Goodbye, Collectif

One of my favorite, possibly my most favorite, vintage brand has closed its doors forever.  Yes, my dear fellow vintage lovers, I am sad to share that Collectif has given up the ghost and while fashion heaven has gained an angel here on earth we are certainly feeling the loss.

There are a lot of reasons why businesses close.  It seems like Collectif truly tried to continue making beautiful clothes using mostly Cotton.  Have you noticed that everything is becoming fully to at least partially cheap synthetic fabric?  Ugh it's awful!  Which is why I really hate to see the loss of brands like this that carried so many beautiful pieces in natural fibers.

Yes, their clothes were pricey, but the quality matched and not only that, but Collectif would bring back their best styles and prints year after year, so I could get one pair of high waist jeans and wear them for a year or so and then go back and get another when I needed to instead of having to stock up on a certain style and spend a fortune all at once.

 And now, they're gone.  I'll admit to a few weeks of panic in which I was desperately scouring the internet for any new or resale pieces still out there, trying to hold on to them all.  It was a frenzied panic and I had to break myself out of it by reminding myself that if I loved it, I already owned it.  I pretty much found a way to get the things from Collectif that I really and truly wanted if at all possible or made my peace with letting them go when the store was still open.  I just needed to grieve and let go.

I'm so very grateful for all the years of wonderful styles that made me feel beautiful and I am sad so see Collectif go, but I am also excited to see who comes along next to try to fill those vintage shoes.  There are a few brands I'm keeping my eye on and I'll keep you posted, of course.  In the mean time I've also decided to go back to making my own dresses in vintage styles with whimsical novelty prints.  I've let my sewing machine rest for far too long.

So, for today's post, as we bid a fond farewell to Collectif, I thought I'd share some pics from last autumn in one of my favorite prints of theirs, and remember the good times.  Here's to you, Collectif.  You were truly one of a kind.

Outfit Info:  Collectif Pencil dress, Qupid heels