Ebaytastic!

Every once in awhile I have such a good day shopping on ebay, that it renews my faith in the whole system. I may have spent day after day searching through the same boring ‘50s dresses and ‘80s pumps, but it’s days like this that make up for it. Here are just some of my recent finds:

1940s – Red Suede Peep Toe Pumps: For some reason there is no end to suede pumps on ebay. And why did everyone suddenly wake up one day and realize they have a whole stash of shoes from the 1940s laying around? Whatever the reason, if you spend anytime looking at shoes on ebay, then you’re already bored with this look. This pair, however, is special. Besides being lipstick red, which might have been enough (Dayenu!), there are folds of suede at the toe. Ya, it’s sort of a bow, but the whole thing is so stylized that the “bowiness” shouldn’t bother you. No one would ever mistake these shoes for being girly.


1919-1925 – Muslin Kimono: I have always desperately wanted a Kimono to wear around the house. It’s so unnecessary and indulgent, so old-hollywood, and so unabashedly orientalist that I just can’t help myself. I mean, this hails from a time when people were unashamed to group India, the Middle East, Jews, and East Asia into one big uber-romantic fantasy land. But aside from the political and cultural implications, this is one beautifully crafted piece of clothing. And I absolutely love the patter, which is made up of insect cages. They just don’t make stuff like this anymore. Or, at least, no ones publicist lets them wear it.


1920s-1930s – Green Jumper: The seller claims that this is a “one piece, bloomer style gym suit.” I’m not sure how they can know that, but it’s very charming to imagine a bunch of girls giggling and running around a field in outfits this outrageous. Whatever it’s true origin, this couldn’t be more of the moment. Imagine it with a fabulous belt, tights, and heels. I couldn’t pull it off. But someone could, and they’d look fabulous.

1920s-1930s – Red Silk Chiffon Flapper Dress: Let me set something straight. Everything made or worn between 1920 and 1939 is not a flapper dress. This is something that you have to watch out for when shopping on ebay. Similarly, everything from the 1960s through the early 1970s will be called mod. As if Jackie O. was known for her “mod” style. But that aside, this is a wonderful example of clothing from the period. There are lots of tiered dresses on ebay, but there is something special about the way this one has been done. The bodice also has some beautiful and I assume very flattering stitching. This is the reason you let dress after dress slowly disappear from your “watching” list. You just know that the perfect dress will come along eventually.