Bicyclette Boutique // Blog » vintage

SPOTLIGHT . FOR LOVE & LEMONS SS’12

paige — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:32:05 +0000

It’s about that time when we start getting excited for upcoming SS12 collections, and of course whenever possible, sharing the lookbooks with you. One of our favourite LA lines, For Love & Lemons (first introduced here) just released theirs, entitled ‘Day Tripper’, and inspired by 70′s rock muses and vintage thrillers.

“The Spring 2012 collection ‘Day Tripper’ is a story of a girl who’s traveling with a band, as rockstar’s muse. She is free-spirited, lovely, vulnerable and in love with the thrill. Documenting her time on the road through Polaroid pictures and concert ticket stubs, she will never forget the spring of romance, parties, and good times.”

Sounds pretty perfect, if you ask me.

OUTFITTED . 12/20

paige — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:45:53 +0000

We’ve been waiting for our delivery of Wildfox Sparkle Heart Jumpers for awhile now, so when they finally arrived today, it seemed appropriate that we jump right in and share them with you. With five different colour ways, there’s one for everyone, and we decided to take a slightly different approach and style them by colour for this post. This is probably our favourite silhouette from Wildfox, with it’s slouchy, vintage-wash silhouette, incredibly soft feel and perfect layering potential. And who can say no to a sparkly heart? The only problem is trying to decide on one colour.

DELIVERED . CHASER

paige — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:26:02 +0000

We all know by now that the perfect vintage-washed, slouchy tee is a staple in any Bicyclette girls’ wardrobe, so we’re always on the hunt for new lines that fall into this category, which is a harder task than you’d think. One such elusive style we’ve been searching for is the rock tee. The criteria? It has to be luxuriously soft, the silhouette has to drape perfectly, and it needs to have that lived-in, vintage look. Enter Chaser, a line of tees from LA that offers exactly that. Included in our most recent delivery is the Eric Clapton Layla Tee and the Jam Session Nirvana Pullover, and we’re already brainstorming how we’d style them, with a sequin skirt, a piece of statement jewellery and our moto booties for an unexpected twist.

[images via Chaser]

DAILY INSPIRATION: WILDFOX SHOWROOM .

paige — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:31:11 +0000

We always love the opportunity to peek into the workspaces of other inspirational businesses, so when Kimberley Gordon of Wildfox posted images of the showroom on her blog, it was the perfect opportunity to take a look at the behind-the-scenes set of one of our favourite lines. Not to mention the fact that there are a number of previews of the new jewellery line, their collaboration with Jeffrey Campbell, and the expanded White Label collection that is launching for Spring ’12. Talk about eye candy.

We’ve definitely drawn inspiration from the space, and with the white and pastel palette, feminine feel, vintage details and touch of whimsy, it’s very in line with Bicyclette. And can we please talk about those swings? Currently brainstorming ways to incorporate that idea into the shop. Love the merchandising possibilities they would present!

[images via ilovewildfox]

ROSES ARE RED .

paige — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:58:23 +0000

I have a bit of a love affair with floral headpieces this season, as evidenced by the flower crowns that have been adorning the shop displays since we opened, so when I was placing my order with Jordan from Sui Generis (more on that soon), I was pretty excited to see that she was offering hair pins and combs as part of her summer collection. Lovingly handcrafted with vintage silk flowers, there are a number of options, and because each piece is relatively small, it can be placed in different hairstyles with as few or many pins as necessary. We’re already styling summer outfits that involve these pretty accessories pinned in loose buns, or used to sweep our hair to the side.

FINDERS KEEPERS . 05/15

paige — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:06:20 +0000

One of my favourite things about Sundays is the St. Lawrence Antique Market that we try to visit whenever we can. It means an early morning, needing to be at the shop by 12 pm to open, but there’s something exciting about being up early before most of the city is awake, especially when there’s treasure hunting involved.

This morning was a particularly successful trip, finding a number of items that are always on my vintage/antique list for the shop. I walked away with a number of tea cups, tiny intricate antique watches, and two pieces of luggage, but the find of the day is a piece that I’m particularly in love with: a gorgeous ivory and gold radio from the 60s. She’s just so pretty, and adds the perfect amount of feminine vintage charm to the shop display.

OUTFITTED . 05/14

paige — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:16:02 +0000

As promised, we put together an outfit post with our new DIY’d colour block pouch, and I’m thinking this might be one of my favourite yet. I’m thinking this outfit would be pretty perfect for a summer event or even a wedding, with the textural neutrals and that dash of hot pink.

It's all in the details: Tangled Lauren Elan sparkly necklace, stacked Eden crystal rings, and retro-inspired sunnies

Nyx matte finish lip gloss and Butter London smoky gunmetal polish

BLVD ivory lace dress with raw edges and a pink flower adorning the chest

A summer layering essential: Denj hand-dyed silk scarf

Vintage pink pumps with a scalloped lace hemline

APRIL LOOKBOOK . TAKE 3

paige — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:49:38 +0000

So this past weekend was a little bit insane at the shop (in the best possible way), resulting in a lack of posting and general online activity. It happens, and I’m finally back with the third instalment from the April lookbook shoot.

These photos don’t need too much of an introduction, but I just have to say that baby pink rotary phones were made to be in photo shoots, I think we can all agree on that.

[Photographer: Sian / Models: Tiffany & Aneta]

FOXY LADY .

paige — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:58:57 +0000

There is sometimes a fine line between kitschy and fantastic when it comes to store displays and thrifted goodies, and as they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. There are times when I have a hard time discerning between the two, but I’ve learned to go with my initial reaction and get creative with how I can make it work for Bicyclette. The now-glittered castle is a good example of this: people either love it or hate it.

I visited Smash in The Junction this past week, and fell in love with many pieces, each of which has a story behind it and a unique, industrial vibe. I ended up leaving with an oversized crate (to be used for a store display/shelf) as well as four letters that I believe were probably from an old sign at one time. The letters available were limited, so concocting a word proved to be difficult (think: Scrabble), but I did manage to piece together one word that seemed somewhat relevant to a women’s clothing boutique: Foxy.

One fox mask and a coat of gunmetal spray paint later, I had myself a nice little display. Hmm?

SILVER LAKE GIRL .

paige — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:42:23 +0000

This shoot has been floating around the blogs for a little while now, but I’m revisiting it now as I start to pull inspiration for our next lookbook shoot later this month. I’m pretty excited about this next one, as we get back into the groove after opening the shop and start embracing spring dressing full stop. Plus, we’re going to have two models, which is a Bicyclette first, and basically means double the outfits and double the fun!

This shoot was shot by Kimberley Gordon (of Wildfox Couture) for the SS’11 collection Irregular Choice, and is inspired by a day in the life of a Silver Lake girl, a shoot concept that I’ve always loved because of its “real” appeal. Silver Lake is a neighbourhood in LA, and I for one am loving the California girl appeal of this series, not to mention the as-always impeccable styling and retro quality about the images.

Now if only our Toronto weather would cooperate so that we can play our own game of dress up …

[images via ilovewildfox]