Ch-ch-ch-changes (because I realized my outfit was hiddy)

I know I just talked about not liking an outfit that I was wearing because it just didn't feel like me, so it's kind of ironic that yesterday I ended up wearing an outfit that I felt completely comfortable in, but which did me no favors.
For some reason, I just haven't been able to get a move on in the mornings. I don't know what it is, but I've been running about 10 minutes behind every day this week. I guess I've been spending a little more time on my hair and makeup, and not getting up early enough to compensate, which means that I'm getting dressed in a hurry.

Worth the extra time? I can't decide.
I try to compensate by spending some time thinking about what I want to wear while I'm getting ready, but what works in my head doesn't always work on my body. Yesterday, I decided to wear this outfit.

I love both pieces separately, and I think the colors work pretty well together, but the proportions are not good for me. I'm broad shouldered already, and the short, fluttery sleeves just emphasize that. I don't mind a strong shoulder, but I think it works best with a sleeker, 1940s silhouette, a la Joan Crawford. Paired with this skirt, it just makes me look bigger all over than I really am. These sandals don't seem to be helping matters either, making my legs look shorter and thicker than they actually are.
At first I couldn't figure out why none of my pictures where turning out well. I thought it was bad posture, or bad lighting, or a bad camera angle, before it hit me - it was just a bad outfit. It was kind of a relief to realize that, because my clothes are the easiest thing to change.
I know it's kind of silly to completely change my outfit just for pictures for the blog, but so be it. I already fake some things a little bit, adding lipstick or a belt so I look better for the camera - why not a whole outfit?

I kept the skirt, but I switched out the top for a printed t-shirt, and my flat brown sandals for my awesome new orange wedges. I also added a scarf and a pair of earrings that I received with my Chronically Vintage order from Etsy. I hadn't worn them before because my ears are stretched and I usually wear spirals, but they fit just fine alongside the little double flare plugs I've been wearing lately. They're nickel free and super cute, and I can't wait for the full line to come out.

Brian came outside as I was taking photos, and he teased me a little bit about cultural appropriation.
"What do you mean?"
"You look like the Chiquita Banana lady."

He might have a point.
I don't know if I'll have time to wear this outfit again before the weather changes (60s next week!!!!), but the lessons about proportion are definitely good ones for me. I'm also going to try to budget my time a little bit better in the mornings so I can spare the time for a glance the mirror, just to make sure everything's come together.

Pinups with Pixies: A borrowed from the boys rockabilly style

This wacky hairstyle is making me excited about my hair again. I know, I know, I was just bitching about how I missed my hair, I want to grow it out, blah blah blah. And I still want to grow it out, but I'm also going to make the most of this short do while it lasts. It's funny how actually doing something with your hair makes it look way better than just washing, air drying, and then sighing because it's all flat and sad looking.

That's why they call me the king of the bop.

Elvis, Elvis! Let me be. Keep that pelvis far from me.
So this isn't quite the tutorial that I promised you last week (finger waves are coming, though! Promise), largely because I was feeling something with more of a rock and roll vibe this weekend. What I settled on can't quite be called a pompadour; it's more like if John Travolta in Grease or David Bowie got caught in a wind tunnel.


It's the first time that I've used my hot rollers since I got my hair cut, so that's pretty exciting. I also really liked the second day hair that I ended up with - it was a little messy and sexy, like the perfect bedhead that you never actually wake up with.
It's... ok, it's a definite look, and it's not going to be for everyone. Personally, though, I really liked the androgynous, glam rock(abilly) vibe, so maybe someone else will too.

Start with hair that has a little texture to it - if it's freshly washed, add a little bit of mousse or dry shampoo. It's hard to get really short hair to stay in rollers, so anything to gives your hair a little more grip can only help.

Separate out the top section of your hair. This can be as long or as wide as you would like, but make sure you can fit a couple of curlers side by side so that the curls can sweep inward, towards the center.

As with longer hair, give each section a quick spritz with hairspray before you put in the roller.

For obvious reasons, you'll want to use the smallest curlers you have. My set only has four in this size, so I ended up using a couple of larger rollers on the longest part of my hair.

Here's the final set.

When I did this the day before, I had one more double row of curlers in. While it did work, the clips didn't really clamp on as well. With long hair, you don't want to overstuff the rollers, or the heat doesn't penetrate as well. That's less of a consideration with short hair.

Once the rollers have cooled (which took about 15 minutes, in my case), go ahead and take them out. Give your hair another shot of hairspray, and consider leaving your hair like this because you kind of look like a Dr. Seuss character.

Decide that no, you'll stick with the original plan, and gently break up and shape the curls until you like what you have.

At this point, my boyfriend decided that I really need a ducktail, so he showed me how to do that. I used a little bit of his Brylcreem to grease up the back and sides of my hair, and then combed both sides to the center and then divided it.

Kind of a fun touch, right?

This is what my end result looked like when I did it the previous day.

Although it's a little out there to wear to work as is, I could see setting it the night before and then sleeping on it to get that messy bedhead that I mentioned before. 

Previous Hair Tutorials: The Baby Beehive

Break This Rule: Pastels on Pale Girls

I love to read bitchy celebrity fashion blogs (what up, T Lo) and one of the common criticisms that I see is very pale women with light colored hair wearing nudes, pale pinks, or whites. Too monochromatic, too washed out, too like an old dishrag. And, ok, if you're not careful you can look really washed out, but it is definitely possible to rock a monochrome, pale look without looking like a corpse.
1. Break it up a little bit.
When I say you can rock a monochromatic look, I mean that it's relatively easy to pull off similar colors. A nude colored dress with nude colored shoes, though, can look a little... nude. Create a little bit of visual contrast either by mixing up your tones on the top and bottom, adding a subtle print or some texture, or adding in some accessories, like shoes or a belt, that offer a little contrast.

2. Go bolder with your makeup.
In my case, I went with a bold, red lip, but you could do brighter blush, a smoky or tight-lined eye, or anything else that gives your face a little brightness, color, and contrast.

2a. And make sure your skin looks perfect.
Seriously, don't skimp on the concealer. That zit is way more noticeable when it's the only spot of color for several feet.

Um, maybe not the best example picture because my mole kind of looks like a zit here.
3. If you're taking photos, do it against a darker background.

In real life, contrast is something that looks good because it's eye-catching. In photos, contrast is a requirement because if the light's not just right (and unless you're a professional photographer, it's not going to be), you'll basically be invisible. Don't be invisible.

I mean seriously, I'm a floating pair of lips and glasses in this one.
4. Don't listen to any of these rules because rules are for losers.
Not actually true, but particularly if you're not trying to take pictures, you can disregard most of this and just go for an ethereal, sparkle fairy princess thing. Although you should still probably follow 2a.

What are your fashion rules, and what rules do you like to break?

Blouse: 80s does 40s sheer pink blouse, LexisMonkey via Etsy
Skirt: High waist interlock skirt, American Apparel
Hat: 40s (?) beaded velvet headpiece, Vintage Underground

These products are saving my freaked out face

I am a serious creature of habit, especially when it comes to my beauty routine. Unfortunately, with all of the chaos of my recent move, I haven't been able to keep up with it as much as I would like to. Sleeping in my makeup, on dirty pillowcases, without access to the products I would normally reach for... All of that, combined with stress, booze, and cigarettes, means that I'm enjoying the worst acne I've had in years.
Unfortunately my skin is also quite sensitive, so I can't treat it as aggressively as I would like. I can use a salicylic acid face wash, but lotions and spot treatments that stay on my skin make my face red and angry. I also realized recently that my skin isn't some crazy combination of super dry and super oily, like I've always thought it was; it's actually just really dry and flaky, and my skin was compensating for the light, ineffective moisturizers that I'd been using by overproducing oil.
We're finally a bit more settled, and there are a few things that I've been doing to help rehab my poor, spotty face.

1. Makeup comes off every night. No excuses. Even if I'm utterly exhausted and ready to drop, I'm removing my eye makeup and washing my face. Makeup remover for waterproof mascara is key if you don't want to wake up with bloodshot raccoon eyes.
2. Exfoliate, but gently. Scrubbing too aggressively can irritate skin, but the buildup of dead skin cells clogs pores and makes skin look dull. I use a gentle physical exfoliant at night before I go to bed, which gives the redness time to subside.
3. Moisturize like crazy. I could never figure out why my skin would be so tight, dry, and flaky after washing, then turn into an oil slick later in the day. Now I use a gentle, moisturizing face wash in the morning, followed by a creamy lotion and a layer of face oil. My makeup goes on smoother, and while I still need to blot my nose in the middle of the day, on the whole my skin is much better behaved.
4. Use full coverage foundation and concealer, but use less of it. My skin scars like crazy from acne, so even after the pimples are gone, I still have lovely red spots to remind me of where they were. I'm also about as pale as a person can be without some form of albinism, and my skin gets red and blotchy at the drop of a hat. I used to apply several layers of sheer foundation trying even out my skin tone, but lately I've been in love with full coverage stick foundation. It goes on quicker, and I find that I'm using much less of it to much better effect.  I'm also using a thick, creamy concealer, which magically erases red spots and dark circles.

Products I'm loving right now


1. Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover. This stuff is gentle, effective, and doesn't dry out my eye area.
2. St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub+Mask. The original St. Ives is ridiculously harsh, but they've got some nice new formulas that are much easier on the skin. This one does a great job of exfoliating without irritating or over-drying my skin.
3. Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash. Gentle, but effective. (You might notice that's kind of a refrain here.) I use this in the morning since it's very easy on my face, meaning I don't have to cake on makeup to cover redness.
4. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I bought this after I had some kind of allergic reaction and ended up with a face full of hives. Really not fun. It's very moisturizing, but it absorbs quickly and is not greasy. It's got colloidal oatmeal, which is great for soothing sensitive skin.
5. Jack Black Epic Moisture Nourishing Oil. I love men's products because they're so refreshingly straightforward. One pump of this oil, smoothed over my face and neck, leaves my skin smooth and glowing, but it absorbs quickly and smells great. At $32, it's a bit of a splurge for me, but it's been worth every penny.
6. Maybelline FitMe Shine Free Foundation. I love how easy it is to smooth this foundation on and go. It offers medium to full coverage and stays matte throughout the day.
7. Benefit Boi-ing Concealer. This stuff is such a wonder. I just tap my finger in the pot to pick up some product, tap my finger on the spot a couple of times, and boom, it's gone.

How to dress vintage for not that much money

In my last post I talked about how I don't like to pay a lot of money for clothes, and I mentioned that I put a lot of time into looking for good deals. I do want to share a few pointers that might be helpful for finding your own deals, and let you know about some of my favorite, reasonably priced stores.

1. You know how a lot of online stores have email lists you can subscribe to? Yeah, you should do that. Gmail now has a feature where it separates you emails into different types. When I'm in the mood to buy something, I'll scroll through my promotions folder and see if any of the stores that I like are offering special discounts. I regularly get coupon codes for 10, 15, or 20% off. Sometimes, when you subscribe, they'll ask for your birthday. It benefits them because they collect information about what demographic shops with them, and it benefits you because the ones that ask for it usually send you a birthday coupon.
2. Another way to learn about special offers and flash sales is to follow stores you like on social media. Some stores will use them for exclusive offers and discounts that they don't offer anywhere else.
3. Get familiar with sale cycles. Spring and summer clothing comes into stores around February, so that's when winter gear will be the cheapest; cold weather clothing comes in around September, so that's when you'll want to buy summer clothes.
3a. Of course, the corollary with that is to not buy anything too trendy. You may not be wearing it for a while, and you don't want people to literally look at you and think, "man, that's so last summer."
(If you only ever buy vintage clothing, the previous two tips maybe aren't as useful. However, I supplement my wardrobe pretty heavily with items from stores like Topshop, Zara, and Asos; they, and a lot of the other trend driven stores, frequently have items that have a vintage or retro feel to them, and it's well worth it to check them out. I particularly recommend checking out Asos.com. Their sale section is larger than their selection of full priced merchandise, they offer a lot of different styles at a lot of different price points, and they have free shipping with no minimum purchase.)
4. If there's a vintage store in your area, try to get in there regularly. My store in Chicago is Vintage Underground, and as I've mentioned before, I'm there often enough that they'll give me a little bit of a deal on things. Second-hand and vintage stores often have some leeway to negotiate, especially if you're a familiar face that they know they're going to see again. I might only spend $20 when I'm in there, but I'm a loyal enough shopper that it adds up.

I spend way too much time on Etsy, but my lost afternoons are your gain. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite shops.
1. Voyeur Vintage
Voyeur Vintage is a smaller store, but they have a great selection of apparel and accessories from the 50s and 60s. Clear photos and accurate measurements (a must if you're shopping for vintage online) make shopping her store easy.

Turquoise Plaid Skirt - $38
2. Bloomers and Frocks
Bloomers and Frocks has a wide range of clothing, accessories, and shoes, and she sorts her store by size, a feature that I always appreciate.

Red Chiffon Shirtdress - $58
3. My Vintage Hat Shop
My Vintage Hat Shop is, well, my vintage hat shop. They have a large selection of unique vintage hats sorted by era, and if you like them on Facebook, she regularly offers discounts.

Off White Straw Hat with Veil - $37
4. Vacation Vintage
Vacation Vintage is another smaller store, but I love their selection of dresses. They feature everything from the 40s through the 80s, but there's a curated feel to their collection that I like. Definitely follow them on social media for discounts.

50s Dusty Rose Party Dress - $82
5. Very Vintage Store
Very Vintage Store is a lovely store with highly curated merchandise. She seems to offer flash sales on a somewhat regular basis. The merchandise that I've ordered from the store has arrived promptly and in great shape.

Mediterranean Blue Maxi Dress - $61

Quantity vs. Quality

Whenever I read articles in magazines about "streamlining your wardrobe" or "the investment pieces every woman should own," they regularly recommend buying fewer, more expensive items. The term investment piece kind of says it all, right? It's an investment, something that will somehow pay dividends in the future.
The thing is, I hate spending a lot of money on one item. Sure, that item might be amazing, but for the cost of, say, a Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag, I can have two vintage dresses, a pair of shoes, a new lipstick, a cute headband, get a haircut, go out to a nice dinner, and do a couple of other things as well. I can't help but feel like I'll get more satisfaction over having a lot of shiny new things to play with than just one.
I think I have a good eye for quality, and since I take good care of my clothes even cheap things tend to last. I did once tell someone that my superpower is finding the most expensive looking item in forever21, and that's actually pretty true. I'm willing to put a lot of time and effort into combing the internet and my local stores for the best deals.

This 1960s shift dress was only $16 at Vintage Underground, my local vintage store of choice. 
The problem with that is that sometimes I end up compromising. When I'm shopping I usually have a pretty specific idea about what I want - a below the knee white skirt full enough to fit a petticoat, or a plain baby blue dress with short sleeves or no sleeves. And sometimes I find precisely what I want, but if it's more than what I want to spend, I'll end up with something that fits my price, but not my vision. Maybe that white skirt ends up being pink, or the dress is printed with long sleeves. Often enough, I'll still absolutely love what I've bought, but then all of the ideas that I had about what to do with the piece have to be reworked. I might even end up buying more new stuff to go with the item that I just bought.
It's a habit that I recognized years ago, and I really have tried to break it. I've told myself time and again that if I can't have the right thing, I shouldn't buy anything. My habits mean that sometimes my wardrobe wanders off on tangents. "Well, I bought this, and it wasn't quite what I was looking for but it was still really cute, so then I bought this to go with it, but then that was the only thing that I had to wear it with and it's so cute itself, so then I bought these..."
What makes it difficult to break the habit is that the only downside is that I always feel like I need to buy more things, and that's not really a downside because I like buying things.
I have a pretty nice wardrobe. I've definitely fallen in love with pieces and spent more than I should have, but who hasn't done that once in a while? That said, as a rule, I don't pay more than $100 for a dress or $60 for a skirt. The vintage market is kind of overpriced right now since there are more people out there competing for fewer items every year, but there is still great stuff for the taking if you put some time into it.

The skirt is the bottom of a beautiful 1940s suit that I got for $50, while the top was on sale for $10 in the men's department of Urban Outfitters.
While I definitely believe that there are pieces worth dropping extra money on, I just don't know if I'm the person to do it. I like having a large wardrobe with a lot of different options to suit whatever mood I'm in that day. And frankly, I think that's fine. I know that there's been a lot of pushback lately over fast fashion and a movement to get rid of extraneous items in your wardrobe, but I don't feel any guilt over buying the things that I love. Other people can choose quality over quantity, but I'm a pretty firm believer in the philosophy that more really is more.

Cheesecake

Short story:
When I first started thinking about blogging, I wanted to do something that involved vintage pinup art and dessert recipes - it other words, cheesecake and cheesecake. However, the name Cheesecake and Cheesecake was already taken, so I shortened it a bit to Cakes and Cakes.

The reason I mention this is that while I love pinup photography and illustration, it's not something that I've ever really thought I could do myself, since I've never been very photogenic. I take my picture all the damn time now for this blog, though, and I've realized that that's not really true. You'd think years of watching America's Next Top Model would have already shown me the value of knowing my angles, but it wasn't until I spent some time trying to take good photos that I figured out exactly what that meant.

I decided over the weekend to take some pinup style photos, and while there was some trial and error, I'm really pleased with how the exercise turned out. I found this tutorial from pinup model Cherry Dollface really helpful when it came to posing. Here are some of the photos that I thought turned out well.

I should note that I did do a little photoshopping for color correction and to get rid of my clunky thermostat.

I do want to share a few things that I learned in the process. Nothing big (I think the Cherry Dollface tutorial that I linked to covered the really important things), but stuff that seemed to really make a difference.

1. Make sure your clothes fit really well. These shorts were a little big in the waist, and I was sucking in my stomach because I was taking photos of myself without a shirt on (like you do), so the gaping of the waistband was fairly obvious. I ended up pinning the shorts in the back to get a better fit.

2. Higher heels really do make your legs look better. Relative to my height, I have a long torso and short, very muscular legs. Wearing higher heels visually changed those proportions.

3. If you're leaning against a wall, put your weight on your hips, not your shoulders. Too much weight on your upper body flattens out your arms and makes it look like you have bingo wings.

4. Make sure you can see. I normally wear glasses, and when I took them off for some of the pictures, my eyes went unfocused and my face just looked weird. Vague and glazed is not a good look.

I'm interested in hearing what people think of my first attempt at a photoshoot. It feels a little strange to post photos like this, but I do enjoy this style of photography, and I'd really like to play around with it a bit more. I would love to do something like Vavoom Pinup Photography, where they do your hair and makeup and provide you with cute outfits, although it's a little expensive for my budget.

Blending the old and the new

I was really tempted, when I first got into vintage, to throw out all of my old clothes and buy a ton of stuff so that I could live in it it full time. Like most people, the initial thrill of getting into something new, something that just seemed so right for me, was intoxicating. There was a period where if it wasn't vintage (or at least suitably retro in appearance), I just didn't want to wear it. The printed pants, mini skirts, t-shirts, and loose sweaters that I was wearing a lot of just looked wrong. I'd created this new vision of myself in my head, and any clothes that didn't express that weren't appealing anymore, even if I'd previously liked it.
Of course, at a certain point practicality has to prevail. If you've only got two dresses, a handful of skirts, and a blouse or two that fit into your new and improved style, you're going to get bored with your wardrobe fast.
Now I'm actually glad that I didn't have the means to purchase a whole new wardrobe. Don't get me wrong - I own, and wear, more vintage every day, but I've remembered what I loved about a lot of the pieces that were already in my wardrobe. What you wear, in a very real way, is a statement about who you are, or who you want to be. I'm the quirky vintage woman, for sure; I'm also still the sporty woman, and the trendy woman, and the cool city woman. That doesn't go away just because I find a new aspect of my style that I want to express.

Tips for transitioning to vintage style:
1. Stay true to your personal aesthetic. I find it really helpful to think about my style in terms of adjectives. I would say that my style is youthful, ultra-feminine, and romantic, but with a tough edge. So long as a piece fits in with those descriptors, it'll probably play fairly well with the other things in my wardrobe, be it modern or vintage.
2. Be practical about your wardrobe needs. I ride my bike to work in warmer weather, and skirts just aren't that practical in that context. I've made it a point to find cute, high-waisted shorts and pants that might not be strictly vintage, but can read vintage given the right context.
3. Know the power of hair and makeup. New clothes can be really expensive. A new hairstyle or some makeup, not so much. When I first started getting into vintage, I was amazed by how much of a difference just curling my hair or wearing red lips and cat eye eyeliner made. They're easy vintage signifiers that can make even jeans and a t-shirt look retro and vixenish.
4. Invest in a few wardrobe workhorses. I realized recently that most days, I'll wear either a cashmere cardigan, a full skirt, or both. Some of them are vintage, some are new or reproduction, but either way they add a little bit of vintage flair to my other pieces. The specifics will vary from person to person, but if you know that, say, peter pan collar blouses or pencil skirts tend to give you just the right look, have a few of them in your wardrobe so that you can pull them out regularly.
5. Accessories are your friend. I've mentioned before how headbands, scarfs, flowers, and other hair accessories can rescue a bad hair day, and they can also help spice up your look if you're feeling a little flat. Likewise, some vintage bangles or a statement necklace can add instant flair and polish to an otherwise ordinary outfits. Belts are great defining a silhouette, and swapping heels for flats can make a fancier dress feel more appropriate for every day wear (and vice versa).


I think this outfit is a pretty good example of what I'm talking about. I've had this full skirted pink mini dress for a few years now. I paired it with a vintage yellow cardigan for some coverage in the cool spring weather. My nude shoes, which you can't see that well, have bows at the toes and a fun, goblet shaped heel. I used a thick belt to define the waist, which is a bit high on me, and I accessorized with a delicate gold necklace and my cat eye glasses. I like the overall effect, which is feminine and a bit retro, if not necessarily vintage.

Spring Inspiration

It's been bitterly cold here in Chicago for the better part of five months now. I'm not even exaggerating. When it's that cold for that long, spring weather starts to seem like some kind of a beautiful dream. It's finally, finally starting to warm up, though, and I couldn't be more excited to start dressing for more pleasant weather.
I get a lot of inspiration from vintage fashion magazines and ads, as well as movies from the period, but I also really enjoy keeping an eye on current fashion. It's a great way to figure out what pieces you'll likely be able to find in what the British call high street stores (midi skirts are everywhere right now, and come fall, there will be tons of stuff on the racks for girls with a mod, 60s aesthetic), and it's also a great way to get a fresh perspective on style.

Alice&Olivia always manage to create covetable, sweetly retro collections. I'm in love with pastels right now, and a matching crop top and midi skirt will definitely be making an appearance in my wardrobe come summer.

If a crop top feels a little overexposed, add a long cardigan with a thin belt at the waist, like Michael Kors did here. It's also great for those cooler nights. I could definitely see wearing this to the beach or a barbeque. 

Speaking of full skirts and belted cardigans, I love this Rochas look. A chunkier knit is great for this transitional weather, while a full, floral skirt in cream and pastels makes me think of spring. 

This gown from Spanish fashion house Delpozo isn't an every day look, I admit, but I love the proportions here. I would normally pair a very full skirt with a fitted top, but this has me thinking about remixing my vintage skirts with swingy trapeze tops, just to change things up a bit. 

If there were a procedure that would allow me to trade a year of my life for a designer collection, the Michael Kors Pre-Fall 2014 collection would be the one I would do it for. This look, in particular, really caught my eye, with the bold use of color and pattern. I never would have thought to pair a vivid red with baby blue, but now that I've seen how beautifully it works here, I've been mad for it.

This is another unusual color pairing that I've fallen in love with since I've seen it. Granted, I don't really see myself wearing a long, open skirt with striped pants and a sheer crop top, but Ulyana Sergeenko's dark, rich hunter green with the baby blue (again; it's definitely the color of the season for me) is really striking. 
Actually, if you're looking for some inspirational eye candy, just Google Ulyana Sergeenko. She's an amazing Russian designer with a grand, romantic, vintage sensibility. You will want to save up all your rubles to buy her couture pieces.
I went outside with bare legs for the first time in months this morning. It felt so delicious. I can't wait to start riding my bike to work, and eating my lunch outside, and setting up a hammock in my yard. You know what? Just wake me up when it's May.

All photos courtesy of style.com.  

Fabulous, but flimsy

One of the issues that anyone wearing a lot of vintage is going to run into is the extra care a vintage garment requires. Vintage garments, on the whole, are very well made, and some of them are just as sturdy and durable as anything purchased new today. However, loose buttons and popped seams are often part of the deal when you purchase a vintage piece.
Sewing is one of those essential life skills that I honestly don't know how anyone, man or woman, gets by without. It's just such an easy thing to learn, and it's so handy. Even before I started wearing vintage, I found it helpful to know how to sew a button back on, or repair a split seam. Now, reinforcing buttons and seams is as regular a part of my wardrobe maintenance as washing my clothes.

This dress, for example, is actually in beautiful shape. However, it's also about 60 years old, and the first time I wore it, 5 of the buttons popped off, one right after the other. I wasn't doing acrobatics or anything - one of them literally popped off just from me breathing. After I sewed all of the buttons that had fallen off back on, I went in and reinforced all of the other buttons, loose or not.

Similarly, this coat (which was an absolute steal at only $60) was in perfect condition when I purchased it back in December. However, it's gotten a lot of wear over the winter, and there have been a few issues that needed fixing. I basted together the seams at the buttonholes, which had split, and reinforced the buttons when they started threatening to fall off.
I consider myself a mediocre seamstress at best. I don't have a sewing machine, and I know precisely two stitches. And really, that's all I need to know for basic mending. If you're interested in vintage clothing, but are worried about things like repairs, I would definitely recommend picking up a needle and thread and giving it a go. After all, even if you mess up, all you have to do is pick it out and try again.