Friday, August 31, 2012

Vintage Earrings

Today, vintage earrings. There is something about taking a piece of the past and giving it new life that is very satisfying.One of the reasons I love vintage so much is that it is a physical record of the way lifestyles, opinions and views of society in general as and continues to shift through the years.


Vintage costume jewelry, here we're concentrating on vintage earrings, is an easy way to add retro charm and glamor to your wardrobe without breaking your budget. Whether it is a pair of vintage earrings that have clip backs, screw backs, a combination of the two, or a pair that is either old enough to be pierced (ears were commonly pierced up until the very late 1800's - early 1900's when it came to be seen as vulgar. This continued until piercing became popular again in the 1970's) or has been converted, vintage earrings are a way to add a unique and personal touch to anything you wear.

This particular pair of vintage earrings is handmade and  extremely unusual. The leaves/petals are made of some sort of resin or plasticized paper mounted on a screw back and with a tiny actual shell set in the center. They date back to the 1950's and were handmade by someone with serious artistic leaning and a unique sense of style. The type of jewelry made by someone living in The Village in New York City, perhaps?


Vintage earrings can be worn as is, or, in most cases, converted to pierced if desired. Sometimes, if the earrings are unusually delicate or valuable, it is preferable to leave them in their original state.




This batch with two pairs of earrings dating from the late 1960's to early 1970's features pink plastic. Both are clip backs and would be really fun with the right outfit.





This set of two pair of small plastic ball earrings dates from 1960's. The bright colors of the turquoise and purple with the conservative, tiny round button style is perfectly representative of the huge shift in fashion that happened during the early to mid 1960's as society underwent huge social shifts.




 
This pair of gold fan shaped swirls from the early to mid 1980's is very representative of the fashions and world views of the time. The perfect accessory for the fashion conscious woman who power-dressed to get ahead in her career.






Everything was big, strong and over sized. America was on top and the prevailing culture was all about conspicuous consumption. From giant shoulder pads, brilliant neon colors to large, chunky earrings, subtlety was out. 






Representing the more classic style that co-existed - if not always peacefully - even while youthful fashion rebelled and went bohemian and mod, this pair of gold filigree clip earrings are vintage late 1960's Avon.








While you see celebrities wearing vintage jewelry, at awards shows all the time, it's usually of the real gems and worth tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Let's face it, that's a little out of reach for most of us.
Below, though, are a couple who used not too crazily expensive vintage earrings that define their very different personal styles.






Amber Rose, who became a celebrity by dating Kanye West, is shown here wearing vintage late 70's earrings by Givenchy.

Photo from:
http://tohnijean.com/tag/celebrity-wearing-vintage/








 Emily VanCamp, of ABC TV's show Revenge
uses vintage coral earrings to define her own personal style. She was styled for this photo by Stylist Petra Flannery.


Vintage earrings, whether you're fortunate enough to have the real thing handed down from your grandmother, or just love the individuality of vintage jewelry in a more moderate price range, are perfect for defining your style with vintage.



The vintage earrings pictured above (not the ones pictured worn by celebrities) are or will be available soon from my Etsy Store! Feel free to contact me if you want to know about a featured item that isn't listed yet.


If you are in the market for a specific vintage or antique item, I am a fabulous vintage and antique detective. So if you are searching for something in particular, I can help!

www.VintageLifeandDesign.etsy.com

Email:  shelleysvintagelife@yahoo.com

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