The Disappearing 40's

I'm putting some killer, rare pieces into the shop tonight and a good portion of this week's focal pieces are some 1940's stunners. These pieces are getting harder and harder to find, as rayon is a delicate fabric prone to fading, stains, and becoming brittle.

Sometimes I panic when I think about how 40's pieces are disappearing so rapidly; even ten years ago they could still be dug up at estate sales and the occasional thrift shop. When I do find 40's pieces, more often than not they need repairs, soaking, or rebeading. It's always such a risk working on these fabrics as you just never know how they will respond; I would say that I lose about 1 in 5 pieces trying to bring them back to life.

Soaking them will either yield beautiful results and leave you with a bright, stain-free beauty or shrunken, dye-bled, shredding mess. Spot treatment sometimes works, but usually it just makes a big fat hole in the fabric or leaves unsightly water rings. I hold my breath every time I take a 40's rayon piece out of a soaking bath, because you just never know how it's going to look.

I guess it's my fear of their extinction that's been driving me to obsessively seek out 1940's pieces lately. They are most often a labor of love to restore, but I actually enjoy doing it because this era simply has the best prints, the most interesting cuts, and the most flattering drape. All of these pieces will be in the shop by this weekend, contact me via Twitter @greedy_seagull for more info in advance.

xoxo

Passionately Neutral

Though my seagull eye naturally gravitates towards sparkle and prints, I always appreciate a good neutral. I never feel as guilty when I spend good money on a piece that I know I will wear over and over again; especially when it's vintage and I know it's nice quality. All of these lovely vintage pieces are now available in the shop, just in time for party season!

the BELLA ROMA collection, Part I

Naturally, I would not go all the way across the world without bringing back some lovely vintage to share. And by some, I mean two suitcases full!

I'm delighted to introduce the Bella Roma collection, a limited amount of spectacular vintage all discovered in Rome, Italy. I'm going to release it in batches, all in all there will be about 30 incredibly well made pieces. Look for it all here in its own section in the shop, starting later tonight.

Ciao!

Italy is For Lovers

Whether passionate and young, deep and well-versed, or platonic and faithful, Italians are simply not afraid to show their affection for one another. Though the architecture, food and aesthetic of Italy are certainly impressive, I think the most beautiful thing about the country is the unabashed attitude towards love.

Living freely and well takes precedence over work; it is simply something that has to be done and fits in around everything else. Living in the US, I find that it's usually the other way around. I admire and aspire to adopt this mentality in my own life, though breaking bad habits is certainly a struggle.

This abundance of love is perhaps the very thing that makes everything else beautiful. A perfect lasagne is made by hand to tame an empty stomach. A flawless piece of Carrera marble is brought to life by the brilliance of a Renaissance sculptor. A glove is cut, sewn, and fit by an eighty year old man who learned the trade from his grandfather.

I hope these photos capture a bit of that essence and will inspire you as well.

Tanti Bacci,
Giana

MEGA SALE!

It's that time of year- I'm gearing up for fall in the shop, and that means tons of stuff on sale at super cheap prices! In addition, a lot of regular merchandise has been reduced. Check out sale section in the shop now!

A Girl's Gotta Twirl!

When I found this awesome 50's skirt, I nearly fell over; the print is everything I ever asked for in a skirt! Splashes and splotches of red and black on a linen background, and so full that a girl's just gotta twirl in it. Oh, and ric-rac trim to boot!!






When I pulled out my zebra print shoes with the red heel backs, it seemed like it might be overkill to pair with the skirt; but I think I worked it by keeping everything else simple.






My skirt, necklace, purse, and bangle are all vintage, and the shoes and top have been in my closet forever.






I got a whole lot of looks strutting around Manhattan today, and I don't care if they were because of my crazy matching or because I had major cleavage.. this was fun to wear!

A Kitchen Formal

Imagine the days when a day consisted of vacuuming, going the butcher to pick out a perfect ham and prepping a jello mold full of vegetables for your dear husband's return from work. Oh, and don't forget to put on some lipstick and your best kitchen dress before your darling provider walks through that door. What?! A kitchen dress?!! Yes, there is such a thing as a formal house dress, and Princess Peggy has got a good one for you:

Brilliant, and available here.