I attended the Vintage Fashion Expo in the Bay Area on March 19, 2011. They have more shows coming up in Santa Monica (April 30-May 1), back in San Francisco on September 17-18, 2011) and again in the LA area October 15-16, 2011. One word for it: fun. They previewed over 85 booths which featured vintage clothing, jewelry, textiles, and accessories from the 1850s to the 1980s.
A wide range of periods and price levels could be found in every style imaginable, from belle epoque finery to bell bottom jeans. From European classics from Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Lanvin to timeless American designs by Bill Blass, Bonnie Cashin, Halston & Claire McCardell.
Since I didn’t expect or plan to attend, most of it was discovery. When I lived in New England, I would meander through vintage stores and stalls frequently and one of my favorite summer adventures was to hike up Maine’s Route 1, never knowing what I would find. As always, most of the really cool things you find aren’t all that practical, BUT I’ll add, if you think of it as an outing and the purchase is one of art, for either short or long term pleasure, then its much easier to go with the flow.
You could find 1940s and 1950s barrettes for $10 and glass beads for about the same on the low end (same goes for clothing) and $400-600 antique silver cuffs from Mexico on the high end. Handmade shoes could be found from Rubaiyat (Melinda and her husband Louis do amazing customized work) and turn of the century wedding dresses.
Retro plastic costume jewelry, rubies, garnets and semi-precious stoned rings, plaid jackets from the 80s, poodle skirts from the 50s, slinky glittery dresses from the 20s, one full of gold sewn on for about $5,000. For those who love discovery, the Expo is a delight.
A few photos I shot below.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
