Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a lot of information from Peacock Parade, Canada’s newest flash sale site. A few days ago, I decided to try it out for the first time and took advantage of their vintage Chanel suits and separates event (Peacock Parade also sells non-vintage items, including many Canadian designers). There was very limited selection and the prices were, for the most part, still out of my range. However, there was one skirt. It was under $300 and a size 38. This translates to a vintage 6, but even then, I wasn’t sure if it would need alterations.
The skirt, partially out of the plastic wrap
The good thing about Peacock Parade is that the website gives you the model’s stats – height, measurements as well as the size she’s wearing. The skirt I purchased looked like it fit the model, who had a 24″ waist, but I wasn’t sure if it was pinned back – I’m not familiar with Chanel sizing, especially vintage – sixes, in general lean more towards small-medium than extra small, my normal size. It also appeared a bit short on her, which is good news to me, since she’s 5’10” and I’m around 5’2″. But I figured that it wouldn’t need major alterations so I made the purchase and it arrived just a few days later, much quicker than I thought it would!
Skirt, paired with a flowy top from Boyod (purchased at Fitzroy, a pop-up store that was in Yorkville back in September ’11) & Manolo d’Orsays (size 5) on the left; paired with navy Jacob t-shirt, Banana Republic (Mad Men collection) scarf, H&M belt (winter 2010/2011), Fendi sunglasses & Cole Haan pumps on the right)
The skirt came in a large box, wrapped in peacock coloured tissue paper, plastic and hung on a skirt hanger. I tried it on right away. To my pleasant surprise, it was actually very close to my size – maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a size too big. Probably the equivalent of a size 0 in mainstream stores known for vanity sizing. It also, unlike a lot of other brands, actually sits on my waist and hips. It does have a tiny bit of room, but I’m not sure if it’s worth sending to the tailor. A belt can do the trick.
Skirt paired with TopShop jacket & Jacob t-shirt (under jacket), with pumps and sunglasses as above on left; Judith & Charles top with a 442 McAdam’s Regal Trio (available in black or wine & black) on the right
This is such a classic piece. It can be dressed up or down, made to look more “grown-up” or younger, depending on what it’s paired with. For now, I’m going to keep it young-looking – my favourite out of the four looks is picture two – it reflects the vintage, Mad Men/early 1960s vibe that has been the inspiration of many lately. The cardigans, jackets and pearls can come later.
