Brunching and Munching

We were lucky to have pretty amazing weather this fall - it's only just beginning to get wintery. These photos are from a couple of weeks ago, when Dave & I went out for delicious brunch with his sister and her husband. It was so warm, I didn't even need my sweater! All the better to show off this sweet little cat-print dress that I picked up using a gift card to H&M that I won on La Fille D'Or's blog - thanks again, Suzz! Oh, and you can't see them very well, but the cats are wearing tiny bow ties. TINY. BOW TIES. Perfection!

Dress: H&M

Sweater: from a local boutique
Wool tights: J. Crew
Bag: vintage by Morris Moskowitz
Shoes: Born

Photos by Dave

A winner is announced!

Did you know that Shiro is very good at judging contests? I woke him up from his nap so he could tell me the winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway. Who won the Boogie Woogie dress, Shiro?



Out of the 18 eligible entries, comment #14 was the winner - jenpru! Congratulations! Keep an eye on your inbox; I'll be contacting you shortly so you can claim your prize.

To everyone else, thank you for all your entries and kind words. To those of you who've chosen to follow the blog, an extra thanks for that - I hope I can keep you entertained! I had a lot of fun running this giveaway, and hope to have the opportunity to do more someday. Thanks again to the kind folks at Shabby Apple for their generosity!

The photo credit goes to Dave!

Industry

Oh, you know. Just hanging in front of an industrial wall, as fashion bloggers do. All bundled up for the fall chill. I've been wearing this jacket and these gloves all season long - they're my autumn workhorses, for sure. I forgot exactly what we did this day, but I do remember going to the bargain book outlet and snagging a couple of sweet deals, including a vintage, Bradley-style, Japanese pose doll. I forgot to take a photo of her; she has pretty violet hair and looks amazing sitting next to my kitschy poodle. Actually, Dave bought her for me, because he's sweet like that. I also bought a book about famous Siamese twins Chang and Eng, and a trashy novel about beautiful, tortured ballerinas. All in all, a pretty good haul, I think.





Trench: Priorities
Dress: Urban Outfitters, so old
Wool tights: J. Crew
Handbag: vintage, Morris Moskowitz
Boots: Industry via Modcloth
Gloves: Modcloth
Key necklace: Erica Weiner

Photos by Dave

P.S. - Don't forget that I'm still running the Shabby Apple giveaway!

Surprise - It's a Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

You guys, you guys, you guys! I'm so excited I hardly know what to say! I've been approached by several different magazines and companies while running this blog, but nothing's really grabbed me. If I don't believe in something, I don't post about it. When Shabby Apple contacted me to do a giveway, however, I jumped at the chance to pick out a pretty dress for you! It's not about to become giveaway central over here, but I've long been a fan of their vintage-inspired women's dresses, so I just couldn't resist. Please allow me to show some of my personal faves, so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about. If you want to know more about one of the dresses, click on the picture to magically be transported to its home:


I love, love, love this dress and just may have to get it for myself.

Classic? Check. Ladylike? Check. Insanely flipping cute? Triple check! Also, did you know that they donate 5% of their net sales to a women's charity? I think that is too awesome.

Okay, so this is the dress I chose to give away to a reader. Are you ready? Brace yourself; it's a stunner:

It's called the Boogie Woogie Dress, and I thought it was just too perfect for the upcoming holiday party season (though I'd probably try to get away with wearing it to the office, too)! I love the floral appliques on the skirt, and the jersey bodice makes it so comfy to wear.

The nitty gritty:
The winner must have a US shipping address (sorry, international buddies), and there are no exchanges for the winning dress. I'll be accepting entries until Sunday, November 13, and the winner will be randomly chosen on Monday, November 14.

So what do you have to do to win?

-You must "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook, then come back here and leave a comment telling me you did so. Don't forget to leave me your email or blog address so I can get in touch with you.

-For an extra entry, please follow my blog! Don't forget to leave a second comment to let me know.

Also, Shabby Apple would like to extend a 10% off coupon code for their website, valid for 30 days. Just enter "misshiccup10off" at checkout to get your discount.

Thanks, folks, and good luck!

*************This giveaway is now closed.****************

Anniversary Adventures!

These photos are a month old and making me wish for the sun so much, as well as an excuse to wear this utterly perfect dress again. After coveting t.b.a.'s S/S '11 collection all season long, and just missing out on my top-favorite ballerina dress on website after website (it kept selling out before my eyes), I decided to treat myself to my second-favorite dress from the collection - this one - when it finally went on sale on ASOS this summer. It was a bit of a splurge, but I'm glad I went for it because the dress is GORGEOUS, comfortable, and fits perfectly. It's also made of some of the nicest, softest silk I've ever felt. My one regret is that it's too short to wear for work.

Since it's a special dress, I saved it for a special occassion to wear it for the first time: my one year (paper!) anniversary with my husband. The weather was perfect, especially for late September. We went for brunch buffet at the Roycroft, which is not-so-coincidentally where we got married (followed by a brunch reception!), and were able to eat outside on their beautiful porch. Brunch comes with a complimentary beverage there - I love when that happens! I also love when my drink unintentionally matches my outfit:


Mmm, poinsettia.

We also explored their stunning gardens, where the flowers were still in full bloom:


Then we went back home and I posed to the maxx. How about a closeup of those cute, sheer insets at the shoulder and collar?








Oh, and the shoes! They're really intense AllSaints wedges purchased with a gift card I won on Keiko Lynn's blog. I LOVE them - they're super high quality, definitely amp up an outfit, and are surprisingly comfy!



Thanks for visiting, buddies!

Dress: t.b.a. via ASOS sales
Shoes: AllSaints
Bag: vintage, via my aunt & mom. Sadly, the strap bit the dust over vacation. :(

Photos by Dave. I love that guy so much!

Bargain Bounty Hunter Attack!

I wore this outfit to work last week. Ugh, work - boring! Not an exotic locale for an outfit debut at all. This look is pretty exciting to me though, because it's full of my favorite designer labels purchased at a supreme bargain (also because I think it's pretty, duh).

My mom found the top at Filene's (or was it Filene's Basement?) several years ago. The price tag proclaimed it was Prada, though the inner tag just says "Made in Italy." A little odd, especially since Filene's has a great reputation, one that is not associated with selling counterfeits or misrepresenting designers. Regardless, the top was cute and cheap so she picked it up (originally for herself, though she ended up giving it to me - thanks, Mom!). I don't suppose anyone out there recognizes it, do they?

The no-name cardi was purchased for my high school graduation, erm, over 10 years ago! It's made of knitted plastic, which adds textural interest to any outfit, but I don't wear it much because it doesn't breathe.



The spectators? Ferragamos I found on ebay several years ago for a mere $10! Including the box! Barely worn! They are some of my nicest shoes.

The skirt is the most exciting to me. I am a huge, huge Marni fan and that label is way, way out of my budget, even at 70% off or more on discount sites. I had my eye on this skirt in particular for months, swooning over it every time I saw it on The Outnet or similar. A couple of weeks ago Gilt had a final sale, and there was the skirt, one left in my size, at a price I could actually afford!!!! And now it is mine and I love it. I can't wait to wear it with short-sleeved vintage cashmere sweaters in the fall! Oh, that's soon!

So that's my extra long-winded Bargain Bounty Hunter story. I'd love to know your favorite clothing coup, sale swoop, what have you! Please leave them in the comments, and thanks very much! <3



Cardi: from high school! made of plastic!
Cami: Prada????? we'll never know!!!!
Skirt: Marni!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG
Shoes: Ferragamo, I love you

Photos by Dave , cute hubby grand supreme

Ace of Lace

I've just gotta show off this perfect little lace jacket that my sister gave to me for my birthday last month. She found it at an estate sale. It is so delicate, and has a perfect little peter pan collar and a wonderful boxy fit. I'm pretty sure it's from the 60s! I wore this to work a couple of weeks ago and felt super fancy.



I also experimented with dark nail polish. I think it counteracted the sweetness of the lace quite nicely. It's almost edgy - and I say "almost" because I figured out a long time ago that I just can't do edgy at all. Or witchy. Or cool. But I'm fine with girly, sweet, and dorky! Work whatcha got!



60s lace jacket: gift from my sister
Camisole: Urban Outfitters
Pencil skirt: American Apparel (years old now and looking a bit tired; I need to upgrade!)
Heels: Me Too

Photos by Dave

New Etsy Listing - Suzy Perette Cocktail Dress!

Another dress that's going to be difficult to let go of. I could not stop twirling in this thing! It's a late 50s chiffon party dress from the legendary Suzy Perette label. This baby will do heavy duty in some lucky girl's wardrobe. Very classic Audrey/Grace; it will never, ever go out of style. I'm tempted to keep it even though the waist is too small - I can suck it in!





This is the last dress I'll be selling for a little while, or at least until the weather gets nice again and the weekends calm down enough to shoot more looks. Thanks for sticking with me through this little etsy-listing-as-outfit-post experiment. There didn't seem to be much interest in it, so I think I'll do something else to show my listings in the future. The last thing I want to do is spam anyone, and that certainly wasn't my intention here.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! I'll be back soon with a not-for-sale, I-really-wore-this outfit post!

Suzy Perette dress: for sale in my shop
Heels: Vintage from Just, a local boutique

Photos by Dave

New Etsy Listing! Sailor Collar Wiggle Dress (and New Haircut!)

I love this dress; the collar is so fun and unusual! It was purchased for myself from an ebay seller whose measurements were waaaaaaay off; I hate when that happens.



It's somewhat demure in front, but has the sexiest plunging back.



What do you think of my new haircut, by the way? I wasn't sure about it at first, but I'm liking it more and more. Pretty sure I'll be cutting it back into a pixie before long, though.

Thanks for looking!

Vintage dress (late 50s/early 60s): for sale in my shop!
Vintage heels: from Just, a little local vintage store

Photos by Dave

New Etsy Listing! Anne Fogarty Wiggle Dress

I wanted to share this little dress I just put up on Etsy. These are outtakes from the photo shoot we did; I liked the pictures so much that I wanted someplace to put them. I think, since my Etsy listings are rare, I might treat each one as a little outfit post here on the blog. Don't worry - if I ever start listing en masse, I'll either cease doing an outfit post for each look or just choose my very favorites here and there.





It breaks my heart a little bit that this doesn't fit. It's a little fitted sheath by Anne Fogarty (yep, the designer who penned Wife Dressing). I love the little purple flowers! And the piping! And its curviness! Sigh.

Oh, and I forgot to make a blog-sized photo of the back, which is really special. I hope you'll go to the Etsy listing to have a look!

Midcentury wiggle dress: for sale in my shop!
Shoes: JC Penney, years ago
Bakelite earrings: a gift from my mother-in-law. My first little bit of bakelite; huzzah!

Photos by Dave

Polka Dots and Scallops

Here we have another outfit that didn't translate to photos for whatever reason. I loved this ensemble, felt super confident and happy in it, got tons of compliments from complete strangers... then I saw the photos and was like, "Meh." Which sums up the internet response to the outfit so far as well (Chictopia, Wardrobe Remix, etc.) - and that's why these photos are over a month old and I'm just now getting around to posting them up on this little neglected blog. My confidence has taken a big dip lately when it comes to being in front of the camera, and I'm not really sure how to remedy that situation.



Sheepish confessional time! When I first joined Chictopia nearly a year ago, my outfits were consistently voted into the Style Gallery, which is rather difficult and something of an honor. It made me feel pretty good! However, lately, I'm lucky to get even just a few votes, if any at all. I'm not sure why I've let the opinions of strangers on the internet affect me in such a big way, but they have; I have to find a way to rise above them and get my groove back! Even if all my outfits are horrible misses in the public eye from here on out, what should matter is that I love what I wear, and that I document my personal sartorial (mis)adventures for me, not random anonymous approval. Easier said than done, but it's the reason why I'm going to try and keep trucking with Miss Hiccup's Vintage.



Have you ever let the internet's opinion of you/your style affect you in a negative way? How do you get out of a confidence or style rut?

Top: H&M (several years old)
Shorts: Chic Shenanigans Shorts from Modcloth
Ballet Flats: Me Too
Bracelet: 40s celluloid scottie dogs, gift from my mother-in-law

Photos by Dave

Chorus Girl

Silk blouse: Lorick
Silk romper: Rachel Antonoff
Oxfords: Steven by Steve Madden
Purse: vintage (mom's)

Photos by Dave

Well, this outfit was one of those difficult to photograph get-ups - you know, the sort that looks great when you're actually wearing it, but looks rather... unflattering in photos for some reason. We must have tried a million different poses, lighting and backdrops. I guess you can't win 'em all! I really like the sunflare in these pictures though, so these are the few that made the cut. I bought this amazing romper on sale from Bona Drag last winter, after coveting Rachel Antonoff's designs for what feels like forever, and I couldn't wait until it was warm enough to wear it. Also, it reminds me of a Busby Berkeley chorus girl, which is always awesome. A few weeks ago, I finally got my chance, and this is how I styled it to go eat chicken wings at Gabriel's Gate with Dave one evening. Perhaps silk wasn't the best choice for the occasion, as I had to wipe copious amounts of wing sauce from the patio chair at our table before sitting down, and I spent the rest of evening utterly terrified that I would spill something on myself (miraculously, I didn't). Still, the material felt great on a hot summer evening, and the blouse caught every little breeze - instant air conditioning!




Dave grabbed the camera and captured a stunning glamour shot of himself:



Also, a big welcome to my new followers! Please accept these jazz hands as greetings!

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope to post again soon!

Fresh eyes.

Dress: vintage (70s), gift from my sister
Belt: came with the dress!
Tooled leather handbag: gift from my mom
Shoes: vintage Ferragamos, estate sale
New glasses!: Tory Burch, gift from Dave

Some photos by Dave, others are by me!

When my younger sister asked what I wanted for Christmas last year, I blurted “Well you know I like vintage!” pretty much without thinking, and immediately regretted it – what a jerk I am! It’s incredibly difficult to source attractive vintage clothing with my specific measurements, and cute dresses are becoming more and more expensive – surely she wouldn’t be able to find anything in her price range, even if she found my size. I felt like I was asking her to find a needle in a haystack. But she delivered (and even said she had fun doing it, like she was dressing a doll)! This dress is absolutely perfect, and just what I was looking for: a fun print (I sorely lack prints in my wardrobe beyond polka dots), and a casual silhouette, perfect for a girl who buys way too many fancy 50s and 60s party dresses. Oh, and the dress is from the 70s, further diversifying my wardrobe.

I’d been dying all winter to wear this, and broke it out at the first hint of warm sun. I would probably never have picked this out for myself, but thanks to a fresh pair of eyes, I now have the PERFECT summer dress. The colors, print, and material are all too good. Thanks, sis!

On this particular, lazy-gorgeous day, we went to a coffee shop...


Isn't my husband cute?

...and lunched at one of our favorite local places, Bistro Europa. I got these slammin' scallops:


Dave had their always-amazing pierogies. They are each as big as my fist!


Then we did some window shopping. RAD DAY!


Thanks for reading!

Sunday Girl

Aw man, I am behind in blogging... this outfit is nearly two weeks old! And it is still tights weather here in Buffalo... grrr. Anway, I wore this on Mother’s Day. In honor of my mom, I carried this amazing vintage house purse that was hers in the 60s. Each side is hand-painted with amazing detail – vines, flowers, birds in a birdcage, bricks, and a little sign with her name on it. I spent a lot of time admiring it as a child, and when she gave it to me a few years ago I was beyond thrilled. It’s delicate, so I only bust it out occasionally.

Also, I am very much in love with this new skirt! The knit detail along the bottom makes me really happy, and it’s surprisingly versatile. Actually, come to think of it, I'm wearing it now! Whoa.



Cardigan: BCBG (hand-me-up from my cute sister)
Top: ancient
Skirt: Pringle 1815 via The Outnet
Tights: Banana Republic
Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden (faaaaaave shoes)
House purse: my mom's in the 60s
Moto jacket: local boutique
Sweet wayfarers: etsy

All photos by Dave.

Skirt detail:


Now get ready for a boatload (or HOUSEload!!!) of house purse pics:




Enter through the roof!


Someday I will have to show you the rest of my little 60s box purse collection, but the house purse is definitely my favorite of them all. <3

Later in the day, we had places to be, and when we were getting ready to leave I asked Dave if he was "ready to rock." Coooooool poses ensued:




I bet you have never seen anything so cool. If you have some cool poses that you think would top these, please share - I would love to see. Let's have a COOL-OFF, everybody!!!