Decadence: Fashions from the 1920s at Galleria Dallas - Review

So today I stopped by the Galleria Dallas for the Decadence: Fashion from the 1920s exhibition.  Filled with glorious examples of 1920s sartorial bliss, this exhibition made me wonder why we Americans have migrated to the jeans-tshirt-flip-flops ensemble?  These 1920s dresses were fabulous, meticulously beaded and cut, and screamed feminine rebellion a la age of the flappers and their high spirited glamour. You'll long for the days when flip flops and jeans and athletic leisurewear just didn't exist.  Curated by Ken Weber of Vintage Martini, a Dallas vintage store that has everything this here vintage lover could ever want, this exhibition features about 100 pieces.  Exhibition location:  Dallas Galleria, Level One, across from Tiffany & Co.  Runs daily from 12-6 through February 28, 2016.

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Dallas Vintage Clothing and Jewelry Show - Review

PROS:
Condition:  Most of the pieces I looked at were in really great shape without any tears or stains or pulls.  Really beautiful and unusual pieces with great detailing.
Prices:  Beyond reasonable and fair.  I used to live Los Angeles for quite some time--I'm guessing that if this was a show in Los Angeles instead of Dallas, prices would be at least twice as much.  Today I ran across a two-piece silk Chanel maxi evening dress in perfect condition for only $595.00.  Let's just say I definitely did not get the sense that vendors were trying to gouge customers with outrageous prices.  And if I ever move out of Dallas I'm going to have to run around and hog up all the fantastic buys in this city because the pricing elsewhere will just be too high.
Selection:  There was a mix of both authentic designer and street vintage options complete with purses, hats, shoes, scarves, eyewear and any other accessory you could think of.  You'll find many more dresses than tops and pants though.  Jewelry fanatic paradiso.  A lot of the vendors display their pieces by decade which I love.
Vendors:  Friendly vendors.  Not pushy.  Helpful and knowledgeable.  Vintage Martini is one of my favorites.  Ken Weber, one of the owners, has a film costuming background and fabulous taste.

CONS:
Admission:  I have never liked the idea of paying to get into a show where you are planning on buying, but who does?  Although admission was only $10, I'd certainly rather spend the ten bucks at one of the booths.  Free parking though.
Selection:  It's not a huge show where you'll find booth after booth after booth.  All told there are about 25 booths.  I actually couldn't decide if this was a pro or a con, because I liked how it felt more intimate and how it was not overwhelming.  For me, there was soooo much to look at and I didn't know where to start.  Hard core vintage shoppers though might find it to be too small of a show.


I just had to try on this fuzzy coat cha-cha-cha
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Buy Vintage, Stay...Wealthy?

A recent Yahoo headline article listed the top five reasons wealthy people stay wealthy. Reason number five? Wealthy people pay less than they have to for things they want. An obvious answer, but interestingly enough the article gave buying pre-owned vintage couture clothing as the example of how wealthy women save money—many women who have the money to pay retail prices for luxury designer fashion choose instead to save money by buying vintage and pre-owned pieces.

And when you think about it, does it really matter if the piece is pre-owned—worn once or twice if at all? To some it matters, but the reality is that with some of the big retailers you never really know if you’re buying a “new” piece from them anyway. These retailers take back anything for returns, re-tag the item if it looks like it’s still in halfway decent shape, and stick it back on the sales floor as though it had been there the entire time. Meanwhile, the piece had actually been worn out on the dance floor, at the restaurant, at the gala…because let’s face it, unfortunately we all know at least one of those women—women who unethically buy high-end clothes, wear them, then return them, only to complete the cycle all over again. And who wants to be paying retail prices for someone else’s returns???

It's 105 Degrees Outside...Time to Buy Winter Clothes?!

The unfortunate reality is that most of the really cute winter clothes hit the stores in July and August. If you try buying your winter clothes in September, sometimes you get stuck with the leftovers. The good news is that for most women, buying winter clothes is so much more pleasant than buying summer clothes when you're forced to squeeze into shorts and every battle of the bulge becomes a full on war.

And with heavy tweeds and laces dominating the trend for fall 2010, we thankfully have a return to femininity (less menswear! yay!) with high-quality 50s full cut/circle skirts, top-handle bags a la Grace Kelly, and jeweled brooches. Check out this year's Louis Vuitton print campaign and you'll see all of that feminine 50s influence in all its glory. The only thing we're worried about with fall 2010 is a hint of the 80s returning as well...the headline on a recent issue of Vogue stated "Up in the Air: A Return to High Hair." Uh oh. We can jump on the 50s modern sensibility...but we just can't seem to jump on that 80s bandwagon. Not hot. Even if it is 105 degrees outside.

Vintage Designer Spotlight: St. John

Ever had one of those days where you throw all of your clothes on your bed, try on everything in sight, and you still feel like you have nothing to wear? St. John to the rescue. One of the reasons why I love St. John is that a lot of their knit pieces can pretty much go with anything, and you don't have to worry about whether or not one of their knits will be comfortable. If you're one of those people who race home from work because you are so uncomfortable and you are dying to change into sweats, try a St. John sweater or a St. John silk shirt for work instead so you don't get that I-hate-my-work-clothes feeling. When you're uncomfortable wearing half of the stuff in your closet, and you just can't seem to find something that feels good, it's time to try a St. John piece. Plus, St. John is made in the USA and what's better than wearing a piece from a USA fashion house? Don't pay the incredibly high retail price tag though. Check out our available vintage St. John pieces this week which are 50-80% off retail, at www.wardrobetrailer.com. We've got vintage St. John pants and tops looking for a good home...For more information on St. John, visit St. John's official web site at www.sjk.com.

Best,
Kerry Perdue
Owner www.wardrobetrailer.com