Here's set of frequently asked questions I get on Vixen Vintage, if you have anything specific to ask, just email me!
How do you do your hair?
I do pincurls every other night, and in the morning brush them out and use a bit of pomade. You can see my 1940s hair tutorial here, and my rag curl tutorial here
What lipstick do you use?
Most days I wear "True Red" by L'Oreal, but I also wear "Lady bug" by MAC, and discontinued shades by "Paul and Joe" and "Chanel".
Where do you get your vintage clothes?
I try to credit the store or person I got my clothing from in every post, but most of my clothing comes from the vintage store I used to work at. It was hard not to buy anything!
How did you get into vintage?
My family is full of vintage lovers, I've been around it my whole life, from going to estate sales, to getting my aunt and sister in law's vintage hand me downs. I stared wearing it regularly in high school, mixed with modern, and after that, it was vintage 24/7!
How old are you?
I turned 23 in March.
How did you learn to knit and sew?
When I was...um, oh gosh, 8, 9, or 10, I took a class after school from a lovely woman who taught a few students how to knit, with some sewing on the side. I made an awful sweater in that class, I wish I still had it though, it was hot pink with flecks of rainbow yarn.
My great grandmother Lois was a master seamstress, so I must credit her with my natural interest in sewing, unfortunately she passed away before I got to know her.
What camera do you use?
My camera is a Canon Rebel EOS T3, a gift from Sam. He surprised me with it at the end of an unexpectedly terrible day, so needless to say I cried and then promptly took pictures of my cat. The lens I use most often is a 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 macro lens, but I love my 50 mm 1.4 lens for closeups!
Do you ever get recognized outside of the internet world?
Every once in a while, which is pretty cool. But I generally don't know what to say when someone says they read my blog other than "thank you for reading my blog!"
How do you fit all that vintage into your little apartment?
Well I rotate my closet about 8 times a year, fall winter, winter, winter spring, etc. This way just about everything makes it into my closet. The rest of the time my clothing is stored in stuffed full suitcases scattered about the apartment (stacked suitcases make great end tables), containers under the bed, and a large cedar trunk. Also my grandma insists I store some things at her house, so I have a closet full at her place of formals and coats.
*update*
I now have a room for clothes, which is much easier!
*update*
I now have a room for clothes, which is much easier!
How did you get into blogging?
This blog started as something to do late at night, when I would otherwise be shopping online ;) So really it stared out of boredom.
For me it's a great documentation of my life, I am very forgetful, and love that I can look back and see and read exactly what a did, wore, and thought, weeks, months, and years ago.
How do you clean all your vintage clothing?
I actually try and keep my wardrobe full of mostly cottons, wools, a bit of silk. Cottons are easy, but I do handwash, and wools coats I take to the dry cleaners, wool sweaters I had wash (see this tutorial). Silk I either handwash or take to the dry cleaners, depending on the item. As far as synthetics go, I generally ask around before cleaning, but have no great advice to give.
How do you keep your vintage clothing in good condition?
Knowing how to work a needle and thread is kind of a must if you wear vintage. After all, if something is 60 years old, chances are a button might pop off, a seam might split, and moths may choose your favorite coat as a little meal. Knowing how to sew a button, stitch a seam, darn a hole, and hem a skirt is hardly an option, and all by hand of course! I currently have a large basket of repairs waiting to be done, thats how some quite nights at home are spent.
What foundation garments do you wear on a regular basis?
Bullet bras, high waist knickers, and a garter belt for my stockings. Sometimes I wear a girdle for those tight dresses, but generally it's the basics. For more on vintage lingerie, you can check out this article I wrote for The Lingerie Addict.
