{moody grey}

Have posted about all white interiors and bright bursts of colour, but what if you prefer neither and wanted the calm, moody tones of gray? Sophisticated and sexy when infused with hints of brown, gray can be cold and stark if they are too blue. This Paris apartment is just perfect and reminds me of Joachim Bandeau's watercolours {below}, which are varying shades of graphite to black, and look simultaneously soft and bold.

(images: Vogue Living Australia, Nicholas Metivier Gallery)

fresh flowers

Last summer I stopped by our local market every Wednesday to pick up fresh flowers, and this year has been so busy, I've only managed to stop by twice, and came home not with flowers, but strawberries! There's something so cheerful and refined about having pretty arrangements all around the house, not to mention the bursts of colour they bring.

(images: domino, domino, flickr)

The Big Gamble - How to Protect Yourself When Buying Vintage Clothing on EBay

Have you every been disappointed with an item of vintage clothing you purchased on EBay? I'll bet the answer is, "Yes!".

I sell exclusively on EBay and have one of the largest vintage clothing stores on the EBay site. I consider it my job to be aware of what is happening in the vintage clothing categories on EBay, so I set out to discover why customers of vintage clothing are so disenchanted with buying on EBay.

For the last 6 months, I have been conducting an experiment. I have purchased over 100 vintage clothing items on EBay for my personal use. I used a different EBay account to purchase these items, so the sellers I purchased from did not know who they were selling to. I only purchased items described as being in excellent condition. I purchased from experienced, well-known sellers as well as new and inexperienced sellers.

I was appalled at the results of my experiment! More than 50% of the items I purchased were damaged in some way! These pieces could not be considered to be in excellent condition by any stretch of the imagination. I received a dress covered in mold and mildew, a dress that overwhelmed me with the smell of moth balls, and a dress that had been washed and shrunk so the lining hung 2 inches below the hem of the dress itself! I received items with actual measurements up to 2" off from what was stated in the listing. I received items with moth damage, iron shine, stains, fading, popped seams, broken zippers, splits in the fabric, underarm odors, tears and holes, alterations, and cut off and shortened hems. NONE of these issues had been disclosed in the listings so I could make an informed buying decision.

It's no wonder buyers of vintage clothing no longer trust EBay sellers! But, take heart! There are many professional vintage clothing sellers on EBay who offer wonderful merchandise and can be trusted. The trick is to find them. An easy way to be assured you'll be happy with your purchase is to shop with Vintage Fashion Guild members. Sellers who are members of the Vintage Fashion Guild have gone through a rigorous review process and meet the standards set forth by the Guild. Couture Allure has been a member of the VFG for over 4 years. We highly recommend all sellers who are members of the VFG.

In light of my dreadful experiences buying vintage clothing on EBay, we're announcing a major policy change at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion. We are so confident you'll be happy with your purchase from us, we now accept returns on most of the items we sell. You can find the details on our Policies Page on EBay.

There are many other ways you can you protect yourself when considering making a purchase of vintage clothing on EBay. I've just written an EBay Guide with several tips which you might find interesting.

Shop for vintage clothing on EBay with confidence at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

{holly farrell}

Holly Farrall has always been a favourite, so it was great to see some new work, especially Television and Strainer, although all of her work is charming and makes everyday ordinary objects extraordinary.

going on a picnic part 2

Plastic flatware has come a long way since the unimaginative little white forks, knives and spoons we packed along with our Royal Chinet paper plates. Pandora Design's deluxe plastic flatware, modeled after fine silverware, is clearly too cute to discard after use.


There is such a great variety of melamine plates to choose from and one of my favourites is Thomas Paul's Gothic Dinner Plate Set, with its modern take on traditonal lace patterns.

{new work from alex munroe}

You may remember my February 2007 posting on Alex Munroe and my preference for natural forms in jewellery, and it looks like his work keeps getting better, expanding from birds and flowers to more abstract, yet still natural shapes such as feathers.

Playing with Princess Seams

In the mid 1960's, when the simple shift dress became popular, designers began experimenting with seams to add some visual interest to what could be a pretty basic style. This 1960's coat is by a company named Irvama-Carmel. I don't know who the designer was, but I love the ingenious use of the S curve in the front Princess seams.

The seam starts at the neckline under the collar, and curves out over the bust, back in above the waist, and then out to the side seam. That seam incorporates the bust shaping and also provides placement for the faux pocket flaps. Why use a straight dart when you can do something so much more pleasing to the eye?

See this coat and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .