Category Archives: vintage

Seeing Dots-Polka Dotted Stilettos

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As polka dots make a big splash across the fashion winter/spring 2012 world, I chuckle to see the new designers smile broadly at their “new” fashion find.  Unfortunately, I have reached an age where I have seen fashion trends and crazes cycle back around like an old familiar friend.  Perhaps the application has a new twist but the concept is reflective of the past or what we call “vintage inspired.”  Over the past few years, vintage has taken hold of the fashion world making it only too chic to mix yesterday’s fashions with today’s concepts. And while many fashion experts will only be too happy to pontificate the falling in love all over again of a trend from the past, perhaps it is just the true appreciation of good fashion design.

I must admit I was over the moon when dots appeared before my eyes on this years most popular pumps, heels, and flats.  I found them to be fun, young and in some ways familiar.  As much as I tried, I was unable to control my urge to buy anything that had these little colored in circles.  I was like a young girl at a Sadie Hawkins dance unable to pick which one I would attend the dance.   As a true fashion addict, it only seemed reasonable to buy everything and anything with a polka dot on it.

Now I know that this fashion craze will see its final days relatively soon unless we decide to hold the fashion icons in a hold pattern much like we continue to do with the animal print craze.  Polka dots are eye-catching and even on a rainy Monday just throwing on a polka-dotted rain coat can make me swear I see rays of sunshine.  This spring’s shoe fashions have brought delectable colors back and while I love them I am drawn to those with dots like a moth to an outside light bulb in the summer.

Hot off the press!!  These just arrived on Friday.  So much fun and keeping in true commitment to my Shoe Sorority Sisters these lovelies are affordable. $39.95-affordable luxurious fashion at it’s best.

Polka Dotted Pumps-$39.95 at Deborah Stilettos

If you haven’t already, don’t miss out on adding a little fun to your wardrobe this spring.  We will continue to get an array of new shoes in over the next few weeks so I hope to see you in our store at 16 Bridge Street, New Hope, Pa or if you can’t make it you can always take a walk down the aisles of our website www.DeborahStilettos.com or our eBay store- Deborah Stilettos.

If you have found a fashion find this spring that highlights polka dots, post it to this blog.  We would love to see it!!!

Love and Kisses Bellas,

And as always, “the right shoe can change your life,”

Deborah Stilettos

www.Facebook.com/DeborahStilettos

 

 

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Jacqueline Kennedy- Most Influential Fashion Trend Setter

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Jacqueline Kennedy’s fashion sense had more of an influence on the fashion world than any other First Lady of modern history.  While some squawked at her blatant disregard to price tags and American designers, there was no one who could deny that Jackie O was America’s version of royalty.

Jacqueline Kennedy had a flair for design.  She is single-handedly responsible for bringing historical importance back to the White House by uncovering treasures that were packed away in the basement and restoring some of the historical pieces that were worn down from use and neglect. This allowed the grandeur of the home of the President of the United States to be returned.

The 1960′s fashion world was seen by most as a conviction of the wealthy.  Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy had been raised with money and remained in the same financial bracket when she took the hand of the handsome John Kennedy.  Determined to give a positive light to the fashion world, Jackie kept her finger on the pulse of fashion often bridging different cultures together by wearing a designer of the country they were visiting.  Most notably was the dress designed by Givenchy in France that she wore to the French President’s dinner in which President Kennedy proudly introduced himself “as the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris.”  The headlines of Mrs.Kennedy’s latest outfits soon took over the current event headlines of the times putting much attention to what this new, young first lady was wearing.

Oleg Cassini was the designer of choice of the first lady and probably was most notably the thing she was most criticized in the domestic fashion world.  Oleg was French and many of the beautiful frocks that would be purchased by Mrs. Kennedy would be imported to the United States from Europe.  Many believed that she should have bought American and was somewhat disloyal to the American designers.  Mrs. Kennedy began to purchase more from America but her love and true ties remained to the Cassini Couture house that continued to her death.

If there was one fashion piece that Jackie Kennedy was most noted and copied, it would be the three strand pearl necklace made for her by Lane Jewelers.  The necklace was a standard accessory for her and one women across the United States and abroad sought after in the faux form.  In 1964, she received the prestigious honor of being place on the International Best Dressed List and remained part of the admiration and attention of the American people long after he husband was laid to rest.

Jacqueline Kennedy wearing pastels in India

 

Jackie O wearing her iconic strands of pearls

 

Inauguration ball gown with Cape

 

See Gwyneth Paltrow’s 2012 Oscar gown…look familiar?  What part of your fashion experience do you credit Jacqueline Kennedy?  Who affects your style today?

2012 Oscar Gown of Gwenyth Paltrow

 

Kisses Bellas

Deborah Stilettos

DeborahStilettos.com

www.facebook.com/DeborahStilettos

 

 

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Top Three Dresses of the Oscars- Heels, Glamour, and Gowns!

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I, like many around the world, sat glued in front of the television last night waiting to see what the starlets of the Academy would be wearing.  While I was not overly impressed by many of the dresses, my top three choices had me screaming when I saw them.

The first wower was George Clooney’s date for the evening, Stacey Kiebler.   looked absolutely breathtaking in her Marchesa gown that was made from a metallic fabric of shimmering gold.  In similar fashion, the WWE wrestler was a winner in the popular off the shoulder number that was repeated in many of the fashions worn for the evening.  Stacey almost looked like her handsome dates own personal Oscar.  The hip line of the dress was gracefully adorned in a soft flower composed of the same fantastic material.  George Clooney looked dashing in his Giorgio Armani suit but yet I am not sure he could look bad in anything.

The second couture stunner was the ever so stunning, Jennifer Lopez.  While this dress was not as beautiful as the one she wore a few years back to the same show- vintage couture, this Zuhair Murad number was shimmery, clingy, and translucent and some might even say exposing. The dress was the ever so popular shimmering white echoed throughout the evening of attendees.

 

Gwyneth Paltrow really stole the show for me but I was disappointed not see a flurry around her gown.  When she stepped onto the red carpet the tall wispy blonde looking nothing more than a flashback of old Hollywood.  A straight line white gown gently ruched and strapless looked beautiful when she got up to present an award but the outfit was perfection when paired with the Tom Ford Cape that gently hung from her narrow shoulders.  Coupled with a simple 1920′s diamond bracelet, Gwyneth proved the sometimes less is more.

Can’t wait for next year!!

Kisses Bellas,

www.DeborahStilettos.com

www.Facebook.com/DeborahStilettos

 

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Flatter Your Figure with the Right Heels

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As women, we spend a lot of time trying to make ourselves look thinner, taller, more shapely, and stylish.  Most of the focus goes on the outfit…choosing the right color (usually black) to thin out our hips or our junk in the trunk.  Then there are some of us (not me) who were born with super straight shapes and need a little help rounding things out.  While clothes play a vital role on the final outcome of our outfit.  Don’t be quick to overlook the importance of the heels you select to wear.

If your legs need a little enhancing, chunky heels will help give them a pick me up.  Pair this with a blazer if you find yourself with more of an apple figure (busty and booty with thin arms and legs).  Bright bracelets and rings will draw the eye downward and will not focus people’s attention to challenges you might be trying to overcome.

Available at Deborah Stilettos for $39.95!!

Some of us have been blessed with an hourglass figure but that certainly does not mean that you don’t have to be aware of what you put on to best highlight your God-given silhouette.  Slim pointy-toed heels will lighten your lower half and paired with a skinny belt will make your waist look even more slender.

Available at Deborah Stilettos for $39.95

 

If you are pretty straight from top to bottom and this is not the look you are trying to achieve, don’t fret.  You have come to the right place.  Sexy lace up boots give a little pizzaz to super straight legs.  Check these out…

$49.95 at Deborah Stilettos

Maybe your body shape is not causing you to sigh.  Maybe you are just looking for a new style.  Retro is all over the pages of every fashion magazines this upcoming season and I must admit it is really a favorite of mine.  The past designs of some very notable designers such as Chanel and Christian Dior are making a comeback giving women a confident and feminine look to look forward.  A thin knit sweater will give you the flashback of the past when paired with a little black dress.  It is a very nice look that won’t have you causing a frown line on your forehead because if the sweater is thin you will not cause yourself bulkiness.  Throw on a pair of retro black pumps (available at Deborah Stilettos for $39.95) and you too can enjoy some affordable luxury!!

$39.95 at Deborah Stilettos

 

Kisses Bellas,

Deborah Stilettos

www.DeborahStilettos.com

www.Facebook.com/DeborahStilettos

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Vintage Chanel…A Love Affair

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There are certain designers that have held the reins of fashion through the years…Christian Dior, Ceil Chapman, and none other than Coco Chanel.  An entrepreneurial woman before her time, this courageous woman was born in the late 1800′s and started her couture house in the early 1900′s at a time in which women were not even allowed to vote in the United States.

Having a background in fabrics, Coco decided to venture out on her own with the help of her boyfriend and financier, Arthur Capel.  Almost in seemless motion Chanel not only began alluring and dazzling women with her fashion talents but also created what would become the longest running fragrances of all of the Chanel perfume line…Chanel no. 5.  A scent that captured the beauty and femininity of womanhood and a following that withstood decades.  What many do not know is that Coco closed the fashion division of her business by the 1930′s to concentrate of the success of her beloved perfume.

By the 1950′s Coco was ready to reemerge into the fashion world-changing the  runways of the fashion world for good.  Not only was she honored with some of the most prestigious designing awards such as the Neiman Marcus award (the highest fashion award of its time) with jaw dropping evening gowns but she also made an equal mark in the day-to-day fashions of the working woman.

Vintage Channel

 

While the fashion world lost one of our greatest designer at 87 in the 1970′s, her interconnecting double “c’s” linked together back to back is one of the most sought after labels still today.  After her passing, her beloved couture house was run by various designers holding true to the true visions of Coco and what she deemed worthy to bear her name.  It wasn’t until the German designer, Karl Lagerfeld, turned the Channel runway upside down pairing Channel world-famous boxy jackets with mini skirts.  In true honor to the matriarch of this couture house giant, a new era had begun but not without the noticeable contributions of its originator ever so present.

Kisses Bellas

Deborah Stilettos

www.DeborahStilettos.com

 

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5 Vintage Black Dresses that Heels Would Be Dying to Pair

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A staple in every woman’s closet…the Little Black Dress…the standby when nothing else can be found or the go to dress for that special night out on the town.  The little black dress has made the top of our must have list because it is that one piece in your wardrobe that won’t let you down.  Black is a natural slenderizer, sexy and can be easily paired with an array of heels, flats, or stilettos.

However, the black dress is nothing that is new on the scene.  This year, at the 2012 Magic Shoe Show in Las Vegas, they paid homage to our true and tested friend.  I thought you would enjoy traveling down the fashion timeline with me.

1940′s

Ceil Chapman

While this is hardly a “little” black dress, it was a dress that dared to show leg or arm in a time when this was taboo.  This dress is machine-made using a blend of silk and horsehair!  As an american designer, Ms. Chapman first made her fashion debut by partnering with Gloria Vanderbilt.  When she went on her own, she managed to design fashions for the stars of the 1950′s such as Marilyn Monroe and designed and constructed Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding dress when she wed Nicky Hilton.

Ceil Chapman 1940's

 

1950′s

Christian Dior

The 1950′s did not bring much more to the sensitiveness of the black dress but this Christian Dior stunner was everything a woman was to be when showing her feminine side.  The narrow waist of this dress was designed by Dior to give a flowering effect on the bottom while accentuating a woman’s waist.  While at the helm of the Dior empire, Christian became the most successful couture houses in Paris.  Hollywood starlets of the time flocked to his showrooms along with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.  It seemed that Dior was part of every woman’s dream.  Today, the house of Dior continues to design and produce breathtaking fashion.

1950's Christian Dior with Black Gloves

 

 

1960′s

Andre Courreges

The 1960′s not only brought a new way of living but also allowed for a change in style never before contemplated.  The 60′s was the Age of Aquarius and Free Love so it was only natural that the Little Black Dress took a hard right turn and shortened in length and bared more of the body. Having an engineering background, Courreges’ style had the structure of well designed architectural masterpiece.  His signature was the cutout and he was bold in placing the cuts in the mid-drift and near the bust line.  Courreges is credited for being the originator of the mini dress.

1960's the Start of the Mini Dress

1970′s

Cristobal Balenciaga

Of Spanish decent, Cristobal Balenciaga relied on his background for much of his designs. The House of Balenciaga was once run by a German group that encouraged Cristobal in his european flare of design.  Today, the 1970 couture house is owned and run by the world renowned design guru, Gucci. This organza flared dress is simple is construction yet it is light and feminine. This number was inspired by the flamingo dancers that a young Balenciaga watched as a child.  As the fashion world continue to change into the 1980′s, Balenciaga refused to give up the principles of design of which he had been using for decades.  Instead of conforming to the new sense of style, he just closed up all of his shops.

1970's Spanish Influenced Black Dress

 

 

1980′s

Zandra Rhodes

A flashback to my high school and college years, this woolen dress was short and was ready to make a splash.  As a British designer, Zandra’s designs were classified as “outrageous” by the traditional British people and their designers.  While Ms. Rhodes was best known for her busy prints using geometric patterns and bright colors, she did love creating the black silhouette dress that was perfected in its attention to detail.  One of her most noted clients was the beloved Princess Diana who put Rhodes on the design world map.  However, her true flare was shown in her costume designs for Freddie Mercury of Queen fame.

1980's Designer to Princess Diana

 And so there you have it…fashion through the ages.  While these pretty little frocks go back as far as seventy years, I would be thrilled to wear anyone of them.  Who is your favorite modern-day designer…and why?

Kisses Bellas

Deborah Stellas

www.DeborahStilettos.com

 

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I Dior You- A Flashback In Heels and Fashion

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It’s hard to believe that the world has been graced with the classic and feminine design of Christian Dior for sixty-five years now.  Almost as a homage paid to this creative designer who was before his time in making women look current yet fabulous, this year’s Dior runway was a reflection back to when Christian Dior first graced the stage in 1947.  The postwar had put a bit of a gray look across the fashion world as many were attempting to put there lives back together from a war that touched the four corners of the world.  Women were not only forced to ration food and necessities but also curb their fashion appetites.  Dior was making his big debut as the last designer to show his wares.  Many of the American fashion gurus had already made their way back across the Atlantic but some of the Parisians had heard of this new designer and the promise of a new and exciting line that was sure to bring some color back into the gloomy fashion scenery.  Dior did not disappoint.  Skirts were heavily pleated and water washed in bright colors screaming female to anyone lucky enough to have stuck around.

Soon Dior came up with a suit that was a big buttoned jacket with a cinched waste that flared over the hips of a woman the contrasting skirt was slightly A framed accentuating the hour glass shape of a woman and presenting them as flowers.  The suit was named the Bar and it was not long before women embraced the new look with a fervor.

Dior 1947

So here we are in 2012 and while many of us would hope to be post war again, perhaps fashion is beating the white flags to the punch.  The latest Dior runway show almost mimicked in a modern day flair, the hour glass dresses of days gone by.  After the dismal economic environment coupled with a war with no end, women seem to be retreating back to a time where femininity was embraced and color was welcomed.  Some have even gone as far to say that this body enhancing fashion line pulls at the inner princess in every woman.

Dior 2012

Dior heels follow suit in their matching color and feminine approach.  The colors are evenly matched and give the same graceful feel.  Many of the high heels are in the slingback and pump designs which are iconic of the Dior style

So thank you Mr. Dior for reminding us that we are women with hips and curves and breasts.  Thank you for making a lifetime of clothes that look like the were designed in the image of a woman and not her younger brother.

Kisses Bellas

Deborah Stilettos

www.DeborahStilettos.com

 

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Vintage Heels- Is Fashion From Long Ago the New Look?

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They say if you hold something in your closet long enough it will eventually come around again.  I have had a few go a rounds in my own closet but this year’s comeback seems to be centered around three decades…the twenties, thirties, and fifties.

The twenties fashion flashback brings some very delightful looks like the romantic flowered barrette, art deco chandelier earrings, sexy granny boots, and cotton crocheted gloves featured in mauve, peaches, blacks and gold metal.  This accessories are sure to give a feminine and soft look to both day and evening wear.

1920 Vintage look boots

 

 

The thirties fashions take us abroad to Asia where Kimono styled jackets are the buzz for the spring.  Paired with linen pants this bright colored jacket can add just the right amount of pattern and color.  Metallic fabrics were also the buzz in the thirties and H&M has incorporated a lovely metallic gold inspired dress that is pleated and cinches off at the waist with a very simple rope tie.  It is light and will add just enough glamour to anyone’s closet this upcoming season.  Who could forget the oh so loved cameo jewelry.  Having made a comeback in the seventies, this Victorian styled jewelry has remained a favorite through the decades for its old world feel and feminine look.  This jewelry looks fabulous when mixed with modern day accessories.

Vintage Cameo Jewelry 1930's

 

The fifties influenced this year’s fashion with its bright colored dresses and matching palette high heels.  The look is nothing but glamour and feminine style.  I personally love this look as it is so fresh and feminine bringing back a time when women dressed just because they were leaving the house.

1950's Retro dress

Cinched at the waist, the 1950′s were known for there A framed dressed.  This floral print gave just enough color while maintaining the girlie feel.  The dramatic low cut bossom line and pulled in waist accented the natural hour glass shape of most women.

No matter where you find your fashion comfort level taking pieces of yesterday and mixing them with the fashions of today can give a unique and personal look.  If you don’t have any vintage pieces take a look at some of your neighborhood consignment shops for some great finds or maybe it’s time to clean out your grandmother’s attic.

Grandma's Closet?

 

Kisses  Bellas…Deborah Stilettos   www.DeborahStilettos.com

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