Tales From A Vintage Wardrobe

The Ivy Style (Preppy) Collection

Vintage Foster Grants

Vintage Navy Blue, Pink & White Leather Wallet Horse Bit Buckle Closure

Mid-Century Aqua, Pink, Olive & White Twill Striped Scarf

Vintage Bullet Bra Pink & Green Floral Swimsuit

Introducing "The Ivy Style (aka Preppy) Collection" at The Red Velvet Shoe on Etsy.  Hey, everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon, so why not? 

 

 

What's on Your Wish List?

 

Please Pardon My Error

It has been brought to my attention from a fellow vintage fashion aficionada that the print on the dress in my last post, although Poiret~ish, is actually an Aubrey Beardsley illustration produced for the first English edition of Oscar Wilde's play "Salome" in 1894...It's called "The Peacock Skirt".   Please allow me to properly introduce to you "The Peacock Skirt Dress".  

 

 

Posh Poiret Print?

This stunning vintage dress was the result of a last minute, unplanned 10 minute treasure hunting expedition. I was avoiding doing things I didn't feel like doing and popped into one of the shops I frequent and there she was, waiting for me. Don't you just love when that happens? Serendipity, once again.

I was bit stumped as to how to describe the print on this dress at first.  But I keep going back to Paul Poiret, when his work took on the influence of orientalism. 

It's about a size 4/6...not a tag or label to be seen, so off to do some research.  Look for it soon in The Shoe.

(Addendum~4:00pm EST 23 November 2011: In the six hours that have lapsed since this post, I have been provided with updated information about the print on this dress.  Please visit here for more information.)

Proper Evening Attire...Once Upon A Time

1950s Vintage "Jr. Theme" Empire Pink Evening Coat with Oversized Waist Bow Detail

Vintage 1930s "Filene's Boston" Blue Velvet Hooded Evening Coat

Vintage 1950s "Dan Millstein" Black Velvet Embroidered Evening Coat

Blame it on day/night dreaming about Jackie-O's White House wardrobe ever since I started reading "Jacqueline Kennedy:  The White House Years" two weeks ago.  Her wardrobe was, well, I just don't think there is a word to capture the beauty and finery of it all.  I think she would nod her head in approval to any/all of the above treasures I have had the good fortune to happen upon in my treasure hunting as of late.  Can you believe the 1930s blue velvet one was on the "Halloween Costume Rack"???  You can view more photos here.

 

 

Urban Vintage Bazaar Vendor List

I've been busy wrapping up a non~vintage related October project and at the same time trying to get things rolling for Urban Vintage Bazaar.  So just a quick note to share a link with you to the fabulous Vendor List that Christine of Carmen & Ginger has put together.  If you've been waiting for an excuse to visit Providence, RI then don't wait any longer.  The show is on from 12~4 leaving you plenty of time to arrive in town and plenty of time to run up a few tabs afterward.  (More on where to eat/drink and what to do après bazaar coming soon.)

 

Urban Vintage Bazaar~~It's Today!!!

Date:  Saturday 5 November 2011
Time:  Noon - 4:00pm
Where: Faunce Hall ~ Intersection of Brown & Waterman Streets ~
(Use 75 Waterman Street for GPS)
Brown  University ~ East Side ~ Providence, RI
Admission:  Free!
Who:  Open to students & the public

Read the Blog

Like UVB on Facebook

See you there!!!

 

 

Kimono Craze

I've had a bit of a "Kimono" thing going on lately.  It started when I found a great polished cotton cherry red one while out thrifting one day and decided it would be the perfect thing to wear when I am "beautifying"~~you know: masking, waxing, coloring, & painting myself in an effort to fend off the damages of time.  Considering it cost less than a Stella at my favorite watering hole, I can justify the chance of "ruining" it~~and it looks much more elegant than an oversized t~shirt & boxers.

 
 

A few weeks later, I scored this amazing vintage Haori and I was hooked.  You can, literally, wear it with just about anything from lingerie to jeans and it looks amazing.  I was in love.

 
When I saw this image from Dries Van Noten's Spring 2011 collection it caught my eye...not quite Haori or Kimono, but there was just something about it...

 

Then in March, I came across this little beauty: a vintage Pomare Hawaii Kimono style top with a keyhole neck & frog closure and just like the little piggy I carried it all the way home...because it reminded me of something I had seen but just could not seem to recall what or where...

 

Until I was flipping through my March issue of US Vogue and there it was:  an ad for the very same Dries Van Noten top!  

 
(photo source: Hollister Hovey)

To wrap it up, today I visited one of my favorite blogs of all time: Hollister Hovey.  And there she was, with her sister Porter, showing us exactly how to wear a Kimono perfectly. 

 

This one is for the shop and will have to feed your Kimono craze and not mine as we were not made for each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Day at The Market

 

Coco sporting another one of my grandmother's fabulous vintage dresses. 

 

 

 

The Red Velvet Shoe's booth at The Top Shelf Flea III.

Christine of Carmen and Ginger.
 

Giuseppe of An Affordable Wardrobe, James of 10 Engines, Giuseppe once again and Zachary of Newton Street Vintage.
 

 

A collage of some fun & fashionable shoppers who visited our booth:  Starting at the top left and working clockwise:  Miss Sara, in her lovely cat eye glasses, scored two great 1950s dresses and an adorable pink cardigan, Laura searches through piles of vintage gloves, Remma & Laura leaving with bags full of goodies, including a hot pink & red caftan from Hawaii, one of the most adorable visitors of the day~~this tiny tot left with a lovely multi~colored pastel floral brooch pinned to her little sweater, my two nieces clowning around with some of our vintage hats, their Mom above them modeling a gorgeous hot pink silk dress from Peck & Peck, and a young lady with fire red hair checking out her look in a vintage straw hat.  

Thanks to everyone who came out to attend The Top Shelf Flea Market yesterday (it was most heartwarming to be reunited with some high school friends I haven't seen in over 25 years and to meet one friend's three beautiful daughters...), and especially those who visited my booth, shopped and spent some time chatting with me about our common love for vintage fashions & style.  This marked the third bi~annual Top Shelf Flea Market venue and I think it's safe to say it's on it's way to becoming another fine Boston tradition...

 
(Photo courtesy of Carmen & Ginger~thank you!)

 

Bags & Bananas at The Market

 
I finally received my new camera, but the week of the bi-annual Top Shelf Flea Market III was not exactly the best time to get a new gadget to figure out, as I'm up to my ear lobes tagging items & treasures to bring to Boston on Sunday.  I read through about half of the online manual (I thought someone said this is a very simple camera to use?!) and snapped a few photos from my studio of what I've been working on.  The jewelry photos were snapped prior to reading anything and the quality is terrible, so my apologies ahead of time. 

 

 

 

I'll be debuting a very small portion of a trunk full of vintage Banana Bob jewelry.  The company went out of business in the late 1990s, but in it's day made some lovely art deco & victorian inspired pieces with vintage and antique facets and findings.  Swarvovski crystals were used in many of the pieces, and most were hand crafted and hand painted, with many limited editions. The assortment I'm bringing to Boston Sunday are on the more casual side, but I am hoping to create a Vintage Jewelry floor in The Red Velvet Shoe and offering this gorgeous jewelry, as it has become highly collected & coveted.  If you are looking for a specific Banana Bob piece, please email me and I will gladly check my inventory for you. 

 
(Here is a sample of some of the more glamorous Banana Bob line that I found online...I'm quite certain I have this set, or something very similar.) 

Here is a collage of some of the purses I just packed up to bring along....I love the Etienne Aigner in the top left, it has such an equine look to it, and I won't be sad if it doesn't sell because, as you know, a girl can never have too many purses...The top right is a lovely paisley Margaret Smith / Gardiner Maine purse and the label, I believe, dates it to one of her earliest pieces from the 1940s. 

You'll find that (and much, much more!) Sunday at The Top Shelf Flea Market in Somerville/Boston, MA ~~ doors open at high noon.  See you there!