Manhattan Vintage Fall/Winter 2015

So much to see and so much fun to be had at The Manhattan Vintage Show this weekend that we had to go twice, and still didn't get to see it all! (We were too busy talking most of the time).  Shelley (aka Forest City Fashionista) was in town for her annual visit, which gave us an excuse (as if we needed one) to go on Friday and return on Saturday.

Even walking down West 18th Street to the Metropolitan Pavilion, we could tell who was going to the show. This woman, wearing a red coat and long multicolored gloves, sitting on a yellow bench, was a sign that we were headed in the right direction.

No sooner had we entered than we were bowled over by this Stephen Sprouse coat at Augusta Auctions.  Our photo doesn't do it justice (it was hung high for effect), but you can get a better view on Augusta's website, here.  It could be yours if you bid!  We also saw an amazing Alexander McQueen gown.  Red, with lots of lacing up the back!

Still having traveled no further than the entrance, we saw this woman sailing around in a vintage wool Gaultier coat with a shawl collar big enough to encircle her head.  From L.A.-based Catwalk Designer Vintage.

Down the first aisle was this wonderful amalgam of poodle skirt ('cause it was felt) and Mexican circle skirt (lively designs all around).  Double click on the photo to get a better look at the vibrant stenciled musicians.  From Town Peddlers/Vintage Daughter.

We ran into Linda Pastorino, dealer in ethnographic art, and her daughter Coral.  Here, Coral and Shelley pose with finds.  Coral, who has a taste for stately elegance and wants to study costume design, found a deep red Oscar de la Renta gown which one can almost imagine on a figure in a Renaissance painting. Shelley found a vintage knit skirt (from the 30s?) with carefully aligned stripes that the maker cleverly managed to insert nearly invisible pockets.   Shelley calls her saucy little blue velvet hat her "brain hat" because the velvet has been bunched up and sewn down in hills and valleys that do rather resemble fancifully dyed brains. Before one has had a chance to look, though, hearing about a brain hat conjures up all sorts of ideas that completely miss the mark (and aren't nearly as elegant).

A study in black and white.  Lyn Slater (Accidental Icon) stands with a woman who works with Bruce Mihalski of Hollywood & Vine, who said she had made her hat herself.

In the course of our wanderings on Friday, it came to our attention that both Jean and Shelley were wearing insect earrings, and we took a picture to commemorate the odd coincidence.  At the time, we were at What Once Was, Michal Feinmesser's booth, and since she was displaying insect earrings in one of her jewelry cases, she put them on to make a threesome.  Double click to enlarge/confirm.  (And check out Shelley's brain hat.)

This woman had such wonderful long red hair, it didn't matter what she wore.

More beautiful "hair", in the form of green feathers.  And while you're at it, look at all the embroidery on the dress.

Someone nearby gasped at her shoes, and she obligingly lifted the skirt of her dress enough to show what the gasp was all about.  Is this a great shoe, or what?!  Neither of us would be able to wear it, but we can admire from afar.

We never fail to run into Dan, one of the dapper-est men to set foot in the Manhattan Vintage Show.  We ran into him on both days.  The first day, he was wearing a vintage tie pin shaped like a propeller. Today, the idea seems quaint, but because Dan dresses almost exclusively in vintage clothes, the propeller tie pin probably dates back to the days of Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose.  (Click here if you're young and have no idea what we're talking about.)

If you're up to date on our Instagram account (what do you mean, you didn't know we had one?) you know Valerie bought the hat above on the first day, so she had to wear it on the second day.

Jean bought this polka dot turban from the same vendor, Diana of Revival Vintage Boutique.

And here's Diana herself, and her assistant, both dressed in marvelous vintage (and, fittingly, head gear).

This lady embodied the spirit of the occasion.

Valerie fell in love with this Donna Karan salmon colored skirt from What Was Is Vintage.  That's a big strip of metallic shibori down the center.  The dress, the dress, my kingdom for the DRESS (or at least the top), 'cause I don't have anything to match the skirt.

Lea Delaria (of Orange is the New Black) and her fiancee Chelsea Fairless stopped by on Saturday afternoon.

While Lea graciously accommodated a fan's request for a photo, it gave us the opportunity to admire her hilarious gorilla backpack.

When Lea went to the dressing room to try on overalls (wouldn't you want to be the fly on the wall for that one?), Chelsea showed Jean and Shelley her purchase of a colorful chiffon cape.

You can count on Gregory to look quite debonair. On Saturday, he did not disappoint. In his three piece suit, top coat and fedora, he looked like he just stepped out of a Raymond Chandler novel.  Jean coaxed him into showing her his purchase -- a beautiful pair of butter yellow leather gloves.

Valerie couldn't resist trying on this colorful coat in Andrea Hall Levy's Lofty Vintage booth.

Shelley also found a coat that caught her eye, and had the opportunity to talk to Carmen Bury, who made it.  Not only is the coat hand made, with each piece made and attached separately, it also has an elaborate lining.

Amanda Dolan of Spark Pretty wears and sells 1970s and 1980s era clothing.

Martha favors 1940s-era clothing.  Her stockings had dark seams up the back. She looked like a red-haired version of one of the Andrews Sisters.

Roddy Caravella and Gretchen Fenston are the best-dressed vintage couple. Their attention to detail is nothing short of amazing and yet looks totally effortless.

Hannah Schiff's feather hat with veil was the perfect topper to her vintage outfit -- dress, shoes and bag.

Another vintage fan is Lori Lewin who puts together such beautifully coordinated outfits, with shoes, hats, jewelry and handbags to complement her dresses and suits.

Andrea Hall Levy's assistant and Zondra Foxx got the memo to dress in red and black.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, while Valerie sported her green hat and purple outfit and shoes, Jean and Shelley opted for basic black.

Stay tuned for additional installments of Shelley's New York Adventure.  FYI:  The next 2 Manhattan Vintage Shows are set for Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6, 2016, and on Friday April 15 and Saturday, April 16, 2016.