Xtabay Glamour Makeover Continued....

Xtabay is STILL undergoing a glamour makeover, and it looks like we won't be ready to reopen for a few more weeks. Who knew remodeling would take so much longer than expected (wink, wink)?! In the meantime, I've been trying to fill our Etsy shop with as many vintage dresses as I can. Here are some of my favorite new arrivals this week...

Gorgeous 1960's Illusion lace wedding gown available now in our Etsy shop. Original purchased at Stanley Korshack department store, but never worn. 

Beautiful assortment of vintage handbags and clutches. Perfect as bridesmaid gifts! 

Palest powder blue 1950's lace cocktail dress by Emma Domb, perfect for a mother of the bride or bridesmaid. Click here for more details. 

I LOVE this gorgeous late 1950s silk chiffon wiggle dress by Marjorie Micheal. View it here in our Etsy shop. 

Rare late 1960s Emilio Pucci velvet zip front maxi dress, available here in our Etsy shop. 

Ultra luxe bohemian silk kaftan from the 1970's. Perfect for padding around on hardwood floors in....available here in our Etsy shop.

Meanwhile upstairs our sister shop The English Dept. is in full swing hosting a Claire la Faye trunk show. Visit our website above to schedule an appointment to come in and try these gorgeous, locally made wedding dresses on! 

Thanks for being so patient with us during this transition period and be sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date. 

Bridal Update Of Paramount Importance

Transitions are not always easy. When I merged The English Department and Xtabay Vintage Bridal Salon in January, it was in an effort to simplify and streamline my life. Driving downtown everyday to tend to The English Dept. seemed foolish when I already had a bigger, brighter bridal salon above Xtabay.  So it only made sense to close the downtown location and simply move it upstairs. It seemed like a no-brainer, or so I thought. 

But then things started to get murky. The vintage wedding dresses looked out of place along side the modern wedding dresses. Everything had to be rearranged. Employees had to merge.  People balked at having to make an appointment. It all just turned into a big mess. So in an effort to please everyone (yes, I am a card carrying People Pleaser) I moved the vintage wedding dresses downstairs. I made them available to try on without an appointment. Maybe people would like this!? Maybe this would solve the problem?! But after watching many a brides face fall when she saw the small rack of tightly packed vintage wedding dresses I realized it wasn't working. Trying on wedding dresses takes time and a lot of space. The dressing room area at Xtabay is great for trying on a cocktail dress but a wedding gown from the 1930's with a cathedral length train? No.

So, in an effort to provide every bride with the love and service she deserves we have moved the vintage wedding gowns upstairs to what was formerly Xtabay Vintage Bridal Salon and is now officially The English Dept. That means an appointment has to be made.  I know a lot of you out there are intimidated by the idea of a private appointment but let me reassure you, they are a TON of fun and not scary at all.  Plus you get to drink champagne with your friends and kick back in the heavenly atmosphere. You really owe it to yourself to indulge in such bridal bliss. 

Still not too keen on making an appointment? Here's the good news! Starting this Saturday, The English Dept. will be open for browsing without an appointment from 3pm-6pm. Think of it as a weekly happy hour for looking at wedding dresses! Let me repeat, every Saturday (and only Saturday) The English Department will be open from 3-6pm for browsing without an appointment.

Here is the thing to keep in mind with the vintage wedding dresses. They tend to be very small. Honestly, in the last five years I think I've only found a handful of vintage wedding dresses that were larger than a size 10. I've said it before and I'll say it again, people were just smaller back then.  Smaller feet, smaller heads and definitely smaller waistlines. So if you come to the shop looking for an authentic 1950's wedding dress and none of them are in your size, try not to be disappointed. They rarely fit ANYBODY.  Even Miss Cross Fit USA who never ate a carb in her entire life would have a tough time squeezing into one of these gowns! I'm serious.  That's one of the reasons I started carrying new wedding dresses, they can be ordered in any size! 

So if you come by the Xtabay looking for the vintage wedding gowns, they have moved BACK upstairs, where they belong, in the luxurious bridal salon ABOVE the shop.  Please visit The English Department website at theenglishdept.com to schedule an appointment to try on both our vintage and new designer wedding gowns, or pop in Saturday between 3-6pm to check out the selection.

Most importantly, I want to thank everyone for being so kind and patient while I've awkwardly and not very gracefully tried to figure this all out. Simplifying can be a lot more complicated than I thought. 

XO,

Liz

Fall In Love Again

1960's ICE BREAKER by Jack Bryan, waist 26". 

A lovely selection of Voluspa candles, vintage shoes, clutches and handbags! 

Early 1950's Lilli Ann WIGGLE YOUR WAY raw silk dress with shawl collar, Waist 30".

1920's WHITE FLAME silk flapper wedding dress, small. 

1950's BALI HAI cotton day dress, waist 26".

1960's Emilio Pucci for Formit Rodgers slip dress, med. 

1950's QUEEN OF HEARTS red party dress by Jane Andre. Waist 25".

A smattering of sexy vintage slips! 

1950's HEART STRINGS strapless sundress by Miami Junior Guild. Waist 25".


Love is in the air at Xtabay,  just in time for Valentine's Day.

 After the holidays Xtabay always feels a little neglected. January is a tough month. There is a palpable sense of emptiness that takes over the shop after the holiday decorations come down. Frankly, I hate it.  In order to remedy this, I MADE A COMMITMENT to pour my heart out into the store. I think it worked. Come by and feel the LOVE!

Grand Opening Party This Friday!

 I am so excited to announce that our sister store The English Department has officially moved in with Xtabay Vintage Bridal Salon. We think it is a match made in heaven. The English Department carries a carefully hand curated collection of timeless, vintage inspired wedding gowns from local designers as well as national and international designers. We proudly feature the gowns of The English Department's founder Elizabeth Dye, Portland designer Claire La Faye, Portland native turned Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall, New York designers Nicole Miller and Jenny Yoo, Australian designers Sarah Janks and Claire Pettibone, and Los Angeles designer Rose and Delilah. 

We will continue to feature a collection of vintage wedding gowns and reception dresses. In order to make room for the The English Departments vast collection I have moved most of the more casual vintage wedding/reception dresses downstairs, where they can be viewed and tried on without an appointment. 

The English Department is open by appointment Wednesday-Sunday. Call us at 503-234-7568 to make an appointment.  Most importantly, we will be having a grand opening party on January 15th at 6:30 pm. Local vendors will be serving up cocktails and desserts. It should be a fabulous affair! 

a not so white wedding...

A few seasons ago my all time favorite wedding photographer Erich McVey did a styled shoot with model Courtney Bryant on the Oregon coast.  Courtney wears Portland designer Claire La Faye's stunning blue-grey wedding gown poetically named Swan Song. The images spawned a flurry of interest in colored bridal gowns in both my bridal boutiques. Oh yeah…did you know I own two bridal boutiques? 

Claire's dresses are featured at my beautiful downtown bridal shop The English Dept. I highly recommend you come by and check them out.

 However, if your heart and budget is set on a vintage wedding dress,  Xtabay has some really beautiful and budget friendly options…..

This 1950's pale blue tulle prom dress would make a lovely wedding dress and even came from the old bridal salon at Meier & Frank. It most likely served as a bridesmaid dress in the 50's but today would make a beautiful wedding dress. Available to purchase in our here in our Etsy shop.

The color blush pink has been really popular in bridal for a few years now. This ethereal 1950's evening gown would make a beautiful bridal dress! Sold.

I love this little 1950's tiered dress with lilac sequin sprinkles on top, it would be adorable for a garden wedding! Purchase here in our Etsy shop.

Rachael tries on a robins egg blue lace wedding gown in the palatial Xtabay Bridal dressing room, really it's bigger than my house. Details here in our Etsy shop.

 This sweet celadon green strapless 1950's gown would also make a lovely wedding gown. Available here in our Etsy shop.

So if you want a little color on your wedding day, we've got you covered!