The Vintage LBD

It’s holiday party season! What better way to celebrate than by finding a really great deal on a gorgeous vintage little black dress (LBD) and pairing it with some other great vintage finds. I’m a huge fan of less is more when it comes to formal attire so for this post I paired two of my FAVORITE little black dresses from Beulah Louise Vintage with some really classy black and winter-white accessories. My favorite is the simple long black velour dress which screams 90s. It’s really hard to capture in a photograph how great this dress is. It’s very comfy, stretchy, and flattering on any shape. It fit me (I’m a size 6) and made my butt look fabulous. Plus the velour adds that extra pizazz it needs to transition into formal wear. Throw in some chandelier earrings, a statement ring, black stilettos, and a retro black and white clutch and you have the perfect holiday party outfit. The 70s does 20s fringe flapper dress is also a great option for those ladies who want to show off a little leg or see dancing in their future. It’s also a great example of the Great Gatsby Style that is all the rage right now. All of these items can be found on Etsy, links are provided below.

Leaf Drop Chandelier Earrings by The Castoff Queen – $16
Vintage Rhinestone Necklace by Luxe Deluxe – $138
Art Deco Diamond and Black Onyx Ring by Antique Sparkle – $485
Vintage 1950’s Black Stilettos by Rouge Girl Vintage – $40
Vintage 1990’s Black Velour Dress by Beulah Louise Vintage – $53
Vintage Calf Hair Black and White Envelope Clutch by Artifact Vintage – $95
Vintage 1950’s Cream Mink Fur by Wear it Again Vintage – $298
Vintage Black Flapper Dress by Beulah Louise Vintage – $79

BONUS: through 12/31/13 Beulah Louise Vintage will be offering free domestic shipping for all blog readers. Just use the coupon code BLOGREADER at checkout. This coupon not valid at the other Etsy shops listed in this post.

Please check back often for more discounts and surprises. Thanks again for reading!

Robin – Owner
Beulah Louise Vintage

Vintage Inspired Island Getaway

Regardless if you’re one of the lucky few who already live in a warm climate town, or you’re planning a holiday getaway to somewhere sunny, vintage island inspired clothing is an awesome way to supplement your wardrobe for a special occasion. I’ve paired together two great straight-from-the-beach looks that will transition into an evening of drinking and dining, because sometimes the hardest part about vacation is putting down your Mai Tai long enough to change clothes.

The focal point of this post is the two 1960’s Royal Hawaiian dresses that are currently located in the Beulah Louise Vintage shop. Royal Hawaiian was a clothing manufacturer based out of Honolulu, HI that got it’s start in 1937 and specialized in tropical print clothing.The royal blue one is estimated to be a modern size small and the red is estimated to be a modern size medium. Both have elastic waist bands for all that extra vacation eating, flutter sleeves, and are made of a lightweight synthetic fabric, which make them ideal for any Island Getaway. I paired them both with vintage swimsuits and really fun vibrant accessories. 

Vintage Wide Brim Red Straw Hat by Bodacious Jewels – $42
Vintage 1960’s Royal Hawaiian Blue Maxi Dress by Beulah Louise Vintage – $39
Vintage 1960’s Aqua Blue Swimsuit by BTM Vintage – $68
Vintage 1970’s Red Sandra Summer Sandals by hihlo studio – $25
Vintage Blue Wicker Purse by Flying Ace Vintage – $35
Pink and Orange Handmade Parasol by TAKEKASA – $150
Vintage 1950’s White Milk Glass Screw-Back Earrings by Beulah Louise Vintage – $17
Vintage Hot Pink One Piece Bandeau Swimsuit by EbbandFlowLA- $22
Vintage 1980’s Hot Pink Sunglasses by Sunny Spex- $23
Vintage 1960’s Royal Hawaiian Red Maxi Dress by Beulah Louise Vintage – $39

I love the idea of a great retro bathing suit. I’ve already started trolling Etsy for my own upcoming winter trip to the Florida Keys!

Robin – Owner

Beulah Louise Vintage

A Holiday Inspired, Rock-Star Vintage Wedding

The cookie-cutter wedding is a thing of the past. If you’ve been on Pinterest at all you’ve seen that in its place has emerged the rustic barn wedding, the DIY wedding, the vintage inspired wedding or sometimes a combination of the three. Why not get ahead of the trend and do something a little more daring and original? I call this post a holiday inspired, rock-star vintage wedding. It incorporates one of my favorite white lace, late 1970’s, vintage Gunne Sax by Jessica McClintock wedding dresses from the shop. The dress is tea length, long sleeve, covered in lace flowers, and has a really great cut-out back with a bow at the bottom. It’s very reminiscent of the early 80’s which is what led me to incorporate the adorable strapless red corset dress with tiny bows up the front, by Mon Desir Vintage, as a potential bridesmaids dress. I’m also a huge fan of non-traditional engagement and wedding rings, particularly vintage styles. This budget friendly yellow-gold tone ring by Nicos Nostalgia is only $19!! Who says you have to fork over thousands of dollars for a diamond when Etsy offers so many gorgeous, affordable, alternatives? I would seriously walk down the aisle in this outfit tomorrow (hint, hint boyfriend), and by aisle I mean fab cocktail party at a hip and trendy bar in downtown DC. In addition to being really fun, the best thing about this outfit is its cold weather AND budget friendly. The entire thing only costs $463.

Vintage 1970’s Gunne Sax by Jessica McClintock Lace Wedding Dress by Beulah Louise Vintage – $129
Black Chenille Dot Birdcage Veil by Vintage Box 1947 – $18
Red Rose Bridal Bouquet by Timeless Wedding – $130
Vintage 1980’s Strapless Red Silk Corset Cocktail Dress by Mon Desir Vintage – $38
Vintage Gold Tone Wedding Band by Nicos Nostalgia – $19
Vintage 1980’s Spiked Heel Platform Boots by Retro Vintage 123 – $59
Vintage 1940’s Black Mink Collar by Purl 1 Vintage Too – $22
The Alexis Clutch by A03 Designs – $48

I stand by the fact that spending thousands of dollars on a dress you’re only going to wear for a few hours is utterly ridiculous, not to mention boring and overdone. Etsy has a multitude of options for the offbeat bride, to include many handmade options or replicas of designer dresses. And as a side note, these “Real Touch” silk roses by Timeless Wedding Impressions are a great alternative to real flowers and will certainly last longer. From what I’ve come across, and given the recent surge in DIY weddings, fake flowers no longer have of the stigma of being “cheap.” So go ahead and try something different!

Since they’re so fun to create, I will definitely be bringing you more wedding posts in the future. Let me know if there is anything in particular you’d like to see.

Many thanks for reading!

Robin – Owner

Beulah Louise Vintage

Vintage Sweaters for the Holidays

With Halloween behind us, it’s time to start making our Holiday plans. Whether you’re planning to stay close to home and curl up with a hot beverage, jetting away to a tropical island, attending a ridiculously fancy New Year’s Eve Party, or a combination of all three, I’ve got some really fun ideas on how to seamlessly incorporate vintage into your life.

First up, cozy holiday sweaters. Who says “Holiday” has to mean reindeer and snowflakes? It seems like every occasion between Thanksgiving and New Years is saturated with red and green. For a fresh take on Holiday colors, this board is built around two of the sweaters currently in the Beulah Louise Vintage shop that just so happen to pair well with royal blue and red accessories. One is a royal blue and grey wool over-sized sweater that has been getting a lot of attention in the shop, and a vintage 1990’s Structure brand striped sweater which is actually a man’s size medium making it double as a tunic or a super cozy sweater. Either can be paired with skinny jeans or leggings and bundled with knit scarves, hats, mittens, and boot socks.

I found a few great examples of items from other Etsy shops, both vintage and handmade, that would pair well with these two lovely finds. I think my favorite item is the vintage 60s mohair plaid scarf from ModPropShop . How fun and festive is that? It incorporates the classic red plaid design often seen around Christmas, with some fun yellow and royal blue highlights. I might have to add that to my Christmas list. Be sure to check out all the great items, links provided below.

Royal Thanksgiving

Royal Blue Trilby Hat by EllaGajewskaHats – $113
Vintage Royal Blue Oversize Nordic Sweater by Beulah Louise Vintage – $35.00
Vintage 60s plaid mohair scarf by ModPropShop – $42.50
Vintage 90s Grunge Striped Sweater by Beulah Louise Vintage – $29.00
Vintage Suede Panel High Wasted Leggings by Cara Mia Vintage- $97.50
Hand Knit Fair Isle Wool Mittens by The Crafty Rascal – $50.00
Vintage 1930s Signed Quilt by The White Pepper – $335.00
Grey Knit Legwarmers by homelab – $59.00
Knee High Red Zipper Boots by The Fashion Corp – $59.90

If vintage isn’t your thing, these items also make great Christmas gifts for the vintage lover in your life. Check back often for inspiration, or let me know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see. In my next few installments I intend to incorporate the retro twist on the LBD and warm climate alternatives for Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Robin – Owner
Beulah Louise Vintage