Two days ago, I found out via conversation with my dear friend Chelsey, that I am an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person).  HSP’s are 15-20% of the population whose brains are wired in such a way that very low levels of stimulation are highly stimulating.  HSP’s are easily overwhelmed by too much going on, be it noise, lights, activity, and can be very sensitive to the way fabrics feel on the body.

I am fascinated by this new world I have been opened to!  It explains so much!  I had heard the term before when my friend Katie mentioned that she gave her husband a book on HSP’s when they got engaged.  Meetings with Katie were always so great because neither of us thought it was strange to grab lunch at the workplace cafe and then walk over to a private meeting room that we knew had lamp lighting with a recessed lighting option.  We talked and laughed and ate our lunches in dimness, so grateful to get away from the craziness of the outside world.

But what does this have to do with Twenty Pieces?  As I have become aware of this, I am realizing just how important simplicity is to me.  There are MANY trends I simply can’t participate in because the they are too loud or the texture bothers me.  I am not even very big on accessories.  I have two necklaces I wear and often prefer to wear neither.  I have two rings I wear daily, one a silver band with the inscription “abide in me,” I received when finishing graduate school, and the other a tiny gold pinky ring that my grandmother gave me when I started kindergarten.  I like simple.  I really really like simple.  Almost anything else is too much my for me.

The other thing I am now toying with is cashmere.  It is stinkin’ expensive, but I have always wanted a cashmere sweater. and now that I realize that I am in the 15-20% of the population who can thoroughly enjoy it, it is definitely on my list to own one of these days.

Perhaps a Twenty Piece wardrobe would allow me to afford such a pleasure.

Take the test to find out if you’re an HSP.  It may effect the way you choose your Twenty.

Since I’ve been talking quite a bit about why you should add some vintage pieces into your wardrobe, I thought I’d finish off the mini-series by talking about shopping for vintage. Before I post some of my recent favorites from a favorite Etsy shop for your perusal, here’s a few tips on shopping vintage online.

The first is Know Thy Measurements. Since you can’t return things, you can’t try them on, and sizes are somewhat relative, the best thing to do is to measure yourself with a tape measurer and find the pieces that fit you. Pay attention to how the seller measures the dresses too, since sometimes they’ll measure the circumference, and sometimes they’ll measure the dress lying flat, which means you’ll double the dress’ measurements to see if they match yours.

You’ll also want to pay close attention to any information the seller gives about quality. Usually they’ll take pictures of any imperfections, as well as describe them, which is a good sign that the seller is honest (and most Etsy-ers are. I’ve never had a bad experience). Don’t be afraid of a hole or minor stain, you can either fix it or you’ll probably do something similar to the dress eventually anyway, and it will have dramatically lowered the price of the piece, since completely unblemished vintage clothes are relatively rare.

From my experience, you can find really lovely dresses in the $60-$100 range all over the place, and if you’re lucky, you can find great stuff for much less here and there. There are also dresses that go for much, much more, but I’ve never paid more than $100 and have been really happy with what I got. I also, personally, don’t buy vintage from anything later than the 60′s. Anything later than that doesn’t fit my style well, and feels more like thrift store shopping than real vintage.

If your looking for some good shops on Etsy for vintage clothes, check out my favorites here (and let me know if that doesn’t work, because I’ve never tried it before).

One of the best vintage shops on Etsy that I’ve found so far (and Amanda reminded me of today) is Dear Golden Vintage. They have some truly amazing dresses (just for fun, go admire this little $600 number), and they have some really good deals on some adorable vintage pieces. Here’s some of my recent favorites:

1930s Cotton Work-a-Day dress, $68.00

1950s Lace Wiggle Dress, $104

1940s Tuxedo Stripe Day Dress, $104

1950s Blue Eyelet Day Dress, $88

1950s Plaid Day Dress (this one’s totally Betty Draper, guys), $84

1950s Grey Party Dress, $104

1950s Wiggle Dress with Cardigan, $108

I hope you get some time this week to browse Etsy’s vintage treasure troves. There is something so extremely satisfying about buying pieces that are lovely, classic, and feminine, and, these day, entirely unique. Trust me, it’ll be hard to find clothes shopping at Target all that appealing once you’ve got hooked, which is a big step in the right direction if you’re slimming down your closet.