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

55 Secret Street indulges in Comfort Creams & Candles.

A Few Goody GumDrops tells us that mousse is not just a dessert! It's a beauty secret for summer that you won't want to miss!

Stiletto Jungle has 6 ways to refresh on a hot summer day.

All About the Pretty may have to buy her own bottle of Annick Goutal's Le Jasmin.

Bag Bliss: Help the fight against ovarian cancer!

Bag Snob attends the event of the year: Sex and The City Movie Premiere!

Beauty Snob loves the sexy make up from Kat Von D!

Calculatus Eliminatus gives the lowdown on men's sandals for the coming days at the beach.

Coquette falls for the perfect white dress.

Fashion Indie's Ten Reasons to Skip Sex and The City.

Fashion, Evolved talks to Damali Ayo, the designer of a brand new line of sustainable fashions called CROW Clothing.

Fashiontribes takes a stroll in the new Patricia Field for Payless sexy summer collection.

I'm Not Obsessed shows you 6 feminine dresses for under $100.

KRiSTOPHER goes cheap and chic.

Ladybrille interviews sports legend about Sports Apparel Manufacturing in Africa

My Fashion Life asks is the nautical look a trend or a staple?

Are clothes getting less expensive? Papierblog takes a look.

Quinta Trends begins a new interviews series with Latin-Americans designers

Second City Style has figured out why celebs are doing it up bright and has tips how to pull this look of yourself!

Shrimpton Couture spots vintage on one of the Sex And The City girls .

StyleBakery.com is crazy about color this summer.

Stylehive's Next Big Thing: Salvadoran Designer Eugenio Menjívar's rECOlector Lamps

Stylenotes nabs an interview with the fabulous Toni Hackerof Hayden-Harnett, an NYC brand known for their amazing prints, cool clothes, and luxe leather handbags.

SugarShock Beauty reveals what may be lurking in your shower.

Sxy Fashion QueenanalyzesVictoria Beckham's style.

The Coveted's findscomfy strapless bras for all sizes

The Fashionable Housewife finds several practical and stylish hats to protect your face from harmful rays.

Organic beauty products AND a free summer bag? The Organic Beauty Expert gives the lowdown on the newest online retailer on her Fave list!

The Shoe Goddess shares her take on Jimmy Choo sandals featured in Sex and the City.

V-Style shows you how to accessorize Betsey Johnson's Twist on the Little Black Dress.

eBeautyDaily tries the roll on peel kit from Skin Amnesty.

When I was writing for Fashiontribes and Lesley explained why I was a perfect fit for the Downtown Doll tribe, she told me to think vintage meets downtown chic - think Carrie Bradshaw. And boy does this peg my style, maybe not in such a literal Carrie way, but in the sense of mixing vintage and modern fashion with unique details.

In honor of the much anticipated release of the Sex and the City movie, which I'm sure will cause swarms of women to flock to the local cinema leaving every known man at home, I present to you my ode to Carrie Bradshaw - vintage style!

The vintage dress featured int he mix up is a combination of the bubble peplum dress and the bold graphic florals Carrie wears. Search for 1950s floral dress to score the look. I also included a cute little travel novelty bag. Novelty bags are extremely hard to find, and forget the deal. If you find a vintage novelty bag as cute as the Eiffel Tower bag by Timmy Woods, nab it!

Unless you are Dita Von Teese, wearing head to toe vintage isn't really practical for us normal folks, whatever normal means to you. I once went to a work related conference and met an adorable girl who was dressed in an equally adorable 50s dress, complete with crinoline. As cute as she was, at a work related event it may have been a bit much.

So how do you wear your beloved vintage with pride everyday? Here are a few tips to ensure you look great and not like you just walked off a period film set.

1. Customize

Looking stylish comes from a good fit. Even the fittest body will look frumpy in an ill-fitting garment. Take the time to find a good seamstress or tailor, or pull out your Singer to create a customized look. Be sure to hem trousers and skirts to a proper length for your body and look. 1960s youth wore shorter pants. If you're going for a sleek, mod look, express that to your tailor. He might not understand you want your pants that short.

Besides a proper fit, you can give an old garment new life by bringing it into the present. A beautiful maxi skirt can easily become a more flattering knee-length A-line. Shoulder pads screaming 80s boardroom? Snip them out. Vintage does not have to look dated.

2. Balance

With any look, dressing for the event is key to looking your best. As much as I would love to wear a frothy dress every day of the week, I would look just plain silly at a meeting.

For day, or work appropriate style, balance modern trousers with a 50s button down shirt, or a 60s shift dress with chic, modern pumps. Peppering your wardrobe with striking vintage pieces builds intrigue and style.

Evenings call for more daring looks. It is much more acceptable to wear vintage from top to bottom for a night out or to a special event. A strapless cocktail dress from the 50s would look perfectly appropriate paired with vintage rhinestone earrings and a sparkly clutch for a big event.

3. Accessorize

Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias said it best-"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

A simple black jersey dress or black suit can go from blah to bling with the right vintage accessories. Vintage tortoiseshell sunglasses, a wide 40s tie or a fedora can make a fella look dashing instantly.

Ladies are really in luck here because stunning accessories are so readily available at your local thrift store. A stunning necklace or five can make you look like Coco Chanel herself. Add a few rhinestone pins to a basic black cardigan and you will surely be the most stylish lady at the office.

4. Mix Decades

Don't be afraid of mixing a 1970s caftan with chunky 1940s bangles. Style transcends era. Dressing in one entire decade might look like you are wearing a costume rather than adding stylish elements to your wardrobe. There's nothing wrong with wearing an entire ensemble that came from a particular decade, but to keep your wardrobe looking fresh and interesting, mixing it up is the way to go.

5. Wear what you love

Regardless of decade, style or age, wearing pieces you love is the key to being fashionable. When you love what you wear, you get an instant dose of confidence. No one looks like you, and that's a good thing. You are in a league of your own because you dare to wear what no one else can own.

(photo - Elle.com)

Vintage novelty purses are my don't-make-me-think style savers. A normally plain jane outfit is instantly lifted to great style status with one of these unique little bags.

And there seems to be a novelty bag to match every girl's personality -- global girls would love a travel inspired box bag, barflies would love cocktail themed minaudres.

But this pretty little hand painted bag from the 30s really caught my eye. A violet flower delicately painted on one of the most feminine symbols of all time -- a fan.

And this week, I am working on a very special Vintage Fashion Mix. Stay tuned to see this bag worked in to an outfit befitting one of the queens of vintage fashion and modern mixing. Can you guess who I'm talking about?

bag available at Vintage In Style - $58

I am so excited to share with you this adorable collection of vintage playsuits I curated for Venus Magazine's website venuszine.com. I was lucky enough to find some of the best examples of cute play suits on the web, and sold by some top level vintage dealers.

I've also been given the green light by Venus Editor in Chief Amy Schroeder to share more vintage finds with Venus readers. If you have any suggestions for future features, please let me know. Email me or leave a comment.

Go check it out!

Sephora, one of my favorite places to buy make up because you get to try everything, has a great tutorial on how to get a fresh faced, vixen eyed pin up look. The model in this video is absolutely stunning and I think I prefer her as a red head.

I'm also very excited about the Kat Von D line of cosmetics. I definitely want to try out the products and do a review. The red lipstick looks perfect. Kat has the type of face that will look glamorous wearing anything, or nothing at all. It's because she is half Latina isn't it? wink.

I don't know if it is the state of the economy or lack of ideas, but it seems like little has changed in terms of fashion trends since last spring/summer. Of the few trends I do follow, I am most excited about the return of the feminine dress and gladiator sandals.

The one key change this season is the collision, or marriage if you will, of fashion and art. Jennine of the Coveted pointed this out so well with her discovery of a painted vintage leather bag reminiscent of the Prada and James Jean collaboration.

While on one side of the art as fashion movement we have illustration, this week I want to introduce you to a stunning bag in more of a modern art style - the splatter bag. The colors make me want to take a dip in the pool.

Nicholas Reich was a master of statement handbags. I own several myself and they are by far the most attention getting bags I own. The best part about a bag like this is that it is so modern looking, you can wear it with anything in your wardrobe.

available at Unique Boutique NYC
$175

While the calendar says it's spring, here in California it is full on summer. And even though fashion magazines and stylists will beat you over the head if you commit this styling illusion faux pas, I love my capris and i am not willing to give them up. Shortness and stubbiness be damned.

Here's a little bit of fun trivia for you:

Post your answer in the comments!

From moderne to modern, this is by far one of my favorite modern and vintage mixes I have done. Inspired by the bold color of the season, I wanted to show off a dress that can do triple duty: casual, dinner and vintage inspired.

I've always loved art deco accessories. Finding art deco clothing is a complete challenge though, so I always splurge on beautiful necklaces and earrings. Art deco is associated with geometric shapes and movement - if you notice the shapes in art deco, there are always curves or points to create this sense of movement. And a movement it was - everything from fashion to architecture went from functional to provocative.

See by Chloé Drop waist dress
net-a-porter.com

rsvp Katie (Black/White/Red) Sandals
zappos.com

Art Deco Genuine Alligator Soft Pleated Clutch Purse
rubylane.com

Art Deco Gallalith French Bakelite necklace
scarabantiques.com

When I'm not searching for and writing about vintage, I'm flipping through fashion magazines and reading fashion blogs and waxing poetic on beautiful things that excite me.

I was able to share my love for Stop Staring! with the uber high fashion blogzine, JC Report. Check out my article on the flip side of my double fashion life.

A few weeks ago, I got to participate in a fun carnival involving Unique-Vintage and a number of savvy bloggers. We all picked our favorite dress from the reproduction, retro collection of frocks and blogged about why we loved the piece and how we would wear it. I chose a gorgeous, curvy black cocktail dressby Stop Staring! that really does wonders for my pear shape. Be sure to check what the other fabulous ladies picked out.

Ten Pretty Girls keeps it seductive and glamorous with this silky number.

Stella Louise of Well Above Average picked a beautiful, summer ready blouse that makes me want to take a cruise and sip fruity alcoholic drinks.

Stevie, the red carpet editirix of LA-Story, chose the most most adorable shoes. Trust her on these -- the woman knows hot shoes!

And leave it to Tami Yu of fête à fête, the queen of cocktails and entertainment, to choose this flirty little flapper dress. This is a perfect little cocktail dress for the girl who likes a good party.

Serendipitously, the PR folks for Stop Staring contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing the collection. Of course I was thrilled! Not only do I love Stop Staring, but I own a few pieces and I totally admire Alicia Estrada, the beauty and talent behind Stop Staring!

Next thing I know, I'm interviewing her in her Downtown LA studio. And I have video to prove it! Over the next week, I will be editing almost two hours worth of video for my first ever vlog!

My Google alerts have been brimming with exciting vintage tips. The Coveted has put together a great article on buying vintage clothing that I wanted to share with you. As usual , Jenine has beautiful images to go along with her tutorial.

Also, I wanted to dig out a past blog post on How to Shop for Vintage Online. Now you have the full vintage shopping arsenal at your disposal.

Happy shopping!

You may have been able to detect that I love patterns. Artistic, florals, repeated--you name it. But when I saw this little summer dress at Violetville Vintage, I swooned. Letters carefully placed and a color palette so of the moment that the lines between old and modern are completely blurred. Plus the whimsical alphabet print gives me the quirk I always look for in vintage.

available at Violetville Vintage
$282

Wendy B has an amazing assortment of eBay delights from vintage Lanvin to Zandra Rhodes. I've got my eye on that Zandra Rhodes jacket. I'm going to make them an offer they can't refuse. And then I am going straight to my local sniper website and picking me up some heavy guns. I'm tired of losing.

Does anyone have a favorite sniper tool? I'm a total newbie to sniping.

You know you are somebody in the fashion world if you receive an invitation the Costume Institute's annual gala. The theme this year was Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. While some fashions were blatantly superhero inspired (Wonder Woman wore gold cuffs), many of the guests went for pretty and fantastical.

I was very pleased to see some vintage amongst the sea of couture and high end designers. But I have to admit, some of the vintage pieces weren't as inspiring as some of the new designs, and that was disappointing. Of the many ways to infuse fantasy and a touch of costume to your outfit, you would think vintage would be the way to go. Wearing vintage in and of itself, to an even like this requires more than just a vintage dress - here's you chance to pull out the most outrageous and beautiful pieces known to fashion history.

I felt these fell a little short. But I'll let you decide.

Photo: Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene

Images:
Michelle Trachtenberg, in a vintage skirt and top with Kwiat diamonds and a Cesare Paciotti clutch.

Kate Bosworth, in vintage Chanel Haute Couture

Caroline Trentini, in vintage Thierry Mugler and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.

Anna Sui, in vintage Zandra Rhodes and boots of her own design.

And some notable non-vintage looks:

Sarah Brown
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Dita Von Teese

Check out the rest of the images, all 164 of them!, at Style.com

Shirmpton Couture and Style It also have some images and commentary on the big event.

The ever lovely Jennine at the Coveted has just opened her Etsy shop The Coveted Shoppe. Now everyone can get the global fashionista look Jennine is so famous for. But you'd better hurry - she's already sold 2 items in one day.

Mixing vintage and modern is the best way to keep from looking costumey or kitschy. Unless of course that's the look you're going for. But here's an outfit that you could wear anywhere and people would just ask, "Where'd you get that?"

dress: hatfeathersvintage.com
shoes: zappos.com
bangle: myriadlife.co.uk
bag: yoox.com

If you have ever been afraid of ruining a favorite vintage piece by washing it, never fear. Here are some dos and don'ts to think about before you take the plunge and wash or clean your vintage clothing.

• Do wash cottons and linens
It is fine to wash cottons and cotton blends yourself. The best way to do this is to hand wash each piece individually in cool to lukewarm water with a gentle fabric detergent. Ivory Snow, in powder form, Woolite or Dreft are safe choices.

• Don't agitate the clothing
Just let the article sit in the water, moving it only to make sure it is soaked completely.

• Don't over wash
When you are done wearing your favorite vintage piece, do not throw it in the hamper. Hang it up so it can breathe. Washing your vintage too much will lessen its life span.

• Do dry clean
If you don't know the fabric make up of your vintage piece, do not guess! Take it to a dry cleaner that understands older fabrics. Ask around and don't be afraid to ask dry cleaners questions about their knowledge and experience.

• Do use stain treaters (carefully)
If you have a stubborn stain, such as perspiration or unknown food, start with the least abrasive stain fighter -- lemon juice or white vinegar. These are natural whiteners. Once you have determined lemon juice hasn't worked, you can move on to harsher stain treatments such Oxyclean or Shout, but use sparingly or use a towel to apply on the spot.

• Don't spin dry
It is best to hang or drip-dry any garment. Dryers, even on gentle heat can damage delicate vintage fabrics. Items from the 80s could possibly do just fine in the dryer on delicate or air dry, but why take the chance?

That Crosby Noricks of PR Couture -- she knows all the cool people. Go check out her interview with Stephanie J of NEET magazine and get your vintage, indie, crafty, style fix.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Vintage Fashion Expo will be stopping by the Santa Civic Auditorium this Mother's Day Weekend.

Bring Mom and have a great time checking out the biggest and best curated collection of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. I'll be there taking video with my new Flip camera.

Details:

Saturday May 10 10