FASHION Magazine

Check out our top picks from Violet Crown Vintage »

The low down: After living the life of a freelance writer (and awesome street style photographer for us) in her hometown of Toronto, Lia Parsley and her husband moved down to Austin, Texas where she began her Etsy shop, Violet Crown Vintage in August of this year. Parsley’s interest in fashion, styling and vintage treasure hunting made her realize that she had a perfect opportunity to find and share some great pieces from a city that is known for having some of the best vintage clothing in the world.

Parsley did her research before they made the big move and found out that in the 1800s the city became known as the “City of the Violet Crown” because of the purple glow that appears over the hills and horizon after sunset during winter. “Twilight being my favorite time of day, I knew in the name ‘Violet Crown’ that I had a particular feeling I wanted to capture for the brand,” she says. And thus, a store that provides unique and timeless vintage pieces—that are still contemporary—was conceived.

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The shop: When did sorcery get so expensive? At Occulter, the two-year-old home of jewellers and object-makers Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, dark arts become artisanship, and artisanship is code for $$$$$. Perhaps that’s why, at Occulter’s physical manifestation on the Lower East Side, you have to make a private appointment to shop for Styxian accoutrements. Its e-shop, though, is always open, and while it’s much less spell-binding, it’s also less likely to black-leech your bank account dry. I’m not arguing the price of handcraftsmanship, or of magic. It’s just that in the cold light of Google Chrome, a multi-thousand-dollar “Navajo Shamanic” breastplate made from “upcycled salvaged materials” seems exactly as “witch, please” as it is.

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The shop: I’m always looking for a good eff-you to Urban Outfitters, and This is Not a Mall—a new fashion and artifacts e-venture from Aussie girls Courtney DeWitt and Annisa Dove—might just be it. For one thing, I found out about it through Susie Bubble, who always knows what’s up. For another, besides their use of the term “curated” (let’s return that word to its original definition; it’s like a year overdue) to describe their hunting-and-gathering activities, DeWitt and Dove are doing things right. Ace vintage? Yes. Correctly identified foreign objects? Yes. (No factory-made, vaguely “ethnic” ripoffs here.) Best international magazines? Some of ’em, yes. Everything under $100? So far, so yes, although DeWitt says she’ll soon add “super dope higher end labels” along with more menswear and even acer vintage.

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The shop: If you don’t know what ASOS is, please invite me to your Amish-Leninist compound some time? The Internet’s massive answer to H&M/Zara/Topshop has evolved from doing cheap knock-offs to doing less-cheap knock-offs, plus selling lots of real-deal designers and fresh contemporary brands in between. Now, one of the more recent additions to this UK e-tailer’s in-house ouevre—ASOS Salon—is back for a second season of the prettiest party dresses a couple hundred dollars can buy.

The goods: Clicking through the dozen-plus frocks on offer at ASOS Salon, a higher-end take on fancy-dress trends, two words come to mind: Carey Mulligan. From the Christopher Kane-a-like coruscating pastels to the Jil Sander-meets-Erdem florals to the Daisy Buchanan-y tea dress, the Salon is so her (red carpet) style. (The exception: a stiff silvery playsuit that feels like something Zooey Deschanel would wear to her barista’s wedding. I hate it.) This collection is one-note, but what a high, sweet note. Prices are more high than sweet, especially compared to regular ASOS, but better construction—albeit same discount viscose-type materials—and loads of texture give these pieces a worthwhile heft. NB: I went to see a few picks in person to make sure I wasn’t lying to you about this. I’m not.

The shipping: Last time I ordered from ASOS.com, the piece arrived promptly in five business days and no-frills packaging. Expect no different: the whole thing of mass retail is being predictably good enough. If you want it faster, pay $12 for express shipping and get it in two biz days maximum. Plus, free returns! Always.

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The low down: If you must knit-pick, pick Tara-Lynn Morrison, a.k.a. Good Night, Day. The Hamilton designer has been making lovely mellow sweaters, scarves, hats and headbands for five years now, selling them first on Etsy and at craft fairs, and now through Big Cartel and small boutiques. You might remember her work as Yarn Over Movement, or from sites like Miss Moss, Fieldguided and Refinery29. Bonus trivia: one of her models, Stephanie, used to intern right here at FASHIONmagazine.com.

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The shop: I’ve written about London, UK’s LN-CC before, and I’ll write about them again, because there’s hardly a store like it. Set deep in Dalston in a cubist lair-like space, all raw wood and amber lighting and the smell of incense and cloth, it feels like a more organic future. And because they launched online concurrently, their e-shop is just as far out in front of the pack: their seasonal editorial shoots are so exquisitely on-point, they’ve landed on Style.com. If you’re not on the store’s mailing list, sign up now—you get as much sartorial inspiration as temptation, promise.

The goods: LN-CC, which does nearly three quarters of its business online, sells the best new London designers (J.W. Anderson before you knew who J.W. Anderson was), the most adventurous European labels (Givenchy, Ann Demeulemeester, Commes) and a host of international finds (like high-tech knitwear by Philadelphia’s Lauren Manoogian, or earrings by Canada’s own Jaime Sin). It’s easy to shop for two, too: the men’s section is (a rarity) as good as the women’s, with owner-buyer John Skelton hewing close to his own eclectic—but functional—taste. Just don’t fall for a $400 leather boot strap, because that’s why the Eurozone is collapsing.

None of this so-called curation comes cheap, as you can see, so I suggest keeping a clear head (when are you going to wear a dress that, judging from its price, is made entirely from Edie Sedgwick’s lost sequins and a unicorn’s hair?) and one tab open to their sale page. I am waiting, waiting, waiting for my recurring dream shoes, the derby wood platforms by shoechitect ETS Callatay, to land there. If only there were a god…

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The lowdown: With fans like Susie Bubble and WORN Journal‘s Serah-Marie McMahon, the Montreal designer Angie Johnson has fashion’s intelligentsia on lock. The success of her Etsy shop, Norwegian Wood, has garnered sweet deals with Topshop Edit and—soon to hit stores—Anthropologie. But I’d rather get it direct from the source, if only for the personalized notes she slips in each brown-paper package.

The price range: $26-$151

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The low down: The one good thing about Toronto organichic boutique Thieves having closed its storefront earlier this year, is that now it’s even more eco-positive. No lights, no space, just a cleanly easy e-shop where you can buy your Earth Day outfit, should you desire such a thing (and if you pay $12 for express shipping, it may even arrive in time).

The price range: $120–$520

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Each week, Sarah Nicole Prickett will narrow down the World Wide Web to one e-shop she loves riiiight now, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a little discount off the store’s merch too! First up, she’s appraising the online hub of New York/Los Angeles–based The Reformation.