Orient Express

Today I'm just skipping the introduction, because I have amazing pieces to show you, dear readers. This week's Goodwill Good Buys of the Week are incredibly beautiful and mischievously enigmatic. Generally I try to avoid posting about garments whose provenance is unknown, but I simply couldn't resist this gold silk cheongsam dress. I can tell from the stitching and incredible attention to detail that it was hand-made.

It might be vintage, but the fabric is in such excellent condition, it's impossible to say for sure. And the fabric! Oh, it's delicious. In a deep gold hue with gold, green, and red embroidery and lighter gold lining the entire garment, this dress is a sight to behold. It has a mandarin collar and fastens asymmetrically across the top of the body with a combination of buttons and snaps.

At the side seam there is a combination of hook-and-eye closures, buttons, and snaps that secure the dress almost all the way down to the side slit, of which there is one on each side. The left side slit has torn out just a bit, probably the result of overzealously showing off the beauty of the fabric! There are no tags or marking of any kind on the dress; just a dry cleaning slip pinned to the inside collar. I'll have complete measurements listed on eBay later today. I can only imagine where this dress has been and who has worn it...

As if one great cheongsam style dress wasn't enough, the second one is authentic vintage from Hawaii. The tag states "Lauhala, Style and Made in Hawaii" and marks the dress as a size 8. It is not a true cheongsam, in that the bottom half is a more forgiving a-line style than the traditional body hugging Chinese version.

This incarnation is also in 100% Polyester, which makes machine or hand washing an option, as the care tags explains. If it's been worn, it was only a handful of times. The extra button is still attached to the care tag!

This dress, too, features a mandarin collar, but instead has a v-neck that fastens with two self-fabric buttons. It fastens with a half-zip and hook-and-eye closure in the back. Additionally, the sleeves are a bit longer on this version, as is the dress itself overall. With the greens, blues, and deep reds of the fan print fabric, this dress would look amazing with a simple, flat pair of leather sandals (I'm thinking something like these) and a clutch for a night out.

Alternatively, you could jazz it up with a wide belt in black patent leather and go for some big ol' platform sandals, a la Madonna in her Geisha incarnation. Either way, you'll be cool, comfortable, and oh-so-stylish!

So, dear readers, I would be remiss in not mentioning a very sad passing on Sunday, that of Yves Saint Laurent. He was only 71, which seems really young to me, now that my grandparents are all nearing their 90th birthdays.

And I couldn't help but think of Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche's 2004 Fall RTW collection, which evoked the spirit of the cheongsam, as worn by Daria Werbowy, right. Ford owed much to Saint Laurent, just as Saint Laurent before him had learned from Dior and taken over the latter's house upon his death in 1958.

I'll have a full retrospective of Saint Laurent's tremendous impact on fashion - and how Stefano Pilati will continue that tradition - on Monday's blog.

For now, rest in peace, YSL, and thanks for all that you gave us. Your impact continues to be felt, even on the racks of Goodwill Retail Stores!





Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on eBay funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.

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