The Vintage Shopping Guide--Featuring Moi!

DAHLINGS -

I am "covered in shame" for having neglected you so terribly, my pets. But life has once again interfered with this blog-thing, not to mention my latest/last assistant putting a 1950s green satin applique'd gown in the WASHING MACHINE! When the moans reached my ears, I shoved past the maid, who was guarding the laundry room, and found the wretch holding shreds of what looked to be tattered sea-weed.

"I-I didn't know," she sobbed. "I put EVERYTHING in the machine at home."

"What a pity you didn't put yourself in there with my dress," I snapped. "Now get OUT, before I give in to my baser impulses and strangle you with my bare hands!"

Oh, what a bore. Be that as it may. I blush at the thought of stooping to self-promotion, however, I simply cannot let this pass! The reknowned Vintage Shopping Guide, an indispensible Internet tool for any vintage lover, has profiled your faithful correspondent! You can cut and past the link here into your browser. Without an assistant, I have not the faintest idea of how to make the link, er, what's the term, clickety:

http://vintageshoppingguide.com/article.aspx?id=46

Actually, I think if you click on the TITLE to this blog entry, it takes you there! What will they think of next? The article contains everything you would ever want to know about your faithful correspondent. What can I say? I'm fascinating. Onward and upward, dahlings!

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Changing My Store Name, Dahlings!

DAHLINGS -

I was recently confronted with the fact that my store name is not being picked up by "search engines," whatever those are. A technologically savvy suitor explained to me, but of course within minutes I'd lost interest and was thinking about Kristen Johnson's recent terrifying 60-pound weight loss (what is it about Hollywood?). Here was a divinely tall, robustly built woman who now looks like a feverishly happy skeleton. Mon dieu! It must be something in the drinking water. Or maybe Rachel Zoe got hold of her.



In any event, I shall be changing the name of my Specialist Auctions store to The Mad Fashionista's Plus Size Boutique. A bit mundane, but apparently one must bow to the "bots," as my suitor called them.

Whatever the name, I am stocking my store with delightful summer chapeaus, every one of them a little gem of style.

Vintage 1950s "Bee In My Bonnet" straw hat:



http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1170682

Vintage 1950s velvet-trimmed straw hat by Doraine of New York:



http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1170760

Vintage 1960s blue feather bucket hat:



http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1153778

Off to read Vogue while my assistant replaces the name and logo. That reminds moi, an interesting read is "Pixel Perfect" in a recent issue of The New Yorker magazine. I don't often read anything that long, much less anything in The New Yorker. But it concerned the man who is in charge of retouching every single picture you see everywhere, at least if it's female. Quite, quite interesting.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog

Summer In The City, God Help Us...

DAHLINGS -

A recent entry by Amanda Brooks in her blog, "In Her Eyes" on the Men's Vogue website called "Weekend Wardrobe" brought to mind an entry I published this time last year. It was upon the subject on men and summer heat. It is eminently worth reprinting, as blistering temperatures have descended upon Manhattan with the subtlety of Patricia Field's withered cleavage.

From June 2007:

As the old cliche goes, "the heat is on." Sweltering temperatures, humidity, extremely interesting smells; all that makes one flee to New York for the Hamptons, which I shall be doing soon. To my fabulous (featured in Architectural Digest) beachfront home. But for the nonce I am here.

Unfortunately, so are other New Yorkers. The heat must be affecting their minds, because I am seeing body parts--or more to the point, bodies--that were never meant to be gazed upon outside of their abodes. Particularly the homme variety.

Dear readers, you know me as a woman of broad mind and loose morals, but mon dieu! Why in God's name is there a direct equation between the fitness of a man's torso and the amount of clothing he wears in the heat?

1.) Extremely fit - baggy shorts and sleeveless t-shirt
2.) Fairly fit - baggy shorts and tight t-shirt
3.) Flabby - tight shorts and "wife-beater" t-shirt (pardon the phrase, I did not coin it!)
4.) Obese - nearly non-existent shorts and no shirt whatsoever

Spend some time walking down the Upper West Side of New York, or in any park, and you will see what I mean. The more flesh, the less clothing.

You know me as a champion of the plus-sized. But, mes amies, if one desired to gaze upon hairy bellies and flopping hairy breasts, one would go to the gorilla exhibition at the Bronx Zoo.

At least the gorillas are not allowed to smoke cigars.

Must run - my assistant has gotten her babydoll dress caught in the shredder again. Idiot!

Ciao,Elisa and Bucky the Wonderdog

Diamonds Are A Woman's Best Friend!

DAHLINGS -

I simply had to rephrase that famous line, because as Rita Hayworth put it, "I've never thought of myself as a girl."

However, 'tis true, there is nothing like the sparkle and shimmer of real diamonds, although fine quality rhinestones come awfully close.

This is written because I have up for auction on (ugh) Ebay a beautiful antique diamond ring, with seven European-cut diamonds channel set in 14k white gold. And it's a size 9, which is quite large! Recently I have come into the possession of quite a bit of fine jewelry, which I am selling on both of my sites (one must spread the wealth, you know.)

This is the ring, done in the "bow" style, I believe it is called:




http://tinyurl.com/6j5u62

Over at The Mad Fashionista's Vintage & Modern on Specialist Auctions, I don't have any diamonds just now, but there are two necklaces made to be worn over a spray-on tan. First is a gorgeous platinum over sterling silver chain necklace, with a genuine amethyst pendant, accented with 14k gold!


http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=722074

And, listed at an INSANELY reasonable price, a beautiful vintage 80s choker made of coral, mother of pearl, and gold-filled spacers:


http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=786676

I do hope that you like what you see, because there is more to come!

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog

R.I.P. Yves Saint Laurent, Part Deux

DAHLINGS -

It has not escaped my notice that the so-called "vintage community" has simply exploded with tributes to the late, greatly lamented Yves Saint Laurent.

And along with these tributes, there are usually several listings of vintage Saint Laurent, should you not be too grief-stricken to buy them. I admit, I have some Rive Gauche in stock, but the thought of listing it now sickens me.

In the meantime, I wish to draw your attention to a brilliant article by Cathy Horyn, the fashion critic for The New York Times, "Yves of Destruction," published in 2000:

http://tinyurl.com/5zwewv

It is truly one of the most penetrating, least cliche'd examinations of a tormented personality that I have ever read. Absolutely devastating and brilliant.

I know at times I throw those words around lightly, but not now. And her blog, "On The Runway," puts Saint Laurent into historical perspective better than anyone else I have read.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog

R.I.P., Yves Saint Laurent

DAHLINGS -

There is tragic news tonight. One of the foremost designers of our time, Yves Saint Laurent, a true genius in every sense of the word, has died at the relatively young age of 71. More will be written but for now I will leave you with an image from 1953, when the teenaged Saint Laurent was working for the house of Dior:



And the nude picture he posed for in the 1970s, looking young and healthy:



Mai votre passage au ciel être rapide, un cher...and condolences to Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent's lifelong companion.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog