Boho Style With Vintage Lace Up Boots
I quietly stalked this boho dress at Anthropologie for months.
I never thought I’d stumble upon it by chance when my SIL came to town for a visit and we chose to kill an hour by visiting Anthropologie before the comedy show we’d booked. We only had twenty minutes in the store as they were closing and yet I managed to find this dress in their sale room. I took it as a sign that it was meant to be.
Anthro is the last retail store I haven’t quite managed to quit entirely. It keeps sucking me back in a couple times a year with pieces like this.
The vintage boots. Ah the boots!
I’ve been looking for a pair of authentic 1960s-70s lace up boots in brown forever! I squealed a bit when I came across these online in an Etsy store.
I’d like to tell you that the sale went smoothly and I was impressed with the seller but that was far from the case.
It took over two weeks for her to mail them, over a month for me to receive them and then she sent me the wrong boots! To top that off she blamed me for the mistake because, “I was in such a hurry to get my order”.
She asked if I didn’t mind keeping the other boots she’d sent me instead. Duh! They didn’t even fit me and weren’t remotely what I wanted!
She didn’t seem to care. She just said that the mistake boots were more expensive so I’d be getting a better deal.
Needless to say I told her I wanted the boots I’d ordered.
Two more weeks went by and I still had no boots. I contacted her again and she said she’d forgotten all about it! Honestly, it was ridiculous! I don’t know how some online sellers get away with such crap service.
In the end though all that BS was forgiven because they are my dream boots.
I’ve ordered vintage online three times and three times the orders were messed up.
One of the other times I won an auction on Ebay for a vintage dress. Ten days went by and I still had no dress or even a confirmation of shipping. I wrote the seller asking where my dress was. She replied that she couldn’t find it and would refund my order. I think she should have contacted me immediately!
Another time I bought some vintage pieces from an online shop and she also sent me an incorrect item. It didn’t look anything like what I’d ordered. It was a big hassle and took a long time to fix the mistake and get the correct item.
As an online seller myself it pains me to see that other people don’t take their businesses seriously.
Don’t they want good reviews and repeat business? I’m obsessed with being professional in my business.
I wore this boho outfit to get my teeth cleaned thinking it would bring some happy vibes.
Ah nope.
You may know that I really hate getting my teeth cleaned. It always makes me sick probably in part because of my fibromyalgia.
Anyhoo…it was far worse this time round.
A new woman was my hygienist. She started out with the gum exam and it literally felt like she was sticking long thick needles down my gum line with the sole purpose of inflicting as much pain as possible. I guess that is how they conduct the exam but normally they don’t try to jab it all the way down till it comes out the other side! Gum exams on average are pain free and quick for me. This one was like I was in the movie Hostel. It was awful!
The hygienist might be moonlighting as a professional torturer because I was ready to confess to killing JFK, Elvis and a list of other people I don’t even know after less than two minutes with her.
It is the first time in my life I was going to walk out in the middle of a dental appointment.
I indicated twice to her that it was too painful for me and yet she continued. I’m not paying $400 for someone to hurt me. When I threatened to leave she agreed to skip the rest of the exam and was “generous enough” to tell me I wouldn’t be charged for that portion of the appointment! Good grief!
At that point she decided it would be a good idea to give me some freezing to numb my gums by jabbing me repeatedly with a bigger thicker needle all along the gum line. This was so I wouldn’t feel the pain.
Yeah.
WTF?!!!
That wasn’t even the worst of it! Oh no! It just keeps getting better folks!
The freezing went everywhere, on my lips, tongue and down the back of my throat where I am normally able to swallow. I could no longer feel the back of my throat or any parts of my mouth and could no longer swallow. Everything felt swollen. In fact it felt like my whole airway was closing up. I felt like I was choking. I had to keep sitting up because I was gagging. It was horrendous!
For the rest of the cleaning I had to be sit upright for fear of choking. She told me they often work with patients sitting in the upright position for people that are “physically challenged”!!!
It wasn’t bad enough that she was hurting my body, she had to hurt my pride too.
I think I may have sworn out loud at that point. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
I’m so glad it is over. I think I might develop PTSD from the experience. I actually felt like crying after I left. One thing is for sure…I am never getting her to clean my teeth again!
Here I am telling the pug all about it. She is the best listener I know.
Have you ever had a dental appointment that turned into a nightmare? Did you leave?
I kind of forgot this post was supposed to be about wearing boho stye with vintage lace up boots. So for those of you that are keeping track, I’m wearing boho style with vintage lace up boots.
Hooray!
Ha!
Linking up with Fancy Friday.
I’m so sorry, babe — and believe me, I understand. I have to do dental cleanings every three months and they’re always painful. Horribly so. I’m sorry your hygienist wasn’t more cooperative. I’ve observed they vary a lot in terms of sadism and compassion.
I share your attraction to Anthro. In the mall next to my house, I can’t enter without poking my head into this store.
Right next to your house??? That would be very dangerous for me!
omg! horrible dental experience. poor girl!
i don´t do all the modern stuff with my teeth, just a simple brush and good toothpaste. all the damage is already done – long time ago from toxic pollution in my childhood…… anyway.
to your fabulous outfit!
if ever we had such a shop like anthro nearby i never would sew again nor stalking the fleas for the rare vintage dresses…….. ;-D your dress is a total stunner – as are the vintage boots! you look marvelous! totally!
xxxxx
Toxic pollution sounds awful. Sorry to hear about that.
Yikes! That hygienist sounds horrible! At my dentist they are very careful of your comfort and I love my hygienist. She even sews! I doubt I would have stayed in that chair. Next time I’d try a different office if I were you. They don’t deserve your money.
Your hygienist sound wonderful! The hygienist I had before there were quite good and none of them caused me pain like this lady. I will make a point of ensuring I get someone else next time.
That dress! Be still my beating heart! It’s utterly fantastic and accessorised to perfection with the coat, the boots and Zoe, of course!
What a nightmare your on-line purchases have been. I’ve had a few eBay sellers who have mysteriously “lost” the item I won for a pittance and I’ve always left appropriate feedback – if they want a higher price then don’t start the bidding at 99p. Grrr!
I’ve had that much dental work done you’d think I’d hate the dentist but I don’t. I’ve got a ridiculously high pain threshold which might help. My dentist once saw me in Mumbai – which still makes me giggle – a city of 18 million and he sees me!!
Change your dentist, they’re not all bad! xxx
So that seems to be a common occurrence then with online vintage auctions and pieces that go missing. Not cool.
That is hilarious you saw your dentist in Mumbai! Talk about a needle in a haystack.
My Fibromyalgia has all of my nerves turned up in super overdrive. I feel everything 100 times more than most people.
What a horrible experience you’ve had with your hygienist. I can tell you I would have walked out. In fact I had to go and lie down after I read your post. I had two horrible experiences with dentistry, once in my teens and once in my twenties. This put me off dentists for many years, which is why I now haven’t got the best of teeth. It took years to get over it, but I now have a good, no nonsense dentist, thank God. That dress is stunning – how great that you were able to buy it in the sales. I’m a big fan of those lace up boots too. But what a rubbish seller! I’m amazed at the lack of professionalism. How do they keep themselves in business, I wonder … xxx
I wondered the same thing myself after experiencing such poor customer service with that seller. It’s just a good thing the boots turned out to be amazing.
Yes, dental appts. are just ughhhh. That dress and those boots are gorgeous!!! Box stores I still give in to are Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret—–can’t quit!
Urban Outfitters are owned by the same company as Anthropologie so that doesn’t surprise me at all.
I can no longer comment on your blog. Unless you allow name and URL or anonymous comments I can’t comment. I have tried and can’t fix it. Seems like I’m not the only one with this issue either.
So I’m replying to your latest post here : )
That strapless dress in insane!
Your basement looks like mine! Ha! The plight of vintage sellers.
I haven’t been to the dentist in over a decade. I should do better… 🙁
My dentist’s office harasses me continuously. We lost our dental health care when my husband went to his new company in Hong Kong. Since then I only visit once a year but I have to put up with them leaving messages on my phone for about 8 months. They don’t give up!
Hopefully you get a chance to go and have a cleaning done soon.
I wish you lived near me because I have the most adorable empathetic dentist. I love her. In fact, save up all of your dental work and come visit me and i’ll take you to see her. Oh. Did I mention that her office is a block away from the beach? I have PTSD from so many horrible dr visits so I have worked very hard to find the Best people. Meanwhile, I think that your Anthropologie is better than my Anthropologie. It and Madewell (i’m Addicted to their jeans) are the only retail stores that I visit but i’ve gotta say that you find way better stuff than I ever do. You look super groovy. Come visit me. Really! Or if you’re not careful I may come visit you!
Oh my! I’m scheduling my next appointment down your way : ) You had me at beach and empathetic.
And by all means come up and visit me! You’re welcome any time! I’ve got cold temperatures and polite Canadians to offer you.
What a traumatic experience! It seems whenever you need medical care you get into the most terrible situations. Is this your karma? Horrendous. And the price! We pay about €50 to €60 for cleaning teeth. Might go up to €80 but that is max. 400 sounds terribly expensive.
I often get a new girl which makes me sigh. So I start with given her THE instructions: no cleaning with cold water, just use the picking thing, don’t stay in one place too long as it will hurt. They always listen and I usually have no pain. If I would, I would get up, get put and complain at reception. They are the clinique where my dentists are as well. And I have been there for many years. They would make sure I am a satisfied customer and would never allow this.
As for the dress: it suits you beautifully. As you know I am the opposite of boho. I even gave away my one boho blouse which I liked, the big white one. Anja’s fault: she said it just wasn’t me. I gave in. Which is why you and her get on so well haha. Both boho.
The boots are stellar. What a find. And after such a search. I would like them for myself as well. Are lace-up boots boho? Or just fun?
Greetje
Dental care is notoriously expensive here. I think dentists are richer than Doctors because they are privately owned unlike the government controlled doctors offices.
Medical Karma. I never thought of it like that. I must have done something terrible in a previous life then.
No, all lace up boots are not boho for sure.
Yes, Anja and I have very similar tastes.
I hate getting my teeth cleaned. It is worse than the dentist in my opinion. I hate the squealy driving the sound into your brain thing. So they do it manually for me.
That dress is soooo swirly and the ruffle just accentuates it, and brings your eyes down to the star of the show…those boots! You totally scored!
I have bought vintage online a couple of times and never had anything but fabulous service, so they’re not all bad.
I’m sure you are extremely nice to deal with!
Xo Jazzy Jack
I agree that I just had some back luck stumbling upon some very poor online sellers. I go out of my way to make sure my customers are happy.
I also hate the squealy driving the sound into my brain thing. I’m just happy it is over for another year.
Talk about a bad experience. That’s just crazy Suzanne.
As a retired dentist, I would appreciate knowing if my employee had behaved that way, because that’s not how it should be in anyone’s case.
As for the boot story, I couldn’t even imagine. Do you want to keep the wrong boots? What is that woman thinking??
You find the most interesting people, I must say!!! But it makes for great stories!!
Have a great weekend,
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I think I’m going to mention it when I go back. I wanted to mention it as I was leaving but she came out with me to the desk.
I did say to her that I’ve never had anyone hurt me that badly before but you are right, it is her boss I need to educate.
Yes, the mishaps in life always make for good stories.
The dress, the boots, all good! No wonder you couldn’t resist the dress. And struggled past the inept handling of your boots. And the teeth? Good too. But the hygienist? Not good!! I hope you find someone else for next time!! That sounds a bit steep for cleaning too, especially after she said you weren’t charged for the first part. ???!!! I think we should all go to Connie’s place for our teeth.
We need to make a group teeth pilgrimage down to Connies!
Oh Suzanne, I empathise so much about your dental experience!! I had a few awful appointments with a sadist hygienist. Still makes me shudder to think about it.
Fabulous dress!! Xx
Wow- I love this dress! That is so wonderful that it was on sale and you were able to get it. And, that your boots turned out well in the end too. That is so frustrating. I don’t buy vintage or clothing online because every time I have, it hasn’t turned out well. . . but it’s too bad because I always see so many things online that I could never find in my town!
There is so much temptation online for buying vintage pieces. The irony is that is what I do and now I’m a bit more wary of buying online. It ruins it for the good sellers.
That’s a gorgeous dress. I too succumb to Anthropologie now and then. Out of all the chain retail stores that’s the only one I’ll shop. I tend to shop small boutiques in support of micro business owners like myself! And speaking of micro business owners, what is up with some of these online sellers? I’ve had similar experiences unfortunately. It’s amazes me how much it happens given the feedback systems all these marketplaces have in place. Glad you finally sorted it out and got yourself yet another pair of dreamy boots! Can you tell I’m jealous of your boot collection?
As far as the dentist. I hate cleanings and I’m very picky about my hygienists. Your experience would have sent me out of the chair for sure. I’m not willing to pay anyone to inflict that much pain on me. What’s with the $400 btw? That seems really expensive for a cleaning.
Theresa
http://www.vintagestylefiles.com
Dentistry in Canada is very expensive. In fact the cost of living in general would be considered much higher here especially when compared to the States and your lower taxes. The bad thing of course is that if you get sick down your way and don’t have insurance you can wind up in serious trouble.
Holy Chic ! That dress and boot combo is FANTASTIC !! :))))
Sorry about your horrible, no good dental hygienist! Find someone who is gentle… Ouch!
happy new week!
““`<3“““`
Elle
https://theellediaries.com
You can bet I will ensure I do not get her the next time round!
Those boots are insane!! I can see why you fought through the lack of professionalism to make them yours. And that dress? Ya, it would look fab on me, so if you ever tire of it…
WTH with that hygienist? For me, going to the dentist is always a little like Hostel, so I cannot even imagine how you didn’t reach up from the chair and grab her by the throat. Actually you probably couldn’t since she numbed your entire body. So glad you had Zoe to listen to your woes afterwards!
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
Ha ha! You and I really could share closets.
Yes, it was just like Hostel. I think with both of us suffering from autoimmune diseases any kind of medical visit is very painful and scary.
No, I have never had a horrendous dental experience like yours. I’m so sorry to hear about yours.
I can see why Anthro is so popular. What a beautiful dress that is. The coat you wore with it was lovely and the vintage boots are just perfect. A truly lovely outfit.
xx
I’m very happy you haven’t had to endure a dental experience like that.
I have a bit of a collection of long leather vintage coats I haven’t featured on the blog. You know, the old, “Too many great vintage clothes and not enough blog posts” problem : )
poor dear lady!, dental appointments could be worst than a nightmare!, I’m usually too afraid to even move!
And I understand that a brick-and-mortar Anthropologie shop could be really appealing (I’m glad that they’re far away from me!), even their webpage is a temptation I avoid, it’s impossible not to fall in love with some pieces. I do love your dress and the magnificent coat! and those boots! perfection!!!
besos
I normally don’t move around a lot either as I’m also scared that the drill thing will move and I’ll wind up with a hole in my cheek! I think I may have watched one too many horror movies with my husband.
Good grief girlfriend! Your dental experience was horrific and I hope you can find a dental hygienist with some sympathetic professionalism at a more reasonable fee!
Your dress from Anthropology is really special. It has a bit of a Western vibe. I know you were enjoying West World for awhile (I’ve never seen it) so I’m wondering if that’s another reason you’re so passionate for this frock. Anthropology charges outrageous prices and I’ve only made small purchases from their sale room but I love to look at their offerings online just for ideas. This outfit is gorgeous and that pretty ruffle absolutely helps draws the focus to those fabulous boots. The colors in this dress just scream for your haircolor and complexion as well. A righteous purchase for sure!!
You might be right about the West World connection with this dress. It does have that vibe. I’m waiting patiently for season 2 to begin.
I agree that Anthro’s prices are insane. I won’t buy unless it is on sale and thankfully I only go in there now a couple of times a year. Like you I do find their creative merchandising, displays and store in general very inspirational.
First of all, the good – that dress is absolutely LUSCIOUS! Of course, the colours are dynamite on you. As for the Bad – the boots experience sounds just insane. I have been lucky with the few online purchases I have made that most have gone pretty smoothly. I think when you are a seller yourself, it is even more irritating because you wonder how those people even stay in business with crappy service like that.
As for the dentist, I have spent a lot of time in the dentist chair since I was a kid (no cavities until I was in my early 20’s though) and aside from a couple of too-aggressive cleanings, I’ve had mostly good experiences. I have a lovely hygienist that has followed me from one dentist to another, and considering the amount of time that is spent with her, as opposed to the actual dentist, it is soooo important to find one you like. I did have a nightmare experience with my first gum graft at a Periodontist, which had me in tears because the freezing hadn’t taken, and the periodontist getting upset and telling me that “it could’t hurt that much”. Fortunately my subsequent grafts have been ok.
Best dress ever. Absolutely spectacular. Love the print and textures. Couldn’t be more perfect. <3
– Anna
http://www.melodicthriftychic.com