Vintage Shoes & Bags for Everyday Wear!

Lots of folks think "special occasion" when they think about wearing vintage--party dresses and beaded bags or clutches to go with them, opera coats, Kentucky Derby hats, vintage wedding gowns, Springolators for Viva Las Vegas, and so on. But working vintage into your everyday wardrobe is a breeze with bags and shoes. I literally never go out of the house without a vintage shoulder bag--they're all I carry for day use, especially since the last contemporary bag I bought (leather and retailing at over $100) looked like a drowned rat six months after I got it. It makes economic sense, too. You can buy two or three, maybe more, vintage Coach bags, for example, for the price of one new one. Or, probably eight to 10 off-brand, but very high-quality, bags for the price of almost any new designer piece.

Oh, and don't get me started on shoes.... For what gals pay today for a pair of good faux leather shoes, you can get a great pair of real leather, comfortable shoes in sizes that really fit your feet! None of this "you can only get Narrow, Medium, or Wide in one shoe" business. You have medium-width feet but narrow heels, like me? Then buy a vintage pair of shoes in a "B" foot with an "A" heel, or an "A" foot and an "AA" heel. I have to put heel pads in almost every pair of shoes I buy new, but when I get the right size in a vintage shoe, it fits like the proverbial glove.

From the classic Kelly bag to cute wicker bags, and from a 1950s' pair of heels to 60s' chunky-heeled pumps, you can find find vintage styles perfect for accenting suits, dresses, skirts, and slacks and for wearing every day. Vintage is not just for special occasions!

Here are some selections from the sellers here at Vintage Reflections!


From Alley Cats Vintage:

An all-purpose, always-in-style Vintage Handbag Floral Needlepoint by Empress, Large Size Purse




Perfect for the office are these Vintage Shoes 1960s 60s Dark Brown Alligator Heels by Fiancees Sz 8AA




And, these are just the thing to keep your vintage shoes dry: Vintage Smoke Rubber Overshoes Plyron High Heel Galoshes Sz 6




Catseye Vintage has these listed:

This sweet bag is at home anywhere, from the casual to the formal: 1910 Victorian Handbag Purse Hand Crocheted Bridal Drawstring Top Off White with 3-d Pom Poms




This is perfect for those work-to-dinner days: Vintage 60s Woven Metal Box Handbag Purse 1960s VLV Bridal Evening Gold Tone Made in Hong Kong




This Vintage 60s Wicker Box Purse Handbag VLV 1960s Picture Window Purse Horse and Carriage Designer Simon does double duty for fun and for work or school.




Vintage Baubles Too is currently offering these:

Super-comfy and cute Vintage 60s Mod Suede Shoes Pumps Chunky Heel Size 6 1/2, 6.5




This sturdy, stylish everyday bag: Vintage 50s Alligator Embossed Leather Handbag Purse Kelly Bag Duchess




And this bag that's perfect for work or play, especially for a "ladies-who-lunch" outing: Vintage 50s 60s Tapestry & Patent Vinyl Kelly Bag Purse Handbag, Vegan




Be sure to visit our shops for more "very wearable" vintage!

Gift Ideas for the Vintage Aficionado on Your List!

Buying "used" items for people as holiday gifts? Some would think that uncouth, uncool, weird, or "cheap." But, as we vinties know, it's anything but! For anyone who collects vintage "stuff," of any sort, finding a sought-after or long-admired treasure in a Christmas stocking or under the tree is definitely a treat! Especially if it's something one would never buy for oneself. I'm sure we've all been there, done that--lusted after a vintage dress, a bag, piece of jewelry, a Limoges plate, Hull vase, Fenton basket, etc. But we always say, "Oh, I just couldn't buy that for myself," or, "If I have any money left over after buying everyone else's gift, maybe I'll get that (whatever) I've been eyeing." It's not even usually the expense, for many of these items can be found inexpensively, that stops us, it's that we "don't need" it, so we don't get it. Let's change that this year!

So, this year, buy that special friend that something special. Or, buy that something you've always wanted for yourself! Go ahead, you deserve it! We here at Vintage Reflections can help you find just the right vintage piece--come and take a look....

My Vintage Cocktail has these pretties:

Vintage compacts are so collectible, and this is very hard to find:
Vintage 50s Coty Compact, Perfume, Lipstick in Purse Vanity Case, RARE



This Vintage Sterling Silver Bracelet, Scarab Design, 50s 60s, Periwinkle Glass, 7 1/2" is the perfect stocking stuffer!



The lady who collects vintage novelty handbags will enjoy our Vintage 50s K & G Charlet Novelty Bird Purse Handbag, Parrot, Flamingo, with Rhinestones





Alley Cats Vintage offers this fabulous Vintage Mings Honolulu Ivory Set Tree Fern Brooch & Earrings



Women love cameos, and this one is a great one to give as a gift: Vintage Shell Cameo Pendant En Habille 14K



Someone (maybe you!) will be "pretty in pink" with these Vintage 1980s Richelieu Imitation Baroque Pink Pearl Double Strand Beads NWT Chunky




And from Catseye Vintage:

This lovely Vintage 60s Woven Gold Tone Metal Handbag, 1960s Purse, Bridal Evening
is perfect for the holiday season!



Tobacciana collectors will love this Vintage 30s Match Safe 1930s Nickel Silver with Watch Chain signed EAM Elgin American Manufacturing Company



And give this set before Christmas or New Year's, as what vintage jewelry-loving lady wouldn't want to wear it during the holiday season?

Vintage 50s Necklace and Earrings Demi Parure Signed Monet Modernist Gold Tone Brushed Metal Set

Make It a Vintage Mother's Day!

Mother's Day will soon be upon us, on May 8. In this country, people usually think Mother's Day began in the early 1900s, when Anna M. Jarvis began campaigning for the creation of an official holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day nationally, and declaring its observance on the second Sunday in May.

But Mother's Day has its roots in ancient celebrations of motherhood, which, rather than being human oriented, focused on symbolism, myth, and religion. The Egyptians' annual celebration of the goddess Isis, the "mother of the pharoahs," is one of the earliest recorded homages to motherhood. The Greeks honored Rhea, their mother of the gods. And the Romans celebrated the goddess Cybele, or "Magna Mater" (Great Mother). The Roman festival occurred in March, around the same time as the Greeks' celebration of Rhea. Among the Roman traditions were the eating of honey cakes and the sharing of flowers. Games and parades also marked the day. The celebration of Cybele was shared by many countries.

Later European celebrations of motherhood were in reference to the Christian Church and fell during Lent, on the fourth Sunday. Parishoners honored the church in which they were baptized (their "mother" church). "Mothering Day" became, in 17th-century England, a celebration of real mothers. Working women were given leave to visit their families, the Lenten fast was suspended for family feasts, and mothers were honored with cakes, flowers, and visits from children who lived at a distance.

When the Pilgrims settled in North America, they stopped celebrating Mothering Day, so there was no tradition in the United States of honoring mothers on a particular day of the year. But, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the lyrics to The Battle Hymn of the Republic, called for an international Mother's Day to celebrate peace and motherhood. Dismayed over the devastation of the Civil War, she called upon mothers to protest the killing of each others' sons. This "Howe's Mother's Day" was celebrated for about a decade, but eventually faded away. However, it planted the seed that would be fertilized by Anna M. Jarvis after the death of her own mother. Ironically, Ms. Jarvis would, in later years, become incensed by what she saw as the deplorable commercialization of the holiday she had devoted her life to seeing to fruition.

Today many countries across the globe celebrate the American version of Mother's Day, or one similar to it, while the English Mothering Day is now called by either name. It is, however, still celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent. In all these countries, gift giving has become traditional.

Mother's Day gifts can be lavish or inexpensive, large or small, practical or just for fun! We think vintage items are wonderful gifts, either to give or to receive. Many moms enjoy the nostalgia that comes with a gift reminding them of their childhoods and their own mothers, while many appreciate the finer quality of yesterday's treasures. We have a few ideas for making Mother's Day a vintage one!

From After Dark Vintage, we have this 1950s Black Fabric Box Style Purse Handbag



And a Sweet Vintage Pink Wicker Harvey Sewing Basket with Contents




Vintage Baubles Too has this Vintage Mesh Bead and Lucite Spring / Summer Handbag Purse



And this Vintage Lisa Jewels Large Enamel and Goldtone Floral Brooch / Pin




Featured at Catseye Vintage are an Antique 1910 - 1920s Apollo Studios Faux Guilloche Enamel Signed Hand Mirror and Matching Unused Hair Brush Vanity Set



And this Antique 1900's Victorian Gold Filled 49.5" Slide Chain with an Opal Gem Stone and Seed Pearls

(Mother's Day information excerpted, in part, from www.mothersdaycentral.com, among other resources.)