Monster Vintage

Iconic Fridays: Leather and Lace, Part 2

Sally — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:14:39 +0000

I promised you two icons today loves, and I am nothing if not kinda reliable. For the lace edition, I have the stunning and graceful beauties of Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides. The Lisbon sisters, headed by Lux Lisbon (played by Kirsten Dunst), are as delicate as lace itself. Fragile, lovely, ladylike and perhaps with a bit of a conservative stigma attached. Set in the 70’s in a small town, the lives of the Lisbons was tragic and romantic at the same time. Enjoy the inspiration below!

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Click here to shop Monster Vintage Dresses.

xoxo,
Sally “Doily” Mulligan

Iconic Fridays: Leather and Lace, Part 1

Sally — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:26:44 +0000

I was bad last week, my peeps. I offered no style icons for you to worship. Shame on me. BUT I’m here to make it up to you with double the style iconography so that you will love me again!
This edition of Iconic Fridays is dedicated to Kara who describes my personal style as “goody two shoes with a dirty mouth”- Leather and Lace.
First I have some leather for ya (or “leathuh,” as I have taken to calling it), best exemplefied by the hardcore badasses from Easy Rider. In the sixties, leather was king, even for vegan hippies! Back then, being proud to be an American and being rock n’ roll were one and the same (Jimi Hendrix and the Star Spangled Banner?!). Tough and luxurious, leather makes a statement. And these guys make me want to go home and listen to some Synard!

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Click here to shop for Vintage Motorcycle Gear.

xoxo,
Sally “T-Bone” Mulligan

Rare Finds, Part 3

Sally — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:53:05 +0000

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This little baby is AMAZING, especially given my affinity for military and marching band jackets. She’s designer, and from the 80’s and dripping with GOLD! And padded, embellished shoulders? Come ON! So fresh and modern still, considering that Philip Lim, Balmain and Marc Jacobs have all done reworked military jackets in recent years. It’s very “In loving memory of Michael Jackson,” dontcha think?
The price tag for this baby is pushing $500, which is still less than it’s modern designer counterparts and a very lovely find!
xoxo,
Sally “Forward March” Mulligan

$35,000 Levi’s!!!

King Velour — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:01:35 +0000

On Ebay right now there is a pair of Levi’s 201s from the 1890’s going for a whopping thirty five thousand dollars!!! Relatively speaking, that’s not the most a pair of vintage Levi’s has sold for. Last time a pair of Levi Strauss jeans (501) from the same period went on sale on the site in 2005, they fetched a price of $60,000!
So my advice to you is: ask your grandparents if they still have their old Levi’s from back in the day, because they could potentially be worth as much as a brand new Corvette! Crazy!
For Levi’s in a much more reasonable price range, click on the picture above.

Happy Veteran’s Day!

Sally — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:42:46 +0000

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Thank you to all of those who have and are serving our country!
xoxo,
Sally

Insta-Outfit

Sally — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:01:56 +0000

To piggyback Joni’s post, I too have always been a fan off the illustrious concert tee/wrestling tee/wildlife tee, but these black cotton treasures have always caused a bit of a conundrum for me: How can I wear this and look cute rather than careless? When the most mesmerizing t-shirt finds don’t always come in a flattering, fitted size, it can be quite a challenge.
A few weeks ago, though, inspired by a passing cyclist, I put together this little en-semb, consisting of:

1) A big, black Samhain tee
2) Some skinny-ish jeans
3) A vest
4) A good pair of boots

Success! With the right ingredients, you too can pull off a boyfriend-ish shirt!
Start with any black t-shirt. Black tee = automatically bad ass. (Though you’d be hard pressed to find anything more bad ass than this electrified Diamond Rio tee.) Slim jeans and a vest, like this vintage velvet number, can give some shape and structure to an otherwise oversized garment. Be sure to leave a button or two undone though, to properly exhibit your shirt’s undoubtedly awesome graphic. The length of the shirt lets you conveniently conceal the inevitable skinny jean muffin top, while the the recently resurfaced rolled t-shirt sleeve trend lets you show off your guns. Slip on some cute flats or a pair of commandeering boots and you’ve got yourself an outfit. So long as you don’t go crazy with your color palette, you can do no wrong.

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Voila! My personal favorite of the fall!
-Annie

Fur-ocious furs!

Sally — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:01:43 +0000

As the skies turn gray and your nose turns pink your clothing can often be the only thing that brings a little fun and life to a drab winter day, as well as to your freezing body. Nothing is more fun and feminine than fur. Vintage fur coats, sweaters and accessories not only keep you toasty but add style to your look without harming more of our furry little friends.

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Whether it’s faux or authentic fur has a style and appeal that has made it a permanent symbol of elegance and class. From Marilyn Monroe to Mae West fur could be seen hanging from the shoulders and framing the faces of the world’s most glamorous and iconic women. The average gal mightn’t have been able to afford one then but times have changed at MonsterVintage.com, and nowadays any posh girl with a computer can look like a leading lady.
-Rich

Top 5 Tuesdays: Party Time Excellent!

Sally — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:58:45 +0000

Yes, yes, my dears, it is without a doubt that time of year again. It’s chilly out, you have a sudden craving for hot cocoa or hot toddies, and you can’t go to the store without them hocking Christmas wares in your face. That’s right: it’s party time. Christmas shopping, party planning, it all eludes me. Except, that is, when it comes to finding the perfect party ensemble. Not to toot my own horn, but when it somes to getting dressed for a fiesta, normally I find my dream outfit first, then help one or all of my friends find theirs. This year, I’d be happy to help you out too. It is with this in mind that I give you this week’s Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite Monster Vintage Party Dresses.

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Give your little black dress a break this holiday season and go for a seasonless white dress, like this 1960’s number. It’s lighweight (and perfect for layering over some tights and under your favorite winter coat) and has lovely beading, perfect for a all night affair.
The second dress is so simple, yet far from boring. Very 1940’s. Very versatile and can be classed up for a family party with tights and flats or worn barelegged and bling-ed out for a cocktail event. And that bow is just the sweetest thing!
For those of you all too happy to banish basic black and stand out at a party, the third dress, from the 50’s is perfect for you. More versatile than you might think, it would look perfect with a neutral cardigan and some boots for a more understated look.
The fourth dress is even more gorgeous in person, shiny yet flattering, and a breathtaking shade of winter blue. The little tiny bow at the neckline has pretty rhinestone details, making this dress perfect for any evening event. Very film noir vixen!
The last dress is subtle yet stunning, definitely an overachiever. It has tiny gold leaves printed all over. Definitely special enough to stand alone without too much effort… Love the 40’s silhouette!

So what have we learned today, sweeties? First off, I obviously have a soft spot for 1940’s dresses…
But more importantly, if you are trying to get more mileage out of your party dresses this winter, go for versatility. With tights, without. Layered with a lovely cardigan or even a tuxedo jacket. Heels, flats, jewelry, different purses. All that good stuff. And if you don’t already have these items in your closet… well we have bigger problems. But you should be able to find a dress or two that already goes with things you own. Don’t go broke this holiday season!*
There are so many choices, I had a tough time choosing just five. You can shop Monster Vintage dresses here, or here if you’re feeling really fancy.

xoxo,
Sally “Party Over Here” Mulligan

*Unless you’re buying me that pony I always wanted…

Vintage Sizing FYI

Sally — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:09:31 +0000

Phew! If I have learned anything since I started working for Monster Vintage, it’s that sizing vintage clothing is hard. Super hard. The thing is, sizing is hard enough. While there is somewhat of a standard, designers and clothing manufacturers can call whatever they feel like a “Large.” Throw the fact that people were a lot smaller back in the day into the mix, and you have quite a job on your hands!
Here’s the thing that we should be doing as vintage shoppers: measuring ourselves carefully and thoroughly. Especially if you are shopping online, your own measurements are the most important thing (except maybe how awesome that Scorpion tee really is). You also need to stop and really look at the garment you are drooling over: Is it stretchy? Is it meant to be worn fitted or loose? Is it lined or will I have to wear something underneath? We provide as much information on the matter as possible, because we know how much it sucks to wait for something awesome to come in the mail only to rip the box open and find out it doesn’t fit.

And, of course, we’re here for moral support, so if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us (support@monstervintage.com) or here. No, seriously. We get it all the time. Is this itchy? Can you meaure it again just in case? We even have people call asking us to look for stuff for them for theme parties and gifts and stuff. Go ahead, feel special! That’s what we’re here for!Don’t you feel better already? We’re working on some helpful videos on sizing right now that will talk you through the whole process, top to bottom. In the meantime, just give us a ring! Or a whatever… we miss the sweet sound of your voice!
xoxo,
Sally “Measures Up” Mulligan

Style Icon Friday: Mama Mia

Sally — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:02:39 +0000

Everyone with functioning eyeballs knows that Mia Farrow in any fashion incarnation rules them all. But 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby was her absolute peak of style icon-ness. When Rosemary went to the salon and chopped half her hair off, so did the rest of America. So today I present to you the look that launched a thousand pixie cuts: Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby.

There was something undeniably feminine yet chic about Mia’s wardrobe in this film. Very classy but girly and undeniably sixties. There are so many dresses at monstervintage.com right now that perfectly embody this look, no Satanic spawn necessary!

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Classic dresses that would fit in absolutely anywhere today! Click here to shop dresses from Monster Vintage.
xoxo,
Sally “Devil Child” Mulligan