Vintage Blue was recently presented with an amazing opportunity to join a new store called, Nestology, in the King of Prussia Mall.  The store was opened by Stacy “FlyGirl” Wilson and partners and is a collective of independent artisits and designers.

This Thursday is the Grand Opening Event in the 6,000 square feet store between Levis and DSW next to The Cheesecake Facotry.  Stop in between 6-9 and support some amazing local designers and artsists!

Cyber Monday the busiest day of the year for Internet shopping. The term coined by Shop.org was first used within the ecommerce community during the 2005 holiday season. Vintage Blue has extended the Black Friday 50% off sale until Monday night 12am. Use the same promo code to get your discount “blackfriday50”

With Black Friday approaching, I started thinking about how this shopping tradition was coined.  I did a little digging and was surprised to see the term originating from my home base of Philadelphia.

In a newspaper article in January 1966 it states, “‘Black Friday’ is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. “Black Friday” officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.”

By 1975 the term was gaining more recognition. The New York Times printed an article stating, “Philadelphia police and bus drivers call it “Black Friday” - that day each year between Thanksgiving Day and the Army–Navy Game. It is the busiest shopping and traffic day of the year in the Bicentennial City as the Christmas list is checked off and the Eastern college football season nears conclusion.”

By the 1980s the term was spreading throughout the country, and today we now have Cyber Monday, the discount day for all online merchants.  And speaking of, don’t forget to check in with us for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Any product on sale all day long for one day only. Shop now!

As Americans become more eco-conscious, you would think that drying your clothes outside would be a great alternative. Think again. I recently read an article about a woman who received a call from the town official who asked her to stop drying her clothes in the sun along with leaving anonymous notes from neighbors saying they did not want to see her panties flapping in the wind.

According to Project Laundry List, you can save money and reduce carbon emissions by not using electric or gas dryers and a widespread adopotion of clotheslines could signficantly reduce U.S. energy consumption. A growing number of people across America are fighting for their right to dry their laundry outside. I might not hang my unmentionables outside, but I’ll be damned if someone tries to take that right away!

I just finished reading Rachel Zoe’s book “Style A to Zoe.” I thoroughly enjoyed all her stories and tips about achieving your own glamor and exuding confidence by having a voice and style of your own. Loved it!

There was a section called How to do Leopard.  Animal Print is a huge trend this holiday season. I have never liked the style or worn it. But lately I have been finding myself drawn to the print in a shoe or in an accessory.

In the book she mentions taking baby steps, like a belt here or a bag there, for all the first timers like myself. She also mentions the right way to wear a bold print, like leopard, and the wrong way to wear it. The funny thing was, as soon as finished reading that section, in walked a lady rocking leopard from head to toe- definitely not the right way. I wanted to slip her my book like, “Gurrrrrrl you need to read this!”

I’m a Whole Foods advocate- I will pay more for organic anything.  I love how it’s the norm to bring a bundle of your own bags, and I love how they give you coins for each bag you bring in which you deposit into the container matching the charity that suits you.  It kills me each time I go to Super Fresh and see the cashiers use plastic bag after plastic bag (especially when they use 5 bags for something that could be carried in one or two!).

We’ve mentioned reusable bags in the past but EnviroSax is something worth mentioning.  These reusable bags are the largest variety I have seen with all sorts of prints and designs for Miss Fashionista and Plain Jane.  They even have a set for kids, and everything is reasonably priced.

On top of the fact that they are cute and keep unnecessary bags out of everywhere they needn’t be, if you buy an Envirosax Graphic Series Pouch you get a free shower timer to help encourage households to conserve water and energy.

I really encourage you to give something necessary this holiday season- instead of something just for gift sake.

Amelia is another movie I can’t wait to see, and not only because it’s about an extraordinary woman who was a visionary, dreamer and lived her life with no limits.

But I also can’t wait to see the film’s wardrobe. I have a thing for the whole aviator look from the jackets to the flight suits to the sunglasses and luggage. I love the era, the planes, the whole style, and I will definitely get my inspiration on.

“Amelia,” the new movie about the first woman to fly across the Atlantic ocean, played by Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, is in theaters now. Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor costar.  With a cast like this and storyline this should be a good one.

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.  The fears are paper tigers.  You can do anything you decide to do.  You can act to change and control your life;  and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” Amelia Earheart

Most of you probably don’t know that Vintage Blue’s foundation began by deconstructing men’s jerseys into fashionable pieces for women. Years later we evolved into the line it is now, but in the beginning we would create a bustier, like the one we made for Alicia Keys below, from a men’s Stall n Dean jersey.

I love taking my Vintage Blue t-shirts and giving it my own look. It can be as simple as getting a bigger size and belting it with a funky belt to cutting a slit down the middle for a rugged v-neck look.

Or gett more creative by adding other fabrics or trim. If big enough, making it into a dress or even a handbag. A lot of this can be done without ever touching a sewing machine. One of my favorite books “T-Shirt Make-Over, 20 Transformations for Fabulous Fashion”s by Sistahs of Harlem can defiantly help you achieve some amazing looks.

So the next time you get a Vintage Blue t-shirt don’t be afraid to transform your tee into your own original look and be sure to send us a photo. (info@vintage-blue.com) Happy Cutting!