Greetings from hibernation station
I'm ready to shake off the dust - hope you are, too!
The last time I wrote this newsletter was December 20. This hiatus was unplanned but wholly necessary, like watching all three extended editions of the Lord of the Rings in one day. Or, when I asked for inspiration for another example, my boyfriend succinctly deadpanned: “surgery.”
Originally, my time off commenced because my computer crashed and was out of commission for about a week and a half. Then, I was so drained from the holidays at the store that I really didn’t have much to say.
But inspired by the latest Trash Panic, I figured it was time to come out of hiding and just write.
I’ve been writing this newsletter for almost three years. In the first year my posting was more sporadic but over the last two years, I was sometimes publishing two newsletters per week. In total I’ve written 194 newsletters. That’s quite a bit of affordable vintage! I don’t have numbers on how many links I’ve shared but easily thousands. I make some money but not much from this endeavor, enough that it keeps me afloat when the shop is slow, which is a huge relief. But again, to quote Trash Panic’s latest newsletter:
If nobody could see you, would you still do it?
I would! I have to! I can’t stay away from this newsletter anymore than a fish must to swim or a galette must empirically be the easiest but most impressive dessert. I can’t not do it, so regardless of its return, I’m going to present my favorite vintage - all the chic shit and almost all of it under $100 - until I physically can’t. Which is to say, I’m not going anywhere.
For those who are new to the newsletter, I also own a vintage store in Louisville, KY under the same name. I opened in July of last year and with that enormous (phenomenal!) change came some unexpected changes with the newsletter. My scheduling was continuously out of whack and it felt like my output was subpar because I couldn’t focus (did you know running a small business was a lot of work??).
But I was still dedicated to getting this bad boy out there! I still am. So in order to maintain my presence here but also my sanity, I’m making some changes to RGV.
This is the third time since opening the store that I’ve needed to adjust my posting schedule, but what is life if not turning left at the fork in the road:
So here’s what you can expect from RGV going forward:
It will be published on Wednesdays.
The first three weeks of the month will be big ‘Sample Platters’ because I know that’s what you all love and they’re the easiest for me to write. These will all be behind a paywall for paid subscribers.
The last Wednesday of the month will be a styled newsletter. It will discuss styling one item multiple ways, styling looks for a particular event, a “Brands to Know,” or anything else my little brain has been mulling over. This will be free to all subscribers.
Dotted in between, at no particular cadence, I might release some other newsletters. I can’t conceive when inspiration will strike, and I like the idea of publishing ideas without the behest of a deadline. These could be guest curations, styled shoots for the store, full ‘Shop Talk’ interviews, my own style ~journey~, smaller sample platters, or again, anything else I want to write about. These will also be free.
This will kick off in full next Wednesday, January 15, with this upcoming Wednesday being a smaller sample platter to tide us over. Feel free to update your subscription here, but you’ll have plenty of fun vintage to shop as a free subscriber, too.
This new schedule allows for me to be structured enough for you to know when/what to expect from RGV, but also gives me some freedom to write as I wish. As I say at the end of every newsletter, I can’t thank you enough for being here - I wish I could get my friends and family on the horn because they’d tell you how important this newsletter is to me. I’m so passionate about vintage and secondhand and styling and this little community is everything! From other writers whom I’ve never actually met but are endlessly supportive and hilarious, to readers who have now become friends irl (!). There are a million ways this corner of the internet continues to elate and surprise me and I’m eternally grateful.
Now, on to more pithy, less emotional writing, and a buttload of excellent vintage.
Happy shopping! xx
1. DKNY silk button-front dress, $32. Perfect little dress that can be worn now with a sheer turtleneck or later with nothing but the equally perfect circle cut-out mules from the bottom collage.
2. Striped plisse bag, $30. How does vintage do it? The seersucker fabric, the stripes, the ideal combo of brown & black? Excellence abounds.
3. Todd Oldham striped blazer, $138. We all know I love brown & black stripes AND a blazer, so imagine the gasp that this piece elicited.
4. Grey tank & skirt set, $68. I mean. Obviously wear with the earrings from #14.
5. Red flared dress, $31. I just rewatched The Wedding Planner and during the tango scene I kept thinking how gorgeously the dress JLo wore moved (well done, costumer!), and not four days later I found this little beauty. I mean, I would honestly be surprised if it wasn’t the exact same dress. Now you just need to find your own McConaughey.
6. Christian Dior brown vneck sweater, $40. I’ve been super into v-neck sweaters the last two winters. With nothing underneath but some gold necklaces or leaning pure 90s with just a white tee. Can’t go wrong.
7. Striped ultrasuede jacket, $73. DIVINE.
8. The Limited heart wool jacket, $150. So precious! The hearts are just subtle enough.
9. Newspaper top, $34. Tween me would absolutely lose her mind over this top and adult me is like, “oh hell yeah.”
10. Sheer overlay print romper, $75. Ain’t nothing wrong with fun. And this is eternally fun.
11. Vaneli ponyhair bow mules, $60. Imagining these with some black cigarette pants and an oversized black cashmere sweater.
12. Mustard satin minidress, $21. What a color.
13. Silk blend knit collar cardigan, $8. A forever classic. You’ll reach for this more often than you think.
14. Hammered brutalist earrings, $33. Kind of prehistoric? Like Betty Rubble would ROCK these. But into it.
15. The Limited white western belt, $25. Giddyup.
16. Chetta B sheer polka dot skirt, $50. Imagine how fun this would be with the lining cut out and capri leggings underneath à la Donni.
17. Black leather shorts, $75. Usually vintage leather shorts are cut as hot pants but the wide leg of these is so good and so modern.
18. Red & cream silk striped top, $29. Been on the hunt for striped silk blouses. Would pair this one with cognac leather pants.
1. Due per Due brown silk side-tie vest set, $90. Perfection thy name is brown silk suit.
2. Vaneli circle cutout mules, $29. Desperately sad these aren’t my size. What a perfect little detail.
3. Louis Feraud b&w polka dot cut-out minidress, $54. Clearly should be worn with #2.
4. Lime silk jumpsuit, $65. If I saw someone wear this I would be enraptured. Would absolutely go out of my way to compliment them. Such bold, much style.
5. Gazelle hide coat, $120. This is a wild coat for a wild price.
6. B&W pinstripe chiffon tank dress, $40. Simple and elegant.
7. Chetta B silk ombre bustier, $55. This coloration is different from anything I’d usually choose but the peaked bust and slight peekaboo is selling the hell out of this.
8. Donna Karan brown pointelle tank/cardi set, $48. I mean, unbeatable combo.
9. B&W floral lace-back tank, $24. Not really timely for the snow that Kentucky has been bombarded with but come sunshine, this is exactly what I want to wear.
10. Donna Karan black trim band collar shirt, $30. Calling all gallerists!
11. Susan Bristol patchwork jacket, $73. I saw Berriez post this jacket and immediately sought another out. Such a joyous piece and would make me feel like the artist I’m not.
12. Sterling olivine (?) ring, $50. I’m not positive this is olivine but when I worked in Antarctica, scientists would occasionally find olivine out in the field and it looked just like this! It almost glows.
13. Bronze sheer blouse, $35. We love a sheer blouse! Just toss on the tank from #8 and the black leather shorts from the first collage and boom ya done.
14. MiH rust & cream tuxedo blouse, $30. We love a tuxedo blouse, we love a silk blouse, and we love a an unexpected color. Would wear this with light denim and the mules from #16.
15. Granny square tank, $30. I like that this isn’t your average granny square. The knit is tighter, the colors more muted, and the pattern is so unique!
16. Vaneli ponyhair mules, $20. uhhhhh ya welcome.
17. Brown disco criss cross halter dress, $47. I guess I’m ready for a hot summer night because this was made for it.
Thanks as always for being here and I’m excited for what this year has to offer! xx Maggie
Wow wow wow - the newspaper top and the chore coat! You had me at The Limited! Love this - thank you!
I have a version of the black shorts/sheer blouse combo you called out and now I can’t wait to figure out where to wear it!!!