CHANEL!!!

OK, so honestly, I never really got the big deal about Chanel. I knew it was high-end, I knew people were devoted to it and I knew it cost more than I could possibly pay.

But then there was the estate sale where I had the opportunity to pick up some really good jewelry from a massive collection at reasonable prices.

Something mystical happened.

Yes, it was the Chanel that got me. I touched this amazing bracelet and nearly swooned.

I know, right? Don’t you just want to feel that on your wrist then go out and wave it around a bit? Me too! Once I got it, I didn’t want to give it up, but since I had sunk a fair amount of money into it, it went right up on eBay.

Of course it was snatched up right away. I was richer, but sadder for it.

I sold the earrings I bought as well, with the exception of this pair, which I’m having trouble letting go of:

Are they not a thing of beauty?

So I’m hooked and will keep an eye out for more even if I have to just turn around and sell it. The lesson here is that it’s better to have had Chanel for just a few days than never having had Chanel at all.

Words to live by.

Winning a Pulitzer

I sell vintage men’s clothing as well as women’s, but I find that other people aren’t as interested in men’s vintage fashion. That makes me happy because at auctions and estate sales I get better prices and variety.

I recently went to my second jaw-dropping sale in the past couple of months and picked up a couple of really nifty men’s items. I also discovered a Lilly Pulitzer men’s blazer. Hooray! As a former journalist I can finally says I won a Pulitzer!

After researching Lilly Pulitzer men’s clothing, I’m on the hunt. What funky and fantastic stuff! Check out this vintage blazer from Polyvore:

Lilly Pulitzer – Vintage Lilly Pulitzer Mens Stuff Sport Jacket-40 (clipped to polyvore.com)

 

My blazer isn’t quite as  flashy, but researching it opened me up to a whole new world.

According to Dress That Man Socialite Lilly Pulitzer opened a juice stand in Palm Beach and found squeezing citrus made a mess of her clothing. So she found a dressmaker who would make her an outfit that would hide the stains. Viola! Necessity being the mother of invention, a new clothing line was born. You can read the whole DTM article here.

As you can see, my blazer is pretty sedate on the outside:

But on the inside? It’s all kinds of fun:

Here’s the tag …

… and the very cool lion buttons

As Dress That Man notes: “Think about Lilly Pulitzer next time you have that glass of citrus juice…”

This blazer is currently available on eBay here.

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OMG shoes!

Ok, so here’s another peek at some of my recent estate sale buys.

I wasn’t sure how they would sell, but when confronted by hundreds of pairs of shoes, what else is a girl to do but buy some of them? Or in this case, a whole bunch of them. Like shooting fish in a barrel, am I right?

I even found a pair of what I think may be real Christian Louboutins. Silly me, I didn’t even know that until my son’s fashion major girlfriend told me. This whole vintage clothing thing is a learning experience. Live and learn! But more on the Louboutins another time.

Some of the shoes I picked up have been worn; some are new. Some are Garolini, some are Botticelli, both of which with I’m somewhat familiar. Some are labeled “Custom made by Bendi,” but I can’t find much of anything on Bendi. They came from O’Connor’s in Miami Beach. Does anyone know anything about the brand?

Anyways, some of the shoes are really awesome. I haven’t unpacked them all, but here are a few for your consideration:

Bright, beautiful Bendi pumps, size 6.5N. 2.5-inch heels. Ebay #190779244149

Sexy back-zip Garolino pumps with 3-inch heels. Size 6 or 6.5 (no size visible in shoe). Ebay item #190779196377

Vintage Botticelli heels with silver and amber rhinestones. Size 6M; 3-inch heels. Ebay item #190779199602

All I can say is, thank goodness I’m not a size 6 – I’d keep them all and put myself right out of business.

Fab fashion finds!

I recently was invited to buy some vintage clothing at an estate sale. Upon entering the house, I was pretty sure I had just stepped from earth into what had to be heaven. Rooms – yes, whole rooms – were filled with vintage clothing from several eras. There were closets and racks full of dresses, skirts, jackets and more; there were boxes of pocketbooks (alas, mostly Chanel knock-offs); and there were stacks and stacks of vintage shoes in every color.

I almost stopped breathing.

Clearly the woman had spared no expense in her clothing (knock-off purses aside). There was a whole rack of Mr. Blackwell (definitely above my price range) and designer labels abounded. Many of the shoes were custom made. I hardly knew where to start. It was like the best treasure hunt ever.

Many hours and a whole bunch of dollars later, I had a pretty good selection of dresses, shoes and accessories to sell on ebay, Etsy and my physical space in  MillCity Antiques  in downtown Manchester. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites:

Vintage 1950s prom dress with handmade lace. Unfortunately for me, someone got a great deal on this on ebay. Lucky them!

One of my favorites, so wonderfully retro! By Safinia for Saks Fifth Avenue.

This Don Luis of Espana gown is currently for sale. Love it! ebay item # 190778212220

And finally…

Fantastic Tory Richard mini dress made in Hawaii. Available on Etsy http://etsy.me/Ummh7G

Now that the holidays are over, I’ll be on the hunt for clothing and jewelry. I’ll share some of the best with you here.

Happy hunting!

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