Vintage Chanel from Amélie Boutique

Amélie Boutique is a great online shop that offers a variety of clothing, jewellery bags and shoes and even three gorgeous vintage Chanel bags in pristine condition. I've seen some great Chanel bags from the online store Claire Inc., but never have I seen such quality in the leather. The bags they're selling certainly don't come with a second hand price tag, costing some thousand and a half British pounds each- it's not really what you expect from seeing the words 'vintage' and 'heriloom' but then again the condition is as new, the leather not cracked and the metal plated chain is still completely intact and not showing any signs of wear at all.

 

Beggars can't be choosers when it comes to the vintage market unless you have a lot of cash to mindlessly throw around, in which case you'll have your pick of the litter and get to afford the cream of the crop. There are quite a few lovely Chanel pieces that come online on eBay as well but nothing to this quality and standard.

 

I don't know who in their right mind wouldn't love to flash around a Chanel handbag and keep them cooped up in a wardrobe all day- bags this lovely were made to see the light of day and enjoy the sun! Still, for the person who did choose to hoard away their Chanel treasures, it leaves the people of the present to enjoy the lovely colour of this brilliant Chanel quilted hand bag and the plated gold metal chains without any wear at the corners. When I search around for vintage pieces from high end fashion houses such as Chanel, I'm usually trying to find bags and accessories that are more within my price range as opposed to browsing around their stores in person. You'd have no such luck with the same philosophical approach if you bought a vintage Chanel bag from Amélie Boutique.

 

One of the most gorgeous and my favourite structured bags from Chanel for its vintage design is the bucket bag you see before you with drawstring cord, a leather strap threaded with a gold chain and rich black tassels. This photograph shows off the texture of the leather and how it's survived the test of time with tender love and care and those gorgeous tassels. I think I'm a sucker for just about any vintage Chanel bag as long as it has some tassels attached to it. As well as the tassels of this bag sitting at the top are thick gold charms too with a quilted effect and the iconic double C logo of Chanel.

 

It's sort of been my dream bag hiding in the back of my subconscious for a number of years now but I'll probably never be one of those girls who walks around and everyone is dying to find out who she is. No- I'll be the girl sitting behind her computer screen feeling content for the next number of years as she passes her way through university and trying to transfer into Melbourne University and realise her childhood dreams which now seem impossible. At least for the time being I can go to the library and read copies of Vogue, books of cheesy romances as well as enjoy free wi-fi and indulge in glorious things I'll never be able to buy. If I were a Buddhist I would be the worst example and leading a life heavily influenced by objects and possession but fortunately I'm not that way religiously inclined.

No. 5

Etched into history and folklore comes the golden elixir and most famous perfume world wide, No. 5 by Coco Chanel. I had the opportunity to work as a spritzer girl last Summer promoting Chanel perfume and had to learn the ingredients of a lot of their perfumes as well as No. 5. It taught me that being in a job that's not stimulating and standing up the entire time will make my ribs feel like their being pried from my chest cavity, spraying perfume too much ruins nail polish and that you eventually get used to the smells in your environment and prevents you from no longer enjoying them.

Mademoiselle Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was a women who was very superstitious and believed in lucky numbers and took inspiration from her French apartment into her perfume. For example, I was told that the stopper of the classic glass bottle for No. 5 took inspiration from the rectangular shape of the court yard outside her window but the glass bottle also took inspiration from toiletry bottles/ whiskey bottles from her lover. For added class and style, each bottle neck is tied off with a white ribbon and wax seal.

This lovely photo shoot contrasts the blue stripes on the straw with the yellow of the jumper, which both match respectively the blue wall and the yellow perfume No. 5- while I don't think it will kill you to try drinking perfume it's not something I would personally recommend. I haven't tried it myself but never have a known anyone to try it, the ingredients are May Rose as well as Jasmine, both originating from a place called Grasse in France. Of course it's only expected to use the finest ingredients and while both those flowers aren't poisonous I'm sure the mixture of alcohol with their absolute and distilled bodies can't taste as nice as it smells.

 

Wish I could own these lovely singlets- I would literally wear them every where I go and team them up with thin pants for comfort as well as flirty skirts and shorts. Too bad these types of designs seem to only live about in alternative markets and hide from the main stream likes of retailers and can't be found anywhere on the Internet.

The iconic bottle has been subjected to many new interpretations among the community on Tumblr such as this cosmic background edited into within the contents of the glass bottle. I've seen a few palmed off and I do like the new take on the bottle, one gets a little sick and bored with seeing the same amber coloured liquid in the bottle. That doesn't necessarily mean I prefer the counter part perfume No. 19 which was Mademoiselle's personal favourite. It has a 'fresh' smell which roughly translates to 'if you like grass and being reminded of hay fever try this one'.

Reinvented and renewed countless times, since the bottle's launch in 1921 it continues to be a firm source of revenue for the fashion house with sales exceeding $100 million a year and a bottle of this perfume, No. 5 is sold once every thirty seconds around the globe. It's success will never really be hampered by economic trends and as perfume is a popular gift at Christmas time I am sure 2011 was no exception to seeing bumper sales records.

Clutches

Clutches are the kind of bags a Hollywood starlet uses, just enough room to fit the necessities of a phone and credit card as well as having to hold on to them for dear life for worry of losing ones valuables. If you end up using a clutch then of course you're at an invitation event where dinner has already been payed for with entry or there's light refreshments of some kind and it's all a very formal affair. It'd be nice to be able to afford one of these glamorous clutches from either Chanel or Givenchy but with little to see from a social life there is really no point in such a thing for myself... at the moment. Maybe 2012 will be the year that brings great change in my and I'll end up being an active part of my university and join in clubs and attend events in the inner Melbourne for boutique stores. You never know- it could happen.

 

I love the illustrations for these two Givenchy clutches, I have seen the panther motif before on a hand bag and I really do love the Fall collection, I am tempted to whip up a post about it since it's all so good but seeing all the big cat goodness does make me feel rather small, petty and poor despite having spend $100 today. The colour schemes for the two bags as well as their pleasing and traditional clutch shape with rounded edges seems simple and sweet but there's so much more intrigue and mystery held within the fiery eyes of the panther as well as the cute bordering effect around the iris.

Chanel from Vintage resellers Claire Inc.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.