I absolutely love anything vintage. The chicness of it. The history behind it. And the hunt to accent my hip modern wardrobe with the classic vintage pieces is exhilaratingly fun and there are brands like Chanel that create pieces like these, of course if you want to know these pieces are authentic using Chanel authentication services is the best choice. Yet, finding the perfect vintage pieces can sometimes be quite difficult. But thanks to friend of mine, Bryn Lander, who recently created the online vintage clothing store, The American Vernacular, has made everyone’s lives easier by putting “Vintage in Context.”
Growing up in LA, Lander has been surrounded by trends. As a stylist, she has worked with Vampire Weekend {oh yes, that would be this “Bryn”!} and New York’s Resurrection boutique. She has flat got the gifted eye!
Bryn Lander traveled all over the country to find the pieces for The American Vernacular. South, North, East, West. You name it! Rounding up the best pieces from every vintage store she could find, she had quite the road trip experience {check out her site to see photography and journal entries from the road!}.
She remembers every piece she’s purchased, the story behind it, and why she thought it was so unique. Her website includes the brand history for every designer she carries {Halston, Bill Blass, Chanel, Valentino, Dior…the list goes on!}.
This girl is so inspiring, and she launched this amazing line last week in Brooklyn and had Vampire Weekend along with fashion editors of all kinds present to support! With Maker’s Mark sponsoring, they even had custom drinks for the event: The American & The Vernacular. Both were so delicious!
Bryn Lander and Meghan Folsom at the launch party
This is what I decided to wear to the launch from The American Vernacular {so Jackie O.!}:
Creme Wool Sheath Dress {era 1960’s}
Click here to get shoppin’ on her site!
I had the chance to ask Bryn Lander about her experience of creating The American Vernacular:
How did you think of this amazing idea to road trip across the country?
I’ve always loved vintage shopping and I started buying vintage as soon as I was old enough to shop unsupervised with my own allowance. I have great memories of wandering through warehouse-sized thrift shops and flea markets around Los Angeles and was drawn to the bizarre assortment of clothes and accessories from all over the world representing so many different eras and styles. I could experiment with a new look that was one-of-a-kind and entirely my own every time and have always appreciated that aspect of vintage shopping.
A little over a year ago I decided to pursue the idea I’d had in the back of my mind for some time to open an online vintage store and went on a week-long road trip to search for inventory. Going out on the road and seeing what was out there for myself seemed like the best way to go about it. I found some amazing pieces and on the long drive back home I was thinking about how great it would be if I could find a way to help people feel a stronger connection to and appreciation of the pieces that they would buy on my site.
Shoppers have the opportunity to read brand histories for many of the designers and manufacturers featured in the shop, explore travel diaries with photos and stories documenting the road trips I go on when searching for inventory, look through vintage photo archives showcasing American history and style throughout the 20th century and more; hence the motto “Vintage in Context.”
When you walk into a store, how do you decide what to pick?
I go for anything that catches my attention, whether or not it is necessarily my style. I try to pick items that are unique and have a modern, not dated, look about them. Of course I’m also looking at labels, condition, materials and age when considering each purchase.
You mentioned to me earlier that you have tips to tell whether or not items are real. Any tips for B+H readers?
Properly identifying vintage items can be difficult and it just takes time and a lot of looking more closely at everything you see to develop a stronger sense of what era something was made during or what materials were used. I’ve also picked up a number of easy ways to help identify a piece’s age; metal zippers weren’t introduced in garments until the 1930s and plastic zippers didn’t exist until the late 1960s, in jewelry different clasps and closures are usually associated with a particular era so doing research in those areas helps to determine a piece’s origin.
There are a number of great websites and online directories that provide very interesting information about the history of fashion and tips for vintage shoppers. The Vintage Fashion Guild (vintagefashionguild.org) has some great resources for non-members such as terminology glossaries for garments and accessories, fashion timelines with details on styles from different eras and label identification guides. Researching around sites like that are very helpful and make you a far savvier vintage shopper.
Is there one piece that you found on your trip that sticks out / has an amazing story behind it?
I feel a connection to everything I’m selling on the site, it’s such a process from start to finish and it makes each piece feel special. I’ve gone days without finding a single thing worth buying but the times I’ve stumbled across a Pierre Cardin dress, genuine alligator handbag in perfect condition, handmade lace capelet that is nearly 100 years old, or an authentic Morabito of Paris beaded evening purse from the 1920s make all the digging worthwhile.
To truly understand vintage, you must put “Vintage in Context.” The American Vernacular does just that!
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