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

The Vintage Roadshow is back! And we're having a great time sharing vintage goodies. Check it out...

Debutante Clothing scours the web for booties with vintage appeal.

Freudian Slips Vintage showcases vintage Frank Usher dresses.

iKonic Vintage finds how-to videos on perfecting that vintage hairstyle.

Love blogging about vintage? Join the Vintage Roadshow!

I'm having a great time blogging about shoes at FantasticToe.com. In fact, the Editor In Chief, and shoe maven, wants to play with Debutante Clothing readers. I can't reveal too much right now, but it's going to be worth while. Trust me! Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, check out what I'm gabbing about at Fantastic Toe.

Riding Boots 'ala Molly Ringwald
Even in my 30s, I still hold a place in my heart for '80s teen angst films. In fact, my first dose of vintage fashion was given to me by the fashion icon of the decade, Molly Ringwald.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Heels
Before we had Blahniks, we had Maglis. Bruno Maglis. The 1980s were the beginning of label loving and luxury footwear, and Bruno Magli was the IT brand of the decade.

Sexy Shoes Go Under Hammer At Christie's
These black patent leather stilettos are part of her (Viveinne Westwood) Sex line (1974-1977). And don't they ooze sex? The spiked stilettos are estimated at $464 to $774.

Vintage Bows for Your Pretty Toes
Nothing screams girlie like bows on your shoes. But you don't have to look like a mary jane clad school girl.

When vintage fashion historians of the caliber of Katy Rodriguez and Mark Haddaway get together to curate an auction for Christie's, you know the catalog is going to be brimming with he most coveted fashion of the 20th century.

The authoritative vintage duo of Resurrection NY and LA fame has curated the collection which will go under the hammer Thursday, October 30. Titled Resurrection Avant Garde, the collection feautres some of the most cutting edge designers of last 60 years. This auction is basically mecca for all of us interested in vintage clothing.

Some of the most intriguing, and potentially highest fetching, pieces are rare examples of space age and modern design from Paco Rabanne, Rudy Grenreich, Courreges, and a particularly rare "satellite cape" by Pierre Cardin. In other words, the who's who of cutting edge fashion design of the '60s.

I'm always fascinated by the uber mod, space age designs of Pierre Cardin. If I had a home big enough to house mannequins displaying collectible garments, I'd invite people over to take a look at my "sculpture". Or maybe I'd just sit and stare at them with a glass of wine. One can wish. I'm particularly interested to see how much the 1967 Paco Rabanne wedding dress goes for. It is estimated at £10,000. The eccentric wedding dress was designed for a Middle Eastern bride, but she never wore it. The dress is a cacophony of small white leather rectangles and aluminum, but for the anti-bride, it's a beautiful work of art.

Other avant garde fashion history makers will include my favorite Vivienne Westwood, with pieces from her Sex, Seditionaries and Pirates collections, and the most famous names in avant garde fashion, Norma Kamali, Zandra Rhodes, and Issey Miyake, British favorite Ossie Clark, and the late Yves Saint Laurent will also be on the auction block.

Rather than give you a fashion history lesson, check out the Vintage Fashion Guild's Label Resource, as they have one of the most comprehensive history guides with label images on the web. Maybe I can even recommend some fashion history books in another post!

You can check out some stunning images at Telegraph.co.uk. Be sure to check out the Christie's page and peruse the hundreds of pieces of eye candy for you vintage viewing pleasure.

I'd love to see your faves!

photos: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Let's play a game!
Add a funny, clever, witty, intriguing caption for this ad...

source: A Slip of a Girl

I'm yearning for change - change in administration, change in weather, and of course this all reflects on my wardrobe. This week's Vintage Find is a perfect example of how change in society affects fashion history.

The 1920s brought change in society, economy and it all showed up in fashion. Clothes were cut slimmer and women's fashions always brought attention to the face. The rounded crushed velvet collar frames the face perfectly, while the cut away hemline give a peek of the seductive knee that ladies were exposing at the time. Shocking!

It's so rare to find vintage clothing from the 1920s that is in such great condition and perfectly wearable.

available at Dorthea's Closet, $345

One of the topics I rarely cover here on Debutante Clothing is shoes. But now I get to do just that at FantasticToe.com. I will be gabbing about vintage, vintage inspired and runway inspired shoes (at prices we can actually afford). Come check out Debutante's Shoebox!

I have a round up of the best vintage inspired booties on the web. The great thing about Fantastic Toe is that you can upload images of your own shoes to your "collection". It's kind of like "What Are You Wearing?" but for shoe lovers.

One of my fellow bloggers discovered THE cutest pair of wedge booties I have ever seen. I want these so bad I can't contain myself. I can't do a huge heel, so this wedge heel is perfect. And look at the bow? Aren't these perfection? My only fear is that I will look a bit cartoonish because they are so "adorable". Like a Hispanic Harajuku girl. What do you think?

The Vintage Roadshow is back! And we're having a great time sharing vintage goodies. Check it out...

Debutante Clothing finds a vintage black dress and gives styling advice.

Freudian Slips Vintage shows off her latest favourite vintage find - a 1970's Hermes beach wrap!

The Vintage Traveler tells about those WWII Farm Girls and their Overalls

Love blogging about vintage? Join the Vintage Roadshow!

Rosamond Bernier, the glamorous lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, has led a life of art, high culture and equally high fashion. Dame Bernier will be letting the world into her closet as she unloads some of her envious wardrobe on Yoox.com today.

The 92 year old socialite and lecturer hobnobbed with the likes of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró and Georges Braque. One can only imagine the caliber of her dinner parties.

Yoox.com has become a major resource in collectible vintage couture so it makes perfect sense that Yoox.com founder, Federico Marchetti, would encourage Mrs. Bernier to grace the site with her legendary wardrobe. One of the most talked about pieces in the sale is a haute couture 1959 Dior water-color dress with matching purse. This was the time when the late Yves Saint Laurent designed for the house of Dior. Yoox.com is no stranger to the wonder of vintage Dior as evidenced by their recent vintage Dior collection.

As an added bonus, Rosamond Bernier will comment on each featured item from her wardrobe, sharing her recollections of how and when she acquired it and the noteworthy occasions on which she wore it. Provenance and a good story is always a plus when purchasing vintage!

The sale will also feature a Zandra Rhodes dress from the early 1970's, a Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel red wool bouclé suit from the early 1980's and a Kenneth Jay Lane leaf necklace, circa 1970.

The sale starts this Thursday October 23 at around 9 a.m., EST at Yoox.com.

I don't know why, but I felt compelled to fill you in on some cool happenings in my life.

I was accepted to Guy Kawasaki's popular AllTop site, a really cool website where the best blogs' feeds are all on one page for your reading pleasure. Think of it as an alternative to the feed reader.

I got a two new blogging gigs!

First, I will be contributing regular roundups of vintage clothing and accessories for Venus Zine's website, Venuszine.com. I've already contributed a few of them, but it seems I will be doing this more frequently. I love Venus Zine, so I am completely thrilled.

Also, I will be blogging about vintage shoes at the newest social media site dedicated to shoes - FantasticToe.com. I'm looking forward to working with them because I think they have a really user friendly site. You can upload pictures of your own shoes. How cool is that?

I am nearly finished with the Ebook I mentioned over the summer. Yes, I am very behind. Yes, I am still honoring all of you fabulous readers that signed up for the discount before the deadline. Thanks for your patience.

As you can see, I've been a very busy little lady. I love it!

It's still pretty warm out, but the evenings and wee hours of the morning are starting to feel a bit chilly. It's the nippy kind of cool that makes you feel alert and happy that winter is coming. And of course this lovely weather makes me fantasize about cuddling up with a soft little cardigan that hugs me right back.

Liebemarlene has answered my fashion pangs with this cozy little cardi, in just the right shade and made of just the right materials for fall. Mink and cashmere never go out of style, but try to convince PETA of that.

available at Ebay.com
currently $21.50

A few weeks ago, I posted a survey on the blog for vintage sellers. This time I want to hear from the vintage clothing shoppers -- the stylish girls who know their Puccis from their Pradas.

Take my survey! It doesn't hurt, it doesn't suck and it's only 5 questions long. I'll be your friend forever too.

Click Here to take survey

If all of you West Coasters were a bit jealous of East Coasters having a ball at the Manhattan Vintage Fashion Show last weekend, now it's your turn to have a vintage romp.

The Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and October will be the 3rd stop in California for the crew and dealers. 90 dealers total will attend and of course collectors, designers, stylists, historians and fashion press will be there. And because of the proximity to Los Angeles, the show is usually peppered with celebrities.

The October show will also include a fashion show presented by Deborah Rush entitled "Obsessed with Dress in the 20th Century". Also, be sure to attend the live period dance demonstration and instruction given by James Zimmer. Come and learn dance styles of the 1920's - 1940's.

I'll probably attend Sunday, although I hate to miss the fashion show. I'll be sure to take pictures.

Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
Regular Hours: 10:30-6 Sat. & 11-5 Sun., tickets $10.00
Early Buying: Sat. 9:00-10:30 a.m., tickets $20
Students admitted free on Sunday with student I.D.

I am eyeball deep in unfinished projects that have past due deadlines. So I would love to leave Debutante Clothing's blog in some well gloved, capable hands.

If you would like to contribute a blog post or two about anything vintage under the sun, email me! I'd love to have your thoughts, picks, guides on vintage.

First it was Yoox.com. Then it was TopShop.com. And now, the latest of the luxury online retailers, Eluxury.com is carrying a selection of vintage clothing for men. Men's buyer Caroline Goodman purchased the pieces from La Rosa Vintage, a long standing vintage boutique on San Francisco's famous Haight St. She talks to the owner of La Rosa, a colorful vintage collector from Berlin, about vintage and La Rosa's history in a video.

The collection includes men's sport jackets, shirts from the '50s to the '70s, jackets and ties all from the '40s to the '70s. And the dapper model looks pretty spectacular in a sharkskin smoking jacket.

I'm sure many stylish men will want to check out the collection. But when I showed the collection to my husband, a vintage lover as well, he stated "WTF! $400 for a shirt?". Enough said.

Yes the pieces are very nice, but I think the prices may be a tad high. On one hand, I know that men's vintage is much rarer than women's. It is impossible to find high quality vintage for men, so men's vintage sellers have an advantage in their markup.

Of course, Eluxury.com is owned by LVMH so maybe their customers expect to pay such prices. I just don't know many men who have the money, or who lack enough style and resourcefulness, that would pay that much for a shirt.

What do you think? Is Eluxury.com's vintage worth the price tag?

Ever since I cut my hair into a mod-Sassoon-esque bob, it's been a constant battle trying to get it smooth and sleek. I have a weird wave - sometimes it shows up, sometimes it hides. I also have dry, frizzy hair due to years of styling, color treatments, and low thyroid issues. In other words, my hair is a mess!

After perusing Drugstore.com looking for the answer to my prayers, I found Biolage by Matrix Ultra-Hydrating Conditioning Balm. I was already familiar with this line because I have used several of the shampoos and most recently was using the regular Hydrating Conditioning balm.

I am so glad I paid the $17.99 because I have never had such soft, shiny hair. This is a must buy. In fact, I didn't even have to use a straightener on my hair. All I used, after washing and conditioning, was Sexy Hair Power Straight before blow drying, used a flat paddle brush, and I am good to go.

But be careful. As you know, more expensive products seem to go a long way with very little product. I had to cut down to half the amount I would normally use of a cheaper conditioner because I noticed I got a bit greasy after day 2. I don't like to wash my hair every day because it is so dry.

I promise you'll love it.

Lace, especially in black, is big for Fall 08. This is one of the few trends I can get on board with. Lace never goes out of style, not amongst the truly stylish anyway. Luckily, you can find beautiful vintage lace dresses in every shade.

When you are shopping for vintage lace clothing, be sure to inspect the garment carefully. Inevitably, there may be a snag or two, and usually they aren't noticeable so you can easily find a beautiful dress at bargain prices because of slight damage.

When shopping online, be sure to ask the seller directly if there are any holes or snags. Sometimes we can overlook minor flaws, so if perfection is important to you, ask first!

Here is an example of a vintage lace dress that looks like it just stepped off the runway. You do run a risk of looking too gothic if you go with obvious accessories. Mix it up with some unexpected fun accessories. I tend to err on the side of dark and gothic myself, so if this still looks a little witchy, try different colors such as pinks and whites.

available at the Family Vintage on Ebay
currently $16

It's back! One of the must attend events for anyone who loves vintage clothing and accessories - the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show. I've never been to NYC, but when I do, I am definitely going during this show. Can you imagine the caliber of vintage you could find? New York is the American epicenter of fashion.

I can just imagined the mounds of fluffy and decadent vintage furs (and I convince myself it's ok because it's old), the rails of vintage dresses - full ones, sleek ones, printed ones,beaded ones.

If you are near Manhattan, get yourself to the event and just basque in the glory of tailoring, quality fabrics and silhouettes that never go out of style.

Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show
Friday, October 10th, 1-8pm
Saturday, Oct. 11th, 11am-6pm
Admission is $20

The Metropolitan Pavilion is located at 125 W. 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan. For more information call 518-434-4312 or visit www.manhattanvintage.com.

If you've ever fantasized about traipsing through the massive archives of Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, too nervous to touch but elated to be in the presence of such artistry, then you are in luck.

The Costume Institute has just expanded it's database and has made it available online. Yes, to us commoners. The 31,000 piece collection is almost completely available at the Met's website under Collections.

Keeping their white gloved finger on the pulse of the web, the curators realized how wide their audience was after the "blog.mode: addressing fashion" exhibit back in December 2007. "We have grown so much and would like to house everything properly, and in conjunction with that, we started to document things that hadn't been reviewed since they first came in in the Forties. Once we got the information together, we thought it would be ideal if the general public could log in and, for instance, find all of our Christian Diors," said Harold Koda, curator in charge for the Costume Institute.

I love that the mecca of all vintage and antique costume archives is willing to learn and grow with the blogosphere. It just shows how powerful a medium this can be. Koda said that, in the same vein as "blog.mode," the Costume Institute also hopes to gather more information on pieces in its collection, as well as corrections, where appropriate.

And apparently, some corrections do need to be made. While transferring information to their new database, some very early Vionnets were found that had been cataloged incorrectly since the '60s because the archivists had missed the label.

::raising hand:: Can I have that job?

source: WWD.com

Are you a vintage clothing seller? I would love to hear your thoughts about selling online. Please take my quickie survey - it will take 10 minutes max.

Click Here to take survey

It seems that feathers and fascinators are going to be with us for a while, and I couldn't be happier. Finally, mass consensus that eccentric glamour is always a good thing. When I saw this gorgeous vintage purse at Handbag Gallery, I thought, why should feathers be restricted to my head?

If you aren't quite eccentric enough to wear fowl bits on your head, maybe this little bag will bring you over to the eccentric side.

available at Handbag Gallery
$79.00

I just joined a really impressive group of bloggers at Independent Fashion Bloggers. Jennine of the Coveted is really blazing trails in the independent fashion blogger scene. My love for fashion and fashion history really fits in with this collection of bloggers. Enjoy their sense of style and reading picks of the week...

If you're a fashion blogger, and would like to know more about IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers), click here.

a sense sublime - Make Do and Mend: Brilliant boot fair fashion finds!

Add Bubbles To Taste. - Nikki gives Beautiful People Purple Eaters their fix.

Clutch 22 - DIY: Bow Headbands (in seconds)

Debutante Clothing - Vintage Vogues Go To Auction

Dress Me Up Dollie - Seeking closed-toe wedges!

Fab Fashion Blog - Skirts Tight Knee Length Almost Pencil Skirts Looks Fall Winter 2008 2009 Trends

Fashion Architect - Athens Fashion Week is coming!

fashion in my eyes - a great editorial containing the twelve most important regal women in history!

Mademoiselle Robot - Let your style age with you.

O.M.O. Writes - Fashion Icon: Dynasty The fashion sense from the 80s soap opera is seen all over Spring runways! Get style tips on how to make the look your own!

Or False Glitter - How far do the opinions of others dictate our fashion choices?

PR COUTURE - Fashion PR Call for Media Kits; Get Featured on PR Couture

respectfully yours - is fashion taking itself too seriously?

Retro Chick - The Boyfriend Blazer: Hot Picks

ShopDiary - ShopDiary gets a piece of Eairth.

Tainted & Sweet... - Old School Fly Girls!!!

THE COVETED - Do you ever wear clothes intended for kids?

The Life and Times of a Problem Child - Rediscovering a forgotten icon of architecture and turning it into a fashion occasion.

The Ongoing Project - Developing your personal style, part 2

Kate Moss is one of those people that you can't help but stare at. She has managed to rise above the bad press and bad behavior, with an eternal sense of style that is unique and not overt.

Angela Buttolph has written a biography of Kate Moss: Kate Moss Style - Inside the World's Most Famous Wardrobe. Many will argue what exactly her wardrobe is famous for. Kate is the queen of disheveled intrigue - even in a torn vintage Dior, she manages to make a fashion statement. Diane Pernet, whom I had the pleasure of meeting during LA Fashion Week, recently interviewed Buttolph where she talks about her journey through Kate's wardrobe, her attempt to decipher her style, and the enchantment of vintage.

I have republished bits of the interview, with Diane Pernet's permission, that vintage maven's like us would find amusing. For the rest of the interview, please be sure to check out Diane Pernet's insightful blog on the world of fashion, and fashion around the world.

DP: If you had to make a list of qualifications for what makes a style icon, what would they be?

AB:
1. Have interests outside of fashion that make you aware of a different kind of cool; e.g. music, art, cinema etc.
2. Surround yourself with brilliant, creative people at the top of their game; artists, photographers, musicians.
3. Study iconic photographs, to broaden your visual language.
4. Try on thousands and thousands of clothes; clothes that you don't think you will like, or that you think won't suit you, until you develop a 'third eye' for style that releases you from conventional thinking about how to put clothes together.
5. Learn to appreciate any garment purely on its own value, not on whether it is fashionable now.
6. Educate yourself about the work of vintage designers; learn to appreciate a quality of fabric and cut that is no longer available.
7. Go the other way -wear a tuxedo and leather trousers to the Metropolitan Ball when everyone is in long gowns, or wear a sweet Fifties prom dress and swept back hair to the NME music awards.
8. Innovate. Mix things that shouldn't go together; a lace Victorian mourning cape with pvc jeans, punk boots with a sequined dress.
9. Never look like you are trying too hard.
10. When in doubt, buy diamonds.

DP: Who was the most fun to interview?

AB: All those crazy vintage dealers! I learnt so much about vintage fashion during my researc, which I tried to pass on in the book.

My favourite interviewee was Tracy Tolkien (of vintage dealers Steinberg & Tolkien) who has the same passion for vintage clothes that Kate does, which proved very insightful - three quarters of Kate's wardrobe is vintage, so to understand her style, you have to understand that love for vintage fashion.

DP: What was the funniest thing that happened while writing this book?

AB: We had a tip off that a beautiful vintage beaded silver flapper dress, that Kate wore on the red carpet with Johnny Depp in 1994, was previously owned by the ex-wife of Hollywood movie star Errol Flynn.

Eventually we got hold of a contact number for Flynn's ex-wife in Jamaica. We finally got her on the phone, and down this crackly long distance line was this brilliantly deep Bette Davies voice and she rasped "I know the dress you mean, and I wouldn't be caught dead in it".

And of course, we realized, we had contacted the wrong ex-wife.

You can pre-order Kate Moss Style at Amazon.co.uk

As a fashion historian, nothing beats the glossy archives of vintage fashion magazines. In fact, when I was researching the brown velvet and white mink I. Magning Norman Norell coat I scored, I was able to pinpoint the year the coat was created because of the power of the internetz and vintage magazine collectors.

If you're like me and your fashion obsession goes beyond actual clothing, check out the collection of rare vintage Vogues going to auction at WearDowney.com. The collection features Vogue UK magazines from 1946 to 1967.

Sometimes you can find a lot of vintage Vogues on eBay, but be prepared to fight tooth and nail, because any vintage fashionista worth her salt loves the history as much as the frocks.

Soruce: Vogue UK