At ThePLEAT, we love vintage. We love not knowing what we may stumble upon at this weekend’s flea market, or that there’s a slim chance of anyone else carrying the same bag we scored from our favorite vintage boutique.

Our latest must-stop shop requires no far flung trips to their favorite dealer, or digging through a dusty Salvation Army bin.

Market Publique is something like an online auction house devoted to vintage womenswear. The site launched in March 2009, after founder Pamela Castillo had been been selling vintage as a hobby on eBay.  Changes to to eBay’s policies, feedback system and fees forced her to switch over to the Etsy.com. Eventually, finding that neither platforms possessed the right tools to sell vintage online (or successfully functioned as a community for vintage lovers), she created Market Publique.

When we asked Pamela what she wants to bring to her customers, she told us, “No crazy mannequin shots or blurry pictures of a shirt on the carpet! Our sellers are top notch and reliable. We only sell authentic vintage so you can be sure that dress you’re buying is really from the 60s and not a cheap copy from China. For buyers, this means less time looking for the perfect vintage dress for the holidays, great big photos and at-a-glance information and knowing you’re getting your item from an experienced and trust-worthy seller.”

Another thing we love about the site is that they regularly shoot look-books showcasing the merchandise of Market Publique sellers. This is a great way of demonstrating how vintage clothing can be current and not costume-y.

For their holiday look-book, they collaborated with two NYC-based Market Publique sellers, Rock Paper Vintage & Hold My Gold.  We definitely appreciate this e-tailer’s sense of humor when we saw the last few shots of the look-book. The two models exchange gifts which are revealed to be ugly Christmas sweaters! Said Pamela, “The Snoopy one is pretty rad!”

Now that’s vintage!

1. 90′s DVF leopard dress, $96.00 2.Pierre Cardin faux lizard bag, $50.00  3.60′s Sequined shift dress, $110.00  4.Gloria Vanderbilt mules, $38.00  5. Denim Batwing jacket, $85.00  6. Faux Fur Boots, $85.00

*All items subject to availabilty

Images Courtesy of Market Publique