A CONVERSATION WITH : AN ONLINE VINTAGE SHOP OWNER

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Hello! My name is Hannah and I write the blog The Braided Bandit.  I grew up on the beach in New Jersey, but moved out to the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado after graduating college.  I studied environmental policy and work full time in the Environmental field, but my blog and my vintage shop are becoming my true passions! It's so wonderful to have such a supportive audience and a positive creative outlet after being stuck in a office all day! A few other things I love are: animals (especially kitty cats!), photography, traveling, vanilla lattes, and vintage dresses!

What brought you to start selling vintage clothing?

There are a few things that inspired me to start selling vintage clothing.  First of all, I studied environmental policy, so I love anything that is recycled, sustainable, or "green".  I have been going to thrift stores for years both because I live on a kind of tight budget, and I have always loved that shopping vintage and thrifted clothing is better for the environment than always buying new things!  I also started reading blogs about the same time a few years ago and saw some other young ladies with their own shops so I was inspired to start my own!

What do you love most about owning an online shop?There are so many things I love about it! It is a lot of hard work and time spent, especially with working another job full time, but there are a ton of little things that truly make it all worth it!  I think I am going to have to cheat and say two things I love most.  The first would be, I LOVE going out to hunt for pretty dresses and items to fill my shop with.  Every day you enter a thrift store, flea market, or antique shop is always different and exciting!  The second thing is my customers.  I absolutely love seeing the vintage from my shop being sent to lovely ladies around the world!

How would you describe your style?

I think I would have to describe my style as eclectic.  I do not like to stick with one particular style or trend, but like experimenting with new things and changing it up often! One thing that stays constant is I am always mixing vintage and modern and trying to keep a fun balance between the two!

What inspires you the most (someone, something, somewhere) ?

Since I don't think "coffee" would be an appropriate answer for this question, I would have to say other bloggers have been the biggest inspiration for me.  I am always surrounded my creativity in this community and every day I am jotting something down in my idea notebook based off of something I read or see while reading others blogs.  Nature is another huge inspiration for me and I am hugely appreciative of the all of the amazingly scenic backdrops where I live!

What is your favorite item in your shop ?

Oh boy, this is a tough one for me! It's like a mom having to pick their favorite kid. Alright, maybe not quite like that, but I do grow quite fond of a lot of the items in the shop! My answer changes on a weekly basis depending on what's rotating through at the moment!  Right now, I love the ruffled collar on this dress and the Springy lavender color of this one.

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