Fashion Blogs

I had no idea who Cahill of Beverly Hills was but that’s what your smartphone is for…  Cahill of Beverly Hills was the firm of William Cahill, premier designer of wedding gowns from the 1940s through the 1960s.  Cahill of Beverly Hills defined quality in bridal wear during this period with its use of exquisite fabrics and craftsmanship.  His wedding gowns were considerably more expensive than most gowns back then and if you look at the photos you will see the price of one for $140.  $140 back th

The thing I love the most about The Thrifters blog among many things is the opportunity to meet other fellow thrifters like myself.  Last week the lovely Amber Bickham strolled intoDoubletake Recycled Luxury Boutique (my store) and we chatted as if we knew each other our entire life.  I love meeting people who are as passionate as I am when it comes to hunting & gathering vintage luxury so saying that I want you all to meet Amber Bickham and here goes a few questions & answers……

Q:  Please tell T

When I found this dress inside a thrift store it was brand new, still with the new smell and still with the clear plastic tag used for the price tag.  I love when I find something new from a thrift store because you really don’t expect that, so it’s a surprise surprise surprise… Laurel Berman created this brand and every piece I’ve ever found has always been contemporary & sexy.  This is one sexy dress and I can’t think of a single woman on the planet that doesn’t want to look & feel sexy.  Don’

Tiger, leopard, cheetah or zebra prints NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE….  NEVER…..  Yes I’m screaming as I type this because the other day at my boutique – Doubletake Recycled Luxury – a woman came in and saw this leopard print top by Versace and said “oh is leopard back in style”???  It’s very hard for me not to roll my eyeballs while I’m explaining this to her but I said ‘that classic animal prints NEVER go out of style, only our perception does’!  So when I saw this Moschino, tiger print,  sexy and

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Throughout any given day I will get a text from Dawn saying “what do you think about this piece or look what I just found” so I asked her if she would write down each piece she found within the week.  As the week began and she was texting me I thought “Shazam… Dawn just isn’t your ordinary thrifter, she’s a rockSTAR.”  The labels she found reads like a WHO’s WHO in the fashion world so I wanted to ask her a few questions…..

Q:  I’ve asked you to keep track of all the items you purchased second h

Dawn is indeed a thrifter extraordinaire when it comes to passionately searching for luxury.  At any given day of the week I will receive texts from  Dawn showing me items she has just found or is looking at and I can’t tell you just how exciting that is….  That type of inner passion and constant drive reminds me so much of me… always looking ahead and relishing the victory briefly because we know there is so much more out there.  Dawn scours thrift stores, outlet clothing shops and consignment

It’s funny because when I went out thrifting, I didn’t intend to find 2 very similar items.  This Alfred Sung & Lavender Label from Vera Wang strapless cocktail dresses look like they could be brother & sister don’t they?  Hell if you need a fancy dress to make an entrance well here’s your dress or dresses !  I would love to see any women that buys either dress wear these Tom Ford zipper heel ankle booties...  < If you clicked on the link you’ll know exactly what I mean.    Those Tom Ford heels

Living Green Magazine recently praised four fashion designers for being eco-friendly; Stella McCartney, Loomstate, 100% NY & Carrie Parry. In 2011 Carrie Parry’s company was awarded The Ethical Fashion Forum’s Innovation Award and since then she hasn’t taken her foot off the brakes. Carrie was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Central Saint Martins University of the Arts in London. Her passion is what drives her to constantly create new designs that are respectful and considerate of the env

Something must be in the air because earlier I found a Halston 70′s tan ultra suede dress and now this red Halston ultra suede dress.  I’ve really been putting out the “I want Halston ultra suede VIBE ” lately and the GODS are providing me with the goodies.  I recently read that Halston ultra suede items are collectible ( already knew that) because there are only so many out there floating around.  I mean when you think of how everything today is so mass produced and this item is an item from th

This Tucker top is so bold and distinctive it plays well with this super fun St John blue skirt.  The color of this skirt just makes me happy, it’s a fantastic color.  So Tucker was created by Gaby Basora in 2005 and has since generated a growing collection with infinite possibilities.  With a background in styling, Gaby’s experience brings a great eye for detail as well as a commitment to impeccable fit and quality.  Neiman Marcus, Barney’s & Saks all carry this label with good reason.  I love

Well first of all I don’t think this outfit could get any hotter than this.  I mean it’s a vintage silk Jean-Louis Scherrer blouse with a modern striped pattern and these vintage silk shorts by Tracy Reeese for Magaschoni.  The blouse is 80′s and the shorts are 90′s and they look so 2013 together ….  Jean-Louis Scherrer in 1955 began working at Dior alongside Yves Saint Laurent.  It was at Dior that he perfected his cutting and draping skills.  Just by looking at this 80′s silk blouse you can te

You know that old saying “hit them in their wallet”??  Well it’s a proven fact that – that indeed works..  If everyone stopped graciously handing money over to Sea World and Ringling Bros the abuse of animals would terminate.  In other words it would put the kibosh on animal cruelty and I don’t know about you but for me I long to live on this planet where our 4 legged friends & sea animals are respected.  Just go to a museum or a movie instead of supporting institutions like those, we can do so

I love learning something new everyday and today I learned that the retail store H&M are at the forefront of sustainability in the fashion industry. Did you know that? I certainly didn’t because I grouped H&M with companies like WalMart & Target, you know companies that have very little concern regarding their employees or the environment. H&M is a company that started in the late 40′s in Sweden and since Sweden is more on the cutting edge with “green” alternative energy sources that just makes

I tried very hard to find this outfit a bottom but ran out of luck.  She’s naked from the bottom down but she’s a trooper and will live to tell the tale….  I got lucky by finding this striped Paul Smith Black Label blouse and you know me, I won’t pass Paul Smith up especially the black label.  Defined by its fresh femininity and unique detailing, Paul Smith Black is the epitome of elegance and style.  Perfectly encapsulating the Paul Smith ‘classic with a twist’ with grace and simplicity, Paul S

I recently met Susan as she brought in several amazing pieces of vintage luxury to consign at Doubletake Recycled Luxury.  Vintage labels such as: YSL, Carolina Herrera & Lacroix not to mention Prada, Miu Miu & Moschino.  So Susan sat down and we just chit chatted like we’ve known each other from day one.  She has a hunger for finding vintage luxury as I do so right then I knew I had to interview her but when she told me about her 2 recent gifts – HERMES – you know I had to interview the lady.  

I found this Rena Lange tweed jacket within the first 5 minutes of going into a thrift store and I must have had 3 women approach me commenting about this jacket.  I thought to myself “well of course they are commenting on this jacket it’s Rena Lange…”  This is a high end German fashion brand.  I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this Marc Jacobs dress because the Rena Lange jacket looks amazing with the dress.  Both items are fun and exciting, youthful and exhilarating and isn’t that what fa

As I flipped through the suit section of the thrift store I first came across the Louis Feraud suit and directly behind it was the Ungaro vintage retro 80′s power-suit.  Back to back.  BAM BAM…  I love when I see things like that inside a thrift store.  These are 2 very fashionable French labels with good reason.  I just thought it was so interesting that they were next to each other, I mean we have a whole thrift store here folks and they were side by side.  I love how the GODS play with us.  B

You can’t get any better than finding 2 major fashion brands from Italy at the same estate sale.  The woman had excellent taste what more can I say….  I love the jungle print dress by Max Mara, it’s so simple and chic, it’s timeless. It looks great solo and if the temp dips in the night you put your Agnona jacket on and off you go to make trouble or history.  Agnona is a very high end Italian brand, they are all about quality.  Nature and beauty, style and sophistication, handcraft and innovatio

I immediately fell in deep passionate love with this royal blue silk blouse by Mary Ann Restivo and I do mean immediately.  It’s so beautifully designed and still looks amazing ever since it was designed back in the 80′s.  This blouse was from Isaacson’s Atlanta which was a ultra high end boutique, they carried all the biggies.  Mary Ann Restivo worked for Dior from 1974-1980 and then launched her brand in 1980.  Did I tell you how much I love this blouse?  I love finding this early Prada black