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

New Arrivals...

1950's Cahill of Beverly Hills sequined lace and tulle wedding gown, available in our Etsy shop. Pictured with a vintage Miriam Haskell pearl drop necklace. 

1950's silk watercolor floral print party dress by Larry Aldrich. Waist 26". Available in our Etsy shop. 

1950's embroidered tulle tea-length wedding dress with grapes! Paired with our 1940's grape cluster necklace. Wouldn't this be perfect at a vineyard wedding? Come's with matching bolero. Waist 26". Dress and necklace are both available in our Etsy shop. 

1950's celery green silk organza party dress, perfect for a bridesmaid! Waist 28". Available in our Etsy shop. 

Classic 1960's empire waist wedding dress with illusion lace neckline. Waist 28". 

Fabulous 1960's Will Steinman gold brocade cocktail dress, waist 25". Available in our Etsy shop. 

Elegant 1930's bias cut diagonal striped wedding dress with matching jacket. Waist 26". Available in our Etsy shop.

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! 

New Arrivals!

Red Carpet worthy 1960's black and white evening gown with huge bow. Click here for more details. 

Gorgeous early 1960's lipstick pink silk cocktail dress by Jane Andre. Looks gorgeous with our rare Norwegian fox stole. For more details click here. 

Beautiful brilliant blue silk cocktail dress a la Joan Holloway from Mad Men. Early 1960's, so stunning on! Click here for more details. 

Super sexy little black dress with fringe, perfect for shimmying the night away- New Years Eve anyone? Click here for more details.

Gorgeous 1960's Venetian lace dress, so stunning. Coming soon to our Etsy shop. 

I'm so in love with this 1960's evening gown with beaded bodice in green and magenta paisley from Saks Fifth Ave. Perfect for a holiday ball. For more info click here. 

On the left is a dramatic 1930's wool maxi coat with rich burgundy velvet buttons, click here for more info. On the right is a flawless 1940's burgundy gabardine suit with brass floral buttons. Click here for details. 

Unbelievable vintage Valentino Alencon lace two piece set. Perfect for a wedding, whether it be the bride or mother of the bride. Stunning! Click here for details. 

For the femme fatale in you…this 1940's illusion lace low back evening gown is killer. For detail click here. 

Exquisite 1950's black silk organza cocktail dress, for more details click here.

As I am writing this our dry cleaner just delivered a huge batch of beautiful coats and dresses! Ahh…so much beauty in one space.

Did you know Xtabay also sells gift certificates?!

A Little Knit Music...

Vintage 1970's knit dress by The Knit Group. Fur felt hat by Deborah.

1970's starburst knit top by Jane. 

1970's striped St. John cardigan, 70's knit by Jane, and Chocolate St. John knit from the 70's.

Sexy 1980's metallic gold and black dress by Richard Assaulty. 

1970's Chocolate knit dress by The Knit Group. 

1970's abstract knit dress by Goldworm. 

1970's St. John Knit in ivory. 

Adorable under this 60's camel and cream wool coat!

Sensational 1970's spakling celadon knit gown by The Knit Group featuring crystal buttons.

Lime Green  1970's St. John knit gown with rhinestone buttons. 

It's been a knit explosion this week at Xtabay! So many fabulous vintage St. John Knit dresses, tops and cardigans. We will be listing them all in our Etsy shop this week. 

In addition to all the fantastic knit pieces that have flooded the shop we also have some really cute holiday geared coats and dresses! 

1950's red velveteen coat by Lawrence of London.