Hollie Point Vintage

Jennifer Brook Binns of Hollie Point offers "curated vintage for discerning lovers of timeless style". That sounds like you and I, right?



Fashion Fragile: Your specialty appears to be dresses from the '40s and '60s, often with defined waists and voluptuous skirts. Why do you gravitate toward that timespan and silhouette?

Jennifer: My love of vintage clothing developed early in life and was originally inspired by the old clothes hanging in my grandmother's closet, and by movies from the '30s through the '60s. I fell in love with the silhouettes of these periods and when I began to collect vintage I naturally gravitated towards them.



Fashion Fragile: Does your personal wardrobe resemble your stock? How do you manage to let go of so many lovely pieces? It seems that there must be heartache involved. I have trouble relinquishing clothes that I don't even like, so I can't imagine sending off one of your dreamy beauties!

Jennifer: It can be so hard to part with my vintage! Fortunately with clothes only a small percentage of them fit so some are easier to let go of than others. It's not unusual for me to begin listing a dress in the shop only to take measurements, figure out that it is just the right size for me and then hang it right back up in my personal closet. I have learned, however, to be very selective in what I keep. Most of my clothes are modern and I keep a small but fantastic collection of vintage that I save for special occasions. I also try to practice the "one in, one out" rule which helps me keep my collection pared down.



Fashion Fragile: What do you enjoy the most about running Hollie Point? How do you avoid getting burned out?

Jennifer: The best part of running a vintage shop is shopping! At least once a week I take a long day trip, sometimes to my favorite shopping spots and sometimes to brand new places that I have never visited before. I live between a major metropolitan area and a great rural expanse so it seems like there are always new places to explore and new/old treasures waiting to be found. The thrill of the hunt helps to keep my job exciting and fulfilling.

Hollie Point links: sale section, Facebook, & Twitter.

Vintage Urban Renewal

Michelle Tamashiro of Vintage Urban Renewal runs her bohemian shop from a little town in the Pacific Northwest. She answered a few questions about how she became a saleswoman and small business owner.

Fashion Fragile: Have you always had an interest in fashion? When did you realize it would be your profession?

Michelle: Yes, I have always been interested in fashion. When I look back on my school pictures, every year I wore something that I had made myself and still remember each item. Which is what led me to work in the fashion industry in the 80s for a designer that upcycled clothing. My job was to rip up old jeans (I cry every time I think of how much amazing vintage denim I tore up), set rhinestones (with a huge hydraulic setting machine), press garments, receive and ship. When did I realize it would be my profession? That is the easiest question. I realized it would be one of my professions when I knew that I could not type, hated math, and did not want to wear boring office attire... ever.



Fashion Fragile: You mentioned that you have "a background in fashion and food", which piques my curiosity. What are you referring to?

Michelle: I almost went to school to be a fashion designer and instead ended up going to school to be a pastry chef. I ran a restaurant for someone and had my own wedding cake business, which is why you will see my Instagram feed @vintageurbanrenewal is filled with my love for pastry arts as well as fashion. My family also owns a Japanese restaurant in our small town of Grants Pass, Oregon, where you will find me waiting tables part of the time.



Fashion Fragile: You have a lot of experience selling clothes, offline as well as on. How does Etsy compare to the other venues you've used over the years?

Michelle: It seems everyone on Etsy aspires to owning their own brick-and mortar-store one day. I on the other hand have owned three stores and love the downsizing that Etsy has given me and my family. My whole goal is to be as profitable as possible while still being able to spend time with my family and not have the overhead that goes along with running a store. I have had to figure out exactly how many items to have for sale at a given time, how much advertising and where to advertise, being ahead of the seasons, reading my stats, and my biggest challenge, how to keep track of inventory. All of those things are very similar to running a brick-and-mortar.

Vintage Urban Renewal links: Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Archetype Vintage

Kim of Archetype Vintage is an erudite woman, as you will discover in the following paragraphs...

Fashion Fragile: I love the name "Archetype Vintage"; it evokes mystical psychology and the Knights of the Round Table. How did you choose that term for your shop?

Kim: I definitely did think about the meaning of the word "archetype" when choosing it for my shop. The word has Greek origins. The root words are "archein", which means "original or old"; and "typos", which means "pattern, model or type". I think this idea of an "original pattern" fits well with vintage clothing. Fashion is so cyclical and the same patterns and trends repeat themselves through the years. The idea of these fashion "archetypes" being reinterpreted and worn in new ways is very appealing to me, not to mention the fact that you're recycling history when you wear vintage.

I also like the idea of personality archetypes and of expressing your inner persona through your choice in clothing. Personally, I dress for how I feel that day and sometimes I may want to put on a very ladylike dress and other days it's a more structural and modern piece that says I'm all business.



Fashion Fragile: How did you get started selling vintage online, and when did you decide to make it a full-time gig?

Kim: The online business grew out of my love for vintage clothing and my many years spent collecting and hunting in thrift stores and flea markets. I am 38 now but have been collecting vintage since I was 14 and discovered my first Salvation Army. I would wear a lot of vintage in high school and college and would sew and alter my clothing to make it more unique.

I had several retail jobs throughout my 20s which taught me the value of good customer service. For the ten years before opening my Etsy shop I ran an independent health food store (think a local and mini Whole Foods) and sold natural foods and supplements. My vintage collection kept growing and I started selling it on the side to local friends and on consignment in a few shops nearby.

In 2011, I was given the news that the health food store was closing and I would be out of a job. It was just two weeks before my wedding and I took it as a sign that I should finally take the leap and open my own vintage business. I had wanted to for quite some time, but the loss of my job really pushed me to do it. I got married, went on the honeymoon, and then came home and opened the Etsy shop in October of 2011.

It's been a wonderful experience so far and I've met many lovely customers from all over the world. I particularly love it when I receive a photo from an excited client who wore a dress to a special event or wedding. I love knowing that these pieces are getting a new life and are being worn and loved again by another generation of women.



Fashion Fragile: You have a particularly fabulous and extensive collection of dresses. Is that intentional, or do they just turn up more often than other items?

Kim: I guess I do have a lot of dresses! That didn't start out as my intention, but it has turned out that they are the most popular items in my shop. When I'm searching for vintage pieces, I do now look for dresses in particular since they're just so much fun. There are so many different styles and shapes and I have a soft spot for 1940s novelty prints and anything with beading or structural shaping.

When hunting for vintage, I do tend to find more dresses. I think this is just because dresses have always been popular and women tended to wear more of them in generations past.

I particularly love this time of year when all I want to put in the shop are sun dresses and bright prints. Once the fall hits, I'll be all about coats and boots.

Fashion Fragile: Do you have a favorite decade of fashion? (It can be outside of the scope of what you sell in your shop.) If so, why?

Kim: A favorite decade would be hard for me to narrow down but I love 1920s hats, 1940s prints and 1950s shapes. I adore hats and have quite a few that I've collected over the years in addition to the what I sell online. I'm petite and find that 20s cloche styles fit my small head well so I tend to keep those for myself.

I find that 1950s fit and flare dresses with nipped waists and full skirts tend to look the best on me and I collect those as well. Sometimes it's hard to part with pieces but I know that they're all going to good homes so it makes it a bit easier.

I wear one piece of vintage jewelry every single day and it's my absolute favorite. It's a 1920s Forstner sterling silver snake wrap bracelet. It was an anniversary present from my husband and I just love it!

Archetype Vintage links: shop sale, Facebook, & Twitter.

August & Rudy

August & Rudy is running a summer sale with more than 100 items reduced by 50%, so now is the perfect time to meet the shop! Jo Donofrio answered a few questions about her experiences selling vintage online:

Fashion Fragile: August & Rudy started out as "Sloppy Jo's Sloppy Second's", a punny play on your own name and the nature of thrifting. Why did you decide to switch things up, and how did you pick the new moniker?

Jo: "Sloppy Jo's Sloppy Second's" worked when I first opened my shop, with its kitschy feel and playful pun, but later I began making changes to my photos and overall design. This triggered the need for a new title to suit my transformation. Thus August & Rudy was born. The name derives from two family members that I wanted to honor and remember. Aside from honoring family, I feel that the name really supports my more streamlined modern-meets-vintage approach.



Fashion Fragile: You describe your shop as "a one woman operation", meaning that you must perform a broad variety of duties. Which aspect of running August & Rudy do you find the most enjoyable and/or fulfilling?

Jo: Most definitely, the thrifting, sifting, and discovery of my vintage wares. While the hunt takes a lot of energy and time, it can be the most rewarding when you find that extra-special piece. It's so exciting to be surprised by items from the past. For instance, clothing had so much care and detail in the way it was made, and it's thrilling when I come across a fabulous print or a beautifully crafted dress. It makes all the rough and tough work worth it. It becomes even more fulfilling when I can show these treasures to the world and find them a home.

// Hola Coyote //

Fashion Fragile: I don't know what it is, but I get kind of a Moonrise Kingdom vibe from looking through your gallery. Do you draw inspiration from pop culture or art? If so, which works stand out as particularly influential?

Jo: I am so elated that you said that. While it is not by design, I have to admit that I love and feel incredibly influenced by all Wes Anderson films, my favorite being The Royal Tenenbaums. I have a great admiration for the past and films that reflect a certain time and style. When I'm taking photographs for the shop in particular, is when I feel these influences start to emerge. I usually have music playing in the background, ranging anywhere from Lana Del Rey to The Mamas & the Papas. It is here that I really begin to envision stylistic influences like Bridget Bardot, Edie Sedgwick, 1920s decadence, and '70s bohemia. Although I have a great admiration for the past, I also feel excited by modern art, fashion, and the here and now, so it is my every hope to blend these two ideas together.

August & Rudy links: Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Femme Fairyland

Armour sans Anguish dresses are what you would see at Oberon and Titania's wedding: Grecian silhouettes, floating sherbet chiffon, everything draped with strips of silk and lichen-crocheted lace. Upon stepping into the studio/warehouse, I was awed by the racks and racks of pastel gauze and satin slips. Tawny smiled as I exclaimed, "This is heaven!"



Armour sans Anguish is a four-woman operation. The office manager wasn't there, but Tawny introduced me to seamstresses Camilla and Morgan. They greeted me briefly before turning back to their work. A sewing machine whirred busily, and the upturned iron simmered, water bubbling in its blue plastic compartment. A true-stories podcast played in the background. My boots were entirely too loud as I explored the large, low-lit space. Natural sunshine came through a skylight, and spread down from the high ceiling. The walls displayed various swatches of white and beige paint. Exposed pipes reinforced the semi-industrial vibe.

Tawny Holt got her first sewing machine when she was nineteen, and quickly began teaching herself to use it as an artistic tool. She told me laughingly, "I don't know how to do anything the 'right' way--but luckily my staff does!" Tawny explained that learning informally was a surprise blessing; she has never been limited by standard ideas of how garment production is "supposed" to work.



Armour sans Anguish grew out of textile experiments with a friend--"dyeing cheesecloth in the bathroom and making weird stuff"--into a small business that Tawny sustained throughout college. When she moved to the Bay Area to pursue a doctorate in anthropology, Pinterest suddenly got in the way of Tawny's academic progress. One of AsA's pictures blew up, and Tawny came back from a weekend away to find that her Etsy inbox contained an explosion of messages, many from brides who loved the whimsical magic of Armour sans Anguish designs. Tawny tried to fill the plethora of orders while still attending class, but it proved impossible. She had to choose between dressmaking and school. Tawny decided that she couldn't pass up the opportunity to sew beautiful clothes for a living, and plunged into business full-time.

Within a couple of months, Armour sans Anguish ballooned from a personal project to a bustling shop with three employees. Tawny found herself working hundred-hour weeks and not seeing anyone but her coworkers. She wasn't used to the sheer volume of orders, and it took a while to figure out how much Armour sans Anguish could realistically handle. Tawny persevered through the stress and exhaustion by resolving to be the kind of person who follows through on their word. She refused to disappoint customers or back out of commitments. Tawny describes this period as "the hardest I've worked in my life", with a definite sense of relief that it's over.



Tawny's design ethos is materials-driven, motivated both practically and creatively by the salvaged fabrics that she works with. She sources antique textiles from thrift stores and estate sales, helped by a few buyers who supply her with a constant stream of vintage slips, which are used as bases for bridesmaids' dresses, the shop's bread-and-butter. Tawny builds with pretty scraps and careful color palettes, working to find the sweet, balanced spot between overdone and overly restrained. Tawny's aesthetic is hyperfeminine; she makes delicate, ethereal pieces that will move with the wind.

AsA's sustainable development happened intuitively. Tawny attributes her penchant for preloved materials to a thrifty upbringing; she says it didn't occur to her to do things differently. When Armour sans Anguish began to grow, Tawny realized that there was a term for her process: she fit perfectly into the "eco-fashion" niche. However, Tawny was conscious of separating herself from mainstream fast-fashion from the beginning: the name "Armour sans Anguish" emerged from a desire to participate in fashion "without sorrow", minus the exploitation that runs rampant in the industry.



For those of you who live in the Bay Area, Armour sans Anguish is holding an open house and sale on Saturday, June 14th, from 12-5pm. Address: 3140 Adeline Street in Oakland, California. The event's tagline is "a fun afternoon of spiked punch and shopping!" Highlights will include a $5 rack and guest artisan. Hope to see you there!

AsA links: Instagram, Facebook, bridal, vintage, and lookbooks.

58 Petticoats

Patty Stella of 58 Petticoats talked with me about her vintage lingerie shop, which occupies a niche that I had never before considered. I'm small-chested enough that I don't need to wear bras, and I haven't bought new underwear in literal years, but now I've got a hankerin' for some cute matching sets! Perhaps you will feel inspired to spruce up your bedroom attire as well.

Fashion Fragile: I'm so curious: why 58, as opposed to any other number?

Patty: I live in the NY metro area, and about a year ago the NYC Metropolitan Opera announced that they would be auctioning off thousands of costumes and theater props. For fun, my family and I went to check out the giant warehouse where the auction items were stored. When I got to the vintage costume section I felt like a girl in a candy clothing store. It was amazing! I bid on a few lots of petticoats because I have always loved them (longtime fan of Gone With the Wind). I won a lot with 58 petticoats and when my husband asked me what the heck I was going to do with them all, I said, "I guess I'll open an online shop!"



Fashion Fragile: 58 Petticoats specializes in pretty vintage undergarments. How did you choose that focus?

Patty: I have always loved girly, feminine clothing so it just made sense to choose this focus. It's an excuse to search for and buy all sorts of pretty, delicate pieces from the past and pass them on to others.

Fashion Fragile: Lingerie is often described as "intimate apparel"; it lies very close to the skin, and is usually only displayed in private. (Of course, there are plenty of exceptions, such as burlesque performances.) What advantages do vintage undergarments have over modern ones?

Patty: I honestly did not know how amazingly comfortable and silky-soft vintage lingerie was until I started selling it. Most vintage lingerie from the 50s and 60s is made with nylon and nylon tricot and it is so much nicer than the fabrics used in today's lingerie. Also there are lovely details to be found on a vintage slip, nightie, etc. These garments were core pieces that every woman owned and wore daily. Finally don't get me started on vintage support garments. One day I tried a few on because of course I wanted to know how they fit and what the appeal was. They are awesome, unbelievably comfortable and soft, nothing like the tight, stiff support garments for sale today.



Fashion Fragile: Your day job is event planning. Do skills from that gig cross over into selling online?

Patty: Yes, absolutely. Ultimately, event planning is about customer service, creativity, and managing many details. I find that all of these skills have come in handy running an online shop!

Feel free to check out 58 Petticoats on Facebook and Twitter.

Style Wise

Leah Wise runs a semi-eponymous sustainable fashion blog, Style Wise, and a vintage clothing company called Platinum & Rust. I admire her insight regarding issues of consumerism, so I was delighted when she agreed to offer her perspective on a few questions that I've been struggling with.

// craftivist collective //

Fashion Fragile: You're a passionate advocate for ethical fashion. How do you deal with friends and acquaintances who buy from stores like Forever 21? Do you feel angry at them? Is there a productive way to voice disapproval?

Leah: For the most part, I don't get angry. I recognize that most people have an ethical issue or issues they focus on, whether it be poverty, animal welfare, agricultural sustainability, conservation, etc. It'll take all of us a while to care about everything that matters and to act accordingly. I do, however, bring up fair trade and sustainability often enough in conversation to know that people are hearing me out. I hope that I'm getting people thinking so they can transition toward more sustainable living, even if that takes a long time.

I do get frustrated with people who have heard my spiel and outwardly agree with me while showing no signs of changing their consumer habits. But I try to consider the legitimate reasons why change could be hard for them. People less preoccupied with clothes and shopping than me are, understandably, frustrated that they would have to think so much about what and where to buy when they could just pick something up at a nearby store and be done with it.

// Nicolás Boullosa: 1, 2, & 3 //

Fashion Fragile: Do you enjoy the process of reshaping your consumer habits, or is it a chore?

Leah: At first, I rebelled. I love shopping, always have, and even though I have a small budget for clothing, I was used to seeing something I liked and being able to buy it. Even after I decided that this needed to become a way of life for me, I was annoyed that I would have to alter my preferred way of dressing. If you want to shop more fairly and sustainably, you'll likely have to forego a lot of seasonal trends because they just don't make sense in the long run and ethical retailers don't carry them anyway. Now I'm beginning to embrace a bit more simplicity in the way I dress, which makes it easier to find clothing and accessories through more ethical channels. I'm still working to buy less overall, though. I don't think I can endorse a fair trade lifestyle without understanding that a key part of the unsustainable lifestyle I'm fighting against is overconsumption.

// Brad.K //

Fashion Fragile: In your opinion, is it sustainable to rely heavily on thrifting? What would secondhand shopping look like in an ideal future?

Leah: I think thrifting is both a short-term solution and a healthy part of sustainable living. Reusing castoffs is great and makes shopping sustainably an option for all income levels. For awhile, I thought that thrifting was THE solution to fast fashion, but that would mean that human creativity and craftsmanship in the clothing industry would no longer have value, and I'd hate for us to lose that. Creating new clothing has the potential to provide fulfillment and employment to millions of people if done in an ethical manner. We just have to be careful to produce in smaller quantities. The great thing is that providing a fair wage means that fewer people per household have to work to make ends meet, so a loss of jobs initially shouldn't make much of a difference in the long term. Higher price points will also force consumers to consume less overall, which means less waste. I rely heavily on thrifting to create my wardrobe, but have started saving up to buy fairly produced garments and accessories.

Thoughts? Responses? I want your input too.

GoGo Vintage

This bright rainbow dress from GoGo Vintage would be perfect for a Pride Parade! I don't know if I'll attend San Francisco's 2014 festivities--people en masse are not my favorite thing--but such a lively, colorful frock warrants an equally lively, colorful excursion. Brunch is adventurous, right?

Anyway, the lady behind the shop agreed to answer my questions about her process and inspiration. Without further ado...

Fashion Fragile: Why the name "GoGo Vintage"? I assume it harkens back to go-go dancers and their famous boots--I even think of the George Michael song. I'm especially curious because your inventory doesn't strike me as typical clubwear. What does the term mean to you?

Karyn: The shop name came about from a long list, and I kept bugging some friends and family and went through the list and noted which names they kept saying "yes" to. GoGo Vintage ended up at number one and so that was it! If it conjures up images of go-go dancers for some and reminds others of a song, that's great. It just sounded memorable to me and I wanted a name that stuck with people, that had some positive energy to it.



Fashion Fragile: I can tell that you put a lot of care into styling the pieces in your shop. Do you aim to capture the spirit or aesthetic of the garment's original era? Is that difficult? What effect do you think it has on customers?

Karyn: A huge influence on the styling would be my obsession with fashion photography from the early 1900s through the present day. I'm perfectly happy spending an afternoon in the library poring over back issues of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, and I have managed to begin a bit of a reference collection of my own. Through quite a bit of trial and error I've attempted to channel what I've studied into the images. Sometimes it all comes together (hair, makeup, right pose, lighting, etc.) and certain images manage to make a connection with viewers. Even a 1980s dress that looks like a fit and flare dress from the 50s can look like the real thing if the right elements come together in the image. For me, fashion images of the past are just pure escapist pleasure, and if someone out there gets a thrill from what I'm putting together then I truly feel gratified.



Fashion Fragile: Do you have a personal favorite decade of fashion? If so, why?

Karyn: My personal favorite decade of fashion is the 1920s, reaching a bit into the early 1930s. That was when fashion truly shifted into the modern era. I visited an exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum last year (which has an impressive Costume Institute) of 1920s garments, and it was beyond amazing. There were many Chanel and Vionnet evening dresses and daywear, and the beadwork and fabrication were unforgettable. I do enjoy the gender-bending that went on during that time in fashion as well. With what I personally wear, I always seem to revert to looks and fabrics that were in vogue during that time. It was just so comfortable and chic!

Fashion Fragile: With almost 4,000 sales, you're an Etsy veteran, at least as far as I'm concerned. What do you wish you had known from the beginning?

Karyn: When I first started on Etsy, the shop was really just a fun way for me to make some extra money, so I didn't use the best camera that I could afford, analyze the lighting, invest in backgrounds... all the stuff that needed to be figured out before launching. Over the past few years thank goodness I've evolved, bought a much better camera and learned how to use it well. My advice to any Etsy newbie would be to know your look and your story before launching, because I didn't quite know at the beginning what mine was, and I wish it had been more clear. My husband as the person behind the camera has assisted a great deal along the way. Being as direct and accurate as possible in communicating with customers about the product is incredibly important.

GoGo Vintage is on Twitter, and please feel free to do some browsing!

Ladygirl Vintage

Anne of Ladygirl Vintage looks reserved in her listing photos, but when you reach out with a message, she is friendly and quick to enthuse. Anne agreed to an interview, and answered my questions with charming vivacity:

Fashion Fragile: What makes you decide to buy a certain item for the shop? Is it an intuitive thing?

Anne: Buying items for my shop is one of my favorite parts of the process. Since I love a good project, I love seeing something that is almost amazing, but needs a little tweaking on the sleeves, or the neckline, or hem, etc. I generally first focus on the fabric and print. If it's got good fabric, you've won the hardest battle. I've got an unhealthy obsession with florals and plaids, and lace--those generally catch my eye. I love little collars, buttons, pockets, and anything with unique details. It definitely feels intuitive--I get butterflies in my stomach when I see something I like. I usually go with that.

FF: How do you envision your ideal customer--what kind of woman is she?

Anne: I envision a woman in her 20s or 30s (hence where the name Ladygirl comes from--somewhere in the transitional stage of a girl becoming a lady), one with a love of dresses, who likes to wear dainty, feminine things but also one that can dress down (in style, of course) with a boyfriend button-up and denim. I may have just described myself.



FF: How did you get started selling vintage? What do you wish you had known from the beginning?

Anne: I started selling vintage just over a year ago. I have always had a love for vintage dresses (skirts, tops, and shoes too!) and for sewing. I really wanted to find a way to expand it from just a hobby into something real. So I decided to take a few items, alter them, and list them on Etsy. I got a few sales at the beginning and couldn't believe how thrilling of an experience it was!

This may sound a little silly, but I wish at the beginning I had taken better photographs! I didn't always have the best lighting or background... I didn't realize then what an astronomical difference good photos make!

FF: This is unrelated to the shop, but as a fellow blonde I feel an instant kinship with anyone who chooses platinum or honey as their hair-color. How did you decide to start dyeing your hair blonde?

Anne: I'm so glad you asked. I've always put a little blonde in my hair, since I was really young (I'm naturally a light brown)... but recently decided I was tired of foils and just really wanted to try it ALL blonde, because I had never tried. Plus, I really wanted to try my hair a pastel color... so I went pink for a while, which was really fun. I just can't imagine not being this blonde ever again. It's kind of addicting, don't you think?

I do think. #BlondeLyfe! To connect further with Ladygirl Vintage, check out these links: LGV blog, Facebook page, & Instagram.

Brown Bag Vintage

June is about to begin. I don't know about where you live, but around here the sixth month of the year means SUMMER! Okay, according to the calendar, summer officially begins on June 21st, but let's not nitpick. Swimsuit season is already upon us, and that means it's the perfect time to learn more about Brown Bag Vintage, if that rainbow '80s one-piece is any indication. Which it is. Michelle, the lady behind the shop, kindly answered some questions about her process and progress as an Etsy expert...

Fashion Fragile: I read that you started Brown Bag Vintage after being laid off from a job in finance. Even though you had some prior experience selling online, it must have been nerve-wracking to gamble on success as an indie online retailer. Did you feel confident from the get-go that your business would take off? If not, how did you cope with the anxiety?

Michelle: I was lucky enough to have been given a two month advance notice that my job was coming to an end, so I took that time to make my transition from eBay to Etsy. It wasn't a terribly slow start, but once one of my items was featured in an Etsy newsletter, I was positive that I could make it work. You get out of it what you put into it--when I hit slumps, I took time to reevaluate what I was doing and made tweaks to my process until I was happy with it.



FF: Something really awesome about Brown Bag Vintage is the range of sizes available, and the beautiful variety of your models. Unabashedly embracing body diversity is very unusual on Etsy (and throughout the fashion industry, but that's another conversation). How did you decide to sell to women both large and small? Have there been any difficulties involved?

Michelle: Since my models have always been so small, I shied away from purchasing larger items. But sometimes they were too good to pass up, so I ended up purchasing them and pinning them on my size 2 models. I see a lot of shops doing this but it didn't sit well with me. I work with a friend now who was pretty adamant about upping our available size range. The items I posted always sold so I knew there was a market for it. We continued to purchase plus items and shorten hems on too long dresses until we had enough for a full shoot.

Liz was our first plus size model, who has been with us for about a year, and I can't say enough good things about her. Once we started posting listings from the first shoot, we started to receive random messages from "window shoppers" thanking us for including larger sized models. We knew we had to keep it up.

The challenge we have is making sure that all the plus size items are equally as cute as our smaller sized items and I think we're doing a pretty good job at that (even if it means endless hours of hemming!). We want buyers to randomly come across the shop and be able to find something no matter what their size because everyone deserves to treat themselves to something special to wear. [Bold added for emphasis.]



FF: What do you wish you had known from the beginning?

Michelle: I wish I would have known to hire a model from the get go--it would have saved me so much time! I tried hangers, mannequins and dress forms but nothing worked as well as a real person. I convinced two of my friends to model for me but once sales started picking up I decided to place an ad on Craigslist and found a girl who was as excited about vintage as I was. She modeled for the shop once a week for over a year, the best Craigslist find ever!



FF: When you started Brown Bag in 2008, there must have been far fewer online vintage shops than there are now. Have you had to deal with increased competition? Any general observations about the trend?

Michelle: There are so many more vintage shops on Etsy then there were back in 2008 but I'm positive there's room for all of us! I was introduced to Etsy by a friend who had her own vintage shop and immediately fell in love with its sense of community. The marketplace has empowered so many people to do what they love for a living and I am lucky to have been one of them so I won't stop encouraging people to open their own shops (even vintage sellers!). I should also mention that I gave up the full-time seller status for a full-time position at Etsy so I can't stop singing its praises.

I'm a fan of Etsy too--even more so after having met Michelle! Links to check out: BBV swimwear, BBV sale/clearance, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Girl With A Past Vintage

"You know the story: girl loves vintage, girl buys vintage, girl opens a shop and makes good." That's how Chana Luchiana describes the origin of Girl With A Past Vintage, her curated online boutique. She adds that GWAP satisfies her "craving for vintage glamour." My own encounter with the shop began when I was idly searching for '60s mod dresses on Etsy. The bold visuals (and affordable prices!) grabbed my attention, and I wanted to know more. Chana Luchiana agreed to indulge my curiosity by answering a few questions:

Fashion Fragile: Something that struck me about Girl With A Past is your clear talent for modeling. From the listing photos I got the impression that you're a very confident person--is that true? How do you pick facial expressions and poses that will show off the clothes? [Note: I incorrectly assumed that CL does the modeling; she's actually on the other side of the camera.]

Chana Luchiana: Confidence is contagious. Therefore, I aim to capture the feeling of confidence through my listing photos. Through facial expression and positioning of the model we can incite a mood. I want consumers to adopt that mood (be it bold or demure) and relate to the pieces in a way that moves them to action; creating an optical experience that inspires them to say, "I want that dress."

FF: Is there a specific period of fashion that particularly resonates with you? If so, why?

CL: I love 1950s fashion and style. Here is where we started to see the iconic looks of the wasp waist with full skirt and the slim fitting pencil skirt and pencil line dresses. These looks worked for women of various shapes and sizes and can be portrayed as fun and flirty, chic, or super sexy--depending on how they are worn. I also appreciate the accessorizing we started to see during this era, i.e., hats, gloves, bags and brooch corsages. I am a sucker for those details.

FF: What kind of woman are you most interested in having as a customer?

CL: Everyone is welcomed. I've learned that it's less about me and more about the connection women feel to my shop. Girl With A Past is a venue for women to express their unique fashion points of view and tell a story through clothing. I admire women who understand the differences between a fleeting trend and classic style that stands the test of time.

Girl With A Past has a Facebook page, byyy the way.

Rx Vintage: Wardrobe Medicine

Rx Vintage is a fashion-by-mail service that will send you a monthly "prescription" of timeless pieces, selected especially for you and accompanied by personalized styling tips. After you fill out a questionnaire with your measurements and your taste, the shoppers do the rest of the work for you. Unlike the doctor, Rx lets you pick your own dosage: $29/month for one item, $49/month for two items, or $99/month for five items. Currently spots are limited, but you can apply for an invitation.

*** Update: The prices are going to be raised on April 15th, BUT free shipping will be included! New monthly numbers: $48, $75, and $130. Rx Vintage kindly offered to extend the original lower prices for six months if you put "fashionfragile" in the "Referred by" box.



I am particularly drawn to Rx Vintage because of their focus on sustainability and heritage quality. Their philosophy comes through in the FAQ section: "By purchasing vintage clothes you are being more green and helping the environment. You are reducing the amount of natural resources that is used in producing a new piece of clothing. You are not contributing in polluting the environment with the emissions from factories or the chemicals used to manufacture clothes." They point out that in the past there was "an emphasis on craftsmanship, detailing work was done by hand instead of a machine. Clothes back then had to last longer since people bought clothes infrequently".

CEO Celina Linley kindly answered some questions about her process and experience. She was very gracious for putting up with my lengthy queries, especially this first one:

"Vintage clothing provides the wearer with a literal connection to the past. And yet even when you have history next to your skin, it can remain mysterious. Several times I've searched a name from a tag and gone through pages of Google results, before ending up stymied because no one bothered to write a Wikipedia entry about a brand that lapsed from relevancy decades ago. What advice would you give to people who want to learn more about the pieces they wear?"

// Nancy Drew ::: American Bad-Ass //

Celina: "I get a little Nancy Drew as well. Clearly Google is amazing at most things. Yet the insanely cute tiny and obscure fashion brands don't win the prize. Vintage Fashion Guild is an awesome resource for anyone looking to catalog the obscure, a great source of info on older labels. I always find it more interesting to ask my fashionable older female relatives or friends to try to place a now-defunct label." [Bold added.]

Next question: "If you could provide an Rx Vintage prescription to any current public figure, who would it be?"

Celina: "This is a tough one, while I have tons of people that inspire me, people like Panti Bliss, Lorde, Maria Linden from I Break Horses all the way to Oprah. I definitely didn't start this to style celebrities. I have had plenty of experience picking looks for celebs, but the idea of Rx was to make that level of service available to anyone. It really makes me way more happy to style our clients. They have already placed their trust in us to find them amazing pieces. We have a current client that we admire. Through her sheer dedication and perseverance she has lost over 160 pounds and counting. Since she's been with us she has lost more than 3 inches in her measurements. That inspires me and makes me and our staff work extra hard to give her amazing picks that show off her accomplishment. As much as I love and am inspired by so many amazing women in the world, I would rather work extra hard to make sure all of our clients know how beautiful and unique they all are."

// Panti Bliss on Twitter //

Obviously Celina is a sweetheart. I asked her one more thing: "Do you still shop for fun now that it's part of your profession?" She answered that balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship is very demanding. But she added, "Envisioning certain pieces on my clients while shopping is definitely one of the fun things I get to do. When I do have a chance to sneak away I can't resist a good dance party. I believe everyone, even us mammas, have to be able to cut loose once in a while." Amen to that!