Hello, hello I'm back again!!

Did you miss me? I've been MIA but have a good excuse as of late! I, along with my friend Danielle rescued a two week old kitten! We were at the Stockton flea market last week and there he was, laying in a cardboard box in desperate need of mother's milk. We sped off on a mission of mercy, buying kitten formula and stopping at the spca for guidance. A foster effort quickly became an adoption as my husband and I welcome the wee tabby boy into our home where Garloo will have two big brothers and a big sister too! He's a pound of fun and got in on the action for my latest outfit post!! The Mod Male himself requested a photo of my scalloped jacket as he posted a similar outfit on his blog recently. So here it is, and if you wanna git down with some killer mod men style, you know where to click!
60s Penelope of Carmel suede jacket, thrifted many years ago $3
60s wet look mini dress, ebay many years ago $25
60s-70s thigh high suede boots, ebay many years ago $40
60s Pucci velvet purse, ebay two years ago, $200
60s Italian sunglasses, ebay last year, $40
Bakelite ring, a few weeks ago at the Sacramento Antique Fair, $45

The right place at the right time

Many a weekend is spent by my husband and I trolling for vintage treasures, hitting up garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets alike. A few years ago a neighborhood garage sale proved especially fruitful, as I scored one of my most valuable vintage designer pieces by none other than Rudi Gernreich! I had found some wonderful items at this woman’s sale and was chatting with her about them. She was happy I liked her old things so much and that I actually intended to wear them. She then remembered that there was another bag in the basement she wanted me to look at too. Her husband went and grabbed it and in addition to about 30 more great pieces was the Rudi. She asked $20 for the lot and of course I didn’t bargain! She even took down my contact info in case she found more stuff! I kept hoping she would call but she never did. And now I have an amazing piece of her history to treasure always! Check out Couture Allure's post on Rudi, and the killer dress she has listed for sale right now!
Rudi Gernreich dress, less than $1 at a yard sale several years ago
Charles Jourdan gold boomerang heel sandals, $100 ebay last year
Purple suede purse, $8 thrifted yesterday at SPCA thrift   

It takes a village...

to raise a drunk! Here’s an example of buying someone else something you really want to keep working out really well! I bought this Roach deadstock iron on for my husband several years ago. I was going to have it put on a t shirt for him but he could tell I really wanted it so he said I should put it on a shirt for myself. I’m glad I got to keep it cuz I think the village drunk is really cool, and people always tell me how much they like him when I wear it. Plus, since my husband doesn’t drink too much it would be false advertising, but when I wear it fair warning!

Repro lace up suede boots, $80 Urban Outfitter’s clearance a few years ago
Orange leather belt, $25 bought in Florence 6 years ago
70s orange Baruffaldi racer sunglasses, $1 thrifted several years ago
80s children’s acid wash jacket, $.50 thrifted
Contemporary corduroy skirt, $4 thrifted
Repro ringer tshirt with vintage 70s village drunk t shirt iron on $30

Bitch Switch (Flipped!)

I’m doin a don’t and you know I will even though some won’t!! I’m defiantly wearing these sandals again after I received unsolicited advice that they were all wrong in my last outfit post via a stranger in a facebook group. Stranger sez: “Love the dress and the price you eventually got it for, but the shoes seem too heavy for the fabric and dress style. I'd try dusty purple or olive green green or light brown pumps, ballet slippers, or sandals with very thin straps and beading. The dress is boho style so think boho shoes. A look is not just about the garment, it's also the accessories. hugz”. The fallacy of this person's argument is her assumption that I’m hoping to approximate a trendy nuevo boho look or to please strangers. I’m a personal style blogger cuz I want to share my personal style, not because I seek sartorial critique. So to this person’s comment I responded: “I like the shoes with the outfit, but to each their own.” So here’s to owning your look, whether or not it rings someone else’s bell!
Clod hopper sandals, MIA seen in previous post
70s dress $25, ebay several years ago
70s Avon pendant, $6 thrifted a few years ago

Lady in waiting

When I read about the Celia Birtwell line for Express in 2008 I was skeptical but intrigued. As I work within walking distance to the mall which had (has?) an Express store I popped in for a look. I liked the fit of the dress and the print, and the quality was not as bad as I thought it would be but I wasn’t kickin down $128 either. I jotted down a note for things I look for on ebay and forgot about it. Then about a year later I looked for it online and found it brand new for $30 including shipping. I threw down the low bid and no one else jumped in. I’ve worn it a few times since, it’s nice and cool for the sweaty dance night I had planned. If I find something new I like I will lie in wait for it to pop up on ebay for cheap as this dress did. I’d love to get an original someday but wouldn’t have worn it with as much drunken abandon as I wore this repro Saturday night!
Celia Birtwell silk chiffon dress (2008 reproduction) $30 ebay a few years ago
70s Sarah Coventry pendant, $15 ebay several years ago
Mia platform sandals, ebay $65 including shipping last year
70s sunglasses, made in Italy, $8 Sacramento Antique Fair last week
eight ball zucchini squash and lil oranges, growing in my garden

A little less conversation…

...a little more action!! This is my homage to the King, as Elvis rocked the jumpsuit like no other! I wish I had a custom tailored Nudie like rock royalty, but my 70s wet look jumpsuit will have to do. I’m a sucker for studs so I added this studded belt and my 70s studded jacket. Of course I needed to top it all off with my 70s Cool Ray Polaroid sunglasses! These are perennial favorites of mine, the frame style is called fastback. And when I wear them old ladies always like to tell me Elvis wore sunglasses like those, like I don't know that already!!  
70s wet look jumpsuit and 70s Cool Ray Polaroid sunglasses, thrifted cheaply a long time ago
70s studded jacket, last seen here
60s gold stiletto boots, $50 ebay several years ago
studded brass and plastic belt, free with purchase at a vintage clothing sale last year
Sally Hansen gold glitter nail decals, $7 at the drugstore, these rock!

My checkered past

I'd better check myself, I've been known to wreck my budget with one of a kind "must have" items! I have a special spot in my heart for these black and white checkered sunglasses. Even though I had previously scored a kinda similar red and black pair for $20 including shipping on ebay, I still ponied up $65 dollars for this pair at the "boutique" counter at eco thrift several years ago. I couldn't let them go, as they were:
1. made in France, super high quality
2. deadstock and in perfect condition, no wear or scratches to be found
3. a perfect fit and flattering
4. I'd never seen another pair like 'em
But then a few months later, back in 2009 when I had started and quit blogging almost immediately and I was just a blog stalker and didn't make my presence known, I ran across Wendy Brandes's post wearing a very similar pair. I thought, wow, maybe I should bring my blog back from the dead so I could share this kind of rad stuff with like minded peeps. It took me quite a while after that but here I am, wearing said shades and so happy to show and tell!
60s sunglasses, $65 thrifted several years ago
60s psychedelic checkered dress, $5 thrifted several years ago and altered
60s white go go boots, $75 ebay (deadstock!)last year
60s orange and white choker, $15 etsy
80s checkered earrings, $1 thrifted last year

Something new…

…to me anyway! I forget sometimes that because others don’t share my out with the new philosophy, when I am stoked to have something “new” I really mean old. Ok, I’ll admit I do buy some items new and underwear immediately comes to mind! But for clothing and furniture in particular, I’d rather knock some dust off than throw away a bunch of toxic plastic packaging and have a poorly made, cookie cutter item. Ikea and H and M, I’m looking at you! Anyways, I am debuting a few “new” items that arrived this week that I won on ebay. This dress is especially appealing to me as the seller described it as being made by her mother many years ago. It’s a designer original! I love to imagine the lady picking out her fabric, deciding on the cut, and making the hem so very short!! It pairs nicely with my dangly necklace, and landing both items for $20 from the comfort of my home computer was rather nice indeed. But how do you think my new old items go with my old old items?
60s homemade psychedelic dress $15 ebay last week
60s white n gold dangly necklace $5 ebay last week
Sheer plum tights, 50 cents thrift store bin last week
Banana Republic plum boots, $40 ebay several years ago
70s furry brown hat, $25 ebay several years ago
60s sunglasses, made in Italy, gift from Stanimal many years ago

Pucci Dress in Distress!!

When I first saw it, I was instantly enthralled! An ebay listing for a Pucci nightgown featuring only a few very small and very blurry photos. But it was not a Pucci for formfit rogers poly night gown, for it was made in Italy and 100% silk!! The auction started out at a mere $9.99, and I knew I wanted that dress! It had a huge hole in the bottom of the skirt, and holes at the bottom of the sleeves, what that dear dress had been through was anyone’s guess! It looked like it had been chewed up and spit out by some rabid creature! I messaged the seller a few hours before the listing ended asking for measurements and the exact location of the holes. His response instilled enough confidence in me to place a bid, and I battled one other bidder in the last 30 seconds, jumping my winning bid up to $75. When it arrived I was ecstatic, as the damage was below areas I could have hemmed into a mini with ¾ length sleeves. I practically ran to my tailor and shared my vision for the dress with her, and she made the magic happen. From there it was off to the cleaners, it had a few spots but no underarm stains (a minor miracle with vintage silk!) and voila! She’s not perfect, and I wouldn’t have altered her if not for the substantial damage, but I’m glad I was able to resuscitate the poor abused dress!!

60s era Emilio Pucci silk dress, altered. $75 ebay last year (another $20 for alterations and cleaning)
60s stiletto pumps, traded at Cheap Thrills Vintage several years ago also seen here
Hue tights, $8 macys last year
60s sunglasses, $20 ebay a few years ago
60s silver purse, $5 Sierra 2 flea market about 5 years ago
Giant spuntnik necklace someone made out of a 60s brooch glued to an 80s choker , $3 weird little thrift store in South Sacramento a few years ago
Rings, bracelets, ebay and flea market finds, $5-$20 each

I'm double down with denim!!

Double denim, the "texas tuxedo". I gotta admit I've been committing this particular fashion faux pas for awhile now, blissfully unaware that it is in fact considered a "don't"! Not that doin' a "don't" has ever stopped me before! I wear a vast array of jean jackets constantly, and this 70s child's toughskins jacket has been in heavy rotation for years. I couldn't button it closed if my life depended on it but that's fine by me, better to show off my shirt and vintage pendant!! The jean skirt is built by Wendy for Wrangler, but I built this entire outfit for Wendy Brandes as she is currently rounding up images of double denim duds!
70s child's toughskins jacket , thrifted cheaply many years ago
Jean skirt, Built by Wendy for Wrangler, purchased half off at Crossroads TC $7.50 several years ago
Gray tights, hue $8 Macy's last year
Purple turtleneck top, Michael Stars, $4 thrifted last year
70s Snake print boots, $40 ebay several years ago
70s Sarah Coventry pendant, $15 ebay several years ago
70s sunglasses, thrifted long ago last seen here

A Lunatic in Fringe!

Several years ago when I was cheerfully wasting many hours searching ebay for vintage treasures, I happened upon this fringe top/dress. It was love at first sight, and I put my bid in immediately. As the auction end drew near, I hovered over the computer and put in another bid at the last minute to make sure she was gonna be mine. But I needn’t have worried as I was the only bidder, bagging this lovely frock for $20. When I was communicating with the seller about shipping and such she told me, “this dress was at Woodstock, it was in a magazine too.” So of course, being thrilled, I asked if she was the one wearing it and what magazine was it featured in? She never responded, and soon stopped selling on ebay (as I of course kept checking back to see what else she may list!!) Then, fast forward a few years later and Stanimal and I were at a flea market and he found the magazine and the photo, but the vendor, noting our obvious enthusiasm, wanted too much money for a poorly preserved copy. So when we got home we googled the image and voila!! So, the mystery will never be fully revealed but this dress may or may not have been to Woodstock!!
60s dress, $20 ebay several years ago
70s leather boots, free from Stanimal's best friend a few years ago
Necklace and earrings set, $25 ebay last year
70s dress under "woodstock" dress, thrifted cheaply several years ago

Thrifty Scores for the Win?!

Upon hearing that I could enter a contest sponsored by Thrift Town AND show off a thrifted outfit AND have a chance to win a $75 gift card, I was freakin’ stoked! Sacramento is fortunate enough to have three TT locations, all of which I visit frequently. And I have once been to the San Francisco location, and although it was many years ago I still have the dress I bought. The official rules state that the outfit doesn’t have to be 100% thrifted, but I was able to use four parts thrift town scores to one part ebay and one part Sacramento antique fair. I hope this formula impresses Juniper James, a local blogger whom I had the pleasure to meet recently and who also does the TT blog. Fingers crossed!! This was a fun outfit to build whether or not I win!! But I can’t stop dreaming of the rad stuff I can buy with $75 at thrift town, cuz that money will definitely go a long way there!!

60s brown boots, 4.99 Thrift Town, several years ago
home sewn dress, 3.99 Thrift Town, a few months ago
contemporary pink blouse, 3.99 Thrift Town a few weeks ago
brown tights, new in package, .69 Thrift Town, a few months ago
60s pink furry hat, $10 Sacramento Antique Fair last year
orange furry boa, $25 ebay a few years ago

Call Me Annimal!

As a rabid MC5 fan I am hard pressed to state whether I love them most for their original aura, insanely rockin music or thought provoking lyrics. Since I can’t decide I which attribute is best it’s gonna have to be a three way tie! And I’m very fortunate to be named Ann as they recorded two songs with my name in the title, Sister Ann and Call Me An(n)imal! Today’s tribute annsemble is dedicated to the MC5, but basically every rock-god-goddess-super-hero image I endeavor to embody has some motor city flavor sprinkled on top!

Studded jacket (without matching pants), $25 ebay several years ago
red, white and blue leather belt, $1 deseret thrift several years ago
levis jean skirt, $15 ebay several years ago
hang ten t shirt, $7 from Bella aka Citizen Rosebud (the day I first met her, awww)!!!
silver leather boots, $20 ebay several years ago
60s sunglasses, made in Italy $20 ebay several years ago

Hello Yellow!

I was super excited to receive my order of these yellow tights from we love colors hoping they would match my beloved yellow leather go go boots. Starting with a sunny foundation on my legs, I then busted out my hiding elephant dress, which I thrifted about 10 years ago at the now defunct Northgate thrift store. Man I miss that thrift store!! I bought some of my very favorite vintage items there. I even bought a Burberry camel peacoat for $3.80, which I wore for years and then sold on ebay 2 years ago for $300 (someone took the buy it now bait less than 24 hours after I listed it!), and my first ever thrifted Pucci, A 60s wool vivara print blouse for 80 cents which I had dry cleaned for $3 and then sold on ebay for $286.00. The same organization has another thrift store located on Fruitridge Blvd in Sacramento and it’s okay, but there was something extra special about Northgate thrift. It makes me grateful to have been able to shop there so long ago, and wish I had a time machine to go back to the 90s and shop there again!
60s vintage sunglasses, made in France, $1 garage sale 10 years ago
elephant print dress, Northgate thrift store, 80 cents 10 years ago
60s yellow leather go go boots, $50 ebay 5 years ago
ab cha cha bracelet, $16 crimson and clover last year
blue cha cha bracelet, $10 ebay last year
adjustable rings, ebay a few years ago $5-$10 each
yellow tights, we love colors, $10 last week
Nauga monsters, Stanimal thrifted over 10 years ago, priceless

Rudi Gernreich dress meets Emilio Pucci tights

When I won these Emilio Pucci for Wolford tights last year on ebay I had a feeling that they may pair well with my beloved Rudi Gernreich dress. I put them together and it was instant harmony, or perhaps cacophony depending on your point of view. This is a new favorite annsemble of mine. Is it something you would love to rock or maybe an outfit you wouldn’t be caught dead in? Do tell!!
Emilio Pucci for Wolford tights, $60 ebay last year
60s Rudi Gernreich dress, gift from Stanimal a few years ago $200 ebay
Love Things doll and vintage mirror, thrifted last year $1 each
Pink shoes with orange laces, $15 ebay a few years ago
Orange and white polka dot sunglasses, $10 deadstock on ebay a few years ago
rings and bracelets, ebay and flea market finds $5-$20 each
opal ring, gift from Stanimal several years ago
Fang the cat, came with our house purchased in 2000, priceless