One of my guilty pleasures on a daily basis is reading the comic strip Funky Winkerbean. I've been reading the strip since I was in high school back in the 70s when it first came out. Now on the same page as the strip each day there are featured galleries and one of today's just happens to be the Paris Men's Fashion Week Day Two for Spring Summer 2009.

I'll be the first to state that I'm not very fashion forward when it comes to mens clothing and accessories. So in my shop's men's attire you'll find classic items such as fedoras. You'll also find things like cufflinks, Harris Tweed jackets and neckties.

Still, it's somewhat life affirming to know that these fashion designers do pay homage to vintage in their own way. Who would have guessed that John Galliano in his younger days watched Rainbow Brite?

or that he loved the movie, "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad?"

Evidently John Galliano also loved one of my favorite series, Starsky and Hutch but erred on the side of fashion and pays homage to Huggy Bear.

There was, however, a glimmer of hope that I saw in the show and that came from Belgian fashion designer Kris Van Assche. There were two looks I especially liked from him.

And look at this true classic ensemble by French-Spanish designer Rosemary Rodriguez for Thierry Mugler.

So if your man is deeply entrenched in classic fashions that stand the test of time don't forget to come visit Born Too Late Vintage. You won't find any Rainbow Brite outfits there, but then again, do you really want to?

It was a Saturday night. My uncle and his girlfriend had come to our apartment to babysit me and my siblings. My Dad was dressed in his regulation IBM corporate wear (white shirt and black suit, remember it's the 1960s).

I was sitting in the living room playing with my sister. Then my mom appeared. I'll never forget the way she looked. She wore a white spiderweb crocheted shawl but what was under it was even more stunning! There she stood in a fitted brocade gown that hugged every curve. It was made from American Beauty rose fuchsia brocade and had a beautiful rose pattern woven in the fabric. It was like looking at a movie star. My parents kissed us all goodbye and headed out for the hospital auxiliary ball. I tucked that memory away, not forgotten, but put away to savor at a later date.

Years later after my folks passed away I was thinking about the impact they'd had on my life and the memory of that gown came back to me again. It's always been such a vivid memory for me. I finally put 2 and 2 together and realized just why I have always fallen for brocades of any color, weight and shimmer. I suppose you could say that the night of the hospital auxiliary ball was a decisive factor in what appeals to me in vintage clothing now. Other items may bring more financially but my heart will always yearn towards brocades.

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