Tag Archives for Vintage

Ensemble du Jour: Silks

I apologize for the extended hiatus. I am still getting adjusted to my new job, and have been in the process of buying a car (which was, fortunately successful and I now drive an SUV so if I do get in any more car-accidents, the damage hopefully won’t be as bad.)

This outfit looks a little school marm-ish, I suppose, but it is very comfortable and feels a bit vintage, which I like. I wore this to work the other day with flats but I think it works just as well for a nice dinner, with a pair of chunky platforms.

I’m wearing an Elizabeth & James silk top, Marc by Marc Jacobs skirt, Missoni for Target cardigan, Miu Miu platforms and Balenciaga bag. The earrings are vintage Chanel.

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Ensemble du Jour: Simple, Classic.

Since starting my job, where I dress up nearly every day, I’ve been keeping it rather casual outside of work. For most people, this might mean sneakers and a t-shirt, but I do love my heels, even on casual days (though my feet might think otherwise.) On a recent Sunday, for brunch and errands, I stuck to a vintage silk Lanvin blouse, cropped jeans, black heels and a statement bag. 

I’m wearing a vintage Lanvin blouse, J Brand jeans, Prada heels, Doo ri for Be & D bag, and Versace sunnies. The earrings are vintage Chanel.

PS. Virginia a la Mode is now on Facebook.

Ensemble du jour: Vintage skirt

In addition to finding two amazing pieces of Lanvin last week at an estate sale, I also came away with this great skirt. It’s not by a well-known designer, but I love it nonetheless. It’s starting to get mighty hot here in Florida, so I will have to trade in the button-down denim for more tanks and short dresses in coming weeks.

I’m wearing a vintage skirt, top from J. Crew, and vintage YSL belt. The shoes are Christian Louboutin, the bag is vintage Bottega Veneta, and the sunglasses are by Chloe.

Find of the century

I will be the first to admit that I have insanely good luck when it comes to finding vintage designer items. I’ve found Lanvin blouses and Bottega Veneta bags at thrift stores, and Chanel scarves at estate sales. But what I found Friday, after an impromptu stop at an  antique furniture shop, is my best find to date.

After visiting an estate sale (where I found a Lanvin silk blouse and a Lanvin dress – for $5 each), my grandmother and I got stuck in traffic and decided to stop at a small antique shop. It was cute, but most of the stuff wasn’t necessarily my style. Lots of wicker, animal-themed items (things you might find at an elderly Southern woman’s home.) But when I turned a corner, into a very small room with even more kitschy items, my heart skipped a beat (and I don’t think it’s started beating since, to tell you the truth.) A Goyard wardrobe, in pretty terrific condition. Price tag: $95.

For those of you unfamiliar, Goyard is a storied French brand – very rare, and very expensive. The Goyard logo is certainly not as well-known as the interlocking LVs, because Goyard is sold at only 14 retail locations across the globe (only four in the U.S.)

To put it in perspective, similar Goyard trunks go for around $15,000 on ebay. (I’ve seen several upwards of $20,000.) And, to be honest, those that I’ve seen online are much smaller than mine, which is really more of a wardrobe than a trunk. It has several drawers in it, and is nearly as tall as I am.

I’ve always had visions of stumbling across something amazing – a Chanel handbag, Chanel jacket or, possibly, an Hermes Birkin – at some point in my perusal of vintage wares. But finding a Goyard trunk never even crossed my mind – they are simply so rare and so very pricey.

The woman who sold it to me clearly had no idea what it was worth. She said someone had brought it in a week prior, so I really lucked out on timing. Had she Googled it, I’m sure I never would have even seen it – more than likely, it would have ended up somewhere like Christie’s auction house (they’ve sold a similar trunk in the past – starting bid: $11,745.)

Ensemble du jour: Pink & Gray


One of my go-to looks is a collared shirt worn under a sweatshirt or sweater. I just think it looks so pulled together and pairs well with both denim and dressier fabrics, like silk and leather. The weather has been lovely here lately, so I took the opportunity to wear my pink J Brand shorts and a pair of my most well-loved (read: worn to the ground) Miu Miu loafers.

I’m wearing a J. Crew button-up, Zara sweatshirt, J Brand shorts, Versace sunglasses and very old Miu Miu loafers (I think I got these in 2005.) The bag is Balenciaga.

On my wrist is a Burberry watch (again, very old, I think this was a Christmas present in high school), vintage rhinestone bracelet from Ellie Bing, and a coyote-bone bracelet from a now-defunct shop in St. Augustine.

Ensemble du jour: Better off red

The weather has been vacillating from cool, to cold, to boiling hot – so I never really know what to wear when I wake up in the morning. Today was somewhat overcast, so I chose to go with layers.

I’m wearing my favorite necklace (a re-worked vintage piece from Penelope T and a birthday gift from my amazing friend Kristin) with a Jason Wu for Target top, Alexander Wang skirt, Alexander Wang blazer and vintage clutch.

The tights most likely came from Target and the python booties are Bottega Veneta (a gift from another very generous and thoughtful friend.)

Can’t escape the political ads in Florida, even on an abandoned building.

Shocked I fit in to this skirt today, seeing as how I ate my weight in homemade chicken marsala last night. (Giada’s recipe is the jam, ya’ll.) I am a recently-reformed pescatarian, so meat is sort of new for me. Until recently, I only ate fish, but I’m enjoying experimenting with new recipes. Chicken marsala isn’t exactly the healthiest thing in the world but, with the addition of whole-wheat fettucine and organic chicken, I was able to lessen the guilt-factor somewhat (I also didn’t add as much butter as the recipe calls for.) And the mascarpone and dijon mustard takes it up to a whole new level.

Weekend finds

This past weekend was pretty much perfect. I got to spend time with my grandmother and my wonderful boyfriend (who was so kind to go antiquing with me – he is definitely not the antiquing type), eating delicious food and hunting for goodies.

On Saturday, we drove down to Mount Dora, a small town outside of Orlando, for their annual antiques extravaganza. I came away with an amazing pair of jackal earrings and a gorgeous vintage map (on which Maracaibo, Venezuela – birthplace of my boyfriend – is clearly visible.) The jackals are some of the more impressive earrings I’ve ever seen – they are incredibly detailed and kind of creepy (which I love.) I assumed they were fox until the dealer told me otherwise. The colors and font used on the map reminds me of something from a Wes Anderson film.

That night, we had a huge sushi dinner at Amura (we go every chance we get, it’s some of the best sushi I’ve ever had) and then went back to the hotel to watch the Michigan basketball team wipe the floor with their rival, Ohio State. Full disclosure: I am by no means a sports buff, but after all that antiquing I couldn’t very well ask to turn on Real Housewives, could I? ;)

On Sunday, the two of us spent time in Winter Park, brunching at 310 Park South (which was great) and perusing the local boutiques. We also made a pit stop at Orange Tree Antiques, where I found three additional pairs of earrings (one of them Fendi!)

The last pair, the Fendi, are pretty incredible. I saw them inside a case and could just barely make out the intertwining “F”s. When I requested to look at them up close, I turned them over and, sure enough, they were signed “Fendi.” Pretty good find for $20.

PS. My Valentine’s flowers are still in bloom and still so beautiful…nothing like fresh flowers to brighten a room.

My picks: luxe vintage interiors

My boyfriend, grandmother, mom and I are planning a big antiquing trip this weekend. It’s an annual thing for us and I’m so excited I can’t quite stand it. I usually come away with lots of vintage jewelry (I once found a vintage LANVIN necklace for around $70 – a huge bargain, considering the vintage pieces often range in the thousands) and interesting knick-knacks for my home (like the headless mannequin that sits in my bedroom.) This year, I will certainly be looking for jewelry but, perhaps most importantly, I need things for my guest bedroom and a floor lamp for my living room. Below, some recent sources of interior inspiration. (Can you tell I’m having a 70s moment?)

1. Photograph: “Kate’s Closed,” 2000, Rankin

2. Agate pill boxes

3. Rare Table Lamp by Angelo Brotto for Esperia, 1976

4. Lacquer and Chrome coffee table, 1970s

5. Transparent World Globe by Robert Farquhar, 1970s

6. Dom Perignon champagne cooler, France

7. Lucite and lamb stool, 1950s

More love

Some vintage pieces I’ve been lusting over lately, all from the site I frequent most – 1st Dibs (let me warn you, the prices are not for the faint of heart, but the goods are amazing.)

vintage YSL dress

sweet gold ring, “love abide till death decide”

Chanel “bird’s nest” earrings

Yves Saint Laurent Modernist choker

I’m going on a vintage trip this weekend and I can’t wait! Hoping to score lots of amazing baubles and (most importantly) a floor lamp – I’d really like an arco, but at this point, I’ll settle for a lit match – our living room is so dimly-lit it’s getting ridiculous.