THE RIGHT vintage accessory can make an outfit. But if it's too tattered and worn out, the item just looks old. And let's face it: great vintage pieces that are flawlessly intact can sometimes be hard to find.
If you're lucky enough to have hours upon hours to thrift-store hop for perfect pieces, we're jealous. How about adding on another few hours for cleaning, sewing, mending, or trimming . . . and then, if you're really feeling ambitious, adding your own creative touches to make the piece current and unique?
Um, yeah, maybe in a fantasy world where Manolos grow on trees and the Oompa-Loompas are replaced by tall, dark, and handsome man-slaves.
We can't deliver the shoe trees and hot servants, but we did find a local designer who's made a career out of giving hip vintage accessories new life. Shara Porter (www.sharaporter.com) dreamed of making her thrift-store shopping and treasure-revamping hobby into a career - and upon finishing her graduate studies, she did exactly that. The School of the UMass-Dartmouth grad's latest collection involves hand-printing interesting, quirky images onto cool vintage bags and shoes. Available at the occasional trunk show and, at times, the South End Open Market, her stuff can also be found locally at Habit (703 E. Broadway, South Boston, 617.269.1998).
"I am so out of the loop," says Porter of Boston's fashion scene. "So much of my time is spent shopping for the items, cleaning them, and designing them that I never go out!"
Akris (16 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.536.6225): through June 30, 40 percent off selected merchandise. Anne Fontaine (318 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.423.0366): through June 30, 30 to 50 percent off selected merchandise. Black and Blues (89 Holland Street, Somerville, 617.628.0046): through June 30, 50 percent off selected merchandise. Dress (221 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.424.7125): through June 30, up to 75 percent off items from the spring 2007 collection. June 28, My Sun Leo Trunk Show; 10 percent off My Sun Leo collection pieces. Diesel (339 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.424.6555): through June 30, 20 to 50 percent off select styles. DKNY (37 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.236.0476): through June 30, 30 percent off selected men's and women's spring merchandise. Juicy Couture (12 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.236.5514): through June 30, 30 to 35 percent off selected items from the early spring collection. Lord & Taylor (760 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.6000): through June 26, 30 percent off selected spring and summer merchandise. OKW (234 Clarendon Street, Boston, 617.266.4114): through June 30, 50 percent off all lingerie. Relic (116 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.437.7344): through June 30, 30 to 70 percent off selected merchandise. Riccardi (116 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.266.3158): through June 30, 30 percent off selected merchandise. E-mail sale news to style@stuffatnight.com.
