The iconic peace sign is fifty years old and continues to look fabulous for its age. Gerald Holtom designed the symbol to represent Nuclear Disarmament by combining two Naval semaphore symbols: N for Nuclear and D for Disarmament and it has since come to represent peace and non-violence throughout the world. What's so wonderful is that the symbol was deliberately never copyrighted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) so it is available for free use worldwide. (Although, I'd like to... Read Full Story
This past December marked the 35th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act which makes it illegal to purchase items made from endangered species. In some states, like California, this law is even extended to include vintage pieces. So what's a vintage fashionista to do? First, go to the Fish and Wildlife Service website and your own state's Fish and Game site and get educated. When you buy items fashioned from endangered species, you contribute to the demand for these products, you help... Read Full Story
Yesterday the Los Angeles Times reported on the death of Alfred Shaheen in late December. This man completely revolutionized the garment industry in postwar Hawaii so let's take just a moment to pay tribute to this business and fashion icon. At a time when manufacturers in Hawaii would have to store a year's worth of fabric because of possible shipping delays, Shaheen took matters into his own hands. He built his own silkscreen equipment, hired artists and began printing his own fabrics. All... Read Full Story
In recent days, President Elect Barack Obama has been talking a lot about twofers: ways to stimulate our economy in the short term while also laying the foundation for long-term economic growth. But twofers are also a good idea for something a whole lot less serious: your wardrobe. Whenever you buy a two or three-piece outfit, you get more bang for your buck since the pieces can each be used separately as well as together. And in our current economic times, these twofers are even more... Read Full Story
The Commerce Department released preliminary GDP figures today for the fourth quarter 2008 and--gulp!--it was the greatest decline in more than 26 years. In layman terms, that means that we fashionistas will be minding our pocketbooks for a while. We won't stop shopping altogether, of course, but we will probably pay a little more attention to quality, choose classics over trends, and look for items that can do double duty. And today's VPOD definitely passes inspection on all three... Read Full Story
If you're still trying to decide between paper and plastic at the checkout, then the whole leather vs. pleather debate will make your head spin. If you're on the side of animal activists, then of course fake leather will be your choice. But many environmentalists insist that the dioxin, PVC, used in fake leather, is the most damaging plastic on the planet. And while 95% of U.S. leather is tanned using carcinogenic chemicals which contaminate ground water and produce other nasty waste... Read Full Story
The world waits patiently for January 20th, when Barack Obama will be sworn in as President and fashionistas will finally discover just who Michelle Obama is wearing. The designer of today's VPOD could certainly offer all those hopeful designers a few tips--after all, she has dressed First Ladies Mrs. Eisenhower, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Nixon, and Mrs. Carter. And you can channel some of that First Lady fashion sense yourself with today's VPOD. This 1970s evening gown by Adele Simpson combines... Read Full Story
One of my favorite eBay searches is to search within the vintage clothing listings for high-end department store names. This will often uncover fabulous high-quality dresses without recognizable designer labels. And while lots of people are probably doing this search for names like Bergdorf or Neiman Marcus, there are far fewer gals searching for names like Harzfeld (from Kansas City). But today's VPOD is an example of the beautiful wares that these lesser known department stores carried... Read Full Story
I can't tell you how many women still think "vintage" means "old lady clothes." As if there weren't any hip, happening women in the 30s or 40s or 50s or 60s! As if only dull, boring designers existed until these gals were born in the 70s or 80s. As If! Well, today's fashionistas know that the secret to being hip, happening dressers is to adapt looks to suit their personality. Take today's VPOD as an example. This 1960s camel wool coat is quite classic and conservative with a demure mink... Read Full Story
Today's dress is just a little reminder that Spring is right around the corner. I know, I know, the first day of winter is still almost three weeks away but so are all the temptations of the holiday season: eggnog, cocktails, Aunt Betty's famous I-only-make-them-only-once-a-year-cookies, plates of candy and nut bread and yes, even fruit cake. You might find it helpful to hang a little something like today's VPOD within eye distance of your closet to motivate you to NOT skip your spinning... Read Full Story
