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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Today's Featured Listing: Heavily Embroidered Mexican Peasant Top, Size S/M




Wow! What a find!

Maxine looks ready to browse Old Town Santa Fe today (er...if she was wearing pants, that is!) in her gorgeous, one-of-a-kind embroidered peasant shirt by Gisele! It features a sharp 70s pointed collar, heavy embroidery down the bodice, sleeve, and the cuffs which can be worn cuffed or uncuffed (see fifth pic). It's marked a size 38 and was made in Mexico.

Choker and belt aren't included, but convo me if you're interested in either one of them! :)

Shoulder: 14.5"
Bust: 20" (double)
Hip: 19" (double)
Length: 25" shoulder to hem
Sleeve: 22" uncuffed

Could use an ironing, but I'll leave that up to you! ;)
Price:  $19.99 plus $5.00 US shipping - $13.95 international.



Tuesday, July 24, 2012

New Shoes, Sweater, Peasant Top & Secretary Outfits on ETSY!


 Wow!  I sure wish these fit me - I call these my Edie/Twiggy 60s shoes - they are by Ferragamo Schiavone, made in Italy, and should fit a 5.5 to a narrow 6.  Priced right!
This is a gorgeous hand-knit granny square open cardi, and it's done in the fabulous orange/avocado green/gold colors that were *everywhere* in the 70s - pick it up before the fall season begins!

This heavily-embroidered peasant top was made in Mexico, and should fit a modern small to medium (40" bust).  Accessories not included, but contact me via Etsy if you're interested in them!

Sweet two-piece secretary/church/luncheon outfit from Blair, marked a size 14 petite.

Another two-piece secretary style outfit by the one and only Leslie Fay - it's a size 12, but should also fit a 14 based upon its measurements.  Thanks for stopping by!  :)http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheVaVaVoomShoppe

Monday, July 23, 2012

Buh-bye!!





Had a surprisingly busy weekend on Etsy - the Picasso jacket is fluttering away to a good home back East, and this darling little polyester secretary/day dress is also flying away - thanks to my wonderful, loyal customers, and I will be listing several new items today!http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheVaVaVoomShoppe

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Flapper Dress SOLD!



Was surprised yesterday when I checked my e-mail, and found out that I'd sold this dress on Etsy!  I loved this dress and it fit me perfectly, but it's on its way to a loving home!  Be sure to check my site for great deals on beautiful vintage clothing, and don't forget to enter the coupon code: OTOPHILE2012 for a 15% off discount on everything in the store!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Vtg Lipstick Red ALFRED SHAHEEN Asian-Inspired Maxi Dress M/L


I couldn't decide which of Maxine's wigs best set off the feel of this gorgeous ALFRED SHAHEEN maxi dress, so I decided to dress her up in both, and let you decide!!

This dress is absolutely stunning - it's done in a thick, true lipstick red polyester, and features full chiffon sleeves, and Shaheen's famous Asian writing down the front of the dress. It zips up the back, has a mandarin collar and seven buttons near the left collarbone area. It has a sexy slit up the left-hand side, which measures 21". It's machine washable, tumble dry low. There are a couple of small snags towards the bottom, but they are not noticeable when worn.

There is an Alfred Shaheen tag inside, and also a tag that says "Betty Bone." I don't know who Betty Bone is, so perhaps you'll have better luck researching her than I did! :) The size tag is too faded to read, so please refer to the following measurements to ensure a proper fit:

Shoulder: 15.5"
Bust: 18.5" (double)
Waist: 17" (double)
Hip: 20" (double)
Sleeve: 33"
Length: 56.5" shoulder to hem


Price:  $120.00 plus $8.00 US shipping; international shipping is $16.95.  Don't let this beauty get away!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Pamela Courson Morrison Doll - Paris 1971 Fashion Inspiration!


A few days ago, I uploaded pics of my latest Pamela Courson doll to my Tumblr account! (www.otophile.tumblr.com/archive).  I have always been inspired by Pam's style in Paris - she varied her Paris style from dramatic (like the black cape pics) to casual, so I wanted to capture her more dramatic flair...the cape is handmade, the print top is vintage, and I managed to find a little Super-8 camera like the one she's holding in the Paris photos.  All photos of Pam are courtesy of my girls Rae and Alix, www.pamelacourson.tumblr.com.  They are working hard on a book about Pamela!  Enjoy!






Sunday, July 8, 2012

Emotional Ties: The "IT" Girl Dress of 1988!

This is going to be a long post.  Please bear with me!

I normally don't get emotionally attached to items of clothing that I own...I mean, I sell vintage clothing for a (very modest) living, and although most of the things I sell actually fit me and I'm known to wear my faves once in awhile, I'm perfectly capable of "setting them free" and sending them to loving homes!  Sadly, a lot of the stuff I've sold as of late, on my Etsy site, I've never had the chance to wear - I guess that's just how it goes!  That great poly orange trench and that granny-square sweater come to mind, but they were good sales, and it's always gratifying when my customers are thrilled to bits with their purchases.

Anyway, I was surfing eBay a couple of weeks ago, and just for the fun of it, I decided to do a search for some of my favorite 80s brands, including: Dawn Joy, All That Jazz, Jody of California, Rampage, and Nina Piccalino!  For those of you too young to really remember, these brands were sold at department stores like Nordstrom, JC Penney, and the like.  They were mostly secretary-style dresses, done up in rayon, and almost all of them had the big 80s shoulder pads and peplum waists.  So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon THIS:

Nina Piccalino vintage dress!!

Look at the sheen on that fabric, will you?  It's rayon/acetate, but it looks like silk shantung!

 O.M.G.!!
I actually got a lump in my throat when I saw this.  Let me explain...

In early 1988, I was a 21-year-old single mom of a four-year-old (yeah I know - do the math!!) and I'd just landed a great job opportunity with a *very* well-known company (which shall remain unnamed) that had a sales office east of Los Angeles - I commuted 1 1/2 hours EACH WAY, every day...I started there as a receptionist, and even though I liked it there and I liked my co-workers, I kind of stood out like a sore thumb - I was very young, very blonde, and at that time, I was a size five with an hourglass figure, and I was practically the *only* single girl in the entire office.  Most of the other women had husbands who had decent jobs, but I was scraping by on my own, with no child support from my ex.  It was very, very difficult.  Half my take-home pay went for rent alone. 

There was sort of a double-standard in this office - the dress code was very strict; these were the days when a woman could get sent home for not wearing pantyhose (I'm not kidding!) or wearing a skirt that hit above the knee (this happened to me one day - it was humiliating - I was sent home to change, and come back the same day!)  I remember one day when I got written up for wearing those black stirrup-pant leggings...I wore them with a big sweater that came down to my knees, so I was completely covered.  The other ladies in the office wore them (sometimes with shorter tops that left their bums exposed) and for some reason, that was fine.  I wish I'd heard of Gloria Allred back then, but I digress...I needed the job, so I remember signing my write-up, and excusing myself to the ladies room, in tears.

One day, while I was out shopping, I happened upon this very dress you see pictured here, but it was in the most *amazing* shade of midnight blue - it set off against my blonde hair perfectly, but the price tag was daunting - this dress was about $80.00, which was an entire day's wages for me at the time.  I put the dress on hold, and hemmed and hawed until I finally bought it.  I felt so.damned.guilty. for spending that kind of money.  On one dress.

The reaction???

Virtually everyone in that office complimented me all day long.  One of the gentlemen I worked for exclaimed, "Wow!  If you dressed like that every day, you'd OWN this place!"  It was sort of a backhanded compliment (the insinuation was that I didn't dress well enough the rest of the time - DUH - I couldn't afford to as a single mom on a receptionist's salary!) but I took his remark gracefully, and all day long, something about that dress gave me confidence - I stood a little straighter; I held my head a little higher; I threw my shoulders back a bit!  I wore that dress until it died.  It made me feel special.

So now, fast-forward 24 years later...I now own this dress again (in a larger size and different color!) but the minute I slipped it over my head, it was like being transported back to 1988 all over again, but with a certain wistful twinge...my life didn't turn out like I dreamt it would, but it's wonderful.  I'm happy.  I have a 28-year-old now; I have a wonderful spouse, and I realize that it's okay to form emotional ties to some of the things I wear...this dress has become part of my wardrobe that will never be for sale.  It's part of me, because it still makes me feel confident and beautiful, like I longed to feel way back then, when I was young, broke, and terribly insecure.  You can't put a price tag on that.

So I'm not young anymore.  I'm not broke.  And this dress still has the power to make me stand up a little taller, with my shoulders back, my head held high - ready to take on the world!  :) 

When it comes back from the dry cleaners, I will post some pics of me wearing the dress!  So tell me, does anyone else out there have clothes that have emotional ties to your past?

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Vintage CHAUS Hot Pink Top and Skirt - Size 6





Maxine has changed her hair today (funny...I never catch her doing it), and she's here to show you her latest outfit - a vintage 80s ensemble by CHAUS! It's done in a charming floral pattern, and the fabric has a nice "swishy" feel to it - it's hot pink and white, and the top has little shoulder pads, and a real chest pocket!

As you can see, it can be worn either with the top tucked in (first three pics) or untucked (last two pics). It's 100% poly and is machine washable - the skirt buttons at the waist, and has two pockets! The skirt is very full and would look sooo retro with a crinoline underneath, no?

It's marked a size 6, but please refer to the measurements listed below to ensure a proper fit:

Top:
Shoulder: 14:
Bust: 17" (double)
Waist: 17" (double)
Sleeve: 11.5"
Length: 24" shoulder to hem

Skirt:
Waist: 13" (double - meant to be worn high on waist)
Hip: Full
Length: 29"
Sweep: 58"

This lovely set is only $15.99!  US shipping is $5.00; $13.95 international shipping.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Vintage 90s UGLY Power Suit w/Embroidery Size M/L






Oh boy...it doesn't get more over-the-top than this, does it?? Maxine presents the ultimate in 80s kraptastic-ness - a vintage 80s power suit by Stella Lowe for KB!

In around 1990 or so, I would have strutted into the office thinking I looked fresh in this - why not look fresh, too?  What comes around, fashion-wise, goes around! :)

This suit features huge shoulder pads, black and gold buttons down the front of the jacket, and just check out the elaborate beadwork and embroidery! None of the beads are missing! Makes you want to watch re-runs of the Golden Girls, doesn't it? This suit is dry clean only, and both pieces are fully lined.

No size tag listed, so based upon the following measurements, I'd say it would best fit a modern medium to large, but please read meas. to ensure a proper fit:

Shoulder: 16.5"
Bust: 20" (double)
Waist: 16" (double)
Hip: 19" (double)
Length: 31" shoulder to hem
Sleeve: 23.5"

Skirt:
Waist: 13.5" to 14.5" (double - has partial elastic waist)
Hip: 20" (double)
Length: 21.5"

Price:  $25.99 plus $5.00 US shipping; $13.95 international shipping.