Oldies... but Goodies

    One of my favorite things to do on a day off is going to an antique mall.  True, I do love all the old antiques...  but even more to my liking is all the vintage fashion pieces just waiting to be found!  These places are full of beautiful pins, broaches and other jewelry, even handbags.  And while some of the pieces can be relatively pricey... others are "top-dollar" (meaning a few bucks is all you'll pay),.. just keep looking!  It's definitely what I consider, my kind of scavenger hunt!
    For instance, there's an adorable little antique store in my hometown.  This place is full of old nick-knacks for your home, as well as-- you guessed it.. your wardrobe!

 

    Their slogan reads, "it's the place you go, to find the things you never knew you needed."  And I'll be first to tell you how true that statement is!  Every time I go in to browse, I never leave empty handed.  Take a look at some of the fantastic things I've found there....

     These are a FEW of my favorite finds.  A classic black and gold cuff, a fantastic blue-band with white face watch, and an old antique "lizard" pin.  I've always been a big fan of cuffs and this one really stuck out to me.  It's heavy-duty and not at all tarnished.  A definite beauty.  And believe it or not, I paid around $3 dollars for it!  As for the watch-- how can you NOT love that gorgeous face?  I assumed I'd have to have a new battery put in it, but am delighted to say that it's still ticking right along.  Price tag = $5.  And as for the pin, it's my absolute favorite.  I have a love for all things vintage, and vintage pins are my weakness.  For those of you who are wondering "why" right about now, here's the answer....

 

     Gorgeous, right?  OK, so maybe you're not a big fan of lizards, but a pin of any sort adds just the right amount of drama to an outfit.  Add one to a scarf, like I did here.. for a hint of old English-glam.  It's high-fashion meets utter simplicity.  Did I mention, I bought this little guy for only $8 bucks?
     Now, to my greatest find yet... on a recent trip to the antique mall, I was doing a little browsing when I glimpsed this beautiful leather thing laying on an old antique bench.  I've always been drawn to old Indian-leather, so I practically sprinted over hoping to get my hands on it first (not that there was anyone else around).  I wasn't even exactly sure what it was at first, but then I opened it.. and my eyes lit up like I had just found the greatest treasure....

   
OK.. so you're wondering what so great about this leather "case" right??  Drum-roll please..........

    To my surprise, this super-fab brown case turned out to be a clutch!  And a hippie-chic one at that!  The pocket on the left opens wide to hold your cash.  There's also a pocket on the right and as well as...

 two adorable little inserts that fit securely down inside the clutch: one for you license and another for other important cards.  I absolutely adore this clutch and if you're wondering how much it cost me... the answer to that question would be, "less than a whole Andrew Jackson"...  $18!
     It just goes to show, you never know what great things you can find if you don't mind to do a little searching.  It's been said "what goes around, comes around," and that couldn't be more true than when it comes to fashion.  Platform wedges, bell-bottom jeans, English hats, bright red lipstick... all staples of decades past.. are returning to runways all over the world.
    So remember-- never ever underestimate someone else's "oldies"... because you might have just found the soon-to-be latest and greatest fashion piece to make its way onto the scene of next season's Fashion Week!