The Swelle Life

Christie's Resurrects Vintage Avant-garde

   

Recently, Christie's auction house in London sold a collection of avant-garde designer clothing and accessories from the 1930s to the mid-80s. The sale consisted of 229 lots and included a Cristobal Balenciaga couture evening jacket (yes, designed by the man himself) and four jackets from Balenciaga's protégé André Courrèges.

A few pieces were deemed in their description to be 'rare and important'. Indeed. Here's a look at some of the collection:

(Above, l-r: Norma Kamali, 1970s, Edwardian-style heliotrope tweed with tailored bodice fastening with two mink ties, sold for £750; Azzedian Alaia, 1986, cut on the bias, with a single swathe of aubergine - sold for £1,000; Jean Paul Gaultier, mid 1980s, purple neoprene lined in salmon pink, sold for £2,250)

Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld. Cruciform bangle, late 1980s, gilt-metal set
withgripoix pearls and pastes in Renaissance style. Sold for £1125


Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo. 1983. Skirt and top of
blackgauze, with interlaced, looped bands. Sold for £6,250


Harry Gordon 'Rose' disposable dress. 1968. Screen-printed
tissue, wood pulp and rayon mesh. Sold for £1,750


Pierre Cardin pinafore skirt. circa 1970. Straps of scarlet glossy
vinyl with quilting, skirt of navy wool jersey. Sold for £2,125


Rudi Gernreich. 1964. A 'Rare and Important' monokini topless
swimsuit of wool and elastic. Sold for £1,250


Pierre Cardin. circa 1965. An 'Important' Satellite cape of glossy
 scarlet vinyl lined with synthetic fleece. Sold for £5,000


Cristobal Balenciaga Couture Evening Jacket. 1960s. Black silk gauze woven
with a black spot motif, with sequinned ruffled fronts. Sold for £2,000


Gucci 'Snaffle' Bracelets. 1970s, white metal. Sold for £1,375


Paca Rabanne. Circa 1967-8. Assembled from linked aluminium
panels, the bodice panels centred with studs. Sold for £15,000


Hermes 'Motoring' coat. 1930s. Soft goatskin stitched with
knotted twine, zipped from hem to neck, hooded,
with checked wool plaid lining. Sold for £4,000


Norma Kamali. circa 1975. Rip-stop parachute nylon,
with rip-cord ruching. Sold for £813


Pierre Cardin, an 'Important' Neck-plate. 1966-1967. Chromed-metal
panels with acrylic hemispheres to neck and to pear-shaped
terminal at navel. Sold for £3,750

Channeling 'Little Edie' Beale on Hallows Eve

 Last night I attended a proper Halloween fancy dress party, hosted by my awesome friend Sophie who made a fantastic goth/vampira-type with her white, shaded makeup and black fishtail dress with draped sleeves. I decided not to go scary (it's just so much work!) and instead had some fun getting kitted up as 'Little Edie' Beale with my 1950s brocade vintage coat and brooched head scarf (I feel terrible about the fur collar. Does it matter that the mink would have been long dead by now, anyway? No, no, of course not). As expected, no one knew who I was supposed to be. I was asked 'Are you in fancy dress?' (I admit it wasn't very costumey) and guesses as to who I was dressed as included a Romanian peasant woman and Anne Frank. I got that twice. (Geez, who would go as Anne Frank??)

So, who's 'Little Edie' Beale, you ask? Born in 1917, she was a New York socialite who modelled, danced and acted, and a first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis. When her parents divorced, mom 'Big Edie' got the 28-room East Hampton estate known famously as Grey Gardens. In the 50s Little Edie came to live with her. She became known for her distinct style of dress and has since influenced John Galliano, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs (his 'Little Edie' bag from fall 2007), and Patricia Field ('Carrie Bradshaw' has been known to go full-on Edie) and two Vogue editorial spreads.

Well, mom was an odd bird and kept dozens of cats, didn't believe in litter boxes and apparently 'loved' the smell. Imagine. Poor Little Edie - a cat lover (and a urine lover) she was not. Not hard to believe, the house came into serious disrepair and was found in violation of every building regulation. And it was a sty that stank, ponged and reeked of cat urine. I feel sick writing this. Uch. Anyway, cousin Jackie O came to the rescue - the cat pee-pee garbage house had become a national story - and she paid $32,000 to fix and clean the place (that was like a zillion dollars back then). Workers carted away 1,000 bags of garbage. Wow. And it's said that the smell was still putrid despite the painstaking efforts. (I chose not to incorporate an olfactory element into my costume.)  

There have been three documentaries made about the Beales and Grey Gardens, and they've been the subject of several books, musicals, songs, and a movie starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange is set for release in 2009. By then everyone who wanted to know who Little Edie was will know, and so will a lot of people who didn't want to know. (I got really weird looks when I explained my inspiration for my costume. I should have said "Yes, Romanian peasant woman. Great guess.")

Back to the party - remember the rabbit monster from Donnie Darko? He showed up (and he was missing a neck):

Colour was in Vogue in the 1940s

1944 Vogue

You feel a bit daft saying "No! Colour photos that early?", especially when you've had a fairly thorough education in art history. But that's what I thought when I saw these awe-inspiring, 1940s fashion photographs from Vogue, discovered during a browsing by Susie Bubble at Elegance is Refusal's Flickr site, which is lush with beautiful vintage scans.

It would have been nice if my university learnings had endured at least until my student loans were paid off. But anyway, I've looked it up and while the history of colour in photography is a bit complicated, colour photographs have been around since the 1850s (starting with James Clerk Maxwell's work with primary colour filters, and the experimentation continued). But it wasn't until 1935 that colour photo-taking became a more common thing, when Kodak started to sell Kodachrome transparency film, followed by the introduction of color-print films and Ektachrome films in the 1940s. And no doubt there's a lot more to what went into creating these Vogue photographs than that skeletal history, but the point is, we are just so rarely treated to these delights - if ever - that they leave us truly stunned at what was possible so long ago. It's incredible that some of these photos appear completely devoid of that anachronistic look and mood that we associate with the 30s and 40s:

1948 Vogue

1941 Vogue


1944 Vogue


1949 Vogue

And this, from 1939 - no shadows, so awash with light:


1939 Vogue

Wizened, Wise and Really, Really Cool

Photo: The Sartorialist

Looks like I'm not the only one who marvels at the preservation of dapper and ladylike style with flair from yestercentury, as displayed by our beloved and stylish elderly. New blog Advanced Style is a different kind of street-style blog in that its subjects of intrigue are from the "wizened and silver-haired set", as seen in the streets of New York. I'm not sure whether the women who have just earned their seniors discount at McDonald's would appreciate being described as such, but the blog is a sincere tribute to those who brighten our day just to see them. Aren't their hats just the best?

I have a wonderful photo of my great-grandmother standing on the porch in the early 70s (she being in her late 70s), with her evergreen brooched wool coat and matching felt hat complete with demurely ornate flower embellishments, and proper patent pocketbook firmly in hand as if the outfit would fall apart without its presence. The best part is how tall and proud and 'together' she looks. Next time I'm home in Canada I'll be scanning that and sending it to you guys at Advanced Style. How she would have loved that.

Be sure to tip your hat and smile at the next silver-haired stylin' senior you see. They are true gems.

Zelda Kaplan, Philanthropist

This Stylist Has One Wicked Vintage Hat Collection

The summer issue of Zinc, a Canadian fashion magazine I picked up while in Toronto last month, is packed with editorial spreads, some beautiful and some way out there (I seem to be fixated on them at the moment), and one in particular really grabbed my attention. Not for the photography or the clothes (which are impressive), but for the vintage headgear used in the shoot. All but one piece was the stylist's own - Catherine Perron has one enviable collection indeed. Imagine what else she's got stashed away in her closet? (The swimsuits above and below are hers, too. True daydream territory.)

Photos were re-shot from Zinc and cropped

Vintage Treasures

Since I've been back with my family in Canada for the summer, I've been taking another look at the photos that have been displayed on the walls of my grandparents' basement for as long as I've existed, with renewed interest. The thing I find most fascinating is how the oldest ones capture a very specific fashion moment in time, whereas more recent decades are generally harder to pinpoint (unless you count rocker hair and Madonna-esque accessorising which most certainly betrays an adherence to the worst of the 80s).

The photo above is my mother in 1952. The polish of her 'look' well represents how children were dressed and groomed back then, regardless of socioeconomic status. At barely two years old, her hair was curled and styled with a bow that matched her proper little coat - every inch the 1950s ideal of what a little girl should be. Coco Chanel's influence on women's clothing was still in its early days and hadn't yet trickled down through the hipsters to the average woman and her baby girls. And Yves St. Laurent was still more than a decade away from creating the immeasurably influential "Le Smoking", the first tuxedo for women which lead to stylish pantsuits and everything else that we have with a fly and two legs, today. If it weren't for the French I might be forced to wear dresses every day rather than opting to do it (we'll see if I can keep it up once the winter rolls in. I'm no fashionista - I will never knowingly suffer for fashion).

Here's my mother 15 years later in her high school graduation photo (no, not her coronation as it would seem). The thought of dressing like this for my own grad confuses my brain, I can't even grasp the mindset it would take to think I could pull it off - things had changed so much in 20 years and this kind of formality was no longer relevant. Or was it? Were we simply expressing the same values through new and different fashion? Sure, we could have dressed this way as a fun throwback to the era but it would be more about costume than who we were.

The photo on the right is my grandmother in the 1940s, just a teenager with her hair styled in a French roll and wearing her dainty lace-bibbed dress. Compare it with that of a teen from the 1970s and beyond and it's like we're from different planets. Which is why these portraits are endlessly fascinating - there is an extraordinary quality here that simply can't be reproduced today (despite the painstaking efforts of Christina Aguilera. Dita, however, is as close as anyone's going to get).

I have a few vintage-inspired jackets and coats for my daughter which would look adorable with this hair so I'm going to attempt it (provided she has enough to pull it off!):

Childhood Flashback - A Doggie Without a Name

   

My mother-in-law has kept many of my husband's childhood toys (how cool is that? Like Jerry's girlfriend on Seinfeld where he feeds her turkey and wine so she passes out and he can play with them), and yesterday another gem was mined from the basement for our daughter to play with (how many boys didn't destroy all of their toys? Miraculous). As soon as I saw the puppy with the Sherlock Holmes cap the childhood memories came flooding in, there was a name on the tip of my tongue but I just can't get it. It has the string that you pull to make the legs kind of cycle across the floor - ring any bells? Forgot to take video. Will do tomorrow.

Does anyone recognise this poor, nameless pup? If so, and you recall the name, please let me know so I don't spend the next month obsessing about it. I have other things to obsess about.

Neither myself nor my three brothers can say that a single one of our toys has survived us, or our dad. One Christmas, my little brother Daniel excitedly unwrapped his 'big present', that one thing he REALLY wanted - a toy guitar that looked like a guitar but instead of strings, the fret board had buttons that made sounds. (What was with that? They weren't really even guitar sounds, more like a Casio in guitar form - how 80s.) My dad immediately took it and started playing around with it, trying to compose some kind of Mr. Roboto-esque masterpiece, then two minutes later it was broken. And then he just kind of forgot about it. But Daniel didn't. Poor kid, the socks and underwear just didn't bring out the same kind of holiday cheer. 

Update: Thanks to Karen, we now know he's Digger the Dog. That is not at all familiar to me, and there I thought the name was on the tip of my tongue!

  

Fun Shopping Mission: Finding the Perfect Vintage Wedding Clutch

A very lovely friend of mine is getting married soon. Her wedding style is 1930s-inspired and her dress is a gorgeous ivory strapless, to be worn with a sensational birdcage veil. (If you're about to plan a wedding, I'll bet you're buzzing with ideas right now!)

She's looking for a vintage clutch in ivory to carry on the day. While the actual bag will likely be procured during an in-the-flesh shopping expedition, it's always wise to do a bit of work beforehand (the fun kind) so you have a solid idea of what you're looking for. You want to avoid taking home something that looked good at the time, only to wake up the next morning and exclaim in horror 'WHAT HAVE I DONE??' (This also extends to scenarios besides shopping.)

So I thought I'd help by doing a bit of cyber-browsing to see what's about. My ideal criteria was 1930s era, ivory, and also gold which I think is a stunning and elegant complement to ivory (the dress), especially when it's pre-1950s, muted and beaded. Here are some of the mellowed beauties I found:

  1930s Whiting & Davis. Probably too glam for a wedding, but what a great scalloped frame. And a 1930s gold beaded - stunning!

         
Late 1930s gold and cream beaded     Art deco silver beaded

The top photo is of a 1940s silver cordé with rhinestone zipper pull, MINT condition.

You may have noticed that I haven't included where to find these bags. That was intentional in case the lovely betrothed is interested in any of them. However, if you'd like more information feel free to get in touch. And if you need help finding something, let me know - I'd be happy to assist!

Bring Back the Pretty, Pretty Parasol

I'm very serious! I've only seen one person ever on the street using one, it was in Toronto and I believe she was Japanese and therefore she could totally get away with it (not Lolita, just wearing regular clothes and walking underneath it on a blistering summer day). It was several years ago and I thought You are awesome. I want one but I would look like an idiot. That was when I cared what people think. Since then I have pushed a baby out of my nether region in front of an audience and it changes you. From that moment on you do what you please and you don't think twice about it.

The day of reckoning has come, and I reckon I will find myself a stunning parasol and I will use it proudly. I won't just carry it, or simply walk beneath its glorious shade of delicate fabric; I will twirl it 'round, skipping happily down the street. If I encounter a puddle, I may attempt a mighty leap over it, smiling gleefully while clicking my heels to one side. 

So, there are choices - true vintage or antique, or vintage-inspired/reproduction. If you can afford it, there are some antique options (100 years or older) that are so excitingly drool-inducing that I made weird shreiky noises when I saw these particular parasols, all circa 1900 - 1910, UNUSED, from Karen Augusta Antique Lace and Fashion:

  

    

 

  

Her website is well worth taking the time to browse, she has everything from corsetry to regional costume, many of the items dating back to the early 1800s.

Another fantastic website I found is Bella Umbrella. Jodell Egbert not only sells vintage and reproduction parasols and umbrellas in a variety of styles, she rents her private collection of 100 vintage styles (how generous is that?).

Here are some of my favourite parasols from her selection (more shrieks!):

 

1940s, light pink silk embroidered, bamboo handle

 

Reproduction, ivory lace, wood hook handle

 

Rental, vintage double layered umbrella, pink resin handle

Note: Yes, Dita von Teese did use a vintage parasol at Coachella to keep her milky white skin from being scorched. However, I kept her and those pictures out of this post so as not to mislead about the source of inspiration, which is really rooted in my long-held desire to indulge in the genteel lady persona in an over-the-top and delightfully fun kind of way. A lovely stroll with a pretty parasol would take care of it, non?

First photo courtesy of Noa Noa, from their Spring 2008 catalogue

Bring Back the Swim Cap!

 After reading a previous post on Noa Noa's fabulous spring and high summer collection, Swelle Life reader (and very Swelle girl) Tammy commented on how much she loves the swim cap/turban look and may be daring to try it. Let's give her a big round of applause!!!! I'll bet with that encouragement she'll not only do it but also send pictures (maybe, possibly??)

To get her on her way, I've looked for online shops that sell the sweet vintage-style caps (I'd go with 'in the style of' rather than true vintage here, we're talking about other people's heads).

The lovely, SPF 250-wearing Karen Elson models a pink petal cap for a Vogue editorial (above) from Headcovers. They also sell a fabric swim turban with a waterproof lining if you're looking for practicality as well as style.

And, well, that's it really! Retro swim caps are very hard to find, my research into it shows this is the one place to find the petal style (unless you want Speedo's multi-colour version which has their brand logo inserted amongst the flowers - yes, really), plus one ebay shop that offers similar petal caps for auction with a starting bid significantly higher than the selling price at Headcovers (with no discernable difference in the cap itself).

UPDATE:  Hot tip just in from Tammy - an editorial feature in the recent issue of Fashion magazine featured some vintage swim caps from Courage My Love, a vintage shop loaded with accessories located in Kensington in downtown Toronto (no website, sorry).

If you're handy with styling you can create some interesting looks with scarves or make your own turbans with some pretty fabrics. Please pass on pics if you do! 

My only experience with the swim cap was school swimming lessons in grade 2. Whereas one of my classmates had luxurious blonde hair so thick it took two teachers grunting and straining to fit it all under the cap while avoiding rubber snapping back in their faces, my hair was so fine I think there was actually room for another head under mine. Then after swimming that day I tried to emulate my hair dresser by putting my cheap, super-hot travel dryer right against my hair while drying it (not realising he didn't really touch it, it was just very close) and it got all tangled in the grate and caught on fire. The two teachers came and smacked me on the head until it went out, luckily it was quick. I enjoyed the smell of burnt hair on the bus ride back to school.

Some inspirations to get you going on your DIY beach head gear:

 And an old advert for those who like the idea of a pineapple with a face:

Lastly, a photo of myself and my Other Half at the cottage last summer:

Steampunk: Mr. Technology Meet Ms. Romance

Love your iPOD and flat-screen TV but have fantasies of gearing up in Victorian corsets and crinolines, maybe throwing on some old aviator goggles? If that mix of antiquity and cutting edge feels incongruent, don't shy away just yet - you don't have to make a choice for fear of appearing hypocritically ingenuous. You may in fact be an ideal recruit for the Steampunk movement.

Steampunk is, most simply defined by one enthusiast, as 'the intersection of technology and romance.' A more encompassing description according to Ruth LaFurla of The New York Times, states it is "a subculture that is the aesthetic expression of a time-traveling fantasy world, one that embraces music, film, design and now fashion, all inspired by the extravagantly inventive age of dirigibles and steam locomotives, brass diving bells and jar-shaped protosubmarines." Wow. I love my tea dresses but now realise they are sadly devoid of protean context.

Hmmm, one of these groups seems a bit cooler than the other...

Steampunk arrived on the scene in the late 1980s and now thanks to the internet is seeing its popularity increase exponentially. Using the web as a show-and-tell venue, steampunk inventors are taking the technology of today and by adding elements of the past, creating new/old hybrids that are taking design aesthetics to an exciting new level. One especially impressive specimen is a computer with a brass-frame monitor and vintage typewriter keys, built by Jake von Slatt (shows sleek and minimalist isn't the only way to move forward):

Giovanni James steampunked his LCD television by wrapping it in burlap:

While steampunk fashion draws on the styling and detail of the Edwardian and Victorian eras as well as pre-20th century military uniform, some of today's most exciting and respected designers are supplying inspiration for the steampunkers' DIY approach to dressing. Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and even Ralph Lauren (falling into the 'respected', rather than 'exciting' category) make for worthy idols with their interpretations of period-costume elements such as bustles, crinoline and puff sleeves, figuring prominently in their designs.

These references are clearly be visible in Alexander McQueen's breathtakingly exquisite, British colonial-inspired collection for Fall 2008 RTW (said to be the greatest collection he's done in his 14 years of shows):

If you're interested in hearing what one involved steampunk figure, Jake von Slatt has to say about the movement, you can read this interview at Bostodelphia (try not to be hynotised by his intense portrait - look quickly, then look away).

Altogether I find steampunk quite endearing: its love for treasured items from a distant past, the celebration of craftsmanship and detail not universally cheriched in our time, and its inclusiveness - the capacity to not only avoid shunning modern advances but find room to embrace what our technology provides us.   

von Slatt sums it all up beautifully when asked to compare the cultures of steampunk and cyberpunk: "In many ways I think Steampunk is a reaction to Cyberpunk, its a desire to inject an element of humanity and passion into something cold and virtual." We too, welcome that.   

Photos of Steampunkers: Robert Wright for The New York Times

Something Old, Something You

It's usually after the wedding that we wish to go back in time (just kidding, Honey!), however, with the stunning vintage options available to us now we're looking to the past before the nuptials for that most important piece - THE DRESS.

I came across London-based The Vintage Wedding Dress Company who specialise in dresses from the 1930s to the early 70s as well as the essential matching accessories to perfect that authentic look. Their collection can only be viewed in person at their boutique but the gallery photos on the website (see left) are good for getting a feel for whether the vintage look is for you .

Also showcasing some truly special finds is Posh Girl Vintage, who sell online. I'm not sure you'd want to order for your Big Day unseen and untried (uh, was this supposed to have a pee stain? NO! Of course they would never sell that to you but you get the point), so do so well in advance, they take returns. And they offer many lovely styles of dresses that would do wonderfully as a one-off bridesmaid or guest look. Here are my Posh Girl Vintage favourites from the 1940s and 50s:

   

Want to keep the vintage vibe going beyond the ceremony? Take along this original 1960s Pucci box purse on your sunny honeymoon for fabulous and fun designer arm candy:

Best Fashion Find of Newcastle and Beyond

When I came to the UK in winter 2005 and ventured into the city centre of Newcastle in search of Christmas presents to take home for my friends, I found myself frightened and confused. Sure, there were myriad pubs, restaurants, and high street chain shops but where were the boutiques?? Those enticing little shops with enchanted window displays and fresh labels displayed artfully inside, waiting to be discovered? The architecture here was lovely and inspired but was is it possible my new home was (gulp, knot forming in stomach) a fashion wasteland?                                                                        

Luckily, as fate would have it, we took a random turn down a cobble-stone side street and into our view came independent record shops and (yes!) one little boutique that ticked all the boxes on my wish list, aptly called SKIRT. Upon entering I found myself floating over to the racks to browse. I was bursting with excitement as I ran my fingers over the beautiful tops and dresses that were so me, but better. That's what we continually seek, isn't it? Our favourite styles taken in a direction more fabulous than what we're already 'doing'? But this was not the time to be cultivating my new and improved image, I had others to think about. I would return, many, many times.

Despite Newcastle being home to Northumbria University which churns out some of the UK's brightest design talents, it is shamefully lacking in efforts to reflect the richness of its resources. And so, sometimes the fashion-starved have to take matters into their own hands.

The woman behind SKIRT is Clare, who opened her boutique on Highbridge a few years ago because she couldn't find great clothes in her hometown (THANK YOU!). She's always on hand in the shop to help you put together your new look, or leave you be to take your time and create it yourself. The independent labels Clare brings to the shop reflect her exceptionally keen eye for a particular look that borrows heavily from the vintage aesthetic (very Swelle!). Completely kitsch-free, the clothes are beautiful and original with a simplicity in design that is quite feminine, yet bears no relationship to the merely 'cute'. And a full range of accessories that includes many one-offs well complements the collection consisting mainly of tops, skirts and dresses. Shoes are coming, too, so you can soon get the complete head-to-toe SKIRT look. 

To top it all off the shop is affordable AND you can now browse online and buy by phone or email. A wide range of prices allows for a guilt-free fashion fix or a serious statement piece indulgence, not to mention the great seasonal sales.

Featured labels currently include: PAUL AND JOE SISTER, ANTIPODIUM, CHEAP MONDAY DENIM, ELLA MOSS, HOMEBODY and L&W.

Vintage lovers: Be sure to check out the vintage section of the website, Clare has brilliantly done the legwork for you.

Here's a sample of the tasty dresses available now (many on sale!) plus one TO DIE FOR pale blue leather ruffle-front, puff sleeve jacket by Tina Casmose (not on sale, as if!):

 

An Ideal World

Every so often I'm treated to a glimpse into a world that makes me daydream so intensely that I almost forget where I am (until I'm shaken by 'I pooped, Mummy!'). After I air out the room I settle back into the fantasyland of that impossibly dreamy style from another time: the ruffles, cloverleaf collars, 3/4 sleeves, beautifully detailed buttons and the blues, pinks, lilacs and yellows, both pale and bright.

Aaaahhhh.....where was I? Right. One of those worlds is Breakfast at Tiffany's - how amazing is Holly Golightly as she's lying distraught on her bed after sending the cat flying onto the dresser? After the shock of seeing that for the first time, you still can't help but focus completely on her mouthwateringly adorable pink party dress, you just want to eat it up! And that's why I love that movie so much, it's all about the fashion. We all know how fabulous Audrey Hepburn is in her famous LBD, pearls and tiara, but what about the scene where Holly and Paul are behaving mischievously in the novelty shop? What does she wear for such an outing? A marvellous red boucle coat and enormous red felt hat...that's the way it should be, if I had my way. Why not dress up for just for the sake of it?

The video above is another tasty view into a world where style dominates the narrative. Again, try to pay attention to the words...you can't! The outfits are too fabulous!! Claire from Enchant and Doom is the brilliant stylist who put the look together for this Roisin Murphy video (thanks to Susie Bubble for bringing it to our attention). The overall concept is dark and moody whereas I like bright and blissful, but it works so well. I wish I could walk outside and see all the lovely ladies dressed like this, or as Miss Golightly. I do wonder...if I were around in the 50s and 60s, would I have appreciated the style, or is the appeal not just about the aesthetic but for a time that seemed so much simpler and grand?

Spring-Fresh Vintage

The idea of searching for vintage fashion doesn't typically rouse notions of clean, bright, and easy. Sometimes only the die-hard devotee can stomach the olfactory nightmare that can be vintage shops (do the salespeople actually get used to the smell of musty polyester and mothballs?). By the time you've rummaged through enough dim and dusty racks to discover that ever-elusive designer dress (the one you convinced yourself existed in the first place), you're well overdue for some fresh air and a thorough handwashing.

Luckily, the vintage shopping experience is improving in great strides, and The Cat's Meow in Toronto is one of the best. The Avenue Road boutique features an impressive selection of vintage couture and designer wear, as well as fine costume jewelry and accessories. I finally had the opportunity to pop in to the shop last Christmas after repeatedly gushing over the loveliest, most feminine dresses showing in the window, and I was quite surprised to find it was a vintage shop. White and airy and impeccibly merchandised, this was different from any other second-hand shop I had seen (or smelled). Racks of beautifully detailed designer dresses, well cared-for in protective coverings, and a solid collection of hats, shoes, bags and jewelry can take you back 80 years or just 30.

A few particularly outstanding gems include a turn-of-the century French enameled powder case (in excellent condition for its age), complete with original makeup and handmade puffs, and a 1930s beaded couture gown that would put most modern-day replicas to shame with its delicate handwork and prototypical styling. For you label-lovers, here are some spectacular dresses available in shop or online now - (l-r) Oleg Cassini (Jacki O's designer), Pucci and Teal Traina:

What I love most about The Cat's Meow is its ability to transports us back to a time we think of as black and white, in its true, vibrant technicolour. Ahhhhhh.........