Welcome to Bess & Evie’s Vintage NEW store blog! We have come across so many great store finds, and heard so many wonderful stories, we thought we’d pass along these gems to our customers. Since this is our first blog posting, we thought we’d start with the basics:
Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Vintage!
10. Size doesn’t matter.
That’s right! You read that correctly. Vintage sizes are very deceiving, and therefore invalid. Vintage sizes began at a 6, and went up from there. A 6 can be closely described as a modern 2. I cannot remember where I read this, and I couldn’t find it on Google last I looked, but it was Neiman Marcus who first changed the mold on this. In one brilliant seasonal launch, they decided to start listing their sizes beginning at a 2. I call this brilliant because any woman knows that being able to brag to her friends about now fitting into a “smaller” size is better than fat-free chocolate cake. Other stores followed suit of course and that is why we have the size range we do now.
ALSO, body types are much different now than they were back then. Something may be listed as “your size” but still may not fit. Something may be listed as a smaller size and fits you to a T. Your best bet is to try it on! Our store motto, therefore…Try it on, you never know till you try!
9. You have to be willing to show a little skin!
There is nothing wrong with showing off your vintage alligator bag, or your sea turtle cowboy boots. They are awesome, they are vintage, and they’ve been dead a LONG time. I’m sure their ancestors don’t mind you getting some enjoyment out of them. Someone might as well! And they’re pretty, so that makes them a good enough reason for me.
8. Vintage fur is ok. Well, at least in our book it is!
Back to my previous statement. It, whatever it may be, has been dead a really, LONG time. Many celebrities have been spotted wearing SPOTS. Just the other day I saw Tori Spelling wearing a Cheetah coat. “It’s Vintage,” she explained. So that makes it ok? Yes it does. And isn’t it better to wear that coat than have it sitting in a landfill somewhere? I could rationalize you all day long, but plain and simple, if you love it, wear it. If you don’t, don’t. Just don’t let it keep you up at night!
7. Hats are back in style…yes, they are!
More than once I’ve heard customers in the store saying “I wish hats would come back in style.” I was never aware they ever went out! Gone are the days of men wearing fedoras to work, and most women don’t wear hats in church anymore. Both are a shame by the way. However, some people still agree it a necessary accessory to an outfit. If you plan on wearing a hat, commit to it. Wear it with pride, and wear it all day. You are going to have to, no one likes hat-hair. I particulary like to wear a hat when I’m having a bad 
hair day, or when it is windy out, or when it’s cold. Some believers still insist on wearing a hat in church, as to not offend God with their bare heads. It is seen as a sign of respect. And with so many great hats out there, why not! Come to the hat-side, Luke.
6. Wearing something no one else will have, is just plain FUN!
No one likes to be that girl at the party that is wearing the same dress that other girl at the party is wearing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this injustice happen. No one likes a copycat. I remember once in 8th grade, 
my friend Jean had this awesome purse. I told my mom about it and she went out and got me the same purse. Oh was Jean MAD. I couldn’t imagine why. Then we became teenagers. Ok Jean, I get it. You were right. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…yea, not for women. So here’s the rub: there are a ton of malls out there for convenient shopping. All the malls pretty much have all the same stores. How can you expect to NOT run into your fashion doppleganger out there?!?!?
When you buy vintage, you are almost 100% guaranteeing you will not find your duplicate out there. Sure, we’ve seen a few things come through the store that have been similar to a previous item we had before, but not often. I would bet any amount of money that my grandmother owned half the purses made between 1950-1980. Where are they now? Who knows. She had a garage sale before she moved down to Florida and sold everything. Every once in a while I’ll see something come through the store that she had, or something similar. It’s bound to happen. However, I’d bet on the odds of you being the only one at the party wearing that Neiman Marcus black, velvet dress, adorned with rhinestones, circa 1963. And if you happen to meet someone else in a similar dress, make a friend. She OBVIOUSLY has great taste!
5. Head to toe vintage is hard to do.
Unless you are a perfect size, and by perfect I mean you have been in cryogenic sleep since the 60’s, it is highly unlikely you will be able to find an entire vintage outfit that fits you. I know a few out there. Some people find a look, and commit. I’m not one of those people, unfortunately. I have a modern shaped body that is made possible by eating out all the time and being addicted to Mexican food. My rule of thumb is to wear at least one vintage piece with each outfit. This may be a ring, a necklace, a jacket, vintage boots, or a hat. It depends on my mood. Just because I love vintage doesn’t mean I have to adorn myself in head to toe in order to show the world my personal style preference. I also make it a rule not to wear vintage around my son. The kid is a spiller. Everything is moderation, people.
4. Accessorize, but not in excess.
A perfect segue into our 4th thing you must know about vintage. As Kalen puts it, you don’t wanna walk around looking like you just stepped out of Xanadu, and we wouldn’t let you. Some people make it work, and good for them. We salute you. Coco Chanel was famous for saying ‘take off the last thing that you put on’. Moderation. There is such a thing as too much. Too much wine, too much chocolate, too much gossip, too much Facebook. Everything needs to be in moderation. Before you know it you’ve had too much wine and chocolate and now you’re on Facebook all the time gossiping about that neighbor woman and suddenly things really start to hit the fan. Pace yourselves ladies.
I bump into this woman quite often in the Starbucks near where I live. I called her the quintesenntial Dallas/Fort Worth woman, or QDFWW for short. QDFWW is always dressed, head to toe, in access. Her hair starts about two feet above her head, she has long dangly earrings, her makeup begins an inch away from her face, she has on a statement necklace that is usually saying ‘I love Jesus, and my plunging neckline.’ She has bracelets on both arms, and they are big, loud, and dangly. She is never without a belt, and it’s sparkly too. There is a short skirt involved, usually with capri length tights underneath, or tights with a design on them, and knee high boots, with a heel. And, no I’m not quite done yet, a ring on every finger, sometimes two or three on one finger. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE this woman!!!! She puts her style out there and she commits. You cannot hate on someone like that. She is who she is and that’s the way it is. I’ve always wanted to take her picture because people never believe me when I talk about her, but I can be shy, especially before coffee.
3. 90’s is NOT vintage!
Some people are bag snobs. Some people are label snobs. Me, I’m a guacamole snob. However, I also hate it when people say, I have this vintage purse, it’s from the 90’s. ARRRGGGGHHHHHHH! Nothing will drive me more crazy than you being wrong about something you don’t know you are wrong about. The 90’s was not a top notch, pinnacle of fashion decade. It would be best to be buried along with some of those horrific 80’s trends. I’m not saying the 70’s was perfect, even some things in the 60’s should stay in the 60’s. But let’s be clear: If I am old enough to remember wearing something, it’s not vintage…yet. I’m only 31, and while my husband tells me I’m getting old, I firmly stand in the belief I am not. Let stick to the old rule of 25 years or older being considered vintage. There. Now some of those 80’s trends some people are heck-bent on bringing back, they can have and be valided.
2. Vintage is always in style.
While I think the Kardashians are beautiful women, and definitely ambitious and driven, I do not believe I have to see them wear something in order for it to be worn. Celebrities are people too, and yes, they sometimes make fashion mistakes. While the “idea” of vintage has become more mainstream, it’s always been in style. Just like recycling and drinking wine after the kids go to bed, some things never go out of style.
1. Vintage boots just FEEL better!
You may think this is something we just say to sell boots, but it’s the truth. Just before Christmas I had an elderly gentleman come into the store with his family. He was visiting for the holidays from Kentucky. While the women immediately made the bee line to our boot wall, he hung back and muddled around. I asked him if he was looking for anything in particular and he confessed to me that he’s never been able to wear cowboy boots. He’s always loved them, but they always hurt his feet. I asked if he had ever worn a vintage pair. He explained to me that HE was vintage. We laughed and he said he wasn’t sure what I meant, and asked if I meant someone else wore them before. I explained that yes someone else had worn them before, most likely, but that because they were worn in already, someone else’s foot had done all the work for him. He said he’d have to see this for himself. I grabbed him a few pair, and while the ladies were still working their way through about 20 pairs, this gentleman fell in love with a black lizard pair that he said ‘felt like they were made just for (him)’. I felt like I had made a believer out of him. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s like the comfort of coming home, but vintage boots just feel better. If worn in correctly, and to a foot that is just like yours, they are like butter. Not to mention that a vintage pair of boots is another accessory no one else will have a twin to.
I’m sure there is much more I could go on about, but I figured I’d break you in slowly. As I said, everything in moderation.
While we are super excited about our new blog for the store, we’d like to take a moment to bring recognition to an event that 
affected our store recently. One of our beloved customers and friends lost her battle with breast cancer last week. We first met Kim on her many trips to our store with her daughter Margaux. First a great customer, and then becoming a great friend, we will miss seeing Kim’s face in the store, and her family is in our thoughts and prayers. Breast cancer is something that is close to our hearts because both of Kalen’s grandmothers, for whom the store is named after, suffered from the horrible disease. We hope and pray that there comes an end to breast cancer. In the meantime please remember to donate to causes that support research and efforts to find a cure.
Bess & Evie's Vintage 