Toc! Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

Toc! was a French slang word for costume jewelry way back when.  I prefer it to costume jewelry or bijoux de fantaisie.  It sounds like more fun:  What is that you are wearing?  Oh, just a little toc! I threw on.

Coco Chanel believed that a woman should mix real and fake jewels.  She found it "disgraceful to walk around with millions around your neck, just because you're rich.  The point of jewelry isn't to make a woman look rich but to adorn her".   It is the same thing with your wardrobe: the clothes should not be the first thing to be noticed.   There is a moment when someone tries on something and we immediately know that it not only looks just good but great.  We always want just the great moment.  And we are glad that so many clients have had so many great moments with us.   

Of course, Chanel had amazing real jewels so don't get us wrong.  But if you can mix it up, do!  If you can only afford the toc! well, then rest easy, because one of the most fashionable women of the twentieth century made a simple straw boater and costume jewelry the ne plus ultra in style.

So now on to a great toc! by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.  Karl Lagerfeld has always had placed emphasis on the connection between fashion and music, choosing to work with musicians like Vanessa Paradis and for the recent ad campaign Lily Allen.  Here is a great necklace from the House of Chanel with mini and jeweled cassettes and records.  

Chanel musique necklace.

For more information about this item or our collection of vintage Chanel please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Have a Ball at Cocktails!

Oscar de la Renta does some of the best gowns in town.  They always satisfy a girl's desire for something embroidered and ruffled and lavish.  Since we know that not every party you will be going to this holiday season will require a ball gown, we found this 'ballgown' in a skirt with layers of tulle. We paired it with an organza Yves Saint Laurent blouse with balloon sleeves but you could probably shop your own closet for something to wear with it or choose our YSL top - we are all about mixing it up, making it your own and having a ball!

We are so happy that everyone is so excited about the chance to Enter and win our Chanel bag! It is nice for the chance to say thank you and give back.  

1980s unlabeled Oscar de la Renta ball gown ruffled skirt.  Size 0/2.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Baby Got Back

Famous bare backs: Julie Christie in Shampoo in one of our favorite dresses ever and Kate Moss in a similar dress  when she went to the Golden Globes with Johnny Depp in 1995.  There is something extremely erotic about a dress that is covered and simple in the front until you turn around and then, unexpectedly,  it plunges down, down.  It is very, very sexy.  It is also very unconventional. 

From the 1970s is this Courreges Future Couture black velvet dress with a very simple front. 

And a very exciting back!  Black sequin embroidered straps lace across the bare back.  

This is the dress that would be chosen by the coolest girl at every party with the best style.

You see, it goes ALL the way down...

1970s Courreges Future Couture black velvet backless dress.  Size 4.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Giving Thanks: Enter to Win... a vintage Chanel Bag

We were thinking about what an incredible business we have been able to build in only three short years and how truly grateful we are for all of the vintage pieces that we have been entrusted with whether temporarily or long term.  We are also grateful for the wonderful clients that we have met and those that we have not yet met but have corresponded with by email and through our blog.  We are also grateful and appreciate all of the people from really every country in the world that enjoy reading the blog. 

I am very happy to share the pieces I find for RARE vintage with everyone and I was trying to think of a way to show my thanks.  I know that there are people who enjoy the blog and perhaps are not quite ready to purchase something from us and I know that people who do buy from us may enjoy the opportunity to receive something for, well, free.  So starting today  (I am not sure how long we will do this) you can Enter to Win... a vintage piece.  And not just any vintage piece - this month's prize is a classic leather Chanel bag!  The Enter to Win... ends on Monday December 21st at 12 Noon - we would love to try and get this to the lucky winner by Christmas if possible.   

This is our first enter to win and we are starting it a little early because it is Thanksgiving.  But going forward, Enter to Win... will begin on the first of the month and end on the fourth Monday of the month at Noon.  

You can Enter to Win by emailing: win@rarevintage.com or by becoming a fan on Facebook  you will automatically be entered every month as long as we are doing Enter to Win...  Good luck, have fun and thank you everyone!

Enter to Win... a vintage classic white leather Chanel bag with gilt CCs and chain strap woven with leather.

The Gloved One

Michael Jackson's crystal studded glove recently sold for $350,000.  Whoa Nelly!  $350,000 can buy you a Ferrari Scaglietti, a condo in Miami, maybe a ring by JAR, a glove owned by Michael Jackson or lots of other things.  Of course, it is not just any glove but THE glove from the 1983 Motown concert.  In the Billie Jean video he out blings Christophe Decarnin of Balmain and out shimmies Shakira.  So, in the spirit of Michael Jackson we  offer you a glove that has the bling of Balmain, the shimmy of Shakira and the French chic of Yves Saint Laurent.

1980s Yves Saint Laurent gloves.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

I Dream of Chanel

The title should actually read: I dream of Chanel haute couture.   A not so subtle hint.  Santa Baby, slip a little something under the tree for me...  Stay tuned...  The best gift will be coming from RARE vintage this year!

Say No to the Big Schlep! Part Two: Chanel

We are not just thinking about your fantastic vintage wardrobe here at RARE vintage, we are thinking about your backs too.  So, any opportunity to carry a little bag is a welcome opportunity.  Actually, for evening we can not imagine anything big and practical.  Small is beautiful at night unless of course it is something like an emerald or a diamond.  In that case, big is beautiful at night!

So in the spirit of our earlier post with Judith Leiber bags, we bring you: Say no the big schlep part two with Chanel.  

We absolutely love this bag!  We love a minaudiere but we especially love a velvet minaudiere with a gilt ball and tassel by Chanel.  Did we mention the two large stitched CCs on the bag and the horizontal quilted stitching?  Did we mention that it is from the glamorous 1980s?  Just how deeply can a girl fall in love with a bag we wonder? Hmmm...  We will add a photo tomorrow with the interior.  Please note that this bag is missing its original chain but we like it held in the hand anyway.  But if you want the chain, well, look below.

Another incredible evening bag from Chanel - after all, you can not have just one can you??  This is another perfect bag from the 1980s.  In a beautiful bordeaux silk with a long 'quilted' chain, you can drape this over your shoulder or across your body when you are dancing the night away during Art Basel in Miami next week!

For more information about our Chanel collection please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Lily Cole in RARE vintage!

Lily Cole looking amazing in a vintage Franco Moschino safety pin dress from RARE vintage at the Pirelli calendar party last night in London!  Our vote for best dressed of the week!

Go with the Flow

I have always had a passion for floaty clothing.  There is just something ethereal, romantic and a little bit dramatic in a floaty dress.  Dolce & Gabbana understand romance and drama.  In their designs you can feel the heat of old Sicily, you can see the beautiful and irresistible Claudia Cardinale as Carmelina in 'I Soliti Ignoti' (Big Deal on Madonna Street in English) dressed in black, kept away from men by her brother.  Very traditional.  Very sexy.  A little dangerous.

In 1988, Dolce & Gabbana were inspired by the film The Leopard.  They designed one of their (and ours) favorite skirts in layers.  They wanted something very baroque.  

The inspiration: Claudia Cardinale and Burt lancaster in 'The Leopard'

1988 collection Dolce e Gabbana skirt.  Isn't this a great image?!

In 1990, inspired by the paintings of Raphael and sea creatures, they did a layered and draped chiffon skirt with trailing scarves that you can leave long or wrap around the waist.  The waistband is a soft elastic cotton. You could wear your sexiest black corset (did anyone see Madonna working the black corset again at the party in New York for the DVD release of the Valentino documentary?  You can check her out on Style.com) or you can wear the tiny ribbed top that our client wore with this skirt.

1990 Dolce & Gabbana draped chiffon 'Rafael' print skirt.  Size 6.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

The Mysterious and Fabulous Mrs. Byron C. Foy

If you saw the 1997 Christian Dior exhibit at The Met and read the placards, you will have noticed that almost all of the most extraordinary gowns, well, really what seemed like almost everything,  belonged to the mysterious Mrs. Byron C. Foy.  I mean a lot, not just one or two or three or even four pieces.  And we don't mean t shirts.  We're talking about huge, gloriously embroidered and beaded ball gowns.  Gowns with names like 'Venus', and 'Junon'.  So, when I left the Dior show, it was not only the work of Mr. Dior that I was thinking about but the toilette of Mrs. Byron C Foy.  For some reason I was trying to imagine Mrs Byron C Foy getting ready to go out, maybe having a cocktail?  A cigarette?  Certainly from a silver engraved cigarette case.  In her dressing room, somewhere there is a ladies maid silently assisting.  These were not dresses to pop on and rush out the door in.  They required time and assistance.  There were hours for afternoon dresses, cocktail dresses and ball gowns.  Amongst the ball gowns was a silk white ball gown with black flowers named 'Odette'.  I desperately wanted a dress that looked like this for my wedding gown - instead I wore John Galliano for the house of Givenchy and was very happy.

'Odette' Christian Dior from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift of Mrs. Byron C. Foy

At the recent Model as Muse exhibit at the Met whose name appeared again?  Mrs. Byron C Foy!  She owned the Madame Gres dress famously worn by the model Sunny Harnett and photographed by Avedon. What the??!!!  So, she owned gowns by not just Dior but Balenciaga and Madame Gres too. Grrrr...

Madame Gres from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 Gift of Mrs. Byron C. Foy

But who Mrs Byron C Foy was a mystery.  

Unexpectedly today and with great pleasure, I saw an article in the December issue of Vogue on Mrs. Byron C. Foy by Jean Nathan.   I was happy to see that I was not only the one who was interested in knowing who the woman was to have owned so many extraordinary gowns.  I was a little sad to read what happened to her and I am not sure if maybe my more romantic thoughts  about what her life may have been like are a little changed now.  But I am glad that many pieces from her collection are able to be enjoyed by so many of us and left us not just to wonder about the clothes themselves but the life of the mysterious AND fabulous Mrs. Byron C. Foy.

The Box

Ask and you shall receive.

Oh, if it was only that easy.  Though we did ask and we did receive so maybe it is!  Here is a Tina Chow signed box and a pair of perfect earrings!  I am definitely swooning over the juxtaposition of the very simple box and the refined crystal earrings.  I know what I will be dreaming about tonight.  Sweet dreams everyone!

Pour le cocktail: Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior 1959

In 1958 a fragile yet ferociously talented Yves Saint Laurent took over design for the house of Christian Dior.  He was only there for six seasons but during that time, at the age of 21, he became a great couturier like his master, Christian Dior. 

L'Eléphant Blanc from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

In his very first collection, he boldy did away with the waist and the New Look and created the trapeze line.  I have seen this dress, L'Eléphant Blanc, up close and it is extraordinary!  In the awed silence of looking at it the only sound was my heart pounding.  It is so beautiful, such a work of art that there are really no words to describe seeing such a creation because it is all emotion.

While we do not have the L'Eléphant Blanc, we do have a sumptuous silk cocktail dress in a brilliant shade of midnight blue from 1959 by Yves Saint Laurent.  It has a fitted bodice and a soft, full skirt.  It was most likely worn with a petticoat underneath which we do not have.  As with so much of Yves Saint Laurent, it looks incredibly fresh, modern and wearable.  I think every girl and woman dreams of owning a 1950s Yves Saint Laurent for Dior and here is the perfect chance to make that dream a reality!

1959 Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior Boutique Cocktail Dress.  

Labeled and Numbered.  Size 4/6.

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Tina Chow and Her Jewelry

Tina Chow was a woman not just of style but of substance too. Truthfully, I have always thought that you can not have one without the other because true style needs a creative and independent mind.  True style is about having the courage and faith to make our own way, do our own thing, be who you are and not to censor yourself to conform to the ideas of others about who and what you should be.  

Tina Chow's jewelry all came in handmade Japanese mulberry paper boxes signed by Tina Chow and little pouches which sound exquisite and beautiful.  I would love to see a photo of one of her boxes if anyone has one and would like to share a photo of it!

The Revival and The Original: Versace

It is always interesting to see a designer look to an archive for an inspiration and see how they reinvent the look.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it is a big flop.  I actually like what Christopher Kane has done for Versus Spring 2010.  It is young, looks fresh and is definitely very Gianni Versace.

I love the colored safety pins.

Voila! Here is our original Gianni Versace Couture ensemble.   Just goes to show how relevant vintage is! 

For more information about this item please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273

Zoe Kravitz in RARE vintage at Glamour's 2009 Women of the Year Awards!

Zoe Kravitz rocked her Herve Leger couture bandage dress with a blue leather coat, red lips and her hair in a simple twist at Glamour's 2009 Women of the Year Awards.  With the leather jacket and the black tights I am even thinking that the Leger could be a great day look too. Hmmm.... or maybe it is just such a great outfit, I would want to wear it every day!

For more information about our vintage Herve Leger collection please email info@rarevintageinc.com or call (212) 581 7273