"Cheap Chic," Then & Now

Melissa recently did an Alligators reading and vintage show 'n tell in Lafayette, which is a suburb across the bay from San Francisco. Every chair was taken, and the vintage goodies worn (and discussed) by attendees included luscious sweaters, tiny metal mesh bags, and a kangaroo-skin coat bought decades ago in Australia. And one guest, Cindy Marshall, not only offered a glimpse of the '60s, as remembered through a great black boucle dress suit that she wore to Europe, but she brought a paperback book that is as fun today as it was when it came out in 1975. Cheap Chic, by Caterine Milinaire and Carol Troy, was subtitled "Hundreds of money saving hints to create your own great look." The book was jammed with black & white photos and quirky illustrations, and topics varied from "wrapping" jersey around your body to the work of Zandra Rhodes and Diana Vreeland. One of our favorite mini-profiles, of writer Fran Liebowitz, was titled "Grouchy Simplicity." And her crankiness about "clothes with pictures and/or writing on them" makes us wonder how she's coped with the past thirty years of fashion. But one of her quotes sounds as fresh as anything in the current issue of Vogue, so we must repeat it: "My most precious possession is a terrific riding jacket that was made a century ago for the aunt of a friend. She was 80 when she died, wearing it, and it is still holding up impeccably....I wear it with $2 white cotton sailor pants." We assume that jacket finally died, but we'd love to know what replaced it in her fashion affections. As for the book itself, it has aged almost as well as a faux leopard coat or alligator bag. Cheap Chic originally sold for $5.95, but is now priced at $80 or more at assorted online book sellers. And the Cheap Chic "update", which came out in 1978, has also become a high-priced collectible. Thanks, Cindy, for reminding us of this classic.

Comments

[Jen]

I loved Cheap Chic...I bought a misprinted copy about 1980 and it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in rural Oklahoma.

[Carol Troy]

Hi - loved your take on CHEAP CHIC -- I'm the co-author and now live in the Napa Valley in St. Helena.
My favorite store here is Flats -- Jan Niemi designs a lot of things in India and a lot of flats in Florence!
And I'm a photographer. Moved on from black-and-white to color!
I have signed copies of CHEAP CHIC if anyone is interested....
Cheers,
Carol Troy

[Karen]

Hi! I still have my original copy of CHEAP CHIC, prominently displayed on a bookshelf. I bought it new, and have moved it with me many, many times. I wouldn't consider selling it, for any price. Believe it or not, it's still relevant and a wonderful reference for developing one's own personal style.