I’m a pretty tough cookie. I can handle most of life’s problems with strength and I persevere. But sometimes, when so much is testing me, I have to give in and accept I can’t handle it all. I have to accept the feeling of being vulnerable and a good batting around from life.

These are the times that I want to stay in bed all day and wear my pajamas out in public. I know. Some people do. But I know that, just like the weather, what I wear has a huge impact on how I feel. So I have to find ways to fake it. I’m digging through my closet for something to go with jeans – something in a bold color. I realize I have nothing that will kick me out of the dumps and at least give me the costume to fake it! I need color!

How do you dress when you are in the dumps? Do you fake it till you feel it? Leave a comment. Let me know!

image source: adorevintage via Noir Facade

Elizabeth Taylor was the closest thing we Americans had to royalty. She ruled Hollywood with her talent and beauty and her collection of precious gems were fit for a queen. Although the violet-eyed movie star was well known for her dazzling diamonds, Taylor’s wardrobe was equally valuable. Her fashion wardrobe, collected over five decades, consists of  haute couture dresses and ensembles by designers such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Gianfranco Ferré, Givenchy, Halston, Tiziani, Valentino, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent. And now this awe inspiring wardrobe collection, curated by none other than Christie’s, is traveling on a worldwind tour. The exhibit just wrapped up in Los Angeles at MOCA Pacific Design Center and is headed to Dubai – a perfectly luxe stop for Taylor’s one of a kind collection.

Nearly 400 items make up this collection, including a lifetime of one-of-a-kind haute couture gowns, prêt-à-porter fashions, coats, and capes, as well as tons of handbags, costume jewelry (thought all her jewels were real!) and shoes. Christie’s New York will present 68 of Ms. Taylor’s most iconic looks in a black-tie Evening Sale of fashion and accessories on December 14, followed by 326 additional items in three consecutive Day Sale sessions on December 15.

“Spanning over fifty years of fashion, this is a highly personal collection, every stitch of which is reflective of Elizabeth Taylor‟s sense of fashion and the development of her distinctive style. This is not a red carpet wardrobe edited by stylists but a treasure trove of looks chosen by the last of the great movie stars. Many of the pieces in this lifetime collection were couture, custom made for Ms. Taylor by designers who became her close friends, including Valentino Garavani, Gianni Versace and Gianfranco Ferré,” noted Meredith Etherington-Smith, Christie’s curator for the fashion portion of the Collection. “In life, Elizabeth Taylor was delightfully fearless in her fashion choices and it is her joie-de-vivre, sense of play and megawatt stardom that shine through for anyone who sees this fabulous collection.”

Following the legacy of Ms. Taylor’s life long humanitarian work, specifically with AIDS and HIV, proceeds of the sale will benefit The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF). Founded in 1991, ETAF provides funding to AIDS service organizations throughout the world to assist those living with HIV and AIDS.

Meredith’s quote really got me thinking about how does one become a style icon? Even if it’s just within your circle of friends. How do you convey your outlook on life in your style? If you were to look at me, you’d think I was dark and brooding all the time because I tend to wear a lot of black and white. But I am quite the opposite. What message am I conveying about who I am, and what legacy am I leaving behind – both and style and in life? What would my life collection look like?

Schedule for the collection tour:

Dubai, October 23,  Emirates Tower Hotel
Geneva, November 11 & 12,  Four Seasons Hotel de Bergues
Paris, November 16 & 17, Christie’s Paris
Hong Kong,  November 24, 25, 26 & 27,  Hong Kong Convention Center
New York, December 3 – 12, Christie’s New York

As Fashion Week starts to wind down (I know we have an entire month of fashion events here in LA) what really excited me were the looks seen off the runway. I can’t think of a better opportunity to dress up and over the top than a fashion show. I especially loved how much vintage style  was caught on camera at the Milan and Paris shows. Here are a few of my favorite looks from Vogue Italia’s website.

I think I have a natural affinity for French and Italian style. No offense to my NY, London and LA friends and fellow bloggers. Something about the aloofness and femininity of French style and the in your face sexiness of Italian style really speaks to my often contradicting taste. All these women look perfectly put together, even the ones bordering on costume. I’m really digging bustles right now too.

Who do you think has the best Fashion Week style? LA, NY, London, Milan, Paris? Leave a comment!

I’m getting back into my blogging groove next week after a much needed break. With the showroom opening, working on our vintage trailer, going on a camping trip for my birthday. Phew. I was pooped. I have been spending more quality time with the hubby, but I am ready to pick up the pace around here. Finally right?

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you that I have resurrected my newsletter. You can find a link on the right hand side of the blog. You can sign up for the main newsletter where I will send you updates, additional news, and special deals. You can also sign up for the Debutante Clothing Showroom newsletter so you can find out when I will be open and be the first to know when I get new stock in before it hits the site!

Are you following me on Facebook? Please Like the Debutante Clothing Facebook page. I don’t just repost my blog content either. Promise. But my true love is Twitter. Follow me at @SandraD, @DebutanteCloth, or my new site, @VintageFindIt.

image: hipsterchic.com

Husband taking a break

So I’ve been pretty absent from the blog for about a month. I was working like a maniac trying to get the showroom ready to go. And I wasn’t exactly aiming for perfection, just something that I would not only feel comfortable to spend time in, but a space that people would enjoy being in as well, despite it’s tiny square footage.

After a few false starts due to logistical issues, and personal issues, the grand opening finally arrived on September 10th. Some of my fave friends, colleagues and of course my family was there. Thanks Justin (the husband) for breaking your back and hanging out with a bunch of giddy girls. Some of my closest friends came out to celebrate and check out the collection. There is no higher compliment than your stylish friends who love vintage and have been wearing it for years saying thinks like “Oh my god I love your stuff”, “You have such a great eye”. I felt so proud. I was glad to see some of my favorite pieces go to such fashionable new closets.

We sipped Proseco and sparkling lemonade, sat and swapped vintage tips and just had a great time.

Some have asked if I will have regular hours. For now, I will be open to the public once per month and by appointment only. I would like to be open once per week eventually, but we’ll see. I never wanted to be tied down to a normal retail storefront – not yet at least. Until then, I am happy to have a comfy and inspiring space I can work out of and store my inventory.  I will continue to sell online though. And update more frequently. That would be nice huh?

If you would like to visit the showroom, please contact me for an appointment. Or sign up for my new mailing list to find out about trunk shows and other selling events I will be participating in!

Friends Araceli & Miriam came to support

LA Fashion Snob, Heather Petrey, fell in love with this dress

Julie Wanda and Liz are my partners in rock n' roll crime

Lucky scored this regency style necklace

vintage Missoni sweater & vintage belts

My Mami

Julie Wanda in her fab Irregular Choice shoes

What do you get when you mix couture royalty with a punk rock queen? Two damn good collections on 1stDibs.com. Juliana Cairone of Rare Vintage, one of the best vintage dealers in NYC, has curated a collection of choice haute couture Valentino pieces including these three dresses. The collection spans from the 1960s to the 1980s. It baffles me how one dealer can come across so many pieces from one desirable designer.

But if you are more rock n’ roll than haute coutre, then you have to check out the Debbie Harry collection from Post Script vintage on 1stDibs.com. Debbie Harry is one of my style icons. The way she mixed vintage with 1970s staples like spandex and jersey. She made thrifting for your clothes an exercise in alternative fashion and runway style. Oh if I could go back to the days when you find 1940s dresses in abundance and for $1. The Debbie Harry collection features vintage 1940′s day dresses that she often wore with cowboy boots early in her career, 1930’s sheer lace dresses, a Patrik Kelly leopard stretch velvet dress, a bubble gum pink leather jacket, a two-piece chartreuse suit deigned by Steven Sprouse, and more contemporary designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs and many other custom made dresses. There’s also a Moschino pink leather guitar shaped bag. All items in the collection will be sold with pink hangtags that are signed by Debbie Harry. The prices range from $500 for many of the 1940’s day dresses to $5500 for the bubble gum pink leather jacket. A portion of all the proceeds from sales will go to the artist’s charity, Riverkeeper.org.

Two amazing collections at my go to site for inspiring vintage fashion. Please check them out!

Lovely pastels with punchy florals and stripes at Alice + Olivia. I love it when designers put a modern spin on vintage. These pieces are so wearable and fun.

As much as I love and worship vintage, I don’t dress in vintage head to toe. Just like I don’t decorate my home in vintage head to toe. I love the look of a modern twist with my vintage, or a vintage twist with my modern. And interior designer and home accessories redesigner Tamara Kaye-Honey totally gets this. House of Honey is her design company and vintage home accessories line. She tastefully reinvents vintage pieces into glamorous home accessories and furnishings. I love that her taste is not typical mid-century, but very much of the era. Honey has such an eye for whimsical pieces and unexpected combinations of patterns, color and styles. She borrows from many different decades and mashes them all up without looking gaudy. I think that’s the gift that comes with great taste – you can put anything together and it looks fantastic!

If you find yourself in the Pasadena area, check out her inspiring studio and shop, House of Honey in South Pasadena. Otherwise you can find some of her pieces right now at Joss & Main, my new member-only shopping addiction. Need an invitation? No problem!

I am a social media addict. Have been since my very first blog post back in 2005. It just makes sense to me if you are running an online business that social media would be a natural form of communication and marketing. But lord is it time consuming! And can be overwhelming. Being a teacher by trade and a total advocate of social media, I’m really excited to announce that I am going to be offering some workshops to people who deal in vintage fashion, antiques and collectibles who want to know more about blogging and social media, and how to use it well in the unique world of collectibles.

I have a very short, seriously like 45 seconds or less, survey to get a feel for what people get, need or want more of in terms of learning social media and blogging. If you are a vintage or antiques dealer and want to learn more about social media and you can use it to help your marketing efforts and sales, fill out my survey.

Click Here to Take Survey!

image: Advtdsgn

This was my first BlogHer ever. I knew there would be fewer fashion bloggers, so when I spotted some vintage loving fashionistas, I practically sprinted towards them. I don’t think I have ever been so forward. It’s a good thing everyone who attends BlogHer is super nice and was totally willing to pose.

It was so great to see so many bloggers who love vintage as much as I do and were wearing it with pride. I actually felt bad for going more casual with touches of vintage. These bloggers brought their finest vintage and they really stood out as women not afraid of having fun with fashion.

I’ve included their respective websites/blogs int he captions so you can go check them out too! I’m so happy I met so many new fashion friends that will gab away with me about vintage.

Thanks for posing ladies! Vintage forever xoxo.

gorgeous 1950s vintage print skirt - Inherent Style in LA

DIY vintage chandelier crystal necklace - The Curvy Fashionista

Rocking a vintage Gucci purse - Glam Media

Quirky vintage dress - The Dead Cowgirl

Vintage shiny and glam metallic brocade - Fashionably Bombed

Fun vintage inspired cocktail print dress - Cocktail Deeva