Yes, hallelujah, Alligators, Old Mink & New Money has hit the shelves from London to Glasgow to Sydney, thanks to Orion Publishing Group. For us, that's as cool as nailing gold on the half-pipe at Turin, even if we're a little bit shaky on some of the British vintage lingo as well as snowboarding's flips and twists! Anyway, look for Alligators in bookstores or order online at amazon.co.uk.
In celebration of Alligators' arrival, we'll be including cool vintage items with UK and Australian pedigrees in our "What We Like on eBay." Even if we can't be on Carnaby Street at the moment, we can certainly think Carnaby Street!
Finally, we'd love to hear from anyone who can recommend great vintage stores anywhere in the UK or Down Under. We'll post the results in the weeks ahead.
Until then, happy reading.
Alligators, Old Mink & New Money, One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing was written by sisters Alison and Melissa Houtte and is available in the U.S. and Canada in both hardback (top; William Morrow/Harper Collins) and paperback (Avon Trade).
You can also buy the UK edition (Orion Publishing) in hardback in England, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Orion's paperback edition (below) is also now on sale.
I read Alligators, Old Mink and New Money straight through in one night. It was adorable and fun!
Posted by: Debbie | February 19, 2006 at 08:34 AM
I just got Alligators, Old Mink and New Money, needless to say, I will be visiting Hooti Couture when i next come to NY!
A great vintage shop in Bath, England is called Vintage to Vogue well worth a visit!
Posted by: Laura | March 26, 2006 at 04:54 AM
As a UK vintage addict, loved your book, though it was just a shame it didn't show actual pictures of you wearing the great vintage finds you describe! Maybe for the second edition?
If I ever come to New York again, I will certainly hunt down your shop. It's a pity you don't sell on eBay or online though I understand the reasons you give in your book as to why not.
I buy most of my vintage outfits from America via Ebay as they tend in general to be better quality and cheaper than what we get over here - high end vintage in the UK, athough it can be lovely, is usually equivelantly high priced!
best wishes
Kathy
Posted by: kathy | April 01, 2006 at 05:30 AM
the book was a brilliant read, loved every page, bought it this morning and already finished it! Beyond Retro in cheshire street, stockholm london, is a great store. There clothes feature in alot of fashion publications, you can find some great purchases there. check out the website www.beyondretro.com,
take care,
aimee x
Posted by: Aimee | April 03, 2006 at 11:14 AM
Aligators.... is a fabulous story of redemption and reinventing oneself ala Frank Capra's Wonderful Life starring Alison Houtte. Having heard Alison on CD101.9 at 6:00 am one Sunday morning, I had to read her book, and ride my bike up to her shop in Brooklyn Heights and actually meet her, and Illustrator Mary Coleman. Alison's story is told with a lot of humility, and I can really relate to this saga.
Thank You,
walter stevens
I actually met the Absolute Vodka model!
Posted by: walter stevens | April 03, 2006 at 06:33 PM
I'm a bookseller in Brisbane, Australia, and ordered Alison & Melissa's book sight-unseen simply because I loved the title.
It certainly lived up to expectations!
Truly charming! - and I could really relate to so many of the anecdotes about customers - so many similar stories of my own after twenty five years as a bookseller!
Anyway - the book is now doing the rounds of friends (one of them runs a modelling agency here, and she was up till 2.00am yesterday because she couldn't stand to put it down till she'd finished!). I expect that multiple copies will be ordered for birthdays, etc. in the coming months... :)
I'm visiting the US in May and June, and have already told my friends in NYC that we're off to Brooklyn to vist Hooti. So excited to actually be able to visit and see it! Can hardly wait!
Posted by: Ron | April 07, 2006 at 07:14 PM
I loved this book so, so, so much i could not put it down! I am a great vintage devotee and have been for quite some time and would recommend, in Sydney, Crown Street which is full of vintage stores from Grandma Takes a Trip, to C's Flashback and Zoo Emporium. Also really, really, really good is the vintage clothing shop (haha very original name) but it actually has the best stuff (in the CBD) and also good is Melvin and Doyle on William Street in Paddington..
Once again loved the book to bits... will definitely visit if i can ever afford to come to new york!!!
Posted by: hannah | April 15, 2006 at 04:04 AM
I loved this book so, so, so much i could not put it down! I am a great vintage devotee and have been for quite some time and would recommend, in Sydney, Crown Street which is full of vintage stores from Grandma Takes a Trip, to C's Flashback and Zoo Emporium. Also really, really, really good is the vintage clothing shop (haha very original name) but it actually has the best stuff (in the CBD) and also good is Melvin and Doyle on William Street in Paddington..
Once again loved the book to bits... will definitely visit if i can ever afford to come to new york!!!
Posted by: hannah | April 15, 2006 at 04:04 AM
Thanks for the fabulous read, completely inspiring.I have been raving about this to everyone I know and already been out hunting for vintage purses in old antique shops etc though US ebay I hear may be more of a bargain hunt. Great to see you modelling some of the clothes described in your book and the shop front is just how i imagined. Hope to see more books from you in the future!
Posted by: Jane | May 08, 2006 at 09:51 AM
I just finished reading the book and loved it (actually I skimped on uni textbooks in order to splurge on the book)I almost felt like I was reading about myself. Thanks for such an inspiring read. For great downunder shops in QLD try the Brunswick Street markets in Brissie, they are unreal or for those of us in Toowoomba the Lifeline Emporium has a very good (especially considering our location) Vintage store upstairs. It is definately worth a look.
Posted by: Kylie | July 26, 2006 at 06:58 AM
I received this book as a gift and thought it was a good read on these long summer days. There were a few misinformations (specifically the passage about Vera Maxwell, she was painfully confused and credited with Vera Neumann designs and they are actually 2 different women with no linkage to each other at all) regardless, this book will stay on my shelf as I have been coming to this site for a while now and love it, especially the ebay links because there are great vintage treasures to be found there!
Posted by: Betsey | July 31, 2006 at 09:36 AM
hello,
i'm from the northern beaches in sydney, aus and i got your book for chrissy of my aunty because she knows how much i adore clothes, especially old, having witnessed me rumage through nannas draws and cupboards and sweetly ask if i could have whatever treasures I found. I havent finished your book yet, relishing every page not wanting it to end. i can relate to alison so much and since reading it i have been op shopping like crazy scouring the un touched op shops in an area out of sydney my boyfriend just moved to. a store called browse about in ettalong on the central coast is one of my recent finds. i went to new york last year and am DYING to come back to visit your store and meet alison. it would be so cool. anyway sorry bout the essay im a bit excited ha. well thankyou for your book i will be re reading it for years!
x x x x
p.s. recently visited auckland in new zealand and if you visit "k" road there are absolutely fantastic vintage stores which are affordable as well.
Posted by: Kristen | January 08, 2007 at 12:40 AM
ABSOLUTELY FABUOUS! brilliant book, just starting out in the GB Vintage shop world and it has been a valuable read and inspiration. THANK YOU!
Posted by: Hannah Brown | January 08, 2007 at 10:50 AM