Saturday, September 2, 2017

The Word from the Bird

Lately, I've been on a serious true-vintage kick. I'd been searching through Etsy for a while and adding lovely midcentury dresses to my cart, but the love affair really started in earnest with my trip to Vintage Garage in May. I snagged three amazing dresses for a song and realized that there's something extra exciting about finding a unique dress with a history of its own. When I set out to narrow down my Etsy cart and take the plunge on a few more dresses, this Word from the Bird number was at the very top of my list!

word from the bird vintage dress
I've said it before, but there seems to be something in the water in Australia or something, because some of the most amazing vintage sellers, pinup girls, and vintage-reproduction companies I've come across are based there! My favorite hair flowers? They travel almost 10,000 miles from Daisy Jean Floral Designs to my head.

So of course, I've kept a weather eye on Word from the Bird's Etsy shop ever since I realized that it was where one of my favorite Instagrammers and all-around awesome human Missi snags a ton of amazing true vintage. And when I saw this adorable butter-yellow cotton sundress with the cutest little collar in my size, I knew it was the perfect choice for my first Australian vintage piece!

true vintage novelty print dress and splendette bangles

Seriously, this is the cutest novelty print I've come across in my size, and the lavender, teal, and sage in the print make styling and accessorizing this piece super fun and easy. Well, it'll be easy once I have a waist again. You wouldn't believe how much of a miracle it was to fit that skinny little lavender belt between my baby bump and my bustline! (As you can see above, it gets swallowed whole when I pose in certain positions.)

I was so ridiculously excited to get this dress that I checked the tracking a gazillion times a day. All seemed to be going well, until suddenly, something went wrong. The Postal Service website said it was delivered, but...no dress. I was baffled. Then I was worried. After a few days, I filed a missing-parcel form online, and messaged Word from the Bird. She kindly commenced sleuthing from the Australia Post side and triple-checked the address.

After a few more days of waiting for some sort of information from the online USPS form I'd filled out, I started calling post offices. Several conversations at several different branches later, I'd lost hope: I was told it was sent back to Australia. Sulking ensued. Barely twelve hours later, it turned up! I didn't even have a chance to message her between calling the post office and receiving the package. Miracles happen, people!

yellow true vintage novelty print sundress

It was such a massive relief to see the package on my desk at work. It's one thing to lose a dress that's still being mass-produced and sold, but to lose a one-of-a-kind vintage dress in the mail would be a serious bummer!

In any case, I highly recommend ordering from Word from the Bird. She's conscientious, ships quickly (and refunded me the difference between what Etsy charged for shipping and what it actually cost), responds to messages in a flash, and went above and beyond in helping me to track down this dress from the other side of the world. Oh, and have you seen the gorgeous pieces she finds? I'm also a big fan of her layaway program, because it's such a nice change of pace to not lose out on a one-of-a-kind piece just because you're waiting for payday.

Obviously, I'm thinking Deep Thoughts right here!

I've already snagged another Word from the Bird dress for post-baby wear, and it arrived in picture-perfect condition with no delivery issues whatsoever. (And it has strawberries all over it! My life is complete.) I've got one more on layway at the moment, and can't wait till I can share more Word from the Bird dresses with you! If you're in the market for gorgeous vintage, be sure to check them out -- unless your measurements are roughly 39/40"-30", in which case you should stay away and let me buy everything in that size!

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16 comments:

  1. Ahhh such a sweet dress, you look beautiful! I adore those kinds of dresses too, especially second hand ones :D I always wonder the stories they could tell haha! xx

    elizabeth ♡ ”Ice Cream” whispers Clara
    (lets follow each other on bloglovin or instagram)

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  2. As always you manage to pull such a whimsical print off so well, looking beautiful! I love how vintage pieces have untold stories and it's fun to theorise about who they may have belonged to before haha. Customs can be a right nightmare at times, but I'm glad it all worked out in the end and you got the dress safe and sound! Nothing worst than a lost package, especially when you're really looking forward to it! xo Rumaanah

    - https://ruminvte.wordpress.com/

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  3. Hi, I love the colour of this dress and the teal and lavender designs. It also shows of you growing bump perfectly and no doubt has proved helpful in the warmer weather.

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  4. As always you are looking amazing in your dress! That bump, so exciting!!

    Jessica | www.growchangeaccept.co.uk

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  5. Awww Emily! I think I missed that you were pregnant! Congratulations!!! So excited for you :) and I am loving that dress!! It's so cute. I can't wait to see the one with strawberries!! Gonna go follow them now x

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  6. This dress is beautiful I love the yellow you pull it off so well 💖 The dress shows of your bump so well! I bet you can't wait to meet your little one 💖

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  7. What a gorgeous dress! It really suits you and your baby bump is looking great! Postal services make me so anxious! I'm currently trying to track down a missing order! I'm sure it's so stressful knowing that's a one of a kind dress though, so pleased it finally turned up!
    PaleGirlRambling xo

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  8. Loveee that dress! Such a beautiful, classic style! I really need to get into vintage shopping more, I'm always so jealous of the one off pieces people score! I also love the way it shows off your baby bump - congrats, how exciting!

    whatevawears.co.uk

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  9. Such a cute dress! And the high waistline is great for pretty pregnant ladies like yourself, and ladies with a bit more weight (like me) alike.
    (That’s also a VERY pretty place to take photos in.)

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  10. This is such a lovely post! It's so interesting to hear the story behind the dress and the dress itself is gorgeous!
    Tara xo
    http://taradaniella.com/

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  11. This dress is gorgeous! It looks amazing on you, your photography is also lovely! xx

    www.laurenannbeauty.com

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  12. You always dress so nicely - you look lovely hun x

    Claire | clairesyear.com

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  13. That dress is so beautiful, and I'm amazed that it was from etsy! I really want to start buying more from there, especially because I know someone handmade it.

    Lizzie Bee // Hello Lizzie Bee

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  14. I've never bought any clothes from Etsy, never actually thought of looking for clothes there ^^ might have to have a look some day :) x

    Kirsty
    www.corinneandkirsty.com

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  15. That dress is so stunning on you! Loved this post xx

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  16. That dress is lush! I love how you've accessorised it, those bracelets go so well and really make the print stand out.
    I think I'l have to give Word from the Bird a browse.
    Cora ❤ http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/

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