pirate chic

Missed it on "Talk Like a Pirate Day" yesterday, but turns out one of my dresses was featured on Etsy's front page! Out of the hundreds of treasuries made daily, its tough going getting one to the front page. A big thanks to VINTAGEBIFFANN for using my 70s white chiffon dress and sequined hot pants (thats some seriously glam pirate chic!)....

~Ang

Hulitar, Looking Back

As we celebrate 3 years of webbiness, I am looking back over some of my favorite pieces. One of the most amazing gowns I ever had in my possession was a silk beaded 50s gown by PHILIP HULITAR. The gown ended up back in the family, being sold to Philip's daughter to be given to her daughter (the granddaughter of Philip) for a wedding gift. Not only was it a fantastic gown but had an unusually happy ending!

A Hulitar is not an easy thing to come by, but amazingly there are a couple on etsy right now! This sweet little cocktail dress is from MOCK TURTLE VINTAGE...

Hulitar grew up in Greece and was inspired by the dance costumes worn by his neighbor who would holiday there, Isadora Duncan. His asymetrical bodices, draping and flowing textiles are often a testimony to that influence. This gown has the same angled bodice top as the gown I had, toga inspired gather at side, on etsy now from seller EAST COAST VINTAGE CHIC

Don't miss the other Hulitar gown from the same seller. Heady stuff for etsy!

~Ang

2 New Sugarlids Hats!

Finally got time to make a few more hats, added two to the SUGARLIDS site today!

Surrealist lobster hat, 100% upcylced vintage pieces...inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli & Salvador Dali.

And a reworked vintage fox stole complete with head and legs becomes a Victorian inspired fur topper, perfect for dramatic fall & winter wear!

~Ang

The Trend is Not Being Trendy is Trendy.

So says InStyle magazine. Via an appearance on the Today show, they have brazenly denounced trends as trends and now say the trend is to go against the trend (which, if you follow the logic they apply by showing several celebrities who "go against" the trend, the fashion industry is pushing this as a trend of its own....thereby making being non-trendy trendy!). In other words, you can't win for losing. Anything goes!

InStyle points to starlets like Tilda Swinton, who has long shunned being a victim of the latest fashion craze and opted for her own unique look. Poor Tilda. Now, no matter what she wears, the very effort to dress as an individual will be seen as trendy! No doubt this troubles dear Tilda...

Another fashion rule to be broken, with the approval of the fashion industry, is to wear sparkling "evening" jewelry during the day (raise your hands if you've been doing *that* for years....hello, jewelry box full of shimmering vintage rhinestone brooches!). Seems that rule was bucked long ago, no? Not according to InStyle! As of today, you may now wear your baubles all day long and not be trendy because the fashion world says everyone is doing it so it is, um, not trendy and not trendy is cool! I'm behind the concept of daytime shine, so while I find their logic unnerving, I'll share a fab sparkler I found on etsy and desire muchly from seller GLAMSTONES, appropriately named.....

(ps, red and pink is the new puce and maize).

Lastly, a trend which apparently (determined by the last 20 minutes of Googling) is *actually* a trend yet if you choose to follow that trend, InStyle says you are actually following the trend of not being trendy....chipped nail polish!

Clicking that pic will take you to an article on Huffington Post written in May, lamenting that chipped nails have become trendy. Somehow this jives not at all with InStyles decree today that because it isn't trendy to have chipped nails that by doing so you buck the trend...yet, quick research shows it is indeed trendy to look a mess. Shocking (thanks, Olsens).

I suggest taking that a step further and knocking out a front tooth! That'll show the fashion elite who's trendy by not being trendy because not being trendy is trendy!

~Ang

UPDATE! Its been pointed out to me by jewelry designer WENDY BRANDES on Twitter (blog at WENDYBRANDES) that the aforementioned segment did have a saving grace, using a jacket by up-and-coming NYC designer FRANCIS NEW YORK! Video, jacket at 2 minute-ey mark. Get the jacket at Bloomingdales while its hot! HERE

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Shop on! Ang

Life Without Earrings

Funny. Was obsessing over 80s earrings today. Remembering wearing them, seeing the triumphant yet slightly frightening return to the runway of long forgotten 80s trends like Hammer Pants, acid washed denim and massive shoulder pads....mulling and missing big, BIG 80s earrings. And so thought I'd take a look around at the 80s earrings on etsy. Meanwhile Twittering (follow me! ANGATDOROTHEAS), I caught a post by the lovely ELIZABETH TAYLOR that stated simply "Life without earrings is empty!". No doubt then life with earrings from the 80s is full to overflowing.

All available on etsy, pics are clicky. Go shop!

~Ang

A Few of My Favorite Things.....

Happy Holidays from DOROTHEA'S CLOSET VINTAGE!

In the spirit of giving, I have decided to share a list of some of my favorite things! Click the links to learn more about my favorite....

MAKE-UP
I'm currently totally obsessed with make-up from MIXOLOGY. Sparkly and luminous! She sends free samples with orders...you'll be hooked!

HAIR GOODS
I have loads of these little hair pins and clips decorated with sweet little felted balls or candy shapes! I wear several at a time, and especially love the martini olives. From PENFELT on etsy

SPA PRODUCTS
I use SPA GODDESS facial cleanser, lavender facial toner and shower fizzies daily. Fantastic stuff, great scents!

KITSCH YOU CAN WEAR
I've long been a big fan of appliqued goods from Jessica at Aorta. One of a kind! Click pic to shop....

DECOR
The hot trend in home fashion lately, the wall decal (also for windows and general stuff). I had BADASS CUSTOM DECALS take the red bird from my logo and make a decal as big as my front door at the shop. I'd priced it locally and it was about 4x what it cost me to have it done at BadAss AND they gave perfect directions for me to install it myself! They've got really cool stuff, I especially love the Bruce Lee wall decal.

HANDBAGS
I have the cutest 50s cotton kitten print knitting bag (I don't knit, it carries other stuff just fine) handmade by Margaret at MATERIALGIRL BAGS I'm crazy for this polka dot one too!

ART
Love the work of MALAM on etsy! Her mixture of her drawings with photography, as in the linked iamge of a girl in front of "the Dancing House" in Prague. She lives in France and designs fabulous clothing too (what a life!). Check out the rest of her stuff on etsy too!

JEWELRY
Wallpaper jewelry! I haven't bought one of these yet but towards spring I'll be sporting one for sure. There are several designers selling them on etsy, but I love the 70s wallpaper ones from DRAWFLOWERS in Italy

I HEART VINTAGE STUFF
I made these! This logo and my website logo available in my CafePress shop, shirts, bags, stickers...

INTERNET TIME WASTER
I spend way too much time playing with this site, FACEINHOLE.COM. My cat as George Harrison....

LAUGHS
ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM. Cats, captions, links to other LOL sites....it can consume your life. Be careful.

VIDEOS/MUSIC
MY YOUTUBE FAVES features the Eagles of Death Metal, April March and The Real Tuesday Weld. My 5 year old daughter and I have become HUGE fans of the Eagles of Death Metal....thanks Suzanne!

BLOGS
Seriously hilarious and one of my best friends, Kim at FAST EDDIE'S RETRO RAGS writes on of the funniest blogs ever. Said as a friend and fan.
Julie, another great friend and also funny, writes at DAMN GOOD VINTAGE, about life, vintage & occassional profanity-laced political rants.
Lisa blogs about her family and somehow ties it into vintage at RANDOM ACTS OF VINTAGE....good stuff.
If you're not reading DRESS A DAY, you're missing out. Don't miss the archived "Secret Lives of Dresses" on the right side, brilliantly written short stories from the point of view of dresses.

JOY
No matter your political view, this is A) funny and B) the link to the slideshow of babies and kids for (or with) Obama is heartwarming. At SEND BARACK YOUR BABY.COM.

I could go on and on, have likely missed a slew of favorites but time is short and I'm off to celebrate the holiday with my family. I'll be back Saturday and should have new pieces and updates to the site then. PS, I added a Twitter feed to the front page of the website where I will post daily updates regarding the site. Now it will be easy to see whats new every day!

Happy Holidays to all of you!

~Ang

Moustachio'd.

I have waaaay too many kitschy drinking glasses and need these ever so not at all, but still WANT! On etsy from BREADANDBADGER....

~Ang

couture slouch.

I used to collect nesting dolls, whether it be my Ukranian background or a love of pretty painted dolls. I've long ago abandoned the collection but when I saw these nesters on ETSY I was smote! Smitten, indeed. Vintage couture on nesting dolls! From designer BELLESLETTRES.......

~Ang