The Weekender Vintage
Jessica Wagner
For the love of fashion:
REUSE. RELOVE. RECYCLE. REPURPOSE.
There I was jobless and feeling like a failure. I found myself struggling to define my purpose, and re-evaluating all aspects of my life. For the first time in 10 years both my children were in school and I had free time, and heavens to Betsy I was going to use it. Where would it take me?
I got a puppy. I took up art classes. I met with new and old friends for long leisurely coffee dates. I went to therapy. I kept a busy social calendar, and I started to thrift my fashions.
While I was learning to REUSE my time, I was also falling in love with searching for second-hand garments. More than once a week I found myself at my favorite local vintage shops, and even driving distances to visit backwoods flea markets. There is a thrill there, in never knowing what you might find... a museum like quality to perusing isles of past lives. It’s quiet beauty. It’s therapeutic. It’s pop culture on display.
I also had a serendipitous trip to France through my blog and wanted to wear pieces that made my heart sing. I love fashion and wanted one-of-a-kind, affordable and eco-friendly clothing. I wanted something worth passing on to the next generation. There are brands that are amazingly sustainable, but not within my jobless budget. I was striving to consume fashion more ethically and responsibly.
As I was learning to RELOVE myself, I was also discovering a deep passion for vintage. I believe it stems from early years of playing dress-up in my grandmother’s attic, and afternoons searching for garage sales. The saying goes “one girl’s potato sack is another girl’s dream dress” but think about finding that dream dress! There is a rush, but the magic comes from giving something another life. There is a metaphor going on here, but in case you missed it: there is always a second chance, we just have to look for it.
I felt inspired after one lucky-duck find to help others RECYCLE. (It might be this 70s Gunne Sax dress you see here.) I wanted to open a second hand vintage shop online and teach others how to thrift along the way. By selling pieces I love, I hope to spark a love for thrifting in others.
I set out to find my purpose, as it turns out, it’s in the work of REPURPOSE.
Anyone can thrift. Anyone can give or donate. Together we can give another life, even to ourselves. It’s good for Mother Earth. It’s good for humankind. How much better is it to see an item go to someone who can use it and enjoy it! It’s a shared smile, in times when smiles are hidden.
What I want you to know is next time you are in need, if possible, shop second hand first. Try a thrift shop or local vintage market. There are plenty of resale websites, like eBay, Poshmark, and Depop to name a few! (You can shop my Poshmark here.)
Aid in breaking the cycle of waste. You can set an example to throw-away society. Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. In short, when you buy fast fashion a direct line can be drawn to carbon emissions, toxic waste, and underpaid workers struggling to live under horrendous conditions and meager pay. YOU have the power to help make a change!
Follow me at the @theweekendervintage and be the first to shop new arrivals! Curated collection of vintage for the romantic at heart 💗 COMING SOON!