Don't Fake It

As you are reading this, you may already be too late.

At 11amET today, the CFDA/eBay "You Can't Fake Fashion" bags just went on sale.  I've had this on my calendar for a few weeks now and it was fun to jump on right at 11 and see all the designer interpretations.

While there were some fun and gorgeous options, each running $200 (for now!  I'm sure you'll see them for much more via re-sellers), I opted for one of the basic bags which were only $45. I got the Satchel tote with the side-ties.

I think I'm going to take some inspiration from the designers and customize mine myself.

I thought the Doo.Ri bag with written inspirational notes was a fun graphic look.

I also like the Libertine sequined version.  It's very shiny and bubbly.

























The money is going towards great causes and they project a message of valuing authentic work... something I can get behind!

Nab yours now while you can!

SD Project: Bijou Dressing Table

I am SO EXCITED to share my latest project with you.  It's been in the works for ages and it's finally, finally done!

As you may have seen from previous "home tour" posts, I have an old home that is fairly streamlined and not very girly.  I love our decor but I've always wanted a pretty dressing room.  I've been sort of adding elements, such as my shoe cabinets, to our guest room but I am loathe to take over the whole space completely.  I also, didn't really have a place that would be safe for a delicate dressing table or all the perfumes, puffs and crystal that I would want to be there.

But that doesn't mean that I haven't dreamed of a pretty space all my own...

Then I realized I did have one small space that I could repurpose into a bijou dressing table. I started making plans and lists...

In my funky old home I have a funny closet-in-a-closet space in the guest room.

You open the outer door and you see this rectangular space that has a clothes rod on the left, a window on the right and another deep cabinet straight ahead.

The inner cabinet holds the guest room blankets and pillows, hat boxes and craft supplies. I keep some shoes in here as well as my off season clothes.

I drew up plans for a shelf that would be hinged under the window which would be supported by a shelf bracket for a brace and two decorative chains on each side.  The bracket would be hinged to lie flat against the wall and then the table part, also hinged would be able to be lowered down so I could open the inner cabinet doors.

Once I decided on a plan, I started to plan my furnishings - vintage dressing table linens...

A Ghost chair to sit on...  I thought and searched for ages on what chair to have in the space.  It need to be high enough but small in width.  I looked at all kinds of chairs and stools from new Pottery Barn to vintage vanity stools.  In the end, I've always loved the Ghost chairs and the clear will keep the small space airy. 

With a color scheme of crystal, pinks soft and bright, gold and small touches of black, a sari was the perfect fabric to act as a cover for the clothing section and a window shade.

A gilded shelf for accessories...

Antique tassels...

The project has been on hold for a while but know that I'm back in town, the pub is done and I'm done being sick this week, it has all come together.

The outer door now has a small sign warning of the girly space inside.

Yes, I have a Keep Calm poster, but now it's hidden inside the "fourth wall" of the room.  The sari was long enough to cover the clothes still on the left, drape across the ceiling and down, suspended from chain, to cover and decorate the window.

Isn't it ADORABLE????

I've decorated it with some of my existing pieces as well.  A Waterford crystal sugar sifter for powder, a Caron puff, my Chanel and Chloe perfumes and Waterford clock (the first piece I ever bought from when I was 17) on a Waterford tray.  A glove hand and small boxes for jewelry.

The most crucial piece I invested in and that I was very specific about was the mirror.  I knew from the start that I wanted a vintage Murano dressing mirror and this one with it's gilding and pale pink glass flowers was everything I dreamed of.

The Ghost chair and my tuffet fit perfectly too.  I'm going to get a faux flokati to cushion and protect the chair.  That's the last detail.

The last details are these amazing antique hand-cut paper cuts I had framed.  With their fairy tale themes they are perfect for my new space.

And my gilded shelf holds a delicate glass carousel horse. 

I so thrilled to have my little space.  I can't wait to linger over perfumes and polish and powder.

We all need a special place to find a bit of peace... mine just happens to be pink!

Other posts:

Key Word: Projects - an anthology

Key Word: Custom - an anthology

Key Word: Home - an anthology

On The Hunt

I get a lot of questions from folks on how to find a certain shoe.  It's great to be thought of as a resource and I do remember a lot of different brands and the shoes that belong to them, but I think there is a belief that I have a possibly secret resource for finding shoes.

Sadly, this is not the case.

If you are asking to find a shoe the answer I give you is going to vary by how "old" the style is.  If it's a current or just passed season, I'm going to go straight to Google and/or ShopStyle. When I'm in Google I'll look at the results for Shopping, Web and Images.  Sometimes the links vary so I try a few different paths.  ShopStyle is a good resource for all the online vendors which are aggregated in once place.

If the shoe is recent, I may check the brand/designer's site, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstroms, Amazon and Zappos. This is because each store gets different stock, color and sizes.

If the shoe is more than a year out I'll still give a quick search on Google - mostly because some may be in a sale stock or because Australia runs behind us on releases.  Shipping may be more costly or difficult but if you really want that shoe, you do what you have to do!

At the end of the day though, I go to eBay - US and UK.  When in doubt, that's the place to go and where I'm going to direct you.  There are tons of resellers who don't need to clear out their stock like stores do so the styles can "live" and are available to find for far longer. Or you may just be lucky enough to find a one-off of the very shoe you are looking for.  I've had that magically happen a few times.  Shoe kismet!

So there you go.  No secret resource or access.  Just patience, time and a bit of investigative work.  Now get shoe hunting!

My New Obsession - Vintage Slips

I once saw a character on a tv show wearing a black slip as a nightgown and it stuck with me as being so elegant and lovely. I've been a bit obsessed. When I went to the vintage store the other day and found the lovely nightgown, I decided to see what eBay had available as well.

The good thing is that these can be worn as a dress (depending on the level of sheerness), as a layering item, as a nightgown or just as a traditional slip.

Here are a few of my favorites as inspiraiton.

I like the shiny black taffeta of this one.



This one has a great bodice.



Even this half slip would be great. I love all the lace. It would be great to wear under a simpler skirt.



Fire engine red! Whoo hoo!



This is a great grey-blue color. I haven't seen many like this. This would be great under my sheer vintage dress/wrap.



This has great lace and it looks almost coral-y. I want.



I'm really liking the blue slips. They are very elegant and unexpected.



I'm so bidding on this fawn colored one. The tiny pleats around the hem are just killing me!



I did get two so far. This 1950's black one is by Emilio Pucci and has a great bust area. I like that the lace at the bottom has a shell feel to it.



This 60's one has the most awesome ruffles at the top. So flirty and flouncy.



The great thing is that almost all of these go for $15 or less. So even if you just wear them around the house you are getting your moneys worth. I like looking for the vintage ones because of all of the detail work. Search in Clothing>Vintage>Woman's Vintage Clothing>1947-1964>Lingerie>Slips

Then grab a pair of slinky slippers, turn on some Sinatra and be a gorgeous dame.

The Language of Flowers

We all love the new versions of flower feet with their sculpted heels but I also like these delicate sandals with their large frothy blossoms.



They're the most delicate blush pink with the tiniest of straps. The flowers (full blown roses? peonies?) are dusted with crystals for extra sparkle.

I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic. I try to give that to people. I do misrepresent things. I don't tell truths. I tell what ought to be truth.



Oh look, we have created enchantment.



I need to drape some scarves over my lightbulbs, wear a sheer dress and immerse myself in a fantasy.

You're Worth the Good Stuff

This going to be a bit of a long post due to all the pictures but, I hope you'll agree that the shoes in question are totally worth it.

I have to say that I have a great deal of admiration for all of the talented ladies (and I'm sure gents) that are successful with their thrifting efforts. I don't know if it's just that I don't have the patience to sift through the racks or check back often enough. Or maybe it's just that I don't have the best "eye" for the gems hidden amongst the dross or maybe it's just the areas where I live are not that great for thrifting fashion opportunities. I just don't have much luck finding amazing clothes when I give it a try. I wish I could.

But with vintage shoes, especially on eBay, I totally score. Luckily I don't get in the "eBay Mood" all the time because I would buy more shoes than I would know what to do with. As it is, I'm reaching maximum capacity in my house for shoes. I finally broke the guest closet rule (thou shalt leave room for guests to hang up their clothes when they come to visit) and filled the closet with some of my off-season clothes and the pink/cream/white/summery shoe stacks. And yes, my shoes are organized (somewhat) by color. I'm still not sure if this is the best system; it's settling in still.

Yes, I've taken some risks and been disappointed. But that, so far, that has been in the minority. By using the shoe length measurements and making sure the shoe is a half or full size larger than my actual size, I've found shoes that fit pretty well. I have found, for about 50% of the shoes I've bought that they tend to be very narrow and, compared to even my most delicate shoes from today, very lacking in cushioning. You definitely feel the ground when you're walking. If you can fit in an insole you'll be better off. It's a balancing act trying to get a size that fits and something you can comfortably wear.

Oh, but when you find a gem, they can't be beat. Like these three beauties; the latest just in from eBay-land. All three of them were from the same seller who bought them from an estate. As she describes it:

Locating a vintage piece that was hardly—or never—worn, however, is comparable to buying a couture item at 1/1000th the original price.

These heels are but one pair of shoes from an estate that housed hundreds of pieces of rare clothing and footwear, each worn no more than twice if at all. To say that these shoes are a luxury is an understatement: each pair is hand-sewn, bears its original toe tack and heel tap, features a hand-crafted last, and is made from fabric or leather of unsurpassed beauty and unavailable today.

All three of these arrived and they were even better in person and could be worn immediately. I may take one pair to the cobbler to get some new heel taps put on but that is about it. What's even better is that they fit like a dream. This first pair are gold, black and chocolate brown stiletto heels with square-point toe and chocolate grosgrain trim around shoe opening. The brocade fabric features an intricate iris floral pattern carefully placed so one full bloom is visible on each vamp. Hand stitched leather insole, suede heel cup and leather sole; matching fabric covered heel

The seller took some great photos from every angle (always a plus) so I have lots of views to share:












If you couldn't tell, I just worship this 50's-60's pointy toe with the perfect sculpted stiletto heel. I'm a total sucker for certain shapes of heels and this is one I just go ga-ga for. If you saw the movie Down with Love, I'm in love with almost everything Renee Z. is wearing in it.

While the shoes above were probably cocktail shoes these look like elegant luncheon shoes to wear with a smashing tailored suit. They're a dark taupe-beige satin stiletto heel with pointed toe and black passementerie trim around shoe opening and heel seam. Satin fabric textured to resemble horizontal-wale corduroy. Hand stitched French satin insole, suede heel cup and leather sole; matching fabric covered heel. And they were made in France.














At first I wasn't planning on getting these. The seller actually had a few other shoes that I wanted but they looked like they would be a bit big for me (my loss!) but then I saw these and decided I had to get them too. I think it was the blueish-grey pebbled suede that sold me. Or it was the adorable formed bow and white stitching. Either way, I'm glad I did because these are some seriously comfortable shoes. Slipping them on was like putting on custom made shoes. Lovely!















The seller's description is even better:

A staggering find--and much more so in perfect condition at fifty years old--these sumptuous pumps were worn no more than once as the leather soles and heel taps are hardly scuffed. Pumps feature glove-soft gray pebbled suede leather, peep toes and a self fabric vamp folded over and threaded through a loop to look like a buckle. White overstitching around the perimeter of the shoe opening and peep toe offsets the gray color for perfect polish. Suede leather upper with leather insole and outsole; fenton last and self fabric covered heel. A museum-worthy piece of history, documented, dated and priced.

This lady knows her stuff!

The best part about getting a gorgeous vintage piece, as all the stars know, is that someone else wearing your same item is unlikely. The down side is that, if they aren't in your size, you can't run to Zappos and pick up a pair.

These particular shoes weren't inexpensive vintage (as some other I've bought are - which is part of what makes them so great) but they were not much more than a nice pair of shoes and no where near what a pair of designer shoes cost today. And just holding them you can tell they were very well made. I know shoes can seem a riskier path to take with vintage because 1. shoes are more functional items and they can get beat up and 2. they were worn on people's feet (unless you find vintage deadstock), but it's worth it in most cases. If you have the gross out factor you can always add these really great Fresh'ins disposable shoe inserts from Kiwi. I put them in shoes I don't wear socks with like driving mocs but because they're so thin they're great for instances like this too. I totally recommend them.

So go out. Get some fabulous shoes, vintage or new, and wear them. While I love that I have these shoes now it makes me kind of sad that in their previous home they weren't worn. Don't save your stuff away, you're worth the good stuff!

So wear it!