Laura from Ragabond tells us about her business:
We are an upcycled, vintage, and handmade clothing company with a showroom in the mission district. We are indie, small business, environmentally friendly and in the mission! We open our showroom to the public on the First Friday Art Walk in the mission from 630-930, offer shop by appointment, as well as sell in our etsy store.
Browse their online selection here. To win a $50 gift certificate, tell us in the comments section below about your best vintage find ever. Winner will be chosen based on merit. Contest ends at noon next Wednesday.
Here’s the showroom:
I found a shirt with roughly this design (http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/33755/2167083380102448648S500x500Q85.jpg) on it. But it also said: “For you are wonderful, and beautiful, and wonderful.”
Also, there was a giant teddy bear with a tambourine on it.
It felt appropriate to be sporting apparel from the “greatest robotic rock band in the universe.”
The shirt was eventually stolen. But probably for the best.
Also, if I win, the gift certificate is going straight to my girlfriend.
I was staying at a homeless shelter at the time. My schedule was awful. I couldn’t get to sleep ’til very late and was woken up at the crack of dawn. There were few places to go during the day, so I stuck it out in the Dolores Park sun with just my bike to get me there. With all the exercise I was getting, the one outfit I had on me was becoming soaked in sweat and stains. Without a change of clothes, doing laundry was impossible even with the free laundry services provided by my shelter. I knew I had to find a second outfit if I were to ever get myself out of the desperate state I was in. Luckily, there was a clothing drive being held at an LGBT center nearby, so a new outfit was in reach. As I dug through the pile of clothing, tossing things off to the side, I struck gold. There it was, the cutest mod turtle neck I’d ever seen. It was grey in color and had pockets in the side where I could rest my hands. Pairing that shirt along with a pair of grey skinnies a friend gave to me, I no longer looked hella homeless. I looked hella chic. A look that helped get me one step away from the poverty I faced.
My favorite vintage find was a belt buckle I found at Alemany Flea Market for 5 bucks (photo by Mai http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/7062968947_30e8812809_o.jpg)
I was on the hunt for a belt buckle and this one was perfect… it even had my initials on it “DMP” (for Doctor Motherfucking Popular). Best score ever.
I grew behind a thrift store in Half Moon Bay. It’s called Alternative Thrift and it’s run by two of the most awesome-Willie-Nelson-loving hippies in the universe. My favorite part about the store was the free pile out back. My sister and I would put on anything we thought looked interesting, grab the ‘free’ stroller and go puddle jumping. I could often be found on a pair of ‘free’ crutches upside down like stilts.
ANYWAY. One day I peaked in and pulled out a Bjorn Borg tennis jacket. The same one Ritchie wears in the Royal Tenenbaums. It was a little big for me, but I dug it. It was my sculpture teacher (San Franciscan) who said, “you got that for free?! I saw that same jacket up in the Mission for $150.”
The day I found The Most Amazing Garage Sale Ever, it was one of those unusually hot Indian summer days in late August when the Mission is broiling in 90+ degree heat. It was a Sunday morning, and I remember being somewhat hungover, walking down Harrison St. on my way to donuts at 24th and S. Van Ness.
On 23rd and Harrison, I could see an open garage door with some tables of regular garage sale stuff, and could hear the most amazing 70s funk-jazz being played on what proved to be an awesome 70s vintage hi/fi system with a totally analog JVC amp/tuner and a nameless turntable that alas was not for sale.
It was in the back of the garage that I found my nirvana: two full racks of mid-70s clothes that belonged to one of the house’s owners, a still-gorgeous, tall and thin black woman who was built almost exactly like me. She looked me up and down and said, “hon, you’re going to fit into every single one of these dresses, and I got some great shit!”
She loaded me up with about 10 different outfits, and ushered me into her house to change in a very 70s-looking guest bedroom full of wicker furniture. As she predicted, everything fit–perfectly, something that doesn’t happen that often for someone who is 6 feet tall and thinner than the average American dress sizes.
By far the best find, out of my bonanza of several Halston-looking disco dresses, a perfectly cut burgundy velvet jacket and winter white high-rise wide-leg slacks, was an iconic orange and white gingham sundress. It was of the type that was really popular amongst a certain set of stoner chicks, and it featured thin spaghetti straps that tied in bows on top of the shoulders, and a tightly ruched tube top-like bodice with a high waisted fit that opened up into a flowing floor-lenth maxi skirt hemmed in a 4-inch ruffle.
When I put it on, I was instantly transported back to a time when I had a 10 year old girl-crush on my long-haired babysitter who wore a light blue and white version of the same dress with a wide-brimmed floppy sun hat and Famolare “Hi-There” wedgies. I could almost hear the Ozark Mountain Daredevils crooning, “ooh ooh ooh Jackie Blue” as I wore that dress home, my hangover magically abated, and an afternoon ahead of me trying on endless combinations of new outfits. And it should be noted that my entire haul for the day cost me a well-worth-it $35. Like I said: Most Amazing Garage Sale Ever.
Well I’ve had quite a few seriously awesome vintage scores throughout my life, but I think the best one is a pair of brown cowboy style Frye boots that I got from a flea market in Mill Valley a few years ago, coincidentally on my birthday. They cost me $14 which I think is a total steal!! They are a little beat up but they look great anyway and go with a lot of things. I would love to have an item from your awesome clothing line! My friend Lindsay Webb has gotten me to notice your stuff, and I think Ragabond makes amazing clothes, I would love to rock them!!
i bought this awesome vintage blanket that was sewn on to an awesome vintage jacket at this awesome vintage shop in the mission called ragabond.