Lily, the grand dame of vintage fashion, is stockpiled with designer pieces from A to Z, a virtual museum of au couture gowns unavailable anywhere else, except possibly in Paris and the attics of high society's best-dressed women, who may ultimately sell them to the store. Celebrities appreciate the scarcity of vintage and the wide range of styles it offers. It's what personally motivates you. Decades, another vintage couture store catering to Hollywood's chic and famous, is more known for modern '60s and '70s styles from Gucci, Pucci, Ossie Clark and Rudi Gernreich. Proprietor Cameron Silver opened the Melrose Avenue boutique three years ago and regularly sells to Ryder, Courtney Love, Gina Gershon, Cameron Diaz, Rose McGowan, Marilyn Manson, David Arquette and Jennifer Tilly.
Chic people wear vintage clothing.
As evidence of vintage finding a more legitimate place in fashion, the store is opening a boutique this month inside Barney's New York on Madison Avenue. Other vintage fans enjoy hunting for classic items as a hobby. Jewely Van Valin, Richard Farnsworth's fiancee, found the ivory, wool and cotton lace Victorian dress she wore to the Oscars in a New Mexico antique shop. Unable to find a shawl, she draped the dress with an embroidered silk table runner. She has been collecting antique clothing for more than 20 years and often tats lace accessories to accompany them.