Addicted To :: Adelaide Homesewn

Maria, the proprietress of Adelaide Homesewn, is just the cutest thing and I have pictures to prove it. The factors motivating Maria to run a successful vintage shop are plentiful and inspiring. Read on to learn more about her. And after you read the interview, check out Adelaide Homesewn’s blog and follow her on Twitter to get to know Maria even better.

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: Hello, my name is Maria, I’m 26 years old and I started selling vintage about a year ago. I started my business for a couple of reasons: one is to save money to adopt a little one. The other is that I wanted a creative outlet and a way to reuse and give new life to all the great things I had been collecting. And in my mind these two reasons fit together flawlessly…I want to love things that are forgotten. As I lovingly repair a dress that was left to rot in a warehouse, it reminds me of the goal I have to love a child that was abandoned by its parents. I hope that makes sense somehow. I am not equating the two, it’s just that one reminds me of the other.  :)  I really love the sustainable or “green” aspect of my job too. It’s lovely to give people a chance to wear great clothes that already exist rather than buying brand new ones. Adelaide’s Homesewn is my primary job although I nanny one day a week just for fun.  :)

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: I do, but I musn’t reveal my secrets.

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: I choose whatever strikes me, although I LOVE the 1940′s and 1950′s quite a bit. Sometimes I am surprised by the items that I chose when I unpack at the end of the day. But I am selling to a wide market so it’s fun to find things of all different styles. Lately I have had a newfound love for the 70′s; all those sheer, bohemian sundresses, ahhh…  I TRY to keep in touch with how current fashion trends are echoing the past so that I can key in on those items, but I simply can’t sell something I don’t like just because it’s trendy.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: I keep many of my finds, if not permanently then at least for awhile. There are some things that I just HAVE to wear once before I set them free to go to their final home. My closet is always revolving, and much of what is inside my personal closet is listed and then when it sells, I just say goodbye knowing that something new will come along. I’ve definitely collected LOTS of nautical themed pieces (can’t get enough sailor dresses!). I just adore them. As well as 1950′s blouses with lots of detail like fun collars or embroidery.

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: Yes, I can think of 2 things. One is one of the first dresses I sold. It was a black dress with white pin dots, and the sweetest eyelet peter pan collar. Sigh. And then there were these great oxfords that I sold before I realized how much I loved oxfords. But 2 out of so many sales isn’t bad. And it’s not too bittersweet because I am confident that they went to good homes.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: I think the most satisfying has to be this dress. I have STILL never seen anything like it and I called it “the happiest dress” because I could not look at it without smiling.

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.