how much would you pay for this?

I know vintage is trendy and all, so it's hard to resist the temptation to overprice things when there will undoubtedly be someone out there willing to pay it. But I think I get frustrated when this sort of thing happens on eBay more than anywhere else. Brick-and-mortar retailers have higher expenses for their rent and overhead costs that online stores don't. So when I see a dress like this that is really not anything special go for $496.99, it kinda makes me want to cry. eBay can be so badass when you find little knick-knacks and treasures for cheap, just like at flea markets or garage sales. Now it seems that most of eBay's vintage sellers have gotten a bit too big for their britches. The vibe is too much Beverly Hills and not enough bohemian. 

For instance, why would you spend $510 on this lace mini dress from the 80s...

...when you could get this lacy, bell-sleeved number from ASOS for $89.63?

 You could even get this Anna Sui mini from Net-A-Porter and still it's comparatively less at $265.

One thing I will say is that it probably isn't too difficult for these vintage sellers to close an auction at a high price with all the idiotic eBay-ers there are out there. The sheer floral maxi from American Archive ended with 51 bids and the lace dress from Thriftwares ended with 47 bids. That's what happens when someone puts the first bid in on an item like 9 days before the auction is up! Ugh, newbies... didn't your mama teach you the secrets and strategies of eBay?!

Oh well, since I'm obviously not giving up my eBay obsession, I suppose I will just have to dig deeper to find those hidden treasures I love so much. 

-S.

charming bows & cherry blossoms

If you haven't already browsed through The Cherry Blossom Girl blog, you should do so ASAP. Her site is a pastel confection of all things cute and girly. It's a daily stop on my blog-roll! So naturally, I think it's simply divine that she has collaborated with Etam to design a collection of lingerie. Think French chic meets Lolita. I've posted the video campaign that accompanies the first two released themes of the line below. It's adorable. Oui?

Continue on for the rest of the images from 'The Cherry Blossom Girl pour Etam.'

-S.

coachella chic—and the not so chic

What could be better than a weekend of music, sunshine and a warm weather wardrobe? Well definitely not a weekend of thunderstorms and gray skies like we had here in New York. Nevertheless, I shall pretend and dream up an alternate reality in which I too basked in the West Coast wonderland that is Coachella this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Capitalizing on such a golden opportunity, I would've worn something appropriately bohemian and free-spirited. Maybe a bit of fringe, or some crocheting or feathers. 

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea; Drink the wild air's salubrity." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a look under the cut for some of my favorite looks seen at Coachella this year. And also, a few what-were-they-thinking moments...

Photo: Fashion Toast

blushing non-bride

Part of me is a bit hesitant to post this entry for fear I'll look absolutely bat-shit insane. I'm not engaged. I'm not getting married anytime soon. But for some unknown reason, I love wedding gowns. Ok, maybe the reason isn't so unknown... I mean, they're gorgeous! Frothy, frilly, floaty layers of creamy white fabric confections sewn together with accents of glitz and lace--what's not to love? So I've decided to throw caution to the wind and risk looking like a psycho and tell you about these gorgeous gowns. 

There was a marathon of that show Say Yes to the Dress on TLC yesterday, and I'm a sucker for a marathon. So I sat and watched as the brides-to-be tried on dress after dress in preparation for their big day. And somehow I ended up browsing online looking at more pretty dresses. I noticed a few brands that I was consistently drawn to, only to find out they were all part of the same overarching design group. Apparently, I have a type. See what you think...

-S. 

Aire Barcelona

Rosa Clará

long story

I am so so so into maxi dresses right now. It's amazing how a dress that is so forgiving and so comfy can be so sexy and dramatic at the same time. Perfect combination! Whether long sleeved or sleeveless, a print or a solid, dressed up or casual and easy, the maxi dress is always stylish. (Did I mention that I am SO into maxi dresses?) Here are some of my favorites... and sorry, but I have a lot of favorites. :)

-S. 

Skinny Strap Chiffon Maxi Dress, ASOS

Missoni Rona Jersey Maxi Dress, Net-A-Porter

Thriller

Wow it has been quite a while since I've posted. I've been inundated with the responsibilities of finding a job and an apartment! Closing in on both, so I hope this phase soon shall pass.

Despite my busy-bee-ness as of late, I still haven't been able to keep my mind and my time off of the rapidly approaching holiday. Halloween! Every year I brainstorm for weeks about what to wear. And every year I change my mind the night before. Halloween is not really the same anymore since I've left home, though. My golden memories center on parties in my parents' creepy 100+ year old house with my high school friends. We would decorate the front porch like a haunted house and stick my poor grandma in a makeshift coffin, her face smeared with bloody makeup, to scare the party-goers who dared enter (and not sneak in through the back door...) through the dark cloaks that draped in a haunting array from corner to corner of my front porch. Nonetheless, I still refuse to abandon a holiday that insists I dress up. After all, dressing up is what I love to do. I have searched around for costume inspiration lately and thought up a few options that I like. My lack of funds will likely end in the ultimate purchase of your typical prepackaged sexy-something-or-other costume... but until then I will fantasize of the organically fashionable concoctions that my dream wallet can afford. Take a peek after the jump! 

S.

Photos: www.ohdeedoh.com; www.sodahead.com

Sleepyhead

As it has been since I was a little girl, sleeping is probably one of my favorite "pastimes." When I move to a new place I obsess over the details of my bed and the ambience of my bedroom. I layer my plushy pillow-top mattress with 700 thread count sheets and a five-inch thick goose down feather bed, finishing off the delectable dream cloud with a fluffy eiderdown duvet and a mountain of silk satin encased pillows. Everything housed by those glossy, painted walls invites you to relax and lounge. So it would seem only fitting that I might try to take clothes intended for under the comforter and put them out on the sidewalk. Now I don't mean you should take to the streets in your Nick & Nora flannels. (Not to knock them, of course! Mine are pink with shoes all over...naturally.) Instead, I'm talking about something a little more intimate and feminine: the bed jacket. Bed jackets were popular in the 1930's and 1940's, used to cover a woman's upper body while she sat in bed. They are generally short, loose jackets of decadent materials and adornment, ideal for the most languorous of glamour queens. Add a little luxury to your basic jeans and tanks with one of these luscious options. 

S.

**Where to buy? From upper left: Powder Blue Velvet; Vanity Fair Peach; Aqua Crepe Silk; Satin Pink Floral; Peach Pink Ribbon; Baby Pink Pleats; Coral Ruffles; Barely Pink Sheer Lace; Creamy Lemon Lace; Ice Blue Shimmer; Smocked Butter Pink; Ivory Lace Bubblegum; Blousy Blush.

If your mama didn't bring you up according to the laws of eBay like mine did, here are some non-auction options for you after the jump! ;)