Our new favorite vintage shop teaches us how to modernize retro looks.
Amanda Westerhof has been selling vintage style for around three years now — collecting pieces since she first understood fashion.
She’s the muse behind the local online shop LIVED, where the past comes alive through color, pattern and her good taste. She’s got an eye for fabrics that last through the years and she’s snatching up ’60s and ’70s jumpsuits and rompers like a boss.
“Beautifully lived in clothing — that’s my slogan,” said Westerhof, who stopped shopping fast fashion about six years ago. It changed her life and her wardrobe. Now, she’s mending and cleaning pieces that have lasted years, still retaining and showing their quality.
“I love the story. I love thinking about how a nightie that women only wore to bed is now being worn out as a dress with a leather jacket over it,” Westerhof said. “I wonder about the woman who wore it. Was she super feminine? The clothing brings out a lot of questions.”
Follow her lead when it comes to lingerie. Whether it’s styling slip dresses and nighties under tough moto jackets or repurposing camisoles as tank tops or silk pajama bottoms as daywear, Westerhof’s boudoir apparel is feminine and flowy and more worthy than tees and sweatpants for lounging around the house.
“I’m excited when I see a cool floral top or real silk that’s not compromised by any other fabric — they just don’t make it like that anymore,” she said.
When it comes to accessories, her purses and belts are rare finds, and she’s feeling today’s scarf resurgence.
“Scarves are popular and there’s more ways to wear them,” she said. “I tie a lot on bags, wear them on the neck and create head wraps.”
She’s also really into clip-on earrings, especially when you pair them with an old-school tee and your favorite denim. Accessories and earrings are a great way to baby-step into wearing vintage. “I have fan earrings that are handwoven and from the ’70s!”
Of course, she has thoughts on denim. She searches for true high-rise jeans (more than an 11-inch rise) but knows customizing is key.
“If the jeans are to the floor and beyond, get them hemmed up. You won’t ruin the integrity of the pant. Too much of a flare? Get them tapered,” Westerhof said.
She’s been known to chop hems and shred and shorten jeans to achieve her desired look, and you can too.
Westerhof’s favorite way to modernize a button-down vintage dress is to add your own belt and unbutton down to mid-boob (or lower if you’re really feeling yourself). Once you’ve created a plunging neckline, you can undo a few bottom buttons to show off your legs.
For Westerhof, vintage is “a way to play. It shouldn’t feel dated or scary. These are the types of clothes we should be making — things that will be available for someone to love in 20 years.”
Ready to shop? Head to etsy.com/shop/shoplived.
