Wardrobe Wednesday: Doris Skirt take 2

I have said before how much I love Pinup Couture's  Doris skirts.   Well, I think I need them all.  Seriously the perfect skirt.  They are made from  super high quality medium weight fabric and as easy to wear as a pair of jeans. 

 

This skirt has a fun atomic print that I just love, and it is easily paired with my favorite black cardigan, tights, and heels.

Funny note: I actually had the same skirt in a different color this summer, and in a larger size.  When I realized that my summertime beer drinking was causing me to gain weight, and I stopped drinking beer as well as stepped up my exercise routine, I soon needed a smaller Doris Skirt.  I sold my Large skirt and quickly bought a medium but I decided to switch up the color this time.  I never liked beer, and then I finally started to like it.. and it did me no favors. Haha!

 I am glad I opted to switch the color, I love the warmth of  this peachy pink !

 

Another note:  This may be the last Wardrobe Wednesday post you see of me with long(ish) hair, I am seriously considering going a lot shorter at my hair appointment this Friday, I guess we will have to wait and see :)

Wardrobe Wednesday: Online Bargains

This week, let's talk online shopping, acutally online BARGAIN shopping.  The internet is such a great place to find unique things at great prices, where else can you access thousands upon thousands of retailers in a matter of moments?  Obviously, eBay and Amazon are great places to start, you can find amazing gently used items for tiny fractions of what they'd cost new.  You can also find many brand new items for far less prices than brick an morter retailers.  EBay sellers have far less overhead than a physical store owner, so they can charge less; and most Ebayers are privately owned mom and pop get-ups, so you're still helping someone put dinner on a plate and shopping small.

Another great resource is online swap groups and virtual garage sales.  There are many buy/swap groups on facebook that you can join and do business with other facebookers.  I would recommend joining a group that is highly regulated, only paying via paypal, and making sure the seller sends you an invoice-- for precautions.  Also its good to establish trusting relationships with the other swappers, so you all can feel good about your transactions.   The sweater I am wearing today came from an online garage sale that one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Kaelah Bee ran through her blog, Little Chief Honeybee. 

 

 

 

The blue rose skirt is a "Doris Skirt"  made by Pinup Couture, and retails for around $82.00.  These skirts are amazing quality and well worth their retail price, but I usually don't have that kind of money to spend.  I scored on eBay and found this skirt brand new with tags and paid only about $38 after shipping for it!

 

I paired it with a cheap tank top that I picked up at Wal-Mart  for only $5 and this cute navy and cream cardigan that I got from Kaelah Bee's online sale.  I paid only about $13 after shipping for the adorable sweater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I threw on some easy kitten heel sandals that I paid only about $8 for at Payless after using a coupon they sent to my email!

 

 

Budget Breakdown:

Sweater-  $13 via virtual Garage Sale

Tank-   $5 via Wal-Mart

Skirt-  $38 via eBay

Shoes- $8 via Payless

Hair Scarf - $2 (Thrift)

 

The grand total of this outfit is only $66, which is still less than the retail price of the skirt!  Not too Shabby! 

 

What are your favorite online resources for bargains?

 





Cover Feature: Lush Kittens PinUp Magazine

Recently, I had the honor of being featured on the cover and in a 4 page feature inside Lush Kittens Pin-up Magazine.  I thought I would share the article that was written about me as well as a inside look at the photos.   Pin-up "modeling" has become such a fun hobby of mine.  Definitely more of a "mavyn" hobby than a "mom" one... but we ladies can be both mavens and moms, right?  :)

Cover Photo by Vixen Pin-up Photography

Sweet, sweet summer time is the best time of the year as far as our cover girl, Devyn Beth is concerned.  Devyn Beth is an all American girl next door from the Sunflower State of Kansas.  She loves getting to be a stay at home mom to her children:  daughter-Shaylee , and son-Will. Summer is the greatest season for family time. From lounging at the pool with friends, to taking in an outdoor theater production, or hitting the highway for a great road trip get-away---there is always an adventure to be had.  Devyn’s plans for this summer include lots of pool parties,  lots of trips to her favorite ice cream parlor, and a family vacation to her husband—Geoff’s hometown  near   Los Angeles , CA.  She is looking forward to visiting the Pinup Girl Boutique in Burbank, CA and is hoping to meet her modern pin-up idol, Doris Mayday.  She also has some fun pin-up shoots lined up this summer with Vixen Pin-up photography and Dynamite Dames Photography as well as with  up and coming photographer and pin up model Rogue Radiance.   “ I am so excited to finally get to shoot with Dynamite Dames, I have been a fan of their work for many years now,” she said.  “Being the Lush Kittens Summertime Sweetie, has already made 2013 the best  Summer ever for me, anything else is just gravy.” says Devyn.

Photos by Vixen Pin Up Photography (bikini,) Paper Moon Photography by Charlie Girl (leopard,) and Switchblade Betties

Devyn got into the pinup scene in 2011.  “My husband booked a shoot with Kansas City’s own Vixen Pin Up Photography for my  Mother’s day present,  it was such an amazing experience for me.  When I got in front of the camera for the first time, it was like a light switch inside of me that had been off for many years was suddenly turned on,”  she told us.   Since her first shoot in 2011 she has worked with many photographers:  Paper Moon Photography by Charlie Girl, Switch Blade Betties. , Booker T Brown Photography,  and  Foxy Pinups by Hilary Hope Photography to name a few.  She dreams of someday shooting with Vestige Photography or Viva Van Story, “For me, these photographers are just outstanding!  Their work is impeccable,” says Devyn Beth. “The pin-up community is so much more than beautiful girls in photographs,” Devyn said.  “ I have been blown away by the network of friends I have made all around the United States and even abroad  through our mutual love for pinup and the vintage /rockabilly lifestyle.  I have met some amazing girls in this scene that have become my absolute best friends.”

Devyn Beth has always loved vintage and retro style and fashion.  She grew up garage sale shopping and was always drawn to the older items.  “I love a great vintage find. Weather it is something to wear, or something for my home,  a vintage piece speaks to me—it’s like they each have a past life with a story to tell,” she explains.    Devyn’s love for vintage and pin-up style isn’t  just reserved for in front of the camera---on any given day you can find her donning  victory rolls and red lipstick and wearing something that speaks to the fashion of the atomic era. 

 

When Devyn Beth isn’t chasing after her children, hunting down vintage goodies at a thrift store,  or prepping for an upcoming photo shoot,  you can find her writing for her blog  Mavyn Mom (mavynmom.blogspot.com)  “ The idea of Mavyn Mom is that you can be more that “just a mom,”  in my early years as a stay at home mom,  I let myself get comfy in being drab and frumpy, and really in media  at the time that is how the stay-at-home-mom was portrayed a lot.   I wanted to live as a fashion maven, a style maven, and a maven mom and inspire other moms out there to as well… the Y in Mavyn comes from my name.”   Devyn is also handy with a needle and thread and enjoys making hair accessories  for her pin-up gal pals,  look for her goods at her etsy store:  MavynMade.

*If you would like to purchase a copy of this issue of Lush Kittens, click this LINK!*

Thankful it's the Weekend-- Vacation Edition

We have had an excellent time with family, friends, and adventures this past week on vacation in Southern California--great weather, great times, great people!  Here are just a few of the highlights from our trip that I am beyond thankful for.

1.  Good times with good friends and family

2. Cousin/family bonding time

3. Meeting Doris Mayday (who is such a style icon to me)

4. Disneyland (Super thankful for our friend, DJ who used his Disneyland employee status to get us in for free)

5. The Ocean

6. Being spoiled by Grammy Mary

7. In-N-Out Burger

Wardrobe Wednesday: My trip to the Mother Ship -- The Pinup Girl Boutique

I am writing this blog post from sunny, Southern California today.  I am having a grand time on vacation with my family. One of the perks of being married to a Californian is visiting the in-laws usually means a trip to the golden coast!

One of the things that I just absolutely had to do while we were here in So-Cal was to visit the Pinup Girl Boutique in Burbank, CA.  This boutique houses all of the brands that I love that are created for and by Pinup Girl Clothing (check their website--you'll die of the fabulousness.)   The store I work in, Retro Vixen, also tries to stock these brands whenever possible.  The clothes are super high quality, and designed and constructed in the USA.   I was super excited for a chance to see the clothes in person, rather than from my computer screen--to feel them, and to try them on!   Of course, another thing I was excited for was my chance to meet my girl-crush ( a lady I look up to a whole bunch) Miss Doris Mayday!

First, The store itself is beautiful. There are beautiful touches everywhere, from the chandeliers to the subtle glittery flecks in the floor, to the vintage lady head vases sitting on shelves.  My favorite decorations were the enormous framed prints of some of the beautiful photography by Pinup Girl Clothing's founder, Laura Byrnes.

Second, The Staff was amazing.  Doris greeted me when I walked in, like I was an old friend! The lovely, Margarita, was super friendly and answered any question I had and helped me find everything I was looking for.

The whole experience was beyond amazing.  I felt like I was welcomed back to the Mother Ship of the pin-up/retro-loving planet that I hail from. If you are a lover of pinup, rockabilly, and vintage-inspired fashions you need to make it to this store some day--no matter how far away you live.  It is the "Mecca" for us retrocentric ladies and we all need to make the pilgrimage home! 
 

After a great time at the Pinup Girl Boutique, I ventured out to more of the fine stores on Magnolia Blvd.  (AKA Retro Row)  The whole street was filled with amazing vintage shops and wonderful restaurants.  On the last Friday of each month all of the stores are open late and food trucks line the street for the area's monthly "Ladies Night Out."  I hope the next time I return I can bring my girls with me and we can experience a ladies night together!

Now On to what I wore to the shop:

 

I wanted to wear my favorite Pinup Girl Clothing skirt to the boutique, so I opted for my "Doris Skirt" in atomic print, a black tee by Sourpuss Clothing and my pink wedges by B.A.I.T. footwear.

 

 

 

I accessorized with this fun, personalized necklace by I Sew Cute, given to me by my best friend, Katty Delux.

 

 

This is what I tried on  (I wanted to buy them all, but I had to be budget minded)

 

 

The Harley Dress!  Loved!!!  Its so twirly, and I loved how it made my shoulders look! The fabric was amazing, beautiful print, slightly textured, and a perfect weight. I didn't buy this as the shop, but a day later I regretted not buying it so much, I went ahead and ordered it online.

 

 

Next, the Sailor dress!   The famous, Dita Von Tease, has been seen wearing this same dress--it's that fabulous! The dress is adorable and one of the company's best sellers.  I had to have it, bought it on the spot!

 

 

The Pinup Couture Luscious Dress in mint with Mira the mermaid.  I adore this dress!  I didn't buy it only because I already own a Luscious in a different color and I wanted two other dresses more.  I will have this dress someday though.. I will.. its too adorable not to be mine!

 

 

Finally,   Courtesan Dress in fetish print!  I loved this dress so much! It came home with me! The print has high heels, corsets, masks, gloves, and pinup girls but its small enough that you see the dress, not the print.  The black parts are a velvety texture! This dress is a fun sexy option for a night out! I cannot wait to take it for a spin!

 

I left the store with some fabulous dresses, a Pinup Girl Clothing "Made in the USA" t-shirt and the ladies at the shop were sweet enough to give me a "I Love P.U.G." tee as a gift.  With one more photo with Doris, and my bag of goodies, I was on my way. I had an absolutely amazing time! One of my most favorite of days!

 

 

 

If you haven't checked out PinupGirlClothing.com yet.. do it now!  Go grab one of these amazing dresses, or some other lovely thing from their site.  If you're in Kansas City keep an eye out for more official Pin Up Girl Clothing to hit our racks at Retro Vixen in the future!

 

Wardrobe Wednesday: The Doris Skirt

First, I must say that I am a HUGE fan of the lovely modern pin-up girl ,  Miss Doris Mayday.  She is to me what Tony Hawk is to my skate board loving husband.  I think she's just gorgeous, and I love that she has some killer curves---its so good for girls (and even grown women) to see beauty in more than just 5'10 and stickly.  Seeing photos of her a few years ago is what inspired me to really dive in to my love of pin-up and vintage style.

Doris Mayday

Doris is a model, spokes woman, and manager of the Pin Up Girl Boutique in Burbank, CA.  Which features clothing from the official Pin Up Girl Clothing lines.   I am super duper excited to visit this store this summer while on vacation.  I really hope I get to meet Doris in person, although I will probably act like a star struck nerd--- hopefully I will play it cool, I just have to practice a little before hand.. haha.    

Pin Up Girl Clothing has named a few of their clothing items for their brand, Pin Up Couture after Doris-- the skirt I am blogging about today is one of them.   I have been saving my pennies to treat myself to a little shopping spree when I make it to the store, but I also had to have something appropriate to wear while I'm having that little spree (girl problems.)   I had been wanting a Doris skirt for a while and when an online sale I couldn't refuse happened one weekend, I pounced!

I absolutely love the skirt!  It is so comfortable and flattering, and the atomic print and colors are so fun.  The fabric is the perfect weight, not too heavy, and not too light--- this skirt will be something I wear in every season.  The black belt that came with it is amazing, it really defines my waist and I will be wearing it with all of my skirts from now on.  To make an outfit I jut threw on an inexpensive ($5 from Walmart) tank top and some black flats.  The skirt was bit of a splurge for me, so the tank top was a budget friendly fix!