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Vintage 1970s Maxi Dress (bustownmodern) | Vintage 1960s Gladstone Tapestry Handbag (vintagedesignparadise) | Vintage Catalina Swimsuit (tarksmia) | Vintage Christian Lacroix Dangle Earrings (codsacandreo) | Vintage Pierre Cardin Dress (karabt) | Pre-owned Hermes Cosmetic Case (standingpoint) | Vintage 1950s Tulle Prom Gown (afro*chic) | Vintage Oleg Cassini Beaded Top (teenachi) | Vintage Egyptian Revival Gemstone Bracelet (urbantiques) | Vintage 1960s Sundress (thriftwares) | Vintage Lederer Handbag (wayneswahl) | Vintage Taxco Sterling Malachite Necklace (rwcfrank) | Vintage 1950s Jay Herbert Floral Sundress (willy8jeff34) | Vintage Miriam Haskell Coral Parure (tomkitten) | Vintage 1950s Illusion Beaded Wedding or Party Dress (redhousevintage) | Vintage 1970s Convertible Cotton Dress (oldsoulsvintage) | (Disclosure: Zuburbia is an affiliate member of the eBay Partner Network however these editorial selections are made without direct promotional consideration from Bay sellers.)

PLEASE NOTE that Zuburbia does not endorse the use of fur, feathers, leather or animal skins in fashion. These selections are offered only as more thoughtful and eco-friendly alternatives for contemporary fashionistas who have not yet eliminated animal products from their wardrobes.

(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.)

I was driving to San Diego on Friday and heard on the radio that the average American family is spending a whopping $1000 to send their daughter to prom this year.

A whopping $1000!

I mean between the dress, the shoes, the bag, the jewelry, the tickets, the limo, the hair, the makeup, the photographer…Let’s face it. All these things add up.

And how things change.

When I went to prom in the early ’80s, I used Maybelline and Cover Girl instead of a professional makeup artist. I was chauffeured by my boyfriend in his dad’s car. My mom and neighbors took pictures. I didn’t even buy my own gown. It was gifted to me as the winner of the Pennsylvania Junior Miss pageant which I had entered in the hopes of winning scholarship money for college.

You’ll be glad to know that I survived the night even though I didn’t get to buy the prom dress of my dreams.

I actually had a really nice time. And I ended up being married to my date for over a decade.

But $1000!

As reported by Visa, even parents earning less than $20k a year were still planning to fork over $1200 to their sons and daughters for prom night!

One woman interviewed for the radio story said she’d work a second job flipping burgers if she had to but she couldn’t say no to all her daughter’s wishes for the big day.

Tet her daughter didn’t think twice about spending more than her mom could comfortably afford.

She was just “doing her part to help stimulate the economy.”

It seems to me that our teenage prom-goers should be able to take a reasonable prom budget set by mom and dad and stick to it. And mom and dad should feel perfectly justified in setting a prom budget that is financially comfortable for them.

If everything in their teen’s prom dream doesn’t fit into the family prom budget, then it’s time for their teen to decide what’s most important and either eliminate or get creative with the other stuff.

Sort of like we adults have to do as we budget our lives and our businesses every day.

Because if our teens can’t do this for their senior prom, then what have we really taught them in the last 12 years?

Of course, one way to stretch a prom budget is to select a vintage prom gown like today’s VPOD. This beauty’s price tag could be further mitigated by selling it back to a local boutique or an online vintage lover at eBay after the big night is over. Or it could be shortened to become a dress that could be worn again and again to future events.

That makes it an even more beautiful find for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at closetcaseVNTG.

(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list

Today’s media world allows anyone to be a celebrity and makes it easier than ever to claim your 15 minutes of fame.

But have you ever noticed that often the people who deserve the most attention are hiding from the limelight while those clamoring for the spotlight often have very little of value to add to the mix?

In the good ol’ days, VIP status was earned through hard work and significant contributions to society but today you can simply rent your own paparazzi!

It’s been my experience, however, that the need to be treated like a VIP is often inversely proportional to a person’s self-esteem.

When you know you’re a VIP on the inside, you’re not so concerned with being treated like a VIP on the outside.

And it isn’t just celebrities who want VIP treatment.

I recently read about a fashion blogger whose agent demanded a hefty speaking fee plus first-class air travel and hotel and myriad other perks in order for her VIP client to attend a large conference.

The result? The conference organizers booked another not-so-VIP-obsessed blogger instead.

Here’s the thing.

I’ve been fortunate to meet some real VIPs this year, amazing men and women who are making significant contributions to society. And you know what?

None of them could care less about whether they get the best table at a restaurant or how many Facebook or Twitter followers they have. They’ll gladly give up their First Class seat to a soldier returning from overseas. And they recognize that how you treat anyone is how you treat everyone.

They’re not about hype. They’re about truth.

They’re VIPS because of what they contribute, not because everyone knows their name.

And when you know you’re making a meaningful contribution to your family or your work or your community, when you know that just being alive in this world matters, and when you have a mission or a cause that goes beyond you, then whether someone else treats you like a VIP won’t make much difference.

And please remember that every single one of you is a VIP to someone. Right now. Today. Even if there aren’t paparazzi outside your front door.

Now check out today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1990s Moschino little black cocktail dress is a fun tongue-in-cheek way to announce your VIP status to the world.

It’s a fabulous vintage find for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Swank 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.)

I was taking photos of some vintage items yesterday for a flash sale I have coming up in June and I noticed that things look completely different depending on how close-up you get.

If you zoom in too close, things will get blurry. If you zoom out too far, you lose all of the details.

But there’s a optimum distance for a picture that balances the best of these two extremes and pulls everything into focus.

And how do you find this perfect shot?

You zoom in and zoom out. Zoom in and zoom out.

The perfect shot is always easy to recognize when you see it through your camera lens.

Well, it’s important to go through this zooming in and zooming out process in life, too.

Often when we’re facing a problem or feeling stuck, it’s easy to focus on what’s sitting right in front of our noses. From this viewpoint, though, we may think that there’s no solution or that we’re in an impossible situation.

That’s when it’s time to do some zooming.

First, zoom in.

Really get up close and personal with your issue. Examine every minute detail. Ask the silliest, dumbest questions you can. Put your problem or concern under a microscope and drill down until you understand it on a cellular level.

Then, zoom out. Way out.

See how the problem relates to the whole. Where does it fit in the bigger picture?

Consider its impact on your family and friends. Its affect on your business and your customers and your industry. Its relationship to your community, your country and the planet.

Try to see your issue from a bigger proper perspective. Maybe your problem really isn’t the end of the world as you know it after all.

In fact, maybe from this zoomed out perspective the problem you’ve been wrangling with doesn’t seem so huge. Maybe now it’s clear that your obstacle is really the beginning of something new and better. Or maybe it’s not worth worrying about anymore at all. Or maybe you realize that you’ve actually been worrying about the wrong problem this whole time and now that the actual problem is clear as day you can zoom in and out on that.

Zooming in and zooming out.

It’s not just for photographers!

As for today’s VPOD, whether you zoom in close to see the pearl trim and the Indian feather print or you stand back and admire it from afar, this vintage 1980s Zandra Rhodes silk chiffon dress is simply stunning.

It’s a quite a lovely find from the perspective of a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Vintage Textile.

(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 Wool and Satin Coat (thrifted) | Vintage 1970s Boots (sistersoftheblackmoon) | Vintage 1940s Catalina Swimsuit (koolkrow) | Vintage 1960s Oscar de la Renta Boutique Cocktail Dress (nouveau511) | Vintage 1920s Metallic Embroidered Silk Skirt (thriftwares) | Vintage Chester Weinberg Dress and Coat Set (abj2000) | Vintage 1940s Burlap Pocket Dress (kingstonavenuevintage) | Vintage John Romain Basket Purse (txart2011) | Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue Blouse (jell-oonsprings) | Vintage 1970s Oscar de la Renta Boutique Cocktail Dress (ladydeacon) | Vintage 1960s Lilli Ann Coat (americanarchive) | Vintage 1990s Christian Lacroix Knit Set (vintagedesignparadise) | Vintage 1960s Oscar de la Renta Cocktail Dress (thehungergatherershop) | Vintage Art Deco Cloche (1860-1960) | Vintage 1970s Silver Fox Maxi Sweater (mcatasha) | Vintage 1990s Issey Miyake Jacket (fashion_files) | Vintage 1970s Halston III Metallic Set (kingsonavenuevintage) | vintage 1970s Tiered Lace Maxi Dress (sistersoftheblackmoon) | Vintage 1950s Lace Chiffon Party Dress (pamh23) | Vintage 1970s Nigel Lofthouse Limited Edition Clutch (james52377) | (Disclosure: Zuburbia is an affiliate member of the eBay Partner Network however these editorial selections are made without direct promotional consideration from Bay sellers.)

PLEASE NOTE that Zuburbia does not endorse the use of fur, feathers, leather or animal skins in fashion. These selections are offered only as more thoughtful and eco-friendly alternatives for contemporary fashionistas who have not yet eliminated animal products from their wardrobes.

(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.)