Debutante Clothing :: A vintage clothing and fashion blog for unconventional style where vintage and runway meet.

When I heard that Nine West, the epitome of American affordable footwear, was collaborating with Vivienne Westwood, the Duchess of Punk Rock fashion, I was stunned. I never would've imagined the union. Obviously the collaboration trend of high end designers and discount or affordable ready to wear retailers such as H&M and Target is catching on furiously. But to be fair, Nine West has really come a long way in the last five years.

The Vivienne Westwood for Nine West collection is on pre-order right now at www.ninewest.com. The collection includes shoes, handbags and belts. My favorite shoes are the Auntie plaid lace up oxfords. They would look great with anything: skirts, pants, capris. Love em.

When I heard that Nine West, the epitome of American affordable footwear, was collaborating with Vivienne Westwood, the Duchess of Punk Rock fashion, I was stunned. I never would've imagined the union. Obviously the collaboration trend of high end designers and discount or affordable ready to wear retailers such as H&M and Target is catching on furiously. But to be fair, Nine West has really come a long way in the last five years.

The Vivienne Westwood for Nine West collection is on pre-order right now at www.ninewest.com. The collection includes shoes, handbags and belts. My favorite shoes are the Auntie plaid lace up oxfords. They would look great with anything: skirts, pants, capris. Love em.

What an exciting and exhausting honeymoon we had. Exhausting from all the walking, naughty. Italy in the summer was hot but worth it. Luckily we were traveling close to holiday time for Italians so the tourist attractions weren't terribly crowded.

But, honeymooning or not, I was determined to find some vintage Italian treasures. I did some research and found some potential stores in Florence and Rome.

Rome was a little disappointing. Fortunately, we were staying near the Piazza Nuovona which is very near a neighborhood of antique shops and funky boutiques and vintage stores. Unfortunately, they were all closed for the holiday. Damn. We did happen to walk by one shop that was open for just a few hours. The owner was probably packing things up for August. Abiti Usati, 35 Via del Governo Vecchio, 011-39-06-68307105. The selection was small, but good with prices very similar to American vintage prices.

Another store I found was Retro, 21 Piazza del Fico, 011-39-06-68192746, a home decor and accessories shop. I was so heartbroken, and so was my husband, because it too was closed. Sigh. Our last stop in Rome, Omero e Cecilia, 110 Via del Governo Vecchio, 011-39-06-6833506. But you got it-CLOSED.

I had better luck in Florence. I only had time to visit one vintage store because Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberta Di Camerino sucked up all of my time. Elio Ferraro Gallery, 47R Via del Parione, 011-39-055-290425, was fantastic!

I've never seen so much vintage Gucci in my life. Roberta Di Camerino jumpsuits, Dior, and the oldest Luis Vuitton trunk ever. The store manager, Patrizia Ferraro, wearing a psychedlic A line dress in bold colors and a heavy gold chain necklace, was such a doll. She helped me pick out some vintage Gucci handbags while we talked about vintage clothing. I passed on the handbag, but had such a great experience there. I highly recommend you visit the store while in Florence.

The moral: never go to Italy expecting to find vintage goodies in August. Guess I'll have to go back in the Spring.

4/12/09 Update: Want more vintage shopping? Try Rome! Here are a few more great vintage shops in Rome for you.

What an exciting and exhausting honeymoon we had. Exhausting from all the walking, naughty. Italy in the summer was hot but worth it. Luckily we were traveling close to holiday time for Italians so the tourist attractions weren't terribly crowded.

But, honeymooning or not, I was determined to find some vintage Italian treasures. I did some research and found some potential stores in Florence and Rome.

Rome was a little disappointing. Fortunately, we were staying near the Piazza Nuovona which is very near a neighborhood of antique shops and funky boutiques and vintage stores. Unfortunately, they were all closed for the holiday. Damn. We did happen to walk by one shop that was open for just a few hours. The owner was probably packing things up for August. Abiti Usati, 35 Via del Governo Vecchio, 011-39-06-68307105. The selection was small, but good with prices very similar to American vintage prices.

Another store I found was Retro, 21 Piazza del Fico, 011-39-06-68192746, a home decor and accessories shop. I was so heartbroken, and so was my husband, because it too was closed. Sigh. Our last stop in Rome, Omero e Cecilia, 110 Via del Governo Vecchio, 011-39-06-6833506. But you got it-CLOSED.

I had better luck in Florence. I only had time to visit one vintage store because Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberta Di Camerino sucked up all of my time. Elio Ferraro Gallery, 47R Via del Parione, 011-39-055-290425, was fantastic!

I've never seen so much vintage Gucci in my life. Roberta Di Camerino jumpsuits, Dior, and the oldest Luis Vuitton trunk ever. The store manager, Patrizia Ferraro, wearing a psychedlic A line dress in bold colors and a heavy gold chain necklace, was such a doll. She helped me pick out some vintage Gucci handbags while we talked about vintage clothing. I passed on the handbag, but had such a great experience there. I highly reccommend you visit the store while in Florence.

The moral: never go to Italy expecting to find vintage goodies in August. Guess I'll have to go back in the Spring.