So this week I'm doing the thing I love most (styling vintage) with six dresses I've come perilously close to buying. Below: the vision for each, plus my best attempt at articulating my styling instincts.
My hope is this sends you somewhere: down a vintage rabbit hole for your next occasion, or into your own closet to rethink how you style the dress you've worn a dozen times.
I am obsessed with this eBay cape/dress set, specifically the cape, and have come close to buying it no fewer than five times. It's outstanding. I would tailor the dress: thinner straps so it hangs a bit lower (vintage tends to sit high on the chest, which does me no favors seeing as I have broad shoulders). It would be fabulous for a summer event and the cape could be worn separately so the girl math works.
I'd pair it with white wedge heels, which are similar to a pair I have from years ago that are so versatile I wear them constantly. The Toteme box clutch is the modern counterweight to a somewhat “vintage-feeling” dress (and I would like to think something someone would be giddy finding vintage in 50 years).
The earrings are the ones I wore on my wedding day (a dear friend just wore them as her something borrowed on hers), and I still wear them all the time (more affordable alt here). I like the contrast of white throughout the look.
Damn, I love this D&G dress on eBay and want it. A vintage sheer slip dress, worn like the youths do, though in my case over higher coverage nude or black underthings.
In my opinion, minimal is the way here to really embrace the bare feeling. Strappy, barely-there mules (more sizes here), a clutch with the right pop of red, and a vintage cuff (which you could just as easily wear with jeans and a t-shirt, but here it edges the fit up and adds some weight exactly enough to balance out all the otherwise barely-there).
By now you know how much I love a mandarin collar. This vintage dress on eBay is so fun and the pattern is incredible. You could take it many directions, but I want to see it with silver. I generally like cool tones with silver, and with this many blues and purples it feels like a no-brainer. I own and wore the Calla Lily earrings to an event and received many compliments (but any silver drop would do).
I'm recently obsessed with any silver cage heel, but especially these Celine ones (a big splurge but so good) with a little gold in them. There are many great affordable versions like these and these.
Because the silhouette is simple, the texture comes in via the bag (in this case a $40 navy vintage clutch).
This Missoni is incredible. Few things are chicer to me than a high collar that is somehow still a v-neck. You could make it work for summer or for the swing seasons (maybe even with tall boots depending on where it hits you).
The above styling skews just slightly fall, but I personally would absolutely still wear it in July. I like the pop of black against the texture and color: the peep-toe mules are amazing, but the barely-there black sandals above would also work. The Ferragamo bag is a steal on TRR.
The vintage earrings bring an odd, unexpected mix I love. I like throwing in one thing that feels like a small (borderline weird) surprise.
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know I want this dress on eBay sooooo badly. THE MATCHING SHAWL!!! I'd wear it roughly as styled here, then take the shawl off later in the night.
It's screaming for contrast, which I'd bring in via silver. A silver wedge dresses it down and makes it just slightly more modern. Jewelry stays simple, because the shawl is obviously our pièce de résistance. I love this shell clutch (comes with a very fun onyx strap), but you can find lots of great silver clamshells on secondhand sites (like this one).
What an insane Givenchy find on eBay for whoever snags this. I’ll be jealous! Vintage purists, close your ears: with a kaftan like this, I would probably have a tailor put in finished-edge slits at the waist so I could add a belt. Kaftans swallow me, and I love them anyway…but a belt makes a big difference, and something this discreet means I could still wear it pregnant or postpartum.
Styled with our crowd-favorite Etsy tassel belt, a clutch with some texture and metallic to it (handmade via Etsy!), and, going full monochrome with green heels (currently on sale).
And there we have it! An aside: I love styling. This whole Substack is based on this exact idea…creating looks around vintage in a way that makes it feel more approachable and wearable. I typically do this for my own trips and events, but figured I don’t personally have enough occasions to dress for (and my closet is very small), so I should share the love.
Just to put this out into the universe, if you’d like me to style you for an event, email me! I would love to scheme on this exact type of assignment with you.
Finders keepers (all six, ideally),
SN
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Thank you for reading! If you love where this is headed, the best thing you can do is share with a friend.
Each week I’ll be sharing things from across home, fashion, travel, and littles…mostly wherever my vintage hunting and rabbit-hole deep dives take me.
The pattern matching on the back of that blue rose dress is next level.
You need the D&G, and the high neck blue and purple. Ok and also probably can’t let the shawl floral go either. Maybe just get them all! For research!