Enjoy the Weekly preview of Items Just listed at Born Too Late Vintage

Vintage 1960s Mens Creighton Sudan Color (Dark Brown) Oval Fedora Hat Size 7 1/4


Vintage 1960s Black Felt Rhinestone Spray Pillbox Hat


Vintage 1960s Everitt Original Cord Pillbox Hat


Vintage 1950s Mallory Chocolate Brown Fedora Hat 7 1/8


Vintage 1960s Black,Tan,Light Tan Velvet Clip Hat


Vintage 1960s Gibbe' Military Inspired Pillbox Hat


Vintage 1960s Dobbs Fifth Avenue Admiralty Saber Grey Oval Fedora Hat Size 7 1/4


Vintage 1960s Navy Blue Velvet Clip Hat w veil


Vintage 1960s Two Ribbon & Bow Black Felt Hat


Vintage 1960s CHAMP Gray Long Oval Fedora Hat size 7 1/4

Start shopping NOW!

Want to know the real scoop about vintage on Ebay? Check out "Diary of a Mad Fashionista" for the real dope on vintage on Ebay.

http://diaryofamadfashionista.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the Weekly preview of Items Just listed at Born Too Late Vintage

Vintage 1970s Bonnie Cashin Trench Coat size 18



Vintage 1970s Count Romi Trench Coat w Fur Collar



Vintage 1980s Anthony Richards Rain coat Sz 16 NWT



Vintage 1930s Harris Tweed Overcoat Size 46 US



Vintage 1950s Persian Lamb w White Mink Coat Sz L



Vintage 1970s Pendleton Red Plaid Cape Poncho

Start shopping NOW!

Enjoy the Weekly preview of Items Just listed at Born Too Late Vintage

Vintage 1960s Lane Bryant Nautical Shift Plus Sz


Vintage 1970s Metallic Bronze Gold Copper Skirt Set


Vintage 1970s Dolly Dress Coverup XL


Vintage 1960s Brown & White Floral Shift Sz 14



Vintage 1980s Adolfo II Military Jumpsuit sz L XL


Vintage 1970s B&W Floral Halter Maxi Patio Gown

Start shopping NOW!

Besides loving vintage clothing and accessories I have a love of antique jewelry and vintage jewelry as well, especially diamonds as they are my birthstone.

When you were a girl did your mother or grandmother have an old vintage design that you just couldn’t take your eyes off of? These are the type of rings that make little girls dream of extravagant weddings and even antique engagement rings.

Because antique engagement rings have always been popular, girls dreaming of having a vintage design on their ring no longer have to worry about whether or not someone will be able to pass one down to them. This is because more and more designers are designing diamond jewelry that have the feel of vintage without being fifty years old. This allows every bride-to-be to have the wedding and engagement ring of her dreams.

To complement these antique engagement ring styles, brides may also find vintage style diamond jewelry sets to match. Diamond earrings and diamond necklaces may also be available in vintage designs that allow a bride to have that complete old world, antique feel to the wedding of her dreams along with the antique engagement ring to match. These styles have been popular for generations and will only remain popular as long as these vintage styles are available for women to choose from when they want to have that feeling of “always playing dress up.” These rings are unique designs in their own right that will always bring back a feeling of nostalgia whether you are the first generation in the family or the sixth.

So next time you're thinking of the perfect accessories for that 1940s bias cut gown you're wearing to that special occasion or your 1950s princess style wedding gown don't forget that diamonds are forever.

New at Born Too Late Vintage and Mirror Image Boutique!

Free U.S. shipping and 50% off international shipping!

So what are you waiting for! Let's go shopping!

Today I decided to talk about bathing suits. Bathing suits have been around since the Greeks. Actually the bikini is very similar to early Greek bathing suits. How we got to those minimalist suits from Ancient Greece to the cover it all up wool suits of the 1890s I'll never know.

As time marched on bathing suits became more and more brief. I'd hazard a guess that most of us remember seeing pictures of Betty Grable in her pin-up bathing suit or Esther Williams in her swimming movies all dolled up and looking great.

Bathings suits give a woman or for that matter a man a way to show what they're made of. Suits of the 1940s and 1950s had modesty panels across the hip area in lots of women's swimsuits. Two piece suits were available but nowhere near as brief as the bikinis of the late 1960s to the present. And of course there was the famous monokini designed by Rudi Gernreich in 1964 that let almost all of it hang out.

So whether you're a let it all hang out type of guy or gal or the type that likes to leave a little more to the imagination, Born Too Late Vintage has lots of bathing suits to fit the real you.

1950s



Vintage 1950s Kahala Sexy Pin-Up Green Swimsuit Bathing Suit



Vintage 1950s Paradise Sexy Swimsuit Bathing Suit



Vintage 1950s Kahala Sexy Pin-up Blue Bathing Suit


1960s



Vintage 60s Jantzen Flower Power Bathing Suit Dcup



Vintage 60s Roxanne Water Lily Bathing Suit D cup



Vintage 60s Roxanne Spider Mum Bathing Suit D cup



Vintage 1960s Gabar Flowered Sexy VLV Swimsuit Bathing Suit


1970s



Vintage 1970s Purple Blue Flower Swimsuit Bathing Suit B40C



Vintage 1970s Blue Sexy Pin-Up Swimsuit Bathing Suit Sz S


So what are you waiting for?

Start shopping NOW!

As I went into my walk-in closet to select a pair of shoes today I started thinking about how important shoes are in the grand scheme of fashion be it modern or vintage. Often times a new pair of shoes vintage or otherwise can be the finishing touch to a new outfit or something you've had in your closet because it was missing that certain something to top it off.

Shoes have changed throughout history. At one time in the courts of kings and queens one could tell the rank of any lady and gentleman by the length of their shoes. Shoes have been made from all sorts of fabrics and materials. What they were made of often times was affected by the state of the world around us be it peaceful times or times of war. Synthetics kicked in heartily during WW II when ration coupons were needed to purchase leather shoes.

So without further ado I'm featuring fabulous shoes throughout the more recent ages from the 1920s up to and including shoes of today. All the shoes shown here are available at Specialist Auctions by our esteemed vintage and modern clothing sellers.

1920s



1920s Shoes with 2-Tone Leather and Cut-out Detail


1930s



Vintage 1930s Conformal Black Babydoll Peep toe Shoes 10AAAA>


1940s



Vintage 1940s Rhythm Step Red Babydoll Heels Pumps


1950s



50s blk patent stiletto heel shoes UK 4.5 US 6.5


1960s



60s Brown lace slingback shoes UK8.5 USA11 VLV


1970s



Vintage 1970s Candies Natural Tan Slides Shoes Size 7


1980s



Vintage 1980s NWOT Daniel Green Red Espadrilles shoes 9W


1990s



Shoes Deep Navy Blue Suede Pumps size 9N US


2000s



BRUNO MAGLI STILETTO SHOES RHINESTONES WOOL 8 1/2

So whatever the occasion, era or color make sure to check out the vintage and contemporary sellers of Specialist Auctions.

Today we're visiting the recurrence of the maxi dress better known now as the "patio dress." They're what's in style this summer for lounging about and evening wear as well. Back in the 1970s these were known as maxi dresses and we wore them to our proms and many other occasions. Gunne Sax were one name that comes to mind immediately when thinking about maxi dresses. However, the maxi dress wasn't just celebrated by Gunne Sax but also by designers like Donald Brooks. Many other more anonymous labels made some beautiful maxis as well. The maxi dress is a favorite of mine and brings back fond memories. So without further ado Born Too Late Vintage presents part of their collection of maxi dresses.



Vintage 1970s Designer Donald Brooks Maxi Patio Dress





Vintage 1970s Emilio Borghese Diamond Maxi Patio Dress B 34





Vintage 1970s Green Paisley Print Maxi Patio Dress B 36





Vintage 1960s Harvey Berin Pink Daisy Chain Patio Gown B 33





Vintage 1970s Floral Green Max Patio Dress w Flutter Sleeve



Whether it's 1970s maxi patio dresses or another era you have in mind Born Too Late Vintage has what you're looking for!! Don't see it listed? Contact us as we add new items weekly!

I found a treasure recently in my travels along the vintage highway. I've always been interested in the history of the British Boutique Movement, although I haven't always understood the attraction to all of the greats like Ossie Clark and the moss crepe fabric textiles that Celia Birtwell designed, the fashions by Biba and of course Mary Quant. What I did understand was the stylings of Lee Bender of Bus Stop. As much as I don't buy vintage items just for their labels it's always nice to find a "holy grail" item once in a while.

A vintage friend, Margaret (Artizania) gave me a heads up on a Bus Stop suit that was for sale and I grabbed it as fast as I could. The workmanship on the suit is superb and a bit different from the normal stylings of Lee Bender but it still says "superior fashion" to me. So without further ado here are the photos of my holy grail item, a Vintage 1970s Bus Stop Lee Bender Posh Plaid Suit!










Of course being a vintage clothing entrepreneur I buy vintage items all the time without regard to my personal size so this beauty is ready to find a new home with someone else who will cherish it and wear it in good health. So don't forget to check out this wonderful piece of wearable history along with many other items we have in store for you at Born Too Late Vintage, the style you were meant to wear!

This is the final week of our trip into the Greenwich Village Boutiques. I've had the good fortune to also find in my travels a wonderful cream color gown length hand crocheted dress from the boutique of Fred Leighton.

Although I don't know the personal story behind this gown I've been able to gather from my research on the internet and from a friend named Scott that the clothes that the shop carried in Mr. Leighton's shop in the village were not designed by or for him but were created anonymously in Mexico and imported by him for a US market interested in "ethnic" clothing.

Fred Leighton started out in Chicago back in the early 'twenties; his original interest was in Native American crafts and he ran Fred Leighton's Indian Trading Post on Michigan Avenue before moving to Manhattan in the midthirties. There, he opened Fred Leighton Imports, which specialized in Mexican goods (which continued to be the case through the early seventies) which would have been the time that this particular gown was sold. The McDougal Street store didn't open until the midsixties, and by 1972 the shop, while continuing to carry some Mexican imports, began to specialize in imports from many other countries.

Fred Leighton himself passed away in the mid 1970s (although the exact date is not available to me), the shop was purchased and within a few years began carrying only antique jewelry, which is what the store is known for today.

Along with much of the information above, my friend Scott also provided this information as well: "There was a 1965 mention from the New York Times which refers to the popularity of dresses much like the one I am featuring today: "New York women have been buying up the tucked cotton and lace Mexican wedding dresses--which sell in shops like Fred Leighton's and the Phoenix Pan American--and wearing them for their own special flair. Maria Tallchief, the ballerina, wrapped a sash around her white one for the opening of "Don Quixote" last May. A chic middle-aged woman at Lincoln Center wore hers loosely with a simple strand of diamonds, while a young girl tied black ribbons to her braided hair to match her black dress...."

While I have chosen to feature this crocheted gown in it's simplicity there are many ways to make it your own as the article above states better than I ever could. And now for the pictures of this lovely gown.










This gown is in excellent condition having stood the test of time beautifully and is exclusively offered at Born Too Late Vintage at Specialists Auction.