Cool Vintage Finds - Feline Fantasy

I love cats. Not in a weird, cliche "I want to live with them alone for the rest of my life" kind of way but I do have a definite affinity for them.

I also have a thing for the cat motif in fashion and I believe novelty feline prints and accessories are a really great way to add fun and quirkiness to Spring wardrobes.

The Miu Miu Spring 2010 runway was littered (bad pun intended) with cute, playful cats on clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry - you name it, cats were on it.

images courtesy style.com

I scoured Etsy and Ebay to find some cute and stylish vintage cat pieces and came up with quite a few options below.

Crazy Cat Lady Sweater
Price: US$35.00

Meow Cute Sterling Silver Kitty Ring
Price: US$5.50



Vintage Beaded Bag with Cats and Roses
Price: US$16.99

Movable Vintage Hoop Pierced Earrings with Cat
Price: US$12.00

Vtg 70s Black Cat and Guitar Boho Kaftan Dress
Price: US$24.99
(N.B 7 days left in auction)

Vintage Pewter Color Three Cat Necklace
Price: US$16.50

Cats in Love Brooch
Price: US$8.00

Vtg 80s Tapestry Vest

Price: US$9.99
(N.B 7 days left in auction)

Vintage Cat Earrings
Price: US$6.00

Here are some little known and interesting (to me anyway) cat facts taken from www.catscans.com:

• Ailurophilia is the "love of cats".
• The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.
• The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.
• Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of the principles of gravity, also invented the cat door.
• A cat will amost never "meow" at another cat. This sound is reserved for humans.
• A group of kittens is called a "kindle" and a group of grown cats is called a "clowder".

Also, here's a Vogue fashion spread from 2008 which features cute Persian cats and model Karen Elson with hair, makeup and outfits inspired by the fantastic Grace Coddington.

photos courtesy mycatgoma.com

Cool Vintage Finds - Sparkle Sequins!

Like a magpie, I have always been drawn to shiny materials and sequins are definitely at the top of the list.

Sequins are the perfect hybrid of two big trends for fall, metallics and textured fabrics. They have been featured heavily on many Fall 2008 runways including Preen, Proenza Schouler, Christopher Kane and Zac Posen.

photo courtesy style.com

The word sequin actually comes from the Arabic sikka which means coin or die. Monetary sequins were first produced in Venice in 1284 where they were known as zecchino. The French changed the Venetian spelling to sequin and this is the form used in English. Sequins were also introduced as the unit of currency in Turkey since 1478 and in Malta in 1535. Today however, sequin coins are no longer being produced or circulated in these countries.

Below is a photo of the Venetian zecchino.

photo courtesy cngcoins.com

The custom of using sequin coins as embellishment first began with wealthy families who would sew the coins onto their clothing as a proud display of their affluence.

The disk-shaped beads that are used on clothing today have nothing more than decorative value however. Sequinned clothing has been worn by many people around the world including various, well-known female entertainers.

Below are Edna May in 1890, Joan Crawford in 1934, Elizabeth Taylor in 1967 and Cher, possibly the most avid sequin wearer of all, in 1972.

photos courtesy gettyimages.com

Below are some great vintage sequinned items guaranteed to bring some sparkle into your life and wardrobe!

Sequin Ballet Dress

Price: US$36.00

Seller Description:

This quirky little party dress combines two great details; floral and sequin. Fitted bodice with a float away circle skirt, its perfect with flats or heels. V-neck in front and back, fully lined and totally cute. This dress does have some small spots with missing sequin, however, I secured the sequin around the areas to prevent further loss. Its an XS according to the label but can fit a small-chest SM. Absolutely adorable.

Great condition

Wine, violet, gold & hunter floral on black background. Clear sequin overlay.

Size: XS

100% Polyester

bust: 32"
waste: 25"
hips: 47"
length: 33.5"
circumference of hem: 60"

Get this dress.

Rock and Roll All Night - Black Sequin Heels - Size 7
Price: US$25.00

Seller Description:

For your resident minx, check out these absolutely spectacular Italian Maserati heels. Size 7, though would fit a smaller 7.5 narrow as well.

Completely black sequined with gold beaded swirl design with the exception of the 3" heel which is straight black. There is some interior peeling but the exterior is flawless.

Pert, sassy and shockingly cute on your feet.

Get these shoes.

Vintage 80s White Sequins Vest

Price: US$25.00

Seller Description:

Vintage 80s white SEQUINS vest

Great vintage condition(except for 3 sequins that have some black scratches on them-in last picture)

Measurements:

approx. size: one size
chest: 20"
waist: 20"
hips: 21"
total length: 25"

Get this vest.

Vintage 1950's Ladies' Headband Hat, Pink Sequins
Starting Bid: US$4.99

Seller Description:

Super little sequin headband hat from the 1950's. Perhaps was a bridesmaid's or prom headpiece. Light pink, slightly iridescent sequins stitched onto a criss-cross wire form (wire is covered with a white fabric) makes it flexible to fit any head. About 2¾" wide at top center, measures 13¼" end-to-end. Some of the sequins show just a tiny bit of wear, but not visible unless scrutinized closeup. Some slight wear on inside edge, at the ends where there is white fabric covering the wires. Still, overall very nice condition!

AUCTION END: Aug-25-08 16:40:30 PDT (5 days 7 hours)

Get this headband.

Vintage Fab 80s Sequin Stretch Belt
Price: US$6.00

Seller Description:

***Was $9, now on sale for $6.***

Royal blue sequin stretchy belt with gold-tone hook closure. No size indicated. Belt measures 23" unstretched and will stretch up to about 34".

Great vintage/pre-loved condition.

Get this belt.


Vintage Mexican Hand Painted Matadors Sequin Skirt
Starting Bid: US$49.99

Seller Description:

Vintage Mexican handpainted skirt from the 1950's that has a stunning Matador and Bull fight scene on it! Also the waist is XS which seems to be hard to come by with some of these skirt..the material is a classic canvas backed black velvet with multi-colored fight scenes.

There is some slight wear to the velvet on the waist (rubbed off a bit), some slight cracking in paint which is indicative to age, and the has 95% of the sequins.

MEASUREMENTS: up to 25" waist, free hips, about 140" diameter, and 27" length.

AUCTION END: Aug-26-08 18:46:00 PDT (6 days 10 hours)

Get this skirt.

Vintage Pocketbook, Clutch, American Sequins, La Regale
Starting Bid: US$9.99

Seller Description:

You are bidding on a vintage purse manufactured in China using American sequins. It measures 9 X 4.5 inches. The zipper works great, it is very clean and there are no rips or tears.

AUCTION END: Aug-24-08 23:00:00 PDT (4 days 14 hours)

Get this clutch.

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Also, I'd like to apologize for the delay in posting. Among other things, I've been busy setting up the Fatal Attraction 2 Fashion MySpace page which you can view here. There's also a button in the sidebar that takes you directly to the page. Hope to see you there!

Cool Vintage Finds - Woven dreams

It's an image I grew up seeing: men and women sitting by the side of the road selling their crafts to anyone who would buy, in order to make enough money to feed their families. These people were obviously not rich but they possessed a great wealth of talent and knowledge when it came to their particular trades.

One of the trades popular here in Barbados and other developing countries is weaving. This is the process of interlacing two distinct sets of thread, yarn or thin strips of any flexible material, to form a fabric.

There are various types of weave including plain weave, knitting, basket weave, twill, satin weave and jacquard weave which are used to make products such as fabric, baskets, hats and bags.

Below are some vintage woven items that I discovered.

Vtg. 80s Glam Blue Woven Gold Chain Clasp Purse

Starting Bid: US$14.99

Seller Description:

Glam blue and gold handbag. Basketweave plastic body. LONG and heavy gold chain strap. Gold clasp. Shoulder strap tucks inside. By Danieli.

Measurements
Length - 7"
Height (excluding handle) - 6"
Shoulder Strap Drop - 22"

Condition: Great +

AUCTION END: Jun-29-08 19:02:00 PDT (3 days 12 hours)

Get this bag.


60s Mod Vtg. Ivory Woven Leather Stack Heel Oxford Shoes
Starting Bid: US$0.99

Seller Description:

Sweet pair of vintage 1960s - 1970s linen/ivory hue soft supple leather shoes...love all the retro detail...stacked wood heel...super comfy...padded footbed...excellent condition...Designer: Cobbie

Measurements
Ladies Size: 8.5N - 8 1/2 N
Heel to toe: 9.5"
Along inside footbed wide: 3"
Heel Height: 1.75"

AUCTION END: Jul-02-08 17:48:33 PDT (6 days 11 hours)

Get these shoes.

Vintage 1970s Braided Leather Woven Belt
Starting Bid: US$5.99

Seller Description:

Awesome vintage belt. Measures 24.5” when on smallest hole, 28” on largest. Some green oxidation from metal on inside of leather, see photos.

AUCTION END: Jun-29-08 19:24:11 PDT (3 days 12 hours)

Get this belt.

Vintage 1960 "Le Charme" Black Raffia Straw Cloche Hat
Starting Bid: US$14.99
BUY-IT-NOW Price: US$18.00

Seller Description:

In this listing we are offering a lovely vintage 1960 black raffia straw hat. This hat is an "Individual LE CHARME Creation". The trim is grosgrain ribbon. The condition is wonderful gently used with no holes, stains, repairs or damage. This hat is fresh from a local estate. This hat measures 21 1/2 inches around the inside edge.

This hat measures approximately 5 inches tall. The brim is approximately 2 inch wide at the front

AUCTION END: Jul-02-08 15:21:14 PDT (6 days 8 hours)

Get this hat.


Vintage Woven Rattan & Lucite Bangle Bracelet
Starting Bid: US$14.99

Seller Description:

Wonderful natural woven rattan or wicker laminated between black and clear Lucite bangle. Open work pattern reminiscent of an old woven cane back chair.

Measures 1" wide with a 2 1/2" (average) diameter and open in the back, excellent condition.

AUCTION END: Jun-18-08 06:05:24 PDT (2 days 20 hours)

Get this bangle.

Vtg. 70s Peep Cut-out Heels Pumps Woven Boho Shoes
Current Bid: US$14.99

Seller Description:

Lovely pair of sky blue woven leather peep/ cut-out heels from the 70's/80's made by 9 WEST. The angled strips on he shoe are a woven braided leather with the back of the shoe in solid leather. These shoes are so stylish and will be awesome with your summer outfit. These shoes are a must-have!!!!! Overall these shoes are in excellent vintage condition with a small smudge on the heel!!!

Measurements
Size: 6.5 M
Length: 9 1/4 inches (heel to toe where extends in heel)
Width: 3 1/3 inches (widest part of sole)
Heel: 3 1/4 inches

AUCTION END: Jun-29-08 19:43:17 PDT (3 days 13 hours)

Get these shoes.


Vintage 80s Liz Claiborne Beige Wide Brim Woven Hat
Starting Bid: US$14.99

Seller Description:

This SPECTACULAR BEIGE Woven HAT with Round Mother of Pearl TRIM Circles on Hat band -- is SPECTACULAR!!! It's from the 1980s...fine weaving done in the Phillipines with a sexy 5 1/2" brim! It has the most gorgeous hatband woven in beige and mother of pearl circles embellishments for DESIGN INTEREST -- so GLAMOROUS!! It features very fine weaving. It was made in the Phillipines for LIZ CLAIBORNE - a world respected and sought after designer for fine items!!

It is in barely used vintage condition and looks like it was barely worn.

AUCTION END: Jul-01-08 19:27:14 PDT (5 days 12 hours)

Get this hat.

Vtg. 80s Pink Woven Straw Stripe Boho Clutch Purse
Starting Bid: US$11.99

Seller Description:

What an awesome reddish/salmon pink & tan woven straw vintage purse from the 80s . This woven straw bag is accented with a vertical stripe Design in red/salmon pink and tan at the top. This envelope snap closure bag has a swirl flap. This bag is lined in a solid cream cotton material and has a side zippered pocket. The main compartment of the bag has a zippered entry This Bag is in excellent condition!!!

Measurements: Height: 8.5 inches ( top to bottom) folded Length: 12 1/4 inches (left to right)

AUCTION END: Jun-29-08 19:31:00 PDT (3 days 11 hours)

Get this purse.