Just An Old Fashioned Handbag

What's special about vintage?  History, of course.

I played “grown-up” as a child with a similar handbag--it felt like the epitome of womanhood!  This smidgen of old fashioned glamour recalls the era of embroidered linen hankies, sparkling white cotton gloves, and Revlon's "Love That Red" lipstick.
     

If this gorgeous bag could tell its story, what would it be?  Maybe something like this...

Cassie stuffed her car keys into the handbag before clasping it shut.  Although Joe was driving the family to the funeral, she was concerned about how much he might drink at the repast.  It was his favorite uncle who died, after all.  Well, actually, he was killed.  Razor.  Angry husband.

Joe's Uncle Chuck was a loose man.  Loose morals, loose lips, loose zipper.  The zipper got him in trouble.  Chuck had an unfortunate affair with a screechy bombshell who was married to a paranoid muscle-bound thug who kept a razor in his shoe and brass knuckles in his pocket.  Angry Thug Husband found out about the affair.  Chuck was quickly filleted.

Chuck's wife went to the morgue to identify the remains and said, "Yup, that's him.  The attempts at plastic surgery are a nice touch, though."

Vintage Beauty - Bill and Betty

Bill and Betty

Here we are in the late 1940s digging on my ultra-glamorous mom and her favorite cousin Bill.  From the many stories she told me during her lifetime, Mom and Bill were childhood best friends.  They spent countless Saturday afternoons at the movies rooting for the guys in the white hats, roller skated all over Winston-Salem together, and routinely risked their young lives hiking along train tracks. 

Check out my mom in her belted velvet coat.  Have you ever seen such a gorgeous topper?  I wish I'd been there to touch it--I bet it felt like corn silk.  I’ve looked at this photo millions of times and wondered what color the coat was.  What do you think--sapphire blue or forest green?  And the shoes--burgundy or coffee brown?

Oops I Did It Again

I’m absolutely atwitter about an amazing vintage haul that I made at a friend’s house.  She has been curating ladies clothing from local thrift shops for years and decided to part with many of the accumulated treasures.  Most items were never worn after she had them dry cleaned.  I was lucky enough to comb through the collection!

There were so many fabulous things: sassy little cocktail dresses, colorful silk shirtdresses and jackets for day, ladylike luncheon suits, even an emerald green bridesmaid’s dress that has strong possibilities as a hostess dress for New Year’s Eve festivities.

Resale stores are bustling nowadays; some are packed like the Tokyo subways.  You’ve got to elbow your way through gaggles of chattering art students and other recessionistas who are looking for intact treasures from Betsey Johnson or Norma Kamali to amp up their personal style.  So I was grateful for the opportunity to sift through these goodies in a quiet bedroom.  Here’s the take:

• Black double knit wool dress with faux jeweled mock turtleneck.  No need for a necklace; all eyes will follow this one (pictured).
• Early 1960s peach wool skirt suit with a fur trimmed jacket. Perfect for high tea at the Ritz (jacket pictured).
• Stray cat-grey modified swing jacket with shawl collar and embroidered details all over.  Great for the office with a pencil skirt, dark grey scoop neck and tights, or on weekends with slim pants and ballet flats (pictured).
• A yellow and black 100% rayon dress from the 1970s that only needs to be cinched by a black patent belt to totally rock (pictured).
• Chocolate soufflé-brown wool coat with a fetching fox fur collar.
• Sleeveless black lace cocktail dress with black velvet sash at the waist.  Reminds me of the Audrey Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart film Sabrina.

The key to pulling off these looks is current makeup, an unstoppable hairstyle, and shoes, boots, and jewelry so fierce that you can feel the growl.  Just don’t go vintage from head to toe--you don't want to wear a costume.

Coach Has Left the Building

“Coach has lost its mind,” a good friend uttered as we passed the Coach store on Walnut Street.  I agreed, sadly.  The window was dotted with gaudy, logo-laden handbags loaded with shiny hardware.  They looked like cheap souvenirs.

Coach had been a sophisticated staple of my life for decades. The hallmark of a Coach bag had always been rich colors, with impeccable construction featuring sturdy brass hardware and luxurious leathers that grew lovelier with age. Coach bags were never trendy; they were simple, elegant styles that complimented both casual and working wardrobes.  You never worried about them going out of style or going with everything.  Buying a Coach bag was an investment, the purchase of a quiet status symbol. The classic Coach was the best-designed handbag, built to last a lifetime.

I bought my first Coach bag when I was 26 and it was my constant companion for years.  Over time I accumulated a few more, including an oversized tote in British Tan that was used daily, usually stuffed to capacity.  (I had to do shoulder strengthening exercises at the gym to carry it comfortably!)  It eventually became my carry on for in-flight entertainment, food and necessities. 

Some would use the word “opulent” to describe the new designs; I use the word tacky.  Some of the contemporary Coach bags look like scenes from a bad acid trip.  Are these collections for adults or children?  Candy colors.  Shiny, noisy, inelegant.  Over-logo’d.  I saw a $298 backpack on the Coach website that was made of printed denim canvas.  I will accept nothing less than leather at that price.

I’m clinging to my classic Coaches and plan to have them buried beside me.  Most of these bags are no longer in production and can only be found on eBay or in consignment shops.  Recently I’ve seen a few 20-somethings with vintage Coach bags hanging from their shoulders.  Maybe they raided their mothers’ closets for the Stewardess or the Willis bag.  Maybe they are learning the classics.

Viva Vintage!

One of my 2010 style resolutions is to wear my beloved vintage items more often.  These quirky pieces are brimming with history and stories of love and loss, striving and succeeding.

A recent New York Times slide show ”Vintage Finds From Around the World” is a testament to our enduring love of unique, dramatic pieces.  Readers from around the globe uploaded pics of their favorite vintage pieces and shared why they loved them.  Sample items: grandma’s leather boots, Louis Vuitton luggage, prom dresses from the ‘50s, ‘70s and ‘80s, elegant day wear from the ‘50s that recall Grace Kelly, and a motorcycle helmet that recalls Evel Knievel. 

My favorite vintage accessories are the boxes of costume jewelry that I inherited from my mother and grandmother.  Attention-getters like a two-headed snake bracelet, bold brassy necklaces and medallions.  Ropes of faux pearls that dress up a classic black sweater and black pants. Glittery flirty pieces that add a little jazz to the day.

Do you have a treasured timeless piece that you found in an attic, the Salvation Army, or on eBay?  If so, you will love this delightful article.