FLATS VINTAGE is on hiatus. It will be reborn again one day, I'm sure.

<3<3 Kate

Fashion Tracks: Devil With The Blue Dress, Shorty Long

I once belted out Shorty Long's Devil With The Blue Dress at a karaoke party. Thank goodness I was seven and hadn't developed a sense of shame yet... Also, I love Anna. Really. Precisely because she is kind of a devil. I have no doubt that the bob will never die. It seems silly and unrealistic, like Briony Tallis' ever-present bob in the film adaptation of Atonement. But no, seriously, I picture her having regular trims in hospice. Or maybe even postmortem, Lenin's tomb-style.

A little about me.

Hello everyone! It's a sunny and warm Saturday afternoon here in Boston. This morning I made an early start to scour my local charity shops for new treasures to bring to you. I've had my Etsy open for a while now, and I thought I'd take the time to introduce myself to anyone who happens to be looking at this blog so far (hello-oh-oh... Is anyone out there-er-er-er?).

My name is Kate, although if we want to get specific Kate is actually my middle name. I've always been called this, though I'm not sure why. My brother also goes by his middle name. I was named after Shakespeare's Kate in Taming of The Shrew. I never really believed that Kate was tamed in the end- the play is, after all, a farce. Reading her as a character that ultimately becomes submissive renders her far too tragic in my mind; instead I like to believe that Kate is merely playing placid in order to fool her husband, and will later use it to her advantage in securing dominance... Just sayin'!

I will soon have my BFA in photography and art history. To be blunt, I have no idea what lies ahead. I wish it were as straight forward as-- what was your major? Ok. Do that. But it's not, really. I am interested in a vast variety of fields, and I've got to test many waters before I figure out what is right for me. As many college seniors would agree, it is quite scary. One thing I do know is that I want to see more of the world- even if that only means exploring more of the U.S. until I am in the financial position to go back to Europe. When I studied abroad last spring in Paris, I was bit hard by the travel bug. Since then I've had an unbelievable itch for adventure. Having to sit very still and finish my senior thesis has thus proved to be incredibly tiresome and difficult.

I love, love, love thrift shopping- for clothing and for other odds and ends, too. Antique markets, second hand stores, yard sales, estate sales.. You'll always find me there! One might say I am addicted. Browsing through the racks and rummaging through boxes transports me to a calm, more lovely state of mind. I imagine that all things have a history; a story. Pasts are so important because they are so vital to informing our futures.

What else is there to know? I listen to Neil Young and prefer tea to coffee. I often wish for my very own Snorlax. I am scatterbrained. I am a worrier. My ideal day involves Goodwill, reading an unputdownable book, and laughing. I am a probably a movie snob. I could toss out a million more random facts, but this is getting long, so I'll spare you.

Portrait by Sam Rosenholtz.

Our Clothes, Our Selves.

I'm sitting on the couch, watching Project Runway, editing files, and getting ready to list my first Etsy store vintage items. I'm looking at certain pieces and feeling quite nostalgic and attached. I know, I know. If I put something in the "sell pile" and went to the trouble to photograph and measure it, I really ought to go through with putting it up for sale. Anxiously I think: What if I wear it again? (Unlikely). What if I lose some weight and fit into it in a few months? (Even more unlikely). What about that day I wore that top with that red skirt? Gosh that was such a good day.

If I really examine why I want to keep an article of clothing, the reason more oft than not boils down to a memory. I attach a huge amount of sentimentality to my clothes. I grew up living in an old victorian brick house, on the top floor of my mother's clothing store. Having two business owners as parents meant that I was constantly with a nanny, but if I ever wanted to see my mom, I could always go downstairs and slip through the back changing room into the shop. I can't count the number of times I accidentally walked in on some lady trying things on... Whoops! Oh wait, I think I just found my gay root!! (Only joking.. Well, not entirely).

I remember being small, smaller than the racks, creeping underneath rows of dresses. I remember the smells and the colors and the feel of the fabrics, and I remember it all with profound fondness. It is no surprise that- in light of my upbringing- I am not only addicted to fashion, but also have a hard time letting go of a certain special t-shirt or a sweatshirt from a memorable night at the lake.

Alas! At 21 and a soon to be college graduate, it is time to purge my closet!

Fashion Tracks: I Want To Sleep In My Party Dress, Liz Isenberg

I first started listening to singer/songwriter Liz Isenberg in my junior year of high school when I began looking at potential colleges. I stumbled upon Hampshire College, which somehow lead me a Isenberg's Myspace (she was a student there at the time). The hazy, lo-fi I Want To Sleep In My Party Dress made me long for sun soaked summer afternoons napping in sixties shift dresses.

Hello, and welcome to the official blog home of FLATS VINTAGE. My little corner of the lovely Etsy universe was born when I realized I had far too many clothes (and specifically an addiction to second hand shopping). In an effort to clear some room in my closet and make use of my shopping habits, I bring you carefully selected vintage from the 1950s to the 1990s. Please browse, enjoy, and check back often.

Thanks to my roommates for being there for shooting (Shane Godfrey), and modeling (Katie & Meg).