dressvintage

Kate Middleton not the first fairy tale princess bride I was so happy when the future wife of Prince William appeared in that Grace Kelly - esque gown that captured all of  the critical fashion buzz words; style, elegance..royalty...sophistication. Like the one worn by Grace herself, it will go down in history as one of the most beautiful wedding dresses ever made.  I'll be honest, I never liked Diana's wedding dress - (is that blasphemy)? Yes, it was iconic and grand, but even in the... Read Full Story

I've always loved cake.  It's an unhealthy obsession that I've never been able to conquer.  When I was five, my friend Tracy and I decided to try bake a cake ourselves.  Banned from the kitchen by a cleaning lady who threatened us with death by hanging" if we dared even walk on the sparkling clean floor she'd just polished", we considered other options.  Somehow, my five year old brain flashed back to my mother talking about "pancake" make up and made a (quite brilliant if I do say so myself... Read Full Story

     I used to pretend that the chicken I ate once roamed free in a green pasture with his/her cow and pig friends and that they all frolicked together with butterflies until they were ever so gently and humanely made edible for me. This, of course, all having been done by a farmer with a straw hat and a beautifully weathered face who knew each animal by name. (And, who,..of course, lived in a red farmhouse...with a windmill).   Then something happened that forced me to let go of that... Read Full Story

I was a child in the 1960's. Yes, that reveals my age, but it's undeniable. We girls of the 60's didn't have a myriad of after school activities, and unless "go play" counts, didn't get a lot of suggestions from parents as to how to spend our time.  We'd never heard of day care, knew only a few people from divorced families, of which I was one, and we rode in cars without seat belts.  We had ponies at our birthday parties, wore saddle shoes and socks trimmed and lace, and thought our mommies... Read Full Story

I was a child in the 1960's. Yes, that reveals my age, but it's undeniable. We girls of the 60's didn't have a myriad of after school activities, and unless "go play" counts, didn't get a lot of suggestions from parents as to how to spend our time.  We'd never heard of day care, knew only a few people from divorced families, of which I was one, and we rode in cars without seat belts.  We had ponies at our birthday parties, wore saddle shoes and socks trimmed and lace, and thought our mommies... Read Full Story

Always a Bridesmaid? Well, maybe, maybe not, but at least you don't have to be a boring one! Bridesmaid dresses are expensive!  So, if you are asking your dearest friends to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress, why not make it one that will make a statement?  So many brides try so hard to find that dress that their bridesmaids will "wear again" that they end up settling on somewhat ordinary dresses that still cost an arm and a leg!  You really don't need to compromise when it comes to... Read Full Story

My oldest daughter is engaged.  All of a sudden, (like I did with pregnant women when I became pregnant with her), I'm seeing brides everywhere!  If you are over the age of 40, you probably have no idea of how many wedding blogs, wedding tv shows, wedding magazines and wedding stores there are now.  YIKES.com (to quote my niece Sarah)!   Let's start with television.  "Say yes to the dress" is  a show about a wedding dress store and the process the salespeople (trying to meet quotas) and... Read Full Story

Today, I was hanging a freshly hand washed vintage dress ( a beautiful butter yellow silk chiffon Ceil Chapman to be specific) to dry in the bathroom shared by my daughters.  The last one of my 4 girls went off to college this year but she and one of her sisters are here for the summer.  I thought about how patient they have all been throughout the years with me .. and the many dresses that have hung in their shower to dry. I started to realize that it might not have been that easy growing up... Read Full Story

These women are quiet rebels. Preferring to be known for their work, refusing to allow stereotypes and titles define them,  these Academy award winners have chosen to reject all of the world's imposed labels and overcome traditional barriers. YEAR BEST PICTURE BEST ACTRESS FOR HER ROLE IN 2005 CRASH REESE WITHERSPOON WALK THE LINE 2006 THE DEPARTED HELEN MIRREN THE QUEEN 2007 NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN MARION COTILLARD LA VIE EN ROSE 2008 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE KATE WINSLET THE READER 2009... Read Full Story

Is it the result of media exposure, the increase in the popularity of celebrity stylists, or the fact that we are easily bored these days? Why does it seem that today's actresses seem to transform themselves on a regular basis?  I think I've discovered the answer! In part 7 of our countdown to the Academy Awards, we'll take a look at these 1990s Oscar winning actresses and their changing styles over the decade. YEAR BEST PICTURE BEST ACTRESS FOR HER ROLE IN 1995 BRAVEHEART SUSAN SARANDON DEAD... Read Full Story