Celebrating the Style of a Shrimpton Couture Client - Michelle Harper

Michelle is one of those girls that you notice no matter what. Whether you love her style or not, you cannot help but admire it. She takes risks. Dresses for herself. Is eccentric and truly glamorous. She is intelligent and articulate. She has created a live where she can, and does, dress to the extreme - if she feels like it. She loves vintage and is an avid collector. When she first contacted me to buy the Galanos outfit she wears in the first picture below I had no idea who she was. But I had an inkling based on her selection that she must be someone special. I was right.

It is fun to do outfit posts when clients send me pictures but in Michelle's case I went on-line and grabbed other pictures for you to see too. I want you to really get the scope of how daring this girl can be. These are just a few. This is a girl who dresses like this every day.

This 1970s Galanos outfit will always be one of my favorite pieces to have had in the shop. So happy it went to Michelle! The under piece is actually a jumpsuit with balloon pants that end at the knee. A floating silk skirt wraps over it. Amazing and Michelle looks fantastic in it paired with her lust worthy Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses - a vintage fashion holy grail.

Full on ball gown moment

Love this photo - its timeless, futuristic, and vintage all at the same time. Trying hitting that combination the next time you dress.

Those fantastic Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses again - these are the butterfly version - there are very few of these out there. The coat is 1960s marabou  and that fan in most likely antique. There is a subtle play on a theme here - wings and feathers.....

 This twenties flapper dress makes my breathe stop. Literally. The work, the cut. It is really something I am glad I have not seen on person. I would probably be reduced to a small pile of begging, weeping pitiful, greedy lusting girlness. Then I would grab it and try to make a run for it.

Just being honest.

Dior hat& Balenciaga opera coat. The tonality against her skin...the bangs just peeking out..the kitsch of the doll mixed with the highest of couture. Lovely moment.

I snagged this pic immediately as it really shows that those chiffon thirties dresses that we all love and drool over are actually very modern and wearable. Mere mortal girls may want to pair theirs with nude slips but Michelle's more daring choice...well for some reason does not seem so daring for her, does it?

At an event in her grandmother's custom lynx fur from the early 1950s.

In one of her many fantastic vintage hats.
 

And this dear readers is a piece I can safely bet most of you have never seen, nor knew existed. It is a gold lame flapper wig. Exceedingly rare, exceedingly valuable and exceedingly beautiful. It is, like the girl who wears it - a work of art.


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pictures from various sources - tales of endearment, style.com, contactmusic.com & others.
I apologize if I missed giving credit - email me and I will add it if a pic is yours.

Gorgeous Client Post - Kelly Framel

Not only is this a fan-tab-ulous client spot featuring of one of our very own past collaborators - Kelly Framel - designer extraordinaire of The Glamourai - but even the New York Times took note!

Kelly looked stunning in her Shrimpton Couture 1970s Bill Blass frock at the Parson's Gala and was featured in the NYT write up on the event!

Stunning!

Beautiful Client Spot

Way back when, I helped Susie (of Style Bubble fame) find a bright and colorful vintage kimono. She posted a picture of herself in it on her blog and I posted that picture here, and was pleased as punch that she loved it!

I am even MORE pleased to know that she really does wear it as part of her ongoing wardrobe, and continues to do so. I found this gorgeous picture of that same Shrimpton Couture vintage kimono as part of a feature story on her and her style!

Doesn't she look fantastic?

She can put prints together with the ease of a master painter, that girl can. Susie is a serious print pro!

She is one of my favorite girls to watch style -wise. She is entirely original and mixes high with low, new with old, and established designer with the latest you-have-not-even-heard-of-yet upcoming, young designers.

AND if you do take the moment to jump to the first time I posted the picture of this kimono on Susie you get the bonus of having two styling examples on how to wear a vintage kimono.

Makes for a triple does of happiness for my beautiful client post today!

xoxocherie

PS the picture is from a new blog discovery - Tales of Endearment,  run by Natalie Joos. You should go peek. The full story that this picture appeared in has lots more of Susie and her style too - jump here.

sometimes my vintage is better travelled then i...

 remember this pretty little scarf that jaunted around europe a few months ago.....

this month it plays double duty as a belt in the jungles of st. lucia

i can't wait to see where it (and grace) go next and how she styles it ........ she is obviously one of those girls who are innately fabulous!

On Wearing Head Pieces

I send two newsletters every week - one has is a styling newsletter to help give you all great ideas on how to wear your vintage and mix it in with your modern pieces, and the second is a glimpse of the new goodies that just landed in the shop.

Yesterday I sent the latter and in it I featured two feather headpieces that I have just acquired. This is it in case you are not on my mailing list (if you wanna be sign up here):

Pretty snazzy huh? And that Biba coat is not too bad either!

Just after I sent this off on its merry way I received an email from Angela who was kind enough to send some pictures of her and a friend with THEIR fabulous toppers on. Angela lives in Australia and went to the Melbourne Cup, which is a HUGE event in Australia and happily an event where hat wearing is tres mandatory - LOVE that!

These two headpieces are by the talented designer - Fiona Powel and they have the same feel as the two Dior/Stephen Jones pieces I showcased in my What's New email. I asked Angela if I could share her pics with all of you and happily she said YES!

Angela paired hers with the infamous Prada flower dress (that ironically I blogged about before - read that here - and I DO own that dress now btw!)

Angela's friend, Pauline, is wearing her fab feathers with a leopard Moschino dress.

Aren't they absolutely stunningly, lovely and glamorous? I love the combination of the prints with the feathers! And it is just fantastic to be able to see real life examples on how to wear a head piece and wear it well!

Thank you Angela for sending these in!

If you want to recreate your own look based on these lovelies - here are the floral print dresses I have in the shop and these are the animal print pieces! Those fantastic headpieces are here  and here!

Have fun styling!

Gorgeous Client Post - Bianca!

Its just raining gorgeous client pics lately!!

I love love love when girls send in their pics to share - I am always blown away when I see my pretty vintage frocks on fabulous modern girls! And when they are wearing one of my fave designers - like long time client Bianca in this gorgeous Malcolm Starr dress - well I am just honored to have been the matchmaker xoxoxoxoxo

PS don't you LOVE the multi-strap shoes? What a great modern twist!

SC Vintage Gets GLAMOURAI'ZED

The beautiful Kelly is the girl behind The Glamourai baubles & Frippery created exclusively for Shrimpton Couture (check out her lovelies here). But Kelly is also an avid vintage lover and a month or so ago snatched up this remarkable Birds of Prey 1970s Kimono dress

I have been watching her blog with an eagle eye to spot just how she would style this lovely beauty and sure enough it debuted a few nights ago at the YSL belle d'opium launch party!

The picture above is one you might have seen on Kelly's blog but she was a sweetie and sent me some insider pics! Enjoy!

With Krystal Simpson, What is Reality Anyway

And looking fabulous with Jeremy Scott!

Sometimes I just die for the places and parties my vintage gets to go!

How to rock a Body Harness

One of my beautiful clients - Nic - shows us how to rock a harness from
Norwegian Wood for Shrimpton Couture.

Norwegian Wood harness via shrimpton couture/Bitching & Junkfood neckpiece/River island Boots/ UO cuff

Read the rest of the entry here on her blog, Vint Junky

Gorgeous Client Post - Joey at her Prom!

Meet Joey - a gorgeous girl who is dating the son of friends of My Guy and I. She contacted me to ask if I could help her find a dress for her prom and liked this one but wanted to try a few to make sure it was
"the one"


After an afternoon of trying on pretty dresses and taking snapshots to make sure each looked as good in a picture as it did in the mirror her first instinct was right and this was indeed the dress she close!

(PLEASE do this little trick before you go out to important events girls - it will save you grief and heartbreak and a case of the - why did I wear that - in fact I do believe cameras in cell phones where invented for just that purpose - I swear I read that somewhere *wink*)

People always underestimate the ability of these little 1970s poly jersey dresses to be able to go out for full out formal and glamorous events. They need a real girl in them to show off their true potential.

Doesn't she look gorgeous?

(I made her borrow the clutch she has in the pictures - it was above the allotted budget but it had to go to the prom too! if you love it -
its going up on the site this week!)

Gorgeous Client Post - Elena of Fabulous Finds!

One of my mostest favouritest girls and clients has to be Elena - she is just straight out "good people" know what I mean? She is also wickedly funny and writes a great blog. She is also a bit of a vintage coat addict (you know I am not telling anything here but the truth Elena)

She has a few Shrimpton Couture pieces in her closet by now and I was pleased as punch to get an email from her with a picture to share!

The coat is an lightweight 1960s gold thread brocade and I adore how she has made it day-time perfect by pairing it with creams. This is a piece most people would have let sit in their closets, reserved as a topper for an evening ensemble and instead Elena let it see some sunshine. It's a great styling tip and she looks smashing!

Susie + Shrimpton = Spring

Back in December, I happened to read a post by Susie, author of the Style Bubble on kimonos and her quest to find one. For some reason that post stuck with me and every once in a while I would have a thought that I had one that would work on her. It just sat there in the back of my thoughts waiting for me to catch up and clue in. Roll time ahead to about 6 weeks ago when I had one of those proverbial ah ha moments where that back of the mind thoughts and I met & shook hands and it clicked into place just which packed away, stashed away, kimono had been there waiting in my mind's "inventory" of goodies as the perfect match for a girl like Susie.

I tweeted Susie that same day and asked her to send me her mailing address and by day's end her vintage kimono went off on its merry way, over the seas and into her stylish hands.

And just look at what she did with it!

Susie you look fantastic and I love how you styled the kimono and did not just throw it over basic black (which is what a lesser force like me would be tempted to do)!

A lot of people get a little lost on how to incorporate something like a kimono into their daily life (it is a string look to be sure) and I think you have done a wonderful, striking job!

Jump here to see the full post and more pics!

Congrats to The Glamourai

Beautiful Stranger did a full profile on our beautiful Kelly - designer extraordinaire behind The Glamourai line! AND since she is wearing a recent find from the site (this dotted dress) I guess this is also a Gorgeous Client/Celebrity Vintage Spot too!

Congrats Kelly!
You look wonderful!

A Slew Of Gorgeous Clients!

Today is already a fabulous day because I get to show off some of my gorgeous Shrimpton Couture clients! I have said before that my clothes go off into the world and at the invitation of their new owners and girls, that they get the privilege of leading quite exciting lives!

Today's triple play of beautiful clients proves that theory in spades!

This little spotted 1950s faux fur coat attended the 2010 NYC Fashion Week and garnered its new owner a ton of compliments - and you can easily see why here:

That is "Princess Poochie", along with the gorgeous author of the blog Dream Sequins, attending a meet-up arranged by Deanne.

The Princess
(I love the whole Princess thing and am just using every excuse I can to call her that)
is also a blog author and runs the blog Shoe Daydreams
(guess what topic caused the two of us to "meet" on twitter?)

Both girls are on twitter so if you want to follow them - click here and here
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Judy, of Atlantis Home fame, chose to wear her Shrimpton Couture Malcolm Starr dress when she spoke at the Chictopia10 Summit in New York during the 2010 Fashion Week. I have featured her here before and she also showed this dress off on her blog. I love that she wore this dress to this event. It's so easy to try to "out-do" everyone during fashion events by wearing the latest and greatest, so to wear vintage, and to wear in in such an elegant, grown-up fantastic kind of way, with just the right amount of chic, proves that you don't have to be bound by the current trend in order to look effortlessly fabulous!
One can only say....
Bravo Judy!

Judy's daughter Jane is the wonder girl behind the insanely popular Sea of Shoes blog -
that is where I scooped this shot from - thank you!

(Follow Judy on Twitter here & Jane here)

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And it is with a certain amount of sentimentality that I share this last set of pictures. You see I bought this 1950s full sequined checked pink & cherry gown years and years ago. In fact, I do believe it was one of the very first more"formal" pieces I ever bought. I never wore it - not even once, yet it followed me through a million moves as I landed here and there in my travels. I just could not give it up, even though it did not suit me at all. I always felt it had some little bit of magic and was waiting for "something". It always made me think of glamorous, fabulous girls who would wear it to parties and then end up barefoot in the park in the wee hours of the morning in it.

Silly, I know.

I finally deemed this last year, that it was time for it to find its proper girl. A girl who would give it the chance to have its proper adventures, and its proper glamorous place, in some lucky girl's life.

So you cannot even begin to imagine my pleasure when Lucinda sent me these shots.

She wore that fabulous checked sequined dress to High Tea on the night of the Sydney Festival. She paired it with a fantastic Pierre Cardin pendant that she wore in memory of her father, Peter who she says was a Leo.

I LOVE the juxtaposition of the 1950s extremely girlie old Hollywood piece, paired with the edgier, mod, Cardin piece. This was a stroke of styling genius as its not an obvious choice but once you see it you want to do a version of it on your own.

All of these photos where taken by her friend Hamish Ta Me, a well known Australian Vogue photographer who also likes to do street photography - and the girl in the blue is Lucinda's & Hamish's friend Lucy Qian, who is a model and actress in Australia.
Lucinda styled Lucy for this event.

Lucinda also sent me these photos of Festival night, taken by Hamish.

I think my lovely little checked dress that I carted around for all those years has found exactly the right girl - don't you?

Gorgeous Client Post - Judy of Atlantis Home

When Judy posted these pics under the blog post title - Shrimpton & Chanel, over at her blog Atlantis Home. my first reaction was that somehow those two words just seem so magical together - don't you agree?

My second reaction was to ask myself why did I not think to style that dress with another brocade like Judy has?
Doesn't it look fantastic?
Judy is the perfect client - she has terrific taste, is the nicest person you could e-meet and she looks damn good in my treasures :-)

There is a funny thing about this dress.

Its Malcolm Starr and I actually have its twin in my own closet. I had it for years and have worn it a few times when I wanted that to do that whole "ladies who lunch" look. Then around Christmas I got a box from one of my New York Buyers and there was the twin!

That is the one Judy now has.

And here is the really weird thing
I work with another girl in the US, that sends me a piece or two here and there, and she just found one of these. So I have yet another one coming my way and some other fabulous girl will soon have a shot to be the third dress triplet along with Judy and I!

Isn't that the strangest thing?

In all my years of collecting vintage I have never, ever, ever came across three of the same dress. Now I realize that in the 1960s and 1970s mass production was in full effect (though runs would be hundreds or at best thousands, not the MILLIONS that mass production means now), but even if there where a thousand of these made, what are the chances of having three go through your hands as a dealer 30 odd years later?
I don't think it will ever happen again!
I think that makes all three somewhat magical!

PS

If you do happen to have this same dress tucked away in your closet - please heed this word of warning - do NOT dry clean the belt - the fabric will fall off. This holds true of most vintage fabric belts actually - the fabric is often partial sewn and then glued. Modern dry cleaning will dissolve that glue. I know because that is what happened to Judy's belt right before I sent it. So Judy actually has MY belt while hers sits atop my "To fix" pile.

UPDATE

In Judy's post she had included this picture

This is also a Malcolm Starr piece and ironically, the girl who bought it reads Judy's blog and spotted it right away! So the lovely Marguerite sent a pic of herself in HER Malcolm Starr for me to share!

Its obviously beautiful client week at Shrimpton Couture!
Boy oh boy what fantastic Monday when I get to show off such gorgeousity!

Gorgeous Client Post

Julie (@joulesstar on twitter)
recently purchased this fabulous 1940s neptune print dress from The Shop

and was kind enough to share some pictures with us!

Doesn't she look smashing?
I so adore seeing the actual girl's who end up in my pretty treasures and how they style it and wear it! I think this dress totally suits her! What a little bombshell no?

Julie you look fantastic in it!