Poyvore of the Day: Valentine's Confession

Can we talk "love" for a minute? I had a revelation recently about the state of my relationship. (Sorry to get personal here, but it's relevant to the topic at hand.) Ever since I can remember, I've done everything I can to not be THAT girl - the needy girlfriend, the princess girlfriend. I've always wanted to be "down," a guy's-girl, low-key, low-maintenance, and so on and so forth. But the other day, I looked my boyfriend squarely in the face and admitted it....

What, you ask, did I admit to? I admitted to needing to be showered with kisses, needing to be held, needing to be swept off my feet and serenaded and all of the other stuff that has been buried by years of tomboy training. This is not to say that my wonderful man doesn't already do these things (he sings me Frank Sinatra ballads quite often in fact), but it felt good to actually say that I needed it out loud.

And so, in keeping with the spirit of sharing my girly side (and even though you guys do not collectively equal a boyfriend), I'm going to bare my soul to you. Here goes...

I NEED one day a year, where I can wear pink. Unabashedly. Bright pink. Rasberry pink. Flamingo pink, even. And what better day, than a day when it's not quite as dangerous to venture out in this eye-popping hue - Valentine's Day!

Just in case you're ready to wear some pink too, I've picked out some lovely Polyvore inspiration for us - a set that features my new color-du-jour. It comes to us from polyvore-er, likeomgnoway. (love the username - how very apropos.) The set is a perfect example of how to wear pink without looking like a giant...I don't know...pink blob. Plus, I dig the mint green / rasberry combo.

Sigh. See, now don't you feel like we've bonded? In the words of the immortal Chevy Chase, "good talk, Russ."

Luv,
Vava

p.s. "But it's only January 17th," you say. "Valentine's Day is a month away!" I know, but if you're going to do some online shopping for V-day, you'd better get started now.



And here are my picks for the best pinkage on the web:

1. Big Date Night: frothy pink frock @ Mary Moore Vintage
2. Valentine's Gala: pink ballgown @ Vintage-a-Peel

The BEST Blog Post on the BEST of 2007!

So once again, I've been away for far too long. This blogging thing is hard work! I took some time off in December, and it gave me a really good chance to reflect on the best...well, the best stuff - the best experiences, the best of my new city, the best friends, the best boyfriend, the best family, and for certain, the best vintage.

In no particular order, these are the BEST things of 2007:

BEST Undiscovered Big City:

Omaha, Nebraska. Yep, it's a megalopolis (just about a million people) and one of the fastest growing cultural centers in the US. Aside from a newly thriving downtown area, it's helped me lose my east-coast edge. It's good to be back.

BEST New Gadget:

NOPE! I'm not talking about any of these newfangled digital apple phones, ipods, laptops, blackberries, or computers - I'm talking about my turn-of-the-century (as in ca. 1900) expanding clothes drying rack. It took me 20 minutes at the antique store to figure out what it actually was, but once I did, it was ALL mine! Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent couldn't have said it better when they crooned, "ayooh, I'm tired of using technology, I need you right in front of me."

BEST Inspiration for 2008

The movie National Treasure 2, and the knowledge that the new Indiana Jones movie is coming out soon are very inspiring for a treasure hunter like myself. Here's to unearthing a Charles James dress this year. and a Hermes Birkin bag...ahem.

BEST "How'd they do that?" Vintage Stores on the Web

Yep, these are the stores that somehow manage to capture the "I didn't even try," indie, cool-girl, mis-matched look. How do you make it look so easy?

1. Maki Maki Vintage
2. Showdown Vintage
3. LeRobo Vintage

BEST "Old Standard" Stores on the Web

For the stores who keep me coming back again and again to stare at their magnificance.

1. The Frock
2. Mary Moore Vintage
3. Antique Dress
4. Vintage Textile
5. Antique Dress

BEST "one that got away"

If I had the resources at the time, I would have snapped up this vintage Vivienne Westwood Ensemble. weep.

BEST "one that DIDN'T get away"

Allllll mine...well, not any longer, but it WAS all mine for a fleeting moment. mid - late 1930's Robert Piguet Couture. mega rare.

BEST Vintage Moment

Dressing up in vintage with my 3 roommates at 3 am on a Tuesday...and having a dance party in our kitchen

Happy New Year! CHEERS!

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