"Fat" Necklaces On Sale At Fancy Lady Industries

DAHLINGS -

I believe in encouraging talent when I see it. Natalie Perkins, who writes the blog http://www.definatalie.com/, is a blogger and designer. She has designed a line of necklaces using the word "Fat".



Photo courtesy definatalie.com

Now, many women might feel uncomfortable wearing this necklace, but for those who are fat and proud, this just might be the perfect accessory for you. It comes in an array of colors. Look on her website to shop Fancy Lady Industries. Her personal story is inspiring, and I have no doubt we shall be seeing more of Ms. Perkins in the future.

Disclaimer: I only write about things I like. I am not paid for my posts.

Ciao,
Elisa

The Manhattan Vintage Show - Another Triumph!

DAHLINGS -

At the risk of bragging, let me say that in my little booth at The Manhattan Vintage Show, there was no sign of "economic meltdown," save for perhaps the possibility of credit cards melting in the buyer's hot little hands. The merchandise simply flew out of The Mad Fashionista's Plus Size Boutique! The first day, I was dressed in a divine creation by Crystal Aponte, a young designer of whom you will hear much one day. Here I am, posing in a competitor's booth (I was far too busy to pose in my own):



Absolutely gorgeous, if I may be so bold.

My creamy decolletage was quite the hit with many of the male Italians roaming the floor the first day, and a few of the females as well. My partner, Sheri Lane of Matinee New York, was also doing a brisk business, selling menswear like it was going out of style. (There's a joke there somewhere, but to be blunt, I am too tired to think of it. Please do suggest your own.)

"I heard there was phenomenal business at the plus size booth," one disgruntled seller said as she came in, looking over the dazzling display of accessories, jewelry, and most of all, the most beautiful plus sized vintage on the planet!

It is truly a shame that I had to educate the buyers that a) there is such a thing as plus sized vintage, and b) that it is as high in quality as the best smaller sized vintage. At least in my shop. No polyester maxis pour moi. (Although honesty compels me to confess that I did sell one hideous Kayser lounging gown to a foreign swimwear designer. A woman has to be practical.)

That is all I am up to dictating to my assistant at the moment. It was a delightful weekend, and I must again thank Sheri Lane, Crystal Aponte, David Ornstein (organizer of the show), Bonnie, Michael, Jacqueline, P.J. Malie Reif of the Vintage Shopping Guide and a very special man who shall remain nameless. One must be discreet, after all.

And Dorothy DeCarlo, without whom it would have been completely impossible to do this.

If you are moaning in pain that you missed the opportunity to shop with moi in person, please do stop by one of my sites, and you can feel the fabulousosity by proxy.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog

An Amazing Find...in the Midwest

DAHLINGS -

I merely wanted to pop in to say Bonjour and to let you know that I had a lovely weekend in the Hamptons. On the drive on the way back to town, however, we took a detour that took us nine hours out of our way, to...CLEVELAND!

It has been many, many years since your faithful correspondent was anywhere within shouting distance of the Great Lakes, and I had intended to keep it that way. After berating my idiot chaffeur (he blamed the whole thing on Mapquest...I mean, really!), we turned around and found ourselves in a tiny backwater called Elyria (rhymes with hysteria, which was my feeling at the time). Fortunately, I know a wonderful vintage seller there named Misty, who sells on (ugh) Ebay under the name vintage-vineyard.

My limo pulled up in her driveway, and Misty knew exactly how to handle the situation. While my assistant took Bucky the Wonderdog for a walk, Misty promised me a wonderful surprise. Since the only restaurants they have around there are Domino's and Arby's, I was not expecting a superb French dinner.

But what should Misty bring me to, in the middle of this godforsaken backwater, is one of the most amazing vintage boutiques I have ever had the pleasure of visiting: NewToYou Vintage!

There were racks and racks and RACKS of the most beautiful vintage, from the Edwardian era to the 1980s, and a most glamorous proprietor, named "Bobbie." Hats, shoes, purses, dresses, as well as modern clothes. I nearly swooned!

What she and it were doing there I have no idea. Suffice to say I stuffed the trunk of the limo with shopping bags, and made my assistant carry one of my suitcases in her lap to make room. Misty offered us her hospitality overnight, and her husband Rob let me take the bedroom while he and his wife slept in the attic and my assistant on the floor. My chauffeur wandered off somewhere in search of Elyria's nightlife, but he was back the next morning. A bit worse for wear, but that was not my problem.

Readers, if you are anywhere near Cleveland/Elyria/Toledo/those other strange places where vegetables are unknown, you simply MUST visit this shop!

I washed down some Xanax with champagne and fell asleep for the drive back to New York. So if I seem a bit short today, it's because I'm a wee bit hungover. Thank you so much, Misty!

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Designers For You, Dahlings...

DAHLINGS –

Whilst in hiding until my hair grows out, I have hardly been idle. In these entries I often mention Fashion In The True Sense, and today it is time to show a few of the designer items I have in stock! Many vintage designers are unknown to the great unwashed, such as Paul Parnes, Helen Whiting, Leslie Pomer and others. But then there are the Big Names. Most of them I keep for myself, but I don’t mind sharing these three.

On Ebay currently I have listed this beautiful
ST. JOHN SANTANA FOR SAKS FIFTH AVENUE RED KNIT DRESS, XL:



SOLD!

On Specialist Auctions I have listed this marvelous, color-saturated

STEVE FABRIKANT FOR BERGDORF GOODMAN KNIT DRESS L:

So vibrant! So Sienna Miller!

VINTAGE 80s LIANCARLO SILK DRESS, S:



Entirely handmade, and 100% silk.

And soon, dahlings, I will listing some stunning Oscar de la Renta and Christian Dior!

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

New Lovelies At The Mad Fashionista's!

DAHLINGS -

After all of my previous Deep Thoughts, I need to be shallow, so today I am showcasing some newly listed items at The Mad Fashionista's Vintage & Modern.

Vintage Blue Watercolor Floral 50's Dress with Crossover Bust Detail, XXL:





















Vintage Authentic Silk-Lined Japanese Raincoat, M:




















New Old Stock Faux Silk White Evening Suit With Rhinestones, size 12:
SOLD!


Aaaah, that's better! Now for a relaxing mojito and Bucky in my lap.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Fall In New York, and A New Venue!

DAHLINGS –

Fall is here in New York at last! We have been sweltering in the unseasonable heat. But yesterday was cool, crisp, and sunny. A perfect time to attend the Tribute To New York celebration at P.J. Clarkes down in Battery Park. I’m still not positive what the whole thing was about, something to do with Italy and design.

We had to wear rosettes made of bright red ribbons with white circles that said “Tribute to New York” in the center. Fortunately your ever-chic correspondent was wearing a black Armani suit with a red silk blouse and a red Coach bag, so it matched. But the rosettes made us resemble members of an over aged high school glee club.

Other fabulously rich citizens munched on mini-hamburgers and risotto, which looked exactly like creamed corn. (Of course, the women would not touch the risotto and threw away the mini-hamburger buns, making them look even more carnivorous than they already did. Which is saying something.) And there was a great deal of cheap champagne being swilled down, naturellement, but not by moi.

My escort and I then strolled down to Culturefest, which should have been called White Tents With Brochures Fest. We “took a powder” as my dear dead friend Lana Turner would say, and went uptown for a decent meal.

The latest news on my end is that I have opened another venue! It is an elegant boutique for the finer things that I would not bother to sell on (ugh) Ebay.

Have no fear, my Ebay shop, Elisa’s Bodacious House of Style, is still my flagship store. But do take a look around Bodaciously Yours Vintage, at Specialist Auctions. It is not geared so exclusively to the full-figured female. Because, alas, as I have lamented in this blog-thing, there was no one in the 1930s sewing plus-sized Chanel knock-offs.

However, you will find such beauties as this Near Mint Vintage 1930s heavy cotton brocade gown in blue and white, with white silk satin collar and cuffs, size Medium:



And this ultra-Mod Vintage 60s Asian golden silk brocade jacket and dress set, with heavy gold soutache embroidery and large gold frog closures on the jacket. Tres Emma Peel in ‘The Avengers’, n’cest pas?

SOLD!

There is also fine jewelry and more. The link is to your right. Specialist Auctions is based in the United Kingdom, and they are ever so delightful to deal with. In fact, my friend Viviene of Born Too Late Vintage (recently profiled here) sells there, so take a look at her store as well!

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Viviene of Born Too Late Vintage on Plus Size Vintage Fashion

DAHLINGS -

You may think it foolish of moi to promote the competition, but Viviene of Born Too Late Vintage is a dear friend, and has so many marvelous things that I felt compelled, yes, compelled to interview her. I have spent time with her, and she is a smart businesswoman and utterly ruthless at estate sales. Until you have seen Viviene body-block a twenty-something in a black H&M Prada knockoff reaching for a vintage silk nightgown, you have not lived. Viviene is much like Bucky, small but surprisingly dangerous. I admire that in a woman.

Here is a bit of her stock. The link to the actual listing is directly below:

Vintage 1940s-1950s Tan Gingham Dress Plus Size 28 1/2 NOS



http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=789400

As it happens, sellers of plus size vintage are few and far between. I recently purchased a beautiful 50s dress from Viviene, and it arrived almost the next day! She sells all sizes and eras on her site, which is not on (ugh) Ebay, but rather on Specialist Auctions, a site based in the United Kingdom. Viviene, however, is based right here in the United States.

Which made it possible for us to sit down over cocktails and canapes, my assistant at the ready with pad and paper in hand, in my sumptuous Central Park West apartment. As the rain pattered against the windows, Bucky repeatedly tried to grab the canapes off of the coffee table, naughty beast. Viviene and I discussed plus size vintage (and also some tres' salacious sexual gossip, which I have been forbidden to print!). Oh, well, it gave my assistant some titillation, at least.

Q: When did you first become interested in vintage clothing? Do you have any special memories you would like to share with my vast readership?

A: I've been interested in vintage since I was in high school. Our high school had "Wally Cleaver Week" and we'd dress up in 1950s clothing which was a lot easier to find back in the mid 1970s (Damn! I just gave away my age!).

My favorite memory is one I've shared on my blog, website and store at Specialist Auctions. My mom made a dress for the Butterfield Hospital Ball out of a fabric called American Beauty Rose fuchsia jacquard back in the mid 1960s. I've been searching for that fabric for around 8 years now and finally found it so my dress for my husband's Christmas party will be custom made from a vintage pattern by Juanita of Reproduction Dress (http://www.reproductiondress.com/).

Q: Ahem. Thank you for sharing a well-used memory. It's lovely all the same. Ah. Well. How long have you been a vintage clothing seller?

A: I've been selling vintage clothing now for almost 4 years. I sell vintage clothing because I enjoy the styles of yesteryear and really appreciate the fact that the items are made with a quality and construction sadly lacking in today's clothing.

Q: Too true! What is the biggest problem (pardon the pun) facing the plus-size woman when seeking a vintage wardrobe?

A: The biggest problem that plus size women face in buying vintage clothing, in my opinion, is that there are not many vintage sellers that sell plus size vintage. You'll remember, Fashionista, when we went to the Manhattan Vintage Show in April of this year that more than 50% of the vintage sellers there were plus size women, however, not one of them had any plus size vintage. We both asked them why they don't carry it and they said it just doesn't sell.

I have to admit that I have plus size vintage in my store and it's not flying out of there. Still, being plus size myself I will stubbornly hang in there and continue to offer it. It may just be that not enough plus size women know where to find me or for that matter your own store (editorial aside: gasp!) that caters to plus sizes. Plus size women shouldn't be stuck buying just vintage accessories. However, that said, they can always consider reproduction dresses made with vintage fabric and vintage patterns and then add vintage accessories to complete the look.

Many times plus size vintage dresses were worn until they were unwearable simply because people didn't have a closet full of disposable clothing in those days. Some dresses were cut down for other family members as well. So it's a real treat when you find a plus size item.

Q: What styles do you think are the most flattering for which figure types?

A: It's really hard to say exactly what dress is going to look good on any particular body type. You also have to factor in the color or pattern of a dress, skirt or blouse. Comparing an item that you have that you love and that fits well can be a big help in choosing another item. You also need to factor in each person's individual skin tone and likes or dislikes.

I think the two most important things that a plus size woman needs to do is be honest about her measurements and when taking those measurements to wear the kind of undergarments she intends to wear underneath her vintage wardrobe. Just doing that alone will help you make sure you are getting an item that is going to fit you right. You may not like what that tape measure says but better to be accurate than to have a closet full of things that don't fit.

Q: Again, too true! My guide to buying plus size vintage makes exactly that point, but you cannot emphasize it enough. It's the same as wearing brassieres that do not fit properly. The merchandise (be it you or the dress) is not properly showcased!

Viviene, are there any styles that you think plus-size women should avoid?

A: That's again going to depend on the individual. How tight or loose you like to wear your clothing, what colors you like and just your own very personal preferences are what will guide any person whether plus size or not.

Q: Well, then, what is your own favorite era?

A: My favorite era is the 1960s because the fashions span the modest to the most wild things I've ever seen. There's something for everyone in that era and fashion made huge leaps forward in that time span. For instance, a major leap forward is the leap from modest one piece swimwear with a modesty panel across the lower torso area in the early 1960s to the monokini designed in 1964 by designer Rudi Gernreich.

The other major leap I remember is the jump stockings held up with garter belts to pantyhose. That helped usher in hemlines going from below the knee to 6 to 7 inches above the knee!

Q: How is selling on Specialist Auctions different than selling on (ugh) Ebay?

A: Things have changed at Ebay over time and unfortunately those things are out of the control of the sellers at large. I grew tired of having my vintage clothing competing with reproductions that were listed in the vintage categories when there is a reproduction category provided.

I'm not against reproductions, but rather want them to be presented as such in their appropriate category. So I decided to give another venue a try. I did that for six months but wanted to take my business in a different direction than that venue offered. So when a friend, Margaret Bolger, who owns Artizania Vintage, asked me to come over to the Specialist Auctions as the co-moderator of the vintage and antique section and I accepted.

Selling at Specialist Auctions is different than Ebay in that we have moderators and co-moderators for our different sections. One of the responsibilities of the moderator is to police their section to make sure that what is offered is authentic.

If we see an item that is a reproduction for example, we will contact the seller and have them move their item where it belongs. If they don't comply then we move it to the correct section.

Another thing that the moderators do in the vintage, antique and modern clothing sections do is promote the sellers of those categories by blogs on MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/specialistauctionsvintage
http://myspace.com/specialistauctions and also on my own blog, http://alwaysplayingdressup.blogspot.com/.

Q: What should the savvy shopper look out for? What are some useful tips for buying vintage online?

A: The savvy shopper should look at a seller's presentation and feedback. Really look at the descriptions of the items you are interested in. Check the measurements and make sure you leave two inches leeway for comfort of fit. Remember that vintage clothing was worn over foundations that are nothing like what we wear today. Your foundation garment can make the difference between a vintage dress looking wonderful or downright lumpy and unattractive. If you have questions contact the seller. How a seller handles those questions is going to tell you whether you want to be involved in a transaction with that seller.

Q: Now for my Oprah question: who are your role models? As you know, mine is Anna Wintour, who taught me that conquest is all.

A: My role models are my Mom and Dad. The most important thing they taught me is that anything worth doing is worth doing right. That's my goal every day in all parts of my life.

And Viviene does it absolutely right, at http://borntoolatevintage.com/. Please do swing by and took a look...there are hundreds of items, something for everyone!

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog