It screams luxury and decadence, the most renowned of all the fashion houses: Chanel. At the age of eighteen my dreams of owning something other than the prestigious brand's cosmetics or perfume remain just that; dreams. But there is a fantastic and magical world of vintage jewellery and fashion pieces from Chanel that have stood the test of time beautifully.
Since my fascination with the vintage realm of clothing at the age of thirteen (ahead of my time by leaps and bounds) I accidentally stumbled upon the vintage fashion resellers Claire Inc.
Since my fascination with the vintage realm of clothing at the age of thirteen (ahead of my time by leaps and bounds) I accidentally stumbled upon the vintage fashion resellers Claire Inc.
Claire Inc are therefore a company that discover hidden vintage treasures from the greatest names of the fashion world, i.e. Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, Chanel, Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Lanvin... the list goes on and on.
There are perks to this handy service in that I, the consumer, are able to view gorgeous vintage pieces from the comfort of my own home and do not have to look far to find high quality jewellery, shoes, accessories or clothes. Although if you do believe in the magic of the hunt and spending much time to find a single treasure, this will cost you some of the fascination that comes along and is associated with scalping vintage and Op Shops. To keep the momentum of the Claire Inc business as well as pay for photographer space, modelling etc. there are mark-ups to their pieces. Claire Inc may be crudely labelled as Op Shop vultures poaching prime and premium pieces from such places and leaving ordinary people with so-so pieces.
There are perks to this handy service in that I, the consumer, are able to view gorgeous vintage pieces from the comfort of my own home and do not have to look far to find high quality jewellery, shoes, accessories or clothes. Although if you do believe in the magic of the hunt and spending much time to find a single treasure, this will cost you some of the fascination that comes along and is associated with scalping vintage and Op Shops. To keep the momentum of the Claire Inc business as well as pay for photographer space, modelling etc. there are mark-ups to their pieces. Claire Inc may be crudely labelled as Op Shop vultures poaching prime and premium pieces from such places and leaving ordinary people with so-so pieces.
But where else would I find such tantalising and prestigious fashion house labels? The quality and stock rotation from Claire Inc are superior and allow you to become familiar with the hottest designs of the 90's and other bygone eras. For someone of my age, Claire Inc sell the best internationally acclaimed pieces at prices that beat new pieces from retailers. There is also none of the anxiety traditionally associated with eBay auctions.
My favourite of all the Chanel pieces featured is the name plate belt, worn as a necklace. Never in all my days did I have such admiration for a cocktail piece of jewellery; felt longing to be branded by a fashion label or howled with despair and regret when it slipped through my fingers and someone else bought it. It's such a bold statement piece, but also simple in its single plate and thick-gold-chain design. I loved it, I've loved it for about two or three years. I had wanted to wear it to my school formal but then the years got away from me and I became progressively worse at saving money so now I can't wait to wear one myself and one a Chanel piece. Hopefully I'll get enough money behind me after selling some things on eBay and working part-time to buy tickets to Florence and the Machine for next May, save for my vacation to Bannf in Canada and buy something fantastic and extravagant.
You effectively advertise the brand, it's very much like a collar where you become dogged and owned by Chanel and work to promote them. That's fine by me of course; better Chanel than anyone else or any other brand I can think of.
You effectively advertise the brand, it's very much like a collar where you become dogged and owned by Chanel and work to promote them. That's fine by me of course; better Chanel than anyone else or any other brand I can think of.
Description Vintage CHANEL Black & White LAMBSKIN Flap BAG with DUSTBAG Era 90s Style Stunningly beautiful vintage bag circa 1990s from Chanel. Crafted from black & white lambskin it features classic CC quilting. Fully leather lined and setoff with gold fixtures and and a signature leather/chain strap. 100% authentic with serial number in tact and original dustbag. Collectable Chanel to last a lifetime Markings Serial number/original Chanel dusbag (verified authentic) Colour Black/White Material Leather Condition Very Good Vintage (minor wear only)
The bright colours of many of the blouses and camisoles after all these years still shine through- and I hope it's not just the bright and professional photographer lights. Even without them some of the detailed and embroidery stitching of the double C logo on the breast pockets of the blouse above is clearly visible. It may be the mish-mash of different pieces from different years and collections but Chanel manage to create a variety of different pieces in all the colours of the rainbow.
I love the incorporation and contrast between the photo shoot conducted by Claire Inc and the traditional and vintage posters of clothing from Chanel. Claire Inc are incredibly good at what they do and they do manage to source and scour for magazine covers or advertising campaigns of their pieces from when they were first released. They often evoke that sort of mood as well when they show off their pieces available to be sold online.
Description Vintage CHANEL Classic COLLECTABLE Burgundy CAMELLIA BROOCH Era 80s/90s Style A true Chanel classic - the signature camellia brooch! Stunning burgundy palette crafted from beautiful velvety fabric. Perfect size for your lapel, jacket or even the neck of a blouse. 100% authentic with Chanel authenticity tag still in tact. A highly collectable vintage Chanel accessory. Comes with its original Chanel label Markings Signed on reverse Colour Burgundy
Claire Inc have such great attention to detail and often show close ups of their smaller pieces such as the authenticity stamp on earrings and necklaces as well as the extent of wear on bags. My amateurish dealings with them have always been pleasant and their staff are incredibly helpful if you are unclear about the colour perhaps from a dodgy computer screen or the sizing measurements and allowance in length of a piece of clothing. They have a lot of amazing pieces that I've seen over the years, from brooches to umbrellas and furry boots to Lycra jumpsuits. Claire Inc never fail to disappoint in terms of quality, range or the presentation of their pieces.
If ever you do see a vintage Chanel bag such as the quilted and tasseled bucket bag shown above, you better not blink because they are in such high demand that they do get snapped up really quickly! The quality of the leather of their bags is near perfection in terms of vintage standards.
The different combination of Chanel pieces as well as the vibrantly coloured backdrops always leaves me feeling wistful, but also broke. I like to see the cut-out Chanel belt in addition to the jumpsuit which is also Chanel.
Intrigued? Interested? Have you caught the vintage haute courtier bug yet? If you haven't then you better haul your butt over to visit the Claire Inc website and flick through their online catalogue. Careful though! It may take you some time to find everything you're looking for despite the handy categorising by garment type as well as brand. From that website you can also find your way to their blog and they can also be found on Facebook where some of there older photographs can be found from pieces which have already been rehomed.
I hope this information has been historically correct, helpful, and that whomever reads it does not buy pieces from Claire Inc before I have first dibs.
