The first in a series of Polaroids of LuLu's Vintage customers from our first store location which was open from 2001 - 2003.
This young lady is posing in front of Lulu's Vintage in a vintage faux fur jacket that she purchased at the store.
Do you recognize the person in the photo? Is it you or a friend? We would love to know!
As anyone who knows me, my store or my blog knows I love wacky, colorful, bold prints!
Take for instance this vintage Lilly Pulitzer dress with amaizing corn print that I had for sale online. A couple of years back Holly of Lucitebox Vintage fell in love with the dress and purchased it. Holly recently did a blog post on her blog HollyGab about why she bought the dress. Click here to read her post.
Chris posing with a giant corn cob across the street from the "World's Only Corn Palace". To check out photos and read of our visit to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota click here.
This chic young lady came into the store a few weeks back and tried on the black hat that she is pictured in. I could tell that she really loved the hat- but, was unsure. She said that she never had worn a hat with such a wide brim before. I told her that I have a wide brimmed felt hat and whenever I wear it people are delighted to see me in it. When I wear the hat I get compliments from women and men. It can take sometime to get used to wearing hats- but, if you stick with it you will fall in love with wearing hats, believe that you look great, and people will appreciate your style. She bought the hat and it really topped off her chic style.
If you are longing for your own wide brimmed hat, I have the exact same hat that she bought except in red for sale here at the store: Lulu's Vintage 916 West Burnside.
Where: Lulu's Vintage Store is located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon.
Thursday, January 24th marked the 7th Anniversary of Lulu's Vintage Blog!
December 04, 2012 Traceyanne & Carey of Camera Obscura at Lulu's Vintage Store in Portland
Today I have picked out some of my favorite posts that I wrote for the Trends category (in this category I post about going ons at Lulu's Vintage Store and about myself).
I have perused through past Trends posts and have decided to link to some of my fave posts (click on the link below each photo to read the original article)...
October 31, 2012 Halloween Past
October 23, 2012 These Are The Kitties In My Neighborhood
September 20, 2012 Lulu's Vintage Store featured in Conde Nast Traveler Articles
August 15, 2012 Lulu's Vintage Store in Portland, Oregon Featured on Fashion Indie
July 03, 2012 The 3rd Annual Portland Hat Parade Photo Wrap Up
June 03, 2012 Vintage Garden Party
September 22, 2011 Maps to Vintage, Retro & Design in Portland, Oregon
August 19, 2011 Becky Ross, Project Runway Season 9 Contestant, Interview Part I
June 27, 2011 Photos of the 2nd Annual Portland Hat Parade
April 20, 2011 A Day in the Life of Lulu...
Lulu's Vintage Featured in MS.MS. March Look Book
February 17, 2011 Vintage Suitcase Mystery Solved & Cat Fundraising Inspiration
November 03, 2010 Brit Box: UK Indie Shoegaze & Brit Pop Gems
October 27, 2010 Lulu's Vintage Clothing Store in Portland, Oregon
August 30, 2010 Lulu, Vintage & Portland in the Media
June 21, 2010 Garfield's Sweet Ride & A Visit To His Cribs
April 05, 2010 Lulu's Photos from The First Annual Portland Easter Hat Parade
March 16, 2010 These Are The Bags of My Life...
June 18, 2009 Scrapbooks, an American History & Lulu's Honeymoon Scrapbook
April 20, 2009 Lulu Interviewed in the U.K. Observer Newspaper
March 20, 2009 Lulu's Vintage Interview on ephemera
*Lulu's Vintage 1,500th Blog Post*
Back when I hit my 1,500 the blog post I shared 15 little known facts about me. Here they are, in no particular order...*I love the snow.
*I love to bake.
*I love calla lillies and red gladiolas.
*I love dark chocolate and Indian food.
*I love to dance.
*I love to travel by train and take road trips by car (I hate to fly).
*I like photography (and having a camera with me makes me feel less shy).
*I like playing Scrabble, doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles.
*I like to play miniature golf, pinball, and whack-a-mole.
*I rarely see new movies, I much prefer the quality and storylines of vintage movies ( new-er movies by Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, Kar Wai Wong, as well as French movies are the exception).
*One of my favorite museum exhibits that I have ever seen was a Verner Panton exhibit at the Design Museum in London- it was a room full of spaces divided up by color. I also really liked the Outsider Art Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland; the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, Kansas; as well as the Hundertwasser House/Museum in Vienna, Austria.
*I would love to live in Brugge, Belgium or Lucca, Italy.
*Before my brother was born, friends of my parents joked that if it was a girl they should call her Little Lulu Ludlum. Well, as it turned out, their first child was a boy- so the nickname Lulu Ludlum was passed along to me.
*I love cats. I also really want to adopt a corgi and perhaps a rabbit or two.
*I have had various different career
ideas and entrepreneurial skills throughout my life, including...
-As a child I would do face painting and sell greetings cards that I had
created during recess, I was also in charge of drawing up a map of where to
hide from the boys when they chased us girls at recess (during jr. high and
high school I would have loved to have a map as to where to find the boys
[actually I knew where to find them, I was just too shy to do anything about
it]).
-During the summer I would set up a snack stand and sell popcorn, Otter Pops,
lemonade, etc... to the other kids in the neighborhood. I also worked as a
babysitter and pet sitter.
-I would take my mom's old teaching materials, create a classroom setting and
teach some of the kids from the neighborhood.
-I cut envelopes and index cards in half and would tape them in the back of
books and check them out to my friends.
-I wanted to be an archaeologist. When I was a child my dad would take me on
walks in the woods and fields near our house and he would look for old turn of
the century dump sites where he would unearth fascinating things, he would also
come across old arrowheads. When I was a teenager I discovered an old dump site
behind our house, it was near a creek and I would go down there and spend hours
digging up beautiful pieces of china and glass bottles.
December 17, 2012
I just put out an array of Vintage Men's Vests, Shirts, Sweaters & Jackets! Come shop: Lulu's Vintage is located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. Our hours are Wednesday - Saturday 12:30 - 5:30. During the holiday season we will often be open on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays call 503-360-1142 to check.
December 14, 2012
I just put out Women's vintage little black dresses! Come shop: Lulu's Vintage is located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. Our hours are Wednesday - Saturday 12:30 - 5:30. During the holiday season we will often be open on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays call 503-360-1142 to check.
December 14, 2012
I just put out vintage Women's knit suits, cardigan sweaters, Asian jacket, Pendleton jacket, and wool coat! Come shop: Lulu's Vintage is located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. Our hours are Wednesday - Saturday 12:30 - 5:30. During the holiday season we will often be open on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays call 503-360-1142 to check.
December 11, 2012
I just put out Vintage Women's Beaded, Velvet, Corded, Gold Lame, Leather Purses & Wallets; Leather & Rubber Boots; Vintage Men's Cap, Shoes & Wallets! Come shop: Lulu's Vintage is located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. Our hours are Wednesday - Saturday 12:30 - 5:30. During the holiday season we will often be open on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays call 503-360-1142 to check.
Vintage beaded purses.
Vintage velvet purses.
Vintage fabric purses.
Vintage corded purses.
Vintage leather purses.
Vintage gold purses & unusual purses.
Women's leather & rain boots.
Women's tote & Men's cap.
Men's & Women's leather wallets.
Men's Leather shoes.
Photos of stylish customers at Lulu's Vintage Store located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon...
Lawrie of Portland, Oregon came into the store looking for something to wear to a holiday party. She found and bought this amazing gold dress with side slits up to the hips that is adorned with gold glitter Asian characters and landscape. The dress looked wonderful on her!
Vivi of Beijing, China purchased the black rain coat that she is pictured in above. She took the waist sash and tied it into a bow on her head- which I loved!
Tracyanne Campbell and Carey Lander of Camera Obscura looking cute bundled up for a rainy, blustery day.
A little over a week ago Chris and I were walking down the sidewalk on the way to our store and there were two ladies in front of us. They stopped in front of the store and we told them that we would be opening shortly and encouraged them to come back. They told us they were drawn over to the store because of our tartans in the window, thinking that we might be a Scottish store. I explained that each year at Christmas time we do a tartan and plaid themed window (do you know the difference between a tartan and a plaid? Maggie of denisebrain recently wrote a blog post about the two fabrics, click here to read it). I do have a lot of tartan and plaid skirts at the store though, and I do have Scottish heritage.
The two ladies came back after we opened and were shopping around the store. I always enjoy chatting with my customers,the majority of which are visiting from elsewhere. I asked if they were from Scotland, and they said yes they were and that they were in town recording an album. I asked what the name of their band was and they said Camera Obscura. When they said they were from Scotland here recording an album I wondered in the back of my mind if it could be Camera Obscura. They were both very nice, which is always such a delight to discover in members of a band that you like. Their music is wonderful and very suited to the similar climates of Scotland and Oregon.
Having a store on a major street across from Powell's Books, one of Portland's top tourist draws, I always wonder when groups of guys come in to the store all dressed similarly if they are in a band. Would you recognize members of your favorite band or a famous band? I think that I would recognize Morrissey- but, I don't know for sure, even here in town there are some guys that have a striking similarity, though perhaps the cute 1980's version of Morrissey, not the older handsome gentleman of today. Back in 2001-2003 when I had the original location of my store Erykah Badu came in to my store and bought matching vintage purses for her and her sister. When she told me her name I recognized it but, didn't know what her music sounded like. At the present incarnation of my store Adele stopped in- but, I didn't recognize her when she was here. I think part of the reason I didn't recognize either of these famous ladies is that I don't listen to Top 40. I did recognize Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth when she came into my store.
What do you think, would you or wouldn't you recognize members of your favorite band or a famous band?
10- It is the ultimate eco-gift! No landfill packaging. No new use of resources or labor.
9- Craftsmanship. Vintage items were made out of high quality materials and feature unique design details.
8- History. You are buying an item that has proved to be fashionable throughout history.
7- History (part 2). It is fun to own something vintage and think of how a person from a whole other generation appreciated it as well.
6- Uniqueness. No chance of hitting the streets with a new scarf only to see three other people with the same one!
5- Supporting a small business. Instead of lining the pockets of big box stores, you can support an independent business owner.
4- Authenticity. Why buy rip-offs of old designs, when you can get the original.
3- Authenticity (part 2). Why buy something that has been "distressed" to look old when you can get something that has genuine patina.
2- Save some cash. Vintage items are often times much less expensive than new.
1- Don't participate in the mad rush to the mall. Vintage is easy to find off the beaten path.
Chris and I are excited to announce the unveiling of our line of retro Christmas & New Years postcards!
These postcards feature original vintage images from the early 20th century. They are only available for purchase at Lulu's Vintage Store located at 916 West Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon...
Mt. Hood Organics Farm is our favorite place to go and get incredible tasting organic apples & pears. Posted below are some photos from our most recent visit. Click here to read a previous post I did about the farm.
Mike's Ice Cream in Hood River is a fun place to grab a cone...
Lulu's was recently featured on two different blogs...
*Photo posted above is by Jillian West of Little Bat Photography
Back in September Jillian West of Pretty Fun Things blog (and Little Bat Photography) did a blog post that featured the store. Click here to see the post.
Jillian lives down in San Francisco and whenever she's up visiting her brother she stops by the store to shop and visit with me. I always enjoy seeing Jillian and talking with her.
*Photo posted above is by Raleigh Vintage
Last week Andi & Issac of Raleigh Vintage visted the store last week. This week they featured Lulu's along with other vintage stores in Portland in a blog post on the Raleigh Vintage Blog. Click here to see the post.
It was nice to put faces to the owners of this fantastic online vintage store. They were both really nice and we had an enjoyable time talking shop.
As anyone who is longtime reader of this blog knows- I love cats. There is a really fun and eclectic mix of cats (as well as some other critters) in our neighborhood...
Including two cats with lion hair cuts. I know- how crazy is that!?! I had never seen a cat with a lion cut until I met my apartment manager's cat Baby pictured below...
The other cat with a lion cut lives two houses down from us. I don't know his name- so, I call him Mr. Lion Cut...
Miette, lives in our apartment complex...
The black & white chubby kitty posted below is Oscar, she lives in the house next to us. Oscar was named after a Sesame Street character by the children of her family- but, she is a girl, and is far from grouchy. She is super sweet & lovable, she reminds us of our beloved departed cat Olive. Sometimes Oscar stays overnight with us. She is always a well behaved guest. We love her very much...
Which of the cats in the picture posted below are real?!?
Caesar (our handsome indoor kitty) hanging out with his favorite faux fur friend Gary the tiger, with our marble eyed outdoor kitty statue...Terra cotta cat amid our collection of colorful beach rocks...
Otter with a belly full of sedum...
The house down the street with Mr. Lion Cut kitty also has a talking parrot. The parrot does wolf whistles, sounds of vans backing up, phones being dialed, voices, etc... Chris and I have fun talking to her...
Have you read the interview with Karl Lagerfeld in September's Bazaar? In the interview Karl talks about his pampered chat Choupette. Click here to read the article.
Last week my friend Becky Ross, Project Runway Season 9 designer, kindly gave me two passes for the Portland FASHIONxt Spring/Summer 2013 runway show.
My friend Shannon came with me to the show. She's pictured below with Becky...
Everything that Becky used in designing her clothing collection came from materials she already had! Her goal was to not spend money and to get inspiration from the fabrics that she had on hand. The only thing she bought were $12- in zippers. To pay for the zippers she used money from recycling cans. Talk about an eco-friendly clothing collection!
Posted below are items from the Becky Ross collection...
I love the flouncy back detail on the dress posted below...
The look below features Becky's favorite color of green, as well as a military influence that continues to show up in her work...
The pretty dress posted below has a 1950's inspired look to it...
The green ball gown posted below features a daringly high cut skirt...
Becky at the end of her show. After the fashion show she went out and talked with her fans, who are always excited to see her and be able to comment on how much her designs and her design philosophy mean to them...
The Grishley by Amanda Grisham collection featured bright pops of color paired with Pendleton fabrics and vintage details such as peplums...
As you would imagine there were lots of fashionable people in attendance.
The mother & daughter posted below were my favorite. When talking with them I discovered that the fashionable little girl loves vintage...
Bryce Black, Project Runway Season 9 designer (left) talking with Eden Dawn, fashion editor and instructor...
I like the jaunty way this young lady is wearing her hat...
The man pictured below is wearing such a fun combination of colors that emphasize his height...
Joshua McKinley, Project Runway Season 9 designer (on the left with dark hair) and fellow Project Runway Season 9 designer Joshua Christensen (on the right with facial hair)...
On Project Runway Season 9 Joshua McKinley behaved like a diva and had very rude things to say about Becky's designs...
Posted below are some photos of Lulu's Vintage Customers + Others With Cute Vintage Style...
I was waiting for the right person to come in and buy this awesome Barbarella-esque futuristic looking silver faux crocodile dress. Not only did the stylish lady (blogger over at Today I Want) posted above buy this dress she also bought a fantastic brown dress with a green horse print from Vested Gentress.
The cute Asian print dress pictured above was missing it's original belt so I paired it with pink deadstock velvet ribbon from my store.
This gentleman came into the store looking well put together- all he needed was the hat that he purchased here.
These peep toe slingback shoes featured a neat print as well as genuine cork wedges!
The same stylish lady featured at the beginning of this post. This Hawaiian dress matched her gorgeously colored hair perfectly. Alas, she did not purchase this dress, so it is still here waiting for you to take it home with you!
Everyone falls in love with this deadstock Gunne Sax by Jessica wedding gown. It is a super small size and had yet to fit anyone until this lovely ballet dancer came along and it was a perfect fit. Alas, she was not in the market for a wedding gown, so it is still here waiting for you to take it home with you!
Even though none of the ensemble pictured above is from Lulu's I couldn't resist taking a photo of this young lady with super cute style!
The other day I was looking through the September 2012 issue of Glamour magazine when I saw two different clothing items that look like things that I have sold at the store.
The first one I came across was a dress that was designed by Janie Bryant for Mad Men. The dress looks similar to a dress that I sold in April, 2011
I love the accordion wings on this dress! I told the girl who bought it that when she is talking to people that she needs to dramatically point at things to show off the wings!
The Miu Miu suit pictured below features a pair of pants that are similar to a pair of pants that I sold in December 2011.
The pattern, colors and cut of the vintage pants posted above are very similar to the new pair. These pants remind me of the kinds of pants that the women wore in the lodge scene with Fran Jeffries in the original Pink Panther movie.
Thanks to Jessica Lapidos of Fashion Indie for blogging about her visit to Lulu's Vintage in Portland, Oregon! Jessica was on a cross country journey looking for fashionable people and places. Check out her article about Lulu's by clicking here.
Photo posted above is of Jessica Lapidos from Fashion Indie
The 3rd Annual Portland Hat parade was lots of fun and a great success! There was a good mix of vintage, new and handmade hats. We met at my store, we then paraded to Pinkham Millinery where Dayna talked to us about the history of her business and how she makes hats, we continued the parade to John Helmer where they talked to us about the history of the store and some of the different hat styles that they sell, and we ended the parade at Flying Elephants Delicatessen.
Thanks to Shannon L. Cheesman of KATU who photographed the parade. Her photos were featured at the end of the Saturday night KATU newscast. To check out her photos click here
Posted below are my photos of the parade...
When I was getting dressed for the Portland Hat Parade I came out of the bathroom and found my cat lying on my hats. Put a cat on it, he said...
My theme for my ensemble was black and white. Black and white wide brimmed hat, black blouse with vintage black and white daisy brooch, vintage white and black British newsprint purse, white and black print skirt with vintage black crinoline popping out, black fishnets, black and white spectator flats...
I don't give out prizes for best hat- but, this guy would have won it hands down. He made his own top hat and inside of it was a movie of a horse running which looked like the Muybridge horse photos...
Alyce Cornyn-Selby of The Hat Museum...
These girls were in the store about an hour before the Hat Parade began and they wanted to participate- but, they didn't have any hats. I told them you can buy one or make one out of newspapers or something. They came back with these kooky balloon hats that they had made for them down at Saturday Market...
Elizabeth Rohloff, hat maker, with her friends wearing her hat designs...
Dayna Pinkham at her millinery showroom and studio Pinkham Millinery...
Flying Elephants Delicatessen...
The lady pictured below wasn't a parade participant- but, she could have been...
After the parade while I was walking back to my store I saw this hat artwork...
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's that time of year again to celebrate fashionable headwear in Portland with the Third Annual Portland Hat Parade.
Men and Women are invited to come attired in a new or vintage hat or one of their own hat creations (all hats are welcome except baseball caps). We will meet at Lulu's Vintage ( 916 West Burnside Street) on Saturday, June 30th. Lulu's vintage opens at 12:00 p.m. and there will be a wide array of vintage Men's and Women's hats for sale. The Hat Parade departs Lulu's Vintage at 1:00 p.m.
Along the parade route we will visit a few hat stores, and we will wrap up the parade somewhere where you can get drinks and treats. The stores that we will visit and our end destination will be announced as the date approaches here and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-Hat-Parade/195794533800762
Join our event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/379614475430854/
The Portland in Postcards: Portland’s Public Art & Architecture in 4×6 woodcuts and original illustrations by Carye Bye of Red Bat Press First Thursday artist reception was a big success! Thanks to Carye for choosing Lulu's Vintage as the place to showcase her art.
Come by and check out Red Bat Press' four new woodcuts of Portlandia, Big Pink, Benson Bubblers, and the 100th Birthday of the Steel Bridge postcards.The show will be on view and for sale throughout the month of June.
Carye the artist of Red Bat Press posing in front of her art...
My niece Bea modeling a hat from the store...
Carye and me in front of my store...
Chris and me in front of my store...
Please join us at Lulu's Vintage Store (916 West Burnside Street) in Portland, Oregon on First Thursday June 7 from 5:00 - 8:00 for an artist's reception of Red Bat Press artwork. The show will be up through June 30th.
Stop by Lulu's Vintage Store (916 West Burnside Street) and pick up a pass good for admission for two to Wes Anderson's new movie Moonrise Kingdom. The passes are for Thursday, June 7th at 7:00 at Regal Bridgeport 18 in Tigard.
I'm taking a break from my California roadtrip coverage to share with you photos from a garden party that I attended yesterday.
Rhiannon of Garb-Oh Vintage invited me and some other vintage loving ladies over to her house for a Garden Party. Everyone wore floral themed clothing and accessories. We all had a delightful time sipping sangria, nibbling macaroons and talking vintage.
Rhiannon with her cute son Damien...
Jennifer of Jumblelaya, Janey of Atomic Redhead, and Hannah...
Kristen...
Kristen, Cassandra, Angelica, Rhiannon, Jennifer, Hannah, Janey and Solanah...
Solanah of Vixen Vintage...
Rhiannon has a beautiful house full of Art Deco style...
Rhiannon's closet...
Cloche collection...
Rhiannon's impressive doll collection...
The doll pictured below reminds me of Marlene Dietrich...
The doll pictured below looks like a cross between Fran Lebowitz and Oscar Wilde...
Marty (1955 - Delbert Mann) is showing Thursday the 5th at The NW Film Center / Whitsell Auditorium (1219 SW Park Ave.) at 7:30 pm. This film is part of Turner Classic Movies' Road to Hollywood Tour and the NWFC Present. This screening is hosted by TCM's Ben Mankiewicz with special guest Academy Award Winner Ernest Borgnine (who plays Marty) in attendance. Go to TCM for Free Tickets.
For fans of classic films and style The TCM Classic Film Festival is a must attend event! This year's TCM Classic Film Festival is taking place April 12 - 15 in Hollywood. The Festival features screenings of classic films, special guest speakers, as well as many other fun film centric events. The theme for this year's Festival is "Style in the Movies." For information and tickets to the TCM Classic Film Festival click here.
I am excited to announce that I will be covering The TCM Classic Film Festival for Lulu's Vintage. I look forward to sharing photos and stories from the event here on Lulu's Vintage.
The wonderfully hilarious title of the green painting featuring three cats pictured above is "Is That A Tuna Can I Hear?" The crazed slightly psychedelic expectant look on the cat on the far right in the painting is priceless and for any cat lover it's a recognizable look of excitement.
Amelia Opie at the opening party.
Amelia's wonderful and whimsical paintings will be up throughout the month of February. 20% of the sales of her paintings will be donated to DoveLewis Emergency Animal Clinic. The paintings start at only $20! Which is incredibly reasonable for a one of a kind hand painted work of art!
Today marks the Six Year Anniversary of Lulu's Vintage Blog!!!
I am excited to announce that this year there are going to be some big changes to the blog and the store site. Chris is currently working on a new online store site and it should be up and running within a few months. We are also going to be redoing the look of the blog. Be sure to stay tuned!
If you want to learn more about the history of the blog click here.
Thanks to all of my readers!!!
Chris has just started a blog!
Check out his first post by clicking here: Source Architecture + Design
10- It is the ultimate eco-gift! No landfill packaging. No new use of resources or labor.
9- Craftsmanship. Vintage items were made out of high quality materials and feature unique design details.
8- History. You are buying an item that has proved to be fashionable throughout history.
7- History (part 2). It is fun to own something vintage and think of how a person from a whole other generation appreciated it as well.
6- Uniqueness. No chance of hitting the streets with a new scarf only to see three other people with the same one!
5- Supporting a small business. Instead of lining the pockets of big box stores, you can support an independent business owner.
4- Authenticity. Why buy rip-offs of old designs, when you can get the original.
3- Authenticity (part 2). Why buy something that has been "distressed" to look old when you can get something that has genuine patina.
2- Save some cash. Vintage items are often times much less expensive than new.
1- Don't participate in the mad rush to the mall. Vintage is easy to find off the beaten path.
