Last summer I decided I wanted to start sourcing vintage to sell along with my handmade pieces. Since most of the garments I make are made out of secondhand, vintage, and antique materials this felt like a natural addition to Earth Angel. Vintage clothing is actually a love of mine that started far before I began sewing and making my own clothes. When I started thrifting and buying vintage clothing as a teenager is when my love for fashion really blossomed. Finding unique pieces helped me develop my personal style and made me feel confident in wearing whatever I wanted.
My love for vintage goes back to childhood. Some of my most cherished memories are going to the antique mall with my mom. I've been a collecter of antique trinkets for as far back as I can remember. I had a huge white shelf in my childhood bedroom filled with trinkets I found at those antique mall trips. My collection was made up of mostly cute and kitchy animal figurines, the tinier the better. The image of my baby pink childhood bedroom walls and this collection of sweet, delicate animal figurines has gone on the inspire the aesthetic of Earth Angel. I know little me would be so excited if she knew she got to collect special things and sell them as a job one day.
To me, it's the most special feeling knowing that the dress you are wearing, or the trinket on your shelf, has lived a previous life. It feels magical and like it's filled with secrets we will never know. I love colleting and wearing vintage for this reason. The objects are storied and unique.
I want the vintage I collect and sell to reflect that same aesthetic that Earth Angel has had from the start. The basis of this brand is and always will be my child self...what she was drawn to and excited by. I'm still very new to sourcing vintage and I feel like I have a long way to go before my collection starts reflecting the exact aesthetic I want it to embody. But for now I am having fun and trying something new out. My goal is to have a variety of price points and eras from which the clothing comes from but a throughline of the Earth Angel aesthetic that brings the collection together. Playful, delicate, and sweet are some words that come to mind. Lots of pastels and lace!
Currently I'm writing this in October. I hope that by next summer my vintage collection is something I feel really proud of and excited by. I really want to put my all into outdoor markets here in Portland next summer and have a lot of stock to shop from. Both vintage and handmade. Already can't wait!
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