With fall and winter not to far away don't forget to stock up on great fashion from Born Too Late Vintage!

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

It won't be long now before fall and winter are upon us so why not stock up knitwear and coats while Born Too Late Vintage is running their sale? We're offering $10 off any item priced $50 or higher and a $10 discount on multiple purchases on lower priced items that total $50 or more until July 17!

Vintage 1960s Hand Knit Cranberry Wool Suit B40 Jacket W40 Skirt W34 H38



Vintage 1970s Bonnie Cashin Trench Coat size 18 B 46 W 48 H 52 plus size



Vintage 1980s Black & Gold Knit Wrap Dress B34



Vintage 1970s Metallic Knit Bronze Gold Copper Set Jacket B36 Skirt W26 H34



Vintage 1970s Count Romi Trench Coat w Fur Collar B 42 W 42 H 46 Plus Size



Vintage 1950s Hand Knit Black Wool Suit B40 W40 Skirt W34 H38



Vintage 1970s doing 40s Gold Glitter Gown XL B 40 W 42 H 46 Plus Size



Vintage 1970s Black Goth Crepe Like Maxi Coat B34 W 38

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

From now, July 10 up to and including July 17 Born Too Late Vintage is having a $10 off any item $50 or higher sale! Here's just a small sample of items on sale now!



Vintage Goth 1980s Mexican Black Leather Ankle Boots



Vintage 1960s Fred Leighton Hand Crocheted Gown XS




Vintage 1950s Dobbs Twenty Fedora Hat Size 7 1/4



Vintage 1940s Coward Black Suede Swing Shoes Size 8 A



Vintage 1980s Gold Glimmer Sexy Slave Top & Skirt B38 W 42 H 56 Plus Size


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

In my travels as a vintage clothing entrepreneur/collector I've met some great people. Some of those people have trusted me to purchase some of their vintage items. Recently I visited with one 97-years young lady. She has some beautiful things that she'd like to pass on to someone who will appreciate them. In the past I've purchased some purses from this lady and while the purses were nice what I enjoyed most was the stories behind the items and the company of this wonderful lady. Now I can spin a fictional store with the best of them but there's just something grand about hearing the real story behind an item.

Over the next few months I'll be listing things my friend passed on to me which include 1920s-1930s mens wool bathing suits in excellent condition, some beautiful beaded purses, corde purses, leather purses, crocheted purses, hats and a lot of other items in beautiful condition.

Currently we have a lot of shoes listed from my friend that date from the 1940s on up. The shoes are in beautiful condition and we'd like to see them go to homes that will appreciate them.



Vintage 1940s Coward Navy Blue Mesh Swing Shoes Size 8A




Vintage 1960s Montgomery Ward Taupe Perforated Swing Style Slip On Shoes Size 8B




Vintage 1940s Wing Step Black Leather Mesh Swing Shoes Size 8B




Vintage 1970s Hush Puppies White Perforated Swing Style Shoes Size 8M




Vintage 1940s Brown Suede & Faux Alligator Embossed Leather Swing Shoes



Vintage 1940s Fashion Stride White Pump Swing Shoes



So keep checking back at Born Too Late Vintage for more of my friend's treasures. You'll be glad you did!

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.

Whether you're surfing, sunning or swimming, Specialist Auctions has the best in swimwear!

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

Today is a big day in our household. Not only is it Father's Day but it's our oldest daughter's birthday. Yes, 11 years ago we had our first bundle of joy on Father's Day. I wonder where the time has gone. It has just seemed to fly by.



Fifteen months later our second bundle of joy in the form of our second daughter came along.

Now having been married for 15 years before we had our first daughter, some of my friends were concerned that DH would not like being out of the spotlight. They could not have been more wrong. DH is the ultimate Dad. From the very first DH was wrapped around the girls fingers and that is still true today. I'm the disciplinarian in the house when it comes to making the girls tow the line and be responsible for their actions. DH is the one that they go to when they want a puppy, kitten or that pair of shoes they know I'll say no to because the heel is just too high.

DH is the one to take the girls out for a father daughter day to the movies and lunch afterwards. DH is the one that calls them at 8 o'clock every night (he works the night shift so I can work at home and be with the girls) to ask them about their day and to say goodnight. He's the one who makes me feel better when business is slow and I feel I'm not making a big enough financial contribution. He always tells me he wouldn't have it any other way (I retired from the phone company when our second daughter was born).

DH is the one that I leaned on completely when within a two year span my parents both died. He provided never wavering support when things got really tough and has stood by me through thick and thin. I don't think that there is a husband or father who has been anymore solid than my DH and the girls father.

My girls are Daddy's girls. They share their hopes and dreams with him and he tells them the sky is the limit. They can do anything they want if they work hard.

The highest compliment I can pay DH is that he is just like my Dad who was always there for me through every trial and tribulation one faces in life. Dad has been gone 7 years now but all I have to do is turn around and look at DH to see the continuing legacy of what a great father is.

So Happy Father's Day to all Dads everywhere. I wish an especially happy Fathers Day to DH and a wonderful awe filled 11th birthday to my oldest daughter. Sweetheart, this is only the beginning of your journey. May it be filled with love and friendship.

Today is the last day of school for our daughters. Our oldest is moving on to junior high (OMG how did that happen?!!). Our youngest is moving on to fourth grade.

This past year our girls have had the most wonderful nurturing teachers. Ms. Salus is our oldest daughter's teacher. Ms. Salus has had our oldest for fourth and fifth grade. She has pushed our daughter when she needed pushing and been very supportive of our daughter when she has tried hard to just be herself (by wearing vintage clothes instead of wearing the uniform of the day for pre-teens). On Wednesday our oldest daughter was awarded the Presidential Educational Excellence award. This award covers fourth and fifth grade. I know that without the motivation of Ms. Salus our daughter may not have achieved this. So we thank Ms. Salus for all her support and hard work.

I would also like to say thank you to Ms. Avery, our daughter's art teacher. My oldest daughter has been drawing since she was very little and Ms. Avery has always challenged our daughter to learn more techniques and helped her grow artistically. Thank you so much Ms. Avery for helping our daughter to reach out for what she wants.

Our youngest daughter's teacher is Mr. Fagan. What can I say about Mr. Fagan? He's a Nascar fan (go Jeff Gordon) and uses a race car track and individual cars for each child to keep track of their reading points. He has a pet rabbit named Boo-Boo in the classroom to help teach the kids about being responsible. He has helped to make our youngest daughter more confident and to meet the challenges she will face in fourth grade. There has never been a time when our youngest daughter has come home and said she has had a bad day in Mr. Fagan's classroom. Even when she was sick we had to force her to stay home because she didn't want to miss a day in Mr. Fagan's class. Thank you Mr. Fagan for all you have done to help our daughter grow and excel.

I'd also like to thank Mr. Krauss, our daughters' music teacher. Mr. Krauss is a fireball of energy. Our girls have received the absolute best grounding in music from Mr. Krauss. He has enriched their lives. Thank you Mr. Krauss for keeping the music in our daughters' lives.

There are many times in our lives when we have really appreciated what teachers have done to help us down life's road. Teachers don't receive the acknowledgement that they so richly deserve. They tend to our children's education and often times sooth their soul when a friendship ends at lunchtime or when our children are having a problem at home. They share in our children's successes and their failures on a daily basis.

So thank you again to our daughters' teachers. I hope you realize what an impact you've had in our daughters' lives.

I wonder what senior citizens would do with a WII gaming system? If you'd like to help me find out then check out these auctions for Christian Dior lingerie on Specialist Auctions.

The auctions are being sponsored by an Age Concern social day care centre in Cambridgeshire, England. The staff at the centre are raising money to buy a Wii for users of the centre, who range in age from mid 60s to early 90s. All fees are being waived by Specialist Auctions for this worthy cause.

One of the auctions is for this beautiful Vintage 1970s Christian Dior Full Length Dressing Gown which is quilted and has beautiful lace cuffs over the quilting.


Vintage Christian Dior Full Length Dressing Gown

For a look at the other 3 auctions of Christian Dior lingerie for this worthy cause please click here
Specialist Auctions and use the search terms "Christian Dior Lingerie" in the main search box.

What gal doesn't love shoes! Well at Born Too Late Vintage we have a bunch of swinging shoes available. Just take a gander at these babies!!

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

What the heck is "Have a haggle?" "Have a haggle" is where you can "make an offer" to a seller on Specialist Auctions. So if you see something you like why not have a haggle and see what happens. You just never know what might happen!

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

Every gal is crazy for a sharp dressed man! How many of you ladies wind up throwing out clothing that your significant other just won't part with (torn T-shirts, cut off jeans shorts that could get your guy arrested for indecent exposure), you know the drill). Well isn't it time you showed your guy how great he can look with some vintage added to his wardrobe? What about some accessories or a shaving kit or a straight razor ? For your viewing pleasure we have a small sample of what's in store for you at Specialist Auctions Vintage

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

Picture a sultry summer evening with you and your significant other. You quietly leave the room to slip into something a little more comfortable......

When you return it's all sparks and flames and we fade out to the boudoir where......

What delicious lingerie we have at Specialist Auctions (where every auction is private!). So what are you waiting for?? Let's go shopping!!

I don't know about anyone else but I love vintage buttons, zippers and all kinds of notions and patterns. You can get a real sense of history and a great timeline of fashion on the amount of fabric a pattern used or what zippers were made of (especially during war time) or even what kind of seam binding was used. The vintage pattern and notion sellers at Specialist Auctions have a wonderful variety of notions, patterns and books on knitting, sewing, etc.

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

Today we continue our interview with Susan Goldworm, daughter of Robert Goldworm, designer extraordinaire of the fabulous Goldworm one of a kind knit outfits.

Marge: What Goldworm outfits do you own that are your absolute favorites and why are they your favorites?

Susan: Of all the pieces I have – I do still have 4 top favorites. They are all one-of-a-kind samples which make them so special to me. My two nieces will have to argue over who gets what! The first two were from the original Goldworm label and made in Italy. One is a back merino wool bugle beaded sheath dress. In my opinion and I am a bit biased…one of the best little black dresses ever made! It still is in style, and has held its shape and I have not lost a bead yet. You would never know that this garment is 40 plus years old. The second is a knit sequined leopard tank top. Again, still very much in style and over 40 years old. The last 2 are from the year before my father closed the business to retire. A bright pink silk tulips print dress, with coordinating sweater. The sweater is my choice piece. It was made by taking the printed silk of the dress, cutting it into 1” thick strips and then each strip was wrapped with very fine pieces of pink wool, the strips of wool wrapped fabric were then knitted into a sweater. The final piece is my “coat of many colors” silk blouse with knit rib cuffs and matching sweater. (the last two items were unavailable at the time of this interview to be photographed).




Marge: What do you think was your father's greatest contribution to the world of fashion?

Susan: His greatest contribution to the fashion industry came from his love of multi colored intarsia knit garments. My father was one of the first to use this method in knitwear on machines with up to 12 colors throughout the knitted goods.


Seated in a spiderweb of his own designs is the gentleman who is responsible for the knitted fashions favored by the American woman who travels fastest, farthest and neatest. Young (32 years) Bob Goldworm, partner with his mother in a 30-year-old New York knitwear business, is one of the first Americans to reverse the flow of designing talent which hitherto has continually brought Europeans to America. He goes to Italy to design styles in the American tradition - a clean-cut silhouette with no clutter. Three years ago the firm produced the first full-length dress made like a flat knit cardigan sweater, and since then the Goldworms have taken over a factory near Milan to produce dresses for the American Market. The Goldworm product is based on Italian hand-fashioning, a process which builds the shape in and tailors seams and edges in a manner that cannot be duplicated by U.S. machines. Seven variations of this chemise look are shown above. Clockwise from the model seated at the left are a two-piece middy dress with pleated skirt ($45); semi-fitted chemise ($40); striped "bag" ($35); cardigan coat to be worn with or without a matching sheath ($125); sheath with short striped jacket ($55); shirt dress ($35) and two-piece sweater dress($45). The shoes are low-heeled T-strap sandals by Joyce ($14). Dresses are available at Lord and Taylor, New York, Blum's, Philadelphia; Gidding's, Cincinnati; Himelhoch, Detroit; Bramson's, Chicago; Rich's, Inc., Atlanta; and Ransohoff's, San Francisco. (pictures and article courtesy of Sports Illustrated and provided by Susan Goldworm).


Marge: What did your father do after retiring in 1981?

Susan: In 1981 my father closed the doors of his business, but he never stopped creating. He enrolled at the School of Visual Arts and the Sculpture Center, where he devoted himself to his new work. I remember being most impressed by his sculptures. He commuted between his homes on the Pacific Palisades, Wainscot, NY and Manhattan. He loved to play tennis and did so daily.



Susan and Bob Goldworm in 1991


Dad and my stepmom, Carla, in 1981

We'd like to thank Susan for sharing her father with us. As a vintage clothing store owner, it has been my pleasure to find several Goldworms in my time. While they all differed in color and pattern the quality shined through on each and every one. Here are a few more samples of the genius of Robert Goldworm.