now, before you get too worked up, i’ll have you know that these are not recent purchases. these are just a few of the dresses that have caught my eye on etsy lately, but that either didn’t fit or else sold before i mustered up the strength to click the “commit to buy” button. and i thought it might be a good way to illustrate two points: one, i have an etsy addiction and i spend entirely too much time browsing through hundreds of vintage dresses, sweaters, shoes, and accessories. and two, this is an example of how challenging vintage shopping can be!

i’ve gotten quite a few questions asking how i manage to find great vintage clothes. it’s always a difficult question for me to answer because there isn’t really a good answer for it. all i can say is that it takes dedication and the willingness to dig through piles and piles and racks and racks of clothes at vintage and thrift shops. or else a daily obsession with checking all of the new etsy or ebay listings, reviewing the measurements and squinting at the computer screen trying to tell if that spot you see is a shadow or a stain. and it means finding an awful lot of amazing, mind-blowing, life-altering pieces that just aren’t your size.

so now, if you haven’t already been bit by the vintage bug, you’re probably wondering how it’s worth it. it kinda sounds miserable, no? but that’s the thing. if you’re anything like me, then you know the exhilaration of digging up a beautiful gem at the bottom of a pile of weird paisley polyester maxi dresses at an estate sale on a saturday morning at 6am. it’s the thrill of the hunt and that tiny inkling that you might come across the holy grail of vintage, no matter how many times you’ve walked away from a sale empty handed.

go look: baby blue dress from oldage, pink floral mini from littlebeevintage, yellow lace mini from croatiavintage, white eyelet dress from deargolden, raspberry dress from raspberrymacaroon, chambray dress from santokivintage

i’m sure you already recognize that first dress pictured up top, since modcloth was nice enough to name it the calivintage dress! but it’s a dress in a collection of many other awesome pieces from dear creatures spring/summer 2010 that i just had to share with you. this year was the first time i actually got my hands on one of their pieces, and i have to tell you, i was not disappointed. the fabric and construction is strong and sturdy and the cut of the dress is perfectly flattering, so i’m definitely going to be keeping my eye out for some of the other pieces when they come out. in particular, that precious sailor collar romper!

and just for fun, here are a couple little bonus shots of another way i wore the dress. since after i got it, i’ve probably worn it 5 times already!

fashion forestry: hats and hearts
i’ve been following this lovely lady for quite some time. she has the most eclectic collection of vintage hats, accessories, clothes, shoes, you name it. i seriously want her to take me shopping or to design me some pretty dresses. if you aren’t familiar with her blog, you must take a peek at her extraordinary ensembles.

the velvet bird: white dress, wardrobe wednesdays, and zooey
i can’t believe i hadn’t been following her blog until now! anja posted this dress on tumblr the other day and i was instantly in love. she actually altered a much larger vintage dress and transformed it into the most adorable white spring mini dress. i really wish she was selling it, because it would be mine in a heartbeat, but instead i will admire it from afar.

on the racks: spring in my step
i recently discovered this blog, which is actually written by another local girl in san francisco. i love this fun and quirky ensemble she put together, with the perfect vintage topper! the colors and textures are absolutely divine. i’m definitely going to be watching this one from now on!

vintagevirgin: accessories
another recent discovery, this girl has some bold style. i love how she pulled together all of these fun elements into a perfectly wearable style. she’s got a hat, a bow, knee socks, and pigtails, yet it’s not over the top. i’m definitely going to be taking style tips from this lovely lady.

hannah and landon: cult salad snacks
another favorite, i am very pleased to see that hannah has started an online vintage shop. i have had my eye on so many of her incredible vintage finds, that i’m beyond excited to see that some of those pieces might make their way into her new etsy shop. and doesn’t she look absolutely beautiful in those pale blue stripes?

today i thought i’d share with you some of the items on my spring shopping list. this spring, whenever i try to create a definitive list of my favorite moods and trends , i get this feeling that perhaps i don’t really have much direction…. so i’ve been focusing on individual pieces that i really really know that i want and then hope that everything else will fall into place.

so let’s begin:

spring dresses: this is pretty simple. the other day i watched a rather bizarre movie starring peter sellers called i love you, alice b. toklas. the female love-interest and hippie love child with the great brownie baking skills, nancy, wore several adorable little hippie frocks that basically inspired me to add a few to my wardrobe. i like the updated take on this look from these two dresses i found at urban outfitters.

handbag: i recently realized that my purse collection consists of only vintage coach purses. this is not a problem, but they’re all worn and torn and tattered and i wouldn’t mind something a little bit more simple and modern. annabel recently posted a picture of this clare vivier messenger tote on her tumblr and i’m smitten! though instead of buying it, i think i’m going to be commissioning my friend with an industrial sewing machine to custom design one for me!

jeans: i’m pretty much on a constant search for the perfect pair of high rise skinny jeans. but whenever i think i’ve found them, something else pops up or i change my mind about what would actually make them perfect, and the search continues. i have a feeling that what this means is that i really just prefer the hunt more than the prize when it comes to clothes. but for the sake of this post, i’ll tell you that my ideal jeans are the j brand 210 oslo jeans in indigo. unfortunately, they’re out of stock and rather expensive at $187, so i’m holding myself over with two pairs of high rise cigarette jeans from urban outfitters.

socks and sandals: you guys already know about my infatuation with this look. i was tumbling so many pictures of socks and stockings yesterday that i felt a little concerned about looking like a fetishist. but whatevs, i like the look for spring. so besides the oh so desirable swedish hasbeens, i just read about hansel from basel socks over at fashion for writers and i think i need those little strawberry top crew socks! they’re reversible, too.

tank top: well, stripes and nautical themes will always be in fashion as far as i’m concerned and this pretty little bb dakota tank top looks like it will be just perfect paired with jeans, shorts, and cute little skirts. can’t go wrong!

i know this is a style blog and all, but for some reason, i never really write about beauty. i suppose one reason is that i don’t think women should have to feel like they need to wear makeup to look good. and another reason is that i just don’t think it’s nearly as interesting to write about makeup as it is to write about fashion and style. but it is a part of my daily routine nonetheless, so today i decided to write a bit about it!

i recently decided (for the millionth time) that i should start using more eco-friendly, non-toxic, non-comedogenic products on my skin. i suppose the reasons for that are pretty obvious, but it’s a hard rule to stick to when the beauty products sold at the drug store are far less expensive. and when the beauty products sold at department stores have such pretty packages, and conspicuous consumption lures me to buy fancy things. but i’ve found a happy medium in tarte cosmetics because they come in fancy packages but they aren’t nearly as expensive as chanel. so i managed to find all of my favorite products for my daily routine: oil-free tinted moisturizer, concealer, eye brightener, cheek stain, mascara, and liquid eyeliner. i’ve been using them for about 2 weeks now and have zero complaints with the switch!

and while browsing the tarte blog, i was also reminded of my need to switch over to some less toxic nail polishes as well. i was rather enticed by the deborah lippman polishes in creamy peach and putty grey, but i wasn’t convinced by the $20 price tag. and then i remembered no miss, a non-toxic polish that they used to sell at my old natural foods store. a quick search through the colors and i found plenty of chalky pastels, perfect for spring.

perhaps because i was just having a little fun entertaining the idea of a little pin-up photo shoot, i found myself rather attracted to these pretty vintage-inspired looks from an editorial in issue #112 of numero magazine. rasa zukauskaite by luciano val and franco musso. i’m particularly enamored with the amazing hair and makeup, but i’m also coveting some of those sheer black tops with poodle puffs as aptly compared in the image of a little ceramic poodle. i actually recently bought a sheer pink 1950’s blouse with similar little puffs and ruffles and have yet to figure a way to wear it. yet.

images via fashion gone rogue as scanned by carla-a at the fashion spot.

a thought is the blossom: playful girls playing dress up
if you have not seen these fun group photo shoots over at a thought is a blossom, then i suggest you hop on over and check them out. so many adorable ladies donning pretty vintage clothes, prancing around and having a blast. it’s got me excited to try coordinating a shoot of my own with some of my friends!

variacje: lodz cycle chic
alright, so this photo is not from last week or even the week before, but i just recently discovered this blog via tumblr. i can’t remember who posted about her, but i’m glad they did whoever it was! i’m in the market for a vintage bike to ride around town, so my eye has been drawn towards fashionable ladies riding equally fashionable bikes!

trop rouge: hometown walks
i just discovered this cool blog today while browsing through lookbook and i’m already in love. christina really knows how to rock a mini dress with over the knee socks. and she’s got the cutest pair of vintage coach buckle oxfords. i seriously need to get myself a pair like that!

dear beatrice: the daylight eludes me
i’ve been appreciating all of the outfits over at dear beatrice lately, but this week i was perfectly smitten with the classic pairing of knee high socks with those adorable t-strap flats and beautiful vintage-inspired dress that she scored at anthropologie on sale for only $40!

style like u: twisted classic – the khaki pant – day 2
i’ve been really enjoying the twisted classics over at on of my favorite style blogs, style like u. you might be familiar with the site for publishing video interviews with fashionable people. it’s the kind of site that sucks me in every time i visit, and i find myself entranced by the wardrobes and personalities of all the people on the site. but this week, i was head over heels for the cool and easy styling of these khaki pants!

esther from the sticks: rainy day sailor fun
i discovered this beautiful photograph after rosemud posted it on her tumblr, and i just had to post it this week because not only am i bike hunting, but i’m obsessed with sailor collars. and well, this lady has composed the perfect picture with both of these!