My New Addiction.

Well it's official - I'm addicted to buying reasonably priced vintage dresses off Etsy.  With all the bargain hunters and thrift shopping sharks that apparently snap up all the deals at every thrift shop here in Victoria, I've turned to internet shopping to fill the void. I was a little hesitant starting out with online used clothing shopping since I really like being able to feel fabric, inspect potential flaws, and (or course) try things on!  But with the ease of the internet at my fingertips (usually on my phone when I'm laying in bed not sleeping) I started to browse and soon enough found so many gems I just couldn't say no to! Oh my!  Looks like I'd much rather let someone else sift through the (usually stale and smelly) isles of second hand shops and pay a bit extra for them to be shipped right to my door. Heck - it even means I get more mail! Hooray!  

Since I haven't managed to snap any pleasant pictures of me sporting my new (to me) duds  I thought I'd share my new three favourite online vintage shops with you (in no particular order) and you can catch a glimpse of pieces I snagged too! Yay! Let's go:

1) Tiny Yellow Bird - A fun and cheery shop full of unique pieces and bargain buys.  I bought two dresses from Lily on my first go and fell in love their classic, schoolmarm style.  Plus grey and blue are both neutrals so it was a gentle step into working some new outfits into my wardrobe. How convenient! 

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2) Yessiree Petunia Vintage - Lesley has the most fabulous online shop stocked full of amazing (and reasonable!) dresses and accessories to drool over! I first popped by her blog (link) when she left a comment here and although I've been a loyal reader who loves hearing about her real life vintage peddling (out of an adorable little vintage trailer called Matilda) I have no idea why I had never checked out her shop! It is well worth a browse and so far I've been a repeat polka dot dress purchaser thanks to Lesley Jean!

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3) Superstition Vintage - Another amazing vintage etsy shop full of wonderful handpicked and loved items that don't break the bank. Much like the other two shops, this one updates regularly so it's worth it to check back in and see what's new! Adrian does an amazing job getting a range of products in a range of sizes and so far I've places two orders with her to get a summery light teal shirt dress and a fall worthy midi skirt.

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Just in case I haven't convinced you on how sweet it is to buy vintage online here are a few more reasons I used to rationalize my purchasing (and apparently another list):

1 ) Unlike pants and trousers, dresses are easier to make fit. They're usually a little forgiving  when it comes to flab fluctuations and are great for pear shaped ladies like me!

2) All of my purchases turned out to be cheaper than if I had attempted to make them on my own. Not to mention how much grief and sewing I saved myself (well...I guess I did mention that...)

3) Older dresses are longer! I'm not sure when current clothing shops will learn that some of us out there prefer frocks that cover the knees (and my entire bum in some cases), but until they do - preowned is the way to go!

4) Chances are you won't bump into someone sporting the same dress! Avoid being a cookie cutter clone and branch out into originality (kind of).

5) Instead of supporting giant fast fashion slave labour corporations you're buying from great ladies like these and helping reduce, reuse, and recycle some goods! Good for you!

Add in the points I already made above (shopping in bed, getting mail, and pre-sifted vintage gems) and I figure I've got myself convinced! Online shopping is the way to go! Now to try to limit myself and stick to budget...oh dear...