Fashion Blogs

Sequins are always in style and this is something Norman Norell knew to be true…  This is my first item from Norman Norell, hopefully the ball gowns from the 50′s 60′s & 70′s will find me too…  Among the American fashion designers creating between the 1950′s and the 1970′s, Norman Norell had a very classical and elegant style, both of daytime and for nighttime outfits.  Remembered for both the elegance and simplicity of his designs, Norman Norell once said, “There are people who say that designe

If there is one thing I love finding it would be vintage Missoni.  I love finding any luxury brand mind you but vintage Missoni is just so classic Italian.  The thing I really love about shopping second hand for your clothing is the fact that you yourself can own luxury brands that are classic.  I don’t care if you shop at consignment stores, flea markets or at yard sales, its the search for it that keeps me going and entertained.  Missoni started their company in Italy back in 1953 and today is

I don’t know why but the second I saw this gorgeous Valentino LBD I thought ‘wouldn’t Wendy Davis look amazing in this when she becomes Texas next governor’???  I swear to you that’s exactly what I thought, my mind goes in several different directions and it’s hard for me to keep focus!  I love this Valentino black velvet top with the zipper sleeves… I love seeing zippers on the sleeve…  the skirt part of the dress is a luscious wool fabric.  It’s very clean, it’s very simple, it’s very Valentin

Today is one of my favorite holidays right next to Halloween, it’s EARTH DAY!  Earth Day is more than a one-day event or annual environmental wake up call to the public, it is a catalyst for ongoing education, action, and change.  Could there be anything better than that?  Earth Day aims to inspire awareness of and appreciation for earth’s environment.  Planet Earth is really at a turning point now so I ask you all to plant a tree or flowers, stop to pick up a piece of trash on the sidewalk or s

Years of Living DANGEROUSLY will air on Showtime April 13th at 10pm/ET and you bet I will be watching.  Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change.  These 21st century disasters such as killer heat waves in Europe & Australia, wildfires in the USA, droughts in Australia and deadly flooding in Thailand & Pakistan highlight how vulnerable humanity is to extreme weather.  We assume that we will always be able to get water out of our faucets but that’s not realit

Fashion shows come and go, but our team's striving for perfection has touched me deeply and inspired me to keep the faith that fashion is not about acting in accord with the prevailing standards and attitudes but creating my own standard of beauty and move on to my next step with strict confidence.

Thousand thanks to make up artist and headpiece/accessory designer Angel Wong, founder of Angel Wong Image and her team member hair stylist Tammy for getting me ready to walk the Women's Day Fashion

There are just so many damn cool things about this Mila Schon 70′s dress I really don’t know where to begin.  First lets start by the color… will you just check out the shade of pink… It’s the perfect shade of pink!  Then lets go by what the size of this dress is ‘Large’…  you know it’s vintage when you see sizing like that.  It’s a 4-6 but nowhere near a size large.  Then I love the lace up on both sides of the dress and finally what I adore about this dress are the 2 high slits up both sides o

First of all I wish you could just feel the weight of this black 80s Pauline Trigere cocktail dress…  It’s quite impressive….  Every detail about this black cocktail dress by Trigere is impeccable.  The puff sleeves, the wool with taffeta mix and especially the way this drapes on the mannequin…  The woman that originally wore this in the 80s to some cocktail party, I am willing to bet, made a fashion statement.  You know I lived through the 70s & 80s in Texas and I can assure you that a Texas la

OMG I absolutely love this vintage Bill Blass 70s dress with it’s MOD look.  Wearing a great pair of Missoni or ETRO stockings and a pair of fabulous Tom Ford heels you would break the box office!   You could even wear some fabulous Lanvin trapeze vintage pants under the dress to give it more depth and walk the red-carpet!  The great thing about vintage Bill Blass is that it is timeless….  He was a great American fashion designer that really did pave the road for many of todays American fashion

OMG when I saw the Sakowitz label inside this Oscar de la Renta for Swirl caftan I almost passed out.  Being from Texas I’m very familiar with Sakowitz but let me give you the 911 on it.   Sakowitz was a chain of family owned high end luxury department stores based in Houston Texas.  The store was founded by 2 brothers in Galveston Texas in 1902.  They sold high end luxury items and going into that store was the ultimate experience in luxury because one thing Texans do well is show off their wea

You know I love it when I get the opportunity to interview a fellow thrifter so without further adieu here is one fascinating woman….

Q:  Please tell us your name and what you do professionally speaking.

A:  Melanie Woodroffe and I am a copy writer for an online beauty, fashion and lifestyle magazine and blogger for Capitol de Beaute, which I founded in 2007.

This vintage 90s Oscar de la Renta velvet gown is a show-stopper if ever I’ve seen one.  I mean can you just imagine what the woman who originally wore this gown looked like at the event???  It’s just stunning.  I love it just a little bit off the shoulders and I love the added bow in the back above the sexy slit.  Oscar de la Renta has been designing now for what feels like forever and he’s a designer that I never get bored with.  He is always 2 steps ahead of the curb and he really does know

I know I’m not the only soul that is so excited about today being the first day of Spring…. Spring we all welcome your arrival and it comes not a moment to soon.  Spring time is always a great time for you to get inside your closet and start that Spring Cleaning….  Go through your clothes and only keep the pieces you love, treasure and worship, the rest donate or consign.  Spring is the time when I flip through all my clothes and purge.    The ones I don’t want to wear anymore I gather up for Mo

I love Thierry Mugler.   He was an extraordinary fashion designer that when you see his pieces today they look just as fresh as the day he made them.  This is a very simple cotton dress with 3 snap buttons and the coolest of cool pockets…  I mean everything this man designed back in the 80s I WANT….  I’m always searching for vintage Mugler for my clients.  There isn’t one thing that screams out ‘outdated’ in this piece but then again when I’m out looking for recycled luxury pieces, this is exact

I know here I go again talking about Oscar de la Renta, I think I just love to just hear the name truth be told!  This silk 80s Oscar de la Renta 2 piece is still adorable and timeless.  I love the pleated skirt but I love seeing women wear pleated skirts.  It’s like a throw back to yesterday when women really loved wearing pleats and you saw them often.  With the right pair of Tom Ford pointed heel boots this outfit could be dangerous !!!  I’m Daniel Troppy your vintage luxury curator!

This Oscar de la Renta 90s LBD (little black dress) is a show stopper if I’ve ever seen one.  Just look at the construction of this LBD.  It’s so gorgeous and timeless but that’s is what you expect when you find something this grand from Oscar de la Renta.  I don’t think a woman can ever have enough little black dresses in her closet…. NEVER.  This could look stunning with that red and white polka dot cropped vintage YSL jacket you have already hanging in your closet…  Wear a LBD solo or with a

This 80s Hanae Mori silk layered flower dress is stunning.  I mean just stunning.  The big bold flower print is like wearing a piece of art.  Everything about this layered silk 80s dress just says “bring it on” !!!   It isn’t everyday that I run into this label but I can tell you this, Hanae Mori is very chic and in the 70s & 80s major movie stars wore this label.  This is a chic and sexy dress that I just has many more miles to go before it sleeps…  I’m Daniel Troppy your vintage luxury curator

Remember me blabbing about how great hats & scarves as accessories were???  I forgot to mention belts.  Yes the belt that was documented for male clothing since the Bronze Age.  The Bronze Age was 3 thousand years BC.  Saying that you know how long the belt has been around but I don’t think BC or even AD they had fashionable belts like Valentino or St John which was a pity.  Can’t you just see all those Romans walking around wearing Valentino sarong with matching Valentino belts???  Everyone nee

I’m a HUGE fan of Geoffrey Beene and always have been.  His earlier pieces are in my opinion national treasures.  Beene, Blass & Halston…  all national American treasures.   Let me first give you some info on Swirl.  Swirl was established in Philadelphia and it produces clothes since the beginning of the 20th century….  Swirl was producing dresses for the ‘modern’ woman in the 50s and by the 60s they began making women’s loungewear.  By the 70s, Americans were becoming ‘designer crazed’ so Swirl

I simply don’t run across this label just any old day… Oh no.  It’s a label I see but rarely.  Norman Hartnell began designing in 1923, working for a London dressmaker.  Shortly after opening his own business in 1927 he was showing in Paris.  In 1937 he was appointed dressmaker to the Royal Family.  He made Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress and in 1953 he made her coronation gown.  This man is the REAL DEAL….  He started his ready-to-wear in 1942, he died in 1979.  This dress just has that rega