I’ve always been drawn to all things vintage. My house is decorated traditionally and sprinkled with antiques. My mom liked old things. I inherited a few things from her, my grandmas and my aunt. I imagine that greatly influenced my taste.
When it comes to jewelry, my taste varies. I’ve gone from small delicate necklaces, to layering and making bold statements with my jewelry. There is something about vintage jewelry that intrigues me. I’ve done a lot of antiquing over the years. The jewelry catches my eye. It sparks my curiosity and I think about the history behind each piece. It is interesting and original. If I had lots of extra time on the weekends, I would be at Estate Sales.
My mother wore very little jewelry, but I was always fascinated with her small jewelry box as a young child. I loved playing with those clip on earrings. My sister inherited a few of those pieces, and recently we had fun discussing our memories after she sent photos. She claims the bracelet is too heavy. I told her I’d be happy to take it off her hands! I would wear it with the lighter plum, purple or dark red, and add a brass earring to match the metal.
I’m not sure if I’m ready to break out clip on earrings, but you never know! I’ll bet many of you reading can relate to seeing similar styles.
I have found a number of vintage inspired pieces over the years. When I re-did the design of my wedding ring several years ago, I again went with vintage inspired. Although it’s an original design (thank you Erik Runyan Jewelers) created from about ten different pictures, I have to laugh because this style now has become very popular. Many women comment that it is so similar to their brand new engagement ring–I thought I was being somewhat unique!
This past spring a trip to the Oregon Coast encouraged me to once again “get my vintage on”. Divine Decadence in Florence, Oregon features a great combination of vintage and contemporary jewelry. In fact, this post has been in the works since my April visit. I was there 8 years ago and bought pieces I still wear. I was happy to see they were still in business. I could spend hours in this store.
In addition, I credit the Stella & Dot catalog which gave me even more ideas. This company is truly the epitome of “Vintage Inspired” when you read the stories behind their designs. This brooch got the creative juices flowing and I started playing with my strands of pearls to create my own ideas seen in my Pearls Etc video. I attached the brooch to a chain to give it a different look. I even paired two S & D rings with my Grandma’s wedding band–now 100 years old which I wear frequently. It didn’t take long, and I saw the beauty of combining the old with the new.
I typically do not buy matching sets. When I purchased this S & D necklace in November, I waited for earrings.
Good decision. Months later I found this pair of earrings and bracelet at Divine Decadence that worked perfectly with the necklace as well as other things in my jewelry collection.
The store owner threw in this set when she heard I was doing a blog post. I’m eager to work with this one!
Anything VINTAGE is presently a popular fashion trend. If you love the look of vintage jewelry there are many sources. I’ve already mentioned estate sales and antique stores. Goodwill, flea markets, and stores devoted to vintage clothing are all great places to find inexpensive treasures. Once you start looking, you will see vintage inspired pieces everywhere.
Downtown Camas has a new antique store called A Twist in Time and I’m happy to highlight their business! I found this piece for $32. A brand NEW vintage inspired piece would probably be 3 or 4 times that price. I can’t wait to show some great ways to wear this later this fall.
As much as I enjoy the search, it takes time. Thank goodness for eBay which allows me to look at dozens of vintage pieces in the comfort of my own home. I’m drawn to pieces from the ’40s and ’50s. I gave myself a budget (eBay can be addicting) and found these 3 pieces for under $50 including shipping! I was on the hunt for lockets with heavy chains which also double with a brooch as seen above. One of the lockets came with the photos that looked to be from the ’40’s era.
So how do you incorporate vintage jewelry with your outfits? At first you may be a little hesitant because it may not be your taste at all. Many women feel it reminds them TOO much of something their grandma wore, and they don’t want to re-create that look. My best advice is to start small with a couple of pieces and mix them with the jewelry you already own. Brooches are really in this fall, but if you can’t quite go there, then wear it as a necklace. I think you’ll find that with a little bit of effort, it’s pretty easy to mix old and new. Below are vintage earrings with a clearance necklace from Target!
Are you drawn to vintage or are you purely contemporary? Have you inherited something from a relative and it sits in your jewelry box unworn? I would love to help you and give you some ideas. If you have something, send me a photo and I can share ideas in a future post. Stick with me and I will be showing some of these vintage pieces with my clothes this fall.
