one of the many christmas surprises i received this year was quite unexpected but wholly appreciated. my mom gave me a brand new sewing machine! i’ve been talking to her about vintage patterns here and there; i always look for them at thrift stores and estate sales. i love vintage dresses, but it can be a huge challenge finding them, let alone in my size! especially when it comes to cotton house dresses from the 30’s or 40’s. they’re already very rare to find because these are the types of dresses women would have worn on a daily basis until they got holes and were tossed out. then, once i find them, they’re rarely in my size. solution: find a vintage pattern and make one yourself!

i actually have a sewing machine, but it’s seen better days. it’s my mom’s sewing machine from the 70’s. a very simple singer model, which has done me well for years. but sadly, i think it’s finally slipped past the point of repair. i guess i talked about it a lot, since my mom remembered and gave me a new one. so while i don’t tend to think too much about new year’s resolutions, i think that i’ll just have to resolve to start sewing more clothes in 2010. so besides all the vintage patterns i hope to begin acquiring, i’m also inspired by the patterns offered at colette patterns and built by wendy for simplicity! they’re vintage-inspired with a modern twist. ah, a whole new world has just opened up.

you guys, i just realized that i never posted about the collection that got me into fashion! prada, fall/winter 2000! i was a junior in high school when it came out and it was the first time that i became completely enraptured with a collection. i mean, i spent my fair share of time browsing through the standard fashion magazine offerings at the grocery store in suburbia, so i was well-versed in the trends, but i wasn’t one to follow trends at that age. i had already cultivated a fine sense for vintage and had a serious habit of visiting the thrift store by my house several times a week. not to mention the countless weekends spent cruising around looking for estate and yard sales with my friends. in short, i didn’t think of myself as being into fashion.

but thanks to the internet, i soon found myself browsing through collections on firstview. back then they had free access to way more content than they do now. i had seen the prada spring/summer 2000 collection with the lip prints and thought they were pretty cool, but when this particular collection came out, i almost died. in fact, i did die, and a new person was born. it will always stick in my mind. the chiffon dresses, the tucked in scarves, the fur stoles, and grosgrain ribbon belts… i was particularly obsessed with the dress in the first column, 3 down. i even went to south coast plaza to see if i could find it, convinced that i might actually go to prom if that were the dress. um, yeah. that never happened. i don’t regret that i was never interested in actually going to prom (and didn’t), but i do regret that i never got my hands on that dress.

anyway, this being a style blog and all, i figure many of you are probably into fashion. do you have a notable collection that got you inspired?

earlier this month, i compiled this set of inspiration photos featuring ladies sporting warm winter clothes. and since then, i’ve already compiled yet another collection. oh, the wonders of tumblr and an addiction to street style sites… so while i may not live in the coldest environment ever, i think i have sufficiently schooled myself in the art of keeping warm. all of these photos have taught me the importance of owning several different coats in all number of colors and shapes. and a close second to furs and scarves and tights.

too bad i waited so late in the season to acquire said items. i just barely ordered a nice brown coat from ben sherman and i’m expecting a pair of warm and cozy 210 denier tights any day now. haha, just in time for my trip to my hometown in southern california. i bet it’ll be 75 degrees there!

column a: ingrid sophie schram via altamira nyc via songofstyle, styleclicker, the thinking tank, copenhagen street style
column b: refinery 29, lÁ©a seydoux via the thinking tank , juliette h. via lookbook, cocorosa