JJ: Ok so here we have a plain black dress from the 60s that looks like absolutely nothing on the hangar (and even more boring photographed as a still life on our website!) but transforms into the coolest dress ever when put on. I love the strips of fabric that flash on the skirt when you walk!
VV: Totally. I’m in a Blue’s Brother’s Mood here. I want to be the girlfriend of the small one.
JJ: John Bellushi?
VV: Yes, I love him. He’s a super rock n’ roll.
JJ: I think you look like a badass Audrey Hepburn with your little black dress and Ray-Bans.
VV: No! For me, it’s a happy widow look, like Sophia Loren. The little black dress is a uniform. It should always been worn in a very iconic way—with classic elements of the wardrobe.
JJ: Whenever I see total black I panic. I have to add jewelry or something to make it exciting. Otherwise I will fall asleep before I leave the house.
VV: Me too to be honest. That’s why my look has an ironic twist—like the Godfather. I think you’re ‘WOW’ here. When you wear black, I think you’re totally ‘ciao’ because it’s unexpected from you. You’re a rainbow soul though.
Exactly, which can sometimes be achieved by pouring the entire pot of gold from that rainbow part on your body, which I’ve done here with all this vintage bootie. At first I put even more jewelry on but then I thought, maybe this is too much. And if I say it’s too much, it must DEFINITELY be too much. So here you’ve got me in my pared down maximal black look.
JJ: This is Advanced Placement vintage-wear—not many girls today imagine themselves wearing a tunic top with micro mini shorts designed by 1960s maestro Pierre Cardin.
VV: No kidding. I would never wear the outfit all together.
JJ: I love it all together! The mini shorts are like granny pants!
VV: They seem man-repelling but I find them very sexy actually. There’s something sexy about that look.
JJ: Meanwhile, you look like you’re about to play tennis.
VV: Yes! Exactly. For me, this is a chic tennis outfit.
JJ: I was kind of joking….
VV: I wasn’t! It’s a 1930s tennis situation or I could be a character in a Wes Anderson film.
JJ: We could take you over the Prada Foundation for an Aperol spritz in the bar that Wes Anderson designed.
VV: Si, per favore!
JJ: This outfit seems like a dress but it’s actually a skirt and top. It’s so 1970s, I love it. You can wear the sleeveless top tucked in or loose outside of the long skirt. But Viv, what on earth were you thinking? I would never add a shirt under that top!
VV: The top was too sexy—I wanted to make it more of a day look.
JJ: By ‘day’ you mean five-inch velvet silk-cabled heels from Marco de Vicenzo? Are you nuts?
VV: Well, I had to dress it down. The shirt is Balenciaga.
JJ: I don’t care who it’s by. You look bonkers. I love my Jil Sander cropped jacket and my shearling slippers by Newbark—which do a bang up job of dressing down any look with a chic non-chalance. But I’m regretting putting the earrings on—it’s a bit too much, even for me.
VV: You look like you’re going to the Grammy’s.
JJ: That’s an insult—have you seen those terrible actresses and performers that grace the red carpet? Have you ever been to LA?
VV: No. But I’m pretty sure that’s the look you’ve got here.
JJ: I’m taking my earrings off and then I win this war, BABE! Ha ha!
JJ: The Chanel tweed suit is one of vintage fashion’s greatest treasures. This one in particular is special because it also includes a crinkled pink silk blouse that buttons down the back, which I find to be a really nice little addition. You get three pieces which you can wear a million different ways.
VV: The Chanel jacket is an evergreen. I love to see it with super skinny jeans because the proportion of the jacket is a bit boxy. This is how I dress every day for real life. This outfit is totally me.
JJ: I saw how long it took you to yank those tight-ass black jeans on. I can’t believe you go through that torture every day. But I like the overall effect.
VV: I haven’t taken my jeans to the tailor yet, and I HATE long skinny jeans… so I rolled mine. There is nothing more sexy than an ankle, so don’t cover it.
JJ: I hate jeans so I picked the skirt. It’s the perfect thing to mix up with other prints and patterns. The colors are gorgeous. I paired it with a green brocade shirt-jacket from Prada. And then I added a high heel. With this type of above-the-knee pencil skirt you need a killer heel, otherwise you can look like a librarian.
VV: Totally. And we hate librarians.
JJ: Unless they’re crazy ones who wear Chanel. In which case we love them.
JJ: This is a classic 1970s dress—the cotton is super sturdy so it doesn’t wrinkle and the print is a happy, instant mood booster. What more could you want?
VV: I would never wear this dress normally.
JJ: What are you talking about? I have seen you with my own two eyes wearing dresses like this.
VV: I don’t know. I chose to wear it like a cape—like I’m a super hero! And I put on a Viviana Forever look underneath: denim shorts by Zara and a denim shirt by Current Elliot. Denim on denim saves everything. It’s my medicine.
JJ: You need to go hang out in Berkeley, CA. Or on a farm. This is my dream dress—a long, gentle A-line shaped dress with a fabulous print. I would wear it every day of my life if I could.
VV: You look like a desperate housewife and you’re covering your face because you just killed your husband to sleep with your boyfriend.
JJ: It has nothing to do with murdering anyone. It’s the perfect island beach outfit!! It’s calling out to Capri or Positano. The straw bag, the Alvaro copper colored flip-flops (which I wear every weekend) and straw hat are my must- have accessories.
VV: Will you really walk around in a hat that big?
JJ: Totally. Why do you think I’m so white? You’re as tan as Valentino so you have no idea about stuff like this.
JJ: It looks like you and I are going to have to arm wrestle over this printed terry cloth dress from Oleg Cassini.
VV: I love it so much I want it right this minute! I feel like I’ve just walked off the runway of a fashion show. I don’t know what year it is, but it’s so modern.
JJ: It’s a 1970s dress. I love it too. The pockets are priceless and it is so comfortable. But why are you wearing it with a leather belt and loafers? How have you confused the beach vibe with a boarding school uniform?
VV: For me, this is all about hitting the 1970s Gucci mood.
JJ: Okay. Whatever you say babe. To be honest, this dress looks good with every shoe. It could be a pointed flat, an open-toe sandal or even a heel. I wore it with these brown lace-up gladiators just to show that a crazy graphic shoe works with the geometric print on the dress too.
