Butterflies may be free to fly but when was the last time you spotted one? Swarms are disappearing and while saving the butterflies may be pretty low on your priority list, there is a definite link between us humans and the rest of nature. And declining butterfly populations and shifting butterfly distributions are considered by many to be excellent early warning indicators of environmental change.

It’s interesting to me that as the numbers of real butterflies have been declining, the number of butterfly prints in fashion have been increasing. Just pick up a fashion magazine and it’s clear that butterflies are a key Spring/Summer 2009 fashion trend. But as more butterfly species become extinct each year, isn’t it sad to think that someday the only butterflies left to enjoy will be the ones we’re wearing? Even when the ones we’re wearing are as beautiful as today’s VPOD?

This intage 1980s Oscar de la Renta gown features a beautifully beaded butterfly bodice and a fish-tail silk velvet skirt. Someone saved this little guy from extinction. Let’s hope his living comrades are so lucky.

It’s a thoughtful, and stunning find, for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Shrimpton Couture.

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