Zuburbia Vintage Clothing Blog Vintage clothing blog for contemporary women featuring the Vintage Pick-of-the-Day (VPOD) hand-selected from one of the web\'s hundreds of vintage clothing sites, PLUS tips, info and insights for vintage fashionistas. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 6 0 0 4544

Articles from Zuburbia Vintage Clothing Blog

VPOD: BarCoded 2007-12-28 08:47:00 Back in high school, I worked as a cashier in a grocery store--waaaay back before there were these things called barcodes and you actually had to key in the price on every item. Now it seems everything has a barcode. In one study, researchers actually placed tiny barcodes on bees to help track their mating habits!So it was only a matter of time, I suppose, before the barcode translated to fashion and the time is Spring 2008. Let's see...there were black-and-white striped pieces carrying labels from Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Behnaz Sarafpour, Chanel and more.Today's VPOD feature a darling vintage version of the trend dating from sometime in the late 60s or early 70s. The requisite black-and-white stripes are accented with bows on the skirt and tiny little rhinestones on the bodice. It's very contemporary and oh-so-ladylike.What a barcode beauty for a vintage fashionista!Available at The Urban Collection.(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase i ...

VPOD: Retro Beach Babe 2007-12-27 06:27:00 My daughter leaves this afternoon to spend New Year's in the Canary Islands and I'm pretty sure none of the swimsuits she's packed provides as much coverage as today's VPOD. It's hard to believe that back in the 1920s, suits with even more coverage than this one used to spark gang-like battles in which women were actually arested for defying laws against scanty beachwear.Compared to a skimpy string bikini, this little number appears downright grandma-ish but retro prints (especially large, colorful florals) are back in fashion. And a suit like this is just perfect for sun-bathing. Accessorize with heels, a skinny little belt, oversize sunglasses and a floppy hat for an oh-so-glam retro Hollywood look. It's a fun beach find for a vintage fashionista!Available at Greasy Waitress Vintage.(To receive the VPOD via email 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 unsub ...

VPOD: Chic Chicago 2007-12-26 07:26:00 Until January 5, 2008, vintage fashionistas still have the opportunity to view the exhibit, Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum, at The Museum at FIT in New York City. It provides a rare opportunity to see 50 great couture treasures from the collection of the Chicago History Museum including gowns by Worth, Doucet and James as well as masterpieces by Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, Madame Gres and Mainbocher.Plus this exhibit is perhaps even more interesting because of the Chicago Museum's emphasis on provenance which provides fascinating information on the great women of style who supported the designers. For example, this Vionnet gown was worn by Mrs. Potter Palm II when she was presented to the Queen of England in 1938, a time when court rules dictated the colors, styles and details of dresses that would be acceptable.And if you have no plans to be anywhere near NYC during the next week, grab a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa and settle down at your computer to ...

VPOD: Imperfect Perfection 2007-12-21 08:21:00 Wabi Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. Instead of shunning decay from time, weather, love and age, it celebrates it. And for a vintage fashionista, that means learning to embrace frayed edges, subtle color fading, minor snags and other imperfections.Not every vintage garment is in mint condition. And while I'm not suggesting you wear tattered rags, there are many vintage garments whose uniqueness overshadows their minor flaws. Like today's VPOD.This 1930s dress has gold-painted carved wooden buttons. And just look at those interesting sleeves! And that rounded collar with the front pleat.Though it's only listed as "good" condition, a gal with a wabi-sabi mindset would snag this beauty in a heartbeat.It's an example of imperfect perfection for a vintage fashionista!Available at Hemlock Vintage.(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be ...

VPOD: After While Crocodile 2007-12-20 08:16:00 My list of New Year's resolutions grows longer every day. Last week, after a visit to the massage therapist, I had to add "Use Handbags More." Seems carrying a shoulder bag was contributing to the knot in my scapula. So I went a huntin' and caught me...a crocodile. A vintage crocodile handbag that is.And while there are tons of gorgeous crocodile bags to be had, many are quite conservative, classic pieces. This bag, however, has a more contemporary feel even though it still has a characteristic vintage celluloid clasp.It's a stylish find for a vintage fashionista!Available at The Croc Doc Shop.P.S. I feel the same way way about crocodile and leather as I do fur. I won't buy new items but will continue to buy vintage. I feel it's a way to honor animals whose lives were taken years before I could make a conscious choice to do anything about it.(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. ...

VPOD: Zebra Season 2007-12-19 08:24:00 In 1959, Anne Fogarty wrote a book called Wife Dressing. And while it did detail how to become a well-dressed wife, Anne also shared her observation that women play many different roles in life and encouraged each woman to find her own personal style. In general, she recommended an understated, natural look for women that didn't necessarily follow the fashion trends of the day. And in her own designs, Anne Fogarty delivered garments that were simple, stylish and youthful.In this maxi dress from the 1960s, for example, Anne Fogarty used sheer bird's eye cotton pique voile but then she "pumped up the volume" with a subtle pattern that suggests zebra. So while it has an understated elegance, it scores super-high on the comfort scale. It's an eye-catching summer party dress for a vintage fashionista!Available at RetroDress.(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be ...

VPOD: Blue Satin Babe 2007-12-18 08:54:00 Sometimes this time of year, people tend to get "the blues." Whether it's because of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) brought on by overcast skies or the fact that friends and family are miles away during the holidays, there's no sense sitting at home hosting your own pity party. The remedy, instead, is to embrace the horrible feeling. Find an ultra-fabulous party dress in the exact shade to match your mood. Then head on out to the swankiest jazz club you can find. Fix your sultry stare at the handsome stranger across the crowded room...well, you get the idea.And to dress up this little fantasy, take a look at today's VPOD. This 1960s party dress is designed for the femme fatale. It's an oh-so-sexy strapless cut in satin and lace with a wildly decadent back bow.Just the remedy for the blues of a vintage fashionista!Available at Circa Vintage.(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your ...

VPOD: Stepping Up 2007-12-17 08:09:00 Women won the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, right around the time that Charles Jourdan was founding his label in France. Today's VPOD features a darling pair of Charles Jourdan pink satin sandals with rhinestones. So pretty and ultra-feminine! Although I wouldn't advise them as your choice of footwear for standing in line to vote in next year's election. And you are planning to vote, right? If not, all the women who fought the Suffrage Movement will be rolling in their graves!I know, I know. Politics can be complicated and confusing. But if you're still trying to get your head around all of the issues and all of the Presidential candidates, you can cast a simpler kind of vote today...a vote for vintage.Daily Candy has nominated Kerry Bonnell, former manager of NYC Resurrection and current owner of Archive Vintage (today's featured site), for their Sweetest Things 2007 award for the most innovative, inspiring, and promising designer or bout ...

VPOD: Seeing Neon 2007-12-14 07:45:00 As the Holiday season approaches with all of its high-calorie temptations, it's helpful to keep in mind that the skimpy fashions of Spring are stalking us, ready to pounce in only a few short months. I prescribe a quick glimpse of today's VPOD and other similar items once a day to help promote healthy eating habits and the ability to zip all those zippers come April.And for those of you hitting the gyms hard come January, a little number like this 1980s Comme des Garcons ruched minidress is heavy motivation to do another set of squats. Or, if you'll never love your thighs even after setting a squat thrust world record, then I'd like to suggest that you wear this baby as a skirt rather than a dress. Temper the blazing glare of the neon with a somber neutral blouse in khaki and channel the looks presented by Phillip Lim and Nanette Lepore on their Spring 2008 runways.Either way it's a head-turning find for a vintage fashionista!Available at Topshop Archive.(To receive the VPOD vi ...

VPOD: Seeing Neon 2007-12-14 07:45:00 As the Holiday season approaches with all of its high-calorie temptations, it's helpful to keep in mind that the skimpy fashions of Spring are stalking us, ready to pounce in only a few short months. I prescribe a quick glimpse of today's VPOD and other similar items once a day to help promote healthy eating habits and the ability to zip all those zippers come April.And for those of you hitting the gyms hard come January, a little number like this 1980s Comme des Garcons ruched minidress is heavy motivation to do another set of squats. Or, if you'll never love your thighs even after setting a squat thrust world record, then I'd like to suggest that you wear this baby as a skirt rather than a dress. Temper the blazing glare of the neon with a somber neutral blouse in khaki and channel the looks presented by Phillip Lim and Nanette Lepore on their Spring 2008 runways.Either way it's a head-turning find for a vintage fashionista!Available at Topshop Archive.(To receive the VPOD vi ...

VPOD: Wedding Bliss 2007-12-13 08:46:00 A friend who was experiencing some problems with her marriage once exclaimed to me, "Next time, I'm going to choose my mother-in-law and then fall in love with her son!" Now I don't have plans to get married any time soon, but it seems to me, it might also be good advice to "Choose your wedding dress and then decide who you'll marry." I admit it's a sort of "build it and he will come" philosophy--maybe a little New Age-y for some. But when you think of your perfect wedding (be honest!) doesn't it include both the perfect man AND the perfect dress? And since the perfect dress seems easier to find, why not start there?Today's VPOD for instance. What bride wouldn't feel like a princess walking the aisle in this 1960s dress designed by Manuel Pertegaz? Who?!? Just one of the three major names in Spanish couture (right next to Christobal Balenciaga and Pedro Rodriguez).This strapless stunner is couture quality (at a mere fraction of the cost!) Silk shantung with a ruffled edge ...

VPOD: Wedding Bliss 2007-12-13 08:46:00 A friend who was experiencing some problems with her marriage once exclaimed to me, "Next time, I'm going to choose my mother-in-law and then fall in love with her son!" Now I don't have plans to get married any time soon, but it seems to me, it might also be good advice to "Choose your wedding dress and then decide who you'll marry." I admit it's a sort of "build it and he will come" philosophy--maybe a little New Age-y for some. But when you think of your perfect wedding (be honest!) doesn't it include both the perfect man AND the perfect dress? And since the perfect dress seems easier to find, why not start there?Today's VPOD for instance. What bride wouldn't feel like a princess walking the aisle in this 1960s dress designed by Manuel Pertegaz? Who?!? Just one of the three major names in Spanish couture (right next to Christobal Balenciaga and Pedro Rodriguez).This strapless stunner is couture quality (at a mere fraction of the cost!) Silk shantung with a ruffled edge ...

VPOD: Learn Your Geometry 2007-12-12 08:02:00 When a lot of us think about geometry, we remember some class in high school where we struggled through proofs that involved isosceles triangles and quadrangles and such. But geometry is also about moving objects around in your imagination and being able to visualize how things will look. Hmmm...sounds a little like what we do every day when we're standing in front of our closets and concocting some new outfit out of the same ol' jackets and blouses and skirts and bracelets and boots and...you get the idea. Unfortunately, not too many geometry teachers made that connection for us and most of us were probably really glad to close our textbooks and leave all thinking of pi and spheres behind. But it's possible that a select few carried an affinity for geometric shapes out of the classroom. And today's VPOD is for you.This 1970s double-breasted wool coat has a fluffy sheepskin collar and a fabulous geometric print. It's not for the shy or timid, of course, but what an eye-catche ...

VPOD: Learn Your Geometry 2007-12-12 08:02:00 When a lot of us think about geometry, we remember some class in high school where we struggled through proofs that involved isosceles triangles and quadrangles and such. But geometry is also about moving objects around in your imagination and being able to visualize how things will look. Hmmm...sounds a little like what we do every day when we're standing in front of our closets and concocting some new outfit out of the same ol' jackets and blouses and skirts and bracelets and boots and...you get the idea. Unfortunately, not too many geometry teachers made that connection for us and most of us were probably really glad to close our textbooks and leave all thinking of pi and spheres behind. But it's possible that a select few carried an affinity for geometric shapes out of the classroom. And today's VPOD is for you.This 1970s double-breasted wool coat has a fluffy sheepskin collar and a fabulous geometric print. It's not for the shy or timid, of course, but what an eye-catche ...

VPOD: Golden Goddess 2007-12-11 09:12:00 For centuries, gold has been associated with wealth and power. In fact, the Inca's of South America considered gold to be the "sweat of the Sun," their most important deity.Fortunately, these days, you don't need to be a queen or religious leader in order to wear gold. Today's VPOD is available to any gal who hopes to turn heads. This striking little frock is by Alfred Shaheen (yes, that same Alfred Shaheen of the colorful Hawaiian prints). Here, his screenprinting takes a subtle turn on a knife-pleated skirt and simple bodice. Add the gold rope belt and the goddess look is complete.It's an ethereal find for a vintage fashionista!Available at Unique Boutique NYC.(To receive the VPOD via email 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 unsubscribe at any time.)Send Page To a FriendTechnorati Tags: Fashion, Vintage, Vintage_Clothing, Alfred Shaheen ...