How To Really Look Special At Your Next Special Occasion...

In my humble opinion, modern day special occasion dresses look anything but.  I recently saw a group of young women walking down the street dressed up for a "special occasion". They looked like they might have been heading to a friends wedding or something. They had on cheap "special occasion" dresses that they had undoubtably picked up at the mall or online. The fabrics were shiny, the colors on trend, the hemlines were high and the necklines were low. There was nothing elegant, interesting or stylish about them. Rather than making the wearer look "special", they simply made the wearer look cheap and...what's the term?.... BASIC?  Yeah, they looked basic. What's worse than just looking bad is these tawdry little dresses really are essentially bad. Bad for the environment, bad for small businesses, bad for people! These soul-less, thoughtless garments are literally churned out by the millions in overseas factories where workers are treated and paid abhorrently. If you really want to know the reality about where these garments come from I implore you to watch the documentary The True Cost . It might change your life and hopefully it will at least curb your fast fashion addiction.

So the next time you need something "special" to wear to an occasion, consider wearing vintage. I can guarantee you'll look ten times fresher, smarter, and more stylish than your friend in her Forever 21 strapless tube dress. An added bonus will be the the warm fuzzy feeling in your heart knowing you are doing something good for the planet and the community around you--all the while looking GORGEOUS! 

Early 1960's Hydrangea Haze, waist 25".

1950's rhinestone studded hydrangea blue cocktail hat. 

Fabulous late 1950's Edith Flagg rose print cotton pique party dress, waist 27".

Elegant 1950's "New Look" black eyelash taffeta cocktail dress by Henry Rosenfeld. Waist 26".

Go for the gold in this gorgeous 1970's silk chiffon lame pine cone?!print Stavropolous evening gown. Waist 28".

1960's cotton and linen blend pink champagne cocktail dress with rhinestones and crystals! Waist 29".

Adorable 1960's Mod stripes and polka dot party dress, small.

Elegant 1961 Sophie Gimbel silk velvet burnout floral cocktail dress, sold.

1960's silk cocktail dress by Jerry Silverman, waist 26".

Beautiful 1950's cotton eyelet lace wedding dress, waist 31".

Fabulous 1960's lattice cocktail dress in Tiffany Blue, waist 30".