Last week I was ruthless — vicious, even — and decimated my closet, in the classical, grammar-prig definition of 'decimated' as "killed one of ten". I rounded up all the vintage that I never wear, and I trundled it over to Holly at Lucite Box Vintage.

"Find this stuff a good home," I pleaded. "I don't wear it, and it looks at me reproachfully every time I open the closet door. Also, I think the vintage dresses and the dresses I sew myself are fighting with each other. Every time I turn around the hangers are all tangled again."

Holly talked me down (and showed me amazing things from her own personal collection, none of which looked like it had been fighting when the closet doors were closed) and took some things for her vintage adoption service (otherwise known as her eBay store).

This one I really loved when I bought it — it was new old stock, tags still on. I ended up never wearing it, though. First of all, I bought it when I was nursing my son and, well, you can't really nurse in a dress like this, without removing it entirely. And then when we stopped nursing, I no longer had the chestage to support it (it's a 42B).

Anyway, if you can pass the background check and the home visit, you might be able to adopt this dress. Promise me you'll wear it out to snazzy places …

[Note: I sold these to Holly outright (money which I'll probably spend on fabric; I'm incorrigible) so I don't make a percentage or whatever from her auctions …]

There are some other ones that need a loving home, too. This one I bought in New Orleans, on a whim, and then when I came out of my oyster-induced delirium, I figured out it didn't quite suit me. This one I adored, but had trouble accessorizing properly (a problem I often have but that Holly doesn't seem to!). There's more to come …