Babblative

You can’t just lump everything that looks old under the same category!

C’mon peeps, back me up?

(Yeah I wouldn’t back me up either after reading that last sentence.)

Anyway, I went to that vintage “boutique” I mentioned last week and I found out two things:

1. You can call something vintage and slap an obscene price tag on it.
2. It doesn’t have to be old to be vintage.

Case in point: Last month I bought a pair of stripper shoes (there’s no picture). I was told that there was several pairs donated and people had been snapping them up. It was assumed that they had been worn in a wedding by some poor unfortunate bridesmaids (stripper shoes in a wedding party is just so unbelievably tacky, amirite?) This vintage store snapped them up and set them out as though they were vintage.

That’s like me writing supermodel on my forehead and expecting everyone to believe it. It just ain’t gonna happen, no matter how hard you wish it would.

I didn’t bother asking the price, I merely assumed that it was outrageous because paying $25 for a lousy polyester slip that was as vintage as the aforementioned shoes (and as supermodely as me) seemed to be the trend in the store.

They did have a few nice vintage pieces, they were all mostly in the window.

I won’t be going back.

Remember how I told you that I walked 5km yesterday? It wasn’t for naught, I found a vintage store! It’s tucked in beside Budds department store, I had just left Budds and was heading up to Shoppers Drug Mart (I needed a styptic pencil) and walked right past it. The wrinkled [$150] dress and the Pee Wee Herman doll were what caught my eye.

Unfortunately it was closed and there were no hours posted anywhere. Even more unfortunately, even though my nose was practically flattened against the window and I had drool running down my chin, I couldn’t see very far into the store because it was so dark, maybe 5 feet and it looks like it’s crammed with all kinds of awesome vintage stuff. I made it a point to walk past it again on my way home and here is what I saw:

• At least four pairs of shoes.
• Too many purses and clutches to count.
• Two bikes.
• 2 ugly beaded tops.
• A million and one hats. Pretty hats. Gorgeous hats. I wonder how much the black and white flat top hat was, that was elegant and classy. (Lord knows I need all the help I can get with elegance and class.) There were beaded hats, short hats, tall hats, plain hats… you get the picture.

I’m going to walk down tomorrow and see if it’s open, I hope it is. According to the sign they’re from Toronto (!!) and carry, among other things, home decor, clothing, signs, etc., etc., and I can’t wait.

It’s almost embarrassing. Almost. I’m tackling this dress/shirt next: 1950 shirred dress 1. I might do away with most, if not all, of the shirring and make an elastic waistline instead. Maybe, I’m not sure yet. And I’m going to make this as well: 1950 Housecoat 1.

(And maybe this too.)