In the short-lived series Arrested Development, David Cross humorously portrayed a character who was a “never-nude,” a person suffering from the real-life affliction known as gymnophobia, or fear of nudity.

And while this condition may be quite rare, I’m willing to bet that it has a corresponding fashion version because I know lots of women who haven’t a single nude-colored item in their closet. And maybe that’s because wearing nude colors can be kind of tricky.

I mean the whole idea behind wearing nude colors is their ability to give the illusion of nakedness even though you’re clothed. Which means they can be quite fun to play with.

Take today’s VPOD for instance. This vintage 1970s sundress in a pale khaki has an easy-breezy fit and huge patch pockets. Sure to become a go-to summer dress, you can pull this gem into fall with a little simple layering.

And you already have something in your closet to throw on top of it because its neutral shade will pair with everything from pink to red, from blue to brown, from black to jewel tones. Today it’s loose, tomorrow it’s belted. This week it’s the socks and sandals shown here, next week it’s your favorite pair of boots.

That’s a whole lot of stylin’ fun for a dress that costs under $50!

And that makes it a wonderful find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Ramona West.

]]> http://zuburbia.com/blog/2010/09/10/vpod-vintage-1970s-khaki-sundress/feed/ 0 http://zuburbia.com/blog/2010/09/09/vpod-vintage-karim-bonnet-hand-painted-sundress/ http://zuburbia.com/blog/2010/09/09/vpod-vintage-karim-bonnet-hand-painted-sundress/#comments Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:13:08 +0000 Mary Kincaid http://zuburbia.com/blog/?p=3931

Are you a Vintage Purist? Do you only wear true authentic vintage?

If your answer is a resounding “Yes!” then what qualifies an item as true, authentic vintage?

On Etsy, to be considered “vintage” an item has to be at least 20 years old. And if you listen to some folks on Twitter, then you shouldn’t dare call anything younger than 20 years old “vintage” because that…

Are you a Vintage Purist? Do you only wear true authentic vintage?

If your answer is a resounding “Yes!” then what qualifies an item as true, authentic vintage?

On Etsy, to be considered “vintage” an item has to be at least 20 years old. And if you listen to some folks on Twitter, then you shouldn’t dare call anything younger than 20 years old “vintage” because that would make it “Retro.” Not “vintage.” Retro.

And then you have antique clothing, widely considered to be anything over 100 years old. Are these items also considered true authentic vintage?

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that each fashionista probably has her own idea of what vintage means to her. And while conventions in the industry are nice, there are a lot of young ladies out there who consider anything they buy in a thrift store, consignment boutique or Goodwill to be, well…you guessed it, vintage. And yes, that means even clothes just manufactured last season.

I suppose one can be a Vintage Purist and limit oneself to let’s see…as of today…only garments manufactured prior to September 9, 1990. But that could keep a girl from purchasing some mighty great finds!

For instance, since Karim Bonnet moved to a fashion college in Bastille in 1989, all of this designer’s beautiful Impasse de la Defense hand-painted dresses, including today’s halter-style VPOD, don’t qualify as pure “vintage.” Well, not yet anyway. But only time will tell if this man’s talent will become as collectible as other vintage designers that we covet today.

In the investment world, the mantra is “Buy Low, Sell High.” That’s good advice for the vintage clothing world, too, but I’d add a second mantra: “Buy Early, Sell High.”

And that means you may want to indulge in some not-quite-yet-vintage finds and sit back to hopefully watch all the Vintage Purists clamor for them in another decade.

It’s a strategic way to shop for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Shop Curious.

P.S. I’d love to hear how you define “vintage.” Please leave me a comment below.

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While most folks define a KnitWit as someone who has a flair, knack or talent for knitting, I give the word a whole new meaning. After all, I can’t knit a stitch and yet I also can’t resist scooping up every vintage knitting book I can find. So I’m either a KnitWit or a Nitwit and I think the former label is far more flattering.

And Knitwit that I am, I found a real treasure at my local library book sale this weekend. Just take a peek at this little sampling of the oh-so-fab designs in the out-of-print book, Glorious Knits. I mean who could resist right?

Then today I come across today’s VPOD, a beautiful vintage 1970s sweater from Neiman Marcus with the most amazing details.

Coincidence? I think not.

I think the Fashion Gods were reminding me that while I might not be talented enough to spin yarn into gold, I don’t have to settle for boring, ho-hum, ordinary sweater choices this fall. After all, this vintage find is anything but ordinary with embroidered panels on the kimono sleeves and a very unique yarn-stitched open back.

Which, by the way, is a great little idea to incorporate into one of your own knitting projects if you happen to be one of those talented yarn-into-gold types.

And if not, then this pre-made beauty is a sure-fire way to be a Knitwit-ed vintage fashionista!

Available at Swank Vintage. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

(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. | Disclosure: Zuburbia is an Amazon affiliate.)

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Vintage Leopard Faux Fur Coat (twentythreevintage) | Vintage Whiting and Davis Snake Bracelet (bussisx4) | Vintage 1970s Oscar de la Renta Boutique Plaid Flannel Maxi Dress (sistersoftheblackmoon) | Vintage 1970s Red Trench Coat (lalaland_vintageusa) | Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue Crocodile Handbag (salearea) | Vintage Christian Dior Peignor Set (vintagetempest) | Vintage Ralph Lauren Navajo Sweater (nevertomanyprettythings) | Vintage YSL Silk Dress (jenscharms82) | Vintage 1960s Lilli Ann Knit Coat (dorbok) | Vintage 1950s Beaded Back Bustle Cocktail Dress (theselvageyard) | Vintage Egyptian Revival Pharaoh Necklace (lightquick38) | Vintage Dalton Cashmere Embroidered Sweater (magicalbee) | Vintage 1950s Pony Fur and Leather Clutch (lil-apple*invasion) | Vintage Courreges Coat (greatclothesnicepeople) | Vintage Sea Foam Green Beaded Flapper Dress (luckyvintage) | Vintage 1960s Satin Evening Coat (thriftwares) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia without promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is an affiliate member of the eBay Partner Network).

(To receive the eBay Roundup via email, sign up for the growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

As you try to lead a greener life, do you ever wonder if turning off the water when you brush your teeth really makes a difference? Or if carrying a reusable grocery bag in your car can really save the planet?

It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture but I assure you that all of your little baby steps can add up to a very large footprint that does a whole lot o’ good.

For instance, take all those teeny tiny bubbles in a bottle of champagne. Billions of them are shipped around the globe each year and I was recently delighted to learn that champagne will be getting a whole lot greener. By creating a new standardized bottle that weighs a mere 2.3 ounces less, the industry will be reducing their carbon emissions by 8,000 metric tons annually. That’s the equivalent of taking about 4,000 small cars off the road!

The new eco-friendly bottles also produce 7% less carbon emissions during production and require fewer shipments since they can now squeeze an extra 2,400 bottles on each truck. Who knew 2 measly ounces would pack such a punch!

Unfortunately, since champagnes are aged at least 18 months, any official celebration will have to wait until 2012 when the new eco-friendly bottles make their appearance. In the meantime, why not celebrate with a champagne-colored beauty like today’s VPOD?

This vintage 1960s cashmere sweater is oh-so-pretty with its lace appliques and detachable mink collar. Plus it will set you back a whole lot less than a vintage bottle of Dom Perignon.

That makes it a find worth celebrating for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Twin Hearts Vintage.

(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.)

“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.

(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.)

If you own a computer then you fully understand the concept of re-booting, the process that shuts down your machine and reloads the operating system. But re-booting isn’t just good for electronic gadgets. It’s good for your closet, too.

Just like a computer can reach limits on its RAM or end up with a cluttered cache, your closet can reach the confines of its walls and become a cluttered mess if you don’t take the time to re-set it occasionally. And what better time than now?

Once you’ve spent some time evaluating what you’ve got, eliminating (or storing) items that you won’t be using, re-assessing the gems that you’d forgotten about, and re-arranging things in a cohesive way, your creative fashion muscles will be firing at full speed—much the way your computer always works better after a re-boot.

And speaking of re-booting, you might want to reward yourself for your Closet Re-Boot by leaving room for one of today’s VPODs. Classic, Hip, or Boho—these vintage boots from the 1960s and 1970s can satisfy a variety of fashion looks with style.

They’re a quick and easy way to re-boot for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Kakkoii Mono. | Discovered at TheFind.com

(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.)

I was at the Pickwick Vintage Show on Sunday and so I missed watching all the Red Carpet arrivals at the 2010 Emmys. Instead I had to settle for paging through the pictures on the Best and Worst-Dressed Lists yesterday.

And since I was raised with the understanding that if you can’t say something nice about someone you shouldn’t say anything at all, I won’t call out any one particular lady  for her unfortunate dress selection. I will say, however, that I thought the Worst-Dressed lists could have been twice as long and the Best-Dressed lists correspondingly shorter.

Three cheers for Keri Russell, though, who was a sure-fire fashion winner and an oh-so-stunning vintage fashionista.

Think you need to run out and buy a new dress for every occasion? Think again!

This lovely lass chose to wear a vintage 1970s Jean-Louis Scherrer chiffon gown that had been sitting in her closet for a decade. Lucky for us she pulled it out and paired it with tastefully chosen Jimmy Choos and a Judith Leiber bag to create a young, fresh look that really allowed her to shine.

And that’s my biggest beef with what I saw at this year’s Emmys. I believe that clothes should accent a woman’s natural beauty and best features. I believe that you should notice the woman first, and the dress and accessories second. And while I completely understand the Hollywood process that allows so many unflattering dresses to appear on so many gorgeous women, it really makes me sad.

Why? Because at Sunday’s vintage show I saw several evening gowns and cocktail dresses that would have been far more lovely than some of the the new designs that were flaunted at the Emmys. So today’s VPOD features four vintage Red Carpet-worthy frocks:

I’ll let you guess which dress I’d put on which worst-dressed celebrity but surely you’ll agree these these lovelies would have made several of the women appear much more lovely on Sunday night.

Whether you’re a fan of the 1980s red satin stunner or the sparkling beaded chiffon cocktail dress, or whether you prefer the 1960s citrus chiffon evening gown over the 1960s Suzy Perette asymmetrical cocktail number, I hope you’ll join me in wishing for more vintage fashions on the rest of this season’s Red Carpets.

After all, any of these beauties would be a fab choice for any celebrity or non-celebrity vintage fashionista!

All available at Mill Crest Vintage.

(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.)

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Vintage 1960s Canvas and Leather Tote Bag (cotton-love) | Vintage 1970s Goldworm Knit Secretary Dress (booboopeedoo) | Vintage 1980s Draped Cutout Dress (mokoko) | Vintage Modernist Bracelet (urbantiques) | Vintage Chiffon and Lace Peignoir Robe (helenheven) | Vintage YSL Necklace (joyas78) | Vintage 1980s Red and Khaki Trench Coat (thefamilyvintage) | Vinage 1920s Patterned Sheath Dress with Kimono-esque Sleeves (heartnsoul1) | Vintage 1960s Vera Dress (mintmallstore) | Vintage Oscar de la Renta Velvet Coat (allciaw2688) | Vintage Christian Dior Mink Stole (rodor) | Vintage Pucci Cotton Scarf (sleepysheepshop) | Vintage Gucci Bangle Bezel Watch (av619) | Vintage 1980s Silk Beaded Evening Coat (thefamilyvintage) | Vintage 1970s Judith Leiber Leather Clutch (fabienhoban) | Vintage Dead Stock Emilio Pucci for Formfit Rogers 2-piece Nightwear Set (elrodeo13) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia without promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is a member of the eBay Partner Network).

(To receive the eBay Roundup via email, sign up for the growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

Any moms out there or any big brothers and sisters are well-aware of a child’s developmental stage known as Separation Anxiety. Teary goodbyes and tantrums can mark a period when babies and young children experience high anxiety and get truly upset when being separated from their parents or caregivers.

But I find that lots of women suffer from a special Fashion Separation Anxiety as well, caught up in  their belief that if they bought separates that were made to go together they have to wear them together. Or, more commonly, who want to wear items as separates but just don’t know how to integrate them with other pieces in their closet.

Fortunately, clothes won’t take a tantrum or make you feel guilty if you decide to take only one piece out on the town and leave its siblings in the closet. So dare to wear!

Take today’s VPOD for instance. This vintage 1980s selection is what one would call an ensemble: a group of complementary and coordinating pieces designed for their effect when worn together. And what a life it’s lived!

Originally owned by a Countess who wore the suit to a cocktail party attended by the President of Venuzeula, you know that it’s going to ooze quality and craftsmanship in all three pieces. And the astute fashionista will see this ensemble as three fantastic vintage pieces that she can play with to her heart’s content. The blouse alone could breathe new life into your closet by creating an entirely new look-and-feel for a skirt, blazer or trousers.

But that’s not all. The ensemble also include a fabulous cape with macrame fringe (and you know capes are all the rage right now).

So get rid of your Fashion Separation Anxiety and open up a world of styling possibilities with this fabulous ensemble for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Virtuosa.

(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.)