There is style everywhere for those with the eyes to SEE
I went to the Manhattan Vintage Show
I read
’s Substack this week questioning whether shopping is a hobby. In my mind, shopping in its most literal form is a wasteful, consumerist, mind-numbing act not entirely separate from binging in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen. The endless mining and curation of one’s style, on the other hand, can be a hobby, and has been one of mine since I was little. I’ve moved around a lot, and since childhood I’ve naturally gravitated towards clothes as being the thing to hang my persona on in the absence of a single geographic identity. At 30, my closet is a patchwork of all of my travels, and all of the cultural references I’ve loved over the years (more on this here) — and I’m proud of it!!With that in mind, I went to the Manhattan Vintage Show two weeks ago not to shop, but to SEE. Seeing is different from “looking,” which is done when window-shopping online. SEEING happens in person, when people-watching or perusing vintage. I have a vintage wishlist on my iPhone that I was using as a sort of guideline, but I didn’t find anything from it.
Here is what I DID find. Listen to this song while you read:
Ok, now for the clothes.
As soon as I entered I saw three beautiful dresses I loved. I have been very drawn to pink lately, probably because, as a True Autumn, it’s the only color I genuinely can’t wear (and I usually don’t utilize the color palette as scripture, but pink really does make me look like a washed-out baby cherub). The middle one is kind of like 90s Calvin Klein if it were worn by one of the Manson girls. And the Pucci! This dress is on the Lilly Pulitzer spectrum color-wise and yet still inspired. Neapolitan ice cream at the water park I used to go to as a kid, yum.
More pink, this time with sparkles. I loved this dress in theory but in practice struggled to think of a single person it might suit. Maybe someone like Suki Waterhouse, with simple black underwear underneath? The middle outfit is what I would wear to a local board meeting if I were the edgiest wife in a neighborhood in 1960s Alabama (my bicep muscle is by Session Training and Body Evolutions). And, lastly, this charming set that reminded me of The Little Prince.
Next, the best high-low mix I could imagine <3 That Baguette on the left is one of my holy grail items, so I was excited to SEE (see, I was seeing) it in person. I actually find most Baguettes to be too West Village sorority girl but the gunmetal grey of this one is so GOOD. In the middle: I famously can’t drive, but I love the aesthetic of an old vintage car (maybe I have a Los Angeles moon…) and anything beaded. I kind of regret not buying this, but maybe I’ll find a less expensive version on eBay or Poshmark at some point (this one was $145, and the brand is Michael Simon). And on the right, a vintage Yankee leather bomber for $300, which I actually thought was somewhat reasonable, but if there’s one thing I got from my hard-partying days as a teenager in the early 2010s, it was a great collection of vintage leather jackets, and I do not need another.
I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw these metallic leather pants. They really don’t make ‘em like this anymore!!! I would wear these on a Pan Am flight with some ratty ballet flats, a tiny white tank top, and a long fur coat (I’m mixing decades here, but suspend your disbelief). The middle dress said something about Helena Bonham Carter on its label, but I couldn’t make it out. Maybe she wore this dress for a shoot? The tag said Icon but I haven’t been able to find anything like it online. Let me know if you have any intel! And of course I had to photograph this cardigan that I remember gagging me in my Tumblr days lol. I am only somewhat ashamed to admit that I had a pair of these boots (fake of course) that I LOVED and wore to pieces all around east London. I would still wear those boots now, just not fake because I’ve since developed a sense of ethics etc.
Then I tried some stuff on. :) The gold one is Lanvin and so Amy Astley’s Teen Vogue that I had to try it!! It’s giving 1OAK in 2010 <3 And the prairie dress! I’ve been hunting for a Gunne Sax-style dress like this for years but so far every one I’ve tried has given honk shoo mimimi. As a side note, I love looking at the stylish people in the backgrounds of these.
Ok, one more.
Lol, this bracelet is so silly and I probably would’ve bought it instantly if I were < 25 years old. And it reminded me of the Dior Lucite one that’s on my vintage wishlist!! Speaking of Dior, here is the corset bag I own in oxblood (mentioned in my very first Substack post), but in pony hair. I took a picture of it because it was going for $3000 and I wanted to show my girlfriend that my bag is actually an investment. 😈 I bought mine for WAY LESS, but they are trendy now due to “balletcore” etc. And speaking of my girlfriend, the shirt on the right is the kind of thing I find hilarious but that she finds negative. Dating her is kind of like edgelord rehab, and it’s awesome (she doesn’t have social media!).
FIN. I spent five hours perusing the show and it was so much fun, I may do it again this weekend at A Current Affair — if only to see, not just look.
Love,
Vera x
You know what they say about vintage….