Mary Van Notes

I’ve recently been commiserating with fellow vintage lovers about the addiction we suffer from – Vintage Addiction.  It’s oh so troubling, oh so hard, but oh so fun.   Some friends really handle it well, from Fashion Forestry, who has an eye for bargains, and my friend Danielle who will post items on her tumblr as a way of release, so instead of buying awesome vintage she’ll just post it on her tumblr and that will make her feel like a little bit of that vintage was hers.  All the vintage satisfaction but with zero money from the bank.  That’s a good system.

For awhile I was pleased with myself.  I hadn’t bought any new vintage in awhile, which is what I should be doing as an unemployed, out-of-work comedienne/actress.  But with any good withdrawal there’s the relapse.  The outfit you’re about to see is the outcome of said relapse.

playsuit: etsy
white top/shrug: vintage
espadrilles: ebay
handkerchief: was my mother’s

The 1950s playsuit is from Junee Moon Vintage on Etsy.  It was one of those cases where a playsuit was something I had been looking for for some time, and then I saw it on Etsy, my measurements exactly, and the steep price tag wasn’t going to stop me.  Do I regret buying it?  Well, I’d feel better about it if I got a job or a good paying gig.  But hey, at least it’s given me that perfect mix of satisfaction and guiltiness, which is always the perfect combo to keep me from making any vintage purchases in the near future.  Unless it’s under $10 at the flea market. ; )

I’ve managed to keep the vintage addiction at bay by keeping busy with preparations for SF Zine Fest. It’s this weekend, Sept 4 and 5 11am-6pm, at the County Fair building in Golden Gate Park.  It’s free, so please come by if you can.  Here’s some more preview photos:

Being unemployed has lead to me becoming a bit more creative with how I can satisfy my fashion and vintage addiction.  A popular trend this past season was the romper.  So when I came across a 90s jumpsuit at the thrift store, I scooped it up, did some cutting and hemming, and voila, the trendy romper is mine.

The San Francisco Zine Fest the weekend before last was a success.  There was a great turn out of attendees and I even won three prizes in the raffle!  I was pretty proud of my display.

I wore the pinafore apron I found at an estate sale which garnered some nice attention, plus it just looked right next to my doily tablecloth.  There are still zines available for sale so let me know if you’re interested in them.  I also have available T-shirts for sale, and crafty items like a Cunt Sweet Cunt needlepoint, a YUM penis ornament, and a NSFW zine holder.

I’ve been listening to Joanna Newsom’s Walnut Whales EP almost non-stop.  I came across the Peach, Plum, Pear Walnut Whales version when I was looking up the Peach, Plum, Pear version she’s done on her latest tour.  It’s interesting to see how she’s changed, and yet I really love all the variations.

I posted a hiking pic in my last post and wanted to post these pics from a hike I did with my boyfriend up near Arnold, CA at the Stanislaus River and the Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

One of the things I remember talking to Ben about was how much I needed to clean out my closet of clothing I don’t wear anymore, or clothing I don’t want myself to wear.  For instance, I still have t-shirts from high school, and unflattering jeans!  I need to just get rid of those clothes–the crappy under-par quality modern clothes that rip with ease.  I also don’t want those unflattering jeans around because I’d rather force myself to wear nicer vintage pieces in my day-to-day life.

I need to confess that sometimes I walk around my neighborhood looking SCHLUMPY!  Well, I feel schlumpy in some of the modern ill-fitting cheap clothing I have in my closet.  So my September 2010 new years resolution is I’d like to find a nice balance of comfort and style.  And I’m looking at what women wore in the 40s and 50s for inspiration.

For instance, hiking.  Now the outfit I’m wearing above isn’t horrible, but that tank top….eeegh.  Boringtown, USA.  And the shorts?  Thrifted American Eagle cargo-ish shorts… bleh.  Back in the day women were so stylish when they went out hiking and camping.

1899 photo:

1910 photo:

1920s ladies re-posted with permission from Fuzzy Lizzie Vintage:

The following photo is for sale here:

1930s photo from the Sierra Club:

1940s women of the Erdington Social and Cycling Club from flickr photostream of zombikombi1959 (posted with permission):

1930s photo:

And there were a bunch of great photos of women hiking in the 50s on this flickr photostream. Like this one. And this one. And this one. And this. Such great examples of good style while being in the outdoors.

So here’s a little vintage hiking/camping ensemble wish list:

Vintage 30s 40s Ladies Ski Suit

Pendleton Plaid Vintage 1950s Wool Jacket

1940s Levis Ranch Pants 29 Waist

Vtg 30s 40s Pants Blouse Suit High Waist Striped Cotton Brown White Medium Large

Vintage 1940s Chippewa 2 tone Wool belted Ski Jacket

Vintage 50s WYONEGONIC Plaid Camp Shirt

1950s Autumn Striped Shorts

Vintage Boyco Metal Canteen with Wool Cover and Strap

I.Magnin Womens Jacket Plaid 1940s

RAB Capri Jeans Vintage 50s Blue Denim W30 High Waist

Vintage Bass Brown Leather and Suede Oxfords

I finished writing this post and started reading my blog roll.   Hannah and Landon posted an interview with the inspiring Nicole Eymard of Fashion Forestry.  She succinctly put into words what I’ve been feeling:

Nothing is more important than knowing what looks good on you and what represents you properly. No one benefits from walking around amongst clones. Comfort doesn’t mean ugly. I personally dress in a favorite outfit everyday because when I was little I thought you were stuck with the outfit you were wearing when you died.

I wore this to the Punch Line last Sunday. It was one of those nights where I couldn’t decide on what to wear, but finally came up with the following combo.   It was really fun to wear, though I had to be careful I didn’t sit in front of anyone at the comedy show!

My friend and roommate Nick took some really nice photos with his camera.   I took a couple later with my crappy camera (you can obviously see the difference in quality) because I forgot to wear the blazer I wore with the ensemble.  The hat is probably the standout piece of the whole outfit. Though I’ve had that hat for a long time I haven’t really worn it until now because my current haircut is perfect for it.

hat: from my mother
blouse: found on the street
shorts: thrifted and hemmed by myself
blazer: thrifted
purse: flea market
tights and shoes: had them a long time
ring: c/o Laurel’s Bench

It’s 72°F today.  The hot and sunny days have been few and far between this summer in San Francisco, so I’m trying to soak up the nice weather as the first day of fall draws near.  Is anyone else bummed that summer is ending?

Here’s what I wore today, walking around and doing some errands:

vest and shades: thrifted
tank: Target
shorts: H&M
shoes: LAvintage.com
purse: Alemany market

And this is an outfit I wore some time ago, but never posted.  Tell me, is it cute or is it soccer mom?

sweater: Sears; top and belt: Thrifted; capri jeans: Macy’s; shoes: Miz Mooz via endless.com
necklace: Covet; pearl ring: c/o Laurel’s Bench; abalone ring: thrifted; moonstone ring: Renegade Craft Fair

The purse I’ve been toting reminds me of the lunch boxes I used to carry around in high school.  This wicker vintage piece is fun, but man does she squeak.  I have to oil the handle or something.

I got a couple more posts coming your way, so be prepared.

: )

I just posted a couple of dresses on etsy that are perfect costumes for Halloween if you have your heart set on being a spacegirl or Morticia Addams.

alien space age sexy go-go holographic dress

Elvira Morticia Vampira black crushed velvet dress

Last week I went to the Vintage Expo in San Francisco.  This was my first time going.  For some reason the entry fee is what stopped me from going before.  I’m so glad Nicole Eymard of Fashion Forestry dragged me out to the show because I came home with a bag full of amazing stuff.  I’m still on a vintage high from that day.  Yikes.

Here’s what I wore:

One of the amazing things I found was this orange-y/red velvet capelet.  It happened to match my outfit perfectly so I wore it around the Expo.

hat: from my mom
vintage gunne sax blouse: from my stepmom
skirt: thrifted
shoes: LAvintage.com
purse: flea market
capelet: SF Vintage Expo

So what else did I get?  An amazing turquoise 50s bathing suit, a couple of gorgeous hats, and a sweet floral 60s bra.  I also never have to sleep or lounge around in baggy t-shirts again because I got two 1940s pajama sets, a 50s robe, and a bedjacket.  Whew.   I’m sure I’ll do some posts featuring some of these goodies.

Also, head over to Fashion Forestry.  Nicole just posted some photos of our first evening out interviewing people.   We’ll be editing some of the video this week, and I think it’ll prove to be entertaining to say the least.

This was an outfit I wore the other night for the Altered Barbie show and barhopping with Nicole.  I pretty much based the outfit around the new hat I got from the Vintage Expo.  My attempt was to wear a 1940s dress and a vintage hat, but also keep it somewhat modern.  So I paired it with a modern blazer, shoes and bracelet, and an 80s purse.

dress: Adeline’s Attic
Hat: Vintage Blue Moon via the Vintage Expo
blazer: Zara
Shoes, purse, necklace: thrifted
abalone bracelet: ebay

So, I thought I’d introduce you guys to the man behind the camera in these photos.  Meet Nick:

He’s a total goof.  He’s my friend, roommate, colleague, all-around fun dude.  Right now we’re working on editing a short film we made together.  He’s also a super talented musician and goes by DJ Real.  Check out this awesome video he made:

Listen to more of his music here. Follow him here.