Hello and happy LABOR DAY vintage lovers!!
Today is the official “workingman/woman’s” holiday, which was first celebrated right here in my city — New York!! — on September 5th, 1882.
It wasn’t until 1884 that the holiday was declared appropriate for the first Monday of every September, and other cities were encouraged to celebrate this day which honored those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold,” – Peter J. McGuire, who was secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters in 1882.
While Labor Day was established to celebrate the contributions of the working class [because like Peter pointed out, they WERE the ones who created the infrastructure of our country], today the holiday represents a day of rest and reprieve from most of our office jobs and the check-in, check-out repetitiveness of the fall/winter seasons ahead.
I’m sharing this itty bitty Labor Day history lesson with you because I’ve become a “let-me-just-Google-that” geek these past few weeks. I’ve spent hours reading up on the founding and evolutionary history of top designers on the web site Fashion Model Directory [highly recommend!] and admittedly, Wikipedia!
I have a strange attraction to facts and figures lately — I want to know how brands pulled themselves out of bankruptcy, who owns them now and how many pieces to their collections are released annually! <—numbers nerd!
But bragging about my researching skills isn’t why I’m writing this post today — it’s to brag about my YouTube/digital sphere friend Michele “The Eccentric Diva,” whom I had the PLEASURE of meeting this past weekend in the vintage boutique I manage, A Little Wicked.
We’re striking a pose together in the picture above — as we’d joke, as “aunt & niece,” since we feel such a kinship through our passion for vintage & thrift finds that we’ve decided we might as well declare ourselves family! [I even added her as my aunt on Facebook — shhh, don’t tell my real aunt!]
Keep reading after the jump to see what Michele bought at A Little Wicked [wicked awesome vintage, of course!] and to check out one of her latest Goodwill Haul vids from YouTube!
If you’re a regular reader of this site you know that I absolutely FLIP OUT when I meet a friend from the digital sphere in the flesh. I love this “from digital to physical” connection because it almost solidifies the existence of our relationship in that “oh yes, now-we-are-REALLY-friends-because-I’ve-had-the-chance-to-touch-you” sort of way.
A few weeks ago I had the blessings of taking it from digital to physical [sounds so sexy, no?] with Stacey Kay of Goodwill Huntingg, and a few weeks prior to that I met a TON of vintage lovers at the Independent Fashion Bloggers sponsored Blogger’s Closet Sale.
In a few days’ time I’ll meet even more of you in the flesh at the Evolving Influence Fashion Bloggers conference. I’ll be speaking alongside some BIGTIME [read: nervous!] panelists beginning at 9AM EST. You can livestream the conference here. Just Tweet or Facebook me so that I know you were “there in spirit!”
I hope you all have R&R plans today … or are perhaps “thrifting the Labor Day sales” at your local thriftstore!
xx, SD
MEET MICHELE OF THE ECCENTRIC DIVA!
WHO: Michele, the Eccentric Diva on YouTube!
WATCH: Check her out on YouTube and if you are a user, subscribe!
STYLE LOVE: Michele calls herself the Eccentric Diva because like me, she has no hesitation with styling whatever she feels like in the moment.
She definitely has a “dare to wear” attitude but still recognizes what ultimately is most attractive for fit, function & fun. Yet thanks to her adventurous/eccentric spirit, she can pull off the pieces that most would pass over, like the tunic with a front velcro pocket you HAVE to check out below!
Once you begin watching her videos, you’ll see that her walk-in closet is a MUSEUM of amazing archived vintage/thrift pieces … and more jewelry than the average Claire’s ;-)
GOODWILL HAUL!
VINTAGE MICHELE TOOK HOME!
1 / I encouraged [err, forced!] Michele to try this magenta pleated dress with various wild creatures on it — like lions, elephants, rhinos, etc! The dress is made from soft Indian cotton and has gorgeous pleats cascading down from the waist.
It’s short sleeve and cotton, but perfect for Indian summers and early fall with tights, boots and a layer or two. SO GLAD Michele appreciated the styling and took this lady from the Lower East Side home to New Jersey!
2 / I was SO STOKED that Michele tried this very Afro-centric tunic top on. It was MADE FOR HER! If I had a shot of the front I would show you that there is a VELCRO POCKET right at her chest.
What a bonus! It’s like a little kangaroo pouch for whatever you need to carry and can’t fit in your pockets!
3 / I love that Michele had me pose in the store. I look so secure and self-assured! Yes, I am wearing a lace top [vintage Cache, thrifted!] as a dress with tights! Let’s just say I had to keep pulling that top “down” as I walked.
And my hairbow reminds me of Minnie Mouse. Er, Minnie Mouse dressed a bit more sexy than usual but yes, still some Disney touches!
I love when you recommend new people to follow!
You guys are so adorable and I love her vids!
I can’t wait to take our relationship from ‘digi to physi’ LMAO (I sound like a Snoppy Doggy Dog song…lol)
i LOVE the outfit you’re wearing Sammy. It’s so hot!
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