Vintage Here, Vintage There: Vintage Mama, Alix Tyler

In the spirit of encouraging others to try out vintage to see how they like it (and just get gussied up every now and then), Rubyellen and I have been inviting some of our favorite vintage wearing mamas to share how they wear it. This week's Vintage Mama is Alix Tyler from sunny California! She and her son, Wolfgang (otherwise known as Wolfie), have quite the collection and know how to have fun with it!

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howdy, smile and wave & cakies readers. my name is alix and I’m so happy to be here! I’m the co-founder of modern kiddo, which is a lifestyle/fashion blog where my friend, dottie, and I share our passion for vintage kids goodies—clothing, books, toys, records, and more! i am the proud mama to a little 6 year old charmer named wolfgang (although everyone calls him wolfie!). I’m excited to share some of our kooky closet with you guys!

alix is wearing:

vintage sailboat dress, thrifted

bicycle belt buckle, tj maxx

vintage handbag, thrifted

miu miu mary janes, ebay

little hat, topshop

Q: When did you start wearing vintage and why?

A: I grew up in Flint, Michigan in the 70s and 80s and honestly, vintage wasn’t really on my radar (or anyone elses!) in high school. I did a lot of theater and always loved dressing up, but then I went off to college in Cambridge, MA and my fashion world was rocked. Some friends dragged me to a store called “Dollar-A-Pound”. It was a rag and thrift shop and every Saturday they would literally take several bales of clothing and dump them on the floor. It was a mish mash of styles and eras. They’d literally hand you a trash bag when you walked in the door and you’d weed through these huge piles of clothes. It blew my mind! I was in heaven. There was a proper vintage store above this craziness, The Garment District, that I also loved. That was how I got my first taste of the “thrill of the hunt,” which is truly what makes thrifting so exciting. I love vintage for many reasons, but mainly because I love the colors and textiles…..and I don’t like to look like everyone else when I dress up!

mama's wearing:

cream vintage dress, thrifted

green cardigan, ebay

blue tights, old navy

mod pendant, vintage shop

enid collins owl and pussycat handbag

black bow rain boots, Kate Spade via TJ Maxx

wolfie's wearing:

vintage wrangler cowboy shirt, frecklewonder vintage

jeans, h&m

desert boots, h&m

and

alix is wearing:

pucci nightie as dress, thrifted (whoo hoo!)

striped tee, target

purple tights, we heart colors

black boots, thrifted

kitty handbag, vintage

Q: What do you look for in a piece when you’re shopping?

A: My favorite eras are the 60s and 70s, so if it looks like it’s from around that time period, it automatically goes in the cart! I’m also a huge color junkie, so that’s usually the first thing I notice—is it a cool pattern? A unique color or mix of colors? And of course I look for details, something that makes it “special”. Fun buttons, sweet trims, a cool cuff or collar. I think it’s also important to see the potential in an item. Don’t discount a dress because it’s too long or too short. Maxi dressed can be easily hemmed shorter and a mini looks sweet over jeans or even with a longer slip peeking out underneath. It’s all about getting creative!

wolfie's wearing:

vintage plaid wrangler shirt, thrifted

vintage denim jacket, ebay

jeans, levi's for target

sneaks, Vans

hat, TJ Maxx

Q: Favorite vintage find to date?

A: Oh wow, that’s a hard one! I really love ‘em all. Well I think my most exciting “scores” are finding those really rare pieces. I’ve found Pucci dresses and nighties for under $10….but I think my super fave score was one day at the Salvation Army. I was flipping through the racks and found an amazing Courreges dress. Andre Courreges was a major designer back in the 60s, famous for his space-age minis. His stuff is always written up in the 60s fashion books. It was a totally amazing dress. I remember snatching it and glancing around like “OMG, did anyone see this???” I was giddy and kind of continued flipping through the racks, savoring the moment….when I found ANOTHER Courreges dress, just as fabulous. I was stunned. They must have been donated by the same woman. I still remember how insane that day was! Oh yeah, they were like $10 each.

wolfie's wearing:

vintage plaid shirt, 3 ring circus vintage

purple mustache dog shirt, zara kids

jeans, h&m

paul frank rain boots, target

Q: How do you style your son?

A: Boys clothing is notoriously tricky—it can get pretty frustrating. The color palette is usually earth tones or black/blue/red. Also lots of “dude” themes: sports, trucks, skulls etc. Wolfie’s style is kind of a little bit indie and a little bit skaterboy. I like him to dress him in clothes that are cute, colorful and playful, but ultimately I want him to be comfy! He typically wears jeans from H&M and Target and then we mix it up with vintage tops and tees—and modern stuff too. When he was younger I loved little stripy Bobby Brady Health-Tex tees and now he’s into plaid Wrangler cowboy shirts. He’s still little enough that I can influence his style. I buy clothes for him but let him choose from the options I pick out! (I’m sneaky like that….)

I have noticed that he always leans towards the more colorful options and that always makes me happy!

We would also love for you to share some of your favorites places to find vintage or some vintage goodies you are currently coveting!

My fave spots for Vintage Kid’s Clothing:

The Modern Kiddo Retro Round Up! (every Monday)

Frecklewonder vintage

Lishyloo vintage

3 Ring Circus

Vintage goodies I’m currently I’m coveting:

chunky rhinestone necklaces, huge animal pendants, a yellow vintage cardigan, enamel flower pins, anything glitter lucite, an enid collins "LOVE" bag.

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Thank you, Alix, for sharing your love for vintage with us! I love your vintage flair and will keep an eye out for that Enid Collins bag out here in Missouri. You keep an eye on that Wolfie of yours. I'm sure he's going to be the talk of the school in a few years (if not already)!

Rubyellen and I will be sharing our vintage ensemble's later today so check back to see our pretties!
xoxo,
Rachel