Who Knew Vintage Was So Hot?

Juliana Cairone’s store, Rare Vintage, is the latest hot-spot for celebrities to find vintage finds from old time designers. Located in midtown Manhattan on 57th street, this boutique is the prime supplier of museum quality collectibles that are chosen by the owner that are classic but wearable for high-end events and glamorous affairs. Cairone’s love of fashion started at 11 years old, when she contacted Diana Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute to donate her grandmother’s dress from the 1950s. She was turned down for her offer, but that didn’t stop her and her love of reviving the old and makes a fortune off of doing just that and selling these antiques in her store.
Some of her most notorious customers are Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsdale, and Jennifer Connelly as well as numerous other socialites who receive extreme luxuries, like champagne served while they shop, and personal attention in Cairone’s store. Pieces from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s are part of her coveted collection. Evening gowns are her specialty and her collection has accumulated ones from Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Roberto Capucci, Loris Azzaro, Ossie Clark and many others. There is an assortment of sexy Little Black Dresses from Alaia and Herve Leger as well as daywear from Gucci, Ungaro, Missoni and YSL. Cairone plans to expand to shoes and accessories this fall and should be carrying vintage Manolo Blahniks soon among other designers. . And now it has become a must stop shop for all stylists, actresses and serious collectors and lovers of fashion.

Check out this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDaMkuSrjRI

Tartan: Not Your Lumberjack Red and Black

Apparently red and black aren’t just for the flannel wearing lumberjack anymore! I don’t mean just the colors of course since everyone can rock those. I’m talking about the tartan pattern that has come about as this winter’s new go-to pattern. (Which seems to be leaving last winter’s houndstooth just dwindling down in its popularity status?) From the preppiest of people to the most hardcore rocker, when paired with the best accessories, tartan can cover broad spectrums of style. It comes in jackets most often, but more and more there have been covering other accessories like belts, hats, headbands, shoes, handbags and clutches.
That’s not to say a whole outfit has to consist of this pattern in order to coordinate…no way. Instead of overkill, one or two items of this bold pattern are enough to set a statement look. It can be paired with black to accentuate the red in it, or red to enhance the black. Other neutral colors like white or grey are perfect for it as well. Rather than the distressed lumberjack look of the past, tartan is now taking on a more polished or edgy look. And the most successful tartan wearers take that into consideration. I’m giving this trend news-worthy attention because I have been seeing it practically everywhere! The most fashion-forward stores are carrying them, echoing from the runways of Ralph Laurent and Luella Bartley. Of course, as to be predicted, once word hits around about the trends people are emptying the shelves in stores and displaying their fashion senses to the streets. What was once originally and down and dirty kind of pattern has been highlighted in a way that no one has ever thought of with newly designed shapes and cuts that are making all of us very happy. I know I approve and have a tartan jacket that I absolutely love.

Retro Chic

Mini-skirts. Dangling earrings. Big hair. Leggings. Suddenly, fashion trends of the 80s (and some of the scariest ones, too) are making repeats. And not just the 80s. Bell-bottoms, halter tops, and long hair have all come back, too – trends we thought were long gone from the 70s.What makes repeating so appealing when it comes to couture? Retro is in, and even punk rock (something else that began in the 80s) is coming back. When it comes to fashion, are we really moving forward – or just repeating the trends of the past?
Though it would seem natural to assume that the best trends would never die out, in fashion this is not the case. Some of the most horrible fashion mistakes have actually made a huge comeback. That the worst fashion trends always re-surface is one of the strange mysteries of style. If shoulder pads on women can come back, the door is open for all sorts of couture horrors. The reason: fashion is always interesting, always something worth discussing, always exciting with its ever-changing nature. If fashion trends stayed the same, women would still be in hoop skirts and men would wear zoot suits every day. We want fashion to change, and the blending of the old with the new is just another facet o fashion – and why you should never get rid of your big earrings, mini skirts, and capri pants. No matter what it is, if you wear it once it will be inn fashion eventually to wear it again. When it comes to style, it’s always in fashion to recycle and re-use the old to create something stunning and new. So don’t be afraid to keep items in the closet perhaps long after they’ve become unfashionable.

You Know You Love It

This day and age, TV shows are one of the most influential media sources little people like you and I watch on a regular basis. The select few that we can keep up with are not only highly addictive and entertaining to watch, but for those in the know, they are the best for admiring the wardrobes of the most fashionable TV characters. One show in particular that is booming with buzz worthy attention is the CW Network’s Gossip Girl. The notoriously affluent Upper East Side high-schoolers on this show are all about appearances and have the fabulous designer clothing to prove it. While Blair Waldorf, with her very preppy style, shops at Bergdorf Goodman’s, Serena Van Der Woodsen, the eclectic bohemian, costs herself a pretty penny at Barney’s and other high end stores. The viewer never sees these girls shopping on the show much, if ever, but the rich selection of their attire blatantly screams “I have money and I splurge on style.” Yes, this is the purposeful depiction of the glamorous life of growing up rich in NYC leave us jealous. Unless we are as well off as they are, we tend to feel Jenny Humphrey’s pain when all the girls of her school can afford these beautiful but outlandish pleasantries and she is just trying to fit in on her more down-to-earth budget. I can admit that those wardrobe stylists have me salivating over everything these girls wear week after week. And it is even hard for me to pick a favorite. These actresses can pull off these not-for-everyday looks with classic elegance that will make you want it all.

You know you love it, XOXO Gossip Girl!

Check out this video for more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO0WIt-fhmI