Off Season Shopping - Shimmer, Sparkle and Shine For Summer

Since  we've just seen the runway shows for Spring 2011 and Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman are already sending email about their Resort Collections, I've got warmer weather on my mind.  Not to mention that we just a week of not warm but hot sunny days here in Los Angeles, a true Indian Summer.
Is it too early to start thinking about shopping for next Summer?
I don't think so, especially when there are benefits to off season shopping.
Look what I found ON SALE at Couture Allure Vintage
Naturally, I paired these vintage dresses with estate jewelry from Beladora.com.
Let's start with this shimmery little number, cute isn't it?

A 1950's Gold Wiggle Dress on Sale for $145

Yellow and White Diamond Earrings $3850

Yellow and White Diamond Ring $3850

Also on sale at Couture Allure is this sparkly lilac sequin dress 

Vintage Lilac Sequin Cocktail Dress $50

Amethyst and Diamond Earrings $1150

Amethyst and Diamond Cocktail Ring $1850

Finally, Couture Allure has this slightly psychedelic beaded shiny gown in shades of green

Vintage 1960's Beaded Floral Evening Gown $50

Carved Peridot, Orange Sapphire and Pink Tourmaline Earrings $4450

Peridot and Diamond Cocktail Ring $3750

Now...if I buy one (or all three) of these dresses I'll be appropriately outfitted if someone just happens invites me to a poolside cocktail party.
Just saying, it's good to be prepared because you never know what the future has in store for you.

Around Town - The Santa Monica Vintage Expo

After years of following Mary Kincaid's Zuburbia blog, I was pleased to finally get a chance to meet Mary last weekend at the Vintage Clothing Expo show in Santa Monica. 
Mary is a specialist in vintage clothing with the eye of a museum curator.  She can spot a Lilly Ann, a Suzy Perette, a Galanos, a Ceil Chapman or just about any other classic American fashion designer at a distance.  Her blog is highly informative with posts about vintage designers, where to shop for vintage items, vintage picks of the week and a weekly eBay round up. 

So, not only does does this busy woman blog, she has an online boutique where each item in her vintage collection is hand picked for its special design aesthetic. 

I'm really excited for Mary because she will soon have her vintage clothes featured on 1stDibs...and if that isn't a recipe for success, then I don't know what is.

(perhaps Beladora will be invited to join the 1stDibs crew one of these days...........)

Summer Shopping Spree - Estate Emeralds and Vintage Oscar de la Renta

How amazing is it that in the Estate Jewelry world that we just bought the emerald earrings and ring that perfectly match our Fred Leighton emerald and diamond necklace aka my signature necklace from my profile picture. What were the chances that an international private client would just happen to want to sell these pieces...and we would just happen to want to buy them. 
Here we have Mademoiselle de Ville, in her gray t-shirt, modeling the suite. 

Now...I just have to put my mind to it and find some fancy schmancy black tie gala to attend where I can wear these emeralds....and my vintage Oscar de la Renta evening gown, recently purchased from Couture Allure Vintage.

Miss de Ville thinks that the gown is a little too "saloon girl", whereas I prefer to think of it as Belle Epoque.  At any rate, no one will notice the dress if I wear it with the emeralds.
Now...bring on the black tie events....I am ready and willing.

Vintage Value Venture - Couture Allure On Sale

OK people pay attention here
The holidays are always about finding just the right gifts to please our family and friends. But the post Christmas week is a good to time find something wonderful for ourselves.
I know you all have some post holiday cash in hand....or you will as soon as you return that holiday sweater that you received as a gift that you will never wear, back to the department store.
Well Couture Allure Vintage is having an after Christmas Sale!
For me it's kinda a toss up for me between the vintage Oscar de la Renta evening gown with matching coat with mink collar and cuffs...because god knows that I lead such a formal life of galas and black tie events that I need an evening gown...
and this very wearable 1950s Mr. Blackwell cashmere and wool dress for $175!

Certainly the simple black dress will go better with a double strand of south sea pearls and my new favorite pair of south sea pearl and diamond earrings.

South Sea Pearl and Diamond Earrings

So this is what I've picked out....what are you going to get?

(Oh, and don't forget that Beladora's discount code is HOLIDAY09

till the end of the month)

Vintage Value Venture - The Winter Fur Suit

Just because I was boasting about having 90 degree weather for Thanksgiving doesn't mean that I don't miss real winter temperatures....especially when the cold calls for something with a little fur.
Here are my vintage picks for staying chic and warm
and I would wear any one of these suits

1960's Saks Adolphe black wool suit with beaver collar and cuffs
$425 at Vintage Swank
(Wouldn't you offer no more than $275 given other vintage suits online?)

1950's Hart Schaffner Marx nutmeg wool suit with mink collar
$300 at Tresor de Vintage
(Don't you love this Mad Men color and 3/4 sleeves which are perfect for kidd gloves?)

1960's Dan Millstein black wool dress with jacket and white mink collar and hem
$295 at Couture Allure Vintage
(Is it just me or is there something Mrs Santa about this suit?)

1960's Saks red wool suit with mink collar

$95 at Couture Allure Vintage

(seriously, where can you buy a wool anything, let alone a suit for $95?)

1970's Lilli Ann grey knit suit with fox collar

$275 at Couture Allure Vintage

(this fox looks strangely like lynx or coyote in this photo, doesn't it?)

Why would anyone buy new when these gorgeous and reasonably priced vintage pieces

are available online?

Vintage Value Venture - Blue and Gold - Summer Colors Westwood Style

Catherine Malandrino Blue Summer Dress at Rodeo Drive Resale

Vintage Hammered Gold Doorknocker Earrings from Beladora2.com

Vintage Handbags from Decadestwo at Haute Look

Light blue and gold...a little touch of the local look... for less.

A Little Beladora2 Beauty

Miss de Ville modeling the goods
Because even grown up girls like to play dress up

Opal and Diamond Ring and Opal and Diamond Dangle Earrings

Pink and Blue Sapphire Pendant

Edwardian Diamond and Seed Pearl Ring

Art Nouveau Style Butterfly Pendant

Citrine Bracelet and Citrine and Reticulated Quartz Dangle Earrings

Vintage Fine Estate Jewelry from Beladora2.com
Beladora2.com = Beladora on a Budget!

Vintage Value Venture - Mill Street Mink and More

Once again I've got Mary at Zuburbia.com doing the legwork for some great Vintage Value Ventures.
I just don't have the patience to peruse EBay for vintage...searching Google is exhausting enough.
But...I have to admit that while about 99% of the vintage jewelry that you find on Ebay is absolute garbage...the choice on Ebay for vintage clothing is sometimes superlative.

While Yahoo weather says that the temperature outside is 48 degrees, my cold nose from the short walk that I just took tells me that that it was more like 40 degrees...which in my neighborhood is really seriously cold.
Luckily I had my shearling coat and hat to wear...but if I wasn't so well clothed I would have liked to have worn something like this.

Vintage Wool Coat With Fox Collar on EBay from Mill Street Vintage

Or...if I was back in that "Aeroflot circa 1970's" mood I would have opted for this.

Vintage Wool Dress and Coat with Mink Collar on EBay from Mill Street Vintage

I'm so loving the Julie Christie - Dr. Zhivago vibe of this outfit.

Vintage Value Venture - Winter Blues for Mellifluous Mozart

So what if Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman faked the music at the Inauguration...
You can get some real music...
maybe even a little Mozart at the Music Center
Mozart: Sonata in F, K 377
Brahms: Sonata #3
Janacek: Sonata
Schubert: Rondo in D Minor

What to wear?
Classic vintage of course!

Beladora2.com Vintage Retro Sapphire Brooch
Beladora2.com Vintage Sapphire and Diamond Ring

Beladora2.com Vintage Diamond Earrings

List It Cafe Vintage 1950's Wiggle Dress with Jacket in Wool $65

Vintage Skins Blue Crocodile Clutch $265

Something About Mary

I'm sure that you know by now that shopping on the net takes a certain amount of energy...especially if you are searching through the vintage websites.

Where I go first to learn about all things vintage is Zuburbia.com which is the premier aggregate site for all things vintage by Mary Kincaid.

Without Zuburbia I wouldn't have been able to have found all of the great vintage value ventures that I have posted over the last year.

So...Mary... for the next fashion weblog awards I nominate you!

Holiday Gift Tips - Wall Street Journal Goes Long On Vintage!

Have they been reading my blog?

Vintage Value Venture - Ice Baby Ice

While it is warm enough today to go hiking today in my cargo shorts and wife beater t-shirt, most of the rest of the country is feeling a cold snap.
It is Autumn after all.
So, how do deal with the chill?
With a little blue ice of your own of course!

Blue Ice
Beladora Aquamarine and Diamond Earrings

Couture Allure Vintage Sexy Blue Sequin 1960's Dress $125