Handpicked Vintage Clothing Designer to Denim by factoryhandbook

from our little world to yours...

Factory Handbook is the work of two madly-in-love sweethearts, Carrie & Mike, now happily sharing our life together for nearly 20 years. Recently, when 2010 found us looking at two highly successful but unfulfilling career paths in New York (Carrie in a corporate position as a women’s clothing designer, and Mike at a well-respected architectural restoration company), the realization dawned that we were ready for a major change. Our professional ideal, we knew, would be a way to incorporate both of our talents, interests, and personal aesthetics into one grassroots business venture.

Native Southerners, we decided that our home state of Kentucky made the perfect staging ground. By the Spring of 2011 we had made the move to Louisville, established our inspiring studio space, stocked the shelves with beautiful vintage inventory…and the story of our Etsy store had begun.

Obsessed with vintage clothing from the pre-teen years onward, it was a keen interest in creative alteration (under the watchful eye of a very sewing-skillful mother!) that pulled Carrie toward a career in fashion. Co-authoring the book ‘Fashion DIY: 30 Ways To Craft Your Own Style’ (Sixth & Spring Books, 2006), earning her degree in clothing design from F.I.T., and ultimately working on the design team for a contemporary New York brand – can all count that insatiable love for vintage clothing as their point of origin. Currently, life as a vintage dealer means the fruition of many dreams come true.

For Mike, the chance to flex his skill & ease behind the camera lets the visual artist inside him keep his creativity fueled. Meanwhile, his precision-oriented personality suits nicely to the wide array of customer-service and shipping details that are an everyday part of our business.

Together, we have also been developing a line of furniture, lighting and home textiles that can be viewed online at factoryhandbook.com. Sharing every aspect of the design process in creating these objects, we work hard to offer eccentric yet beautiful pieces balancing form, function, and ethically-sourced materials. The goal is for our ideal environment to overlap with our customers' - by bringing our personal perspective into the day-to-day life of their home.

All of the items we sell are vintage. Many are several decades old, and most will show some sign of wear - from slight to significant. We feel that vintage clothing lovers understand this, and we do our best to accurately list all notable imperfections. We absolutely never sell an item we wouldn't wear. Small imperfections such as faint stains or smudges, pin-sized holes, or any other reasonably expected evidence of age and use will not be considered noteworthy (vintage is as vintage does!): therefore these will neither be listed in the description or considered appropriate grounds to discuss accepting a return on a purchased item.

Please see the condition key below for a better sense of how we rate our items. If you have a particular concern about any item, or specific needs requiring an item to be in pristine condition, send us a convo and we'll be happy to discuss the details further.

Condition Key:
- Pristine = Excellent condition, very modest signs of wear
- Very Good = More signs of wear, but still outstanding vintage condition
- Good = More notable signs of wear: still very wearable but may require cleaning or minor repairs
- Decent = Needs some TLC
- Archive Item = Damaged and/or too fragile to wear, but desirable for design archive, display, etc.

All measurements provided in the item description are taken following garment industry standards with the item laid flat and doubled for circumference when applicable. We recommend comparing measurements with a similar item of clothing that fits you well, in order to best ensure a proper fit. Search online for 'clothing measurement chart' in order to view more info on how to properly measure a garment. Please keep in mind that these are the flat GARMENT measurements we are providing and NOT our suggestion of what your personal body measurements should be in order to fit the item.

Please convo us prior to buying if you have any specific fit or condition questions about the item, and we will be happy to respond as quickly as possible (usually within 24-48 hours max).

(NOTE: Belts and other accessories are for styling purposes only, and never included unless specifically stated in the item description.)

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