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

We know her as the dead serious judge on Project Runway. When it come to style and fashion, Nina Garcia is all business. But sometimes life calls for more than business dressing and for us average ladies, the world is not a runway or an editorial spread. In comes Nina Garcia's new style guide! Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion.

Garcia has already written two best selling books - The Little Black Book of Style and The Style Strategy. I own both and they are also really great books.

When I received my review copy, the first thing I looked for was Ruben Toledo's delightful illustrations. His chic and stylish figures make me giddy.

Part art book, part reference, this plump guide (twice the size of her previous style books) reads like a friend's advice - a friend that is SERIOUS about fashion and style. The first thing you will see, which I felt was very clever, is the inside cover illustrated with Ruben Toledo's ladies and the corresponding page numbers where you can find each one.

The table of contents is organized by occasion: work, dating, day, night, holidays, life events, weddings, dream travel. This guide does not skimp. If you think you're going to get age-old advice like dress sexy but not revealing for a date, guess again. Once section in the dating chapter is all about What to Wear When You Break Up with Your Boyfriend. How is that for specific? Any possible event is covered in this book, big or small. Thinking about that Halloween party? Yes, Nina has advice on that too.

My favorite part was the traveling section. I always struggle with what to wear on the plane. Here's an excerpt:

Think dark colors and soft, natural, knit fabrics that move with you and feel good against your skin. A pashmina keeps you warm and toasty for napping on the plane and works as chic accessory once you've reached your destination.

But Nina Garcia is not all about rules. Each chapter contains anecdotes of famous rule breakers such as Josephine Baker and style quotes from style icons such as Lady Gaga who says "I'm just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time".

Nina Garcia's Look Book really reminded me of Edith Head's How to Dress for Success. In fact, Nina Garcia quotes the famous Hollywood costume designer and style guru. The simple truth is that good style advice never changes. We just keep adding more occasions in which to think about our dress. This book is a modern resource for those of us that don't have a seriously fashionable friend we can call and ask "What should I wear to the opera?".

The only con this beautiful and fun book has is that it is a bit heavy, so it made it difficult to carry when I was traveling. But since it does read more like a reference/art book rather than a sit and read cover to cover book, I suppose I can sit on my sofa and look up all the answers to my dressing questions. Or I can just get a bigger bag!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like some guidance with appropriate dress for a variety of occasions, or as a gift to anyone who loves fashion or fashion illustration. The book retails for $23.99 and is available now!

I'm so excited to share with you my latest article for Today's Vintage magazine. I interviewed one of my all time favorite designers, Trina Turk. We focused on her new jewelry line which, no surprise, is heavily influenced by vintage costume jewelry from her very own, personal collection. The gives me the inside scoop on what the next collection will look like. I can't wait to see it in her stores. I'm thinking a road trip to Palm Springs to see it is in order! Who's with me?!

Read the full article on Today'sVintage.com, or you can pick up a copy of the magazine at your local antique store or mall.

Update: Elena of Fabulous Finds has also been bitten by the Trina Turk jewelry bug. She found an amazing necklace you have to see!

BillionDollarBabes.com always has the best selection of vintage Chanel. Don't miss this sale! Need an invite? No problem! Tell them Sandra at DebutanteClothing.com sent you!

Last Thursday, I was thrilled to attend the anticipated social media panel put on by Fashion Group International, Los Angeles. The panel consisted of fashion attorney Staci Riordan, Jennine Jacobs of the Coveted and Independent Fashion Bloggers, Macala Wright Lee of FashionablyMarketing.me, and Crosby Noricks of PR Couture.

I've been friends with Crosby and Jennine for a long time. It's sort of odd that I had never met Jennine up until Thursday though. But that's the magic of social media. You really get to know people, despite the miles and pixels between you. I've spent a bit more time with Crosby because she only lives about 2 hours away from me. I love her to death. Macala is a marketing power house and a blast to hang out with as well. I liked Macala as soon as i met her. You can imagine my giddiness when I not only got to spend time with all of these ladies, but I also got to learn from them.

The audience consisted of fashion professionals wanting to add social media to their marketing mix. I felt pretty good about my own understanding and use of social media because i felt that the information shared was pretty much in line with what I already know and use in the world of social media and marketing.

Being in the presence of not just friends, but movers and shakers in the online fashion arena, gave me the focus I needed to think about where I want to take Debutante Clothing, myself, and my business. I was feeling empowered and inspired being amongst my friends and colleagues.

The next morning, I arranged for us all to meet at Down Beat Cafe in Echo Park for some brunch and some girl time. Even though I've known Jennine for some time, sitting and talking to someone, live, really fills in the little pieces of the puzzle of that person. Their mannerisms, their voice. Jennine is as much a doll in real life as she is in person.

I'm so glad I got to spend some quality time, professionally and as friends with Jennine, Crosby, and Macala. I'm hoping we can do it again soon!

Last night's episode of Gossip Girl may have been full of sex and betrayal, but what intrigued me the most was the social moires of the debutante ball. My site is called Debutante Clothing, but the name of my store and blog, was never intended to showcase overpriced, society approved fashion. In fact, Debutante Clothing was inspired by the line in Blondie's song Dreaming...

when you met me in the restaurant, you could tell I was no debutante...

The name is tongue in cheek. It represents the idea that one can wear beautifully made clothing from decades past and look like you just stopped off a runway.

I started wearing vintage as a cheap way to recreate runway and high fashion looks. A way to have unique style. Most people wear vintage for this reason. Debutante Clothing for me was sort of a cheeky mindset of having fabulous style in a completely unexpected way. Much like the blonde in Blondie, Debbie Harry. Debbie Harry was the queen of the high-low mix. Stephen Sprouse mingled with thrift store finds. And she was a style icon.

Now that I am older and my taste has evolved, along with my pocketbook being a little thicker, the debutante wardrobe isn't so unattainable. But I still can't bear to look like a high priced clone.  To this day I have to give my wardrobe some unexpected edge, some vintage flair, and unique style ala Jenny Humphrey.

I loved Anna Sui's Spring 2010 collection. I especially love her explanation of her influence for her super fun and girlie show. Check out the runway show!

Betsey Johnson has released a collection of fashion show videos from her archives. They are so much fun to watch and I challenge you to walk away after just one. When you think about how long Betsey Johnson has been in the business, you can bet her energy and stamina have kept the label going strong since the 1970s!

Without sounding all Project Runway on you, you can see Betsey Johnson in her collections year after year. When you see a BJ outfit, you know it's her. Her designs are always fun, youthful, quirky, romantic but with a bit of edge.

As a fashion collector and vintage dealer, I'm always thrilled to find any form of media that contains a piece I own. It concretely dates the garment. Imagine my surprise when I saw the matching skirt to a vintage Betsey Johnson top I own. I shrieked! At 6:20, we enter the Kibbutz room in the multi-themed room fashion show of Fall 1982. I didn't see my top but it doesn't seem like we get to see all the models.

The top may not have a lot of value - I don't collect Betsey Johnson pieces for that reason. But I am so proud to own a piece of subculture fashion history.

Betsey Johnson and Vivienne Westwood are the doyennes of high end, subculture fashion. They brought street, music -namely punk -influence to the runway. Even BJ's label is punk rock!

Do you choose manicures over mortgages, designer bags over bills? Learn how to pamper yourself and pay your rent too! If you are Female, ages 21 - 35, live in the NY tri-state area, and are ready to take control and realize financial freedom, this opportunity is for YOU.

Smarten your spending and Apply NOW!

Email: debtshowcasting@gmail.com

Include your name, age, location, contact number and brief summary of your situation.

*Your parents must be willing to take part in the show and live in NY, NJ, CT, PA

photo: Holcyon

People are always exclaiming, 'Follow your passion". But what if you were homeless? Would you you have the courage or drive to follow your dreams. A very talented fashion designer, Nary Manivong, did not let his seemingly hopeless situation stop him from designing beautiful clothing. Influenced and self taught by vintage fashion,

DRESSED is the documentary that follows designer, Nary Manivong, who defied the odds of a broken childhood and homelessness, to pursue his dream of showing his collection at New York's Fashion Week!

Because Nary got his inspiration to design from vintage shopping, SHOW US your FAVE vintage piece and WIN TWO Tickets to Nary's Fashion Show at 5pm September 10 and the special sneak peak screening of DRESSED at 9pm in New York City during Fashion Week!

This is what you do...
1. Join the Facebook event, "SHOW US YOUR VINTAGE!"
2. Post a photo of yourself on our WALL wearing your FAVE vintage piece updated for
the Fall 2009 season.
3. In the caption, tell us why you love your updated vintage piece and
why you are a fan of DRESSED!

Entries must be received between August 1, 2009 at 12:01am and August 31, 2009 at 11:59pm.
Fashion Looks will be judged by the DRESSED Team. You may enter one time only, decisions are at the discretion of the judges, final and the winner will be notified by email. Winners must provide
their own transportation to events, and you must be a Fan of DRESSED to enter and be 18 to win.

More info about the movie: www.Dressed-themovie.com

Check out my latest contribution at TodaysVintage.com! This month I featured Besame Cosmetics and the companies lovely boss, Gabriela Hernandez. If you haven't heard of Besame cosmetics, you must obtain some products now - these are the most glamorous vintage inspired products available.

My husband and I have a shared Google Calendar for important dates like birthdays, our anniversary, and the premiere of MadMen 8/16. Yes, yes, the costumes are to die for. But I'm not even going to bore you with that right now. I'm even more thrilled that AMC has come up with a clever little social media scheme that has Mad Men addicts hooked. Mad Men Yourself! You can put together a dapper or styish avatar ala 1960, complete with cigarette and martini accessories. It's like a Mii, but cooler. You can even pick your scene - at the bar with Don Draper, at Sterling Cooper, being catty with the secretaries.

You can then save your MadMen creation for Twitter, Facebook, your iPhone and as desktop wallpaper. This has to be the best use of social media yet.

But before you race over there to create your MadMen character, I have to warn you that the body shapes aren't very varied. You're going to appear much curvier than real life. At least we can all look like Joan Holloway this time around!

Got to the AMC website to create your MadMen avatar! Post a link here and we'll have a cocktail party.

We just celebrated our Independence Day. But what better way to show your patriotism than to shop? Especially when we are talking about high ticket vintage treasures like the ones offered on 1stdibs.com. The luxury antique design site has made all vintage lovers' dreams come true with a collection of stunning vintage couture and collectible designer fashion pieces. The collection is curated Clair Watson, one of the most respected names in vintage couture and includes premiere vintage sellers such as Katy Kane, Resurrection, The Way We Wore, and Rare Vintage.

There is so much eye candy it's almost hard to bear. Especially when you think about how rare some of these pieces are - a Paco Rabanne chain dress doesn't really come around that often.

I spoke with Katy of Katy Kane Vintage & Couture Clothing about her involvement with 1stdibs.com. With 30 years of dealing in vintage, she knows the ins and outs of the luxury antique business.

"I know a lot of the furniture & jewelry dealers on 1stdibs.com and the 1stdibs people know me, my merchandise, my reputation as a dealer. So I was invited to participate along with the other dealers on the vintage & couture section. Everyone of these dealers has different strengths and different selections. I think it is a great mix. I think vintage & couture is a perfect fit for 1stdibs and the dealers. This is a hot area in the antiques market right now, celebrity customers, museums exhibits, designers as celebrities, designer estate auctions, etc. People realize the value of vintage clothing now, from a financial standpoint as well as from the individual style it affords them. Just like a great piece of furniture or a beautiful jewel from 1stdibs."

The site looks like a museum collection, featuring couture pieces by designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Paco Rabanne, Christian Dior, and Valentino. But you can also find some collectible, quirky pieces by Moschino and Christian Lacroix. The collection is so well rounded that there really is something for everyone here.

My favorite piece has to be this YSL for Christian Dior black taffeta dress. It's so modern and edgy that I would feel just as comfortable wearing it to a gala as I would to some punk rock show.

What about you? What's on your wish list?

For a good part of a year, I have been reading Lucky.com's blog Ebay Obsessed. Jennifer Romolini was the queen of Ebay finds at Lucky. Her voice is so friendly and she has an excellent eye for inexpensive designer finds and wearable vintage. But I always suspected that she had a bigger crush on vintage than anything else.

Monday, Jennifer announced that the blog will evolve into eBay, Etsy, et al. As you can guess, she will be writing her thoughts on vintage and sharing vintage finds from eBay and Etsy. She's asked for ideas and I know we are all vintage freaks so head on over to Lucky,com and join the conversation.

Today would've been Marilyn Monroe's 83rd birthday. The glamorous and sexy icon will never be forgotten. Especially now that she has gone Web 2.0.

A new social networking site created by ThisIsMarilyn.com, will be announced today at their annual Marilyn Monroe celebration. To celebrate the launch of ThisIsMarilyn.com the site is giving away $100,000 in highly sought after vintage photographs and limited edition prints. They include original photographs and signed prints from personal friends of Marilyn Monroe, Andre de Dienes and George Barris.

The contest which starts on June 1st, 2009 (Marilyn Monroe's Birthday) will award 55 prizes ranging in value from $800 to a grand prize worth over $15,000 will end on August 5th (the anniversary of her death). Official rules will be posted on the website. The contest is being sponsored by One West Publishing, Inc., George Barris and the Andre de Dienes Estate.

If you're looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day, don't drive there! Just revamp stuff you have in your own closet. Of course, it helps if you have a talented designer laying around to help you.

Vintage Couture legendary boutique, The Way We Wore, will be hosting a very special event where several famous designers will revamp vintage and create an entirely new look in honor of Earth Day, April 22nd. While I usually don't condone the cutting of vintage, in capable and educated hands, reworking vintage can breathe new life into an otherwise unwearable garment. Be sure to check out these one of a kind items when they go to auction on Ebay.com. How will you celebrate Earth Day?

As much as I love wearing and collecting vintage clothing, discovering the history behind the fashion is my favorite party. Unearthing and saving vintage fashion from death by landfill is my equivalent of finding fossilized bones in Hollywood - and my discoveries are prettier!

Because there is such an academic side to vintage clothing, I try my best to associate myself with people who are very knowledgeable. I belong to two organizations that really are the upper echelons of vintage clothing - Vintage Fashion Guild and Costume Society of America. In their Spring newsletter, CSA published a great list of bloggers to note and I was thrilled to see some of my faves on the list.

Liebemarlene Vintage Look Book - if you don't follow Rhiannon's blog, go there NOW! She is too cute too ignore.

A Dress a Day - This blog is a fun read. Nothing but vintage dresses and patterns with lots of eye candy.

Worn Through - This blog is a highly intelligent read with really insightful blog posts about fashion history and vintage influence. Written and edited by fashion historians and academics, one read will give your IQ a bit of a boost.

Decades - The famous celebrity vintage hot spot blogs about current inventory.

A couple blogs on the list that I hadn't read before, but plan to be a regular subscriber:

Jewel History - Lori Ettlinger Gross is the author of Brooches: Timeless Adornment. She blogs about jewelry and fashion, both vintage and contemporary.

Paula Baxter's blog - New York Public Library;s Curator of Exhibitions and Coordinator of Education has a blog. Get ready for some serious fashion history lessons.

For the past year and a half, vintage sellers all over the web have been complaining about the ever rising fees on what used to be the only game in town - Ebay. Other websites have come along, especially in the vintage and collectibles market, but none have been able to match the ease of use and user friendly layout of Ebay.com - until now.

Market Publique is a brand new marketplace strictly for vintage clothing and accessories. The site itself is beautifully laid out. When you scroll over one of the many images of items up for auction or sale, you immediately get all the pertinent information you need to know without having to click. This is one of the many features I think will set this site apart from any other vintage selling site.

But it takes more than a pretty face to meet the unique needs of vintage buyers and sellers. The component that impressed me the most was the fact that not everyone is allowed to sell at Market Publique. In order to sell here, you must apply. This will definitely weed out the newbies and undesirable crap that is sold on Ebay. According to their site,

"We're highly selective when it comes to choosing the sellers we partner with. Everyone selling on Market Publique displays style and integrity."

And after witnessing the shameful practices of some vintage sellers on Ebay, I hope that Market Publique can and will uphold this mantra.

If you are a seller, the dashboard is equally as user friendly. Everything is clearly laid out and easy to navigate. Currently, only flat rate shipping fees are possible - there is no shipping calculator. This may be an issue when you want to buy/sell internationally, but otherwise, I actually prefer flat fees, even if that means I have to eat a few bucks.

A site like this could easily charge what Ebay does for listing and closing fees because although they might not have the same traffic (yet), the audience is so niche that I imagine conversion rates will be high. Like my business skills?

But the rates are actually VERY reasonable. Almost too reasonable. A $0.25 listing fee and a flat 5% final value fee when the item sells. That's it. You can always upgrade and get some neat marketing perks such as "Fresh". For $5.00, you can get listed on the homepage, and for $2.50 you are featured on the category page. A small fee compared to Ebay.

I think Market Publique has a real chance at giving Ebay a run for its money by focusing on one niche Ebay just can't seem to stop pissing off with ridiculous fee increases and free for all community. They seems to get what vintage aficionados want in an online experience.

Come check out my first listing, since I have been completely ignoring my own selling site for the past year.

Most of us are familiar with the famous Italian designer, Valentino. However, few of us are familiar with a relatively obscure, but equally talented designer, Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989).

When it comes to fashion design, not fashion as it relates to the masses, fashion magazines and media seem to push the familiar, the collections with mass appeal. This is a business after all. But Valentina did not buy into trends and fads. Her designs and cutting edge work led to her being regarded as a pioneer in American couture.

A Russian immigrant, her life was a true American dream story. Valentina went from an unknown, to a celebrity fashion designer due to her fashion forward designs. Her clients included Greta Garbo and Mrs. Hearst. She reminds me of another immigrant, fashion forward designer plucked from relative obscurity until she was worn by one of the most famous women in the world - Isabel Toledo.

Valentina was a designer beyond her time, and stylistically, cared very little for trends. Much like Dame Vivienne Westwood, Valentina exclaimed, "I hate fashion!".

It's a shame that the fashion business thrives on pumping trends rather than form, art, quality and design. If Valentina Sanina Schlee were alive today, there is no doubt fashion bloggers would be typing their fingers to the bone about her fashion forward designs.

Check out Market Publique's blog post about this amazing and fascinating designer.

Valentina's work will be on display in an exhibit at the Museum of the City in New York titled, Valentina: American Couture and the Cult of Celebrity, February 14 through May 17.

In the meantime, check out this fantastic video featuring the author of the book by the same title, Kohle Yohannan

Penelope Cruz took home an Oscar for her sizzling role in Vicky Christina Barcelona. Cruz really went all out for this special honor in vintage Balmain. Even though it looks a bit like a wedding dress, I appreciate her love of vintage and her dressing up for such an important occasion. She might get slammed for her dress choice, but I fully support exuberant dressing for an event you are proud of.  According to Couturesnob.com, "She said she saw this dress years ago and swore to one day wear it-- when she was nominated for an Oscar, she went searching for it and found it again!"

This is isn't the first time Penelope Cruz reached for vintage. She wore vintage Chanel to the Goya's - the Spanish Oscars - where she also received an award for Best Supporting Actress. See? Vintage not only makes you look glamorous, it also brings you awards!

The past few weeks have been amazing. It's time like these that make me feel proud to keep plugging away on my little old blog. I'm feeling like I'm on top of the world right now.

Two weeks ago, Debutante Clothing was chosen as the Spotlight Blogger on Independent Fashion Blogger! I feel so honored to be mentioned by such a fantastic group of bloggers. Thank you to everyone who suggested my blog.

Blogger Spotlight

Debutante Clothing

This week's Blogger Spotlight goes to Sandra of Debutante Clothing! Debutante Clothing is a fantastic resource for vintage lovers, by giving history of labels and trends, how to buy vintage clothing (that fits) online. As well as conducting interviews with other vintage sellers. She's also really active in the vintage community and a person to connect with as she's always been so lovely.
Nominated by: Fete a Fete, Mademoiselle Robot, and Dramatis Personae

In other news, Debutante Clothing was also chosen as one of the 100 Must Read Blogs...By Women!  Check #52.

I feel so honored to be included on a list with some really wonderful bloggers. I don't know all of them, but you better believe I'll be busy checking them out.

Since people are actually reading my vintage clothing babble, I guess I'll keep plugging away.

photo: by Shachenta

Journalist Stephanie Nolasco asked me to share vintage shopping tips with the readers of NocheLatina.com! Check it out...
http://www.nochelatina.com/Articles/2566/Blast-from-the-Past-How-to-Shop-for-Vintage

Man! I need to publish this now because I read about this this morning and everyone is already buzzing.

Glamour.com did an interview with Mad Men costume designer and Costume Designers Guild Award nominee, Janie Bryant. If you think Bryant just finds some random vintage clothing at the thrift and calls it costuming, you are very mistaken.  When asked by Tracey Lomrantz of Slaves to Fashion, a really great blog by the way, if there were any plans for her own line, Janie replied,

"I'm working on some things right now...I hate to be so mysterious but I can't really say! It would have my name attached to it though."

Apparently, the former fashion designer, actually makes many of the costumes for the principal actors. I always wondered if she replicated vintage clothing with modern fabrics in colors and slight design modifications that looked better on TV. I mean, I've never seen a late '50s/early '60s dress like Joan Holloway's!

I cannot wait to see what Janie Bryant designs. Designers such as Michael Kors have already been bitten by the vintage, Mad Men style bug, so Janie Bryant should take more than credit for bringing vintage style to modern fashion. She should bask in the glory of recreated fitted wiggle dresses, full skirts, and shark skin, slim suits.

Yesterday was like Christmas. The country was giddy with excitement, which then turned into raw emotion for some, including me.

We are not only witnessing history in the making, we are living and breathing hope - not the wild eyed, rainbows and sunshine hope that right winged mocked us with. We are now entering an era where a shift of mindset is taking place.

We are being forced to act frugally and I am hoping that this will stir some selflessness. I can hope!

In the meantime, I am glad to see such a handsome couple in office.

I was so thrilled to see one of my favorite shows, Mad Men, when a Golden Globe Sunday evening. It's such a unique show and I have never seen such developed characters. But I was really surprised to see actress Elisabeth Moss wearing vintage! Obviously, she wears vintage all day, every day at work, which is why I thought the last thing the cast would choose to wear was vintage.

But what a beauty she picked. A delightful pouf of fire red tulle. It was pretty and perky. She looked adorable. I'm glad she decided to style herself, even though her shoes and bag didn't quite go together. She looks like she got dressed for a nice event and didn't dwell on it for weeks and weeks. Good for her! Life's too short.

photos: Getty Images

Christina Hendricks chose a vintage inspired dress and she looked stunning.  She is my ideal body type - curves for days.  The criss-cross treatment at the waist cinched her in even more while the shelf bust made her figure look out of this world.  Her bag MAYbe vintage however. It's hard to tell in this Getty image.  It looks like a rectangular satin box purse.  I love that she still gave vintage a nod, but no one could accuse her of being stuck in the past - like some of us!

photo: fabsugar.com

Heidi Klum also wore vintage. She chose a festive Galanos dress with a huge rosette at the waist and killer strappy sandals.  She looked adorable and really bucked the gray dress trend.

Karl Lagerfeld has paid homage to Gabrielle Coco Chanel in this short silent film. Although it isn't truly silent - you'll hear sound effects - the film is beautifully made. I'm hoping Lagerfeld will create sequels because this seems to be incomplete. I would love to see the rest of Chanel's life captured in modern black and white.

The LA Times this weekend announced that the master of Hawaiian and Polynesian prints, Alfred Shaheen, has passed on December 22, at the age of 86 due to complications of Diabetes.

Every vintage picker and buyer knows the feeling of scoring a vintage Shaheen. One of the most coveted labels in vintage clothing, and especially in Hawaiiana, Shaheen revolutionized print manufacturing when he struck out on his own with four seamstresses and equipment he made himself.

Shaheen patterns were innovative. He traveled and sent designers to exotic locations to find the best textiles and patterns in the world. He was determined to create beautiful garments, often traced with gold details, that were unlike anything ever seen before.

"I wanted a certain look that was different from everyone else's," Shaheen said in an interview for Hope's book. "I would not do hash prints or chop suey prints. I avoided bright or garish colors."

Alfred Shaheen was a 20th century fashion icon who has forever changed our notions and appreciation of Asian and Hawaiiana fashion. You made our world colorful and exotic Mr. Shaheen. Rest in Peace.

Check out my latest round up titled Vintage Bling at Venuszine.com! Lot's of sparkly goodies for your holiday wardrobe.

If the movie Australia had not given you romantic notions about going down under, maybe a pair of Ferragamos might sweeten the deal. Check out how to win a luxury vacation and the Ferragamos featured in the film at Fantastic Toe!

In the last chapter of How to Dress for Success, Edith Head gave us the perfect formula for dressing to get and keep a man. But what about him? What about what we want our man, and our offspring, to look like? They are a direct extension of us.

"The woman who is always elegantly coiffed, meticulously dressed and fashionably turned out while her mate and offspring look like orphans of the storm deserves, and gets, little credit for her sparkling appearance."

Clothes Make the Man

Miss Head acknowledges that if your husband is a Dapper Dan, you needn't worry. However, if your guy is a Sloppy Joe, you may need to take matters into your own hands. She advises you pick out his clothes and lay them out for him. Especially if you want Sloppy to climb the career ladder.

She also suggests you get him a subscription to Esquire "for the articles". He won't be able to avoid the fashion so hopefully picks up a fashion cue or two. Give him advice on what looks good on him, but be gentle and tender. Don't take my approach - "You're going to wear THAT?" It doesn't work.

Formula for Having a Better Dressed Husband
1. Take an active interest in how your husband looks and in his wardrobe. Analyze both him and it.

2. Learn about men's fashions. Know about fabrics, styles, features and prices. Shop men's departments and men's magazines.

3. If your husband's wardrobe concept needs improvement, work with him (rather than on him) to educate his tastes, change habits and turn his indifference into enthusiasm.

4. Shop with him and for him to make sure his clothing i becoming, well-fitted, flattering and properly coordinated.

5. Most important of all, help to keep his wardrobe in condition - clean, pressed and mended. A well-groomed man looks successful and has the best chance of being successful.

Tomorrow...children and teens!

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

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?

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

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

The best of the vintage bloggers:

Debutante Clothing finds a wickedly chic vintage Halloween dress

The Vintage Traveler explains how not to store a wedding dress

iKonic Vintage starts off Video Thursdays with gothic glamour.

Want to join the vintage linking fun? Join us at Yahoo Groups!

My girl crush on America Ferrera is no secret. So when I saw her wearing this lovely little vintage dress on Fashion Week Daily I was so giddy. This is definitely a vast improvement on Betty Suarez's wardrobe on the hit TV show (although she has rocked some polyester at times).

This dress reminds me a bit of Carrie Bradshaw's red floral dress in the Sex and the City movie. The one she wears to the auction. Although, America's might have flyaway panels rather than a skirt overlay. It's hard to tell in this picture. Either way, she scores a major 10 on my vintage scale.

Several biopic projects depicting the life of Coco Chanel are in the works. Along with a made for TV movie on Lifetime, a film starring Audrey Tatou and Alessandro Nivola will be released next year.

But critics have not received the Lifetime series warmly.

A NEW made-for-television film, Coco Chanel - which claims to be "freely inspired by the truth" - has been savaged by critics for its lack of structure, factual inaccuracies and "wooden" acting.

Mademoiselle would not be pleased!

source: Vogue UK website

They say Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. Well, the 12 of the '50s is not the 12 of today. In fact, there is no standardized sizing system in place. I love going to the Gap or Old Navy and kidding myself that I am a size 6 when really I'm an 8.

When shopping online, especially for vintage clothing, it is very important to know your measurements before falling in love with a dress that won't fit. Here's a little video tutorial I created to help you figure out the dimensions of your curves!

Enjoy!

I swear, that title was not a ploy to get you to click. They do have something in common.

For the month of June, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is spotlighting Asian images in film. Last week, I watched a film called Piccadilly starring the beautiful Anna May Wong. I am not familiar with her work, but I was fascinated by her breakthrough roles in early cinema.

Piccadilly is a silent film from 1929 set in London. Shosho, Wong's character, is a poor dishwasher from the wrong side of the tracks who works in an extravagant club called "The Piccadilly". After catching the attention of her boss, who runs a very tight ship, while dancing on top of a table in the kitchen, she becomes the center attention as the new exotic act. Her exotic beauty and sensuous dancing mesmerize the audience, including her boss.

Of course, being a fashion historian and vintage lover, I was totally captivated by the costumes. But not so much by the dancers' costumes as you would expect. I was even more intrigued by the costumes of the simple folks - we're so used to seeing this fantasy of what people wore at the time. In cinema, even the down trodden seem to dress better than what was worn in real life. But this film really captured the essence of what I imagine was worn by the working class.

In one scene, Ana May Wong is wearing a simple skirt and a knit sweater with an adorable keyhole neckline punctuated with little rhinestones. She wore a small beret pulled over her severe bangs. And although her stockings had runs, her shoes were simply adorable. Her mary jane shoes buckled at the top of the foot rather than the side.

This pair of Farylrobin Gia shoes look exactly like Shosho's shoes, except these come with a modern open toe. These shoes are perfect with a little dropped waist dress - a much more unique alternative to gladiators for the summer.

By the end of the film, Anna May has ditched her shabby rags and grows accustomed to the life of an exotic dancer - in those days, her type of dancing was a bit risqué. Anna May clutches fur-trimmed coats and the finest cloches graze her brow - right before the jilted dancer she replaces seeks her revenge. I won't tell you the rest. Go out and watch it.

As a writer, it's always a little frustrating to see so few Latino surnames on the mastheads. Especially in fashion. But at the Oscars of fashion, CFDA award winners at included two!

Francisco Costa won Womesnswear Designer Of the Year and Candy Pratts Price (whom I never even knew was Puerto Rican) won the Eugenia Sheppard Award, presented by her boss lady, Anna Wintour.

I'm really not trying to play the race card, but as a Hispanic woman, I feel overwhelming joy when I see a Hispanic win such high accolades. It makes me feel like doors aren't as closed as they once were. But then again, the fashion world has always been much more open to anything.

Photos: Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene, Style.com

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!

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.

I am growing more and more fond of the LA Times Image section. The writers are not afraid to mix vintage and modern fashion. My two favorite staff writers are Emili Vesilind and Erin Weinger. They are my vintage soul sisters.

Emili wrote a piece last week where she shared online vintage shopping tips and a stellar photo essay of choice vintage goodies. She also shared her favorite online vintage stores. While Debutante Clothing was not listed (I forgive you Erin) some of my favorites were - Archive Vintage, Femminastyle Vintage, and Swank Vintage all received great reviews.

Emili's article shares some solid advice on shopping for vintage online. I shared very similar online vintage shopping tips in 2005. It's good to know we are all engaging in conversation that helps shoppers find treasures online.

Wow. I don't post for a couple days and mainstream media, specifically newspapers, are all talking about vintage! Yippee. Someone's getting it.

The New York Times interviewed her vintage highness, Dita Von Teese. She spills on burlesque, her divorce and why she got in trouble with PETA!

Meanwhile, the LA Times reports that one of my favorite vintage enthusiasts, Liz Goldwyn, is curating a vintage collection of hats and sweater clips for Opening Ceremony. I bought Liz's book "Pretty Things". You can tell how much time and devotion she put into that book. Just looking at the pretty pink cover and embossed gold lettering makes me happy.

Also in the LA Times, a photo editorial on shoes! From the 1920s to the 1980s. Vintage Fashion Guild member, author and (my guess) a tad bit of a shoe fetishist, Jonathan Walford shares some of his prized treasures in this great visual timeline. Be sure to check out Jonathan's book, The Seductive Shoe: Four Centuries of Fashion Footwear.

The good thing is that more this could lead more fashionistas into the wonderful world of vintage, which is just good for eye candy. The bad thing is that more fashionistas will be wearing vintage, which means less for me.

Enjoy the links!

Before Viktor and Rolf tortured their models by making them walk the runway pre-equipped with their own lighting (models need a union!), Courreges was outfitting women in completely unwearable, but utterly breathtaking designs that transformed the models into a walking sculpture.

photo courtesy of NY Times

One of my favorite vintage style mavens, Beth of The Vintage Society, was interviewed by Maya Singer for Style.com. Beth was chosen by OC brand Quicksilver as a candidate for their new mentorship and sponsorship program.

Quicksilver will be helping Beth realize her dreams in fashion and writing but providing her a work space and I imagine funding to work on her projects.

Congrats! Any time a vintage girl gets recognized by mainstream fashion a vintage angel gets a used set of stylish and wearable wings.

The 1960s brought on an explosion of creative genius in the British arts scene. And the biggest bomb of color and innovation was a young fashion designer named Zandra Rhodes.

Zandra wasn't just inspired by her surroundings, she lived them-green hair, theatrical makeup and bold patterns were her extroverted fatigues. While her color palette is bold and punchy, her designs are fluid and feminine using fabrics such as chiffon, organza and crinoline. She designs for women like me who like "Pretty Punk Rock".

While her hair color has changed to a punctuating fuschia, she remains a walking canvas reflecting her love for nature, art and design.

Apparently, Zandra's friends are as colorful and surreal as her designs. "Chapter7: Eat Your Chiffon" is a surreal dinner party art film starring fashion icons such as Natt Weller, Marios Schwab and IQONS founder, Rafael Jimenez amongst others and some other strange characters in Zandra Rhodes penthouse. The film was shot by an amazing new photographer/filmmaker Ben Charles Edwards (www.bencharlesedwards.com) who was inspired by Chapter 7 of Alice in Wonderland and John Waters' Eat Your Make-Up.

Part 1 was released last week and part 2 was released today. You can expect Part 3 on the 21st. Please take a look here for a preview www.glassloves.com or www.youtube.com/glassloves.

Enjoy!