“Fashion is an opportunity to be chic, to conspire between reality and desire.” – Louis Feraud

Women love men who love women and one designer who loved and adored us and proved it with every stitch was Louis Feraud.

Beloved by the Parisian elite in the 1960s, stylish women traipsed through the streets in his fabulous designs looking oh-so-polished and chic. A team player, he assembled a group of experts that included color gurus and stylists to come up with what he called “weather forecasts” to predict fashion trends as he was always looking toward the future.

And he did a heck of a job because now the future is here and today’s VPOD, a vintage 1960s wool coat he designed for Saks Fifth Avenue, looks as stylish as ever with its clean lines, sharp trim and meticulous craftsmanship.

It’s a Feraud fantasy for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Blue Moon.

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Bonnie Cashin may have passed away a decade ago at the age of 84 but her work continues to be admired by adoring vintage fashionistas. And this one felt like she hit Internet gold a few days ago when she came across an old article that gives a rare and wonderful inside glimpse at Bonnie Cashin and her work environment.

The article, entitled “My Passion for Clothes: A Young Student Remembers Her Fashion Mentor,” was written by Stephanie Day Iverson for The New York Times Magazine. Best of all, it included these fabulous photos of Bonnie Cashin’s living room, office, sweater room and inspiration board.

Wow! I mean, I’ve always been a h-u-g-e Cashin fan but these pics make me wish that I could have really known her, you know what I mean?

And it’s almost synchronistic that I discovered these pics when I did because I was wavering about whether or not to let go of a luscious mohair Cashin sweater with buckle closures. And let’s just say no one should be looking for it in my online shop anytime soon!

You can, however, grab today’s VPOD. This classic 1970s Bonnie Cashin raincoat was designed for the “Weatherwear for Russ Taylor” label and features signature Cashin elements like oversize pockets and lock closures. And what a steal at under $100!

It’s a fabulous Cashin find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Frou Frou Vintage & More. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

Picture Credit: New York Times

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Camel coats are looking to be one of those must-have items for fall. Lucky Magazine shows the versions sent down the runway by Chloe, Philip Lim, Michael Kors, Prada and Gucci but it’s possible to find a fabulous vintage version, too. Just take a look at today’s VPOD by Originala.

From its start in the 1940s through the early 1970s, Originala made high-end suits and coats out of its location on Seventh Avenue in New York. And when I say high-end, I’m talking about coats that sold for $400 or $500 in the late 50s and early 60s. To give you an idea of just how expensive this was back then, if you adjust that price tag for inflation, it would be like buying a $3500 coat today!

The good news is that quality and style are always in fashion and you can grab this beauty with its wicked oversize pockets and suede belt at a non-inflation adjusted price.

That makes it a smart and trendy find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Archive Vintage.

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Ali, this season’s bachelorette, may have found true love with Robert-o but that just means that we won’t be fighting over Robert-a. Roberta di Camerino, that is, the designer of today’s VPOD.

Just like Allie dated and discarded several would-be suitors before settling on her prince, you may have to try several little lovelies on for size before you find the “the one,” but you’ll know you’ve found it the minute you slip into its arms.

And this vintage 1970s printed velvet coat could just be love at first sight. In this fall season’s sea of camel coats, the cherry-red on this beauty will glow brightly and that initial spark you feel can last a lifetime provided you promise to love, honor and cherish it until death do you part.

But marrying this beauty won’t come cheap. While I guarantee it’ll cost less than the Clinton-Mezvinksy nuptials this weekend, it’s probably a tad more than you’re used to paying for a coat. Maybe more than a tad.

Ah, but a love like this is worth every penny for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Enokiworld. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

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Do you keep a Bucket List? I do!  And one item on my list of 100 Things to Do Before I Die is take an African Safari.  But at the rate that species are becoming extinct, I’m hopeful that there will still be leopards, rhinos, and elephants to be seen by the time I get there.

If you dream of going to Africa too, you can keep the dream close at hand with today’s VPOD. This vintage 1960s cotton canvas trench features a brightly colored jungle print with zebras, cheetahs, and more. Yves Saint Laurent may have made the safari jacket famous but this gives “safari jacket” a whole new meaning!

It’s a wild and wonderful find for a vintage fashionista!

Available from rabbitsnyc on Market Publique.

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The Bishop family has owned and operated Oregon’s Pendleton Woolen Mills for six generations, producing some of the most beautiful, high-quality woolen goods to be found. Perhaps the most famous of their products, the ones that “started it all” in 1909, were their amazing Indian blankets which became very highly prized by Native Americans.

The company had great respect for the Native Americans, sending someone to spend time with the local tribes in northeastern Oregon in order to learn their taste, color, and design preferences. He would then return to the mill filled with creative ideas that the mill could execute in more vivid color and with greater detail than was possible using traditional Native American weaving methods.

And although Pendleton didn’t start producing womenswear until 1949, they brought the spirit and artistry of their traditional Indian blankets to today’s VPOD. This car coat is a stunning example of Pendleton’s mastery with wool. And since all their products are made with 100% pure virgin wool, which is the strongest, highest quality wool available, you can expect to be able to pass this beauty down for generations.

It’s a pristine Pendleton find for a vintage fashionsta!

Available from carolshops on eBay.

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Here in the good ol’ USA, when you mention a Mac, most people don’t associate it with fashion, right? I mean, here, Mac conjures up images of sleek computers, laptops, ipads, iphones and all things related to the Cult of Jobs. (And yes, I’m a member.)

But long before there was Mac, with a capital M, there were macs, with a lower-case M. Mention a mac (with a lower case M) to a die-hard fashionista and she’ll immediately think of a macintosh, a waterproof raincoat. And whether you live somewhere where you can count the number of days of rain per year on your fingers and toes, or whether you live somewhere that sees that many days of rain per month, you’ll want a smashing little something at the ready.

Today’s VPOD is a perfect choice. This 1960s mac by Gucci has plenty of rainy-day style and comes with two handy-dandy extras: a super-chic matching headscarf and a fold-away bag.

It’s a perfect rainy-day find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Circa Vintage.

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Boy, have times changed! I’m on my way to a business lunch in white jeans and a vintage silk tank and necklace. But I remember when I started my business career in the early 1980s. Back then I attended any lunch in a suit, panty hose and closed-toe shoes. Not because I wanted to. Oh no, no, no, Because I was required to. Don’t you love progress?

Of course, I do realize that I reside in Los Angeles, the casual capital of the world. Jeans rule out here which is just one reason why I adore today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1950s evening coat has a fantastic Persian-themed print and is quite luxurious with its taffeta lining and touches of bronze. Pair it with jeans and heels and it’s just the right amount of “dress-up” after the sun goes down.

And as an added bonus, it’s an unlabeled gem. Thanks to its lack of a designer label, you get what looks like a designer piece for about half what you’d expect to pay.

That makes this beauty an extra-exciting find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Palm Beach Vintage.
Discovered at TheFind.com.

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A couturier must be…

…an architect for design
…a sculptor for shape
…a painter for color
…a musician for harmony
…a philosopher for temperance

This describes the “Balenciaga spirit” as professed on the Balenciaga website and boy, does it ever capture the essence of this great designer!

Take today’s VPOD for instance, an haute couture 1960s coat by Balenciaga. The design is architectural, displaying balance and precision, as well as sculptural with those perfectly proportioned sleeves.  The color? Well, in this case the painter chose a pale shade to accentuate the purity of the design. The musician? He made sure to allow for enough simplicity so the coat could be accompanied by a quartet of accessories. And finally, the philosopher made sure that there would be “no useless ostentation” and that the piece would stand out regardless of the woman who wore it.

That, my friends, is all it takes to be a master of your craft. A genius. A one-and-only.

Like this one-and-only find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Couture.

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