Wearing: vintage levis, necklaces  & leather jacket, Rick Owens tank, Super sunnies and YSL booties

I went out for some vintage shopping on Tuesday and found this fabulous leather jacket at a local vintage store in Dallas, it’s called Dolly Phython. They have a huge vintage jewelry collection and that’s  where I found my two new favorite necklaces.  Leather jacket is not easy to find, especially the one that fits you nicely and within your budget.  I love to mix vintage pieces with current styles to stay up-to-date. Have a nice day everyone!! xoxo Nini Nguyen

There are certain precious items (a lace dress from the 1930’s or white leather gloves) that physically degrade so it isn’t an issue of loosing value over time. Those types of items, you buy to collect but you wear on rare occasions. Collecting clothing is NOT like collecting stamps. No matter how great of a collector’s item is in front of my advice is that you DO NOT buy it unless you can think of at least one occasion that you would love to wear that item.

Who do you shop with? Who you shop with should depend on what kind of shopping you plan to do. Decide: alone or with a friend? Are you going to a Goodwill, planning to dig through bin after bin until you find the perfect silk harem pants? Don’t bring a friend unless that friend shares your passion for vintage. There is nothing worse than being in an amazing store with a bored friend who want to leave. Bring someone who loves to dig!

Sometimes, we come upon items we think we MUST have and yet can’t quite afford. If you are going to make the purchase that will make you count your pennies for the next month, put the item on hold and come back with a close friend. An acquaintance might not be comfortable telling you the truth about how you look. Bring someone who is so close to you so that they will be honest even if it isn’t what you want to hear.

Maintain, Maintain, Maintain -The nature of vintage items is to be precious. Even the item is just a Liz Claiborne dress from the 1980’s there is still a huge chance that you will never be able to buy that type/cut/material all in one place ever again. Therefore, we value vintage and second hand items much more than the price they are actually worth. If that Liz Claiborne dress cost you $7 (especially if it cost $7!) in fashionista terms it is priceless. Thus, you must be prepared to invest some cash into your thrifted finds: alter, clean and reinforce or refurbish your items. I really can’t stress enough how important this is!

By reinforcing leather piping or straps or by altering to your shape you are adding years to the life of that item. And when you consider the time and effort it took to find some of your vintage items, don’t you want to have those items for a long, long time? The better you maintain your vintage, the longer it will last.

Do you hunt for accessories? Everyone has one of those days when they can’t find a single thing that looks good on them. Don’t walk out upset and empty handed! Head for the accessory counter. Maybe this time, the baubles available at vintage stores can make your day.

Looking to gift a picky person something special? Pins, necklaces and leather goods might be a good place to check for presents if you have a difficult time finding the perfect gift elsewhere. Think of the wealth of gifts that can be found at a vintage store: furs, hats, amazing scarves or gloves are treasures that often make great gifts.

Find a Friend! No question is a stupid question: this is a good rule to follow in a vintage store. You never know who works there. If you encounter a teen that doesn’t know much or someone that can’t be bothered to talk to you, move on. But if you find a knowledgeable sales clerk at a vintage store, consider yourself LUCKY and ask questions. I recommend returning to that store regularly to shop and even asking that sales clerk to keep their eye out for the type of garment you are searching for. Leave your phone number and ask them to keep you informed of new stock or special pieces. Even though I go to Salvation Army and other second hand stores, I adore Ahab Bowen and Dolly Phyton

Don’t forget the fleas! Hunting for vintage often requires a pretty hefty time commitment. Make a day of it and go on a flea market crawl! If you live in NYC, check out Brooklyn Flea, a Sunday flea market run by Etsy. Natalya once took me there and the goods were amazing. From beautiful furniture to a vendor that specialized in really amazing, super old vintage Coach bags.

Wearing: vintage Mongolian fur jacket, vintage necklaces, J-brand jean, AA tee, F21 bag and YSL tribute pumps

Thanks for reading everyone! I hope that helps and if you have any other questions, just leave them in the comments and they will be addressed as soon I can do it. Hope you all are having a good week. xoxo Nini

Wearing: F21 short and belt, Elie Tahari nude silk blouse, Alexander McQueen clutch, Target tights, and YSL tribute.

Wearing: Stella McCartney pant, Balenciaga black sweater, Fendi shoes, vintage pearls, Ray Ban sunnies, and Givenchy bag.

Have a great weekend everyone !! xoxo Nini

Hanh is running a contest right now for the “Blog World Inspiration” so if you have not voted, please stop by her blog and vote. There are 20 contestants and they all look fabulous. I already turned in my vote this week.

This is a new look for my hair. All I do is tease it up, add lots of hair spray. Some days I put on a head band and some days I go without a headband. Since I’m in the process of growing out my hair for the wedding it’s hard to keep it down because it doesn’t look right.

NiniTip:
Spring is around the corner!
Add a little something different to your look today to make it fresh and new. I am a huge fan of masculine cuts for trousers, boyfriend blazers and other gender neutral trends. But everyone has to change things up a bit…

Instead of doing a masculine look head to toe, break up the tough silhouette, thrown on something feminine to add a touch of Spring!

I don’t always like ruffles but for Spring I’ll wear a ruffled one-shoulder top with my fitted high-waisted pencil skirt. I like the look because it’s feminine yet classic.

Wearing: Ann Demeulemeester pant, F21 tiger tee, headband and bag, Fendi booties, Ray Ban sunnies, and Marc by Marc Jacobs jacket

Have a great day everyone!!! xoxo Nini Nguyen

posing for Loc

Áo Dài by ABC

I hope you all are doing well! I’m sorry for my absence, updates, and comments lately. With work and planning the wedding, my schedule is a little tight. My lifestyle now is just so casual. Tee-shirt, jeans and a comfortable flat are what I wear these days. I like to share with you my wedding photos from my photographer sent me to select for the album. These photos have not been edit yet, although it has a slightly retouch but not completed. I still have 3 more sets to go through and I’ll definitely will share with you all. xoxo Nini Nguyen

Dress and veil by Nha-Khanh, Fallon necklace

I mentioned that day while we’re shooting, there was a small wind storm that came our way. Isn’t scary??

Custom veil by Nha-Khanh, Janet Savitt necklace, YSL tribute pumps, AA swimsuit

Veil and gown custom by Nha-Khanh, necklace by Fallon.
Photo by: Thanh Nguyen

Have a nice day!
xoxo
Nini Nguyen

We celebrated our New Year there. The New Year in Saigon is really quiet.  Most of the businesses are closed and many restaurants are not open either. Our culture is known for the “Hoa Mai” on New Years day. The color of Hoa Mai is yellow and it only blooms once a year, on New Years day. People sometimes pay a lot of money for Hoa Mai trees because they are  good luck charms. People believe that if your Hoa Mai fully blooms on the first day of the new year, you will have a successful year and if it only blooms partially, your year might be not as good. Some wealthy people there are willing to pay around $20,000 and up for their Hoa Mai trees and they only last a week or so. Here are some photos of me with Hoa Mai.

Hoa Mai

Drinking coconut

buying guava fruits

Meat market

Vegetable market

This is my favorite fruits called Chom Chom

At Nguyen Hue Orchids Garden during Lunar New Year.

Water storage called ” Lu”

Loc and his friends sliding down white sand dune in Phan Thiet, Mui Ne

Another silly picture of Loc and his friend

This is what I worn to my friend’s wedding ceremony

back lace detail of the blouse

My friend, Kieu

Wearing: Fendi shoes, Alaia skirt, Robert Rodriguez blouse, biker short from F21, vintage clutch and Fallon necklace.