I took a break yesterday afternoon to stop by 31 Rax to say hello and have a quick browse. If you haven’t been to Stephanie’s amazing vintage clothing shop at 3309 Mission Street, GO! Stephanie has curated a fun mix of colors and patterns, and clearly has an eye for quality vintage pieces. I have my eye on a bright blue wool skirt… and if it hadn’t been quite so warm yesterday, I probably would have snatched it up.
Stephanie is teaching a workshop for Skill Exchange, which will focus on how to style vintage clothing, as well as how to spot quality pieces. I asked 31 RAX to collaborate on this series because I know that shopping for vintage clothing takes skill, because if you know what to look for, you can often find beautiful well-made clothing that was built to last. I am often very frustrated by shopping for new clothes, because so much of what I see in stores is made to be thrown away; to be worn a few times and and tossed out as it starts to unravel or come apart. Understanding the high cost of cheap fashion is absolutely a self-reliance skill, because knowing the hidden costs of a cheap tank top or a summer dress will help you make better choices in the long run. A skirt for $12 from a fashion chain is very unlikely to have been made to last more than a few washes, and thousands of that same exact skirt were distributed all over the country– but who made it, and how were they paid for their effort? So many of us would rather invest more money in just a few items of well-made clothing, rather than having an overflowing closet of trendy, but cheaply made clothing.
Tickets are still available for this workshop on Friday, September 7th from 3:00-4:30PM. Yes yes, most of you work on Fridays, but why not sneak out early, meet up with some friends, and come check out this workshop? The workshop will focus on how to style, shop for, and care for vintage clothing. Stephanie will teach you how to find quality garments, what details to look for, and how care for, and reconstruct clothing to fit your body and style. 31 RAX will be sharing lots of styling secrets as well, with a selection of items hand-picked from her store.
