Zuburbia Vintage Clothing | Curation + Inspiration

VPOD HI/LO: March of the Vintage Penguin Pins

Though penguins live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere and aren’t found in the United States, that didn’t stop Americans from celebrating National Penguin Awareness Day yesterday. That’s right, yesterday was a designated day to celebrate penguins!

If you’re sorry to have missed it because you love penguins’ cute little waddles and their stylish tuxedo coloring, there’s no need to wait another 364 days to reconsider their plight.

After all, these little guys and gals are facing huge survival challenges every day due to overfishing, the acidification of the ocean and climate change. Just this past year, five penguin species in South America and New Zealand were bestowed protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

And while yesterday’s event encouraged us to celebrate the penguins’ plight by dressing in black-and-white, replacing our dekstop wallpaper with penguin pictures and watching the animated film Happy Feet, I’m sure the penguins would much prefer that you check out and support the penguin research, conservation and rescue programs compiled by Dyan deNapoli, the Penguin Lady.

In addition, you can always don a fantastic vintage penguin pin like today’s VPODs. This HI/LO presentation includes two very similar vintage penguin pins with widely disparate prices. Can you identify the HI and the LO?

Either one is a penguin-lovin’ find for a vintage fashionista!

Available from Gaspee Sales at Ruby Lane and from Hawaii Beads on eBay.

(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 January 21, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1950s, Brooch, costume jewelry, Pins, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing

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VPOD: Vintage 1970s robe K Puzzle Dress

Even if you can’t thread a needle or stitch an inch, you can create your own unique creation from today’s VPOD (and if you happen to be a jigsaw puzzle fanatic all the better!)

This vintage 1970s Pierre Bory creation is literally a dress in a box — completely unassembled.

Just open the aluminum-handled cylinder box to spill out the 250 interlocking cotton-backed vinyl pieces and the page of French instructions. Then let your creative juices flow.

But be warned that whatever look you cook up will probably be less valuable than the unassembled puzzle pieces themselves. This is a super-rare fashion collectible and a similar puzzle dress in brown vinyl sold at auction at Doyle’s in 2003 for $8365!

What an unusual piece of fashion history for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Enokiworld.

(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 January 20, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1970s, Dresses, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing

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Lovin’ It: Recycled Fortune Cookie Coin Purses

I’m lovin’ these recycled scrap leather coin purses designed in the shape of fortune cookies by New York designer Diane Eng. And yes, they come with your very own fortune tucked inside!

What’s more interesting, though, is that each purse has a unique laser etched ID number which allows you to track its origin as remnant leather from the garment district, for instance, or as rescued upholstery samples or preconsumer scraps.

They’re a fun little find for eco-conscious vintage fashionistas!

Price: $45 | Available at Diane Eng.

Written on January 19, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in Accessories, Eco, Leather

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VPOD: Vintage Yves Saint Laurent Silk Print Dress

Think about it. They made STOP signs red and white for a reason, right? It’s obviously a color combination that grabs attention!

This can be useful to remember when you want to grab attention with your fashion, too. Our Pavlovian response to red-and-white makes it almost impossible not to stop and look at a gal wearing it well.

And while you can expect to see a whole bunch of red-and-white popping up through Valentine’s Day, this eye-catching color combo can be a powerful weapon in your wardrobe arsenal all year long.

Today’s VPOD, for instance, features a smashing vintage Yves Saint Laurent red-and-white print dress that can stop traffic in its tracks.

It’s a red-hot find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at WGACA 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.)

Written on January 19, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in Dresses, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing, vintage dress, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent

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VPOD: Vintage 1950s Herbert Levine Silver Rhinestone Heels

While most American teenage girls have heard the story of Cinderella, I suspect that for many of them, dreaming of fame and a walk down a Red Carpet trumps finding a handsome Prince Charming.

And certainly one 14-year-old had her dream come true this past weekend.

Hailee Steinfeld, star of the film True Grit, and reportedly a frontrunner for the lead role of Katniss in the upcoming film Hunger Games, wins my personal Best-Dressed Award at this year’s Golden Globes. I thought this young lady out-styled many older Red Carpet veterans, pulling off a look that was both chic and yet totally age appropriate. She looked young, fresh and utterly gorgeous in a gown designed by Prabal Gurung, perhaps a designer who is not as well-known to millions of armchair fashion critics as Versace or Armani but who is highly regarded among die-hard fashionistas, having already dressed the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Demi Moore, Michelle Obama and Zoe Saldana.

Little Miss Hailee glowed in her gown and she perfectly executed the Rule of KISS (Keep It Super Simple). She opted for a sleek ponytail instead of a sophisticated up-do. She nixed the idea of thousands of dollars worth of jewels and their accompanying security detail to accessorize with only a few well-selected coordinating pieces.

And while we can’t see her choice of footwear here, I’m betting they were just as tasteful and chic as the rest of her outfit.

After all, as any Cinderella-wannabe knows, it’s all about the shoes!

So here’s today’s VPOD: a glam pair of vintage 1950s silver and rhinestone heels by Herbert Levine that are a perfect wardrobe addition even if you don’t currently share a closet with your very own Prince Charming.

They’re a lovely evening find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Hillbilly Filly 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 January 18, 2011 by Mary Kincaid in 1950s, Awards, Herbert Levine, Shoes, vintage, vintage clothes

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