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Discover Mid-America — April 2005
Fads and fashions
I just put
down this month’s copy of W magazine and all I can do is shake my
head. The jewelry trends they promote each year are great throwbacks to
days gone by. How far back do you want to go?
Okay, how about the beginning of the twentieth
century? The very modern (supposedly) collar affect designed by Michael
Negrin and copied by everyone else this year, was first introduced by
Princess Alexandra of Denmark in the late 1800s/early 1900s. She was the
wife of Prince Edward, Victoria’s first born and heir to the English
throne. There is always a hair of difference, so that future generations
of collectors will hopefully be able to differentiate.
Princess Alexandra preferred pearls and diamonds.
Today’s designers prefer colored stones and, in the costume genre,
bright colors. Chandelier earrings have been extremely popular for the
past few years and Victorian ladies were no slouches! They wore them for
many years running.
Skipping right ahead to the 1920s; “Y”
necklaces (although they were probably called something else at that time)
were very popular and many of them survived to the present day. A few
years back, Y necklaces were a must-have fashion accessory in both costume
and precious stones. Also in the 1920s, long ropes of pearls were fashionable.
Last year, they were also popular and available in great quantities!
Remember the 1940s and 1950s? Rhinestones
were not a passing fancy — they were a fashion staple from about
the late 1930s to the early 1960s. Last year, any well-dressed woman would
not appear in public without a rhinestone pin on her shoulder. I even
saw one on a druggist’s white coat when I visited a drugstore!
I hope many of you inherited some from your
mothers and grandmothers. My supply of vintage pins ran out in December
of last year and I have not had much luck replacing them. In fact, all
of Denver ran out about that time.
Back to the W magazine! Bangles, bangles
and more bangles to be worn up to your elbows! They especially recommend
Bakelite. Good luck finding any!
Many of today’s jewelry companies, including
Chanel and Dior, are making plastic bangles with stones. Vintage bangles
come in sterling, gold-filled, Bakelite, and pot metal.
I guess I owe a debt of gratitude to today’s fashion gurus. Their fad influence is great for vintage jewelry dealers. So, whatever they come up with next, bring it on!
Syrma Sotiriou is the proprietor of The Treasured Scarab in Denver, and a regular contributor to Discover Mid-America. Contact her at (303) 777-6884.
> Antiquing in Colorado Archive — past columns
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