Etsy Shop Preview....

So I've been toying with the idea of opening an Etsy Shop for quite some time now, before I even started this blog, and have finally officially registered it. However it remains empty as I have still not gotten around to listing all of my items, taking photos, buying shipping supplies, etc. There is actually a lot more work that goes into this and my perfectionist/procrastination genes are at full force. So I figured if I got my feet wet and posted a few of my items here it would sort of force me to pick up the pace and get going with this. I have mainly clothing and a few accessories like scarves and bags (like this forest green Berné handbag) and would LOVE some feedback on the items themselves and the photos. I openly admit my camera is old and janky and does not take good close-up pics which is a pretty big problem for photographing labels and flaws and things. But you've got to start somewhere right? So take a quick preview and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave me some feedback, and be as critical as you want... in the coming weeks/months I plan to post more of my items and hopefully update you all on the progress of my shop. This is all new to me so I pretty much don't know what the hell I'm doing and I know a lot of you also sell vintage. Free advice is welcome!!

1980s leather Balenciaga purse

1960s Liberty House jacket

1980s Lanz wool skirt

1960s white smock blouse with gold-mirrored trim

Again, thanks for even reading this blog, and I would really love to have your take on the items, etc. and any other words of wisdom you may have.... I've been mentally gearing up to do this for a while and need to give myself that extra push...

Thanksgiving Deluxe...

Thanksgiving is around the corner and I've put together my fantasy fabulous Turkey Day outfit for you all beginning with... this 1970s Velour Halston Jumpsuit. It is so perfect for Thanksgiving in every way starting with the color and texture and the fact that it's a flowy garment ensures that you can eat and eat with no bulges showing...

A holiday is not a holiday without champagne and with this vintage Bauer brooch you can bring your own!!

So this year I am breaking tradition and spending Thanksgiving away from my family for the first time and having turkey with my beau and his clan. My boyfriend's family is Persian so how appropriate to wear this 1960s Vera Neumann silk scarf (it'll keep the hair out of my face as I chow down) In 1969 Vogue featured quotes and photographs of the exhibit Vera Paints a Persian Garden, inspired by her travels to the Middle East. Since Thanksgiving is supposed to be about the coming together of different cultures, this East-meets-West scarf would be the perfect fashion accent....

And you cannot have Thanksgiving without a bird... so why not sport this 18k gold Gucci bird ring!?

Please click on the pics to be directed to the actual item and have a wonderfully fabulous Thanksgiving!!! xoxo

Kerry Taylor Auctions Tomorrow!!

Another Kerry Taylor Auction will be taking place tomorrow, November 23rd in London!! Every time I take a look at their lots I am continually amazed - not only by how the heck they get their hands on this stuff, but also at the seemingly reasonable prices... The items featured in my post represent probably like 1/16th of the entire inventory (it's massive!) and are generally only from the 1960s/70s, whereas the complete auction items range from many many more decades. Check it out here .

Up for grabs are pieces by Mary Quant, Thea Porter, Biba, Chanel and Ossie Clark... to name a very small few. If you or anyone you know is planning on participating in this auction please please please let me know how it turned out and what you walked away with....

'65... 18 or 19??

Today on the FIDM Museum Blog, I read about the cotton wrapper, a garment women wore during the 1800s as a form of lounge wear. I was really struck by not only the fabric and silhouette, but also the ethnic looking print used for this wrapper dated 1986-1865 (photo #1). It really made me think of caftans and the billowy dresses popularized during the late 1960s, especially those designed by the caftan queen, Thea Porter (photos #2,3). Both actually serve similar functions as well. The cotton wrapper was to be worn during the breakfast hour or in the company of family and was meant to be fastened from the collar to the waist, below which the skirt was to fall openly.... um caftan??? Anyhow, one often thinks of fashion from the Victorian Era as being very tight and most likely uncomfortable for women, so it's good to know they could also rock the lounge wear. 

 

Make sure to read FIDM's post here, as it is such a rich resource for fashion and design history... 

Hermes then and now...

I've been looking around on the Hermes website today and really love the interactive quality... you can color design your own scarf and there is a flip-through demonstration of the Hermes Scarf book by Nadine Coleno (that I really want for Christmas!!) I also began looking at their fall/winter ad campaign and find it really lovely...

Obviously these are much more artistic as compared to the ads of an earlier generation... but you can say that about most brands...

Ok, that last one is still pretty cute. Check out their site here and as mentioned earlier... there's still plenty of time for the Hermes Santa to put this under my tree...

10 Quotes of Fashion by Anna Dello Russo

So yesterday I read this on Anna Dello Russo's fabulous blog and it thought all of you should read it if you haven't already... While I differ with her on the appreciation of vintage, I think she is like insane amazing and you know she is dead serious about each of these! Enjoy and check out her entire blogpost here. 

1. Fashion is a MUSE, you must seduce her.

2. Take your MUSE to dance, fashion loves music.

3. FASHION is such stuff asDREAMS are made on...

4. When you don't feel to dress means that you are depressed. You need a FASHION SHOWER.

5. If you like to be relaxed,you will never get the LOOK.Fashion is always UNCOMFORTABLE!

6. Don't go to far in vintage. Fashion is HINC et NUNC.

7. So between FASHION and STYLE?Absolutely FASHION...is less pretentious, is authentic. FASHION is declaration of own freedom.

8. Because nothing succeeds like excess!

9. NO matter the size of your body!FASHION to flatter every figure.

10. FABULOUS at EVERY AGESFashion to FLATTER you."

 

 

Etsy Hearts: Correction!

Oops!! I noticed that one of the listings below is no longer available... so I'm just replacing it with this 1950s beaded fox trimmed Gene Shelly dress, from Timeless Vixen Vintage. This dress might be best suited for a New Years party, but I still think you could get away with it for Xmas....

Etsy Hearts: Take me to the Ball...

James Galanos 1950s velvet gown

Galanos, De la Renta and Dior, oh my!! This post is inspired by my latest thrifting adventure with my good friend and fellow blogger Erin (check out Erin's fabulous blog here) where we decided that people really do not dress up enough which is such a total shame, seeing as it's so darn fun. Often times while pilfering through vintage clothing we eventually ask ourselves the questions.. where would I wear this?? I think if you cannot come up with an answer then you should just create an occasion. However with the holidays approaching we all have an easy excuse to get glammed up and these gowns would be perfect for any holiday party...

 

1940s Hattie Carnegie couture gown

 

1950s Christian Dior silk taffeta gown

1960s Dior velvet gown

Make sure to click on all the pics and check out these fab shops on Etsy...

Happy Birthday Princess Grace