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| 80's confetti tulle party dress |
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| thrifted Natalie Gibson 'Daisy Chain' fabric |
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| vintage roller skates |
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Recently, I picked up a lot of vintage clip-on earrings for the shop. It was a load of fun going through each pair because they're so brightly colored, detailed & unique! Some are signed, others are made of metal, plastic, shell, wood and they sparkle, glow & shine! They'll be stocked in the shop soon.
Since my last research on vintage paper dresses brought up some interesting tidbits, I thought why not read up a bit on earrings? As it turns out, I had no idea the history of earrings would be this fascinating! Did you know Shakespeare wore an earring? When was the earring first invented? Did you know only well-travelled sailors wore earrings? You can read more here & here!
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| via huffington post |
I have to admit, I'm guilty of overlooking earrings as a statement accessory but the recent runway looks above prove that they're quite the style statement. Whether you favor gutsy door-knocker styles, or more delicate button earrings, clip-ons are for EVERYONE!
Yes, everyone!
A quick tip: If your clip-on earrings are too loose or too tight so they pinch your lobes, here's a great instructional video that shows how you can loosen or tighten clip-on earrings! It's a lifesaver.
A quick tip: If your clip-on earrings are too loose or too tight so they pinch your lobes, here's a great instructional video that shows how you can loosen or tighten clip-on earrings! It's a lifesaver.
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
I've been unusually fond of dinosaurs recently.
In fact, I have two thrifted dinosaur toy figurines in my workspace - meet Trico & Bronto! Obviously, Trico can't reach the leaves so it prods Bronto with its horns for help. :)
It's not often that dinosaurs shows up in fashion, so I was very excited when I first chanced upon the lot of vintage dinosaur brooches that have been a staple in the shop.
The t-rex, stegosaurus, brontosaurus & triceratops have been popular favorites & are currently sold out in some colors. Limited quantities are still available in the jewelry section & they make really great geeky-in-a-good-way accessories for both the boys & the girls!
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| dinosaur brooch pins in the shop |
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| top: left, center, right / bottom: left, center, right |
These are some awesome dinosaur finds on Etsy at the moment (click for respective links). Won't they make great friends with Trico & Bronto? My favorite has got to be the aztec/dino print blazer. What a gem! And Ross from Friends would totally rock it. If t-shirts are your thing, the Tee & Cake Dinosaur Shirts from TOPSHOP are pretty great too.
So, how do you feel about dinosaurs? Let's hear your thoughts!
Sunday, 24 June 2012
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| Andy Warhol's Souper Dress via The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Would you wear a paper dress?
Having come across my very first paper dress that's for sale in the shop here, I did a little research on them. While the paper dress has its merits & some limitations for sure, I would most certainly wear a paper dress!
The paper dress craze was a short-lived one, invented by the Scott Paper Company in 1966 as a marketing tool. For a dollar, women could buy the dress & also receive coupons for Scott paper products. While shapeless & unattractive, the paper dress proved popular with women ordering half a million of these dresses in less than a year.
As a fashionable trend, the paper dress was a sartorial representation of the throw-away ethos of the period. This was a time in history when people had just gotten used to disposable cutlery, plates and diapers. Convenience & instant gratification were a novelty & these dresses could be hemmed with only a pair of scissors! Score! Matchy-matchy hostess of the party getup? Not so much.
Paper dresses were even the cover story of Mademoiselle magazine in 1967!
“In terms of how much pow you get for your pennies, the paper dress is the ultimate smart-money fashion! And the news in the paper is this: surprisingly pretty prints, clever new shapes that would do credit to an origami expert. (Surprisingly long life too: as many as 12 outings).” —”The Big Paper Craze” Mademoiselle, June 1967.
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| vintage paper dress ads from modernkiddo |
As the trend took off, companies began to experiment with style and fabric, adding other materials to the paper to make a sturdier garment that could even be washed.
Most of them were composed of 'Dura-Weve', which was cellulose reinforced with rayon. They were still more fragile than cloth, but were not likely to rip at the slightest move. Many paper dresses featured Velcro closures, adding to the 'space-age' mystique. My paper dress has a few snap buttons down the front!
In their short history, paper dresses became more stylish than the original, patterned with '60s paisley and psychedelic prints & even some that could be decorated by the consumer. That sounds like creative DIY fun, and dare I say the paper dress is pretty perfect for packing on trips! It's paper-light!
Most of them were composed of 'Dura-Weve', which was cellulose reinforced with rayon. They were still more fragile than cloth, but were not likely to rip at the slightest move. Many paper dresses featured Velcro closures, adding to the 'space-age' mystique. My paper dress has a few snap buttons down the front!
In their short history, paper dresses became more stylish than the original, patterned with '60s paisley and psychedelic prints & even some that could be decorated by the consumer. That sounds like creative DIY fun, and dare I say the paper dress is pretty perfect for packing on trips! It's paper-light!
The iconic 'Souper Dress' runs upwards of $8000 if you can get your hands on the statement pop art piece. Alternatively, these are some super cute styles available on Etsy at the moment. Isn't the window packaging just perfect for showing off the print? The packaging has me sold! If you're planning to go on a trip sometime, especially to some place warm & sunny, why not pack a paper dress?
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| 60's paper dress in the shop |
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| left, center, right |
All that said, the paper dress is flammable after a few washes because the protective coating is stripped off the material. Other reports suggest that the paper dress tears.
As a convenient & short-term form of dressing, the idea is a great one.
Think it'll make a comeback?
Think it'll make a comeback?
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Cross your heart and hope to lie.
The shop has been freshly stocked today with a few vintage deadstock lingerie pieces for the bullet bra-loving pinup girls!
There's a $50 shop voucher giveaway right now (ends 10th July), and you could pick up one of these for free!
Browse the shop for more than 300 vintage pieces you could get your hands on if you're the lucky winner of the giveaway.
There's a $50 shop voucher giveaway right now (ends 10th July), and you could pick up one of these for free!
Browse the shop for more than 300 vintage pieces you could get your hands on if you're the lucky winner of the giveaway.
I've always fancied this particular 'Cross Your Heart' design and the vintage ad in the youtube video says it all.
"It crosses your heart with stretch, to lift & separate. You're suddenly shapelier!"
These come in three delectable shades - Buttercream, Nude Rose & Burlesque Black and they're available in the shop right now!
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
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| pattern from this 60's diamond print dress |
A couple of firsts this month!
June 17th was the first anniversary of Five Stones Vintage at the new Etsy URL, with 506 sales & counting.
To celebrate, all dresses are at 15% off for the month of June!
I still remember the very first item I sold on eBay, back in June/July 2005 (unfortunately, there isn't a photo of it any longer). A lilac suede waist belt with a gold buckle that went to a local buyer, who wanted to purchase it right away at three times the starting price!
This month, we're also offering our very first paper dress in the shop! More on paper dresses later, but you can check it out here in all its kitschy neon goodness.
So it's been a wonderful 7 years of vintage goodness and I'd like to thank all my lovely customers from Singapore & around the world! This would not have been possible without your support. And to thank you, I'm happy to announce that this first blog post will be a giveaway for $50(USD) shopping credit at Five Stones Vintage! This can be used towards any purchase in the shop & you can check out more than 300 amazing one of a kind vintage pieces here.
GIVEAWAY
*To enter, complete the tasks below.
*Each completed task earns you a corresponding number of entries, with a total of 11 to be had.
*Giveaway ends on 10th July, shopping credit is valid till September 1st 2012.
*Winner will be announced on the blog & contacted directly.
Bonne chance!
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