Here’s the story: I love vintage, but I do not have many actual vintage items much to my dismay.
Part of the reason for this is that I am relatively new to the vintage scene, but also that I have a major disadvantage from living in a relatively young country {Australia: we aren’t old}, and that means that most vintage is out of my range. Literally! Either I can not even find it {think 90s clothes in thrift shops} or it’s too expensive for me because I have to buy it through someone else {usually overseas} and pay for shop fees/profit/P&P/etc.
As a result I am relying heavily on repo/shop items that I can find that look vintage and have a vintage feel, but more often than not repos simply aren’t even close to the real thing. I am, however, lucky enough to be able to build my collection slowly.
To date I have two vintage dresses {although I do not think that one of them is that old… Maybe a 70s repo?} ~
Left: 1950s party dress from Etsy ~ * ♥ * ~ Right: Thrifted vintage dress {I am saving this one for a special outfit shoot!}
This delightful old camera which my DH inherited from his Grandfather’s brother and said that we could share ~
I did some searching online and found a website that described the camera ~ Iloca Rapid B.
“The Iloca Rapid B is yet another German consumer rangefinder of the 1950s. It was produced in 1954… and it comes with a simple Steinheil München Cassar S 50mm f/2.8 lens; Prontor SVS leaf shutter; and a coupled rangefinder.”
And these gorgeous tapestry purses ~ one is a handbag and the other is a makeup case with a mirror inside.
I found these when I was shopping at this darling antique junk shop in Wagga Wagga. I absolutely love them ~ I think they are simply divine! I have no precise idea of how old they are, but I think from my searching that they may be from the 1950s.
Lastly, this is my most recent acquisition, a darling vintage collar I brought on Etsy at Wildfell Hall Vintage.
It’s 49% Angora Rabbit fur and it is soooooo soft!! I opened up my package and fell totally in love with it. The colour, the feel, the style and the pearl embellishment are just divinely perfect!
These are my most notable really truly vintage pieces ~ I have a few other odds and ends; a teacup, a topless thimble, a pair of shoes from the 80s {I think} and a few pieces of furniture which I will show you when they are safely settled in our new house.
So that is the extent of my collection for now, but I am sure it’s only the beginning, because honestly? The more I study and see vintage things in real life, the more I fall head over heels for the detail and the craftsmanship. It is just so unlike anything you find these days, and I love it.
What is your favourite item of vintage to collect?
xox,
bonita
These are beautiful, what a lovely collection!
ReplyDeleteFrom Carys of La Ville Inconnue
Oooh! What great tips!! I have been dying over all the estate sales I hear about on American blogs, wishing that I could fly over there just to have a look. I had no idea that you could find them in Australia too! I will definitely be heading out estate sales as soon as I can. ^ w ^
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for that Melanie, I am very excited to try out your tips. ^ U ^
Yeah, it's a bit of a pain but hopefully I will be able to find more if I start looking at garage sales and the like.
ReplyDeleteOo, vintage suitcases! Yes, I have seen some gorgeous ones, and let's be honest they look way better as a storage option than plastic boxes... I would love to get my grubby mitts on some, but haven't found any yet. May be one of these days. ^ w ^
Yes, I am not really a fan of any vintage fashion after the early 60s. Some people look good in it, but not me! I wasn't designed like Twiggy... =___= ' And as for wearing 90s stuff, you just look like your wardrobe is really outdated in my opinion, rather than vintage.... > <
ReplyDeleteIt's totally cool that your grandmothers could give you some stuff though. I think that's heaps better than just buying it; it's got family history as well as being lovely and old.
I am also thinking that collars and other accessories are a great way to eke out my very small vintage wardrobe ~ especially as collars really change the look of an outfit so you can get away with wearing it more than once! ^ w ^