Jennifer Fisher Gothic Letter Ring

While on the subject of gold rings I wish I had the money to buy, I found this ring on the online store for Barneys New York and was instantly entranced by the thick gold band of the ring and generous proportions of the metal. At first I thought the scripted letter was a capital Q but when I read the description was delighted to learn the intended design is that of a lowercase A in Gothic handwriting. My name is Adele, so it's all the more excuse to buy such a gorgeous ring, if only I could find the $400 to get it too...

JWB1D Butterflies from Pigeonhole

Let me introduce to you, just some of my favourite picks from the online store, Pigeonhole! In a nutshell, Pigeonhole is like a smaller version of Etsy and sells home made and crafted items such as jewellery, bags, lots of gorgeous stationery and home wares. There's even Polaroid film made new by The Impossible Project and you're own vintage Polaroid 600 camera you can pick up. Today though I would like to focus your attention on products from JWB1D, in particular their butterfly brooches and earrings.

When I was but a child and didn't really understand the mechanism of coping with death and loss, I drew my Aunt a picture of a butterfly when her husband, my Uncle had died. I still have the thank you note she replied to me with even after all these years and it says "butterflies do cheer you up don't they?" I have a more emotional link with them and this past Summer I have chased more butterflies than I can count with a camera in hand to try to capture them on film. Their numbers seem to have exploded within recent weeks, I spotted five together in once place just yesterday.

There's butterflies of all shapes and sizes and in a few different colours as well if you had a favourite colour or preference. My favourite of the brooches is the large white brooch first pictured for the amount of detail and depth of the scales of the butterflies wings. The grainy lines fan out so naturally, I really like that quality about the brooch. There's not a lot of background information given on the Pigeonhole website, but what I can tell you is that all the butterfly pieces shown today are 50% off and that you can purchase them here.

It's been a long time since I wore a brooch and when I do wear one I tend to place it in the middle of my collar in a sort of a vague Victorian style. As beautiful as these wooden looking brooches are, I think I prefer the earrings myself although I can never remember to change my earrings when I go out and usually stick with the same studs I wear day-in day-out. These studs would look very cute when worn with hair pulled up in a bun and maybe a bandanna- I'm still sort of looking for something to wear with an ear cuff in the shape of a dragon but I'm prioritising that below over pretty things I want to buy.

It must be difficult if you were to make these shapes from wood, particularly for the bird wing butterfly which has two slender and different parts to its wings. The earrings only cost $14 AUD and the brooches are $17.50. with the 50% off discount so hop to it and snag a pair for yourself! If not for yourself, than either of the earrings or brooches would make a killer gift for a leading lady in your life be it your mother of sweetheart.

Waiting List

Since I had received my final score for Year 12 that will allow me to get into my university of choice (hopefully) I've been treating myself here and there over the last month or so and have bought these five items which I am waiting to receive- the first is a vintage watch of a cat with moving eyes marking each second passing in yellow. I already have a Marc Jacobs guitar shaped watch but I have wanted to have a wall clock of a cat with moving eyes before and this is the perfect excuse to show if off. I fell in love with the brown leather straps and cartoon appearance, it was even better knowing this piece if one-of-a-kind and it's all mine as soon as it arrives in Australia from America.

Then there was my bulk order from the New Zealand website Good as Gold, I caved and finally found the best coloured fluffy Mr Lure key chain from Deadly Ponies in Peacock to update any satchel I decided to buy. Yesterday at my final shift of work I treated myself to a purple satchel and I think the clashing bright blue and purple may look good together if I choose to wear eclectic prints and colours. If not, I'll probably buy any other colour of the satchel I can get my filthy mitts on while my staff discount still applies. Since I wanted to get free postage I also convinced myself into getting a Stolen Girlfriends Club bow ring which I have been lusting after for years but since that particular piece is on back order my items will be delayed by a number of weeks till they get it in store. Luckily, I'm in no hurry.

I watched what I thought was the last of these Alexa Chung for Madewell sketched shirts go on eBay and their were a few excited bidders but after listing again the same item and in the same size I seized my opportunity. All good things come to those who wait it seems- I was able to get my shirt without any competition and payed the minimum amount possible for my limited edition sketch long-sleeve shirt featuring a disgruntled bride and the motto 'I'm Serious'. I can't wait till that piece comes.

I hadn't seen this resin brooch featured on another online store so after a day or two of humming and hawing I bought it yesterday before I headed off to work for what may be the last time- thinking to myself that I was just about to earn the money back anyway. Little did I know my store was full of gorgeous new goodies which I hadn't yet clapped eyes on and i would be spending money there as well. This is why I need a proper job- I've gotten so desperate for cash I have even resorted to applying to drop off catalogues in my local area. Even they haven't gotten back to me yet.

Boater Hats

 

With all the vintage beaded collars and leather satchels, it's a wonder I didn't publish a post talking about straw crafted boater hats sooner. Their synonymous with school girl charm and a great way to keep the heat at bay and protect your skin from the harsh sun. My mother is continually lecturing both my older brother and myself on the danger and damage the sun can cause- what better way to be sun smart with style? I've also got on my mind the floppy felt style hats with a typically larger brim to wear this summer, although I have already found out that the best combination would be something with slender straps and not a t-shirt.

 

Boater's have been around for years now- rather than buying myself a straw hat maybe I could splash out and buy a pair of vintage earrings in their image? There's one or two lying about the house that I can remember being around ever since I was small, sometimes when going on picnics I'll bring one of the classics with rounded top half and an ancient paisley ribbon tied around the middle. When I brought a straw hat on my way to a tour of central Australia, it progressively grew a hole at the top- on the bright side with this cute little gold clip-on earrings they won't be getting any holes in them for a while. Just weary as to the comparison between large earrings and my small lobes...

I had been hoping to get on over to the beach sometime after schoolies in the new year but it looks like there's been a spanner thrown into the works... that is, that I have little motivation to leave the safety and comfort of my air-conditioned lounge room and I have no one to go with. I really hadn't anticipated the second problem, but that's life for you. I never have been much of a beach-goer in the past anyway, why change that now?

 

I've been mad about vintage for the last few years, progressing gently from the 80s and wild neon colours to gentle florals and collared dresses. I've also been lusting over vintage velvet arm chairs and wing backed chairs but I do hope that phase comes into play a little later in my life. For now I'm just happy looking over photographs of a new generation who cherishes the old vintage treasures of a bygone era passed down to us from local second hand shops hiding a hoard of clothing and hats.

Vintage Missoni

  Yes indeed sweet reader, this post focuses on some of the Missoni and Missoni sport goodies you can find right now at the Claire Inc. website and all the colours and vintage goodness you can expect to see from the vintage resellers. The first is this casual sweatshirt with intricate letter pattern, can you imagine something like this used to make a quilt? The mish mash of letters on this vintage Missoni Sport shirt reminds me a little of Jeremy Scott's work in which he made a pair of tracksuit pants featuring all the letters of the alphabet. The printed pattern of this shirt is something to be impressed by and I do like the colour at the centre of this unisex shirt. The cute rolled up sleeves and baggy over sized look of this shirt make it even more casual and kitsch- of course the model they use must be a size 6 with a small and slight frame to give it such an appearance, but one can dream can't one?

 

Description Vintage MISSONI SPORT Geometric UNISEX LOGO Tshirt Era 90s Style Fab tee from Missoni Sport. Taupe colour palette set off with 'Missoni Sport' block letter print. Unisex! Stretch Cotton! Great! Colour Taupe/Various Tagged Size XS Fits Like... Free (XS - M depending on fit you like) Measurements (laid flat across front only) Shoulder to Shoulder 48cm/Bust 50cm/Waist 48cm/Hips 48cm/Arm Length 18cm/Length 62cm Material Cotton Condition Excellent Vintage

As well as casual shirts available on the Missoni sub section of the Claire Inc website, there are these triangular shaped clip-on earrings with emerald cut jewels. They'd match a pair of Jeffrey Campbell Elegant Jewel slippers perfectly using the best of coloured plastic jewels against a black background. I'm not so interested in these earrings myself- my ears are actually quite small so wearing big earrings makes them look smaller and makes me feel a little more subconscious of them. Sure, for the era of the 80s from which they came from I'm sure these bad boys were right on trend, but they don't really suit someone like me I guess.

This fabulously unique vintage tee from Claire Inc is again from Missoni Sport. It's over sized and features a unisex and versatile design of multi-coloured roses. The taupe background is set off with bold coloured, textural flowers, and is made of super stretchy fit with splits on either side. Wooden heels with tassels and plain denim shorts used to style both shirts make the colours seem even more vivid. Both shirts are in excellent vintage condition- most likely coming from the same source. If you're interested in them, you know where to go.

Vintage gold from American Apparel

Although American Apparel do sell vintage deadstock pieces for a pretty penny there's no wear and tear on their items and when I explored their website a few days ago I felt I had uncovered lost treasure when I spied their plethora of gold deadstock pieces. Scrolling past a treasure trove of gold hoops, earrings, bracelets and necklaces of all shapes and sizes I found the cutest golden charm bracelet charms- the thing that caught my eye most was the first charm I spotted which was a stegosaurus. It seemed to unusual and rare and I felt my fancy tickled and intrigued by the charm as well as the face of the sun. The shapes and designs of each of the charms are minimalist but sweet and endearing as well as artistic. It makes me fall in love with charm bracelets all over again, as I do once a year when I see some gorgeous set of charms.

It was a little curious to see two different styles of unicorn as well as seahorse charms- not often you see those two species as charms at all let alone having the choice of two designs. I'm thinking of getting a few of these charms when my next pay comes in as well as a few pairs of frilly socks from American Apparel in assorted colours. It's hard to know whether there should be a theme if I were to start a gold charm bracelet such as the sea using turtles and seahorses or just having animals. But I also really like the sun and bicycle charms picture above in the first photograph.

The icing on the cake was to sea the ice cream charm in cold, a stylised soft serve swirl as well as the neat checking effect on the cone. It was next to a gorgeous looking camera and since photography has been a small hobby of mine that also scored brownie points in my books. This may be my favourite assortment of charms in these two lines since there's a nautical theme with the anchor and sail boat but I also like the elephant. I did half of my Indonesian oral examination about elephants and I got an A- it'd be nice to have a little piece of my lucky elephant hanging around my wrist as a memory of my success.

The range of bracelets suited to having charms off of isn't so stellar but the range of charms American Apparel are selling as vintage deadstock pieces are quirky and cool. The biggest wall between me and getting a charm bracelet is my motivation to find a good quality charm bracelet and when seeing an assortment this grand is saving money up to buy all the charms in one fell swoop. Money may not be a problem for long, and if I manage to hoodwink the system I may be able to get my order cheaper than intended as well! Gorgeous vintage gold, here I come.

Vintage Karl Lagerfeld

I think of two things when I see the initials 'KL', the first and foremost is my mother's home city of Kuala Lumpur which I was lucky enough to visit six years ago, and creative designer Karl Lagerfeld. The cameo necklace above adorned in pearls and inscribed motifs is a vintage piece by Karl Lagerfeld, with a simplistic black face and strung on a pearl necklace. There is another part of the pendant, a dangling gold disc which again has KL inscribed on it. Not only does the creative genius' initials appear on necklaces but it's also embroidered on some bags and other necklaces if you are lucky enough to find them. Luckily, I have done all the 'hard work' for you and sourced these images from Claire Inc's sold archive to introduce to you just some of the vintage pieces Karl Lagerfeld has designed and whose team has crafted over the years. I love vintage pieces, when I'm shopping at the prestigious department stores in Australia in the city with my mother I simply think how age affects the price of items and second-hand pieces become more accessible to the public.

Another piece fromthe vintage world of Karl Lagerfeld is this rather large pearl which rotates like a globe on this gold necklace. Outside the frame on which the pearl rotates is the word Lagerfeld written, the long chain of the necklace allows you to wear it two different ways, double up or loose. There's also the signature Karl Lagerfeld fan on the end of the chain, one of his more favourable motifs incorporated into his designs. I like the large purple pearl, it really makes this piece unique and different and like a piece of costume jewellery. You would hope that at the price of $315 from Claire Inc that the pearl would have been real, and the gold of the necklace as well. Even if it was gold plating and/or the pearl was faux it's still a lovely piece to be taken on its merit as a piece of a bygone era of the vintage world. Karl Lagerfeld are known for being over sized and chunky- this piece is classically Karl all over.

Isn't this vintage Karl Lagerfeld bag magnificent? I've only seen a few of these bags available online and every time they come up someone snatches them up quick sticks. They're quite popular and easily recognisable as a Karl Lagerfeld design with the large embroidered initials on the side of this suede bucket bag. I like the texture to it and the sort of faded shades of black, as well as the border around KL and the drawstring of the bag. It'd be nice to have something like this but they do go for a pretty penny and buying a new handbag doesn't come without decisions and a lot of thought. At the moment I really need to invest in something with versatility, probably black with just the right size and something I can sling over my body. You can imagine Karl Lagerfeld bags having that sort of used and feeling comfortable when hugged against your body.

Close up photographs of this vintage Karl Lagerfeld bag reveal his fan motif incorporated into the design, at the top of the border around KL which appears to be in leather against the suede of the bag. When wearing suede accessories and clothes, remember to avoid rain at the cost of losing the colour and shape of the material. I learnt this the hard way when wearing black suede shoes and waiting in the rain for a bus in front of school. If you did happen to own a vintage bag made by such a prestigious name:  the head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel, you would hope you would be careful with such a precious item! There's a leaf motif that makes the border of the bag as well as tassels on the end of the drawstring as well. You don't really tend to think about these things but there's a lot of meticulous detail involved in designing as well as making bags.

The vintage pieces from creative genius Karl Lagerfeld are made from only the highest quality of materials, take for example this lovely brooch in the shape of a wax seal like you would find on a letter. It reminds me of Harry Potter when he first finds his letter accepting him into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. On the wax seal shaped brooch, there's more of a coin face appearance with a two dimensional man in profile as well as the words 'Karl Lagerfeld Paris' and his much favoured fan motif. On the back are his initials further authenticating the piece as his design. I like the way they modeled it on a rust coloured blazer- it really showed off the craftsmanship of the brooch and just how smooth the surface of the brooch was.

Another vintage Karl Lagerfeld bag! This one too has the same bucket bottom shape with a drawstring as the previous one but there's a thicker strap made in leather as well as leather trimming around the ruffled edges, to the bottom of the bag and the drawstring is also in thin strips of the cowhide.The black suede of this bag is in better shape compared to its previously listed counterpart and I like the gold stitched Karl Lagerfeld

I like the angle behind this photographic shot- you can see the minimal wear to the leather and the good nick to the bag. Even though Claire Inc is selling a lot of vintage pieces- due to the prestige behind the fashion houses and labels that it stocks there's usually minimal wear to their items. At I guess I would say they've only been worn a few times for special occasions and never used day-in day-out in someones routine. That just sweetens the deal and makes the price tags on these vintage beauties seem even better with the minimal wear and rare designs of the pieces. It'd be well worth your penny-pinching and saving to be able to afford something like a bag like this- there's even small studs placed strategically at the bottom for the bag to stand up. Now that's clever thinking, and I how the bag stand studs match the gold stitching of the Karl Lagerfeld symbol on the drawstring. Drawstring bags are perfect for those of use who worry about things spilling out of our bags as well as security. Usually if I still feel worried about things spilling out of a bag, I chuck a soft jumper at the top and let it act as a barrier. You could easily do that for a bag like this as well, or if your pressed for space, a light scarf would do the same job just as well.

Gold plated jewellery that's thick and has a lot of character with the letters KL? Karl Lagerfeld's signature characteristics to his vintage jewellery. This necklace would certainly be enough to weigh you down with all those chains, not to mention the clasps. For this photo shoot, the clasps have been chosen as the centre piece of the necklace and to show off the thick piece of jewellery. This is what I really like and admire about the vintage Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel pieces, they're so bold and the gold plating has minimal wear as well. At the moment I'm hunting a vintage Chanel choker myself with a lion motif. That's the top of the wish list for Christmas but it's going to take a lot of time scouring eBay to finally get it. Unless Claire Inc manages to produce one for me. Until then I'll be happy watching other pieces getting sold and sent to the archive records.