Oh, Anthropologie, how I love thee, how I hate thee...
I know a lot of you, my lovely readers, are outside the US, and I don't know if you're familiar with Anthropologie. It's a gorgeous store that sells ladies clothes, accessories and housewares, decorative candles and things like that, all with a very vintage-inspired aesthetic. It aspires to be artsy and funky and a bit eccentric, but it's actually a corporate entity, an enormous chain with over 135 stores across the US, so nothing there is REALLY unique at all...it's fake-unique. It's designed to suck in women just like me...and it works! And that's why I hate it. Every time I go in I'm just drooling and pining over every frickin' thing and it's expensive, too! Not crazy-Gucci-Prada-Chanel expensive, but still above my humble, normal-person budget.
Practically everything in the store is a re-imagining of a vintage item. So why not buy the *actual* vintage item?
So in that spirit, here are some lovely true-vintage items that are the inspirations for the knock-offs I saw today at Anthropologie:
I've seen variations of this great vintage cookie jar over the years. I love his cute winking face. When I saw one at the-store-who-will-no-longer-be-named I was amazed. It was an exact copy...except instead of unique and special, they are one of a trillion cheaply made in China. I'd get this guy instead!
On Etsy at AthertonsVintage
I love this sweet and summery dress. One-of-a-kind, too!
No-one wants to be standing next to a gal in the exact same dress, do they? Then you'd be like one of those "who wore it best?" things in Star magazine...uh, er, not that I read Star magazine or anything.
On Etsy at MoMoDeluxeVintage...click here to see
Vintage aprons are the best! Even better...this one's half the price of the fake-vintage knock off, and it's unique!
Be unique! Buy *real* vintage!!
Lovely etsy picks.
ReplyDeleteI love that cookie jar its gorgeous! Beautiful photos, it makes me want to buy some material! XxxX http://thesecondhandrose.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteIt's not in the UK but I suppose Urban Outfitters can be pretty similar. I do enjoy walking around for inspiration and then hunting similar down in a charity shop. x
ReplyDeleteAh. I feel your pain. I got the cookie jar from Anthro (thanks to a gift certificate from friends or else I'd never have been able to afford it). But I definately love my vintage finds so much more!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments, everybody!
ReplyDelete~Vix~Funny enough, Urban Outfitters is owned by the same company!
~Liz~Those are pretty nice friends you've got there :-) Don't let my ranting fool anyone, if I got a gift cert. from Anthro I'd get down there so fast I'd leave a trail of flames in the road :-)
Loved reading this thankk you
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