Category Archives: Alix’s Closet

8 Ways to Wear Vintage Flower Pins

Ooooh lalala I love vintage jewelry! And one of my absolute favorites are vintage enamel flower pins from the 60s. Colorful and bold…girlie but graphic, they are like having a secret little garden in your jewelry box! Just take a look:

I’ve been collecting vintage enamel pins for years and just love the variety I’ve unearthed. The flower pins come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some have stems. Some are multi layered. All are colorful and fun!

Look how beautiful these pins are! I’m also a fan of the sparkly rhinestone ones—especially those in whimsical shapes like starbursts and butterflies

Vintage pins are the perfect way to add a little extra color and oomph to your wardrobe. The classic way to wear a pin or brooch is to wear one in the upper corner of your shirt, cardigan or dress. I love them this way!

While you can definitely wear pins on cardigans and shirts, I wanted to show you some other ways to rock the vintage pin. It’s the perfect way to add a little punch to any outfit!

If you’re not in the mood to wear a bright accessory on your outfit, think about adding a little touch on your coat. The nice thing about this is you can keep it on your coat long time! If your coat is more of a neutral color—like black or grey—this is a GREAT way to give it a little refresh! TIP: If you have longer hair, avoid putting extra pointy flower pins on your collar. Your hair will catch on it like crazy! Trust me…

I’m a maximalist—so one is never enough. Don’t be afraid to pile them on! Two is the perfect number. Three can be fabulous too, but they DO start to get heavy and can wear down the fabric of a more delicate sweater.

Who says your pins have to be at eye level? This is such a sweet and unexpected way to add a little personality to your jeans! I did this one day many years ago on a whim, and I can’t tell you how many people went bonkers for it.

Look cute from head to toe—after you’ve tackled your cuff, why not add a fun pin to your hatband? It works on any kind of hat (floppy sunhat! cozy ski cap!) but I love the incongruous look of a masculine fedora with a quirky flower.

I bought this simple fabric tote at Old Navy years ago. While I loved the houndstooth, it looked a little plain, soooooo I added some a handful of my favorite pins to liven it up. If you have a tote with wider straps, try adding it to the base of the strap, so its visible as it hangs from your shoulder.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but I find that most people always wear their pins like a corsage. Try wearing it smack dab in the center of a dress—or even at the waist band!

Scarves can be slippery little suckers. A sweet pin guarantees your scarf stays in place. It’s also a fun alternative to a necklace. I’m using flower pins in this story, but a rhinestone pin would be just as fabulous! BONUS— wrap the scarf around your head and add a sweet little pin.

Mmm hmm. On your shoes. And why not?? Thread the pin through the knot of your bow and VOILA! Insta-update on your tired old kicks.

So there you have it. Pins, pins pins aplenty! Cheerful, sweet and super easy peasy to style! Are you feeling a little pinspired?? I sure hope so!

{Psst! One word of caution. If you are a mama, the pins with separate petals can get a little pokey when you go in for a cuddle, or so Wolfie tells me. “OW! Mama. Your flower poked me!”}

{Double Psst! People are charging crazy prices for them lately, but you shouldn’t have to pay more than $15-18 for them. $10-12 is a really fair price. I might pay more if it was a REEEALLY spectacular or unique one! The best place to find them is the thrift store or flea market but scour Etsy and eBay for bargains too! Happy Hunting!}

The Vintage Shoe Shoppe

I love wearing vintage shoes. The colors and styles, as with the clothing, tend to be SO unique. My favorites are mid-heel shoes from the 1960s. I feel like in this day and age I have to either wear SKY HIGH platforms/heels or flat-as-a-pancakes flats. When I was in London a few years ago, I noticed they had SO many more options for mid-heel shoes (I’m guessing because they walk more?). Options, people. Gimme options! Anyway, many of you have asked me about the vintage shoes I wear, so I thought it would be fun to pull some sassy shoes for you guys. I found a range of sizes—although please note vintage shoes (as with clothing) run small and narrow. Size up unless you have a very dainty foot. I often buy larger sizes and add a cushy insole. OK, on with today’s selections!

1. These adorable shoes are a size 7/8 and would look brilliant with colored tights OR basic blacks. You KNOW you need them.

Buy them here.

2. For those of you who like to lounge about the house in style, these 6/6.5 slippers are just the thing! I love them. Slippers tend to run true to size, as they are soft and less structured.

Buy them here.

3. These awesome sandals are a metallic silver but have a super comfy cool heel. AND they are a generous size 9/10. Now you can look adorable and walk for hours.

Buy them here.

4. These are a size 7/8 and I just love the color combo of that contrast buckle. How cute would they be with some dark, cuffed jeans?

Buy them here, Pilgrim.

5. OH man, I looooove these. A size 7/7.5 so I might snap ’em up if you don’t! I love a good slingback—I find them much more forgiving (since many vintage shoes run rather narrow). These would look elegant as can be dressed up, but honestly I think they would be just as smart with black jeans.

Buy them here.

6. Finally, these little size 6 beauties look just like princess slippers. Will they fit your footsie, Cinderella?

Buy them here.

If you buy them (or find another pair!) be sure to let me know. Oh, and I loved these red and blue mod heels….but that little lawn gargoyle kind of ruined the mood I was trying to create. Heh.

Alix’s Closet: Bundling Up in the Cold.

When we travel to Michigan I always have to rethink my wardrobe. What’s cold to us here in the Bay Area (say the low 30s)  is child’s play out there (where weather can dip well below zero). And I usually find myself woefully unprepared. Snow boots? Huh? What about all my cute lil shoes?? But because we didn’t have any snow this time, I didn’t have to sweat the footwear and I could even wear tights. Whooo hoo!

I found this sassy green coat at Old Navy last year and I love it. The collar is actually separate. It’s a fluffy, fuzzy, faux fur dealie I got at H&M and I love it! It kind of transforms any coat—not to mention keeps me cozy.

Oh and here’s what was under that coat….and what I wore on Christmas Eve while helpin’ with dinner.

Accessories are my favorite things….a little hairclip. A fun necklace. A sassy shoe.

Of course the best accessories are sometimes a leetle bit bigger.

Kachow!

Alix’s Closet :: Workin’ at the Flea

Hellllllo! I snapped these after I came home from the Flea market….so if I look a little tired and dusty….I AM! You will notice in my hand what appears to be an ice coffee. Oh no, friends. I was so parched and exhausted I went for the full monty and got a Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino…..which was delishus and decadent. It totally doesn’t count as a coffee, it’s a dessert.

But back to today’s style post. Working at the flea market is one of the biggest style challenges you can imagine. On the one hand, you want to look cute. You’ll be chatting up 100s of potential customers and looking presentable and somewhat stylish is half the battle in convincing them to buy your vintage wares. On the other hand, you NEED to be comfortable. You’ll be on your feet for 11 hours not to mention braving the yo-yo-ing weather (freezing in the foggy bay-side morning! roasting in the midday sunshine without an awning!). So what’s a fashion loving girl to do? MIX IT UP!

What I Wore:

+ Red Gingham Dress. Believe it or not. TARGET. People always think it’s vintage and I think styling it up to look that way is pretty easy peasy. I bought it over the summer. I’ve seen some on their sale racks still.

+ Yellow cardigan. You’ve seen this one before. Target.

+ Vintage Apron. Belonged to my beloved Tante Maria. Not only was a cute style element, but also practical. The pockets were perfect for tucking in money!

+ Vegan cowboy boots. Old Navy. These suckers I bought on a whim. They aren’t leather. And they aren’t even particularly fancy/cute or anything….but lord have mercy they are COMFY. I can stand in them for hours. These are pretty similar. Mine don’t have those buckles on them though.

+ Vintage enamel flower pins. My go-to to spruce up any outfit.

+ Vintage scarf in my hair. I discovered this trick while in sweltering South Carolina this summer….keeps you nice and cool.

We weren’t expecting it to get as hot as it did and I totally got a sunburn on my chest. Very glamorous no?? Luckily I didn’t take a picture of my hands, which were TOTALLY grimey. It’s outdoors and dusty, plus handling all that money and old goods….I looked like pig pen’s big sister.

So there you have it. I felt comfy AND cute…and my outfit attracted a lot of positive attention from people who would pause at our booth to say a nice word about my apron or pins, and then browse our loot. To me, it was the perfect outfit to wear to the flea market….whether selling OR buying!

Alix’s Closet :: Kickin’ it Casual.

That was me a few days ago…it was sunny and lovely out! But this is me today:

Hmm, I look shorter. Did I shrink from all the water?? Seriously…we’ve had, like MEGA rain. It’s been a crazy day today. One moment torrential down pour! Then the sun comes out for a little bit. Then INSANE RAIN STORM, like BUCKETS of rain…..then a little more sun! Then, I swear to god the loudest clap of thunder I have EVER heard (it sounded like a bomb went off…I’m still not convinced it was thunder) and again more rain rain rain. I actually don’t mind the rain, but this was bananas rain. Our basement bathroom/laundry room even flooded a bit (not fun). So let’s pretend its a few days ago. When it was sunny! Here’s what I wore. Super casual.

What I Wore:

+ Black Cardigan, Gap, thrifted.

+ Green polka dot top, Target (from a few years ago)

+ Black straight leg jeans, Old Navy

+ Cherry Print Handbag, Luella Bartley for Target

+ Black and White Patent Sandals, Worishofers

+ White Daisy Chain necklace, vintage

+ Pink Pony pendant, Forever 21

I like this outfit because while its pretty casual and has a “Oh ,I just threw this on” vibe, I think it’s still colorful and playful. Also, everything was extremely affordable. My sandals were the priciest item. If you’re just throwing on jeans and a shirt, I think it helps to add a fun accessory—like a cool necklace or tote bag—to give it a little extra oomph.

These pictures crack me up a little because I’m totally not smiling and I look so serious….like “What up people! I am so smooth and I’m wearing polka dots, how you like me now?!” Well, just so you don’t think I’m a snooty polka dot wearer, let’s go back to me and my frazzled hair in the rain.

Ahh, there we go. That’s more like it.