Lana

Shop Vintage Inspired Glamour with Nasty Gal Studio

I still have absolutely no idea why I’ve never bought anything from Nasty Gal…considering I’ve been a fan of Sophia Amoruso and her story of rising from the ashes (despite recent unfortunate events), and the fact that almost everything there fits my taste. I really have no good explanation for it. I mean, I’ve already written three posts about this popular shop—beautiful pieces from their holiday collection three years ago, their collaboration with Courtney Love last year, and some of my favorite picks from their 40% off sale earlier this year. Everything Nasty Gal carries is either fun and spunky or ornate and detailed. All of it is eye candy, for sure.

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Lana

GAP Brings Back the ’90s with Limited Edition Pieces

GAP Brings Back the '90s with Limited Edition Pieces

Image: Gap

So I know, I’ve been posting a lot about old and vintage style…but it’s no joke. I figured it was probably something that fit into the realm of cult favorites—even Urban Outfitter’s Urban Renewal vintage shop seemed to be kind of hidden like an enigmatic back room of a brick and mortar shop to be discovered and deliciously ransacked by only its biggest fans in the know. Nasty Gal helped bring vintage style to the forefront too, but to me it never seemed to totally kick off. That seems to be changing now, with Gap being the next to dive in with a new collection of pieces right out of the ’90s.

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Lana

Urban Renewal Vintage Shop at Urban Outfitters

Urban Renewal Vintage Shop at Urban Outfitters

As much as I love seeing vintage fashion (especially denim) all over the place right now on every blogger and celebrity’s instagram, I am still slacking when it comes to my own wardrobe. I guess maybe I just haven’t found that perfect piece yet, or am not quite sure if it fits my style, but either way, I am a HUGE fan of upcycling. I’ve tried rummaging around in local thrift shops but my town kind of lacks in that department, compared to some from larger cities. I don’t know, maybe I need to give it another go. It seems rather silly, being as obsessed as I am with denim, that I don’t at least have a vintage Levis piece lying around! Apart from my appreciation for organic and sustainable materials used in clothing manufacturing, along with spending a little more for quality and being more choosy with purchases, I am all for upcycling to reduce waste and help preserve our precious resources. I also find it really hard to let go of pieces I know I’m not wearing anymore (stupid yet sweet nostalgia), so I love the idea of my once-loved pieces going to someone else who will love them, or carrying on the love of a cherished piece that another person once had.

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Lana

Levi’s Introduces The Wedgie Jean

Levi's Introduces The Wedgie Jean

Levi’s Introduces The Wedgie Jean

For hardcore denim fans, possibly nothing represents the ultimate, iconic, original feel like a pair of classic Levi’s®. They are still often so sought after, companies like Re/Dun are successful simply by collecting, revamping and reselling vintage pairs from the brand! Levi’s themselves are constantly re-releasing denim collections that bring on nostalgia of the old school styles, like the well-loved 501®. Now, Levi’s® has introduced a brand new fit: the Wedgie. Says Levi’s®, “This vintage inspired women’s jean embodies the iconic Levi’s® heritage with a fit update designed to give the wearer the ultimate derriére. The issue with traditional vintage inspired jeans is that they aren’t necessarily designed to flatter, however the innovative Wedgie fit accentuates the waist and fits snugly at the hips, made using low stretch denim fabric and with a slightly tapered leg, creating that ‘lived in’ feel.”

This jean brings back the ’70s look of high waists, a slight “wedgie” and a tight fit through the hips to accentuate a woman’s natural assets. It’s always fun to see what denim brands are coming up with every season to offer the best fit possible, but I’d say this one is definitely something a little different (at least among the usual fits of today)! Read on for the press review directly from Levi’s®!

INTRODUCING THE WEDGIE FIT
LEVI’S® ‘CHEEKY’ FIT FOR THE ULTIMATE VINTAGE-INSPIRED BUTT

This season, Levi’s® introduces a new fit for women: the Wedgie. This new, vintage-inspired women’s jean embodies the heritage of iconic Levi’s® jeans with fit updates that will have every style-seeker wanting a pair. We’re so excited about this new jean; we’re already calling it an icon.
Inspired by vintage Levi’s® jeans, the Levi’s® design team created the Wedgie fit to solve for that all-too familiar awkward front bulge that can occur when ladies wear vintage jeans. Our new Wedgie fit accentuates the waist and fits snug through the hips—designed to show off her assets. By tweaking the fit to create, well, a wedgie, that problem is solved and her butt has never looked sexier—all while retaining that vintage cool girl vibe with a high rise. A button fly completes this fit, channeling the aesthetic of our iconic Levi’s® 501® jeans. The back pockets of the Wedgie Jean are slightly tilted inwards adding the allure of the ultimate “mom butt.” A cropped, slightly tapered leg and low stretch denim fabric create the lived-in feel of this new spring fit.

Levi's Introduces The Wedgie Jean - Jeans

And it doesn’t stop there. Just in time for the warmer weather, the new Wedgie fit will be available with shorts for spring 2016. With the same high rise as the Wedgie Jean, the Wedgie Short cinches at the waist with a button fly—emphasizing her shape. These shorts fit snug in the seat, with the same tilted pockets as the jeans—tuning up the Levi’s® vintage expression. Wear a rolled hem for a more tailored look, or a frayed hem with a tee shirt for a casual look. A range of finishes—from lived-in indigos, to destructed white—add to that coveted, old-school Levi’s® style for both the Wedgie Jean and the Wedgie Short.

Shop the current Wedgie jean here, in two pretty washes!

Lana

The Good Old Christian Dior Saddle Bag

I honestly had to laugh a little when I saw this…cue back to my college days, when I was itching something crazy for the ultra swanky, Celeb-favorite Christian Dior saddle bag, maybe in part because of my many years of being an equestrian. Back then, it was pretty easy to find fakes online, so like most naive college kids, I went for it. I searched far and wide for a replica of the denim with pink “leather” trim ones, and found it on the now-defunct Yahoo Auctions (which was an easy source for fakes). I couldn’t wait to wear it around downtown on a typical night out, and when I did, a very excited friend of mine saw it and made a beeline, breaking one of the metal handles when she grabbed for it in amazement (yes, even the metal was fake, I learned that night). So that pretty much ended my purchasing of fakes, and as I got older I realized how dumb that was to begin with anyway. The oh-so-popular (at the time) Dior Saddle Bag faded into the past for me as I moved on and grew older and other, more affordable brands came out with new designs to covet. Just yesterday, I was browsing around and I don’t know how on earth I ran across it, but lo and behold, the online consignment shop TheRealReal holds a huge collection of the Dior Saddle Bag. Yes, they are real…and yes they are used, but in gorgeous condition, and for UNDER $300. Shopbop’s What Goes Around Comes Around vintage shop has a few of them too for a bit more, but still significantly cheaper than the original retail price. I guess these are considered vintage now? Crazy! I still find it slightly amusing though, considering how much I wanted one…and even how slightly tempted I am to grab one now. Maybe, just maybe…

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Lana

A Love for Animals and Vintage Denim by AMO

A Love for Animals and Vintage Denim by AMO

A Love for Animals and Vintage Denim by AMO

On one side of the denim industry coin we’ve got raw denim, a staple favorite of die-hard denim fans who want to break jeans in to fit their own life’s story and adventures, and on the other side we’ve got fans who are just as die-hard about styles that already have that vintage touch, well-broken in and slouchy with heavy distressing which keeps successful companies like RE/DUN, who repurposes old, worn out Levi’s jeans, successful. I can appreciate both sides, as denim covers a such a fascinatingly wide spectrum and it’s all interesting to me that a jean just isn’t necessarily just a jean anymore! But it’s jumped into an other awesome realm lately with companies adding charity to their list. AMO, a company founded by Kelly Urban and Misty Zollars, two great friends who call themselves “denim soulmates,” was founded on the principles of both vintage denim and charity. AMO was founded in 2014 when the two girls realized their love for vintage jeans just wasn’t very well fulfilled in the existing market, both in fit and comfort. But the passions of the two girls also lie in animal welfare, using AMO as a catalyst for helping the cause of the growing problem of stray animals. A portion of AMO profits are donated to SNP LA, the Spay Neuter Project of Los Angeles, which has fixed over 100,000 cats and dogs in the Los Angeles area, preventing millions of unwanted animals from ending up on the streets! AMO also encourage shoppers and fans to donate directly to the organization through the AMO website. Check out these ultra comfortable looking vintage styles from AMO below!

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Lana

Key Art by La Clé Jewelry

Key Art by La Clé Jewelry

Key Art by La Clé Jewelry

The key is a symbolic icon…with tattoos it might signify opening up to a person through trust (at least that’s what I was thinking when I considered getting one), or something forbidden and mysterious. I also think of security, or peace of mind when I think of the key motif. It’s nothing new in the jewelry world at all, but I rarely see actual keys used to adorn the necks or wrists of the accessory-minded crowd. There’s always an appeal of vintage items, and I always love anything that falls into the repurposing/DIY realm too (I can be a bit of a hoarder…every little thing I find I just must keep to make it into something, even though that really…rarely…ever happens. You know once you finally toss something, you finally find a use for it anyway, right?) that makes me feel just a little better about my footprint on the planet. But I love the symbolism of a key. La Clé Jewelry followed me on Twitter one day, and I instantly saw a great blog post. Deanna Saracino is the Canadian designer behind the company, using repurposed vintage keys for a variety of hand-painted or printed pieces to wear around your neck. La Clé asks, “What’s Your Color?”, prompting customers to choose a color that represents them from a menu of colors and their meanings, to proudly wear it as a reminder to embrace its “colorful meaning.” As the paint on your key jewelry wears off over time, it symbolizes the positive energy you’ve absorbed from the meaning of your chosen color.

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Lana

Vintage Levis by RE/DUN

Vintage Levis by Re/Dun

Image: Re/Dun

Vintage Levis by Re/Dun

Even though I haven’t quite understood the appeal yet, vintage jeans are a huge conversation topic amongst denim fans everywhere. I never have taken the time to dig through flea markets and secondhand stores for jeans (although I have scored a few good finds on eBay), but I (like most) do understand the desire for that perfect, broken-in weekend jean. I’m just not quite sure I’d want a jean that someone else broke in…I’m more of an AG Jeans AG-Ed type of gal. However, the market and desire for vintage jeans is undeniably huge, and one duo found a smart way to tap into it, with great success.

RE/DUN launched on July 28 and is the work of Sean Barron and Jamie Mazur, who are both fashion entrepreneurs and big denim fans. In an interview with Fashionista.com, Mazur states “I’ve collected vintage Levi’s my entire life, since I first discovered them in my late teens. I love the washes on them, but I never really liked the way they fit because they were just wide-legged, non-flattering and high-waisted old jeans from the ’50s and ’60s. At a certain point I discovered these special denim tailors that you could take them to, and basically they’ll fit them to your body and make them fit like modern jeans.” Inspired by the originality and unique personalities of vintage jeans, Mazur and Barron started up RE/DUN with 50 pairs of jeans they hand-picked and had tailored from the bottom up: each jean was deconstructed by the seams and resewn into either a straight skinny or relaxed straight jean, which are the two styles available on their website. Each pair is priced in the $200 range and apparently, all sold out in the first 50 hours! There are several styles currently available but many are still sold out…this is solid proof that there was a definite niche waiting to be filled, and these guys knew it.

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Lana

The Current/Elliott Loved & Found Vintage Shop

The Current/Elliott Loved & Found Vintage Shop

The Current/Elliott Loved & Found Shop – Patch & Repair Jeans

The Current/Elliott Loved & Found Vintage Shop

Los Angeles brand Current/Elliott has long been a premium, highly-sought-after denim presence that has stood the test of time through economic downfalls and numerous trend changes. Actually, in many cases, they’ve managed to set trends or bravely release their own styles which flew off the racks due to their amazing reputation in the world of denim (remember my posts about their famous leopard jeans (here and here)? The brand is now taking it a step further, taking their eyes off of their denim collections a little bit and introducing a new shop, called Loved & Found. Launched in late May, this shop features several one-of-a-kind items from Current/Elliott’s archive, along with a wide collection of random but awesome vintage collectibles that were found in flea markets and antique stores around the country. Expect to find home decor, jewelry, old toys, and several repurposed vintage Current/Elliott styles that were repaired by CEO and creative director Serge Azria.

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