Review: Vintage Inspired by Jackie

If you've ever come across Vintage Inspired by Jackie's Instagram or her Etsy shop, there's a better-than-average chance that you've fallen hard for her work. Adorable Disney/Star Wars print dresses made using classic vintage patterns? Yes please!

After low-key obsessing over her sundresses made out of vintage Star Wars bedsheets, her various Disney princess pieces, and her custom-designed It's a Small World print, I finally decided to take the plunge when I saw this Snow White-print dress on her Etsy. I think I actually ordered it about five minutes after I saw it, and the only reason for the delay was the time it took to turn on my computer.

Snow White was my little sister's favorite princess as a child, even though she was terrified of the actual movie. (Cinderella was the Disney movie she watched every single day, for so long that I still know every word in the entire movie. And I can't even remember the words to most of the songs I like!) When she was a preschooler, she had a Snow White dress that my parents brought her from Disney World, and literally would not take it off for close to a year. My mom would have to sneak it off of her while she slept in order to wash it.

My sister had a comforter made from this fabric as a child, and I think she might actually still use it. Hers had this exact print on one side, and the same print on a lovely cornflower blue background on the other.

As you might know if you've been reading this blog for a while, things have been quite rough for my sister this year. It's been incredibly difficult for everyone in my family to come to terms with our new reality. Not a day goes by without something reminding me of her, and I can't express how much I miss everything about her: her puns, her unerring instinct for ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, her hilarious startle reaction, her TV Tropes references, her all-in approach to karaoke, her approach to final boss fights, and so many other things.

I've had a hard time keeping it together around most things that remind me of her, but for some reason, when I saw this dress, I knew it was different. It felt like if I had this dress, somehow I'd have the old Ronnie with me again in spirit. It doesn't make sense on a rational level, but it was enough to send me running for my laptop so it wouldn't sell out before I had a chance to own it.

When it arrived and I held it in my hands, I teared up a little. It was perfect. The print took me back to much happier times; it was nice to dwell on the good memories I have instead of my current sadness and fears for the future.

Since this was supposed to be a review of my very first Vintage Inspired by Jackie piece rather than an unburdening of my soul, I'll get back to the dress itself. First up: turnaround time. As these pieces are made to order, they take between 6-8 weeks to arrive, and mine arrived in seven, which meant it was just in time for my birthday last month! It's a gorgeous piece: well-made and perfectly in line with the measurements I provided, with a lined bodice, adjustable straps, one on-seam pocket, and a lovely full skirt. I couldn't be happier with the fit and quality, and I've already got my eye on some of her other designs! In the interests of narrowing down my wishlist, here's a question for all of you: can a new momma get away with wearing a dress with a keyhole cutout under the bust?

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