The must have—A Vintage Handbag

Chanel Quilted Lambskin Leather Shoulder Bag - Navy Blue With Certificate Of Authenticity - French Designer Signed AccessoriesIn addition to the beautiful CHANEL vintage costume jewelry I have listed I also have two CHANEL leather bags to list too from the late 1980's from Sweetie’s Memorable Gemz at Rubylane.com

Handbags are practical jewelry - an accessory that you can use. If a woman wants to have a dramatic flare, there's only one way for her to go…..that is a Vintage bag! Vintage bags have been a fashion treasure for decades. Women loved these bags way back when and today, we are searching for them even more. They are the must-have trend of today , they are seen on the fashion catwalks and fashion magazines, side by side with vintage clothing and accessories, with "vintage" meaning dating anywhere from the 1920s to 1980s.

Julia Roberts, Kate Moss, and Sienna Miller are among the celebrities who have helped spread vintage fever. Now this fever has the old fashion houses scrambling to reproduce their own vintage collections, including handbags, while new designers are launching their vintage-inspired lines.

Vintage bags are everlasting and unique. They fit and look beautiful when you carry them, whatever the occasion. Vintage bags are not just mere items to be worn, but are more like family heirlooms, which can be passed on from one generation to another. Remember when you buy a vintage bag you don't simply buy a handbag: You buy a work of art. Handbags of the 1920s to 1940s were covered with beads and sparkles, embroidery, combined with fine fabrics such as satin, silk, fur and lace. Other popular handbags during the 1940s were made from wood and plastic because metal was saved for the World War II artillery supplies.

In the 1950s, the trend was leather handbags. Popular handbag designers from fashion houses such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Gianni Versace, Judith Leiber, and Balenciaga created designs that are described today as "classic". An example of a classic handbag is the popular Hermes Kelly Bag that was named after actress and Monaco princess Grace Kelly. It was given the limelight in 1956, and has been an iconic handbag ever since.

During the 1960s and 1970s - bags were bright neon colors and patterns like bubbles. In the 1980s, there was a craze for clutch handbags because of the compact design that was great for carrying the essential women stuff for the fancy evening party and the elegant dinner party. The clutch of those days came in various colors worn to match the shoes. The popularity of the vintage handbag is because of their original designs and high quality, plus their potential as a collectible item. Vintage and classic designer handbags are forever, they never go out of fashion. Most vintage handbags are made from fine materials, such as high-quality fabrics that are no longer manufactured, or too expensive. Their details such as the buttons, beads or other ornaments are rare and lovely. No wonder collectors are hunting down these vintage handbags, whether for investment or because of their appreciation of history, especially for the roles and skills of previous generations, including respected designers. And being a part of this "generation-to-generation" history is what you get when you own and wear. Vintage handbags have higher or relatively more stable prices than contemporary ones. This means it's more profitable if you want to sell those vintage bags again. So the vintage bag is a marvelous green item for your wardrobe.

1980s Judith Leiber Alligator Clutchavailable at Decades Inc.

From morninggloriousvintage.com

The Fall Season Jewelry Trend

Costume jewelry is the easiest way to add charm, style and elegance. It is also the most economic fashion investment available in tough times.

The Fall "bling bling" trends are vintage styles mixed with a touch of romantic rock 'n' roll spirit.

Look for statement sizes and gold plate tones like antique gold and burnished gold. And don't be afraid to put layers upon layers, and enjoy the mix-and-match fun.

Vintage glamour is evoked in the multiple-strand tassel necklace featured above with rich texture in its mixed golden metal finishes and intricate braidings. The fringe treatments help add fluidity.

Big, bold romantic rock 'n' roll pieces, are must-have fashion pieces throughout 2009.

So rock on this fall

Incorporating vintage pieces into your modern wardrobe

Now that you have found the greatest piece of vintage clothing, so how do you wear it?

You might think of your vintage clothing as the focal-point in your outfit. The rest of the outfit should compliment it, by shape and color. You pretty much follow the rules as modern fashion goes, but throw in some unique elements of vintage to replace some major parts. Vintage dresses are the are the easiest to incorporate but some ways to modernize them are by simply wearing tights, a modern cardigan, shoes(such as ballet flats) or even just by the way you do your hair. It's up to the wearer to decide how "modern" she(or he!) wants to look, so by adding just a few or all of these things can determine if you look like you are even from this decade!

Buying Future Vintage

Buying vintage needs a discerning eye is required to ensure maximum returns. Buy a good designer at their peak if the label says Dior, you want it to be by Christian himself rather than by Marc Bohan, who took over in 1962. If the piece of clothing is by Yves Saint Laurent, it's haute couture that will accrue the most value in years to come, not Rive Gauche (from the Seventies and Eighties), or Variations (from the Nineties) – both are still too recent to hold the same cache. And even if those criteria are fulfilled, avoid anything that has serious staining or alterations, which seriously decrease the value. Store the pieces out of sunlight (fading is a no-no), and start to get paranoid about moths, damp and mildew.

As far as jeweler goes, wisdom is that signature pieces are key: whereas clothing requires a famous label, stylistically strong pieces from the 1920s and 1930s don't have to be Cartier to be of value. "Rather than the value of the stones, it's the dynamism of the design is the key. Remember that jewelry is very much part of high fashion.

If your investment potential doesn't stretch to haute couture, there is still much to be said for starting small. This theory of demand for exclusivity filters down on to the regular department stores, too, if your budget is a little more limited in this economy. So if you pick up some of-the-moment high-demand fashions – such as the collaborations that some named stores do with big-name designers such as Stella McCartney or Vera Wang for instance – you are almost guaranteed a return for your money.

As the outlay is not as great as that in high fashion, it makes sense that the profit margins won't be as high, but it also makes sense to start somewhere, accruing capital that you can then put into more expensive wares. A sharp eye for detail, the knowledge of what name counts on a label, and a great deal of patience are required if you want to start making fashion work for your bank balance. Shopping to make money necessitates something of a mental shift, it's true, but if you can bear to buy fashion that you will never wear, a potential goldmine awaits.

Vogue Fashion Fantasies

Try Vintage for the working women trying to live out their Vogue fashion fantasies on Target budgets, vintage clothing offers may possibilities.

THE NECESSARY ACCESSORIES
Scarves have been the number one accessory to update your look. For spring, wear a lightweight scarf tied in a traditional knot or wrapped casually around your neck. For summer, wrap one around your head like a headband for a retro look. Look on the vintage clothing sites for vintage scarves.
Try a brooch. Wear brooches in clusters with a black dress or cardigan in place of a necklace for an elegant look during the day. Bringing out the rhinestone brooches in the evening up jazz up the office dress for a wonderful evening out. Attach a brooch to a ribbon to create a necklace. A matching set of brooches can serve as shoe clips.
Then there is a statement necklace that can stand on its own. Wear one for daytime with a T-shirt and jacket. For evening, pair it with a little black dress. Create your own statement necklace by layering two or three necklaces for a multi-strand look.


VINTAGE SHOPPING TIPS
•Have fun. Take photos. (Hey, when are you going to be caught in a black pillbox hat with a mini veil again?) Don't be discouraged by the chaos you'll likely encounter – digging for that polyester jumpsuit is half the fun!
•Think before you buy. Some clothing may be difficult to alter. Ask yourself, "Is the price worth the wear?"
•Be flexible on your size. Clothing sizes were different 30 or 40 years ago.
•Be brave and occasionally try on styles that might seem downright odd or take some brainpower to figure out on the hanger. It could be your next favorite outfit.

AnitaColby

Recession aware Fashion Week spotlights the Power '80s or Classic looks

For fall 2009, the 1980’s are back and so is vintage dressing. Women can look forward to wearing shoulder pads, bright colors and grays for the serious minded plus power suits. This runway season have designers bringing us the empowered female silhouette of the 1980s in classic designs to New York Fashion Week.
Hitting the right look at the right price will be important to today’s fashion conscious woman who will be either going with the classic or something really special and unique looks.
Some of this years looks are shorter lengths, bold colors, wide shoulders, practical wool plaid, wrap dresses and draped collars. This season, dressing has abandoned frills in favor of textured surfaces with firm, slim architectural lines, that is focused on the waist. There are like pine green, slate gray and copper. There was also there is a reminder of earlier era of hard times: small jackets, skirts over the knees and even cocktail hats, reminiscent of women in the 1930s Depression years in some designer’s collections.
There are many vintage clothing sites that the cost conscious woman can draw from for the look from the runways without that runway price. Now is the time to let your fingers do the browsing through the vintage clothing folks at VFG and Babylon Mall.
Runway looks from the Ralph Lauren fall 2009 show. (Chris Moore/Karl Prouse)