A site for sore eyes: Magnolia Family Vintage Online!

First, it was a cheap habit.

Then, it was an eBay store.

And now, local fashion-preneur Sarah Jessica Dean has her very own vintage clothing storefront. But you won’t find it on South Congress — you’ll find it in cyberspace.

What started out as an affinity for off-the-beaten path Goodwill stores, Grandma’s old jewelry, and vintage clothing of every era, eventually became a happy problem for Dean. She had too much clothing from her thrifting adventures, and eventually, ran out of places to put it. Soon after, the eBay store was born, but her vast collection fetched something else: a side gig as a shoot stylist. Photographers had spied Dean’s collection via her MySpace page, and asked her to come dress their models.

It was the launch of a bonafide clothing career.

But in between running her eBay store, dressing models, and getting involved with the vintage-loving community around town (Dean sells an exclusive vintage collection through Austin-run BuyDefinition.com), Dean still had leftover pieces to shed. And now, after years of garage sales and pop-up shops, she’s streamlining operations. Goodbye eBay, hello official website.

Dean, who also runs the immensely popular blog, The Year of Living Thriftily, named her vintage business “Magnolia Family Vintage,” since operations are, according to her, a 100% family affair.

“From the shop itself, to working events, even right down to some of the models, my own family helps out with every aspect of the business,” says Dean. “I honor them in the name of the store, and the ‘magnolia’ stands for my Southern roots. This is an old-fashioned Mom and Pop shop, with a lot of love that has gone into it over the years.”

Customers will feel that love too, when they realize how surprisingly affordable MFV is.

“We keep prices reasonable, with almost every piece below $50,” says Dean. “And, we provide a variety of sizes, since people come in a variety of sizes!  I am personally available to consult on styling options and ideas, size, and fit too. We’re starting small, so our customers will get a very tailored, unique shopping experience.”

Ready to see what Magnolia Family Vintage has in store? Let your fingers do the stalking: Check it out here.

Posted by Tolly Moseley

Tolly Moseley has published 13 posts.

Tolly Moseley is a blogger, freelance writer, and book publicist in Austin, TX. She is a fan of the Alamo Drafthouse, Jane Austen, and cheese. In 2009 and 2010, Tolly was featured in the Austin American Statesman's "Fortunate 500" (now Out and About 500) under the Media & Interactive categories. She also won a Austin American Statesman 2010 Texas Social Media Award, partly for her blog, partly for organizing local blogger meet-ups ("bleet-ups"), and partly for bribing the publication with a million dollars. Just kidding about the bribing. Tolly's work has been featured on Discovery Channel's two eco-sites, PlanetGreen.com and TreeHugger.com, Village Voice's feminist blog, Heartlessdoll.com, Austinist.com, in Austin Woman Magazine, and a variety of other media outlets. Her hands-down favorite interview was with the late Rue McClanahan, aka Blanche on The Golden Girls. On her blog, she writes about events, artists, and organizations in Austin, as well as stories from her own life. Follow her adventures at www.austineavesdropper.com.