Taking care of vintage + a giveaway

I am by no means an expert on taking care of vintage, but I have made some terrible mistakes in my time which make me want to stop others from doing the same thing. Here is a non-exhaustive non-authoritative list of tips on how to look after vintage garments and make sure you can get the best out of them:

1. Handwash pretty much everything

 I know it is a horrible chore and the washing powder makes your hands super sore, but it is really the best way to ensure your garments last for a long time and stay in good condition. The rough washing machine can cause tears, pills and fading and generally bash your clothes around in an unpleasant way.

I hand-wash almost everything. I know a lot of other vintage wearers put their cotton garments in the washing machine on delicate, but I don't trust my crappy old machine enough to do that. I wash in cold water with a tiny bit of gentle detergent dissolved into it, in the laundry tub, and gently swirl the garments through the water to ensure the detergent gets distributed through the fabric. I leave them for a wee soak as I wander off and do something else. If you haven't washed a garment before and are unsure how it will cope, do a spot test to ensure wetting the garment and exposing it to detergent won't damage the fabric. Dip an un-exposed part of the fabric into the solution and wait to see how it reacts before going ahead with a wash. 

With my hardy cotton dresses, after hand washing I run them through a spin cycle to get rid of any excess moisture. I hang things out to dry in the sun to make them all crisp and lovely, but not for too long as direct sunlight will cause fading. If there is no sun - which there pretty much never is in Wellington - I hang them carefully across a clothes airer in our room with the dehumidifier on until they're well and truly dry.

If you do need to put things in the wash, because hand-washing is time consuming, ensure they are colourfast first. Use a gentle detergent or powder and allllllways cold wash.

2. You don't need to wash everything all the time.

 Idk, I'm sure some people will think this is gross but I definitely don't wash my vintage dresses every time I wear them. Most of them get a lot of wears out of them until they actually need a wash. I am just not that dirty/sweaty a person and I don't think they need it a lot of the time. I do, however, take other measures to ensure my dresses stay nice and fresh even if they've been worn four times. Hanging them out to air can breathe a bit of new life into them. I hang them by some open windows or peg them out on the line to let the breeze do its thing. The sun is also great at killing bacteria and keeping clothes smelling fresh and lovely.

Also, it upsets me to waste good vodka on clothing but it really does the trick on freshening up clothes that have been worn once or have been in storage and smell a bit musty. A fine spritz from a spray bottle on any potentially malodorous areas will go a long way.


Some vintage nightwear and lingerie I opshopped that I am yet to soak.

3. Store carefully

Very few clothes will take kindly to being hung on a plastic hanger on a rail. Most of my clothes are on granny-ish crocheted padded hangers I've picked up from opshops, but I don't have quite enough of them so some are still on wooden hangers and a few non-delicate non-vintage things on old wire or plastic ones. Knits and delicate or heavy fabrics can become stretched and damaged through the shoulders through being hung for a long time, so feel free to keep them carefully folded instead. Also, direct sunlight will fade fabrics quickly, so keep your wardrobe door closed.

Heat and moisture will also damage garments. I had a horrible moment when I first moved into my damp Aro Valley flat where after a week I realised there was black mold all over a favourite novelty-print cotton dress that I'd left hanging against a wall. I tried everything to get it off but there are still a few faint black specks. Don't make the same mistake I did! Dehumidify as needed, or use moisture absorbing sachets and a lot of them. I also have little lavender sachets through my drawers and wardrobe, which not only make things smell lovely but keep insects pests away.

4. Repair as needed

I need to take a little more of my own advice, as my sewing pile is a great untameable beast.  However, it's definitely the best idea to get onto repairs while you are motivated and before you lose one of the big buttons to your favourite little 60s jacket and can't find another similar one anywhere and now you just can't do it up ever again wahhhh. SO YEAH, don't be like me! I find that if I buy something with the intent to alter it, I'd best do it within 24-48 hours or it will never. Get. Done. If a metal zipper is catching the surrounding fabric, replace or it get it done at a tailor before you get stuck in a dress or it rips while you're trying to pull it on or off (also something I've done. I hate myself).



A good way to keep your clothes non-smelly is for you also to be non-smelly. The really lovely Jenna at Oh Natural sent me some of the Soapwalla deodorant cream to try, and it's pretty lovely. There is something about rubbing on this mix of essential oils and natural clays that seems a lot nicer than slapping on a bit of old Dove from a plastic tube. Also the smell is amazing, although very lavender-y and I know some people are sensitive to that odour.



Jenna has also given me one to give to you guys, so leave a comment including some way to get in contact with you if you'd like to try one for yourself. This giveaway is for NZ and Aussie pals only, but I have a US-based one coming soon!

Giveaway: $50 Voucher to Wildfell Hall Vintage

Excuse my patchy absences, I am coming to the end of my degree and a bit busy with work and stuff. However, I do have a very exciting post today - the lovely Amy of Wildfell Hall Vintage has offered my readers the chance to win a $50 voucher to her beautifully-curated vintage shop!

Amy is a fellow Kiwi who used to hunt for vintage in Auckland after school on Fridays, after changing out of her uniform in McDonalds bathrooms. She started off in Manhattan making jewellery (something else we have in common), then started the shop in June 2010 while working full-time. Today she lives in Brooklyn above her husband's tattoo shop and they're expecting a baby in January,  but she keeps finding so much great vintage that she can't stop selling it. And here's your chance to buy it!



Amy is generously offering a $50 credit to her shop for readers of my blog. Here's what you've got to do to enter...
1. Like the Wildfell Hall Facebook page.
2. Leave a comment on this post with your favourite item from the Wildfell Hall vintage shop, and your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.

If you'd like an extra chance or two to win, you can Tweet or blog (or both) about this giveaway. Please include a link to this post, as well as @Wildfell_hall if you're Tweeting.



This giveaway will be open for ten days, until Midnight on Wednesday the 17th of October, New Zealand Standard Time. The winner will be drawn by random number generator. Good luck!

Shabby Apple giveaway!

I am super excited to be able to announce a giveaway with Shabby Apple, an excellent online boutique of womens dresses in lovely vintage-inspired styles. There were almost too many beautiful dresses on the Shabby Apple website to choose from, but the Waimea dress comes in first for me- clearly I'm still riding the wave of the scalloped detail trend.



So how can you win this adorable dress?
1) Like Shabby Apple on Facebook.
2) Leave a comment here saying your favourite thing on Shabby Apple at the moment.
3) Make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you if you win.

For an additional entry, tweet or blog (or both!) about this giveaway including a link to The Velvettes, and post a separate comment here linking to it.

Entry is meant to be only open to those with a US shipping address, but thanks to the amazing Tricia at Ventricular Projects, readers from everywhere in the world can enter! If you do not live in the US, your package will be sent her way and then forwarded to you. Thanks Tricia! The winner will be chosen with a random number generator. Entries close Thursday 22nd March at midnight NZ time- that gives you two weeks. Good luck!

Peter Pan Syndrome

If we have a personal relationship on any level, chances are you've heard about this dress. After finding it on Etsy three weeks ago, I fell completely in love. If this dress were a guy, I would've checked his Facebook every hour to see if there were any comments there from other girls. I would've driven past his house regularly to see if I could spot him through the windows. I would've memorised his university schedule in order to co-ordinate 'accidental' meetings.



No, seriously, I don't do that with guys. Probably because I've never met one that I like as much as I like this dress. So I bought it, and I enforced a 6-week shopping ban to punish myself for dropping a massive amount of money on it. I thought about it every day until it got here, and now... things have changed between us.

I still love it, don't get me wrong. But I have no idea how to wear it. Maybe I've built it up too much in my head, and now I can't see any outerwear or accessories or hairdos enhancing its already astounding beauty. I've had it hanging on my dressform since I opened the package, hoping divine inspiration would reach me.



So, dear readers, I ask for your help. What do I wear this with?! Bear in mind it's winter here, and I had goosebumps while these photos were being taken. How do I style such an amazing dress? Please give me your suggestions, and I'll put together some sort of little prize for the person whose comment inspires my look. I'll post me wearing it next week!


For your time, here's my brother Will looking dapper in his thrifted garb. Jealous that he got that hair from the gene pool.

Giveaway time!

I'm giving away a copy of Tilde Journal! A collaborative effort by many lovely ladies (and, well, me) Tilde Journal features photographs, writing, and creative efforts that will blow your mind. And you could have an issue for free!

All you have to do is comment here with your email address and what you'd like to see more of/your favourite things to read about at The Velvet Bitchez. Winners will be drawn with a random number generator at midnight EST on the 15th of December.

If you aren't lucky enough to be the winner, you can pre-order your own issue for a pittance here!