Polyvore-ER of the Day: Jadesayshollabeyotch, so ya'll better holla

Normally I just feature a polyvore set, but this girl really deserves an extra link. I already love her sets, but now she's created a wicked cool group on polyvore.com in which she gives the how-to's of "dressing." A fashionista/stylist with a superb eye, Jade has now created such sets as "how to wear animal print and not look like a whore" and "how to look great this christmas and not make your grandma..."

She also offers brilliant, biting commentary on her sets, like this juicy tidbit:

These are not for the following ladies: 1. If anyone has ever told you or you'd say you have the same chest as Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Simpson, Salma Hayek, or Pamela Anderson. 2. If you fear showing any curve that might distinguish you from being older then twelve.

We loves it. (and apparently sitting Golum-like in a dark basement in front of our computer for too many hours has also made us refer to ourselves in plural. How very Perez of us.)

If you'd like to have your own personal long-distance stylist this coming season, visit her Polyvore Group.

HOW TO: Bring your summer dress into winter...

Polyvore of the Day: Double your LEGER, Double your fun

I'm in a love affair...with Hervé Leger. (Don't tell my boyfriend, please.) I know, I know - so is everyone else and their mother. It seems that you can't open a magazine these days without seeing some celebrity smooshed into one of his vintage or new ace-bandage-like dresses. One website describes his work as thus:

His dresses have the properties formally associated with foundation garments: the ability to mold the body and keep it in place. They enhance the figure, metamorphosing the wearer into cartoonlike proportions with full bust and hips.

I like the sound of that. And I like ace bandages. Go figure.

For a little inspiration, I've picked a polyvore that actually features a dress from Leger's new line. If you want to find a vintage version, be prepared to shell out some serious cash. His 80's and early 90's versions are going for 4 digit prices these days. Of course, with the promise of looking like Jessica Biel when she wore hers a few years back for some awards show, I'd put my money on the table. The polyvore is from Zeroed and he/she gets it right.



My Pick:

1. Herve Leger gown @ Rare Vintage

UPDATE!!!!!

AAAA! I'm so terribly sorry I've been MIA for soooo long. It's just that I've been furiously working on our sister site, myvintagecompass.com....and I've got some great new updates for you! The Fashion Timeline is well underway, with pictures of the best couture has had to offer over the last 100 years. In case you're ridiculously confused right now about exactly WHAT the Fashion Timeline is, I'll try to ease your pain. If you head on over to myvintagecompass.com and click on Fashion Timeline, you'll see that you can search by decade. From there, you can narrow your search down to formal dresses, party dresses, or day dresses. Not to worry, if you're not into dresses (who needs 'em!) - very soon, I'll also be adding categories like suits, outerwear, and misc. cool stuff you didn't even know you needed.

As of this very minute, only two galleries are actually functioning: The 1950's formal and party dress galleries. The next to come will be the 20's through the 40's, and I'll be sure to let you know when those are available.

But for now, please, pretty please, if you have some free time, go check them out. Nowhere else on the web will you find such a gawgeous chronology of dresses from masters like Dior, Galanos, Mainbocher, Rochas, Balenciaga...you get the picture.

Also, Happy Holidays! New Year's is just around the corner too, so if you're still in the market for a great party-down dress, there are plenty of vintage clothing dealers out there who ship Express.

Cheers!
Vava

Bonus Polyvore: because I said so

I like this one, and couldn't resist sharing. I think it's obvious why. It was designed by Iset.

Polyvore of the Day: Draping

No, no! I'm not talking about Maria from The Sound of Music turning the drapes into clothing - I'm talking about dresses that are beautifully draped!

I love these types of dresses. Trying to find out where the fabric begins and ends and how the draper got it to fall just so, is an adventure in itself. The best thing is that vintage definitely has a corner on the market when it comes to dresses in this category. So many vintage designs pay homage to master drapers such as Madame Gres, that you can usually find a reasonably priced version if you do a bit of searching. Some names to look for: Galanos, Jean Desses, Ceil Chapman, and Mary McFadden.

The polyvore of the day, from jadesayshollabeyotch, is a wonderful example of how to pull off the "draped" look without seeming dated. Also below are my picks for some of the best draped dresses on the web. Enjoy!

My "Draped Dress" Picks:

1. Old School: 1950's Jean Desses Gown @ The Frock
2. New School: 1980's Victor Costa Dress @ Calico

Polyvore of the Day: Better Sweater

Let's face it. There are about 8 billion cool sweaters on this planet.....so how do you choose? For me, it's all in the details. And by details I don't mean that the sweater has to be covered in buttons or lace or embroidery. I just mean that one feature really has to grab me. For this season, I'm interested in solid colors with exaggerated sleeves or collars. Proportion DOES matter, and I like balance. I'm sort of bored with the typical slouch sweater these days. In general, I find that if I can buy it new somewhere else, I'm less inclined to invest in the vintage precurser. I do like prints occasionally, but I find that a pattern can actually be a prime indicator of poor quality. So if I invest in a print, I invest. I've included 3 of my favorite sweaters at the bottom of this post, so be sure to check them out.

The Polyvore of the Day features a really nifty little sweater, and the styling is spot-on. Kudos to Faboulishoes for putting this outfit together.

"Better Sweater" Picks:

1. 1970s Gil Aimbez Flamenco Sweater @ Metal-Thread Vintage

2. 1980s Betsey Johnson Sweater @ Le Robo Vintage Clothing