Fall scarves....not winter yet!

      With alittle help from the remnants department in my sewing room I put together these versions of the eternity scarf. Not the warmest thing in your closet. But a nice accent piece for those outfits that need somthing and maybe for those girls that have offices that are in the arctic temps still. One made from  cotton lace, another from the remnants of some sweater material and the other a vintage cotton feed sac. They are thinner than average and very versitile.

Upcycled t-dresses for the littlest fashionista

      We have all seen what can be done to and with the wonders of an over sized t-shirt. And I am one who continues to be amazed at the creativity of others when it comes to upcycling vintage or whatever comes in the designers path. But theses were really fun and not like I would ideally prefer one to copy.....but fairly simple to construct. And check out the lil hambone modeling whata sport she was for her mamma.

Warpaint: Session 2

Check out this event if your in the Des Moines area!

Socks: the Overlooked Accessory

Sweet Marcel socks out of Portland are back for Fall at Vitae! The first crop are knee-hi's, great with boots or just about anything, and over the knee styles are coming soon.

Those of us that put in time in uniform at Parochial school well understand the power of the sock as a fashion statement. But have you considered lately, that all socks are not alike? Hopefully you can manage at least two in the daily mad-rush to get out the door, but that is not the point. Sweet Marcel socks are cute, cozy, and can set you apart....'cause they don't have them at Target, no-sirie.

We are Des Moines' exclusive outlet for this line and the supplies are limited, so be that girl - and be assured...you will rock them.

It's Birthday Time for Vitae!

You are invited to celebrate with us as we welcome our 3rd year together as Vitae Design Collective! We've loved and learned so much in this time, and have worked with some terrific folks. Seriously, we're more excited than ever to be involved in this DIY community which is growing up right along with us.

We're thankful to you all, and would love to share some cake with you - along with some specials, giveaways and booby prizes - wow it's strange to see that in writing.
Save the date! Bring a date! See you Friday, Sept 23rd from 6pm.

Trunk Show! Trunk Show! Trunk Show!

Shu Shu Maus is back at Vitae and we're so excited about it! Come and shop the latest from duo designers, April and Sarah Jae on Friday September 2nd from 5-8pm. They're bringing an assortment of goodies, from vintage to handmade one of a kind accessories. Whether you're a flapper girl or fly girl at heart, they have you covered.

So sip on some cheap champagne or enjoy the champagne of beers, while you check out their new Indian Summer collection here at Vitae.

For more info check out the facebook event page- https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=255949571089803

We hope to see everyone at Vitae for First Fridays in the East Village!

Fabrics and those who LOVE them

When it comes down to it, we have to - or get to - live with the choices we make, and a lot of what we do here at Vitae comes down to our our fabric stash and how we use it.

If you're out thrifting and you spot a character exhibiting odd behavior like holding an upside down t-shirt to their waist while obsessively guarding a cart overflowing with styles your Grandma wouldn't touch, you may be in the presence of a Reconstruct Artist.

A strange bird, their field of vision is expanded to see the possibilities of things. They are extremely tactile, and often do a finger scan of racks, hoping for a certain texture or weight relative to fabric content to jump up, their eyes doing the minimal scan for palate and pattern of print. Their sense of smell can be quite diminished - they are very forgiving of stinky.

Hemlines, necklines and ill placed pockets are but challenges to be overcome, mere symptoms of the pre-rescue condition. . If a garment is damaged, out of time or just needs a lift, an adept re-designer (not unlike a physician or counselor), makes an assessment, some mental recommendations, and the path to recovery is set.
Following that train of thought, if harvesting awesome buttons is the only humane thing to do, well...that's the cycle of fashion.