Millie Deel

Ebay Purchases

2011-02-04T13:58:00.009-06:00

PS If you're looking for Coty powder in the old cardboard packaging, like those above, there are quite a few on Ebay that are reasonably priced and some even have free shipping. Why Coty decided to get rid of the old packaging only to replace it with a plastic (YUCK!) container, I'll never know. That was 2/3 the point of even buying Coty powder, for the vintage packaging!!

My plan is that if I can no longer find Coty powder in the old packaging, that I'll just keep the boxes and fill them with another loose powder. I wonder if by decoupaging, you could make the boxes last longer?

Etsy Purchases

2011-02-04T13:25:00.004-06:00

PS The pearl person brooch from designer Hairy Sock is not vintage and you can purchase one of your very own if you like it! Click the picture to go to the listing.

Vintage/Fashion Christmas Gifties

2011-02-03T22:03:00.006-06:00

I know, I know, it's February. But to be technical, because of some snafus with some DVDs I asked for, I didn't get what I exchanged them for until a couple of weeks ago. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Sorry to my readers for the sporadic posting!! I'm sorry to admit that I'm in fact an everyday average person which means exciting things don't happen too often, but when they do, I post!!

Also, there haven't been as many vintage topic newspaper articles but you can bet your fanny that when I come across one, you'll see it here!

If interested in a product, just click the photo and you'll be taken to it! Here we go!

This Old Thing? Actually, It’s New ~ NY Times Article

2011-02-03T13:05:00.003-06:00

By KATE MURPHY

Published: February 2, 2011

WHEN Erin Ogg, 45, of New Orleans and her girlfriends sip cocktails at the Sazerac Bar in the city’s historic Roosevelt Hotel, they dress as if it’s the 1940s or ’50s; wearing dresses with cinched waists, or pencil skirts and blouses, accessorized with hats and gloves. “We get a lot of compliments,” said Ms. Ogg, a waitress and personal trainer. “It’s a feminine look with a lot more grace and style than a hoodie sweatshirt and Ugg boots.”

Some of what Ms. Ogg and her friends wear is vintage clothing. But more often these days, their outfits are reproductions of vintage fashions, created by a growing number of designers specializing in the retro look.

“I sell to women who say they go to the mall and can’t find anything that isn’t either flimsy and trendy or dowdy and frumpy,” said Theresa Campbell McKee, 55, owner of Blue Velvet Vintage, an online store that sells reproductions. “They want something classic and distinctive that makes them feel pretty.”

Unlike many contemporary fashions that are layered, slouched and unisex, styles of the mid-20th century were typically tailored to flatter, even accentuate, the female form. Reproductions of vintage dresses have the same simple, clean lines as the originals, with full circle or straight-to-the-knee skirts. Pants are swishy or pegged; tops might feature Mandarin or flared collars, or double-breasted fronts (but not the yellowed armpits that sometimes bedevil old clothes).

“I love vintage clothes, but they don’t hold up well and they’re hard to fit into if you are a curvier gal,” said Michelle Larae Koons, 31, a secretary at a utility company and a part-time model in Las Vegas. Her favorite reproduction vintage outfit is a double-breasted dress with a pencil skirt and three-quarter sleeves by Bettie Page Clothing, accessorized with Steve Madden peep-toe high heels. (Bettie Page Clothing bought the license to use the 1950s pinup girl’s identity for its brand in 2006.)

Retailers and manufacturers of vintage-inspired clothes, including Blue Velvet Vintage, Bettie Page Clothing, Trashy Diva, ReVamp, ModCloth, Stop Staring! and Queen of Heartz report that their sales have increased 25 to 30 percent annually over the last four years, while many purveyors of current fashions have seen sales decline.

Along with the now-dozens of new retro brands, an increasing number of individuals sell hand-sewn vintage reproductions on Web sites like Etsy.com. Like true vintage, prices of reproductions vary depending on the quality of the fabrics and tailoring, but the majority are moderately priced with dresses in the $150 to $300 range.

“People used to laugh at me when I tried to sell these kinds of clothes when I started 13 years ago,” said Alicia Estrada, 39, founder and chief executive of Stop Staring! in Paramount, Calif., widely considered the pioneer in reproduction vintage clothing. “Now my clothes are sold in 40 countries and more than 1,000 boutiques.”

Some purists sniff, if not sneer, at the trend. Madeline Meyerowitz, owner of the vintage clothing Web site enokiworld.com, which sells labels like Courrèges and Claire McCardell, likened designers of reproduction clothing to singers at a karaoke bar. “I don’t want to hear you sing it, I want to hear the original artist sing it,” she said.

But sales of reproduction clothing are brisk in the United States as well as England, France, Italy and Sweden. Anna Olsen, 29, a homemaker in Stockholm, said she wears only retro fashions, and while she loves vintage clothing, she’s not keen on the musty odor, stains, bad fit and fragility that can accompany it.

“With the reproduction clothing, I don’t have to worry about any of that,” she wrote in an e-mail. “I know that there will be no problems with the clothing, and if there is, I can just return it.” Her favorite outfit is a black 1940s-inspired dress with cap sleeves and an empire waist from Trashy Diva that she wears with platform shoes by the Finnish designer Minna Parikka.

Reproduction vintage clothing was first embraced by the tattooed, fishnet-clad rockabilly set, which celebrates 1950s music and cars as well as fashion. But the style has entered the mainstream, appealing to everyone from teenagers who want glamorous prom dresses, to professional women seeking conservative yet sexy business attire, to senior citizens nostalgic for the clothes of their youth.

“Since ‘Mad Men,’ it’s been crazy busy,” said Letty Tennant, 30, owner and chief designer of Queen of Heartz in Anaheim, Calif. “And you can’t say it’s just a fad because these clothes are timeless classics, not ‘in’ one year and ‘you wouldn’t be caught dead in it’ next year.”

Many devotees of reproduction vintage clothing said “Mad Men,” the AMC television show set in the 1960s, as well as movie classics like “Casablanca” and “Rear Window,” had kindled their interest in fashions of the past. “I adore the Marilyn Monroe style of a halter-top dress,” said Becky Biesiada, 34, a day care provider and student in Muskegon, Mich., who said she wears reproduction vintage fashions most of the time and occasionally even wears her hair in a 1940s-style victory roll. “To be a woman in today’s world and stand out, I feel it requires some of the charm from the past.”

While Ms. Biesiada learned how to achieve her hairstyle by watching a video on YouTube, ReVamp, a retro clothier in Los Angeles, offers classes that teach women how to do their hair and makeup true to the period of their vintage-inspired attire.

“We’ve been seeing a huge increase in demand for the hair and makeup classes lately,” said Annamarie von Firley, 40, the owner and chief designer at ReVamp, which makes limited-edition vintage reproductions. “People want to complete the look.”

Ms. von Firley’s hair is cut in a 1920s style Dutch bob, and she is rarely seen in an outfit that isn’t vintage or reproduction vintage. “Men treat me differently when I wear vintage or something that looks vintage,” she said. “I’ve noticed that they open doors and even apologize when they swear, which is so not the case when I’m wearing regular clothes like pants and a sweater.”

Others who wear reproduction fashions said they had similarly enjoyed increased chivalry. “It’s a very movie-star, glamorous look that turns heads,” said Rebecca Watson, 42, a retired vice president at AutoTrader who lives in Leesburg, Ala. “And you won’t see five other people in the room wearing it.” Her favorite everyday outfit is 1940s-style free-flowing pants and a silk blouse by ReVamp, with Kate Spade leopard print flats or Stuart Weitzman wedge sandals.

Jasmin Rodriguez, 24, a personal shopper and fashion consultant living in Astoria, Queens, who describes herself as a “curvy size 2” wears vintage clothing and reproductions of vintage clothing, and said the reproductions have distinct advantages: “You look beautiful even if you aren’t a size 0, the clothes cost less, and you can get them in synthetic stretchy fabrics” that are easier to care for. And unlike with true vintage clothing, she said, “you don’t have to put reproductions in the freezer to kill the bedbugs.”

Hi, I've started to read your blog today (saw the link on your Purse Forum siggy). Congrats, it's very interesting. Can I ask you where did you find the banner picture here on the right (the model on the sofa)? The dress is stunning and I would like to fi

2011-02-01T20:47:00.001-06:00

Recently got a book with a large version of the photo you are talking about: The Golden Age of Couture by Claire Wilcox. The dress is by Jean Desses and the model is Jeanie Patchett. The photographer is Norman Parkinson and the photo was taken in 1950. Hope that answers your question!

Ask me anything

When a Trusted Brand Disappears ~ NYT Article

2010-12-02T11:25:00.002-06:00

By RICKI MORELL

Published: November 30, 2010

MY mother discovered Camay soap 64 years ago, when she immigrated to New York from London at the end of World War II after marrying my father, an American soldier. She has seen much change in her 86 years, but her devotion to Camay has remained constant.

When she recently realized that her local ShopRite, in Plainview, N.Y., no longer stocks Camay, and that she has only eight bars left in her linen closet, she called me in, well, a bit of a lather. “What am I going to do?” she asked me. “What am I going to do?”

I went online to do some research and found that my mother wasn’t the only woman desperately seeking Camay. On Amazon.com this week, Camay was selling by the case, like a particularly sought-after wine: 48 bars for more than $50. “I have been looking all over for Camay soap,” one customer wrote. “I was afraid I would never wash again.” “Memory bars is what I call them,” wrote another.

Procter & Gamble introduced Camay in the United States in 1926 as “the soap of beautiful women.” The original wrapper featured a cameo of an elegant lady, her silhouette in profile. Advertising campaigns focused on young brides marveling at their soft complexions. Camay evoked feminine luxury, even sensuality, at a time when other soaps like Ivory were utilitarian.

Camay was still popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Tish Stoker Signet, 58, a psychotherapist in Davidson, N.C., remembers that, as a child, she and her mother would paint the soaps’ cameo imprints gold, then give them as sachets to older women at Christmas.

But by the turn of the 21st century, Camay, pink and lightly perfumed, had lost its mass appeal in the United States. Procter & Gamble now sells Camay to online distributors and abroad, mostly in Eastern Europe, though it may also still be available in some mainstream stores in the United States, said Kate DiCarlo, a spokeswoman.

These days, the company is more focused on its Olay bars, which compete directly with the Dove Beauty Bar, made by Unilever. These products contain synthetic detergents that are less irritating than soap, said Dr. Amy Derick, a dermatologist in Barrington, Ill. But Camay, which is a traditional soap like Ivory, may feel less irritating because it contains glycerin, Dr. Derick added.

Still, for a certain vintage of American woman, Camay soap remains a cultural touchstone. “I love the perfume smell,” said Billie Brown of Cove, Tex., who declined to give her age. “It’s lightly fragrant. It’s totally feminine.” Ms. Brown remembered her mother setting out the Camay on the bathtub of her childhood home near Lake Charles, La.. Because the soap disappeared from her Kroger supermarket, she now buys it online.

At CleaningProductsWorld.com, based in Norwich, Conn., Camay accounts for more than half of bar-soap sales, said Jessica Fischburg, the company’s e-commerce manager. She said no other beauty product sold on the site inspired such loyalty. “If you’ve used just one soap for 50 years, you identify that one soap with cleanliness,” said Ms. Fischburg, 24.

Linda Eshleman, 62, of Jersey Shore, Pa., buys Camay online and goes through about a bar a week. “No matter where I go, it always goes with me,” Ms. Eshleman said.

Nancy Durbin, 69, who lives in Houston, recently bought a case of Camay as a Christmas present for her older sister in Cincinnati. “When you get to be my age, and her age, products start disappearing,” Ms. Durbin said.

Chris T. Allen, a marketing professor at the University of Cincinnati, predicted that Camay could have a second act if it follows the lead of another Procter & Gamble brand, Old Spice. That went from being an old man’s after-shave to a hip young man’s deodorant and body wash, thanks largely to this year’s advertising and viral-video campaign, “Smell Like a Man, Man,” featuring Isaiah Mustafa.

Prell shampoo, a former Procter & Gamble brand now owned by Ultimark Products, is also trying to remake its image. Ultimark recently signed Alexa Ray Joel, the daughter of Christie Brinkley, the model, and Billy Joel, the singer, to be the new face of Prell. (Ms. Brinkley was a “Prell Girl” in the 1980s.)

“There’s a strong theme of nostalgia,” Mr. Allen said, talking about consumers: “If these are brands they used when they were younger, you never lose interest.”

My mother, a brand loyalist, has used the same kind of Rimmel mascara for over seven decades, and visited the same hairstylist for more than 40 years. She says she chose Camay 64 years ago not for its status as a beauty totem, but because it was the only soap that didn’t irritate her skin.

Only a few weeks ago, a man half her age admired her youthful looks and kissed her on the cheek. Although she doesn’t own a computer and is wary of new technology (she calls the Internet the “Yenta-net”), she will go there if she has to. “O.K.,” she said. “Buy me a case of Camay online.” When she heard how many bars she’d receive, she thought back to 1946, when she’d buy Camay at a drugstore on Amsterdam Avenue, one precious bar at a time.

Another sweater to add to the collection........

2010-11-28T21:53:00.003-06:00

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem right?

Mary McFadden Fall 1985 Fashion Show

2010-11-22T16:34:00.000-06:00

That ‘Mad Men’ Look? It’s Vintage Janie Bryant

2010-11-10T14:42:00.002-06:00

By STEPHEN HEYMAN

| November 8, 2010, 5:39 pm

Janie Bryant was having trouble focusing. As the costume director of “Mad Men,” she’s been in the spotlight before, but last month, when she was in town to promote her first book and receive a giant award for her work from Fashion Group International, she was really spinning.

“I just met Pierre Cardin!” she gushed. Like Bryant, Cardin was also in town that week to promote a book, and he, too, was honored at the Fashion Group International ceremony. So it was an extra coincidence that the first item Bryant seized upon when she met up with The Moment for a shopping trip at the Manhattan vintage emporium Family Jewels happened to be a red plaid sport coat with a lapel as wide as a Buick made by Pierre Cardin. “Isn’t it amazing?” she said, slipping it on her bespectacled boyfriend. Moments later, Bryant was deep into the shop’s collection of antique lingerie. “Look at those peignoirs,” she said. “The detail on them. And the terrible nylon! They were so tough to sleep in, but then, that wasn’t the point.”

It has been said before, but “Mad Men,” more than most other shows, relies on the storytelling power of clothes, particularly the ability of fashion to reflect — if not induce — changing attitudes in society. The appearance of modish short skirts in the premiere of the show’s fourth season immediately telegraphs a jump in time: the 1960s have begun to swing. Bryant’s work not only evokes these periods, it also has helped spur a craze of midcentury appropriation, at the high end (bespoke suits, say, or Michael Kors’s fall 2008 runway show) and the low, or low-ish, end (Banana Republic licensing). “People were sort of at a loss for how to dress up,” said Bryant, explaining the wide appeal of the show’s style.

Dressing up was a childhood obsession for Bryant, as she recounts at length in her new book, “The Fashion File” (Grand Central, $26.99). “Shortly after learning to walk, I marched my way into my mother’s childhood bedroom closet — at my grandmother’s house — and became a gleeful two-foot-tall mannequin for her 1950’s dresses, hats, and shoes,” she writes. “In my small town of Cleveland, Tennessee, my obsession with vintage blossomed into an eccentric public spectacle. My tastes ran to full circle skirts from the 1950s, 1940s peplum jackets and hand-sewn collars and bows from antique textiles.” She still taps into her grandmother’s vintage trove, as in Season 3, when John Slattery’s character, Roger Sterling, gave away his daughter in Bryant’s grandmother’s wedding gown.

Bryant’s voice retains a twinge of Tennessee, but she split after graduating from Cleveland High School — where, she writes, her older sister “called me Miss Vogue as I sashayed down the hallways” — and studied fashion design in Atlanta before heading to Paris. “I wanted to learn French and become a designer,” she said. “But I ended up going to the Les Bains Douches and drinking wine.” It wasn’t until she met a costume designer at a party that she found her calling. Before the “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner hired her, she made her mark on “Deadwood,” winning an Emmy Award for her costume designs in 2005. Between the show’s hiatuses, she’s managed to write the book and create her first fashion line, Janie Bryant Mod, which retails on QVC. There’s more to come. As she puts it, “You have no idea how ambitious I am.”

Vain Glorious | Revlon’s Fire & Ice

2010-11-10T14:07:00.003-06:00

By HOLLY SIEGEL

| November 10, 2010, 1:48 pm

In Revlon’s 1952 ad for the Fire & Ice Collection, Richard Avedon shot model-of-the-moment Dorian Leigh in a sparkling silver gown framed by an amorphous tuft of red fabric (a copy of a Balenciaga cape), her hands drawing attention to her blood-colored manicure and lipstick. One of the most indelible ads in fashion history, the image was part of a niche campaign that included a Peggy Olsen-worthy tagline — “Are you made for Fire and Ice?” — and a bizarre questionnaire that asked, ‘Have you ever wanted to wear an ankle bracelet?’ and ‘Does gypsy music make you sad?’ While a lot has changed since 1952, Fire & Ice has a new shelf life now that Revlon has re-released three “lip-and-tip” pairings ($4.79 – $ 8.99). The ad restages the original, with a few notable exceptions — the actress Jessica Biel stands in for Leigh, ankle bracelets are so last century, and that dress is no knockoff.

Now then. I have my own little tidbit to add to this story.

So of course as soon as I heard about this collection I rush over the Revlon website, hoping to come across some additional info that might help me track this collection down. I see that they have a live chat option, so I proceed to ask one of their reps which stores in my area would be carrying this. She says she can't give me specific stores to go to but says that Walmart in my area is carrying the collection. How she knew what "my area" was since I didn't give her a zip code I know not, but whatevs. I proceed to throw some clothes on and zip on down to hell aka Walmart. It's nowhere to be seen. I talk to 3 employees who know NOTHING about the collection. And these are employees who are regularly in the cosmetic section. I go home empty handed and disappointed. I get back on the Revlon website to chat with a rep again to tell them what happened and the same rep says, "You should look at Target and Walgreens too." WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL ME THAT BEFORE?! She made it sound like Walmart was the only retailer carrying it. Why did she mention Walmart before the others? So I asked her if those were the only retailers in the US carrying the collection. She said,"almost all drugstores carry Revlon products." I KNOW THAT YOU STUPID *****! I don't live under a freaking rock! UGH! I'm asking about THIS specific collection. Not Revlon in general.

Long story short, if you can't find this in your area, don't turn to the Revlon people for help. They'll only give you the runaround.

Recent Book Purchases

2010-10-22T01:06:00.003-05:00

Recent Perfume Additions

2010-10-21T13:44:00.003-05:00

Balmain Miss Balmain

Balmain Jolie Madame

Lancome Cuir de Lancome

Recent Vintage Haul

2010-10-20T22:41:00.004-05:00

Bark colored suede coat with cream fox fur cuffs.

Cream wool cardigan with dark brown mink collar and cuffs and embroidered lining.

Sterling bracelet with aqua guilloche made in Germany.

HBO Documentary Films -- Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags

2010-10-20T21:56:00.003-05:00

“Schmatta: From Rags to Riches to Rags” - Trailer - The best bloopers are here

'Boardwalk Empire' costumes bring 1920s roaring back

2010-10-20T13:25:00.005-05:00

By Andrea Simakis for Cleveland.com

John Dunn is worried. Not overly, but still. People have told him they're so taken with the looks he and his design team created for the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire" that they are tempted to turn down the sound and simply watch the silk, wool and chiffon of the mouthwatering costumes move with the actors' bodies.

"I'm getting nervous! It's starting to feel like it's distracting," he says, laughing, during a telephone chat from his New York digs recently.

He'll have to get used to it. Now that the sumptuous period drama has been picked up for a second season, Dunn's made-in-the-USA wool suits and hand-beaded gowns are going to be distracting viewers for some time to come. How glorious.

Like another HBO show set in New Jersey chronicling the exploits of a powerful, charismatic crime boss with an eye for the dames, "Boardwalk Empire" takes place in Atlantic City in 1920 at the dawn of Prohibition and follows the adventures of corrupt county treasurer Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi). And that's where the similarities are beaten to death by dirty cops and dumped into the drink.

Unlike the fictional Tony Soprano, Nucky really lived and breathed, lording over the bustling, burgeoning boardwalk like a spats-wearing Caesar. And best of all for Dunn -- a veteran of films such as "Casino," "The Notorious Bettie Page" and "Factory Girl" -- Nucky doesn't wear XXL track suits, but favors impeccably tailored clothing and vibrant colors: sherbets and Easter pastels and Atlantic Ocean blues.

The show also shares DNA with AMC's "Mad Men" in its fanatical attention to period detail, and that fanaticism -- and we mean that in a good way -- extends to Dunn and his "Boardwalk" costume department.

Is there a character that you love dressing most?

Obviously, Nucky is just beyond exciting to dress.

I saw Nucky in peach and lavender and thought, "No way."

They did really interesting color combinations, which I've been able to research with remnants of clothing that still exist. Tailoring companies would send out these gigantic coffee-table books which would contain swatches of the fabrics that they were manufacturing, and to me, it was a complete shock, the vibrancy of the colors that they were wearing. I think it was sort of a reaction coming out of the morass of World War I -- there was a real desire to leave that behind. And Atlantic City was offering a place where it could be light and bright.

In "Boardwalk," the guys are layering, they're doing all kinds of different textures and fabrics. Do you think men in the '20s were doing riskier, or at least more interesting, things with their clothes?

I do. The silhouette for men's clothing changed dramatically after the war. Suits got very, very slim -- very, very skinny. And it's my theory that young men wanted to wear something that really set them apart from the generation before them that had caused this war, that had created this war. They really wanted to have their own look that the old guys couldn't wear.

I know that you've worked in film extensively, but is this your first TV show?

No, in fact I did the original pilot of "Mad Men," but they took it to California. And I wasn't going down there.

I don't blame you. New York is fabulous.

It's very hard doing period shows in New York because we don't have the resources here that they have in California. I would say 90 percent of the clothing that we use is imported from California, from the rental houses. And then the rest of it we build in-house. All my suits are built in Brooklyn.

Where?

There's a 100-year-old tailoring shop called Martin Greenfield. They build specialty lines for Brooks Brothers and Neiman's, but also for all the young designers like Rag & Bone and Band of Outsiders. I knew because of the hugeness of the show, I needed a big tailoring concern here in New York. They built, literally, all the suits that you see on the principal characters.

I've heard you use no modern fabrics. Is that true?

I really feel that the way that the clothing falls and fits on the body is part of what makes it look of the period. And so we restrict ourselves to the fabrics that were being used to construct clothing at the time. All the men's suits are made out of 100 percent wool from Scotland. The women's clothing is all silk, woolen and linen. I made a dress for Margaret [an Irish widow, played by Kelly Macdonald, Nucky adds to his harem] and I picked a swatch of chiffon for a dress for her, and it wasn't marked. I said, "Oh, it's a perfect color, we need this dress in three days, let's make it out of this." And it turned out that it had some polyester in it and it just wouldn't make up right. I couldn't reproduce the feel of a 1920s dress.

I'm a vintage shopper, and have bought things that looked fabulous on the hanger, then when I wore them, they literally fell apart. Do you have this problem?

We spend a lot of time restoring clothing that we have found just in order to be able to get it through a shooting sequence. And there have been incidents where we dress someone in the morning and by the end of the day, the costume is completely, literally disintegrated.

Are you dreaming about 1920s fashion?

I thought I would really be tired of it after a season, but I can't wait to go back. It was such an interesting period because for women's fashion in particular, it's the first time we're seeing what we know as the modern silhouette. Chanel had begun designing. The corset had not disappeared but it was being minimized. It was basically being used as a slimmer. Women had just recently started wearing bras and [panties] as underwear. Prior to that, it was bloomers and little chemises with the corset.

So you're making bras, too?

Oh, yeah. We make everything -- we do! The bras at that point had almost no shaping to them whatsoever. They really were pretty, much like a cotton bandeau, which was new and freeing but on the other hand, it wasn't necessarily the most flattering shape for all figures.

Not enough lift?

Exactly. They let go of everything and they said, "We're free!" And they went, "Oops!"

It's lucky you have nubile young actresses in the cast.

It's true! When the women went out, they were still wearing corsets, but when they went to, say, a jazz club or somewhere they were going to dance, everyone would retire to the ladies room and they would take their corsets off, go out and dance -- shimmy, shake -- and then at the end of the night, everybody would collect their corsets.

It's like picking up the wrong umbrella -- who has my corset? I love it.

This was a shocking thing to learn, too: In Atlantic City, they used to rent bathing suits. Ewww. A wool bathing suit? Thank you -- no.

In one of the episodes, Nucky talks about sponsoring a beauty contest -- is it Miss America?

As a draw to Atlantic City in 1921, Nucky started the Miss America pageant.

Will we see tears and tiaras in Season 2? Because that would be AMAZING.

There might be talk of a beauty pageant. That's definitely exciting, because I've got some great research for beauty pageants from that period.

Can't wait. How many people are in your crew?

It's probably about 35 to 40 people. I think we clocked in as one of the largest . . . departments for the show.

Do you have a budget, or did they just say to go crazy?

Oh, no, please. (He laughs). I know it looks like we have all the money in the world, but we have to hand in budgets once an episode and we hassle over, "Do we need this, do we need that?"

Let's talk Lucy [Nucky's No. 1 floozy, played by Paz de la Huerta]. In one scene, she's in bed with Nucky as she so often is, wearing one of the sexiest robes I've ever seen, with fringe on the arms.

It's a silk-and-satin dressing gown that we found. It's funny, because often we come up against the contemporary eye's idea of underwear and what's sexy. Sometimes, I know [audiences] expect it to be cut down to here, and everything would be a thong. The underwear from the 1920s is actually pretty discreet underwear -- but it's so gorgeous.

Lucy is one of my favorite characters.

She's fantastic, and she's fantastic to dress. Like Lucy, Paz is totally game, and she knows how to wear the clothing. It's the kind of clothing that doesn't telegraph the body exactly. It's discreet. You see bits of the body. You see the back -- low backs were popular -- but you're not getting short, short skirts and you don't get a lot of leg. It's more implied and seductively revealed. If you have a true love of clothing, you need a certain amount of it to see the play of the fabrics, to see the craftsmanship and such.

I smell a new fashion trend!

I hope so!

Christina Hendricks Harper's Bazaar Fashion Shoot Video

2010-10-11T12:57:00.003-05:00

Mr. B's New Vintage Spectators

2010-10-04T13:10:00.004-05:00

They look adorable on him!! In *almost* new condition for only $25! Etsy is the best!!

Now I just need some heels to match! Hmm.........

Tatiana Sorokko's Vintage Couture Fashion Collection on Martha Stewart

2010-09-29T13:11:00.005-05:00

Not many supermodels can boast their own exhibitions at acclaimed museums, but Tatiana Sorokko isn't your typical supermodel. After blazing trails as the first Russian to achieve global modeling fame, Tatiana built an off-runway career that's just as impressive, attaining a contributing editor position at Harper's Bazaar and building an awe-inspiring couture collection.

That collection is the subject of "Extending the Runway: Tatiana Sorokko Style," an exhibit now at the Phoenix Art Museum after premiering at the Russian Fashion Museum in Moscow. With dozens of rare garments and accessories from her closet, the collection is a testament to Tatiana's fine taste in fashion.

Tatiana is joined by designer Ralph Rucci to present pieces from her collection on "The Martha Stewart Show."

To see a video of the exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, click here.

To see the video of Tatiana Sorokko and Ralph Rucci on the Martha Stewart Show, click here.

Vintage Retailer to the Stars: NY Times Article

2010-09-29T13:04:00.004-05:00

THE HUNT Shareen Mitchell, a vintage boutique owner with a TV show in the works, looks for stock on Long Island.

By ALEX WILLIAMS

Published: September 15, 2010

LONG ago, this black taffeta cocktail dress from the Eisenhower era probably knew a happier life — one of icy martinis and tail fins, backyard barbecues and Perry Como ballads. But after years of neglect at the bottom of a garbage bag full of old clothes, its hemline was shredded by rot. It now looked like a burial shroud for Morticia Addams.

But the dress was not a lost cause in the eyes of Shareen Mitchell, a vintage curator and entrepreneur whose cult-favorite shops in Chelsea and Los Angeles have become a treasure chest for red-carpet celebrities, fashion houses and Vogue editors.

It was a muggy afternoon last month, and Ms. Mitchell was on a buying trip to a retired vintage dealer’s house in Port Washington, N.Y., trailed by a camera crew. With the steely squint of an archaeologist on a dig, she ran a finger over a flower-shaped lace design sewn onto the skirt of the dress. The lace pattern, she thought, might inspire a design for a contemporary dress or a T-shirt.

“What I really do is I sort through thousands and thousands of pounds of used clothing, and from that mess I edit out what is useful,” she said. “I’m not that interested in vintage, just for vintage’s sake.”

Indeed, Ms. Mitchell also re-cuts vintage items, turning what might be a throwaway into something completely new and modern, like an ’80s evening grown that might become a strapless minidress.

Until recently, her two stores, which are named Shareen Vintage, have been something of a fashionistas’ secret. She keeps her prices low — pieces are typically $30 to $80 — but she has a strong following among those for whom price is no object, including celebrities like Ivanka Trump, Katy Perry, Christina Hendricks and Michelle Williams.

But her days below the radar may be numbered. Scouts for established designers like Ralph Lauren rummage her racks, looking for ideas. Earlier this summer, she had a pop-up store inside Madewell, the younger offshoot of J.Crew.

And next winter, Ms. Mitchell will star in a new reality show (hence the cameras), “Dresscue Me,” on Planet Green. The show will be equal parts “American Pickers,” with its attic-crawling treasure hunts, and “The Rachel Zoe Project,” with Ms. Mitchell playing the retro-minded makeover genie.

“Shareen does the hard part: she goes all over the United States to gather up these one-of-a-kind garments for designers to come to look,” said Hilary Gaul, vice president for women’s design at Ralph Lauren’s Lauren division. “It’s one-stop shopping. You can see clothing from all different eras in one place, and get print inspiration, trim inspiration, inspiration on silhouette and details.”

Anna Corinna of Foley & Corinna said that Ms. Mitchell “has the eye of a designer,” and added that “every time we go there, we find pieces we use.”

Most vintage clothing dealers, whether they peddle Marcia Brady minidresses to East Village post-grads or $2,000 Halston gowns to Bel-Air socialites, are historians by instinct. Ms. Mitchell, however, considers herself more of a tastemaker than an archivist.

“I don’t want to dress somebody who looks like they’re walking out of a magazine from 40 years ago,” said Ms. Mitchell, who was wearing a 1940s floral floor-length housedress she had re-cut into a Katharine Hepburn-worthy gown on her Long Island jaunt. “I want her to look very fashionable and very now.”

Young Hollywood has embraced her as if she were a hot new designer. Actresses like Busy Philipps (“Cougar Town”) and Autumn Reeser (“Entourage”) have been seen on the red carpet in her outfits. Scarlett Johansson wore a ’40s cream-satin dress from her boutique at the Venice Film Festival a few years ago. “You can look at her face and know that she’s ’40s,” Ms. Mitchell said.

André Leon Talley from Vogue also dropped in to the Los Angeles boutique recently — they made an exception in admitting him, since the boutique has a chalkboard sign that reads “Sorry, no boys allowed” out in front, because they have no dressing rooms and women change in the aisles.

Ms. Mitchell, a former television actress, starting selling vintage clothing from a small booth at the Melrose Trading Post, a Los Angeles flea market, in 2004. Her Los Angeles store has since grown to a 5,000-square-foot warehouse, with half the space devoted to retail, and the other half for the trade (organized by period, textile or condition).

The New York boutique, which opened last year on the second floor of a West 17th Street walk-up, is laid out like an artist’s loft, with 2,000 pieces crammed onto racks. There is no sign. Employees just hang a red dress off the fire escape when the shop is open.

Despite Ms. Mitchell’s encounters with fashion designers and movie stars, the daily duties of her career are less than glamorous. The reality involves burying herself shoulder-deep in musty piles of clothing at textile-recycling warehouses, trying to find gems before they can be shredded into rags. She once found an unworn pink Chanel suit, still with tags, that she bought for $15 and sold for $400, she said.

While Ms. Mitchell employs a team of rigorously trained young assistants to go on buying missions for her at private homes and Salvation Army stores all over Southern California, she doesn’t really seem to trust anyone’s eye but her own. “The fastest way for a girl to lose her job in my store is to start buying, because it’s so hard,” she said. “They have to try to understand my taste.”

Digging through the piles of old clothing in Long Island, she sounded as sternly discerning as a museum curator as she tossed aside pantsuits from the 1970s with a dismissive snort.

Within seconds of picking up a piece, she categorized it by era, fabric, style and sociological context. She lingered on a neatly tailored business suit with shoulder pads, for example, but decided it was too ’80s working-woman to sell, she said. “It was the women’s movement — broad shoulders, ‘I am as much a man as you,’ very covered up,” Ms. Mitchell said of the era. “Women today want to show something off — boobs, backs, legs.”

Sleeker pieces from a decade earlier got more favorable treatment. “The ’70s is happening again in a certain way,” she said. Not the campy disco polyester way, but “the very clean end of the ’70’s — like Faye Dunaway in ‘Eyes of Laura Mars.’ ”

She picked up a suede shift dress in camel by Ted Lapidus. That was a keeper.

Iris Apfel on Martha Stewart

2010-09-29T12:41:00.005-05:00

Iris Apfel is a true fashion original. Renowned in style circles for her eclectic taste, Iris has amassed a stunning collection of garments over her 80-plus years. In fact, her pieces have been featured in exhibits at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Peabody Essex Museum outside Boston.

Wearing a white leather overblouse with floral work by Gianni Versace, Iris shares some of her favorite pieces on "The Martha Stewart Show."

Mannequin 1 (Top Photo, Left)

* Black sequin fringe dress (Prada), found on a discount rack at a mall
* Black satin skinny pants (Gucci)
* Ropes of chunky necklaces (vintage French and David Mandel), lots of bangle bracelets
* Silver glitter shoes (Paul Mayer)

Mannequin 2 (Top Photo, Right)

* Dark-brown chintz jacket (Galanos), bought in a Palm Beach vintage store
* Taupe turtleneck
* Bronze snakeskin pants (Fendi), bought on sale
* Beaded mask necklace
* Metallic bangle bracelets (Masha Archer)
* Gold metallic snakeskin shoes (J. Renee)

Mannequin 3 (Bottom Photo, Left)

* Denim coat with beaded flower work and fringe on bottom, bought in Santa Fe
* Red leather pants with studs (Ungaro), bought in Paris many years ago
* Red turtleneck
* Red and turquoise bangle bracelets
* Denim moccasins (Beltrami)

Mannequin 4 (Bottom Photo, Right)

* Striped suede pants (Dolce & Gabanna)
* Brown suede shirt with beadwork (Tasha Polizzi), purchased at a trade show
* Turquoise and coral necklace
* Butterfly pins and bracelets
* Zuni belt
* Multicolor handbag
* Orange leather loafers (Bottega Veneta)

To see the video of the interview on the Martha Stewart Show, click here.

Goodbye Summer - Last Sandal Purchase of the Season

2010-08-30T15:56:00.007-05:00

Retro Looks, Almost at Retro Prices

2010-08-26T12:47:00.003-05:00

By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

Published: August 25, 2010

Pantsuits that echo the days of Glam Rock, “Mad Men” era skirts, austere military coats, sumptuous furs: the looks designers are showing this fall could fulfill your every retro fashion fantasy.

That is, if you can afford the likes of Louis Vuitton, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Balmain, Chanel and Gucci.

I, on the other hand, cannot. So I decided to trawl my favorite New York thrift stores to find some of the original inspirations at a fraction of the cost of their 2010 counterparts. I figured it would be a breeze. But then, while inspecting some cheap 1970s pantsuits, I began to fear that walking around in one would make me look as if I were en route to a Halloween party.

A chat with a stylish colleague confirmed my suspicion. I asked if it was wise to pinch pennies on such a thing. She wrinkled her nose and vigorously shook her head. Too awful for words.

So much for Glam Rock. Instead, I went further back in time and focused on finding affordable versions of one of my favorite retro looks: 1950s skirts that emphasize the wasp waists of their wearers — and that cost thousands of dollars at Saks and Bergdorf Goodman. (While I could have also browsed for military-style jackets, I already own a couple and am not aiming to outfit a platoon. If you’re in the market for one, though, inexpensive versions are ubiquitous.)

First step: You have to be realistic about just how much you’ll save by going vintage. For instance, on a recent afternoon at an outpost of Ina, the designer consignment chain in Manhattan, a luxurious black full skirt by Thakoon was $150. That’s hardly inexpensive, though it is considerably less than a new Thakoon skirt, which is typically around $400.

On the Web, a search for “1950” on Etsy.com turns up many vintage varieties with pleats and high waists, in an array of colors and playful patterns, for about $30 each. On eBay.com, you can snap up vintage skirts for even less — around $20 — while 1950s party dresses go for about $50.

You can also snag the real deal at ShrimptonCouture.com, which is searchable by decade and offers some of the most elaborate 1950s styles around. Here, voluminous sundresses and vintage frocks embellished with satin, chiffon, taffeta and rhinestones — several with built-in tulle underskirts — cost about $175 to $325.

If you’re not in the mood to scour the Web or the city’s thrift stores but still want to try on the season’s retro-inspired fashions, you’re in luck. Major chain stores are filling their aisles with the kinds of ladylike skirts donned by June Cleaver and Brigitte Bardot alike.

At Macy’s, a Jones New York Signature gray stretch circle skirt is $79. Zara, the fast-fashion chain from Spain, is offering several styles, including a swingy black skirt for $79.90 that embodies the trend. At J. C. Penney, similar skirts cost about $25 to $40.

A $59.95 Edme & Esyllte cotton skirt with a green geometric pattern at Anthropologie is, as the retailer describes it, “a twist on the 1950s circle skirt.” The chain’s “feathered perch skirt” — a navy circle skirt with a few feathers artfully arranged at the waist — is $148. The “1952 skirt,” $138, is shorter and splashed with autumnal colors.

Other trends this season are more timeless, like the raft of fur stoles, jackets and vests hitting stores. Several designers incorporated fur into their fall collections. Yet perhaps none embraced it on their runways as much as Chanel did, where fur-entombed models called to mind the abominable snowman.

The good news for those who prefer not to wear the real thing is that fake furs are just as hot. Luxury department stores are selling faux fur vests for upward of $300, but fast-fashion versions are much less costly — and already disappearing from store racks.

Zara has enough fake fur to build a new mascot for every Major League team in the nation. A faux red fox long hooded shell that hits about mid-thigh is $79.90. A black faux fur vest is $89.90. A cappuccino-colored short sleeve vest and a bushy bright-white, long-haired coat are $99.90 each.

If just a hint of fur will sate you, there are chunky knit sweaters with fur detailing in neutral hues like cream, gray and brown for $39.90. And a faux fur leopard-print stole is $59.90.

For those seeking coats, Topshop has leopard faux fur in gray for $200 and fawn for $190. A cropped version with a shawl collar is $170. A peach above-the-knee car coat with three-quarter-length sleeves (the sort that screams film noir) is $190.

At Macy’s, an INC International Concepts long-haired black faux fur vest is $89. A short Jack faux fur vest with a subtle gray chevron pattern is $65. Should you and your teenage daughter care to wear matching pelts, the store’s Material Girl Collection includes a black faux fur vest for $34.

Rachel Zoe, the celebrity stylist and reality television show staple, is selling a $79.80 faux fur vest in “chinchilla,” “black fox,” “red fox” and “silver,” on QVC and QVC.com. Her V-neck vest with a faux fur front is $62. A faux fur toggle coat with a wing collar is $118.20, and a faux fur pull-through scarf is $29.

Also on the Web, Boston Proper has a long-haired faux fur ivory “glamour vest,” as the retailer describes it, for $119.

Still, if you have your heart set on acquiring, say, a ’70s-style lamé bodysuit, check out Ricky’s NYC or American Apparel, where shiny high-waist leggings are $49, a small price to pay for a psychedelic experience.

New Sandal Purchases

2010-08-25T13:23:00.009-05:00

All Hail the Humble Espadrille!

2010-08-23T12:59:00.004-05:00

By DALE FUCHS

Published: August 16, 2010

Castañer's website.

MADRID — The humble jute-soled shoe seemed headed for a museum shelf when Isabel Sauras and her husband took over the family espadrille business, Castañer, in the Catalonian town of Banyoles.

It was 1959, and a wave of belated industrialization was sweeping agrarian Spain. Farmers had abandoned their small hilly plots for stable factory jobs in the cities. They no longer needed those cheap, ankle-tie sandals to work the fields in the summer heat.

Many espadrille factories in Catalonia and the French and Spanish Basque regions cut their final braids. But Isabel Sauras and her husband, Lorenzo Castañer, clung to their rope and, with the help of Yves Saint Laurent and other designers, turned the traditional peasant shoe into a fashion statement.

“It was like when the refrigerator did away with the ceramic water jugs,” recalled Ms. Sauras, 77, who still designs the Castañer line. “We saved the espadrille from a museum future and kept it alive in a very contemporary way.”

Today, the Castañer factory, founded in 1927, creates luxury, high-heeled espadrilles for 15 designer labels, including Lanvin, Hermès and Christian Louboutin, and it crafts its own collections for 17 Castañer boutiques in Spain, France and Japan. Their star model, “the peasant,” is a fixture at Spain’s outdoor cafes. It has sold eight million pairs to date.

According to Ms. Sauras, the factory is Spain’s sole survivor of the jute-soled heyday of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, when Salvador Dalí would shuffle about his native Figueres in a white canvas pair bought at the local Castañer store.

Few of the factory’s original clients would be able to toil in, say, the thigh-high, black leather model that Castañer created for a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion show in the late 1980s. And a small-time farmer probably couldn’t afford the €200, or about $255, metallic-leather sandals with platform heels on display recently at a Castañer boutique in Madrid.

But more than 40 specialized seamstresses still hand-stitch the uppers — decorated with everything from zebra prints to Swarovski crystals — to the coiled jute soles. And the factory uses the same jute braiding machines that its founder, Luis Castañer, employed to supply footwear to Republican soldiers during the Spanish Civil War.

“It was cheaper to give each soldier two or three pairs of espadrilles than to give him one pair of shoes,” said Antonio Castañer, the firm’s financial director. The sandals were so strategic that the army nationalized the factory in 1938.

Spain has long been known for making fine shoes, but few shoemakers themselves are recognized abroad. That’s because the industry is composed of small, family-run workshops and factories too tight on cash, or too set in their ways, to worry about building a brand, according to Josep Maria Galí, a professor of marketing at ESADE Business School in Barcelona. Competition from China has put many of those shoemakers out of business.

But Castañer is now one of several family-run Spanish shoemakers who are capitalizing on traditional craftsmanship to carve an international niche. For these artisans, perhaps their greatest problem will be continuing to find skilled workers willing to wield a 15-centimeter, or six-inch, needle.

“I don’t know what we’ll do in 20 years, but we’ll manage,” said Felix Fuster, a fourth-generation espadrille maker who exports his hand-made men’s styles from a workshop in the eastern province of Castellón. He relies on a legion of seamstresses who work from home. “The average age is 70,” he quipped.

Amid the towering jute wedges on display at a Castañer boutique, a modern shopper might have trouble recognizing the original canvas flat, worn mostly by men in only one color combination: white with black ribbons. In 1930, a pair cost two Spanish pesetas, or about a cent, Ms. Sauras said.

That ankle-tie look, born in ancient Mesopotamia, might seem chic in pictures of Ancient Greece, but the espadrille traveled the Mediterranean no thanks to fashion. It owed its popularity to the practical properties of the soles, made of esparto grass, hemp and later jute, according to Luis Castañer, the founder’s grandson, who oversees production at the Castañer factory.

“Jute isolates the feet from cold, humidity and heat,” he said.

In Spain, the espadrille became a wardrobe staple in the 14th century throughout the so-called Crown of Aragon, a region that included Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic islands. Each town would give their espadrilles a unique signature — a wider ribbon here, a thicker sole there, an extra crisscross at the back of the ankle. These regional varieties are still worn at town festivals.

But how did those lowly scuffs morph, Cinderella-like, into a fashion staple?

“The struggle to stay alive,” Ms. Sauras said. “We had 130 people working for us in a small town and we felt terrible to put all those people in the street. But it wasn’t just altruism, we wanted to do something different.”

So in the 1960s they turned the peasant shoe into a back-to-roots statement for the Catalan middle class and a beach-vacation look for northern Europeans who had recently discovered the Spanish coasts. They also started traveling to trade fairs in Paris.

That’s how, in 1970, Ms. Sauras met Yves Saint Laurent. He asked her to make him a satin pair with a 2-inch wedge.

“He said he had tried espadrille factories in France, but nobody could interpret his ideas,” she recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t know if we’ll be able to do it, but I understand what you’re looking for.”’

Soon Ms. Sauras and her husband managed to produce a model with gold satin ribbons, red satin uppers and gold thread mixed with jute coils. Yves Saint Laurent set them sauntering down the runway. “It was a sensation,” Ms. Sauras said.

She gave shape to his jute-braid fantasies for the next 15 years. She also worked closely with designers at Christian Dior, Armani and Louis Vuitton.

Now the Castañer family tracks their espadrilles around the globe. Their list of celebrity feet includes Grace Kelly, Meryl Streep and Scarlett Johansson in Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

Sometimes they seem to view the world from the ground up.

Like the time in the 1970s when Ms. Sauras followed a woman in “perfect white slacks and a navy blazer” for blocks in Manhattan, staring at espadrilles she was certain were Castañer. A security guard finally shooed her away. The owner of the suspect shoes was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

“She must have thought I was crazy,” Ms. Sauras said.

It’s hard to imagine how the Catalan peasants of yore might react to the espadrille’s modern mutations. But at least some traditional clients don’t mind if their beloved symbol of regional identity now dangles from manicured toes in Saks Fifth Avenue.

“My mother and I enjoy seeing them” as fashion shoes, said Emma Guardiola, a 33-year-old government worker who laces on espadrilles each year to dance the “baile rodado” in the main square of her town, Cinctorres, in Castellón, Valencia. “It’s something you’ve seen all your life taking another form. And to keep producing the simple version we wear, you have to have demand of another type.”

She and her dance partners stick to the classic look, however: white canvas uppers, red laces and a flat, braided sole.

Vintage Fashion: Bill Blass Fall 1985

2010-08-20T23:19:00.002-05:00

New Purchases

2010-08-20T01:51:00.005-05:00

Fall 2010 - Photographed by Melvin Sokolsky

2010-08-19T17:11:00.012-05:00

I'm not dead!

2010-07-08T00:02:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting folks! Truth be told, I think I started following WAY too many blogs and when Bloglovin makes it so easy to add more and more blogs, keeping up with them all, the reading and the commenting, not to mention posting on my own blog, well it kinda started feeling like a job. And that's not what this is about, blogging should be fun! So for the time being, I may pop back in every so often, but I just don't have the blogging energy in me that I did before.

However, have no fear! If you have a twitter account, you can keep track of my daily goings on and fashion finds by following me at LANTANA19. I keep a regular feed over there and it's kinda like a scaled down version of what I have going on here at Millie Deel, only with a lot less images and some more personal stuff, like nail polish updates! Gotta love those!

I've been missing you all so much and I still love getting comments. So when I get my bloggy mojo back, I promise to let you all know! In the mean time, trot on over to Twitter and be my friend!!!!

Too gorgeous for words.......

2010-06-17T23:00:00.005-05:00

Can't you just see Dita carrying this while wearing some luscious chocolate colored evening gown? Well she's probably one of the few able to afford a piece that would be used so rarely. It can be yours on Ebay for the starting bid of $250 or Buy It Now at $280. Wouldn't it be such a nice little bauble for the closet?

Etsy Jewelry Artist Round Up

2010-06-16T22:03:00.003-05:00

Illesteva Eyewear: Inspired by 50's Havana

2010-06-16T13:38:00.006-05:00

Found out about this gorgeous line of eyewear by Illesteva today via E. P. Cutler on Twitter, who is fab by the way and if you have a Twitter account, you NEED to be following.

Illesteva isn't a well known brand but there are a few etailers that I know of selling this line, Steven Alan, Gargyle, Oki-Ni and Kuhlman Seattle They also have a Twitter account although it doesn't seem to be real active.

Price wise, in the grand scheme of things, they aren't TOO expensive, hovering around the $180 mark for a pair. But these are definitely classic designs that you would be able to wear for many decades to come. So just think of them in terms of cost per wear ;)

More direct lines of communication with Ms. B.....

2010-05-07T22:25:00.003-05:00

For those of you who haven't noticed the little chick icon over there on the right, if you would like to know about my lesser daily ongoings and commentaries that don't make it to my blog, follow me on Twitter @lantana19.

Also, if any of you have had any recent questions pop up that you would like answered, head on over to Formspring and send it my way here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Mr. B is on his way home right now and I'm about to go out for some Swedish crepes with lingonberries!!

Prospecting in Manhattan’s Richest Vintage Veins ~ NY Times Article

2010-05-07T16:23:00.003-05:00

By SARAH MASLIN NIR

Published: May 5, 2010

Gingerly, I picked the pile apart, pinching the barest corner of each grimy garment between thumb and index finger, reluctant to touch them. Who knew where they’d been? Or what sort of person had worn them?

But when I uncovered what lay beneath them, those concerns disappeared like last season’s Paddington bag. Under the pile of offensive and out-of-style rags were the swirling curlicues of an Emilio Pucci mini dress with a structured bodice that riffed on Madonna’s racy Vogue bra.

I caught my breath. It was $5.

IT happened only once, but once was enough to fan a flame of desire that has burned ever since. As I ambled past a pile of crumpled clothes at a used clothing sale — a crushed blouse, a wrinkled pashmina, faded “mom jeans” configured in that terrifying ’80s silhouette that could give even Keira Knightley a muffin top — I spotted a rivulet of a familiar pastel in the sea of castoffs.

Finds like this help thrift and vintage shoppers steel themselves against the onerous task of sifting through racks of vile and/or unfashionable clothing that seem to make up 99 percent of most shops’ inventories.

But in Manhattan, a host of vintage and consignment stores have done the work for you, selecting the best used (or more euphemistically, “pre-loved”) clothing and selling it at reasonable rates. Even some of the city’s thrift stores — where goods are sometimes less choice because they are provided by donations from the public — are pleasant, run by staff members who tastefully curate their stock.

Shops come in several varieties. Some thrift shops are run for profit and some donate proceeds to a particular charity and are run by volunteers. Then there are vintage shops, specializing in retro clothing, often from a spectrum of eras. Finally there are consignment stores, where owners drop off their unwanted clothing to be sold, sharing a percentage of the profit with the store’s proprietor. The price typically goes down the longer the item remains unsold.

A search on Whitepages.com turns up more than 100 of these types of stores. In Manhattan, we have narrowed the list to 14 — hardly exhaustive, yet a good sampling of stores that have consistently high-quality inventory, as well as high turnover, which often enhances the chances of stumbling on a great find.

Connoisseurs will note that some of the most recognizable names, like Reminiscence and Screaming Mimi’s, aren’t on this list, on the theory that the lesser-known shops are more likely to hold overlooked treasures. In addition, we did not include well-known outlets like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, though the Salvation Army store in Chelsea (208 Eighth Avenue) is worth an occasional visit and the Goodwill on the Upper East Side (1704 Second Avenue) is a jeans collector’s dream: The second floor has more than 900 pairs — we counted — and each pair sells for $9.99.

While you might not find Pucci perfection for a fiver on your first outing — or even your 10th — the hunt is half the fun.

Following are promising sources of used clothing in Manhattan, grouped by neighborhood. See more here.

LOCAL CLOTHING

328 East Ninth Street

(212) 777-3850

VINTAGE STORE

localclothingnyc.blogspot.com

The name is a bit of a misnomer as some of the clothes here, like an African dashiki and coarse linen tunic, are from far-flung locales. The shop highlights seasonal trends (right now it’s “ethnic”) and blogs about what’s in the store on its Web site.

Recent find: Batik-patterned tunic, $68.

Current favorite products

2010-05-05T16:23:00.005-05:00

This isn't a fashion post at all but I've come across some products as of late that I'm loving and I thought I'd share. I always love seeing the "products of the month" videos from Youtube beauty gurus and finding out about products I may not have known about before. So since I don't do videos, I thought I would do a post about what I love.

1. Burt's Bees Color Keeper Green Tea and Fennel Seed shampoo and conditioner.
When I shop for shampoos I always look for products that are sulfate free not necessarily because of what sulfates can do to your hair but your skin, specifically the skin all over your body, not just your scalp. Think about it, when you rinse all of the shampoo out of your hair, it comes in contact with your whole body, not just your head. So if you are susceptible to being sensitive to ingredients like me, you have to look at shampoos in terms of your hair AND body needs, not just the former.

This is the first sulfate free shampoo that has gotten progressively better as I've used it. At first your hair will not like this. But the more you use it, the better it gets and the smell is heavenly! I can definitely smell the green tea but the fennel gives it a kick of spiciness that is so unique. A word of advice though, do not attempt to use this shampoo without using a conditioner afterward, you will regret it.

2. Beauty Without Cruelty Leave In Conditioner

I have always loved using a leave in conditioner before blow drying my hair. It just seems to help tame any frizzies and helps my hair do what I want it to do. For the longest time I was using Neutrogena's Silk Touch Leave In Cream and when I figured out that it has a bunch of nasty ingredients that I probably didn't want to be exposing myself to on a regular basis, I switched to this and haven't looked back. It does everything the Neutrogena cream did but has nothing but good ingredients.

3. Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash

Besides lye soap, this is the most simple face wash, ingredient wise, that I've ever seen or used. You can understand every ingredient. It has castile soap and the rest of the ingredients are oils and essences. That's it. Now for those of you thinking, that since it has oils you can't use it because you have oily or breakout prone skin, think again. I have had oily/acne prone skin for almost 20 years now. I have never seen more consistent results from a cleanser than from this one. Best of all, you can buy a 32 oz bottle online for less than $8! If you get a foaming pump bottle it will last you even longer! I think I have finally found my HG cleanser, knock on wood!

4. Desert Essence 100% Jojoba Oil
I use this for the following:

To tame hair flyaways after styling with a blow dryer. No, it doesn't make your hair look greasy if you use a small amount, i.e. one drop.

For my facial moisturizer. This will NOT break you out. In fact it will help heal blemishes you already have as it has anti-bacterial properties. Small amount needed here too, one drop, maybe two if you want to do your neck as well.

For my nail and cuticle moisturizer. Again, only a small amount needed. Your nails and cuticles will soak it right up.

It does all of these things and you're only dealing with one ingredient. So simple but so effective. Why didn't I think to use this sooner?

4. Yes to Cucumbers Face Cleanser Towelettes.
Sometimes I like to give my skin and hair a break from showering. Exposing your hair and skin to water everyday is actually kind of harsh on them, especially with all of the chemical treatments pumped into our public water systems. So on those days, I use these to cleanse my face. It leaves me feeling completely clean and no water is needed. Depending on how oily my face is that day I sometimes use two at the most but they do a great job. and you're saving water at the same time! For those of you concerned about the waste factor, these are biodegradable and the package they come in is recyclable.

5. Crabtree and Evelyn Black Tea, Sugarcane and Vetiver Body Mist.

When I smelled the Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner I mentioned for the first time, I knew I had smelled a scent before that was very similar but I couldn't put a finger on it. I then figured out it was this fragrance. It's very green but very spicy at the same time. Very hard to describe. If you get the shampoo and you like the scent, look for this body spray, you'll like it as well.

6. Burt's Bees Natural Toothpaste Whitening with Fluoride.
For those of you who would prefer your toothpaste without fluoride, there is an option for that as well. I, however, need all of the anti-cavity help I can get. This is great toothpaste, great taste and texture. It has just a little bit of graininess, what feels like baking soda to make your teeth feel like they got a good scrubbing. This is also sulfate free which is important for the skin around your mouth. Yes, your toothpaste can give you acne around your mouth so make sure you are getting a sulfate free toothpaste as well.

7. Opulent Alchemy Tom Ford (type) Tobacco Vanille

For those of you who like gourmand and/or oriental scents, this is something you will love. The vanilla is definitely the first thing you smell but it also has the tobacco at the very end rounding it off and making it very creamy and heady. Great price too, only $4.75 for a purse size roll on bottle. I really recommend this seller, she has so many great scents to choose from, great prices and she sends samples as well.

Sunglasses that make everyone stop and stare.....

2010-05-01T00:36:00.004-05:00

....either because they think you look fabulous or that you look like a fool! But who cares! Recognize this lady?

What about this one? I have always wanted glasses shaped just like Iris's and Edna's and they are on Ebay for cheap!

These are the perfect duplicate! Got them today and LOVE THEM! Got stares everywhere I went! I felt very chic teetering around on my sky high espadrilles wearing my bug glasses!

They come in white too! Click on the pic to go to the listing!

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston

2010-04-30T11:42:00.004-05:00

I thought it was so funny after I posted the scan from my Halston book that I found out about this new movie. I must see this!

What are you doing for the weekend? Any exciting plans?

I'll be at home and alone this next week as Mr. B is going to California for a training conference. *tear*

But because of his departure, I ordered a couple of new scents off of Etsy to try from seller Opulent Alchemy. She apparently does pretty good dupes or types of famous fragrances. We shall see. I ordered a copy of Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille and Fresh's Tobacco Caramel.

2010-04-27T15:55:00.003-05:00

Halston reshapes and revives the sweater set. March 1973. From the book Halston: An American Original by Elaine Gross and Fred Rottman. Click on the photo for a closer look.

Hello again!

2010-04-26T23:22:00.014-05:00

Sorry for the long absence. Sometimes life gets in the way and the exploring/expressing oneself takes a back seat to other more pressing although less satisfying things. You know how it is if you have a blog yourself.

Anyway, in the midst of my absence, I got a new printer/scanner! Yay! So when I'm suffering with a lack of inspiration for posts, I'll just scan an image from one of my many vintage fashion books for your perusing pleasure!

So here's the first image: from the book Airports and Stars which is full of B&W photos of American as well as Italian cinematic stars getting off of airplanes or in airports. This is a great window into what was worn by stars during the mid 20th century for traveling, who wanted to look their best but no doubt be comfortable as well.

This is Lucia Bose' in 1955. I really enjoy this photo because while her dress is quite 50's notice her hair is something that wouldn't be seen in this country until the 60's and even 70's in some places. Proof that Europeans have almost always had the edge over us Yanks in the trend department. Click on the photo to have a closer look.

I hope everyone has been well! I've missed you all!

Iconic Shoe Styles

2010-04-08T15:38:00.009-05:00

1. The Frye Campus Boot - introduced in the 1960's

There are certain shoes styles that every woman needs to have at least one pair of in her closet. These are shoes that have stood the test of time, shoes that haven't faded away only to resurface, these are shoes that just plain haven't gone anywhere since they were introduced. The apparel equivalents to these shoes are the white t-shirt, blue jeans, khaki slacks, and the navy blazer.

Also interesting to note, none of these shoes will hurt you. As much as I love heels, there is an overall love/hate relationship with them and the general population, which is why they have taken on so many forms over the decades. The shoe industry has to keep revamping them to keep them interesting and to keep women from saying, "Aw, to hell with all of these aches and blisters, I'm wearing flats!" The following list of shoes have never needed tweaking, they are just that. damn. good.

What are these shoes, you ask? Print this list out ladies, for the next time you go shoe shopping. I would never lead you astray and these are shoes that you can wear till they put you in the ground. Talk about investment pieces!

2. The Bernardo Miami Sandal - introduced in 1960

3. The Jack Rogers Navajo Sandal - introduced in 1960

4. The Dr. Scholl's Exercise Sandal - introduced in 1968

5. The Jack Purcell Tennis Shoe - introduced in 1935

6. The Sperry Top Sider Boat Shoe - introduced in 1935

7. The Bass Weejun Penny Loafer - introduced in 1936

8. The Repetto Ballet Flat - introduced in 1956

I hope everyone has a wonderful upcoming weekend! If anyone has anymore questions they've been wanting to ask me, send them my way! I get a real kick out of answering them! Just type them into the little formspring field on the right!

Were you to do personal shopping, what would your rates be?

2010-04-08T14:12:00.001-05:00

Haha, I'm not sure! Being a personal shopper is always something I've wanted to do, either independently or through a department store. My current location impedes me from doing it through the latter so I suppose independent is the way to go! I've been told throughout my life by friends and family that I would be a great buyer and/or personal shopper. I did my internship at a buying office and LOVED IT!

Anyway, I think the best thing for anyone to do if they would like to consider having me work with them would be to contact me at fashiontemptress@gmail.com and I'm sure we can work something out.

Thanks for the inquiry!!!

Ask me anything

How do you find the perfect item? You make the best fashion discoveries!

2010-04-06T13:34:00.001-05:00

I search, and search, and search, and search until I find EXACTLY what I'm after. I am very much a gatherer. It's no big deal for me to spend hours on Etsy or eBay looking through pages of things to find something that catches my eye or fulfills something that I've been looking for. Also, I have no problem going into thrift stores and literally spending hours in just one, thumbing through every single piece of clothing that they have on the racks, you can find the best stuff that way!

For example, I recently went to a Goodwill in Austin and came out with a pair of Carolina Herrera sunglasses for $2, a Charles Nolan skirt for $5, and 10 designer button down shirts for Mr. B for $5 a piece. But, that was after spending, I know, a good hour and a half in that store flipping through everything on almost every rack. Great vintage and thrifted things can be had if you have the patience to look for them.

Also, I have a great knowledge of well made fabric and also fabrics used for clothing during certain periods. One tip when looking for vintage, stay away from the knits unless you're looking for vintage sweaters. Hardly anything, until about the late 60's on was made out of knit. There are some early examples of course but the chance of coming across that in your local Goodwill is rare. Look for high quality woven fabrics in wool, linen and cotton. Fabrics like these will not only be more likely to have maintained their integrity over the years but the overall shape of the garment will be better as well. Overall, even with modern pieces, unless it's a layering piece like a t-shirt, I stay away from knits. They get stretched out, they pill, and they lose their color more quickly. Sure they are more comfortable but it's very hard to keep a Jersey knit shirt looking the same after 10 years whereas with a woven fabric shirt, it's quite easy with the proper maintenance.

Whew, ok I rambled a bit on that one! Hope you aren't asleep by now!!

Great question as well, thanks so much for asking!!

Ask me anything

Do you wear vintage/vintage inspired clothes every day or just on special occasions?

2010-04-06T00:06:00.001-05:00

I don't wear vintage items absolutely everyday but I do wear them on a pretty regular basis. I tend to find that the easiest vintage pieces to work into everyday outfits, for myself, are the embellished cardigans from the 1950's, handbags, skirts, and coats when the weather is chilly. I would say that the one type of vintage item that only gets worn on special occasions would be my vintage shoes as all of them are heels and I only wear heels at particular times.

When I wear vintage, I never wear actual vintage from head to toe. I always incorporate modern pieces with vintage pieces, even if it's a modern piece that looks vintage.

That was a great question, thanks so much!!!

Ask me anything

What is your favorite movie of all time?

2010-03-30T21:45:00.001-05:00

Gosh this is such a hard question to answer!! If I had to choose one movie to take with me to a deserted island, that is if I had the capability of viewing a movie on a deserted island, it would be Enchanted April. To me, viewing that movie is like a drug, it's just so calming and reassuring. I love everything about it, the scenery, the actors, the costumes, and the storyline. Ironically, I don't even own a copy of it. For the longest time it wasn't available on DVD, but recently it's been released on DVD. I'm waiting to get a used copy at a good price but I might not be able to wait much longer!

Thanks so much for your question!!

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-03-30T15:16:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/milliedeel

Shades of Apricot, Blush and Coral

2010-03-17T15:30:00.007-05:00

Pieces I love that fall into blush/coral color family. Click on the pics for more info. Nothing green I know, but I've always been an against the grain kinda girl ;)

Recent Library Additions

2010-03-16T14:33:00.010-05:00

One of the things that my husband and I have in common is that we are both media hoarders. We can spend hours in movie and book stores and come out with piles of both and when we get home, we store most of them away. I think it's somewhat of a comfort knowing that they are there when we want to watch them or read them and that it doesn't have to be done right away. These are some of the recent books I've bought. These weren't all purchased at once, this is just like an accumulative haul post of the past few months. Click on the books to go to the Amazon page.

Liberty of London for Target Goodies!!

2010-03-14T20:07:00.009-05:00

Mr. B. and I went out for breakfast this morning and and afterward he asked me if there was anywhere else I wanted to go. So we went to Marshalls, Old Navy and Ross but didn't see anything. Old Navy looks like a box of neon crayons vomited all over the store. 80's revival please go away!!!

So we went home, I plopped down in front of the computer, got onto Facebook and saw a little banner on the side about the Liberty of London for Target collection. I then screamed, "We have to go to Target, I forgot all about the Liberty collection!!" So as I'm running towards the door putting my clothes on at the same time, Mr. B asks, "We gotta go where for what and why?!" I said, "You'll understand when we get there, just drive!"

So glad I got there when I did, the women were going nuts in there!! It looked like the Saturday before Easter when everyone is dashing to get something new to wear to church and they always put it off till the last minute.

I was going to get the wellies, which are UBER cute, but I already have a pair of wellies that I hardly ever wear and I figured it would be pointless to have another pair so I was a good girl and left them there.

So I got this top, this was the only clothing item besides the maxi-dresses, which I know are about to be on their way out, that looked good on me.

This is a closeup of the fabric of the shirt.

Great little plant pot to kick off my spring gardening.

Love this pillow! The pillows are filled with feathers and the backs are done in coordinating velvet! This looks yellow but it's actually a lovely chartreuse!

So that's my little mini Liberty haul. I'm trying SO hard not to buy anything from the Liberty MAC collection but I rarely wear makeup as it's not too good for my face so it would be almost pointless for me to buy anything.

What did you get from the Liberty collection?

Fantasy Glamorous Bag Challenge

2010-03-12T11:35:00.013-06:00

The lovely J. at My Closet My Life tagged me with the Fantasy Glamorous Bag Challenge and I thought it was such a fun and unique tag that I would actually do a tag for once! Ha!

So here is my dream handbag: The Yves Saint Laurent Obi in Stone. The perfect shape and color for me. It would go with anything in my wardrobe, I love neutral accessories!

Now for its contents, besides the basics like my keys and wallet, I would have:

Oliver Peoples sunglasses in the style Alina. I still yearn for these. They are the perfect pair of modern shades with an ever so slight retro cat eye shape. I prefer brown tinted shades over grey for some reason. Grey tint gives me a headache.
My phone, that I actually have, the Motorola Cliq in Winter White. It's my new best friend.
The next perfume that I would like to add to my ever growing collection, Chloe Intense. Notes include rose, pink pepper, sandalwood and tonka bean.
The perfect MLBB (my lips but better) shade, Black Honey from Clinique. I own both of these and they are the perfect compliment to each other. I wear the Almost Lipstick (below) first and layer the Superbalm Gloss (above) on top for a lovely shine. This is truly the best shade for my lips, holy grail stuff right here folks!

To keep my breath fresh, my handbag is not complete without my favorite flavor of gum, Orbit's Sweet Mint and my favorite mints, Violet Pastilles from Flavigny.
So there you have my ultimate handbag and its ultimate contents. I tag anyone and everyone who reads this and would like to do this as well. Let me know if you do, I'd love to read your post!

Neutrals I'm Loving

2010-03-09T14:11:00.009-06:00

I succumbed to the temptation of this pretty thing at Haberdash Vintage, it was such a good deal, I couldn't pass it up! Be sure to check out some of the other things on her website and subscribe to her Twitter as well, she has a great little shop!! Check out her blog as well if you haven't already, I just learned about it yesterday and added it to my blog roll immediately!!

Here are some of the things that have been catching my eye. All of them fall into the warm neutral palette and would be great for a variety of seasons!!

Have you guys heard about the website faabric.com? I saw a mention of it in the April issue of Lucky and I must admit that I like using it as an item collecting website much better than Polyvore or the universal wish list button from Amazon. It has a much cleaner look and better functionality I think. It does have some issues grabbing images from a few websites like macys.com and llbean.com but overall I really enjoy it.

Have any of you thought of any other questions you want to ask me via Formspring? I thought it was most appropriate that my first question to answer was about shoes. My husband and I got a big kick out of that haha!! Go on and ask me something crazy!!

Accessories I'm Loving

2010-03-07T13:06:00.003-06:00

formspring.me

2010-03-05T15:53:00.001-06:00

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

My shoe collection is VERY unorganized right now but I just did a rough count and it's approximately 150 pairs. Shoes are my weakness.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-03-05T11:53:00.001-06:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/milliedeel

New Purchases for Spring!!

2010-03-03T10:07:00.007-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posting/commenting once again, I think February was just not a good month for me. I recently got back from spending almost a week in Indiana because of a sudden family death and I think that was probably the perfect hectic culmination to a very hectic month.

Anyway, I'm VERY happy to be back and I plan on visiting all of your lovely blogs from today forward and diving head forward back into the blogosphere!! YAY!

Also, I made a few purchases over the past few days. Along with the Delman lovelies I picked up from 6pm, I also pretty much stocked up on sandals for the upcoming season. All of you in the South know you can NEVER have too many sandals!!

Also, found this really great pin from a local seller here in Texas that was selling it cheaper than one of the same design that was on Etsy. Yay for supporting local businesses AND getting a great deal!

I hope all of you had a lovely weekend and Happy Monday!!

Photography by Erwin Olaf, Delmans, and Hotel Chevalier

2010-02-23T12:58:00.007-06:00

The shoe website 6pm.com was having a rather good sale over the weekend and these babies will be delivered tomorrow hopefully. I already have two other pairs of Delmans in the same size that I ordered, so hopefully these will fit as well, we shall see.

I saw these shots from the collection Grief Portraits done by Erwin Olaf on the blog Dotti's Dots and I was just completely taken with them, especially with the retro clothing used, of course. The photos are taken from the photographer's website. The Grief collection features quite nice midcentury modern interiors as well.

The answer to the question I asked about the song on Friday was that it was used in the short film Hotel Chevalier starring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman before the longer film, The Darjeeling Limited. This is the first part of the film and the second one is also available on Youtube to view as well.

TGIF!!!

2010-02-19T13:58:00.002-06:00

Sorry for my lack of posting as well as commenting this week. I promise to be more with it next week! I'll leave you with this, can anyone tell me what movie this is from? Happy weekend everyone!!!

2010-02-14T17:48:00.020-06:00

I know my post about Alexander McQueen is much later than everyone else but I really couldn't bring myself to say anything immediately afterward as I guess it just came as such a shock.

That someone so talented could just suddenly leave, it's not only a huge loss for the fashion industry but a loss for the world of art as a whole. His designs were literally wearable pieces of art. They may not have always been street-ready or even attractive to everyone's sense of taste, but you have to agree that he did things that no other designer has done or probably ever will do. Not only did he push the envelope but he managed to create something for everyone and be accepted by the masses.

I wish that those close to him would have gotten him the help that he obviously needed to deal with the intense amount of grief that was pressing down on him after the loss of Isabella Blow, his aunt, and then his mother. I wish someone would have helped him realize that there may or may not have been more collections, that there would always be more obligations, but that there was only one Lee Alexander McQueen. That he was irreplaceable.

So, for my little insignificant tribute to Alexander McQueen, I give you my favorite pieces from my favorite McQueen collection, Fall 2005. While he was known for creating pieces that looked as though they came from another world, this collection shows that he also had the talent to create classic pieces that would appeal to even a vintage loving gal such as myself. Photos via style.com.

You will be missed.

Favorites from the Bernardo Spring 2010 Collection

2010-02-09T16:01:00.003-06:00

If you've been a follower of my blog for awhile, you know that I'm a fan of Bernardo sandals. How can you not love a company that still makes a style that made the company famous in the 60's and that brought back the Springolator?!

Here are my favorites from their Spring 2010 collection!

There are no style specific links for me to attach to the photos so you'll have to search for the specific styles at the website here.

New Spring Arrivals at Nordstrom

2010-02-07T15:47:00.003-06:00

Loving all of these! Can you tell I'm ready for spring?

New Spring Arrivals at Peruvian Connection

2010-02-04T11:50:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I have blogged about the pieces over at Peruvian Connection so I thought I would post some of my favorites from their new Spring arrivals!

They continue to maintain a very heirloom, vintage quality to their pieces, somewhat like Anthropologie meets Victorian Trading Company. Look at the detailing on this dress!! Alas, the handbag is no where to be found on their website!

Click on the pictures to go to the product description pages.

Gianni Bini and Antonio Melani New Spring Arrivals at Dillard's

2010-02-03T11:30:00.000-06:00

I found some pretty adorable new additions to Dillard's in house lines, Gianni Bini and Antonio Melani!
Overall, with these pieces, I'm getting a sense of cleansing the color and style palate with lots of white and basic colors along with clean lines drawing inspiration from the mid-60's.

Click on the photos to go to the product description pages.

New Items from J. Peterman

2010-02-02T15:53:00.002-06:00

Well it's been awhile since I posted about vintage inspired items from the J. Peterman catalog and I thought I would post a few of their new items that I enjoy and I thought that you might as well! As usual, click on the image to go to the item description page.

Do you have a card?

2010-02-01T12:46:00.005-06:00

How many times have you been at a party or some function and heard this question? Well now instead of reaching into your purse for that gas receipt to scribble upon, you can reach into your bag and pull out one of these adorable vintage style calling cards! I came across these while perusing Etsy over the weekend and just had to share! Click on the pics to go to the listings!

Zodiac Cuff Bracelets

2010-01-29T15:38:00.007-06:00

Aren't these cute? I came across these on the Printer & Piemaker blog. These are definitely something that you could probably make yourself and fall into the "Why didn't I think of that?!" category! The ones shown are Taurus and Libra. Click on the photos to go to the product pages.

Rigby & Peller Retro Lingerie

2010-01-29T13:20:00.006-06:00

Inspired by pieces from their archives, Rigby & Peller have come out with this gorgeous lingerie set! While a little on the pricey side, they would no doubt be perfect for Valentine's Day! Found via Retro To Go. Click on the photos to go to the Rigby & Peller site.

Designer Spotlight: Lena Hoschek Fall 2010

2010-01-28T13:49:00.009-06:00

Have you ever heard of Austrian fashion designer Lena Hoschek? Yeah me either until I came across a sampling of her Spring 2010 show via Dotti's Dots.

Apparently Ms. Hoschek's work is favored by Katy Perry and is naturally very inspired by the silhouettes of the 40's and 50's. She began her fashion career by being an assistant to Vivienne Westwood in London and then she started her own label in 2006 at the young age of 24.

Here are some of my favorite creations from her latest show which was the Fall/Winter 2010/2011 line, shown in Berlin. I think you can see why I've become an instant fan of this designer!

Ms. Hoschek also has her own website which you can check out here.

Question of the day, why hasn't Dita been seen wearing any of this yet? Her and Katy are supposedly good friends.

Photos courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Also here is a video from the Fall 2010 show. Love all of the backstage scenes and the music choice which is perfect!

Blog Highlight: FIDM Museum and Galleries Blog

2010-01-26T11:12:00.006-06:00

For those of you who are hard core into the history of fashion like me, I wanted to make sure that you knew about a blog that will not only educate but provide you will some seriously drool worthy close up shots of historical pieces of clothing.

Just to give you an idea of how much of a nut I am when it comes to historical fashion, my last spring semester in college I took a course that was about nothing but that very subject matter. For the final project we had to compile a lookbook of the various eras of fashion with current fashion that was pulling influence from the periods, i.e. a current collection that would have ancient Egyptian influences or influences from the Regency Period. Anywho, because it was such a crazy semester and I'm a very forgetful person, I completely left out one whole section of this 6 section lookbook and I still got an A for the class.

So yeah, I'm kind of obsessed when it comes to vintage or historical fashion. I wanna get in there and look at the seams, the buttons, the weave of the fabric. I'm not satisfied with looking at just the overall silhouette or color. So for those of you who share my sickness, the FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) Museum blog is one you definitely need on your blog roll! This is just one example of the many wonderful specimens that they have for you to ogle at your heart's content!

Art Deco Inspired Jewelry via Forever 21

2010-01-25T11:17:00.005-06:00

I was introduced to these first two pieces via BonBon Rose, but as I explored the almost 1400 pieces of jewelry they have at Forever 21, I noticed that they have even more Art Deco inspired pieces!
Say what you will about Forever 21's quality or the fact that they mostly market themselves as somewhat of a teeny bopper store, but the fact that they are offering quite believable imitations of Art Deco pieces at these prices is pretty astounding.

Someone on their product development or buying team knows that at least a small portion of their clientele knows vintage or antique inspired pieces when they see them, and they're willing to offer pieces to tap into that market. I congratulate them for being one of the few stores to pull their heads out of their collective marketing ass! Click on the photos to go the product pages.

You can bet your hiney where I'm gonna be after yoga today!

Lovely Dresses via Modcloth

2010-01-21T19:38:00.003-06:00

Well for anyone who is a regular within the vintage fashion blogosphere, Modcloth is by now, no mystery. While perusing Tales of a Retro Modern Housewife today, this lovely dress was brought to my attention. Also upon further inspection of Modcloth, it's offered in black and there are a few other lovely dresses available right now as well. And we all love a good wasp waist dress now don't we?! More modern shirt dresses are needed pronto!

So for those of you who have a craving for something new, but just can't seem to find anything you like in the vintage department, never fear! Modcloth has an abundant array of dresses that could easily pass for true vintage, they even have some that have a 30's feel to them!

Click on the images to go to the product description pages.

New Spring Items: Boden

2010-01-14T23:08:00.007-06:00

I got the new Boden Spring catalog in the mail today. Such a welcoming sight on such a dreary day. I'm all for cold weather but in Texas if we have more than 5 days straight of clouds/rain or temps below 40 as the high or both simultaneously, people start to get a little stir crazy and I think that's what going on with a lot of folks right now.

The little white dots on this dress are actually covered buttons. Such cute detailing!

Anywho, Boden has once again offered up a good selection of retro/vintage inspired pieces and these are some of my favorites. I didn't get any from the last sampling that I posted about but when these go on sale, I just might have to get a couple. Click on the pics to go the web pages.

Kiss Me Deadly Lingerie Giveaway!!

2010-01-14T13:02:00.003-06:00

Isn't this set lovely!! The lovely Fleur over at Diary of a Vintage Girl has gotten together with Kiss Me Deadly to offer these gorgeous pieces in a giveaway!! Be sure to post this on your blog and Twitter for extra entries!! Click on the photo to go to the giveaway post!

Molla Mills: Le sigh!

2010-01-13T22:53:00.007-06:00

Why aren't there more outfit posts from Molla Mills? Have any of you ever seen her before? She's gorgeous! You've got some fierce competition Dita! On another note, I want her skirt and I need to recreate this first outfit. I will now be hunting Ebay and Etsy for a mustard floral circle skirt until I'm dead, I have no doubt.

Molla also has her own website where she sells crafty things of her own making as well as a portfolio of some modeling shoots. No extra "outfit shots" though. Sources have been linked to photos.

The Christmas Outfit

2010-01-12T22:17:00.007-06:00

As promised, here are some more photos of the Zoe Rios snakeskins as well as what I wore them with on Christmas Day.

I bought this skirt awhile back from Etsy and as it's somewhat of an off color, what I would call Cadet blue, kind of blue, kind of grey and I was having a hard time finding a shoe that would go well with it. Natural snakeskin goes with pretty much everything so they seemed to be a natural pair. It's definitely from the 50's and from a department store in England.

The "embroidery", though not very much like embroidery, more like a strange cotton cording applique, is an off white, almost yellow, either from age or being in a heavy smokers home, or both. So the only top that I could think of was a cream colored cashmere twinset that I had ordered from Barrie Pace some time back.

All together, I think it was a pretty nice outfit. Sorry I don't have any actual modeling pictures of myself, but you get the general idea.

The inspiration for the shoes was a modern day pair of snakeskin sandals that I had seen but also, I wanted to get as close the post WW2 period as I could in regards to the style. The period when strappy sandals and more feminine silhouettes were coming into fashion while still maintaining the somewhat thick heel that was used throughout the 40's. I think Zoe did a wonderful job!!

New Year ~ New Things!

2010-01-10T18:57:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone!

So sorry for the long absence. The holidays were somewhat of a whirlwind for me as I'm sure they were for you too! But I'm back and will have new goodies for you to peruse and here is a sneak peak of one of them.

My snakeskin ankle straps from bespoke shoemaker Zoe Rios were finished right before Christmas and I was able to wear them to my grandparents for Christmas Day! I'll have better pictures later this coming week but here is the promo picture from Zoe's website.

If you're interested in looking at Zoe's website and her wonderful portfolio, you can find it here.

She really is wonderfully talented and I'm so lucky to be living so close to her so that I can have beautifully handcrafted shoes made just for me!

So glad to be back in the blogging world and excited to see and comment on everyone's new posts!!!

Christmas craft #1: Completed!

2009-12-08T21:09:00.003-06:00

So I blogged awhile back about the initial wreath that was featured on Design Sponge and how much I liked it and wanted to do it as one of this year's Christmas crafts.

Well I completed the grapevine frame awhile back and today I added all of the greenery. The greenery that I used is a bit more Christmas-y and is artificial greenery as opposed to the fresh greenery used in the Design Sponge one. But even though it's artificial, I think it still looks pretty good and I'll be able to enjoy it for many years to come.

I added the use of my handy dandy glue gun to get some of the branches to permanently bend in the direction that I wanted them to, since the initial that I was doing was a bit more curvy than the one featured.

So what do you think? It really was a lot easier to do than I thought it would be. The hardest part was wrestling with the grapevine and getting it tamed with all of the floral wire. I got a few scrapes and blisters on my hands from that, but I think it was well worth it.

Up next: Felt holly garland!

Forever 21 Cyber Monday Haul

2009-11-30T15:12:00.004-06:00

So did any of you score any good deals for cyber monday? Forever 21 is running a coupon code for free shipping on any order, normally the order has to be over $75. Here's what I got:

I have been wanting this top since August and I figured since they still had it in stock, it was meant to be. It's 100% silk!
Finding a plain white button up blouse with a peter pan collar is IMPOSSIBLE right now for some weird reason. I really like this one too because I can make it much more fitted in the waist because it has a tie back. I bought two with the intention on tea staining one for when I don't want a stark white shirt.
Both of these cloche hats are 100% wool and only $12, I had to have one in black and brown as I already have one in camel.

I needed another skinny belt, which are also hard to find, and this one should be the perfect color to go with a 50's toile shirtdress that I have. As usual, most of what I bought is definitely vintage inspired which is one of the things I like about Forever 21 and I hope it's something that their buyers don't quit providing us with.

I'm back!!!!

2009-11-29T12:05:00.003-06:00

So yeah, Thanksgiving was a whirlwind! How was everyone's holiday? Are you ready to get back in the swing of things tomorrow? Did you get any good Black Friday deals?

I spent Thanksgiving in Indiana this year, we didn't do a whole lot so I have no new finds, although we did get our Christmas presents from them already and I now have both season 1 and 2 of Mad Men waiting for me to watch, so that's exciting!

I do have some outfit of the day pics to upload but I want to do some Polyvore sets to accompany them, so those will be showing up this week.

I wanted to post this gorgeous coat I found on Etsy today, if money were no object, this beauty would be mine in an instant! Just look at the detailing on the lining and the incredibly unique color combo! Black mink and baby blue wool! Le sigh!

In other news, I'm obsessed with this song!!

What are your plans for Christmas crafts?

2009-11-16T10:46:00.002-06:00

Every Christmas, if I'm home for Christmas, I like to make something new to decorate with. I'm somewhat picky when it comes to decorations and I'm often bored with what is offered in stores so I just make what I want myself and what I've been inspired by from reading all of the wonderful blogs!

So this year for my wreath, I was very inspired by this one that was featured on Design Sponge. I'll of course be making mine in the shape of a capital B. I've already made the grape vine base for it and now I'm just waiting for the greenery I want to go on sale enough. Isn't this one that she made just the cutest thing?! I'll be sure and post pictures of mine when I'm done.

Also, I've been wanting a cute, bunting or garland to drape from my mantel but just haven't seen any cute ones in the stores. So I came across this tutorial for a holly berry garland that was posted last year on Etsy and I think it's just so wonderful! I got the color felt I wanted for the leaves from Etsy seller Felt-O-Rama and just got packaged pompoms from Hobby Lobby for the berries instead of making handmade berries out of felt roving which would take A LOT of time. I'm also going to be getting either rick rack or velvet ribbon in the same shade as the felt leaves to hang the holly clusters from. I'll be sure and post pics of this when I'm done as well.

So what are your Christmas design/craft plans this year? Any blog posts that you've come across that you've been inspired by?

Vintage Inspired Art: Matteart

2009-11-13T10:15:00.002-06:00

So many of you liked the art from the Etsy feature yesterday that I thought I'd let you know about another great artist that is inspired by mid-century artwork. There are a lot of great pieces in this shop. I don't own any as of yet, but that will be changing in the future. Same as yesterday, click on the picture to go direct to the listing. Enjoy!

Vintage Inspired Art: Lab Partners

2009-11-12T13:43:00.004-06:00

Today I wanted to feature a shop on Etsy that has some really fun and obviously vintage inspired art. It's inspired by a type of art that was prominently used in the mid 20th century in advertisements and packaging and exudes such a happy and lighthearted feeling. They have been gone from their shop for a while but are back in full swing with some old favorites as well as some new offerings. I have this first one in my dining room and it's really so cute! Notice the birds and flowers in her hair!

New vintage Etsy purchase and some things I'm loving

2009-11-10T12:36:00.006-06:00

I'm horrible with blog titles, I'm sure you've all realized that by now haha!

Anyway, this was the purchase that I made to help with my mood from the mailbox catastrophe. It got here safe and sound albeit a little smoky smelling and I don't think the seller mentioned that it came from a smoking household, but whatever.

More than likely I'll wear the cardigan for either Christmas or Thanksgiving and wear it with these shoes and an oatmeal tweed wool a-line skirt that buttons up the front I bought from Banana Republic a couple of years ago. I should really start putting together things on Polyvore huh? That would make it easier for y'all to visualize all of this. Don't you just love the bump toe on these shoes?!

Also, here are some current things I'm loving on Etsy.

I hope everyone's week is going well so far!!

Look for a Christmas craft post coming up soon!

Lovely vintage reproduction lingerie from Cameo Intimates

2009-11-04T21:30:00.006-06:00

WARNING: DO NOT OPEN THE WEBSITE IF YOU ARE AT WORK!

The pieces I have featured here are quite tame compared to some of the other pieces so it would be best to explore the website at home I should think. Click on what I have featured to go to the website.

Aren't these lovely?! Photos are from the Cameo Intimates website.

I need you to help me shop for appliances!!

2009-11-03T09:18:00.007-06:00

Sorry again for the lack of posts! I had an uber busy weekend!

I helped my parents move into their new house over the weekend and Monday was dedicated to recovering from that. Boy did I find where all my stiff muscles were when I went to yoga yesterday!

So, I'm in the midst of choosing new appliances for my kitchen specifically at the moment, an electric freestanding range and an over the range microwave. If ANYONE can weigh in here, it would be greatly appreciated. I would prefer stainless appliances but if I hear too many negative comments about them, I might go with white. I also prefer a smooth top on the range. These are the appliances that I'm considering at the moment.
To give you an idea of what my kitchen looks like, the walls are on the pale side of a sunshine yellow and almost all of my accessories and implements are turquoise. The cabinets are ugly 80's oak right now but will eventually be white or a very light wood color.

More than likely they will be bought from Lowe's so I guess only my US readers can help here unless Lowe's is in Canada as well.

Tell me what you have. Do you like it? Do you not like it? What do you wish you had purchased?

Lilly Pulitzer Originals Collection

2009-10-30T12:31:00.008-05:00

I thought it was very appropriate for this blog to let all my readers know that Lilly Pulitzer has just recently come out with what they call their Originals Collection, recreated pieces from when the company first started in 1959. These are classic shifts that come in, what I'm assuming as also, original prints from 1959, as well.

Aren't they adorable?! And you must know right now, well, I'm a lover of all things Lilly! The fact that these are reproductions of originals, only makes it better!

I have a question.

2009-10-28T21:16:00.003-05:00

Why must everything cute AND affordable be unavailable to me?! WHY? This is no where to be found through US websites. I must email the company and ask them why they think Americans only want to dry their hair with ugly, boxy appliances! I NEED the rose one, like now!

My interview with Emma

2009-10-27T22:07:00.003-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing for the ever so lovely Emma Wallace and she's recently posted the interview on her blog! I hope you enjoy it and be sure to check out the rest of her lovely blog as well!!

Be sure to check out her website as she's an extremely talented musical artist to be sure! The above image is the cover art from her album.

Happy Anniversary to Mr. B and I

2009-10-26T14:00:00.007-05:00

Today Mr. B and I have been married for two years. It doesn't seem like it's been 2 years, more like 2 days. Now that I've found the person who makes me the happiest will time only continue to go by faster and faster?

We decided on getting married in October because my parents, my grandparents and my great-grandparents were all married in October. It must be the month of love for my family so it only seemed fitting to continue the tradition.

We both decided against spending gobs of money on a wedding, which we both felt would have been for the rest of the family and not us. So we eloped to Boston and I got to experience my first REAL fall and it was wonderful. We saw Boston and Cambridge. We drove out to Salem and to Plymouth to see where my ancestors arrived in the tiny ship called the Mayflower so many years ago. I got to walk on cobblestone streets and crunch brightly colored leaves under my feet, smell the crisp air and try lobster bisque.

When we were married, I wore this standing underneath a willow tree looking out over the pond filled with swans in the Public Garden.

Everything about the trip was perfect and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Boston will forever be so special to me. Via.

The final Wylde Ivy reviews

2009-10-23T14:18:00.004-05:00

First off, just to let everyone know, Wylde Ivy has some limited edition scents in her shop right now for Halloween and she also has a few of her summer scents on sale for half off, meaning $7.50 for a full size bottle! The scents I saw on sale were Violet Sun, Sun Tea, Iced Mango and Lime Fizz.

Ok now for the reviews. First up is Violet Sun. This is a very happy uplifting scent. I mostly smell violet and lemon. Wylde Ivy describes this as candied violets on a bed of fresh lemon zest and white tea leaves. I don't smell any white tea.

Next is Violet Fluff. This really does smell like violets and marshmallow or what I would call a cooked vanilla smell. Wylde Ivy describes this as candied violets surrounded by a bed of vanilla infused marshmallow fluff.

Next is Marshmallow Gingerbread. If any of you have ever had Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, this smells just like them. It reminds me of warm and spicy cookies. Wylde Ivy says that Marshmallow Gingerbread is the ultimate warm sweet scent! This gooey fragrance is all about melted Marshmallows with hints of warm Gingerbread.

Next is Apple Fest. To me it smells like apples, cinnamon, vanilla and maybe some other sweet fruits peeking through as well. Wylde Ivy describes this as apple pies and apple dumplings, vanilla milkshakes, and the scent of the surrounding trees. There is just a hint of other fruited delicacies like strawberry pie and peach cobbler mixing with the apples and oak leaves.

Last but not least is Amber Chai. This smells like straight up chai to me. I'm definitely picking up on the tea, the vanilla and spices. Wylde Ivy describes this as hints of Amber create a base for rich Chai tea mingled with moist Madagascar vanilla beans. An intriguing blend of black tea, amber and vanilla with a hint of spice.

Well that's all for this post. I might have a post of some Etsy favorites later. I'm not sure, I might want to keep them all to myself haha!

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend! It's supposed to be clear skies and cool temps all weekend here so I'm so excited about that!

Something pretty from Hemlock Vintage

2009-10-22T21:49:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't been regularly posting. I'm afraid as we get closer to the holidays my posting will only continue to be erratic, but I think it's kinda that way with everyone. Things just seem to get turned on their heads from October through February.

Well I promise I'll have a fulfilling post for you tomorrow but right now I wanted to leave you with another pretty find from Hemlock Vintage. My last post about Hemlock resulted in Elsita of The Hidden Seed purchasing the gorgeous blue dress with bows down the back. Doesn't it look gorgeous on her?! It always brings me such joy to help people find the things they are looking for. I really need to think about being a personal shopper but I need to move to a more supportive location for that first!

Anyway, wouldn't this just be perfect for Thanksgiving?! And it's in such a wearable size too at 42"/44" in the bust, 31" in the waist and 40" in the hips which would translate to about a size 12/14 US in today's standards. I love how the belt buckles at the back, not the front, something very unexpected! No price yet as I think it's a new item, but I'm sure if you contact the owner she can help you out!

Happiness and sunshine

2009-10-20T15:04:00.007-05:00

Ok, no more depressing blogging from me. It's time to talk about nice and happy things. So last night when I got home from yoga these were waiting for me as well as a big ol' case of diet Big Red. Yes, Mr. B spoils me. He also went on a long and tiresome sugar free Peep hunt at 4 different stores but they could not be found. Also, I didn't want to go grocery shopping for the week by myself so he went with me last night and I made him 30 minutes late for his bed time.

I also just made another appointment with our local shoemaker and we will be meeting next Thursday to work on re-creating these! I also get to see the snakeskin before it's cut so that should be very exciting!

This coming Thursday, I'll be having a full hour massage and let me tell you it's very much needed!

Also I noticed on Facebook today that Anthropologie has started carrying books and cards with art from illustrator Gwen Frostic. I had never heard of her but she's such an amazing artist! There are of course tons of her books on Amazon for much less than what Anthropologie is selling them for, but I'm so glad they are featuring her as I never would have known about her otherwise!

Yet some more disappointment

2009-10-20T10:53:00.004-05:00

Well I hate to be the bearer of yet more bad news, but I just got contacted by Amazon letting me know that the Clare McCardell book I ordered from them back at the beginning of September won't be shipped because they can't get any more and don't know when they will be getting any more. Fear not, there is hope. There's one used copy available for $999.99 if you would like to pay $1K for a $16 book!

So for any of you who also ordered the book, I'm sure you've received the email of doom by now as well.

Well it was an eventful weekend..........

2009-10-19T11:31:00.004-05:00

....but not in a good way. There was a whole lot of this. Via.

Sorry guys. There won't be any fabulousness posted this go around. This is a purely selfish post.

Friday evening, Mr. B and I were relaxing on the couch, when we heard a loud noise come from right outside our window. I looked outside to see the tractor part of an 18 wheeler up in my front lawn and my mailbox reduced to a pile of demolished bricks.

Also, right before that, I found out from the seller of the swallow brooch that I had just blogged about, that she could no longer find the brooch and was refunding me my money. Never mind the fact that she had just listed it like less than 2 weeks ago. She was nice enough to offer to go ahead and send it if she found it. But seriously, I had been looking for the perfect swallow brooch FOR OVER A YEAR! This was THE ONE! I think I'm going to quit blogging about things before I receive them, it's bad luck.

Remember the gold suede gloves? Yeah the seller of those conveniently left out of the listing there was a huge tear right on the palm of the left glove. I got my money back but all of the heartache could of been avoided if she were just honest.

Remember the silk Dallas scarf? Somewhat trivial, but there was a spot of white wall paint on the corner of it. By that point I was so tired of emailing sellers and bitching about the condition I had received something in that I just let it go.

Also, I kid you not, but the last four, yes FOUR vintage cardigans I have purchased from Etsy have had something wrong with them that the seller didn't mention. Either, a stain, a hole, a stain and a hole. Sellers are all too quick to slap the "IN PERFECT CONDITION" label on something so it will sell better. They don't stop to think about what's going to happen when the buyer receives the item and now feels as though she's been lied to.

I did make a fun purchase over the weekend to soothe my heartache from the demolished mailbox and having the swallow pin snatched from my grips but I'll blog about it AFTER I receive it. Although whenever it arrives, there won't be anymore traipsing out to my own little box to retrieve it. I'll have to get my fat ass in the car and drive ALL THE WAY TO THE POST OFFICE!

To top everything off, my special visitor of the month had just arrived. So YOU KNOW I was in the perfect mood for all of this! In 3 days, I've devoured 2 bags of Weight Watchers mint patties and I'm thinking of getting more.

Wiggle Perfume Giveaway Winner Announcement

2009-10-17T13:58:00.006-05:00

I entered all of the entries into random.org and the lucky winner is................

MARY!!!

Mary said, "My favorite thing about fall is the way the mornings feel so crisp. The frost-covered leaves crunch under your feet, and you just have to put a coat on. By afternoon, though, it's warmed up to the point where you can almost, ALMOST convince yourself it's still summer."

Congrats Mary and what a lovely entry! Please email me at the email given on my profile with your full name and address so I can get the package out to you ASAP!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

The start to round #2 of Wylde Ivy, a new book, and a new Etsy find

2009-10-15T13:42:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been so absent from the blogging world. I've been kinda wrapped up in knitting and yoga this week and I had a TON of packages to get shipped out yesterday. I did however get my second order from Wylde Ivy and I have some reviews for you!

First is Black Tea Jasmine. Wylde Ivy describes this as a heady and sweet Jasmine blend that mixes the delicate flower aromas with rich black tea. This is a very unique and sophisticated scent. To me the jasmine in this is very strong. It reminds me of the smell of bath oil beads, very sweet. I don't smell any tea in this at all.

Second is White Cashmere. Wylde Ivy describes this as a warm, sultry scent of vanilla pods wrapped in orchid petals with base notes of woody, sweet musk and the slightest hints of Amber and Sandalwood. When I smelled this I immediately thought of Pink Sugar by Aquolina. It smells almost exactly like it, very sweet and warm with vanilla and slight floral.

Third is Violetta. Wylde Ivy describes this as a gorgeous Violet fragrance mixed with subtle fresh notes of bergamot, crystal clear ozone, and a hint of white musk. To me this is a very sweet green floral and I smell mostly the violet and bergamot. I'm not picking up on any musk and I have no idea what ozone is! This reminds me of the smell of a lot of hair care products, kind of a generic floral scent.

Fourth is Sweet Earth. Wylde Ivy describes this as Cedarwood blended with Oakmoss, Siberian Fir, and green fresh Hay come together to create a deep, unisex, earthy blend. Mostly in this I'm smelling the fir, but I think it's been warmed up by the oakmoss and cedarwood. To me this kind of smells like air freshener, not really perfume or a cologne.

Fifth is Fig Tart. Wylde Ivy describes this as luscious ripe figs blended with a deep, rich, sweet vanilla cream. This is actually a very unique scent. While it does smell like figs with vanilla, I'm also detecting something spicy and also peachy smelling in this. Definitely one that I'm considering getting a full size of.

Last for this post is Fairy Lily which is a free one that the seller included. Wylde Ivy describes this as a fragrance so beautiful and so elegant it almost invokes the sense of standing in a fairytale forest surrounded by the clusters of snow white flowers. This is the delicate beauty of a hidden patch of Lily of the Valley that perfumes the breeze. All that to basically say this is straight up lily of the valley and nothing more. Which I love but this is about as pure lily of the valley as you can get.

In other news, I got this book in the mail that since I've learned how to do the basic stitches for knitting, I think I'm really going to enjoy. Besides knitting projects there are also some other craft projects but the overall theme is ballet. There are some really cute legwarmers and shrug sweaters in this and I got the book at a really cheap price on Amazon. They said it was used but it really looks like a brand new book. Besides being useful, it's actually a really beautiful book to just look at, so if you love the ballet, I highly suggest it.

Also, I'm going to be taking a break from Etsy for awhile because it seems for every two sales I make, I purchase three things. Etsy is literally the devil.

Ever since I saw the picture of Dita at the airport with a little vintage swallow pin on her coat collar, I knew I needed to have one as well. I came across this one last night and knew it was the one. It was a great price, sterling, and I did research on the company that made it and it's probably from the 40's! So, I'm excited to get that.

Don't forget about about the Wiggle Perfume giveaway! It ends tomorrow! Also, I got sent an extra sample of He Loves Me Not from Wylde Ivy, so I'll be including that with the Wiggle Perfume as well!!!

And so another week begins.........

2009-10-12T14:06:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone's weekend went well and was only eventful in good ways. Mine was filled with more of looking out the window and wishing the rain would leave. I did go to my local Marshalls and saw that they have put quite a bit of Christmas decorations out already. They had a couple of pieces from last years collection of Krinkles byPatience Brewster which I collect. So that was a pleasant surprise! I also found a HUGE bottle of Marc Jacobs Cucumber perfume for only $20 that I thought would be a good yoga scent. So if you are a fan of his scents, check out your local Marshalls or TJ Maxx to see if they've gotten any in.

I also have been looking at these earring for awhile on Etsy and I recently watched TiffanyD's (of YouTube) September favorites video and she had on some similarly shaped earrings to these, which I thought were really cute on her, so I bought them. They kind of look like artistic/interpretative bats/spider webs and I know they are pretty old because they are stamped "Sterling" and not "925" so I got them.
I watched two movies over the weekend that I had not seen before courtesy of Hulu. The first was The Honey Pot with Rex Harrison and Susan Hayward from 1967. If any of you are into creating vintage makeup looks, I highly suggest you watch this as there are quite a few very good closeup looks at makeup that the female characters are wearing. Very good movie but over 2 hours long so have some time to dedicate to it. Click on the poster to go to the movie.

The second movie I watched was Woman's World with Lauren Bacall and June Allyson from 1954. There are quite a few drool worthy clothes in this and a scene from a dress sample shop that is hilarious!

My Wylde Ivy samples should be arriving soon so I should have some more reviews for you this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful start to the week!

PS Don't forget about my Wiggle Perfume giveaway! You have until Friday to enter if you haven't already done so!