Zuburbia Vintage Clothing | Curation + Inspiration

VPOD: Vintage 1980s Ensemble & Fashion Separation Anxiety

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.

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Written on August 26, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in 1980s, Ensembles, vintage, vintage clothes, vintage clothing

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VPOD: Vintage 1970s Bonnie Cashin Raincoat and Inspirational Pictures

Bonnie Cashin may have passed away a decade ago at the age of 84 but her work continues to be admired by adoring vintage fashionistas. And this one felt like she hit Internet gold a few days ago when she came across an old article that gives a rare and wonderful inside glimpse at Bonnie Cashin and her work environment.

The article, entitled “My Passion for Clothes: A Young Student Remembers Her Fashion Mentor,” was written by Stephanie Day Iverson for The New York Times Magazine. Best of all, it included these fabulous photos of Bonnie Cashin’s living room, office, sweater room and inspiration board.

Wow! I mean, I’ve always been a h-u-g-e Cashin fan but these pics make me wish that I could have really known her, you know what I mean?

And it’s almost synchronistic that I discovered these pics when I did because I was wavering about whether or not to let go of a luscious mohair Cashin sweater with buckle closures. And let’s just say no one should be looking for it in my online shop anytime soon!

You can, however, grab today’s VPOD. This classic 1970s Bonnie Cashin raincoat was designed for the “Weatherwear for Russ Taylor” label and features signature Cashin elements like oversize pockets and lock closures. And what a steal at under $100!

It’s a fabulous Cashin find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Frou Frou Vintage & More. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

Picture Credit: New York Times

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Written on August 25, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in 1970s, Bonnie Cashin, Coats, Designer, Outerwear, vintage clothing

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VPOD: Vintage 1950s Italian Couture Chiffon Party Dress

I spied a Tweet the other day asking why vintage clothes were so expensive and the way I see it, any price tag on a piece of vintage clothing reflects two different things:

The value of the original garment (based on its creator, fabric, construction, scarcity, provenance, etc.)
A dealer premium that reflects the dealer’s efforts to make the piece available for sale.

Now for those readers who aren’t dealers, please believe me when I tell you that vintage clothing dealers work hard!

For every minute they spend purchasing a great vintage find, they spend fruitless hours driving from thrift store to estate sale to private appointment to auction and returning home empty-handed. They must carefully inspect each item and soak, steam, press, launder, dry-clean, mend and otherwise bestow many hours of tender loving care on it before they can offer it to you. They need to research its era and check “comps” so they can price it fairly and, if it’s sold online, they have to photograph it, measure it and write its description.

Whew! It’s exhausting just thinking about it!

When you combine all this work with a valuable garment like today’s VPOD, well, you shouldn’t expect to pay $100 or even $200. This vintage 1950s couture-quality chiffon party dress hails from Italy. And yes, by couture-quality, I mean that every single one of those hundreds and hundreds of chiffon rose buds was created and sewn on the skirt by hand!

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

Available at Vintage Vibrations.

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Written on August 24, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in 1950s, chiffon, Cocktail Dress, strapless, vintage clothing

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VPOD: Vintage Givenchy Fish Earrings & Seafood Sustainability

In my pre-vegetarian life as a young girl, I remember running to greet my father when he’d come home from a morning fishing trip to the Nescopeck creek, eager to count the number of Rainbow trout in his fishing basket. Today my father’s retired and has plenty of time to enjoy his pasttime but only if he throws his catch back into the water. Contaminant levels in that same creek have begun too high and eating fish caught in it could post health risks to him and my mother.

Of course, most people don’t catch their own fish for dinner. Instead, they rely on their local supermarkets to provide safe fresh-water fish and seafood and, fortunately, there is a growing trend among US retailers to to provide safer, more sustainable seafood options to their customers.

If you want to know how your supermarket stacks up on the Greenpeace Seafood Sustainability Scorecard, stop by Greenpeace’s online supermarket lookup. Then support those merchants who are working to provide sustainable seafood options (like Target, Whole Foods, and Wegmans) and just say no to those retailers who aren’t taking any responsibility for the seafood they sell or the damage they are doing to the oceans (like Costco, Meijer, Publix and Winn Dixie).

Of course, you can always choose to forego fish on your plate entirely and put them on your ears instead. Today’s VPOD features a pair of lovely shoulder duster earrings by Givenchy that are loooong on eco-style.

They score an A+ on a fashion scorecard for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Purple Daisy Jewelry.

(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 August 23, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in costume jewelry, Designer, Earrings, Eco, Givenchy, Green, vintage, Vintage Jewelry

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eBAY ROUNDUP of Vintage Clothing Finds

GET READY, GET SET, BID!!!

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Vintage Pucci Velvet Skirt (for_minor_sky28hn) | Vintage 1930s Satin Art Deco Evening Bag (justincase2) | Vintage Ossie Clark Crepe Maxi Dress (jigs84) | Vintage Beaded Cocktail Dress (joanadark) | Vintage 1970s Platform Sandals (ilovetrash) | Vintage Courreges Logo Jacket (highendhooker) | Vintage 1980s Abstract Print Leggings (ndbvintage) | Antique 1890 Wool Jacket (heartnsoul1) | Vintage Oscar de la Renta Floral Ruffle Dress (linda*s***stuff) | Vintage 1960s I. Magnin Mini Dress (eccentricitees) | Vintage 1960s Lanvin 2-piece Striped Set (havom) | Vintage Sequin Top (jana320) | Vintage YSL Necklace (remark16) | Vintage Satin and Lace Cocktail Dress (dani-pulsar) | Vintage Ceil Chapman Lace Cocktail Dress (poiuyt432) | Vintage 1930s Embroidered Clutch Handbag (essentiallychicboutique) | (Disclosure: Editorial selections are made by Zuburbia without promotional consideration from Bay sellers. Zuburbia is a member of the eBay Partner Network).

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Written on August 23, 2010 by Mary Kincaid in Ceil Chapman, Courreges, Oscar de la Renta, Ossie Clark, Pucci, vintage clothing, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent

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