Busted: When Lying About Your Clothes Goes Horribly Wrong

By Hortense Smith | May 30, 2009 | 4:30pm

Deena Pantalone thought she was being pretty damn clever when she passed off a local designer’s dress as one of her own. Deena Pantalone, apparently, was not aware of the hilarious power of internet commenters.

A reader tipped us to a hilarious controversy brewing on the Toronto Life website , wherein Pantalone was profiled as one of “Toronto’s Best Dressed.” When asked who designed the dress she was wearing in the accompanying photograph, Pantalone declared: “Well, me, sort of. It’s a really old vintage dress I’ve had lying around the house for years. My cousin is a stylist in New York, so she helped me decide how to alter it, and then I just took it into one of those tiny mom-and-pop seamstress shops on Queen West.” The commenters on the piece, including the actual designer of the dress, Caroline Lim of Champagne & Cupcakes, were quick to disagree.

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Ana says:
May 27, 2009 at 10:20 am

Speaking of wearing the same dress. I have this dress. The exact same dress, down to the colour and every last detail of stitching. Its neon red and amazing. Although it looks vintage, its not. FYI hunny, ‘you’ didnt design this dress, at all. They didnt make neon red cocktail dresses in the 50’s.

The “tiny mom-and-pop seamstress [shop] on Queen West”,
is in fact a fabulous dress boutique called Champagne and Cupcakes. I think credit should be given where credit is due.

Great dress though.

OH SNAP! Caroline herself also weighed in:

Deena,

I am EXTREMELY disappointed that you are claiming that you, “sort of” designed the dress and had it “altered at a seamstress shop on Queen.”

WOW!

I’m not sure what you are trying to prove, but you did not “sort of” design the dress. I, PERSONALLY designed AND made that dress. All I must say is WOWEE…talk about trying to steal credit. You should be ashamed of yourself.

And FYI, Champagne & Cupcakes is NOT a “seamstress shop”, as I am NOT a seamstress. I am a designer. Champagne & Cupcakes is a local dress boutique which sells dresses designed and made by myself.

All I have to say is WOW, the nerve of some people.

Ana, thank you so much for making the correction! I really appreciate people who understand how to properly credit someone’s work and have an appreciation for it. Thanks again!

Caroline says:
May 27, 2009 at 1:37 pm

oh…and Deena,

I’m not sure how this dress was “lying around your house for years” if it was only created this season.

Wow.

Pantalone was attempting to pass off the dress as a “recessionista” creation, a symbol of her own ingenuity in difficult economic times. C’mon, Deena. It’s one thing to be thrifty. It’s quite another to flat-out steal. There is a silver lining to this mess, however:

Caroline says:
May 27, 2009 at 3:18 pm

I really appreciate all the positive feedback! Wow. I’m gonna give credit to where it’s due, so Deena, thanks to you, all the loyal Champagne and Cupcakes customers are getting a treat. I’ll be having a ‘Miss Discredit Discount Sale’. As a thank you for leaving a comment, Champagne and Cupcakes will offer you a discount at the store! Just print out your comment from the blog and we’ll take $5 off each regular priced in store dresses or 10% off accessories on your next purchase from May 27-June3, 2009.

Thanks for the support! XOXO!

Discounts just for being an awesome commenter! Sometimes the internet is a pretty fantastic thing, no?

Toronto’s Best Dressed [Toronto Life]
Cardinal Don’t [Torontorialist]