Sidewalk Style: Got the Blues

Megan Gay, 34
Manager/merchandising, Junction Vintage. She also bartends and does work for her brother’s company, Geese Police, in Reston. The company trains border collies to control Canada geese on client properties (Flight 1549, anyone?!).

What she’s wearing: Nine West boots (“from a ridiculous sale in New York for $25”), eBay tights ($3), a dress “probably from the juniors department at Marshalls or T.J. Maxx,” earrings from a street vendor in Mexico ($3), and her grandmother’s silver-plated bracelet.

You seem like a master bargain shopper.
“Except for my handbags, probably every single thing in my closet is $40 or less.”

What are some good vintage resources online?
“I love vintagefashionguild.com. I go there before I go on eBay. And their label directory is awesome—you can find out when a garment was produced based on the label. Like the rings on a tree.”

So handbags are your downfall.
“I like really, really good leathers. I’m a collector. I have a lot of vintage bags, but generally they’re the only thing I’ll spend money on and buy new. The one I’m carrying today [a slouchy black-leather hobo-style bag with motorcycle-style zippers] is B. Makowsky. The leather is Cole Haan quality, but the style’s a bit edgier.”

What clothing styles do you like to wear?
“I like simple cuts from the mid-’60s to the mid-’70s, but not as far as the Partridge Family! I like to think of it as what the girls on Mad Men would wear when their husbands aren’t at home. I favor dresses and bright colors. My style is simple and eclectic.”

What do you want for spring?
“Skinny jeans, flats in every colors imaginable, and graphic-free tees with a nice cut. And a Hawaiian-print dress with a great pouf at the butt. I’d wear it with some killer heels and really crank it up.”

Rachel says:
No one pays retail anymore—why should you? This knit will transition well into early spring with some black ballerina flats and big earrings.