Reviews & Guides
BUYING DOLCE & GABBANA - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Show Guide... Why We Are Qualified to Write This Guide
This guide is intended to help buyers of Dolce & Gabbana on eBay. We are one of the top sellers of Dolce & Gabbana on eBay and our collection is one of the most complete Dolce collections in the world. We regularly loan pieces to museums, fashion design schools and celebrities and are contracted consultants for the world's top auction houses. We have been on eBay for six years.
The Best Dolce & Gabbana Sources on eBay
Here are the top sellers on eBay of AUTHENTIC Dolce & Gabbana pieces. They are all established sellers with great feedback ratings, all of which I have personally purchased from:
COUTURE CLOSET - Your best source for Dolce & Gabbana - the best pieces, the best prices!
SimoneSato - Excellent Dolce pieces, especially impossible-to-find Vintage pieces - and great modern designers for the discriminating fashionista - but she could sell snow to an Eskimo and her prices are high but worth every cent.
Acharoff - Amazing Dolce (and other ultra-luxe Italian) - but very, very, very expensive - definitely for the girl with deep pockets!
Prada-M - Beautiful pieces, great photos.
Show Guide...Thanks to all who have read this Lilly guide so far! Don't forget if you like this guide to go to the bottom of this page and rate it as helpful. If you find it unhelpful, I'd truly appreciate an email explaining why so I can improve it. Happy eBaying!
The purpose of this guide is to help sellers on eBay list Lilly Pulitzer as easily as possible. It's meant to be short and (hopefully) sweet.
LP Party Patch Dress, Spring 2001 Season
I got my start on eBay selling a few Lilly items of my own and those I found at a deep discount for resale. While my business is now focused on selling for others on eBay and involved with a wide variety of brands, I still enjoy buying, selling, and talking about Lilly. In 2003, I created a Lilly fans thread on eBay's clothing board; it's still going strong and a great resource for selling Lilly:
Lilly C&A Thread
For general information about the history of Lilly and a comprehensive list of the prints and styles names since about 2001, as well as some representative photos, please visit my Me page:
Willow-Wear Lilly Page
HOW TO COLLECT LILLY PULITZER CLOTHING
Show Guide... Becoming a Lilly Pulitzer collector is fun and easy. Once you've acquired one piece and seen the great dressmaker workmanship and details, you'll want to have many others. Some collectors go after certain prints or color combinations because of their themes or their rarity or certain styles because of their popularity. Some collectors prefer vintage Lilly items which date from the late nineteen sixties to the mid nineteen eighties. Lilly closed her business for several years, not reopening it until 1993.
Starting around 1997, each Lilly print, solid color and style has a name. The official pattern names begin with the color and then the pattern name, except for the muli patch prints. However, very few names are known prior to the 2000 collection. Whatever you select, you will acquire a beautiful garment which you will enjoy. Lilly Pulitzer clothes can actually appreciate in value if you pick carefully! For example, the Margarita Shrimp Cocktail print from the stellar 2001 collection frequently demands a premium price, well above the current retail price for a new with tag (NWT) garment.  There are several patterns which have obtained an almost cult status with collectors. I found out the hard way. When I first started selling on ebay, I inadvertently listed a skirt in the Sunset Pink Mixed Drinks print with a buy it now price.  While I was happy with the transaction, I got several irate emails from unhappy collectors who missed the opportunity to bid on the item!
For many years, the multi patch fabrics have been a collector's favorite. Multi patch fabrics are ...
St. John Lingo and Labels, Part II
Show Guide... The labels and tags on the St. John knit garments can tell you a lot about the age of the garment. Here is an example of the label commonly used for current garments which are a part of the St. John Collection (for other St. John labels, see my first guide).
This label became commonly used in the mid-90s, along with a similar label in black with white letters.
Previously used labels include:
 
 
The first three of these labels were used at various times in the 80's and early 90's. The fourth label, is Marie St. John's signature, and it pre-dates her use of her married name, Marie Gray, so this label is older yet. Also, there was used a label with just "SJK" on it:
 which was used before the first three above.
Finally, the first label used by Marie St. John is this one, in use in the 60s and early 70s. Some St. John fans like collecting these garments.
So, by looking at the label, inself, you might get some idea as to date it was made.
For garments which are "NWT" you might also tell how recent the garment is. This is the paper tag now used since 2005:
 &nbs...
St. John Knits Is Loved by Women all over the world!
Show Guide... St. John Knits Is Loved by Women all world-wide, and many questions are asked.
St. John Knits is a American Company that is Located in Irvine California, Beginning in the 1960's Marie Gray made her mark in the fashion Industry by creating some of the best knits know to women.
With her creativity and thoughts of the hard working women she designed knits that make a statement. These precious knits are worn all over the world. Marie Gray has designed her collections to be worn for all occasions. From business to evening and casual wear you can't miss the class and style of a St. John Knit.
St. John knits designed these amazing garments with travel in mind. Most of her knits are made out of the miraculous Santana Knit which is a brilliant combination of 80% Wool and 20% Rayon. This blend allows the knit to be packed in a suitcase without the traveler?s concern for wrinkles.
There are several processes that can be done to the knits by professionals who specialize in alterations. There is a process called ?Wet-Blocking,? which is done by wetting the garment than pinning it out on a board to the desired dimensions, and then letting them dry, usually over several days. There is another process called ?Steam-Blocking,? which is done with either a good iron or steamer. This process adds inches to the knits while holding their shape without damaging the knit. Usually no more that 2 inches can be added by either process. Finally, Altering can be done to many of the knits to reduce the size. Some of the knits that have embellishment, such as Pailettes or Stones, are usually hand set and secured with an adhesive. These garments may be more challenging so it is imperative to check with your alteration professional to make sure your needs can be met before purchasing any garment. It is crucial to make sure your buttons are covered with foil before cleaning! This will protect the gold on...
St John Knit Colors - How To Coordinate and Care
Show Guide...
We get quite a bit of inquiries as to "What is the official St John's color" for some of our listings. If we don't have the original tag and unless it's black, sometimes it's very hard to respond. We wrote this guide in hope that it will help our clients find what they need to coordinate their ensembles.
St John's yarn is custom made in batches or dye lot per season. All the yarn in one dye lot will be the exact same color. Colors from different dye lots may look the same in certain lights and VERY different under other lights or in daylight.
St John has season and group assigned to each dye lot. For example, FA03GR6 represents Fall of 2003 and Group 6. If attached, this information can be found with the "Professionally Dry Clean Only" tag. An experienced shopper will inquire specifically what season and group when trying to coordinate.
Coordinating by name alone may not produce a perfect matching suit. A St John's "Sapphire Blue" jacket in Spring 2001 won't necessarily match perfectly to a "Sapphire Blue" skirt of Winter 2002.
Even St John basic navies will vary. As a matter of fact, the only color that is guaranteed to match at all times is black. St John has black trim on so many pieces making it so easy to coordinate.
When maintaining the integrity of your own suits, take into consideration of what we call the 'cleaning factor'. Overtime, dry cleaning will...
Anthropologie: real or fake?
Show Guide... If you do a search for anthropologie items, you'll get thousands of listings - but many of the items do not come from an anthropologie store. Many sellers use the name anthropologie (and include items like anthropologie balm or card in the auction) to attract buyers who like anthropologie styles. This is fine if you know what you're buying - you may be able to get something anthropologie-like at a bargain price. If you don't pay attention, however, you may end up bidding on an item and paying a significant amount for an item of inferior quality or that was not what you intended.
The first time I searched for Anthropologie items on ebay, I was overwhelmed - there were lots of items that looked like bargains, but I wasn't sure what was really a good deal. I remember looking at a really cute blouse listed as "Anthropologie" and then seeing it at TJ Maxx a couple of weeks later for half the price the seller was listing it for. While the blouse was still cute when I saw it in person, it was obvious that the quality was well below that sold at Anthropologie stores. I also noticed that the label had a brand I'd never heard of and that this brand was listed nowhere in the auction I had seen.
So what do you look for to know whether it's genuine Anthropologie? Well, if the item itself has an Anthropologie tag sewn in, you're pretty safe. Another good indicator is whether there is an Anthropologie store tag attached. I have seen items that I knew were not Anthropologie pictured with an authentic Anthropologie hang tag. If there is a hang tag and you are uncertain about the authenticity, ask the seller for the close up picture of the tag so you can verify whether the tag actually goes with the item.
Not all items sold at Anthropologie are "Anthropologie" brand. Brands typically sold there include "Odille," "Moth," "Eleve...
Collectorofgems Guide to Bohemian Chic Hippie Styles
Show Guide... What do the current Bohemian Chic, Boho, Hippie styles and descriptions refer
to? Anything that is unique, artsy and not traditional in style that is inspired
by the 1960's -1970's hippie scene. Now it's called "Bohemian chic." I often
refer to this style as "boho artsy." But some people call it hippie, gypsy, artsy, or just plain boho.
Bohemian style clothing
is often referred to as having an ethnic, exotic look, often with fabrics that
have embellishments such as embroidery, fancy trims and nothing matches
patterns; or like a gypsy wearing a creative group of garments thrown
together to create a unique look. And anything goes. The more
unique the better. The workplace is becoming a less formal place to be, so the styles are loosening up, and wearing relaxed clothing that's creative and comfortable is what it's all about.
Comfort is a big consideration. Many of these items are made of natural fabrics including cotton, rayon, hemp, silk
and linen blends, simply because the people wearing them prefer the natural feel
on their skin. These natural fibers allow your skin to breath, though there's
plenty of polyester to go around. I'm just not a great fan of it.
Tie-dye clothing was very popular in the 60's - 70's scene. Then it went out
of style, and if you wore tie-dye clothing you were considered old news--but not
anymore. Tie-dye along with batik is back, and instead of looking like a
hippie, you are in fashion. You don't have to look like an unkept hippie to wear
these styles either. It's easy to throw an outfit together and look totally chic--Bohemian chic that is.
One of my favorite...
What Makes Linen A Top Investment in Your Wardrobe?
Show Guide... What Makes Linen A Top Investment in Your Wardrobe?
An Exploration of the Properties of Linen
Linen clothing has been renowned for its comfort, durability, and texture since Egyptian times. Linen clothing fabric comes from the woven fibers of the flax plant. This fabric from natural vegetable fibers makes a great investment for your wardrobe and here is why:
- Linen reduces gamma radiation and solar radiation, so it is ideal for long days in the sun
- Linen is resistant to allergens and can actually help heal allergy related rashes
- Linen cloth doesn?t harbor static electricity, so your linen clothing will fall gently from your body
- Linen swiftly absorbs and evaporates moisture, and can hold up to 20% of it?s own mass in moisture, and still not feel wet to the touch.
- Linen breathes efficiently and conducts heat better than cotton or wool. Linen clothing actually pulls heat from your body to keep you cooler, and perspire less! Linen also helps you retain your own heat in the colder weather.
- Linen is durable because of its high tensile strength. It is shown to last twice as long as cotton and 3 times longer than wool.
- Linen is easily laundered in hot water, and dries faster to keep your energy bills lower. It also repels dirt to kee...
fake designer clothing!
Show Guide... the thing that appalls me most about knockoff designer goods is not because there's so much out there, but because so many buyers inadvertently purchase them either because they are simply too ignorant or do not care about preserving the integrity of quality products and good design.
a scary result of this is that many good sellers who's accidentally purchased a fake or two will start selling these items. these phony products spread throughout the land of ebay like vicious stds, mingling with the real deal. and thanks to many of us with revolving closets, items can get passed around alot, resulting in garments, shoes and purses with dubious origins. bottom line is, when fakes are mingled with authentic couture and well meaning sellers, it can be downright difficult to tell what's real.
so, i am writing this in hopes that more ebay buyers will take notice and avoid patronizing those cheats- those making huge profits on cheap goods that they lie & tout as the real deal... ripping you off.
some warning signs to look for:
- terms like 'new arrival', 'just arrived', or 'new collection'- 99.9% of the time, sellers, despite their claims, do not have access to marc jacobs, cacharel and marni factories so they should not come across as factories. occaisionally, a seller will mention the collection from which the piece originated, i.e., fall 2005. this is not anything to be worried about, for they usually only have one piece from that particular collection (see #2.)
- many of the same items in different sizes- it is far cheaper for them to do that than list many different items in a few sizes. note, it is helpful to check out their ended auctions.
- if many sellers are selling many of the same thin...
ST. JOHN KNITS LABELS
Show Guide... ST JOHN LABELS
ST.JOHN Knits, Inc. is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of women's clothing. It has been and is associated with high quality and a specific look in knitwear characterized by vibrant colors and classics with timeless styling. The ST JOHN "look" has created an exclusive image, engendering consumer loyalty.
The ST JOHN company organizes its collection into principal product lines. The breadth of each of its collections enables the company to compete in most segments of women's designer clothing.
ST. JOHN Product Lines
The company's products are predominantly knitwear, sold as a collection of lifestyle clothing suitable for women's business, evening, cruise and casual needs. ST. JOHN knitwear is a year-around product, non-confined to a single season or climate, due to it's all purpose weight. The company designs collections to encourage consumers to coordinate outfits. Each product line is sufficiently comprehensive to stand alone, or you can add some pieces from the BASIC line to extend your different looks. This is why you see sometimes a Collection jacket sold with a Basics skirt or pants on eBay. The rayon & wool Santana knit is exact.
The ST JOHN Evening line features paillettes and crystals on many of the garments. It is less expensive than the ST JOHN "Couture" label with many of the same amenities. The suits and dresses are decorated with paillettes and Swarovski crystals, crystal buttons and satin piping. Many pieces have embroidery trim and designer finished buttonholes.
<...
Taking Care Of The Clothes You Love
Show Guide... These are just a few helpful (or at least I like to think so) hints to help you maintain your clothes and accessories. You spent way too much of your hard earned dollar bills on your Zac Posen Beatrice bag or Chloe Edith Bowler to subject it to anything other than the best care possible.
Dry clean your finer fabrics when you can. It's always a nicer result than standard washing and drying. Hand wash when you can't dryclean. Silks, satins, and cashmere can all be hand washed in most instances. The machine tends to be too rough on designer items. It's important that your Marc Jacobs, Norma Kamali, and Milly all maintain their lines and vibrant colors!
Try putting the hanger through the bottom of your shirts and dresses. It keeps the neck from getting stretched out.
Wash your denim inside out. It helps keep the wash looking nice and fresh. It also keeps the hardware from getting battered and beaten.
Fold your sweaters or heavy knits. Hanging them stretches them out. Your cashmere, merino wools, and finer knits should be stored in nice tupperware storage boxes with cedar and tissue in the off season. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but that $600 Ralph Lauren Black Label (or $150 if you bought it from us!) cableknit cashmere deserves that little extra effort so it will last forever....
TheReviewShoppe Nanette Lepore Elie Tahari Trina Turk
Show Guide... Nanette Lepore Elie Tahari ABS Allen B Schwartz Escada Mondi Apriori Tracy Reese Plenty Trina Turk
TheReviewShoppe High End Fashion Diva Designs.
The Review Shoppe Guide on Runway Fashion
When buying high end designer clothing one must remember that most of the items are limited.
Nanette Lepore items are made in limited quantities so you will not see her fashions everywhere.
It is nice to know that you will not see yourself coming and going! A Nanette Lepore dress or gown
is gorgeous for a night out on the town. Cami or Camisole tops are all the rage. A Nanette Lepore
skirt paired with a cami top is perfect for shopping or a night on the town.
Nanette Lepore
Elie Tahari is another HIGH end designer that will knock your socks off!
Her styles are out of this world and also made in limited quantities.
Elie TahariShow Guide... I've seen a few eBay guides now on what to wear if you're petite, and they offer good advice on putting together a great outfit that flatters a petite frame, but they all overlook one key element of the petite woman's struggle: Where to buy petite clothing in the first place. If you're tearing your hair out trying to find retailers that cater to the smaller woman, trust me, it's not your imagination. I spent two full weekends in pursuit of a classic, black-wool pantsuit that didn?t make me look like a linebacker or like I was playing dress-up in a bigger person?s clothes. I didn?t find one in any major Manhattan department store, because almost nobody carries petite sizes anymore. Need proof? Check out a recent New York Times article (May 28, 2006 ) by Michael Barbaro called Where's the Petite Department? Going the Way of the Petticoat.
Designers and retailers are notoriously elitist about the body-types they're willing to cater to, which means that petite clothing lines became synonymous with frumpy, older styles. Younger buyers were turned off by the lack of cute, trendy petite lines, and are opting instead for extra small regular sizes, the result being that many major department stores like Bloomingdales and Macy's, have stopped carrying petites all together. But here's the problem?petite women need petite clothing. Petite clothes aren't just shorter at the arms and pant legs. Well-made petite clothing is built proportionately smaller all over, which means smaller through the shoulder, shorter on the torso and over-all better fitting on a petite frame. So what?s a petite woman to do?
While I?m an avid eBay customer and I realize that there are gr...
How to tie a sarong
Show Guide... HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO TIE SARONGS. WHILE
THESE ARE JUST A FEW, THE LIMITS ARE ONLY SET BY YOUR IMAGINATION.
SARONGS CAN ALSO BE USED AS TABLE COVERS, TABLE RUNNERS, FURNITURE
THROWS, CAR SEAT COVERS, WALL HANGINGS, CURTAINS, BEDSPREDS AND MANY
OTHER IMAGINATIVE USES.
Long skirt: Hold the sarong so that the unfringed edges are top and bottom and the fringed edges are verticle. Wrap either right to left or left to right whichever you prefer and tie in a knot at the waist. HINT: if you are thin take the material inside of the ends so the knot is not so bulky. Also if you tie the waist loose as in the photo you get the island look. If you tie tigher the waist will come higher.
You can do the same thing with a short sarong .
Long skirt bottom fringe: Hold the sarong so the fringed edges are top and bottom. The non fringed edges are verticle. Wrap around the waist and tie in a knot. NOTE: this works better on thinner people as you are using the shorter length of the sarong to do this.
You can do the same thing with a short sarong . NOTE: this works well on kids and small adults if the sarong is short.
Double fringed skirt: You will be holding the sarong with the fringe top and bottom and un fringed edges going vertically. Fold the sarong so 1/3 of the material shows beneath the top layer. You will be folding over the top in 1/3 or 2/3 lengths which ever you prefer. The photo shows 2/3 of the material folded over. Tie in a knot at the side on the waist.
 Show Guide...
A pocket photo tribute to one 7 For All Mankind Jeans most popular bootcuts: A POCKET! This is just a sample of 10 pockets. There are many more A Pocket washes available. I set up a photoguide which you can find by
checking out my about me page.
Just check out the authenticforum banner and visit the 7 For All Mankind section!
If you are looking for 7 For All Mankind jeans be wary of fakes! Check out my eBay listings for 100% authentic items. Please remember to vote yes for this guide if you thought it was helpful!
Antwerp Aruba Black Havana Caribbean Chelsea Dakota Medium Chicago Miami Mojave Studded
Morocco New York Dark
7 FOR ALL MANKIND BOOTCUT PHOTO GUIDE Havana New York
Show Guide... A pocket photo tribute to one 7 For All Mankind Jeans: Bootcuts! This is just a sample of 10 pockets. There are
many more Bootcut washes available. I set up a photoguide which you
can find by
checking out my about me page.
Just check out the authenticforum banner and visit the 7 For All Mankind section!
If you are looking for 7 For All Mankind jeans be wary of fakes! Check out my eBay listings for 100% authentic items. Please remember to vote yes for this guide if you thought it was helpful!
Capri Caribbean Chicago Mojave Dark Seville Havana 2 Beastie Havana 3 Montana Nakita New York Dark Argyle Pompeii
Poodle Skirts 101
Show Guide...
 A Quick Poodle Skirt Primer for the First Time Buyer
More and more, buyers are searching eBay for unique clothing unavailable to them at local stores. The word is out that eBay is a great place to find these items and the frequency of poodle skirt sales on eBay is one indication of this trend. Hot times of the year for poodle skirt sales are before Halloween and in the spring when fifties dances and father/daughter banquets are common place; however, some eBay sellers are now offering custom, handmade, manufactured, and used poodle skirts all year long. Many people that look for their poodle skirts on eBay have never bought a poodle skirt before, so I've put together a short list of things to consider before making a bid on a skirt or fifties outfit. Taking these simple steps can help to alleviate the disappointment of receiving an item that doesn't fit or is not of good quality.
Most important, as you should with every bid you make, check the reputation of the seller in the feedback section. Look for comments that pertain specifically to the quality of the items received. Click on the item number to make sure that the feedback is actually referring to a poodle skirt. For example, one entry in my feedback section might be for a poodle skirt and the next for a pair of shoes I'm clearing out of my closet. Obviously, the level of customer service should be the same on any item, but look for information about the poodle skirts. Don't hesitate to ask the seller for more pictures or more information about the quality of the items. A picture is worth a 1000 words, but it doesn't always tell the whole story. The best endorsement of the quality of the items produced is in quotes directly from buyers. Sellers who make and sell quality ...
Used Clothing Checklist A MUST Read!
Show Guide... There are thousands of clothing items on Ebay.
There are tons of great deals. Or are there???
But have you done your homework?
Communication with the seller is crucial.
(I have found alot of negative feedback for sellers and buyers because of lack of communication or poor descriptions of the used clothing along with other items. )
This all can be prevented!
Here is how...
Here are some helpful hints to know if you are getting a bargain.
You know the saying.. "You get what you paid for".
This doesn't have to be true.
Ask, ask, ask away any questions you have.
1- If you are allergic to pets. Ask the seller if the item comes from a pet free home or not.
* Not all sellers write this as they either do not know that is important or they rush the description and some even hide the fact that they do have pets or simply do not find in necessary to add to the listing. So ask!
2- Ask for more pictures. And dark lighting in pictures can be hiding some minor to major flaws of the clothing.
* Everyone s...
TheReviewShoppe St John Santana Knit Misook Wolf Escape
Show Guide... St John Marie Gray Santana Knits, St John Boucle Knit, Exclusively Misook Acrylic Knit, Howard Wolf Escape Acrylic Knit.
What do all these knits have in common? They are all very expensive designer brands. St John Santana and Boucle knits are
sold at high end boutiques. St John pant suits, skirt suits, dresses, cardigans, tops and other items can run into the $1,000s of
dollars for one or 2 pieces. Santana and boucle knits usually have a percentage of wool and they need to be dry cleaned
regularly. It is best to store these knits in a cedar chest or around cedar. That will help protect the fabric from getting
moth damage and keep St John Marie Gray Santana and boucle knits looking new like the day you brought them home
with the tags still on them! The Review Shoppe sells many St John items.
 .  . 
St John Knits
The care of Exclusively Misook Acrylic Knits is much easier. Misook, Howard Wolf Escape
 .
Exclusively Misook Acrylic Knits
Isabel de Pe...
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