vintage styles

Fall 2010 Fashion Trends: The Return of 1970’s Fashion

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged 1970s / fall 2010 / vintage styles / winter 2011 by

Fall 2010 fashion trends are giving Fashionistas in the Bay Area a variety of choices to compliment ones’ personal style. In addition to 90s Minimalism  and the 50s full skirt silhouette , designers such as Gucci have given fashion savvy fashionistas, the option of channeling the 1970s. There could not be a better time for Fashionistas in the Bay Area to relive the styles and trends from the 1970s. After all, there is a chance we could re-elect Jerry Brown, aka Governor Moonbeam! If we do, California will experience a vivid deja-vu!

Frida Giannini designed amazing A-line jackets, boot-cut trousers and 70′ style handbags for Gucci’s Fall 2010 collection. Prada designed chunky cardigan sweaters reminiscent of the 70’s for the Fall 2010 collection. Salvatore Ferragamo reinvented the sweater vest, giving it a slight sparkle weave throughout the stitches. Ferregamo’s sweater vest can also be worn with the 90s Minimalism  look, adding a bit of sass to an otherwise all-black outfit. Calvin Klein’s thin, column dresses blurred the lines between 90s Minimalism color palettes and 70’s silhouettes. Gucci is also re-introducing the 1973 shoulder bag that was a huge hit for the fashion house int he mid-seventies.

The 1970’s styles that are being shown for Fall can easily be mixed with the 1990’s Minimalism  also prominent in Fall fashion. The colors are very similar with shades of brown, black and white. The 1973 Gucci shoulder bag can easily be paired with an all-black 90s Minimalism outfit comprised of black boot-cut trousers, black turtleneck and the Ferragamo, black with sparkles sweater vest. Top off the outfit with a red coat and Fall 2010 is born!

The flashback fashion trends for Fall 2010 are screaming for vintage finds. This is a great season to scour the vintage stores across the Bay Area and also check inside Mom’s closet or even Grandma’s closet. You never know what you could find! Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

Kitten Heels for Fall 2010, The ‘IT’ Shoe

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged 1950s / fall 2010 / kitten heels / vintage styles / winter 2011 by

Kitten heels make a comeback for Fall 2010 as shoes fall back down to Earth after years of being sky high. The kitten heel was incredibly important roughly ten years ago as Fashionistas across the Bay Area shuffled between work and their cars. We were so busy starting companies and working for people who were starting companies, that a comfortable walking shoe was not required. Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik were on the feet of every Fashionsta from Marin to San Francisco to Contra Costa to Alameda to San Mateo and Santa Clara. The kitten heel appeared on pointed toe, clog-like shoes embroidered with beads on silk that barely let Fashionistas shuffle from their desk at work, back to their car. The kitten heel was more wearable on slingbacks, which held on tight to the heel of the foot allowing Fashionistas the ability to actually walk!

Designers thought about women’s feet this time around and have designed amazing kitten heels for Fashionistas everywhere. The kitten heel is shown with a pointed toe as a full pump or slingback. Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs dressed models in fabulous kitten heels with pointed toes and slingbacks on their Fall 2010 runways. Prada brought back the bow tie from 2003 and showed kitten heels in two tone leather; both as a pump and a slingback. Fashionista favorites such as Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo all have kitten heel designs of their own for store shelves this Fall.

This kitten heel slingback will look fabulous with Fall’s throwback to the 1950s  when paired with the perfect vintage handbag. Kitten heels also give you the opportunity to shop your closet. If you do not already own a pair of kitten heels from yesteryear, this is the perfect time to invest in a pair of feminine. kitten heels. Look for a neutral color that will be timeless such as a shade of brown or black. Cole Haan and Banana Republic also offer affordable kitten heel slingbacks with pointed toes. Happy shopping and stay fabulous.

 

The 1950s Handbag for Fall 2010: A Return to Grace Kelly

 in General Fashion / Handbags / Trends  tagged 1950s / classic style / fall 2010 / satchels / vintage styles / winter 2011 by

Fashionistas in the Bay Area who adore vintage are in for a treat this Fall season! The 1950s style handbag is back in fashion and designers have paired it with the full skirt, 1950s silhouette; referred to in modern times as the Stepford look. The 1950s era handbag is literally worn by hand or slung over a woman’s forearm. The handbag has a small, thick strap which cannot be worn over the shoulder. This vintage throwback style is smaller in size than the oversize handbags fashionistas became accustomed to earlier in the decade. In order to wear this trend, women will need to decide what really belongs in their handbag!

The 1950s handbag evokes memories of well-dressed women shopping at City of Paris, I Magnin, Livingstons’s, Ransonhoff’s, Joseph Magnin, The White House or lunching at Townsend’s or the St. Francis. Visions of women at Eplar’s Bakery or strolling down Maiden Lane while wearing a full skirt, proper handbag, hat and gloves brings many fashionistas, from all generations, begging for their own vintage 1950s handbag. Of course, women in San Francisco never wore white. Handbags graced the arms of well-dressed San Franciscans in black alligator, brown alligator or a neutral colored leather.

The 1950s style handbag is starting to dot the shelves of stores for Fall 2010. Prada has several styles in varying, two-tone neutrals. In sharp contrast to the color palette in the 1950s, Prada’s bags are white with tan, navy with red or all black. Hermes has the holy grail Kelly handbag available in any color worth sitting on a waiting list for several months. Chanel is showing the style with two chain straps in a nod to the variation of the handbag style earlier in the decade when the double handled handbag was all the rage. Can we say Lambertson-Truex Box Car? Louis Vuitton is showing the style in various fabrics as well as Epi leather. More affordable lines such as Coach, Longchamp, Banana Republic and Dooney and Burke have the style in stores as well.

Bay Area Fashionista Tip: Why buy the same handbag as all of your friends? This is one trend that screams “go vintage!” Now is the time to scour vintage stores in San Francsico and around the bay for the perfect 1950s style handbag. Once word gets out about this trend, the vintage finds will be scarce. You may also try to shop your closet, your Mother’s closet or your Grandmother’s closet. Chances are, the real thing is in there somewhere! Happy shopping and stay fabulous.