RED CARPET TRANSLATED

Sunday night was a smashing good time. I don't know about you, but I had a blast at several Oscar parties and am still enjoying the thrills a girl gets from eye-spying the fashion parade on the red carpet. And, while I wish I could wear a ball gown every day, formal attire might be a bit much at say, Trader Joe's.

So, I was talking trend-spotting on the carpet with the gang at our online team and we thought it might be fun to post pieces online that were inspired by what we saw at the 84th Academy awards. Our top five favorite trends: Red Hot, True Blue, Winter Whites, Silver Medals, and Disco Queen (read sequins from head to toe). Want to get the best of Oscar glam that works from the boardroom to the bar from all your favorite designers including Balmain, Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel® and Hervé Leger? Click here!

--Lizzy (I'm the one in the vintage Paco Rabanne gown at Erewon)

OSCARS OSCARS OSCARS

As we recouperate from the madness that Oscars Week is, everything is still hazy. We were thrilled when Jean Dujardin won, happy to see Maryl Streep add another statuette in her collection, weirdly obsessed with Angelina Jolie's black velvet Versace gown..and her right leg...elated to see Gwyneth Paltrow perfect in Tom Ford, but most of all we were happy to see Melissa McCarthy in her custom made Marina Rinaldi gown. The most important thing in a ceremony like this, which always tends to be on the boring/conservative side, is to look beautiful, not the dress or the borrowed jewels or the clutch, but the woman herself. Melissa looked radiant. Her smile was contagious. Her awe of being recognized was visible. She looked like a real beautiful woman who took the time to appreciate a surreal event like the Oscars and the red carpet.

With that said the following are some snapshots from the world of Decades and our beautiful friends celebrating last weekend.

-Eri

Melissa McCarthy in custom Marina Rinaldi gown in her early morning Oscar fitting with Cameron Silver

Actress Rachael Harris in vintage Lanvin Haute Couture with Cameron Silver at the post Oscars Vanity Fair party

Cameron Silver and the Fashion Police

Our very own Christos Garkinos at the Elton John Oscar party looking dapper in John Richmond tux and Teddy Tinson bowtie

Our beautiful friend Christine Chiu (right) in vintage Givenchy from Decades

YOU HAVE NEVER LOOKED THIS GOOD

Congratulations to Meryl Streep in her Oscar win last night!! She is simply one of the most beautiful and talented actresses in the world!! Well, you have by now guessed that we are big fans of her work and how chic and ageless she always looks. Last night was no exception. She looked flawless in the gold Lanvin gown. It reminded us of the vintage Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture piece we posted a while back.

It is said that the Lanvin gown that Meryl Streep wore to the Oscar Ceremony last night, is a custom made Lanvin eco friendly gown, which makes it even more special.

We applaud the efforts of many designers now days using Eco Certified fabrics to make beautiful clothes, but let's not forget that buying vintage and recycling your clothes is eco friendly as well. So if you buy this dress, you are helping the planet to stay green, you will always be reminded of a perfect moment in the history of movies and let's not forget it's haute couture.

-Eri

Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture dress in gold velvet, c. 1980's. Modern size 4. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting, so may offer you a high level of personal service.

STEPPIN' OUT IN OSCAR STYLE

*Vintage Judith Leiber grixpoix belt, Designer braided silk and gem necklace, Vintage Yves Saint Laurent pink gem earrings, and Chanel costume large pearl necklace

As I'm sure you guys all know, Sunday is the 84th Academy Awards. I don't know about you, but I'm giddy to see who's wearing who on the carpet, not to mention, who's sporting major bling. And, as we all know, no ensemble is complete without the perfect accessories. It's those finishing touches, like the perfect heel or unique jewel, that really bumps up your sparkle factor. And we want our ladies to shine.

So, the Decades online team and I have chosen our favorite accessories from past to present and just posted them online. Like the what you see above? Then, check out our Steppin' Out selection so that come Sunday, you can step out in style!

DECADES FASHION FACT: COOL IN CHLOE

I dunno about you, but I'm crazy for Chloé. Founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, who sensed in a gap in the market between Haute Couture and off-the-rack plain-jane clothing, Chloé from the jump, was a high-end line of soft, exquisitely made feminine clothing with luxe fabrics that didn't conform to Haute Couture rules and regulations but were fashionable well-made clothes that made the woman who couldn't quite afford Dior, stand out in a crowd.

Allegedly, Gaby called this new type of catagory "pret-a-porter". (Who knew she coined the phrase? Btw, Chloé's pret-a-porter lines were so successful, that the couturiers quickly introduced their own versions, with Givenchy being the first to hop on the P-a-P train, with the Givenchy University collection in 1956.) Chloé also made it their business to work with wunderkind designers such as Maxime de la Falaise and Michèle Rosier.

In the mid-60s, Chloé started working with a young upstart designer from Germany, Karl Lagerfeld, maybe you've heard the name. (wink) Several luminous ladies such as Jackie Kennedy, Brigitte Bardot, Maria Callas and Grace Kelly sported Karl's Chloé clothing.

In 1985, Chloé is purchased by the Richemont Group. They continue to hire top-tier talent, such as Martine Stibon. Eventually, in 1997 Stella McCartney is hired to helm the brand. McCartney takes the brand back to it's roots with feminine coquette-ish clothing and accessories. since McCartney's departure in 2001 to run her own label, today's major design players have worked for the brand including Phoebe Philo and Hannah MacGibbon. Upon MacGibbon's claim of the reins, Chloe Sevigny signs the dotted line and becomes a spokeswoman for the house. It is this pairing, not to mention the shared name, which inspired the Decades online team to post Chloe clothing yesterday followed by clothing by Chloé today.

Personally, I have my eye on a vintage Chloé cream skirt with tiered lace at the hem; though a vintage navy dress with embroidery is also calling my name. Sigh. Decisions, decisions.

To shop our specially-picked grouping of vintage and modern Chloé, click here. For a preview, dig the pieces below.

--Lizzy

Vintage Chloé navy dress with embroidery

Vintage Chloé cream skirt with lace hem

Modern Chloé black dress with deep V-neck

Modern Chloé dress with metallic paillette paisley designs

PUCCI PIZZAZZ

Fashion in the 60's was all about "pop culture", it was a reflection of the music like the Beatles and movies like Blow-up and La Dolce Vita. Retailers were using Peter Max and Milton Glaser graphics to appeal to the young , who were the majority of the population in the 60's.

Against this background, creations of Emilio Pucci, provided a very obvious way for many women to feel part of the decade. Women were changing as well, along with the music and movies, a more liberated woman was born. And they all wore Pucci.

Rumor has it that Marilyn Monroe was buried in an almond green Pucci dress, the same one she was wearing when she met Arthur Miller.

If you don't own a Pucci, we strongly recommend you rectify that by owning this iconic jumpsuit from the 60's. It embodies everything that the Pucci woman was all about, fun and loud, passionate and rebellious. This piece would surely add a spark of joy into your life. A very fashionable spark - that is.

-Eri

Emilio Pucci jumpsuit two tone, c. 1960's. Modern size 4.

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

GALANOS TRAVELS EAST

Since Galanos seems to be the theme of today, here is another amazing Galanos piece from the early 80's. This 2 piece ensemble in silk is inspired by Chinese clothing and art. The top can be worn by itself as a dress and the vest can be worn separately with jeans for a more casual look. The whole ensemble is fully lined and in pristine condition.

In true Galanos form this silhouette is narrow with a fluid ease, but despite his fondness for black in design, he was also known for his unusual combinations of colors just like in this piece.

-Eri

James Galanos 2 piece Chinoiserie ensemble dress with vest and belt, c. 1980's. Modern size 4 to 6.

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

FROM HAUTE COUTURE TO READY TO WEAR

If you are still looking for an Oscar dress or maybe you are planning your wedding this Galanos beaded gown is just what you will need to look fabulous and chic. There is so much to say about James Galanos and the way he changed the fashion world, besides wearing all the most important woman in America from nancy Raegan to Kim Basinger.

Anne-Marie Schiro of New York Times wrote about James Galanos "To him, fashion is all about making women look beautiful, and he has devoted 44 years of his life to designing clothes to that end." Bernardine Morris in an introduction to the catalogue of Galanos' retrospective exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum in 1996 wrote: "He was always a hero to all those who worshiped at the feet of fashion, not just those who wore the clothes, Galanos was heralded as the equal of any of the mythic group of French designers who represented the apotheosis of fashion. The difference, then and now, is that Galanos' clothes were ready-to-wear; the French Haute Couture made custom clothes. In this, he is truly an American designer. For, in this country, it is ready-to-wear that dominates fashion, a lesson the French learned after he pointed the way. This may be James Galanos' major contribution to the fashion world: he brought brilliance and quality to styles meant to be bought off the rack".

-Eri

James Galanos Ivory one-shoulder evening gown with beads and sequins. Size 2, c.1970's. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

HIGH LOW CHLOE

As we all know, New Yorkers love to talk and Big Apple dwellers love them some Chloe Sevigny dish. It seems that everyone I know kicked it with at Liquid Sky back in the day or spotted Sevigny as a vintage-clad teen skulking through the East Village when she allegedly eschewed handbags in favor of carrying her essentials in a white plastic deli bag. Several years later, Sevigny sightings are still as numerous as they were in the early 90s, when Sevigny interned at Sassy and was the subject of Jay McInerney's infamous New Yorker send-up, Chloe's Scene, and discussion/dissection of what makes an "It" girl.

Sigh. What happened to the "It" girl? Where has she gone? In all likelihood, she's left the city entirely, and is posting up somewhere in the country in a geodesic dome that's she built herself while she cans and pickles and quilts.

If you ask me, Chloe is one of, if not the, last truly great "It" girls. She eschews stylists and does her own hair and make-up and consistently knocks it out of the park on the red carpet. Her style is truly inimitable plus her affinity for vintage and her ability to know how to wear it in a way that always feels modern, makes her a truly fashionable gal. And I'm not the only one. I'm pretty sure that the gang over at Opening Ceremony finds her pretty chic as they've tapped her to collaborate on an in-house line of clothing season after season.

Of course, seeing Chloe in Decades picks is always a blast. Here's a few of my favorite Chloe Sevigny selections over the years:

--Lizzy

Chloe in vintage Paco Rabanne haute couture dress and necklace in a shoot for the LA Times

Chloe in vintage Thierry Mugler at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2007

Chloe in vintage Holly Harp at the Academy Awards in 2002

So, we picked a few pieces and just posted them on our website here that remind of fashion's most beloved daredevil. Check out a preview below:

Vintage Issey Miyake draped dress, Vintage Theirry Mugler black leather dress, vintage YSL princess puff sleeve cocktail dress

Zimmerman mint bouclé dress, YSL black jumpsuit, YSL grey jersey vest

OH OSCAH . . .

Here in Hollywood, Tinseltown literally looses it's last mind when it comes to the the Academy Awards; grown people turn into children all hopped up on sugar and ripping down the stairs to open Santa's presents like it's Christmas and there is definitely a pony under the tree. Heck, most people get all dolled up just to watch the 73 hour event on the telly, never mind those who actually attend the show, get nominated or walk with a naked gold dude sans parts, (a kin to Ken perhaps).

Come Oscar night, the hills and haute hotspots are aglow with revelers in their Sunday finery - more parties are kicked off, champagne sipped, toasts made, hands hive-fived and if you're lucky enough to roll through the Governors Ball, chocolates nibbled at Wolfgang Puck's chocolate buffet. Chocolate coffee, chocolate toffee . . . Oy. I die.

So, if you don't live under a rock, chances are this Sunday's plans have been on lock for a sweet minute or two. Me, I don't have a TV nor the patience to sit though 62 montages. That said, my beloved and I have rsvp'd in the affirmative to a few fetes here in town and as far I'm concerned, the only portion of the show I care to see is the pre-show arrivals. Checking out who's wearing what and of course, digging out the final looks of the lovely ladies we've dressed is an absolute gas.

But once Billy Crystal takes the mike to say Bonjour 84, meh. I'm just hoping once the clock strikes 4p PST, that's there's a chocolate buffet in my immediate vicinity. I've already picked out my ensemble for the night and it involves some vintage YSL. However, I realize some of you may have put off picking out your outfit. Feeling a bit stressed about last-minute prep and dressing? Don't worry girlfriend, I got you. Today's Tuesday Ten at Ten features pieces that guarantee a mention on anyone's best-dressed list. I'm talking Gucci gowns, Cavalli kicks, Valentino evening bags and the ultimate in red carpet bling, why Miriam Haskell for Decades jewelry. Sadly, the little naked gold homie isn't included in the collection. Not that we didn't try.

--Lizzy