From the eBay Files....

I have to make a confession. I'm not that excited this month to get to this particular set of Files. I haven't forgotten about last month's, but that post was such a nightmare in terms of coding and embedding photos that I had to start it entirely from scratch, then go back and find entirely new items because all of the ones I'd featured had since been removed from auction. I'm going to have to do it again as the items I put in recently have also left the auction block. So bear with me a little longer for that one, but this one's going up on time so let's get started!

1970's Mr. Blackwell Mauve & Brown Wool
Blazer, $25

Even though the wintery conditions are beginning to lift in my neck of the woods, I couldn't overlook this coat. I don't care what time of year it is, I love me a good jacket. This one has a great oversized collar and buttons, and really clean lines. I think it could create a great female silhouette with the way it's tailored, and the satin lining on the inside ensures it won't be uncomfortable. I love jackets like this anyway and I think it'll look smashing regardless of what you wear it with. Except for maybe pajamas. 

50's Pristine Lace Illusion Sleeveless Wedding Gown, $325

Another week, another wedding dress. Sue me. There are a lot of vintage wedding dresses that I don't care for, but this is definitely not one of them. I love that it's simple almost to the point of plain because then you can create a really classic and timeless look. I think the lace neckline with the white strapless top underneath is great for this dress, and it doesn't poof out too far from the body. Adding the pink corsage I think shows the ways that this dress can be played with to add a little color or personality, which I also like. 

50's-60's Camel Wool Princess Cape, $18.50

I never took myself to be much of a cape gal, but then I saw this one. I'm not sure if you wear this as an outer layer or as a dress. I think it could work for both, no? I like how it hangs on the body and the profile doesn't make you look too baggy or shapeless. For an authentic piece from the '50s/'60s, I'm surprised that 1-the seller is listing this so low, and 2-that it's in such great condition. Other than a few moth rips which you can't even see in the photo, this is near flawless to me. I can't quite explain why I like this so much because as I said, it's not normally something that I'd go for, but I find myself wanting this cape. Badly. lol 

 '50s Vintage Cotton "I Love You" Hanky, $44.10

This quirky little thing is a hanky with different ways to say "I love you" embroidered on it. I thought it was unique and quite cute. I don't normally carry a hanky, but I would if it was this one. I'm cheap so the price for one single hanky is pretty far out of my preference, but oh well. I still thought it was cute. 

Vintage 1950s White Floral Anglaise
Dress, $37

With warmer days on the way, I notice that I start to gravitate to lighter clothing fabrics. It gets so hot here that you have to get as close to naked as possible in order to cool off even a little bit. An eyelet or anglaise-styled dress is perfect for Texas summers. I'm a little apprehensive about an all-white dress; I have the distinction of being both messy and clumsy so a white dress probably wouldn't be my best bet. But if it was a light color, like a pastel shade, I wouldn't be so worried about wearing it. I do love the dress though.  

Jody T of California Pastel
Maxi Dress, $75

When I first saw this dress, I thought it was a maxi dress with a matching shrug, but that's just how the top was made. After I learned that, I didn't like it quite as much, until it grew on me a few minutes later. lol I adore maxi dresses, although according to "high fashion" I should stay away from these as I'm 'of a small stature' (read: short) but I've never listened to those rules. I'm 'rebellious' like that. LOL So anyway, this is a pretty sheer dress so unless the undergarments are light-colored, everyone can and probably will see all of your business. Despite the potential for embarrassment, I think this would be great for late spring and summertime. 

Vintage Castleberry Wool Knit Sweater, $149

I know this sweater's not super decorated or snazzy, but I love it. It reeks of '70s goodness and would look awesome in the fall. I could just as easily wear this with slacks as I could a pencil skirt, a looser one like in the photo, jeans or slacks. What's cool about this listing to me is that you're not just getting the sweater, you're getting the skirt as well so really you're getting 2 pieces for $150. I like the differing shades of brown in the sweater, and I also like that it's not overly thick. It's made of wool, but I hope it wasn't done to where it's scratchy because I've noticed that it snags easily and you have to repair those quickly. I'm not as crazy about the skirt but regardless, I want this in my life. 

Vintage 1950's Simplicity Pattern Booklet, $12.60

As I discovered last week, you really can sew yourself more elaborate dresses like the ones shown on this booklet. The seller mentions that the book is rather old and some of the details have begun to fade, but that there's enough writing left in order to get some ideas about what to sew. If the book had clearer print, I'd be all over it. I need all kinds of help and don't need any of the steps to be left to my interpretation. I'd end up creating an oversized diaper instead. lol 

'50s Vintage Strapless Party or Prom Dress with
Shrug, $265

I love the little leaf pattern on the dress and I thought the shrug was so adorable. I wonder if you could wear a petticoat underneath the skirt to give it a little more fullness. Even if you can't though, I'd still wear it. This would be another good option for going out, maybe for drinks or on a fancy dinner date. For me, because I have a small torso, I wonder if the high waist will make me look even more stumpy than I already am, but it's cute regardless. 

Vintage 1960's/1970's Hippie Crocheted
Top & Skirt in Cream, 42.95

I'm surprised I chose this dress. I don't think I have ever liked a crocheted dress before, but I saw this one and fell in love. It's obviously see through, so you'll have to wear a top and some bottoms underneath. I thought it would make a great coverup for the beach or the pool. It'll also make a good festival outfit, something good for warm weather and free flowing. I think this spoke to the hippie in me. I wish it was whiter, but as I mentioned earlier, white clothes and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. 

This time around I wanted to do something different, so in addition to showing some of the fun things I'd found, I thought I'd take a cue from the other "From the ..." posts and feature some shops as well. Most of these shops were featured in this post, but after looking at the other items they had to offer I wanted to show off the entire shop. 


vintagechamber--This shop isn't too large, but I loved the items that were up for auction. The seller says that the items are in constant rotation with new items being added every week, so I can see why it's not larger. The wedding gown that I featured earlier is from this shop and even it isn't bad in terms of pricing. The items are dated between the '50s and '70s and have pretty awesome prices. 
pamh23--The cape that I featured is from this shop and yet again, another collection of items that have fab prices and are in good condition. From what I saw, most of the things up for auction were dresses or jackets and many of them seemed to be dated around the '60s or '70s. I thought it was a fun assortment of items.
vying4vintage--The first thing I noticed this shop had an abundance of was panties. I'm not going to go that far with my quest to find authentic vintage everything lol, but I liked the other items in the shop. I found a few pairs of shoes, cute casual pieces and a lot of work-appropriate dresses that are very well-priced. 
advantage-in-vintage--This was another shop that I nearly got lost in. I found so many things that I wanted to put in this post that I felt featuring the entire shop was the only acceptable solution. There are more than a few white pieces and dresses, both formal and casual. I also saw a few wedding gowns from different time periods. The prices are insanely low and the shop is highly rated. I got a classy sort of vibe from this shop.
venu$envy--Another shop that I got a sophisticated vibe from and a healthy assortment of vintage wedding gowns from different time periods. I came across both real and faux fur jackets as well as dresses and garments that would be good for work or going out. On a random note, there's also a mandolin grater in the shop. I want that too. lol 
thestyleasylum--I loved looking through this shop. Lots of everyday pieces, nothing too formal or elaborate in design and I liked that. The shop mainly has dresses and separates from the '40s and '50s, but I saw some adorable dresses from the '70s as well. Prices aren't too bad either. 
5ft2isoblu--This shop is great if you're looking for a semi-formal or formal prom dress and don't want something long. If you like dresses with full skirts that have a lot of layers and require you to wear a petticoat, this is the place for you. I don't have anywhere to wear these dresses to which is rather depressing, but everything I saw was very lovely. 
catspajamasvintage--Very extensive shop. The seller is high rated and a little bit of everything is sold here, from men's and women's accessories to clothing, linens, jewelry and a few antiques. There are a few items that are damaged, but most of it seems like wear-and-tear damage. I think I could put together a post solely of the things I enjoyed from this shop. 
badger201143--Another large shop; there are a lot of fancier garments suitable for cocktails or dinner dates. The prices are pretty awesome considering the age of many of the items. In addition to the clothing items, there were also a lot of accessories like purses, earrings and brooches. Most of the items I saw dated between the '50s and '70s. 
vintagevixencville--This shop has a lot of casual garments and a woodgrain dress that I fell in love with. Not all of the garments are labeled with a time period, but if you have a good eye for vintage then I'm sure it won't be hard to figure out. The fancier items aren't really my style personally, but I liked the amount of things that the shop had to offer and some of the items are extremely affordable. 

I hope you all enjoyed the different shops I profiled this week; the more I do the eBay Files, the more I find things I can include in these posts. I'm also learning my way around, so now I have more reliable shops to get my picks from. I'm working on starting a collection on there so that you can view garments I didn't include for my Files posts. I have also noticed that because of my backlogged posts, the site has become little more than my TNT and "From the ..." posts, and I'm sorry for that. I'm still trying to find that balance and stay on track but I swear if it's not one thing it's another. Anyway, I had a rotten go of it last month with the eBay Files but this month wasn't too bad at all. I actually ended up choosing too many items instead of struggling to find enough. eBay, you might be growing on me after all. Well, that brings this week's Files to a close, but I'll be back to Pin all the things next week!