Category Archives: fringe

VPOD: Vintage 1970s Suede Skirt and Being On the Fringe


vintage 1970s suede fringe skirt

When we talk about someone who’s “on the fringe,” we’re referring to someone far out there near the very edge, on the periphery. Maybe they’re on the fringe of a personal breakthrough, on the fringe of stardom, on the fringe of madness, or on the fringe of a world-changing idea or scientific discovery.

But being on the fringe can be a very lonely, scary and uncomfortable place. By definition, “fringe” ideas—in science, art, fashion, education, politics, or anything else—have yet to be accepted by the masses.

And have you noticed that the good folks with the most innovative ideas, the inventors delivering technological disruptions that completely change our lives and the people that we like to call geniuses, all tend to live closer to the fringe than to 123 Main Street?

That’s why I like to pay attention to people on the fringe and what they’re talking about. Their wacky, crazy ideas often described as “out there” might seem to have no place in our current world but are often the very ideas that we all end up embracing years down the road.

It’s their ideas that often end up changing art. Or changing fashion. Or changing our lives.

And this season, loads of fashionistas have their attention on the fringe, too—but specifically the kind of fringe that you’ll find on today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1970s suede skirt is perfect for the ’70s revival vibe we’re seeing this fall.

And it’s a fab little fringe-y find for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at Time’s Up Vintage.

(To receive the VPOD free via email with detailed size and price information, 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.)

Written on October 31, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1970s, fringe, Separates, Skirts, Suede, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing
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VPOD: Vintage 1960s Harrods Fringe Top and Trousers


vintage 1960s harrods white fringe top and trousers 2

One of my absolute favorite fashion blogs is Advanced Style by Ari Cohen, which “provides proof from the wise and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age.”

Ari roams the streets of New York in search of stylish female elders and boy-oh-boy, these ladies know how to dress!

Now you all know how much I believe in dressing with authentic style. And in order to embrace your authentic style you absolutely must know yourself inside and out, backwards and forwards, upside and down.  And don’t we all become just a little better at knowing ourselves and a little braver at sharing ourselves with each passing year?

Well, the women profiled by Ari are pros at expressing their authentic style and proof positive that style can and does advance with age.

And when you read their profiles over time you’ll begin to notice recurring themes among the tidbits of wisdom they share like:

* an emphasis on quality over quantity
* a desire to be unique
* a belief that both aging and style are a state of mind

Plus these wise women are well aware that certain pieces transcend both age and time and can be worn by young and old alike. Pieces like today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1960s top and trousers from Harrods is a unique way to combine two of this season’s trends: the little white dress and fringe.

And it’s a fashionable choice for any age vintage fashionista!

Available at Vintage Seekers.

(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.)

Written on June 9, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1960s, fringe, Pantsuit, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing
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VPOD: Vintage 1960s Fringe Dress


vintage 1960s fringe mini dress 2

vintage 1960s fringe mini dress

Last night on American Idol, rock superstar judge Steven Tyler was complimenting contestant James Durbin on his personal style when he uttered the following profound observation about his and Durbin’s outfits:

“You’d be surprised how expensive it costs to look this cheap!”

Yes, indeed, pulling off that effortless, “This old thing? I just threw it on” look can cost thousands of dollars when done right. But even more challenging is pulling off what I think of as the fashion yin to Tyler’s yang: dressing so you look like you spent a thousand bucks when you didn’t even part with one Benjamin Franklin.

And to do that, you better have a vintage arsenal with ammunition like today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1960s dress packs a powerful style punch with its uneven fringe and could go head-to-head with a much more expensive contemporary designer “knockoff.” This little number, however, can be yours for a mere $59!

It’s a beautiful bargain for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Ramona West.

(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.)

Written on April 21, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1960s, fringe, Little Black Dress, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing, vintage shopping
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VPOD: Vintage 1960s Valentina Beaded Fringe Cape


vintage 1960s valentino beaded fringe cape

Good writers know that the secret to good writing is good editing. And fashionable dressers know that the secret to good dressing is also good editing.

Fortunately, words and dresses can’t get their feelings hurt, which means you can be just as brutal as you like when editing your closet.

Just as a book editor can delete an entire paragraph or chapter with one push of a button, it’s necessary for you to occasionally delete pieces from your closet and send them on to new homes. And just as a book editor doesn’t accept every manuscript that comes his way, you also need to be extra-disciplined about the pieces you allow into your closet.

To give you an example of how strictly the very best people in the fashion business edit, consider this:

Decades and Decades Two, the extremely successful vintage and designer consignment boutiques founded by Cameron Silver, consider over 65,000 pieces for consignment each year.

Wanna guess how many pieces make the cut and are actually accepted by this master curator?

Only 12,000!!!

That’s less than twenty percent. That’s less than two out of ten pieces.

So ask yourself: How might your wardrobe look in five or ten years if you started editing your purchases this strictly?

Of course, this means that not every great piece you spy will make your final cut, but today’s VPOD would certainly make mine.

This vintage 1960s beaded and fringed wool cape by Valentina is simply spectacular! It’s one of those personality-laden finds that will continue to be thrown on a “Keep” pile through many years of spring closet cleanings.

It’s a colorful one-of-a-kind find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Kim 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.)

Written on March 4, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1960s, Beaded, capes, fringe, Separates, Valentina, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing
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VPOD: Vintage 1930s Hattie Carnegie Dress with Beaded Fringe


vintage 1930s Hattie Carnegie Dress with Fringe Beading

vintage 1930s Hattie Carnegie Dress 2

The news has been filled recently with talk about our nation’s health care. So imagine for a moment the following scenario:

You’re a young model hired by one of American’s most famous and beloved designers for a major fashion show. Suddenly, right in the middle of the show,  you collapse in intense pain!

The designer, without a second thought, swoops in, picks you up, yells that the show must go on and races to get you to her doctor.

She’s at your side when you receive the devastating diagnosis that you have rheumatoid arthritis and you may end up in a wheelchair. And when the designer learns you have no money, she volunteers to pay for all of your medical expenses, including those for experimental treatments.

Then, when she discovers you have no family to care for you in New York, she takes care of all the arrangements to send you back to your hometown so you can recuperate with your family. While resting there, you receive the following telegram:

Dear Lucille,

Please Get Well Soon!  Don’t worry about a thing.  Your job is waiting for you when you return.

Love, Hattie

Now if this sounds unlikely or the premise for a Lifetime movie, think again. This is the actual telegram that was sent from Hattie Carnegie to a young Lucille Ball in 1928 after the scenario I just described.

Can you even begin to imagine this happening today? Can you imagine falling ill on the job, having your boss accompany you to the hospital, having your boss engaged in your health care and voluntarily paying for that care while promising to hold your job open for you until you’re ready to return to work?!?

Yet true to her word, when Lucy felt well enough, Hattie hired her back. Even though Lucy had to be photographed seated since she couldn’t walk for several years, even though Lucy would often have to lean against a wall or a podium to complete a picture, Hattie never abandoned her promise.

Without any mandate like the Americans with Disabilities Act or the current controversial health care legislation, this immigrant businesswoman from Austria set an example for all Americans of what real kindness and compassion could and should look like.

First and foremost, Hattie Carnegie should always be remembered as an extraordinary woman, a real American success story and a true hero. Then we can also honor her as one of America’s most talented fashion designers.

And today’s VPOD, a late 1930s dress, is a fine example of her genius. While I could talk about the sweetheart neckline, the padded shoulders, or the form-hugging cut, it’s the beaded fringe on the cap sleeves and the back cape that are the focal point of this beauty.

What a beautiful find from a truly inspiring designer for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Tangerine Boutique.

(To receive the VPOD via email 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.)

Written on April 19, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in 1930s, Beaded, Designer, Dresses, fringe, Hattie Carnegie, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing, vintage dress
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