Enjoy the Holidays by Looking Sparkly and Glittery

This year the holiday season 2011 is the year of the Paillettes, Crystals, Pearls and Lace.

Well, here we are, so quickly thinking and planning for the holidays 2011. Oh, and it is just next week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, so in my mind the extra attention to the holiday outfits are in the making as we speak. I am already packing my suitcase. Yes, as I have always admitted, it weighs a ton. So I bought a new hard cover suitcase with wheels that turn around 360 degrees; so I spin around or run sideways as I go now from room to room.

Well, I have to have a practice run before the airport don’t you think?!

Anyway, back to the blog and fashion.

With all of the runway shows presenting lace, shimmering surfaces and textures, and

of course plenty of sequins and multiple necklaces, bracelets, and oh such fancy wrist watches. So many of the formal materials now are very transparent, and adorned with appliqué, beads, sequins, and even small panels of lace inserted. You will notice feathers and also furs. Some of the fun this year will be to guess which of the materials is real or a fabulous non leather or non feather or fur fake—faux. Such a great word.

Another wonderful word- paillettes. A French word meaning a spangle or a thin leaf of metal.

So with some of the wonderful vintage items, the sequins were hand cut in various shapes, sizes and metallic colors and adorned sweaters, dresses, purses, gloves, hats, jackets, coats

and shoes. It is astonishing to consider the time spent on adorning the clothing and accessories by hand. Many times the process and even the design were patented; this permits us to know more about the inventor and age of the item.

This year, although we have already gotten snow and sleet, yes I know- in October yet!

I am going to offer some fun ideas and thought patterns for your choice of clothing, shoes,

hats, gloves, purses and all the other accessorizing fun items like JEWELRY for your holiday looks. Yes looks, because the whole outfit is a formal vision or picture of you all together. So each component must speak to you. So no matter what combination of items, you will have fun layering and then glimmering, to the point that you will become so much more enticing than the wreaths, trees, or even the table top decorations.

Yes, with the holiday season of 2011, and with the uncertainty and crisis and concern for the world populations, consensus and liberty and planning for the future, this year is the year to

step up and stand out. You can take your place of power with your look.

With the combination of vintage and current fashion items you will be able to make a unique look. No cookie cutter copy for you – this time for certain. With all of the fashionistas, Hollywood actors and also the designers going into their vintage collections- the time is right.

Pick any fashion magazine this year and you will see many articles and photographs showing vintage and current fashions combined. It is fun and adventurous. Especially if you choose to go through your Mother’s, Aunt’s, or Grandmother’s Closet?!

Before you are caught and sent to jail for absconding with the favorites, come to Vintage Mirage where you will find an amazing and eclectic collection of contemporary and vintage jewelry, clothing and accessories- from the Victorian era to today’s items on consignment.

We won’t turn you in, and we will offer great advice on how to put together a great look.

With the publication of the world of business’ top 50 Women CEO’s list from the London Financial Times, I found the whole publication fascinating. The portraits of the CEO’s were most telling in the postures, outfits, the biographies and quotations of each woman who made the list. Some day this list will be expanded to 1000 and then further expanded to those women who move mountains of business and shake up the world in a positive and empowering way. Perhaps the CEO is the final destination, but more important element and process is the journey up the ladder and how women achieve the power necessary to own and operate a business.

So once again back to fashion and the year of the Paillettes, Crystals, Pearls and Lace.

The weather is going to be cold, rainy, maybe even snow. So to keep warm, the easiest solution is to find a great warm coat or jacket. Big warm sequined scarf adds pizzazz. With so many great vintage furs and faux furs to keep you warm, you can then have the freedom to create your look with a sheath dress of any fabric of your choice.

I love the look of a beautifully cut dress, usually black, red or purple and a 1950’s beaded cardigan. But I can’t help myself, I also add chandelier or gemstone earrings- yes two different pairs. Usually I wear a family gold locket necklace or two. As a matter of fact, once I put the necklaces on when I am travelling, they stay on the whole trip. Small beaded purse rounds out the look with my sparkly flats and black leggings.

I also love the look of a dress with sparkling belt and a vest or short jacket over the look.

My friends and family keep their houses coolish, so in the beginning and when we are eating I need the extra layer. However, once I start helping in the kitchen, then as I move around I need to shed this layer. So therefore, to be able to take off the jacket or sweater if I start getting too warm, helps keep me comfortable but fashionable. I also don’t feel comfortable with lace and sequins and fancy sleeves near knives and food. It must be an early memory.

Several necklaces of gemstones, crystals or chains are the new look for the holidays. With the wide range of lovely vintage necklaces and hand designed pieces we carry, we can help you choose several combinations of jewelry which will stand out and add glimmer and warmth to your face. As you know, crystals, pearls and gemstones accentuate the light on your face. We carry so many aurora borealis crystal necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and hair ornaments which reflect with the lighting and make your complexion glow.

When I get a local invitation to a party, I dress for comfort, glimmer, sparkle, and shimmer, and oh, of course glamour, which means a dress with lace, in one of my favorite colors- purple, red, or black. Many of these dresses are from my own vintage collection, and are from the 1950-60’s.The cut and styling is so amazing from this era. The Mad Woman Era, which before this newest TV series, along with PanAm, used to be the Camelot Era.

Next I will add to both arms plenty of bangle bracelets, measured in inches,and then dangley earrings in gem stones. Did I mention a family gold necklace as well. Yes, of course, I will find a colorful coat of silk or faux fur. Black stockings or leggings and my glittery flats. When it is necessary to be seen above the suits, I will don a pair of short heels and wear my hair high, in order to stand out, or have a bird’s eye view of the people.

To an unsuspecting reader, this whole outfit sounds quite garish and overwhelming?! But then again, a girl cannot have enough jewelry, don’t you think?!!!

If the party gets boring, or if I am feeling shy, then I can play with my bracelets. Much healthier than those wonderful menthol cigarettes I used to smoke at parties in Lower Manhattan.

Well enough about the joys of the holiday parties. No matter the occasion, I enjoy dressing up even if my husband wears just slacks and a shirt.Women, we need to create occasions to dress up with great outfits of vintage and accessorize ourselves to set new fashionista standards. Why let others send us on the road to a life of jeans and t shirts.?!

So dear reader of this blog and vintage and consignment fashionista, enjoy this holiday season with plenty of lace, paillettes and crystals. Let the shimmer of friends and family getting together surround you with love and health for the end of a long year, 2011.

And plenty of good cheer for 2012. Let your fashion vision rein.

Blessings and Fashionings,

Elinor Coleman

The New Fashion Trends for Airports or Train Stations

The New Fashion Trends for Airports or Train Stations

This year so far, I have travelled all over the country, waiting in train stations and airports for many hours. To keep myself occupied during these stop overs, I people watch.

The magazines and books are saved for the cramped hours on the plane. For the train, I gaze out the windows and watch the back alleys and back fences of the Amtrak easements. So many closed but interesting derelict factories.

Someday I will try to write about the fashion expressions reflected from the downtown NYC scenes and uptown Bronx street fashion scenes, and how the fashionistas (insert designers here as well) were influenced by the graffiti. But that is a blog for another day, perhaps snow storm in the future without power.

The forced amount of time spent waiting becomes the opportunity for viewing and contemplating a continuous stream of people from all over the world; the state of fashion as it has radically transformed our lives and our outfits, because of the necessary security requirements of the TSA.

The fashion trends of the airports are totally different from the fashion trends of the Amtrak train stations.

Yes, I know you might say, so what. Well, having spent so much time causes me to ponder just how possibly our own fashion sense may become inherently transformed as a result of the requirements of having to take off our shoes, sweaters, coats, and any other outerwear garment the TSA demands.

The shoes in particular are a major factor in dressing for travel. Just exactly which shoes or sandals of flip flops we remove quickly and easily without a chair. What a major requirement becomes the fashion trend.

Flip flops have now become the de riguer for travel in airports. Not so in train stations. Thankfully, you can keep your shoes, boots and sandals on as you travel by train. Train travel permits your fashion sense to be held dear, and now more personal/formal all of a sudden because of the ease with the shoes and not having to strip down your clothes at all.

Traveling by train means that you can wear your business attire or choose a more formal outfit, but the whole outfit is totally controlled by your fashion sense, and not by outside rules and requirements.

Airport Fashion forward: The requirements are comfort, layering of garments, easy on and off for jackets, sweaters, socks and shoes. Just as I have had to come up with a perfect formula to pack my purse and make certain that there are no fluids, knives, weapons or mass destruction, etc, so also I have had to find an easy pair of shoes, not easy sometimes. How many pairs do I pack? Why is my bag a million pounds heavy and even the counter person looks at me with disgust?

So I am waiting in Chantilly(Dulles) and Alexandria (National- Ronald Reagan), Washington DC (Union Station), Denver, Chicago, New York City (Penn Station), San Francisco for many hours and see so much attire that it has caused me to write this blog.

Denver, doorway to the wild west, with full backpacking equipment, cowboys, and business travelers along with tourists. So picture me sitting in the middle seat of the jet, flying from Oakland, CA to Denver, sitting next to me is a cowboy, full cowboy outfit, ten gallon hat in the overhead compartment, jeans, western style shirt, special western stitching, big buckle, etc., with manicured toes and flip flops. I can only hope that this cowboy’s boots were in some luggage.

San Francisco, golden gate and home to the casual look or relaxed dresser. Casual clothing but well put together, and because of the comfortable climate, generally dressed in layers. Beiges, tans, off whites, and so fun batiks, light silks, jeans galore. Almost all the girls and guys in tight jeans.

The airport is filled with European and Asian tourists. The women are dressed in brighter shades and more textures than the locals. The men are dressed in jeans or khakis. Oh, the European women sport some wonderful purses from the European designers, some of the styles, textured leather or other materials we do not get here in the US.

Union Station, Amtrak is such a wonderfully preserved building with such splendid architecture, that the actual space inspires shopping and exploring. The shops have beautifully displayed food, books, clothing, makeup, jewelry, and who can resist coming in advance and shopping for some great gift or treasure.

I just love wandering around quickly and buying something, each time it is at a different store. I am partial to jewelry- complete surprise, I know!! So I have to spend time in the swatch store. Or in one of the boutiques for makeup. With the glass displays and large corridors, this station calls to mind the elegance of the golden age of travel, which was how and why it was designed.