How to Style a Vintage Skirt: Part I

If you know me, you know I love a good thrift shop. Some of my favorites include Wasteland in the Haight, Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn, Thriftique in Pittsburgh, to name a few. This appreciation for vintage, gently used, whatever you want to call it, came from my parents. And if anyone can scoop up a $2 Tommy Bahama shirt, five $4 fur coats, a tea set and a classic radio all before noon, it's Jim and Cecilia. They taught me young how to spot a good deal and over the years, I've racked up quite a collection of vintage pieces including this skirt!

So this week on Clara Mae James, it's all about how to style a vintage skirt. The first thing you need to know is that skirts from back in the day will be high-waisted. When you look at the waistline, you may be thinking "oh hell no," but give it a try - you will be surprised! The second thing you need to know is to make sure to check the hem and zipper. These things can be fixed, but it's nice when you don't have to repair.

Here is look #1: I paired a maroon-colored mid-length skirt with a retro New York City t-shirt and did a full tuck to accentuate the waist. You can also pair it with a shorter tee like this one, which I'm obsessed with, and give the half tuck a try. I swear it's cool. And for the Fall, I'm a big fan of making sweatshirts work-appropriate and when paired with a cool skirt and a fun moto or denim jacket, no one will bat an eye. For the shoes, a good pair of clogs like these always look great and they just happen to be back in style. My handbag is from Annie Bukhman - no surprise there, her pieces are perfection!

Check back on Wednesday for look #2!