Tene's Armoire Modern Vintage Looks-Ann Taylor Loft Italian Blazer Corduroy Maxi Skirt

My first modern vintage look is here!

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved mixing the old with the new!

I also always seem to find a way to put different stylish looks together based on what I already have in my armoire or closet, thus the name tene’s armoire.

tene's armoire

My middle name Tene’ (pronounced like Rene with a “T” ) was inspired by my dad’s love for the French culture.

The story behind my store name

Before I jumped into E-Commerce, I decided to become a frequent buyer on the Poshmark platform. While signing in, I quickly tried to come up with a name for my closet-But Tiffany's closet and Tene’s closet had already been taken… After thinking about it, a woman’s first name with the word closet behind it, was quite common for both online and brick and mortar resale shops. This gave me a chance to add a little class and pizazz to my future store name.

Another French name? Yes!

Derived from the old middle French name armarie in 1571, an Armoire was originally a two-door wooden cabinet with shelves for storing war weapons and equipment, books, and precious objects. (I sell vintage home decor too.)

Armoire is defined by the Merriam dictionary as a tall moveable cupboard or wardrobe-typically one that is ornate or antique.

Nowadays, the Armoire has taken on so many different colors, styles, and designs, (including jewelry armoires) so the name suited me and my store perfectly.

Side note: Armoire is also the first 3 letters of my last name-Armstead!

Let’s Talk Resale and Used Clothing!

There was a time when most of us would cringe at the thought of wearing a piece of clothing owned by someone else.

But my perspective on this now is that millions of different people go in and out of a hotel room and sleep on sheets that have been used, washed, and sanitized over and over again. Airbnb, along with resorts and vacation homes which are rented out an infinity amount of times have the same bed in every room. Every day, people are literally sleeping in beds that millions of strangers have slept in. They do not switch out beds or mattresses every time someone books a room, and we have no problem with that!

With used clothing, only one buyer decides that they do not want or need a few garments that have been tucked away in their wardrobe. That buyer either gives them away or donates to a resale shop so that someone else can enjoy them, and also so that their articles of used clothing won’t be thrown away. This is called recycling.

I seriously doubt that clothing from a resale shop has been worn by thousands or millions of people!

Shopping as a teenager

Back in junior high, at times my mom would go school shopping without me. Every time she did this, I would say, this is cute, but where did you get it from? Hopefully NOT Kmart, or the thrift store! Her reply always was, “Who cares where I got it from, just be thankful that you have new school clothes to wear”…

While the majority of the time, we shopped at 579, Express, The Limited, Macy’s, Emporium Capwell, and other stores and outlets in Fremont, California’s NewPark Mall, where I was raised-I still had to practically beg and drag my mom to drive to downtown Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose before, and during my freshman and sophomore year in high school, for more variety, and to shop for even more expensive clothes.

A change of heart

I quickly learned how to not be so bougie when it came to where I bought my clothes!

After getting my first job at Kids R Us at the age of 16, I became a huge saver. This was because I wanted to save my money so that I could move out on my own when I turned 18.

I loved shopping at the mall, but the wheels in my brain began turning. “Well, now that I am buying my own clothes, and paying for my own phone bill, I want my money to stretch”.

One time while strolling through the mall, my best friend and I ran into a bunch of high school classmates who just happen to all be shopping at this one particular store. They were all so excited about their new $80-$100 dresses that they were about to buy. As we were giving each other hugs, I thought to myself, $80 for 1 article of clothing? (this was in the ’90s) My classmates then tried to persuade me to shop there, but I didn’t want to let go of my $80.00 in exchange for 1 blouse or dress! I decided that I was going to shop outside of the mall, in a shopping plaza called The Hub.

CHOICE

At CHOICE boutique, I could buy 8-10 trendy pieces for what my classmates were paying for 1 article of clothing! I loved shopping there. I also would get a lot of compliments on my outfits!

Although at that time, you still wouldn't be able to catch me dead or alive in a resale or thrift shop, CHOICE was training me for the future. By shopping at CHOICE, I Iearned how to budget my money when it came to fashion, and still look cute! If I were going to a special event or prom, $100.00 and up would get spent…But that was where my parents came in! lol.

Sustainable and Quality Clothing

Some of the clothing that I bought from the mall and CHOICE boutique was most likely made from synthetic material. Quite frankly, I did not even really get into sustainable fashion until I began buying and selling on Poshmark 3 years ago.

Now, I only want quality made clothes on my body. Quality made clothes consist of 100% cotton, wool, natural silk, flax, hand-painted satin, wax print, mohair, and recycled materials.

There still may be some clothes that I have in my boutique as well as in my personal wardrobe that is not 100% sustainable, but now that I am becoming more conscious, I am slowly transitioning.

Extending the Life of Your Clothes

We are learning that just because something has a rip or a stain we should not discard it.

My oh my how people are getting creative when it comes to this! Our first well-known example is the ever so popular and trendy ripped jeans.

In the ’70s, having a rip in your pants was embarrassing! When rip and holes did occur, our parents would buy a cute iron-on to cover them up. Iron-Ons was the trend back in the day!

Some sellers and creators like myself have turned rips and holes, into slits! (I did a DIY slit for the first time, and it quickly sold in my store.)

Extending the life of clothes can mean getting a zipper fixed, dying the rest of an article of clothing because of a Clorox or ink stain, or cutting clothes to turn them into a scarf, headband, sash, or legwarmers.

If you are not into DIY’s, extending the life of clothes means a simple trip to the cleaners or seamstress. Extending the life of clothes means that you reuse and recycle as much as you can, being careful not to be so quick to throw in the garbage, because imperfections can be made to look like perfections.

Lastly, extending the life of your clothes means giving or donating, so that someone else can benefit by either selling or wearing them again.

The Look

My first modern vintage look is a combination of Prep-Biz-Edge! I have paired up a few items so that you can wear them three different ways, for three different occasions, or you can wear them interchangeably morning noon, and night.

Your confidence and swagg

It’s not just what you wear, but the attitude that you exude while you are wearing! Confidence and the way that you carry yourself plays an important role in looking good no matter what you have on! You can either continue to look classy in a sophisticated outfit or look edgy while wearing a sophisticated outfit. Your facial expressions, and the way that you walk, and talk, all contribute to making an outfit pop even more.

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