June's Leopard Top & Pumpkin Pant

June was a diva. Diva's like animal prints, cocktails and anything else fabulous. She wore this outfit to brunch with the ladies and somehow 12pm wasn't too early for drinking. But hey it was the 80's. This velveteen top compliments these gorg pumpkin pants so well. Wear them together or wear them apart just make sure you don't fart. Don't worry June didn't fart in these pants, she's a lady for crying out loud.

Leopard Velveteen Top $22. Fits size Small

Pumpkin Pant $38. Fits size 25-26 or Small

Astrid's Abstract Dress

According to wikipedia; Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world.

Also if you look up "abstract" in wikipedia Q-Tip the rapper comes up, I seriously love wikipedia; its the best. Anyway if we could just live our lives a bit abstractly like Astrid did maybe our lives would be more colorful, amazing and special. Think outside the box and wear an abstract printed dress. 

Abstract Printed Dress $34. Fits size 2 or Small.

Jeraldine Jacksons 60's Mod Dress

You remember good old Jeraldine Jackson right? If not, here is her story...

Jeraldine Jackson died in San Diego at age 93. She was a model in New York in the '30s and '40s. She lived all over the US and finally settled in San Diego after her husband died. Here's the amazing part, Jeraldine and her sister had kept every piece of clothing and accessory they had ever worn in their adult lives including all of the bomb designer clothes they had amassed while modeling. 

60's Mod Dress $42. Fits size 2-4.

Lilly's Granny Dress

A proud grandmother of 4, Lilly enjoyed playing putt putt gold with her youngest grandson Charlie. She was an active granny who celebrated life. Only on special occasions did Lilly wear this flower and leaf printed dress. She wore it to play cards at her senior center, on a hot date with a man 10 years her junior, and of course to play golf with her grandson. Enjoy life just as Lilly did and wear a pretty dress for God's sake; life is short!

Flower & Leaf Granny Dress $28. Fits sizes 2-4.

My friend posted an article about me on her blog!!

Vintage Vantage

 Ya' know that girl that wore culottes, like, years before they were cool?  Or the girl you whizzed past at the thrift store, seriously curious why she spent so long on the 'lame rack'?  Or the girl that bought the gross men's blazer with intentions of turning it into a dress - and then actually did it?

Yeah.  Her name is Hanah Salas de Saucedo.  And she is good.

Before your bestie started wearing 'vintage' (hello...two-seasons-old is not vintage).  Before celebrities claimed non-labels on the red carpet were 'vintage'.  This girl was doing it for real.  Best part?  She's sharing the love.  Shop her vintage finds (at real-peep prices!), here.

Check out her awesome blog corkboardinspirations.blogspot.com

Thanks Sharon!

Sweater Series: Round 5 Maggie's

Want a wool knitted sweater that lets your arms breathe? Look no further. This baby comes equipped with full arm movement and breathing room. Get the warmth of a sweater with the flexibility of a tank. Maggie was a cool girl with lots of things to do. She like to have fun and look good too. She wore this sweater under blazers when it was cold or paired it with jeans when it was cool. Explore the possibilities and enjoy the freedom to choose with this sweet sweater. 

Wool Knitted Sweater $22. Fits sizes Small-Med

Sweater Series: Round 4 Leelee's

Leelee's funfetti sweater is primarily black and filled with fun colors. This sweater is dual purposed; it'll keep you warm and go with anything. Everyone needs a fitted sweater for winter to wear under blazers, jackets, and coats. Leelee wore this sweater with her favorite skinny jeans and a white button down shirt underneath it. Her style was preppy-cute. She dressed her look up with some colorful pumps by night and dressed it down with some chucks during the day. Have fun!

Funfetti sweater $22. Fits sizes XS-Small

Sweater Series: Round 3 Tracey's

Being holy isn't easy but you can try with this sweater. Get in good with God and look cute at the same time. Tracey was a good teenager who wore this sweater every time she got cold at church camp in 1982. She loved the detail and wore it proudly. Tracey now lives happily in Charming, Ca with her 3 children and husband. She would love it if someone else cozied up with her old lucky sweater. Her new lucky sweater is a biker jacket that reads "SAMCRO". She hopes that this sweater will bring you luck in whatever path you choose. Seriously, has anyone seen Sons of Anarchy? It's so good!

Red Cross Sweater $24. Fits sizes Small-Med

Sweater Series: Round 2 Delia's

This military/mariachi inspired sweater was previously owned by Delia. Delia wore this pullover with cutoff shorts, over long dresses, with skinny jeans and over a pencil skirt. This was Delia's favorite sweater when she was in college in 1983. She was on a budget but she got tons of different looks out of it. Try it on with your favorite bottoms and see if you can be as precious as she.

Color block pullover sweater with gold button detail $26. Fits sizes XS-MED. Oversized or fitted.

Sweater Series: Round 1 Kaya's

If you aren't ready to commit to a full turtleneck, consider the mock. This magenta ribbed mock turtleneck is super cute and fall weather ready. Wear it with your favorite jeans or with a skirt. This t-neck looks chic tucked into a skirt, casual-cool untucked. Kaya wore this sweater with a maxi skirt and combat boots on a cool fall day in 1986. She wanted to keep warm and give her neck some breathing room. Do the same or be lame.
Magenta ribbed mock turtleneck $22. Fits sizes XS-MED

Source: mix1065fm.radio.com

A 13 Year Old Girls Acid Wash Jacket

Ok true vintage story starring me. I was at my favorite thrift store parusing the sweater section when I see a worker hauling in a rack of clothes to be placed. I spotted this beautiful acid wash jacket with white pleather fringe but alas I wasn't as fast as a 13 year old girl. She snatched up the jacket and a had to reach for some tissue to wipe away my tears. I've been noticing lately that I have become weirdly competitive when I shop. I watch out for people who may like the same things as me, and I give them a good grimace. I shop really quickly and imagine that I am on an episode of "Supermarket Sweep". Anyway I had a feeling that the jacket would somehow be mine so I stalked this 13 year old girl for more than 20 minutes. I watched her every move while shopping vigorously. I watched her try it on, then talk to her mom about it, try it on again, then inspect the tag. Finally I was standing a few feet from her and she placed the jacket back on the rack. Was it mine? Could it be mine? I waited a minute so as not to seem too desperate. She was still standing in front of it, I asked her "did you try on that jacket?' obviously I had seen her try it on 3 times already but hopefully she hadn't noticed. She replied "yeah but its too big", "do you mind if I try it? I asked. "Go for it!" she said. So I grabbed it and it was as if the heavens parted and this jammin' jacket was delivered to me straight from the Gods. 

Acid wash jacket with white fringe $38. Fits sizes 2-8? Come try it on

My friend wrote an article about me!!

FASHIONISTA SPOTLIGHT: Hanah Salas De Saucedo

14SEP ’11

Some say that the right outfit makes a statement, but according to Hanah Salas de Saucedo, each piece tells a story. Hanah is the creator of Vintage Story a business combining style, history, and savvy finds.

CollegeFashionista: What is Vintage Story?

Hanah Salas de Saucedo: Vintage Story is a collection of handpicked pieces found in thrift shops and vintage specialty stores. Along with each garment is a background story to give it more personality and inspiration for styling advice.

CF: How did you come up with this idea?

HSS:  I grew up shopping vintage my whole life. When I was a 12 years old, my grandmother gave me a gift certificate to a local thrift shop for $50. Back then it sort of taught me early how to be resourceful with my own style. Now, I feel as though I have a keen eye when it comes to fashion. When I would shop with friends they would speed by racks in front of me not even really looking. I go through the same route and end up finding blouses and dresses that they were exactly looking for. I wanted to create a styling service that allowed people to be in a creative environment and feel comfortable around vintage clothing.

CF: What is the process between shopping and the customer?

HSS: There is actual digging involved finding those prized gems. I go from top to bottom pretty quickly. What actually takes the most time is quality control of a garment to make sure the zippers work and there aren’t any rips or snags. From there, they are properly stored – awaiting a story to be written, and to again be worn. Vintage Story is actually based in an extra room that I have at my home. When I have shopping parties or fit sessions I have personalized racks with specific sizes, colors, and pieces that I know they would like to pick from. I also have mini photo shoots to add on to the site. I think that some people just don’t like to shop in thrift stores. I sort of play the bridge between the customers and the clothes.

CF: Where are the best thrift shops?

HSS: I go all over from Burbank to Pasadena. I’m originally from San Diego and there’s a shop I go to that I always leave with at least two filled bags. Names shall reamain anonymous, I've got to keep some secrets.

CF: How do you come up with the stories for the clothing?

HSS: The stories stem from my travels and experiences. Places I’ve been, people I’ve met. It’s hard to explain… mostly it’s something I feel when I see the pieces. It's all fun because in a way we play a character in every outfit we wear.

CF: Why do you think vintage fashion is so relevant?

HSS: Vintage fashion has always been relevant. Fashion is never really new, it’s always recycling. Vintage is a way to feel more unique with pieces that no one else has, and also a little step to going green.

CF: How would you describe your own style?

HSS: I know it sounds cliché but my style is very eclectic. I like to balance new with the old so I remain somewhat modern and never too costume-like. It’s always changing but there is always vintage in the equation.

CF: Who are your style icons?

HSS: My icons are Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, Cher, Edie Sedgwick, Jane Birkin, Bianca Jagger and Steve Nicks. I think that the '70s and the '80s were the best time for fashion.

CF: What's in store for Vintage Story?

HSS: I want to continue shopping parties, continuously updating the website and extend Vintage Story into little boutiques. Have a section dedicated to certain pieces like sweaters or dresses. When they are bought I’d like the customer to be interactive and take a photo of themselves in the garment, so later, they can receive a story about what they own. You have to start somewhere. It's hard work, but remains exciting. All I wanted to do growing up was be a rapper and makes clothes. I think I’ve found my beat.

Style On,

Marko Alejo

Nico's Velvet Underground Dress

My favorite Velvet Underground song is "Beginning to see the light". Although Nico; a German singer, model and actress with impeccable style did not sing on that track, I imagine she would have worn a dress like this during her stint in the band. Ok so if you don't know about this band you should listen to some of their music. Also, Andy Warhol became the bands manager in 1965 and introduced them to Nico. She was such a babe?! Can you imagine being BFF's with Andy Warhol?! So I know its still a bit hot but the cold will come soon and you you'll need a beautiful velvet dress to put you in a fall state of mind. I have several velvet dresses so come by and check them out. Black velvet dress $28. Fits sizes 2-8, depending on how you want it to fit.

Source: http://underwoodmemories.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/nico.jpg

DIY Clothes Clips!

Remember these fashionable clips from when I was young? Ok, well these are super cute & they serve a purpose. If you have any garments that you don't wear that often cause theyre a little too big, so you have to tuck them in or belt them in order to wear them. Solution: the dress clip. These clips will pull a garment tighter to your body and make you look really cool. Now the question is, do you want fancy or casual clips? Lets start with fancy. 

Things you'll need: old string of pearls, the same clips we used for the DIY suspenders, some cool vintage buttons, scissors and some stretchy bead string (fishing cord). First string some pearls onto your stretchy string; about 20. Then knot it to one of your clips. Leave extra string so that you can attach a pretty button to the end of the pearls. Do the same to the other side and abracadabra, you're done!

Now casual clip. You will need: needle, pins, scissors, clips, thread, fabric (i used left over tie fabric from the DIY suspenders) and elastic. First measure and cut, about a 10 inch strip of fabric. Then place a strip of elastic about 6 inches inside the middle of the strip of fabric. You want to be able to fold the fabric over the elastic on both sides. Then you grab a pin and pin one end of the fabric & elastic. Then carefully start stretching the elastic with the fabric and pin about 5 pins about an inch apart. You should get a wormy piece of fabric like in the picture. Then you start hand sewing small stitches in the middle of the fabric (where the elastic is). You can use a sewing machine, but I know not everyone has one so I wanted to try to sew it by hand to make sure that everyone can do it! I put one end of the fabric between my front teeth to hold the fabric taught while I sewed it. Once you have sewn the strip, you can fold over one end of the fabric and hand sew the clip to the edge of the fabric. Make sure its secure! Do the same to the other end and ta-da!

Sara's Flowy Ruffle Gown

Sara wore this gorgeous 70's glam gown to dinner in a fancy restaurant. She dined on her favorite meal; tortellinis with gorgonzola. Sara wore this dress with gold stiletto sling backs and bright red lipstick. Don't wait forever for your man to take you on a fancy date, show him this dress and he'll know exactly where to take you. Also check out her fish tail braid. If you have long hair I will be tempted to do this to your hair. I was the best braider on my block when I was 8, just so you know.

Black Glam Gown $42. Fits sizes 4-8.

Annie's One Pocket Flare Skirt

Flares aren't just for jeans or traffic control. They are also for pretty princesses. Annie was a little princess who had an affinity for placing only her right hand in pockets, thats why this one pocket skirt was perfect for her. The other hand was free to swing her skirt, hold her pocket book or twirl her hair. Give your right arm a break with this skirt. 

One Pocket Flare Skirt $22. Fits size 0.