win a vintage cape & a $40 gift card to we move vintage!

we move vintage cape giveaway calivintage

win this vintage reversible cape and a $40 gift certificate to we move vintage!

this week, i’ve teamed up with one of my lovely sponsors to offer you the chance to win this beautiful vintage reversible cape with hood along with a $40 gift certificate to we move vintage! we move vintage is an artist collective based out of the los angeles area dedicated to offering a diverse selection of vintage items with a focus on style and individuality at affordable prices.

to enter, visit we move vintage and then leave a comment in the selection below with a link to your favorite item in the shop.

if your address is not linked to your account, be sure to leave your contact information so we can e-mail you if you’re the winner. this offer is open to domestic readers only. the winner will be randomly selected and announced on 05/14 at 10am p.s.t.

it’s a celebration!

aha, back on the porch at isla’s house for a sunday brunch in celebration of my buddy ethan’s birthday. we all tricked him into thinking that we couldn’t hang out and the surprised him at the bart station with balloons and presents. then we all enjoyed the day eating delicious food and drinking mimosas.

here’s the birthday boy, getting surprised with a bunch of balloons and a bottle of champagne!

the main course consisted of a delicious pizza with eggs baked into it. breakfast pizza!

we followed up the meal with a hookah. ethan can blow the most perfect smoke rings.

my boyfriend doesn’t like his photos so i let him choose which one to put up. he picked this one of him making a silly face.

this passes as a mimosa glass…

ok, so this is the before shot. nicole is showing us the trailer for the human centipede on her iphone.

and the after shots. you’ll have to watch the trailer to understand our pleasure/disgust. but don’t say i didn’t warn you.

a change of scenery

oh hey guys, look who got off her perch up on the roof? yep, that’s right, i finally decided to bring my camera with me out into the world to share with you some of the beautiful scenery out here on the sunny side of the bay in oakland, ca! i don’t know if i’ve ever expressed it here on the blog, but i’ve been meaning to do more outfit shoots in different locations around my city, but it’s proven to be a bit of a challenge for me to remember to take my camera with me when i go on little outings! i generally think of my daily outfit posts as being pretty straight forward. my boyfriend is my photographer and has a day job, so we usually have a 5 – 10 minute window in which we can rush to snap pictures before he leaves for work. i starting taking pictures up on the roof because i thought it would be a nicer way to display what i’m wearing than, say, standing in front of a blank wall in my apartment (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).

but, it can certainly get a little tedious since i’m doing it 5 days a week, and as one reader pointed out, i guess i’m getting boring. her comment definitely resonated with me because i have been feeling the same way! so yesterday we remembered to bring the camera with us on a stroll through the famous mountain view cemetery which is about 10 blocks from where i live. it’s a huge cemetery established in 1863 filled with beautiful crypts built for some of the most notable figures in california history. most eerily, it is the final resting place of the black dahlia, but the list is so long that all i can do is guide you to the wikipedia page for it! anyway, it’s nestled in the hills above oakland, so you get an expansive 360 degree view including downtown oakland and san francisco across the bay, which attracts a good amount of foot traffic from joggers and people walking their dogs, or even families flying kites. it certainly is a nice place to take a walk.

jacket: gap belted utility jacket
blouse: vintage eyelet blouse from helgesok vintage
skirt: american apparel full woven skirt
socks: tabio wool over the knee socks
shoes: vintage nine west boots from vintageless beauty
bag: thrifted vintage tote

oof! a strong gust of wind at the most inopportune moment. always wear proper undergarments! i may have given the family nearby a full moon….

bikes for your budget

calivintage cycle chic budget bike guide

after kicking off my first cycle chic saturday post last week, i got a lot of requests for recommendations on stylish bicycles that are also affordable. surely, you can get a pretty bike for $1,000 or more, but are there any options out there for those of us on a budget?

one of the best ways to get a good deal on a bike is to search for something used or vintage. it does take a bit of hunting to find the right model and size, but it’s a surefire way to get the most bang for you buck. it also requires a bit of studying up on bike maintenance basics so that you know what to look for to assure that you’re getting something quality and ready to ride. since the topic of hunting for used/vintage bikes could take up it’s own blog post, i’ve decided to focus on new bikes at affordable price points for today. and for the sake of fashion, i’m also focusing on bikes with step through or mixte frames with more upright geometry. road bikes are nice, but they’re going to pose more sartorial challenges than the options shown here.

just keep in mind that when buying new, you are always going to have to pay a considerably higher price for what you get, so hopefully you wont be too upset when you see the prices. and i know there are more options than what i’ve shown here, but these are my personal top picks for the most fashionably designed bikes clocking in at under $1,000.

linus bikes: dutchi and mixte models, starting at $399
starting with our most affordable option, this small company based out of venice, ca offers a dutch style frame as either a single speed model or with a 3-speed internal hub. or, if you prefer, they also have a 3-speed mixte with a rear rack, which i like quite a bit.

republic bikes: dutch, starting at $399
republic bikes offers customization options to let you choose the colors of the frame, saddle, grips, chain case, tires, and skirt so you can build up something as subtle or flashy as you like. but be aware that these bikes only come in a single speed and weigh 40lbs, so this is definitely a better option for cruising about in very flat areas like at the beach.

electra bikes: ticino models, starting at around $550
these stunning bikes come in a larger range of speeds than any of the other bikes in this post. starting with 7 and going all the way up to 20 speeds with an aluminum frame, they’re probably the most lightweight and functional option, especially for those of you living in hilly terrains like san francisco, but you will have to pay extra for more gears.

raleigh: roadster classic, around $520
from the company best known for their classic vintage roadsters made in england, comes this updated version of a timeless standby. the ladies model comes with an internal 3-speed hub, great for a nice weekend ride around town.

globe cycles: live mixtes starting at $580
a more mass-produced bicycle owned by the parent-company, specialized, you can expect to get a solid bike at a very affordable price point. this mixte bike comes in either a single speed or 8-speed model with a matching front basket rack to tote around your purse and other goodies.

bowery lane bicycles: breukelen, starting at $695
based out of new york, bowery lane bicycles offer this simple black bike in both a single speed or 3-speed model with a rack and a cute wooden crate for carrying your flea market finds.

a black bike: starting at $950
another company based out of nyc, this model clocks in at $950, barely making the cut for today’s post. this classic dutch style bike comes in a single speed or 3-speed version with a battery powered lamp for riding in style at night.

outfit favorites & *miu miu for the masses

this week, i was so blown away by so many great outfits that it was particularly hard to choose which ones to post. i’m trying to keep it down to only 6 for these posts since i don’t want to overwhelm. soooo, if you want to see everything that inspires me on a daily basis, i suggest you check out the calivintage tumblr. it’s basically all of the inspiration for calivintage wrapped up into one heavily updated blog. now onto the looks:

hanneli mustaparta: high waisted shorts
i will always and forever be blown away by the way that some people can take such different pieces, throw them together in a completely unexpected way and turn it into such a complete outfit. how does she do it?

the world looks red: 4th of may
a perfect springtime outfit. straw hat, check! romantic blouse, check! polka dot skirt, check!

the stylish heart: double stripes
it’s become pretty obvious that i’m addicted to stripes right now. so much so that i was thinking i needed to tone it down. but seeing this look makes me think that maybe i should turn it up a notch? so good.

mr. netwon: hester street fair
that’s siri of ringo, have a banana! as shot by eddie newton. just like the clogs trend, i thought i could never be convinced to like overalls, but her easy look has pretty much done the trick!

variations: beige felt
ah, such wonderful styling. the soft gray and white are so pleasing to my eyes and do you see what she did there matching the big polka dots on her blouse with that round purse? pretty awesome!

honey bunny in wonderland: gravity no escaping gravity no escaping… not for free
yeah yeah stripes and high rise trousers are so good to me right now. and i love the beautiful rusty brown colors of the pants with the gray socks. i need those pants like now.

*aha, but before you leave, i had to give you a bonus round of photos! i was so impressed by these two awesome d.i.y. miu miu collars by spin dizzy fall and field guided that i had to share them with you. be sure to click their links for detailed how-to instructions. miu miu for the masses!

and the winner is…

calivintage vivi dot giveaway

sher is the winner of the $50 gift certificate to vivi dot! she was selected as the winner using the random number generator at random.org.

thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest, but no worries if you didn’t win this time! there are many more opportunities to win great prizes each week thanks to the sponsors of calivintage.

one for the money

i may have a pretty strong collection of vintage coach purses, but whenever i reach into my fancy bag to make a purchase, i pull out a raggedy old nylon wallet bursting at the seams full of useless cards and old receipts. i’ve had that thing so long, i can no longer remember when or where i got it. and while i don’t necessarily think about it too often, i am occasionally embarrassed when i pull it out and secretly wonder if that snobby shop clerk just shot me a disapproving glare, and there i am, feeling like i’m reenacting a scene from an episode of seinfeld, worried about what people think about my crappy wallet!

so, i finally decided to do some browsing and upgrade to something leather. a quick search through the selection at some of my favorite online department stores, and i quickly recognized that buying a leather wallet can be quite the investment, with prices easily reaching $100 or more for such a simple little accessory. and then i remembered everyone’s favorite online marketplace and did a long search through the pages on etsy and came up with quite a few affordable and handmade wallets, coin purses, and clutches. now i just have to choose…

marketa, jujie, gogo vivi, office of minor details, marketa, ray design.

happy feet

i really know i should have posted about this a little bit sooner, but i just had to share this cute collection of socks and hosiery by hansel from basel. i’ve actually written about them before because i bought a particular pair of strawberry top crew socks to go with my swedish hasbeens seen here after learning about the collection at fashion for writers. i wanted to dedicate a post to all of their cool socks, but i feel a little bit bad showing you some of these as many styles have already sold out, but there are plenty of great options still in the shop. and you can even purchase items from previous collections. i love their fun and quirky patterns in subdued colors. they’re basically perfect for pairing with cute wedge sandals this spring.

win a $50 gift certificate to vivi dot!

calivintage vivi dot giveaway

win a $50 gift certificate to vivi dot!

for this week’s giveaway, i’ve teamed up with one of my lovely sponsors to offer you a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to vivi dot! everything in the shop is handmade by molly gaines. her accessories are fun, unusual, and not meant to match every outfit in a range of rings, hair pins, barrettes, earrings, watch necklaces, and even cuff links in playful prints. i picked out some of my favorites to show you in this post, but you really have to visit the vivi dot store to see the entire selection!

see something you like? vivi dot would like to offer calivintage readers a 10% discount and a free gift with purchase for the month of may. simply enter code “calivintage” at checkout.

calivintage vivi dot

to enter:
-visit the vivi dot store and take a look around!
-leave a comment in the section below telling us about your favorite item in the shop.

for one additional entry:
follow vivi dot on twitter!
-once you’re following (or if you already do!), just come back and leave an additional comment to increase your odds.

this contest is open to international readers so anyone can enter. if your profile doesn’t link to your contact info, be sure to leave your email address so we can get in touch with you if you’re the winner. the winner will be selected randomly and announced on friday, may 7 at 10am p.s.t.

up on the roof

just sharing a few little snapshots from my weekend. these were taken last evening during a quick visit with friends in the mission district in san francisco. roof access is pretty much one of my favorite things ever. perhaps you already figured that out considering the amount of time i spend taking photos up there.

anyway, it’s just us kids having silly mixed drinks made with raspberry vodka, ginger beer, and kombucha whilst eating popsicles and chips with guacamole. yep, that’s a pretty typical weekend activity for me.