Ivy Company

Our New, Improved Blog & Site

2010-04-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

We have created a new site here:

Ivy Company

More information, more photos and updates. See you there!!

So Many Good Things, So Little Time

2009-06-17T13:19:00.001-07:00

We have had quite an infusion of gorgeous clothing & accessories in the last few weeks - I wish I could post photos of all of them, but you'll just have to come in for a visit! Here's a partial listing of new items:

..Shoes & sandals by Kate Spade, Merrell, Dansko, Guess, Cole Haan, Tods...

..A collection of over 100 pieces of clothing in size 12-14 from labels such as Eileen Fisher, Flax, Ellen Tracy, Citron, Chicos, and many lesser known brands from Nordstrom etc...Look for linen separates and dresses throughout the store.

..A handful of beautiful dresses in size 10-12 from BCBG, Betsey Johnson, Cache, etc..

..A few smaller dresses, size 2-4, from Nanette Lepore, Ralph Lauren, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, etc.

..Purses by Dooney Bourke, Mackerilla, Roche, and classic Coach leathers.

Don't forget, we always have a small but mighty collection of trendy vintage dresses in excellent condition, and enough quirky accessories to make any outfit completely unique!

New Items 1/22/09

2009-01-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

A selection of what has just come in:

..BCBG black polished cotton jacket (sz 8)
..Cole Haan tan kitten pumps with pink bow, (sz 10)
..Tan nylon & faux fur reversible zip jacket (new, M)
..vintage 50s tan sheared lamb jacket with mink collar (medium)
..Stephanie Schuster gray striped sweater, (XL/one size)
..Betsey Johnson green & pink floral nightie and g-string (new, sz M)
..Anna Sui blue & white check spring dress (small)
..Louis (Anthropologie) green corduroy skirt (sz 6-8)
..cream natural Aran wool cable v-cardigan sweater, made in England (medium)

And remember, we're currently having a SALE on winter clothing, including coats, sweaters and shoes, all 25% off!

Thanks, Mid County Post

2009-01-20T12:40:00.000-08:00

We were the topic of a wonderful business profile in the Mid-County Post in December. Thanks, Roger, and everyone at the post.
Read the full article here.

SALE - and New Store Windows

2009-01-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Coat season was tricky this year - our winter weather didn't really come until early December, and the economy caused many of us to hold back with personal fashion purchases. So Ivy Company has quite a few unique coats left, and they're now ON SALE, along with most of our sweaters (including handknits, merino wool, and cashmere.) Help yourself to 25% off winter fashions, now through the end of January.

Our new helper, Geneva, has a refreshing eye for color which she has lately been demonstrating in our front window. Geneva's latest window features a selection of colorful coats in bright, jewel colors, and the quirky accessories that Ivy Company has come to be known for.

While we love our wide front window and corner exposure (and the cutest signs ever!) it is sometimes difficult to see in, mostly due to the fact that the glass is tinted. In this photo from a corner angle you can see that there is one un-tinted side glass panel that was replaced some years ago.

What this means is that during the daylight hours there's a bit of a mirrored effect rather than a perfect view. We've aided it a little with the sheer white curtain panels that provide a cleaner backdrop while still letting light through to the store.

But back to the clothing!
Outfit #1:

Vintage 80s North Beach Leather dress in deep purple
3 belts, including vintage faux leopard
Vintage 70s teal suede jacket
Fucshia cashmere scarf

Outfit #2

Vintage red dress (peeking out underneath)
Vintage 60s RK Originals cream & black check coat
Many vintage & modern rhinestone brooches
Orange pashmina

Outfit #3

Bright pink cashmere sweater
Vintage 60s navy & cream harlequin pencil skirt
2 colorful belts
Trina Turk turquoise cotton coat
Scottish mohair scarf in celery green

Finally, A New Website

2008-11-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

After only 11 years of saying I was going to do it, I have finally published an informational web site for my store. Yay! Please visit us online at www.ivycompany.net to find out the latest information about our store and consignment/trade policies. I'll try to be good and update this blog with more highlights about store merchandise, news, and anything else I find interesting. Do you have photos of yourself wearing something you purchased at Ivy Company? We'd love to share them here!

Second Hand is the New Black

2008-10-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been a bad blogger. Please forgive, and know that it's not as though I've been a slacker in real life. I'm still here on the corner every day, making the store beautiful and bringing out tons of warm and luscious fall goodies. Stop by and say hello!

Today I came across this article from the LA Times that talks about how second hand and consignment stores (in the LA area, at least) are seeing a upswing in sales while some finer retailers are packing their bags. It seems that the fashionistas down south are figuring out what we in Santa Cruz have known all along - resale rocks! Better value, finer merchandise, lower prices. Who knew? (We did!)

Indian Summer

2008-09-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's September. If you've lived in Santa Cruz long enough you know that this is the locals' favorite season. The tourists are gone, the kids are back in school, and we have our best weather of the year. Warm, fog-free days where we get to finally wear all our summer clothing without the threat of evening chill.

For retailers, September is when we bring out the best of fall fashion, even though summer's not yet over. At Ivy Company, we're bringing out all our luscious cashmere and wool coats and sweaters, and while it's not exactly sweater weather it's definitely time to find the best selections for when the weather turns chilly. Remember, unlike our neighbors at the mall, we're not getting multiples of the same styles. When you're the type who prefers to rely on resale shops for our uniqueness, there is a down side - once your favorite sweater is gone, it's gone forever!

Our Fire

2008-07-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

My family home burned on June 20, 2008.
Please read about it here:

Trabing Fire

Did You Miss Me?

2008-06-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, there's been a large hiatus from this blog. I've been trying to create a different format for communicating with y'all and am in the process of developing a better site that combines this blog with a landing page that has more fixed information for store policies and the like. Coming soon, a new improved site, thanks to Google Pages.
I'd just like to say this: Technology is awesome!
So far, I'm loving this 21st Century thing....

The Second Hand Story

2007-09-14T13:49:00.001-07:00

With a brick-and-mortar store, you get to know people by their faces and styles, but not necessarily by name. At least that’s how it is with me, and admittedly I’m terrible with names. But I can usually associate people with the visual image they carry through my door, the textures and colors they wear in their everyday lives while out shopping. There are customers with whom I have had important conversations, shared moments of laughter, yet I couldn’t tell you who they are except the Woman in Olive Green Velvet or the Southwest Jewelry Lady. So when a special piece of clothing comes into the store, I always have a picture in my mind of the woman who first owned it, and a story forms around what made her choose the piece, where she may have worn it, and how she felt in it. Did this item of clothing make her happy when she looked in the mirror, did she get compliments, did she like the way it felt, did it make her want to spin and dance?

For me, used clothing isn’t just clothing. It’s a renewal, a reshaping of style that carries the past with it into its next life. Wearing a vintage coat, I feel as though I’m just the passenger, that the exquisite fabric, tailoring, and intricately crafted bound buttonholes will, if I’m kind to it, carry someone else into many more adventures after it’s through with me. Thus it is that as a shop owner I find myself trying to match well-made clothing with its next custodians. This woman in the tapered jeans and the newsboy cap obviously needs to take home the vintage 70’s purple floral velvet blazer. That one with the chunky jewelry is a perfect match for the Santa Fe boutique designer drapey caftan dress & the tooled leather boots. My customers (the ones who don’t think I’m crazy) know how important it is to me that they leave feeling good about what they purchased and eager to take it for its first spin. And I’m not just happy for the women, I’m also happy for the clothing, glad that I was able to find it an appreciating home again. Maybe its new owner will feel her best in it. Maybe it will hear her laughter. Maybe she’ll take it dancing.

It’s Only Three Stitches

2007-06-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today a woman came into the store wearing a black ribbon-weave vintage sweater that had seen better days, but that had been customized with picture buttons and a skeleton appliqué on the back. When I asked if she had altered the sweater herself, she replied that she had, and that if I liked it I’d probably love to see her coat. She went out to her car and came back with one of the most intricate and passionate pieces of wearable art I have ever seen. It’s solid, all hand worked embroidery, appliqué, beading, charms, and a little bit of quilting. Every inch is covered with tiny stitches. It weighs about 25 lbs.

As it turns out I had met Ella Seneres years before. She was a former photojournalist whose lecture I had attended when she presented her work on gang youth in a gallery in the mid-90’s. She let me know that she had gone to (work / photograph?) ground zero and had contracted severe environmental illness and had been bed-ridden for the past few years. So instead of going out to document the world, she has been creating it at home. As with her photo work, this is a beauty not just of materials but of passion. This time, it’s the environment. Both the coat and a large quilt-size mural she showed me are overflowing with images from nature (trees, water, birds) and Native American symbols, most prominently the Green Man (spirit of nature.)

From her website:

When the earth has been ravaged and the animals are dying, a tribe of people from all races and colors will put their faith in deeds, not words to make the land green again. They will be called Warriors of the Rainbow, protectors of the environment. (Cree prophecy.)

I was so honored that Ella felt compelled to share this with me today, though I can’t help but feeling lazy and trivial when I see work of this magnitude. After admitting she spent around 5,000 hours on the coat, she said, “I learned embroidery when I was in Mexico. It’s only three stitches, anyone could do it.”

Spring Fashions are now arriving...

2007-03-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Consignment season has begun, drop by often for the freshest selection. We're also pulling out our wonderful stash of vintage dresses and separates. Colorful floral 50's day dresses, Hawaiian minis, 80's prom, and of course all our usual delighful modern boutique clothing. Don't you just love Spring!?

Display Photo #2

2007-02-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

Display Photo #1

2007-02-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

We have some adorable window shelf arrangements by the ever talented Lana, so I'm sharing display photos for the next few days. Enjoy!

New Vintage Website

2007-01-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

We've finally done it! After years of successful ebay selling, we've launched our independent vintage website. You can find us at www.daisyfairbanks.com. We'll be adding mountains of great vintage to the site. It's just another way to shop with us! You can still
find us on ebay to shop for contemporary clothing. And of course you're welcome to walk in to our store in Pleasure Point, that's the best way to see the freshest fashions we haven't even had a change to put online. Our stock changes quickly so it pays to come with an open mind and a healthy fashion impulse, 'cause we're not likely to have your favorite item again!

2007-01-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

January SALE
Post-holiday is the best time for fashion hunting, you already know that. But instead of racks full of unwanted trend-of-the-minute destined-for-outlet clothing you'll find at the malls, consignment stores bring you our already-a-bargain amazing quality unique and designer apparel that holds its value, now at a fraction of the fraction of the price. Impulse buying is encouraged - you won't find another hand knit Irish wool sweater, Donna Karan suit, or vintage beaded purse in the perfect color in your size or at this price anytime soon!

2006-12-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

What's new?
We just received some great Coach handbags, a wallet, and a nice Coach belt in basic black. Anyone who has been in the store recently knows I have a serious problem with purses - the store is packed with them! Most are moderate but very well crafted leather (no vinyl here!)
I have a particular affinity for small, cottage crafted leather. There's a company not far away called Roche that makes the most delicious handbags, and outside of Central California they can be hard to find. We currently have an adorable red one, and a basic black. But these bags are anything but basic. Wonderful reptile-embossed calfskin with all leather interior, brass hardware, sweet toggle closures on the front. Their exclusive factory sales are legendary.
My own love for leather purses comes from my childhood. We girls, when we're small and have nothing to carry, figure out early that mom's purse holds a world of promise. It's where everything important is kept - gum, loose change, pens, and a big fat wallet that's full of cash, photos, checks and who-knows-what but it seems to make everything happen. And carrying a purse was something to which we aspired because the purse symbolizes our independence, the day we have our own gum, pens and everything that seems necessary to get through the day on our own. Oh, yeah, and there's nothing like the smell of leather, spearmint gum, and money. Nothing.

Welcome!

2006-11-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

Ivy Company is a consignment & vintage store in Santa Cruz, California.
We specialize in well made and unique clothing, accessories and estate jewelry.
There’s always something new!

I’ll be posting soon about consignment policies, new items, and commentary on clothing, style, and anything related. Stop by again soon!