Perhaps you’ve heard of Eric Ripert, famed chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin, which just happens to be ranked 18 on S. Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list.

Or perhaps you’ve seen him on one of his appearances as a guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef or hosting his own PBS series Avec Eric.

Or perhaps one of his four cookbooks is sitting on your kitchen bookshelf right now.

Well, I happened to read an old interview with him recently from Food & Wine magazine and this Emmy and James Beard award-winner, who also happens to be the recipient of France’s Legion d’Honneur, shared some food wisdom that has particular relevance for us Vintage Crusaders.

In the interview he was asked to elaborate on a statement he once made where he claimed “to cook for the food, not with the food.”

And in explaining the distinction, he compared chefs to jewelers saying the fish is the diamond and a chef’s job is to find the right cut and the right setting for it.

He further explained that “to elevate the flavor of the fish, I will probably add fewer ingredients, but the right ingredients.”

And  I immediately saw how applying these principles could elevate a gal from a mere one star to a coveted five stars rating in an imaginary Zagat Guide for dress.

Because isn’t our job simple?

First, we need to be honest about the shape of our bodies and learn how to play up our assets and minimize our deficiencies by choosing the right cuts with the right proportions for us. Even if that sometimes means shunning our favorite silhouettes from the current runway trends.

We also need to have an awareness of what’s appropriate to wear where and opt to wear clothes in the right setting. Even if that sometimes means waiting patiently for the proper social invite to debut a new outfit.

Plus we need to recognize that just like the finest cooking, the finest dressing is about choosing the best quality ingredients and learning how to make them work together so that no one flavor overpowers. So that the flavorings (accessories) enhance the main dish and bring out its best features. So that the final dish (the whole outfit) is greater than the sum of its ingredients.

Finally we need to recognize that less is very often more. That choosing fewer pieces for our closets but choosing each of these pieces with greater awareness can lead to a more cohesive wardrobe and a stronger sense of personal style.

Yesterday I shopped at my local farmer’s market and roasted fresh vegetables for dinner with just high quality olive oil and sea salt to accompany them. It’s probably one of my favorite meals — pure and delicious.

Likewise, sometimes our style can be pure and delicious without any fancy accompaniments.

Take today’s VPOD for instance.

This vintage Ossie Clark blouse is pretty and feminine and completely stylish all by itself.

And so you see how thinking like a chef can help you dress like a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Resurrection Vintage.

Do you believe in magic?

Not the sleight of hand magic where coins disappear behind ears and pop out of noses or where ladies are sawed in half. I’m talking about the magic of life.

Are you still able to feel a sense of wonder when you see a butterfly or admire the perfection of a rose?

Are you able to feel enchantment when you meet just the right person at just the right time?

Are you fascinated by things like Masaru Emoto’s pictures of water crystals or how that one part in your favorite symphony still makes you tear up every single time?

If you’re the kind of person who isn’t afraid to wonder if perhaps there are greater and grander forces in the universe that we have yet to discover, then you will be delighted with today’s VPOD and it’s whimsical depiction of a bearded man sailing along on his flying carpet over minarets.

This vintage 1940s beaded blouse is a perfect example of why I find vintage clothing so magical.

And it can easily put a spell on any vintage fashionista!

Available at Merchant Archive. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

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Well it’s June and I can already hear the wedding bells ringing and the cash register ka-chinging!

June is still the most popular month for tying the knot and tying the knot doesn’t come cheap.

According to TheKnot.com, the average 150-person wedding costs a whopping $25,000 with the bride’s attire accounting for about 8-10% of that amount.

Of course, not every bride will wearing white. Not every bride will be wearing vintage. Not every bride will even wear a gown for that matter.

Sure, the ol’ white wedding dress is still the traditional way to go although that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few non-traditional ladies choosing to express themselves a bit more authentically.

But I’m not holding my breath to see anyone walk down the aisle in the little number Yves Saint Laurent created in the 1970s proclaiming “Love Me Forever or Never.”

And check out this quote from the design genius:

“The most beautiful clothes that can dress a woman are the arms of the man she loves. For those who haven’t had the fortune of finding this happiness, I am there.”

So if you’re not exchanging “I do’s” this June, simply snag today’s VPOD instead.

This vintage YSL ethnic top has a peplum waist and will live happily ever after with your favorite pair of jeans.

It’s a fab little find for a vintage fashionista!

Available from Degli Effetti Vintage on FarFetch.com | Discovered at TheFind.com.

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Oh, that Mother Nature, she’s a tricky one!

For instance, she somehow decided that the temperature of a mama turtle’s nest would determine the sex of her offspring. Which was working out just fine until this whole global warming thing threw a big hot wrench into her plans. Because now, as temperatures are rising, Mother Nature is faced with a marked gender discrepancy among her turtles.

For example, in Florida, Loggerhead sea turtle nests are currently producing 90% females, and, if temperatures rise just one more degree, no more males will be produced there at all! Not such a good thing if female Loggerhead babies want to grow up and breed baby turtles of their own. (And you single women with ticking biological clocks thought you had it bad!)

Perhaps that’s one reason why the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) have declared this the Year of the Turtle. With 50% of freshwater turtles threatened –more than any other animal group — they want to bring attention to the simple things that can be done to keep these creatures, who have been here since the age of the dinosaurs, on the earth a while longer.

Things like tunnels under highways, turtle-safe fishing nets, and protection for turtle nests on beaches can all help. That global warming thing, though, will be a little harder to fix.

So, if you feel for the turtles’ plight, why not don today’s VPOD to stimulate dinner party conversation and drum up support for one of the many turtle conservation organizations.

This vintage 1950s Pauline Trigere tunic blouse features a huge turtle front-and-center and another huge turtle on the back.

It’s a great graphic find for a reptile-lovin’ vintage fashionista.

Available at North South Vintage.

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Today marks two and a half decades since the catastrophic explosion aboard the Challenger space shuttle and, for many of us, it’s one of those moments that imprinted itself so strongly on our memories that we will always remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we witnessed the disaster or heard the horrific news.

Yesterday, Steven J. McAuliffe, widower of Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who was killed onboard Challenger that day, reminded us of what he thought Christa would say is the Challenger’s most precious lesson:

that “ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions when they remain true to themselves and enthusiastically pursue their own dreams wherever they may lead.”

Let’s keep the families of all of our nation’s brave astronauts in our thoughts today. And remember to reach for your own stars, too.

If you need a little help, turn to today’s VPOD. This vintage 1970s silk blouse by Ungaro pairs hearts and stars for an inspiring chic print.

It’s a star-gazing find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Couture.

(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)