsy shop.  You can also browse some other newly-posted redesigns!

There's more work to be done, so I'm off (like a wedding dress...like a light switch...like SKINTASTIC...like....okay, I'm out of cheesy phrases.  Anyone else?)!  Thanks for reading, beautiful babies.

Stay gorgeous,
A

Wednesday Re-Fashion: Romper Gone Awry

I, for one, am not a fan of shorts. Period.  I was not blessed with my mom's great gams.  Shorts as part of a one piece?  Even less attractive to me.  So the romper is not a staple of my spring or summer wardrobe, though I admit, I like how they look on other people (J, below, being one).  

We've found a few cute vintage rompers in our thrifting outings, but the one we decided to re-fashion was pretty appalling--"short" sleeves that came to the elbow, shoulder pads, and an awkward shorts length.  But with such a bright, fun print, we had to do something with it, and sewed it into this incredible little strapless mini--with pockets!

Available now in our Etsy shop!  It's bright and fun and easy to wear.  And the best part is:  it's one-of-a-kind! (Oh, and only $23!)

More funky re-designs coming your way next week.  Until then...

Stay gorgeous,

A

Everyday Vintage Mondays

Welcome back--it's Monday again!  And the sunshine and warm breezes is making me all about spring dresses!  I found a lovely one for myself while halfheartedly thrifting this past week, but these ladies--this week's Chictopia muses--have me dreaming of filling my whole closet and never wearing anything else!

 1.  LubaShmukler
I love how she's accessorized this striped dress, especially with the thin belt and vintage bag.  The red lipstick totally vamps up the whole look.
2.  chelsea956
This dress is an amazing color, especially against her gorgeous red hair (jealous)! So girly, sweet, and summery. 
3.  kellyshoestrings
A great vintage dress paired with some adorable boots--done and done. I also happen to have a "thing" for dresses with belts and pockets. 
4.  ApeApeApe
This photo is so cool in itself, but the outfit--a lacy little dress with some little white socks and suede heels (a sexy schoolgirl look we've been loving for spring!)--is even cooler.
5.  junebabie
This is another perfect spring floral dress.  The belt and tights make it work for cooler weather, and the red shoes are a hip, unexpected touch.
6.  Leproust
I love how the mustard cardigan stands out against the floral dress, as well as how she layered beneath the dress because it was a bit short.  Knee socks and Swedish Has-Beens?!!! I die.  (My top three spring wants have been:  Green military jacket, Swedish Has-Beens, and a perfect, soft white tee.  So far, I'm zero for three...sad.  But impressed with my own will power--or the fact that I have no money, which isn't impressive at all).

I hope these looks have inspired you too!  Break out the dresses, ladies--they're not just for special occasions.  These Chictopians have styled them in different, easy, and unexpected ways.  You can too! (And so can I!  Just as soon as I shave my legs...)

Stay gorgeous,
A

Wednesday Re-Fashion: The MuuMuu Top

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!

Stay gorgeous,

A

New Year, New Blogpost

Oh, well....hello there.

It's been way too long...the winter blahs are monstrous! It's finally hit a temperature in the 40s here and almost all the snow has melted. Now if we could just get a few slivers of blue sky or even a pop of sunshine, I might have the motivation to do more than eat, nap and...eat.

So what's up with us here at Miskabelle? We finished our first year (well, we started in May, so more like half a year) with over 150 sales. We feel very proud of that and hope to double...triple...or even quadruple that in 2010 (this is OUR YEAR! We can feel it!). This means changes to our storefront, inventory, marketing--some of it tedious work, but mostly things we're excited about (like MORE SHOPPING!!!). Another one of those goals is to keep up more religiously with this blog and our Chictopia fashion journal (chictopia.com/miskabelle).

We are really excited for spring...besides the return of the sun, we have a ton of new items to post and many of them will be recycled/refurbished! We're anticipating spending some long hours at the sewing machine, but we're excited to create! We recently created a separate section in our Etsy store where we are posting all of our re-designs.

This week, we are dreaming of warmer-weather trends....stay tuned for our "trend of the day" blogs, where we'll share our favorite vintage looks from our shop, as well as other Etsy vintage boutiques we love to peruse.

Until then...things to do, people to see, vintage to drool over. And lunch!
J&A (and little A, coming soon!)----->

Stay gorgeous,
A