I haven’t shared any vintage fashion finds lately, so I guess it’s time to head over to Etsy…

Lady Grunge Vintique has a Vintage Gauze White Mexican Tent Dress for $45. Ooh, this looks fresh, pretty, and comfy - just what I’m looking for in a Summer dress. It doesn’t list a size or year, so if you want the specifics, you can contact the seller. Lovely dress, though, and it says that is in “excellent” condition.

I know that people usually equate shoulder pads and neon colors with  ’80s fashion,  but this Floral Mini reminds me of the sweeter side of the clothing of the era. It’s a size Medium and in excellent condition. It features ruffles, a flared skirt, button-up front, and a belt tie. It’s listed in the Midnight Flight shop for $32. 

My girlfriends and I used to call these vintage Leather Sandals, “Regulars.”  As in, My Regular Sandals. They would start out all stiff and you’d get them wet to soften the leather. Over time they would grow more and more comfortable. I sure wish I wore a size 7, because then I’d snatch up this pair. I just showed them to my teenage daughter and she loved them.  If you’ve got $20, then this pair from Cocomio could be yours.

Image 1 credit:  Lady Grunge Vintique at Etsy

Image 2 credit:  Midnight Flight at Etsy

Image 3 credit:  Cocomio at Etsy

Rikrak at Etsy carries items made out of sustainable fabrics. The fabrics have different personalities - sweet, classic, and bold. I’ve been looking all over Etsy for something for my daughter’s 17th birthday and this might be what I’ve been looking for. 

There’s a cute vintage quilted fabric wallet and clutch set that you can get for $31. The fabric choices are here, much to chose from, but a few sold out. The clutch purse measures 10 inches wide by 5 inches high. You can chose between snap closure or a vintage button. The fabric wallet or “card cozy” is 5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high.

* wow! you’ll be the sustainable talk of the town with this fabulous repurposed vintage fabric purse & wallet combo from rikrak!

* first, there’s the wallet/card cozy …your business cards, or plastic cards, or money money money will just look *great* in this little wallet!

* then you ALSO get a gorgeous quilty clutch purse - sensational, stylin’ & sustainable!

 

Image credit: Rikrak shop at Etsy.com

Do you use Twitter? 

Yeah, I know, probably sick of hearing about Twitter, but I have an account and through this account, I’ve connected with some pretty interesting Vintage Clothing shops.

Both of the sites before use eBay to sell their lovely vintage finds. The selection is varied and reasonably priced. Interested? I thought you might be…..

Vintage Party Dresses offers a variety of dresses. Party dresses, prom dresses, cocktail dresses, little black dresses…even dresses for Barbie.

I am a big dress fan. My favorite style - a wrap. I think it’s my mom’s influence. She used to whip up the cutest wrap dresses on her little Singer. 

Another place to look for vintage is Panda’s Vintage shop, also at eBay. Currently I see clothing from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Plus a cute mod style hat  that looks like something Twiggy would have worn.

Check out these shops. If you know of a good place to shop vintage, please let me know and I’ll share it with the  other Pretty By Nature readers.

Image credit: Chase Your Bliss Photography

The Shaggy Baggy Shop at Etsycarries some of the cutest bags made from re-purposed burlap coffee bags. Currently, there are20 different styles of totes and shoulder bags available. All bags are one of a kind, crafted from a combination of new, recycled, and vintage fabrics.

Here’s an example of a large tote bag. The exterior is a burlap coffee bag and the interior is durable cotton.

Shaggy Coffee Tote
$47

Image credit: Shaggy Baggy Shop at Etsy.com

Enamore is a company that designs and produces cute and sexy lingerie made from sustainable, vintage, and organic materials. They are located in the UK and all UK orders ship free. The online catalog is full of cute modernized pin-ups, classic pin-up girls, fully tattooed. These are not your grandpa’s pin-up girls.

I have some cute sets for you to look at. Please excuse the small picture size, I was unable to grab a bigger size, but if you click on the links, you can see them larger.

Bedrock Betty Bra and Knicker Set.

 Cute set made of bamboo jersey, with a leopard print. The bra is a soft-type bra, but Enamore will be carrying bras with underwire at the end of the year.

Bamboo Parfait Camisole and Short Gift Box 

Black bamboo trimmed with pink. The camisole is cut on the bias. Included in the gift box is a matching garter. Oo la la.

Rockin Ruby Range Chemise 

Ruby chemise made from stretchy soya/cotton jersey. I love the deep, richness of this color.  This item is currently on sale.

Image Credit: Enamore

Ashley Watson makes beautiful handbags and wallets out of recycled leather. I’m a fan of big slouchy-type bags and Ashley Watson is an expert at just that sort of bag. In addition to the recycled leather, these eco-friendly bags are lined with hemp/cotton twill.

Here are few of her newest bags….

Large Teal, charcoal-colored bag, measures 17″x18″ with two inside pockets. Choice of long or short straps.

Small Teal, bright blue bag, measures 15.5″x16″ with two inside pockets. Choice of long or short straps.

Parulla, gray bag, with outside pocket. Measures 13″x21″. This one is my favorite. I love the soft look of the recycled leather and the shape of the bag. The outside pockets would be perfect for stashing my phone and keys.

Image credit: Ashley Watson.net

Here are a couple more dresses for you to consider for your Green Wedding. They are both vintage dresses, from the Timeless Vixen Vintage shop, just like the dress that I shared with you the other day. 

Vintage dresses are a romantic touch, in addition to being green, because they represent the glamour of days gone by, perhaps a simpler time, and traditional values.  They are unique and while not cheap, they are priced well below the gowns that are produced today. That’s something to keep in mind when planning your overall wedding budget.

First up is a 1910’s Antique Vintage Breathtaking Edwardian Titanic White Mixed-Lace Couture Sheer Wedding Tea-Dress. The dress has lovely detailed lace and a matching camisole. It’s a tea-length dress. It is in excellent condition.

This next dress is incredible. 1930’s Antique Vintage Beaded Crepe Femme Fatale Bias-Cut Puff-Sleeve Wedding Gown Dress.  I would absolutely love to be married in this dress. The feminine cut of the dress, the bead work, the bodice with the darts…Oh, wow. What a dress. The back buttons and has a key-hole opening. It’s made of crepe and the beading is copper sequin and glass in the Art-Deco style. 

Image credit: Timeless Vixen Vintage’s shop at Etsy.com

I happened to find the Bionic Benz  shop when it was featured on the front page of Etsy.  I love the one-of-a-kind belt buckles Bionic Benz offered that are made from recycled materials. They have a cool quirkiness that appeals to me.

Take a look at this buckle, called Number 64. They buckle will fit any 1 inch to 1/2 inch thick or smaller snap belt. The buckle itself measures about 2×3 inches. It features an antiqued nickel base and the “64″ image is sealed so that you will be able to enjoy the belt for years to come.

Also of interest, the Yellow Cog buckle. It is the same dimensions as the Number 64, but features a yellow cog-like graphic.

Custom-made belt buckles with the photo or graphic of your choice are available.  The belt themselves are sold separately.  You can read an interview with John, of Bionic Benz at Etsy.

Image credit: Bionic Benzat Etsy.com

Summer is traditionally big for weddings and in the spirit of tradition, I’m going to present some green wedding ideas in the coming weeks. One of the easiest ways to go green with your wedding is to wear a vintage dress.  Here is one that I found today on Etsy.

Timeless Vixen Vintage’s Jacques Heim Couture Dress
$400

Classic glamour in a cocktail-length strapless dress. This dress features a trailing pink bow, a circle skirt, and a boned bodice.  It’s on the small side with a bust of 32-34 inches, waist up to 24 inches.

The dress has a designer label and was designed in the 1950’s by Jacques Heim, for Bonwit Teller.

I like that this dress has the bold trail of pink which fits very well with many of the modern wedding dresses that I’ve seen lately. A shot of color at the waist is very current. The short length gives it a young flair. I think this dress would be perfect for a garden ceremony.

Image credit: Timeless Vixen Vintageat Etsy.com

Here’s Part Two of my interview with jewelry designer Kyra Crilly of GhostShip. Kyra uses vintage sea glass, a found item, to craft gorgeous necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. GhostShip, Crilly’s shop is located at Etsy - a cyber mall for handmade, one of a kind items. If you missed Part One of the interview, then please click here.

PBN: The piece with the red glass…how do you go about designing a piece?

Kyra Crilly: Red sea glass is the rarest of them all. There is much speculation where red glass comes from, as commercial red glass is not produced much anymore. A red piece is found only once in five thousand pieces - and the thought is that it came from either ships signal lights or old vintage car lights (modern day car lights are made of plastic). Some sea glass collectors can go an entire lifetime without finding a red piece.

When I sit down to design a piece of jewelry, I first carefully inspect the sea glass I am about to use - I look at its shape, colour and any markings it may have.  The irregular pitting or ‘patina’ is made from nature - being tossed in the tides amongst the pebbles and rocks, which can’t be duplicated by a rock tumbler or hand sanding.

I try to highlight the beauty of each piece by using adornments such as pearls and filigree which have an element of nature and an ‘antiqued’ feeling about it.

Since sea glass is vintage, with each piece being at least decades old in age -  I naturally veered toward a vintage, Victorian style in my designs. I guess I’m just a romantic at heart.

And I love the fact that sea glass is eco-friendly - I wanted to show people that recycled jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive or utilitarian. I also love taking on custom designs, especially if someone has found their own sea glass pieces that they would like to use - as it’s the beach combing process that makes these gems so special.
*****

Thanks Kyra. I have really enjoyed learning about your process and I hope that the readers have enjoyed it, as well.

Image credit: GhostShipat Etsy.com