Vera Vault -- Square Dance

Time for another Vera Vault!  Today we're looking at square patterned scarves from my collection.  She definitely liked a grid, plaid, or square-filled design, but she found so many ways of changing it up.  Hope you enjoy!

Junk Love: Caped Crusader

Our shop

We recently acquired a huge haul of vintage clothing, and among the group was a fabulous 1970s cape, which I immediately had to try on (sadly, it didn't fit right, and gave me T. rex arms). It instantly brought back memories of my childhood, when I was given my mother's hand-me-down capes from the 1960s to wear to church. I loved them, especially a wool plaid one with metal buttons. Not only did it make me feel elegant, like a 1950s movie star, but you can do all sorts of things with your hands under the cape, like tear the church program into tiny bits of confetti, and nobody can see your shenanigans.



When I wore that colorblocked cape in the driveway, it suddenly made me want to add a cape to my legendary coat collection. The universe listened, and a few weeks ago, I came across a 1940s wool nurse's cape, navy with red lining and a monogram on the left arm, for an outstanding price. Here is a similar one for sale on Etsy:

Buy it here

And even though I got my own cape, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. There is nothing like putting on a pair of bracelet length gloves, a vintage cape, and sunglasses, to make a girl feel like Hollywood from head to toe. So, here are some of the greats that Etsy has to offer right now. Who knows, maybe some of these will come to live with me, like this super groovy 1970s number:

Here

Or, if it's got to be plaid....

Here

Here

Here

Here

Or fluffy!

Here

Or just plain cool....

Here

Here

But here is my favorite. Sequins and cashmere, anyone? And, maybe a date with Rock Hudson?

Here

On the Radar -- Tartan Take Two

Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren Jacket, Fall/Winter 2013

We've totally talked about plaid already.  But we've talked about wool blankets and 1950s picnic items and our Scottish Christmas window display last year.  You can read about that here, here, and here.  We haven't talked about plaid clothing...

And it's everywhere this fall.  I mean, EVERYWHERE.  And yes, I love plaids and tartans of every color and form, but I also think that instead of just spending tons of money on new plaid, people should also revisit vintage plaid.

So here's a round up of some new plaids I love, with a quick sampling of all the vintage plaid goodies we have in our shop right now.  Enjoy!

Moschino, Fall/Winter 2013

Blumarine cape, Fall/Winter 2013

Mulberry, Fall/Winter 2013

Vintage Wool Plaid coat, $55, in our shop here.

Pendleton Wool Tartan Shell, $55, in our shop here.

1950s bow tie, $15, in our shop here.

1980s Gay Boyer madras belt, $12, in our shop here.

Junk Love: A Plaid Picnic

It's no secret that we love plaid. We have plaid tins, suitcases, and blankets. Part of the thermos collection is plaid (but that's for another day). But yesterday, while I was searching for a cute vintage cook-out image, I found this:

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In the name of all things holy and plaid, is that a grill? A PLAID portable grill????? My gasp of joy was so big, I'm pretty sure NASA registered the sudden formation of a low pressure system right above my house. I wanted to fall to my knees in the street and scream, "Why have we never found one of these?"

So I looked online for some more, and they are tricky. We have one of these (in a different plaid):

Vintage plaid Skotch cooler, on Etsy

But look at this grill:

Sold on Etsy

With the lid on, they would look the same! And since we already have a cooler, we try to make ourselves walk right by the others that we see. So, we might have been passing up plaid grills for years!

Sold on Ebay

Here is a grill actually being used (while surrounded by its plaid brethren)! I want to go on a picnic right now!!!

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And then I found some more....

Sadly, someone has killed this one.... (Sold on Ebay)

Sold on Ebay

This one is cleverly disguised as a picnic hamper. We've probably lost out on a fair amount of these over the years, too. In the infamous words of Pepe Le Pew, le sigh....

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 But this one is the coolest:

www.fvstore.com

I must have one of these oval altars to the plaid gods. I wouldn't use it, partially for fear of setting my hair on fire, but I could pretend to make hamburgers on it. Just listen to my sizzle sounds: sssssssssssss!

And, since I love plaid junk, I couldn't resist pulling some pictures of non-grill items that make me think of food in the park, just for the heck of it:

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Vera Vault -- Plaid Edition

We Blackbird girls collect many, many things.  Pretty sure that's no secret.  And I'm sure everyone knows how much we love (desperately, totally, with no reservations) our junk.  But if there is one collection that is nearest and dearest to my heart, it is my Vera Neumann collection. 

I discovered Vera through a blurb on HGTV.  There was some show that highlighted collections, and they showed a woman with all her various Vera items -- scarves, aprons, dish towels.  I had never heard of Vera, but it was love at first sight.  It was really the first time I had a burning need to own a particular category of vintage item.  In other words, I was just an amateur collector before Vera came into my life.

My love affair with Vera started during a very hard part of my life.  Newly graduated from college, I was trying to find my way in the world.  I needed to find a career rather than a job, and I didn't really know where I wanted to go.  I decided to move to Asheville to get a jump start, but soon realized that it doesn't really matter where you relocate.  You're still really in the same place if your mind isn't where it needs to be.  Looking back, I realize that I was more than a little depressed, living three hours from home in a city where I knew no one, trying to find a job in a place where everyone told me, "We're not hiring."  And then, the unthinkable -- my parents divorced after 33 years of marriage.  My entire world was turned upside down, and I had to move back home to be with my mom.  She needed me.

I found my first Vera scarf in an antique mall in Asheville.  It was about two months after I found out about my parents, a month before I moved back, and two weeks after I saw the blurb on HGTV.  I had started wandering around the businesses downtown to distract myself, and the antique mall was a favorite.  I didn't know enough to know what to look for to find a Vera -- but as soon as I saw it, I knew it was hers.  I paid too much ($16) and it had a few holes, but it made me so happy.  So, so happy.  And so the collection started.

My plan with the Vera Vault is to show my collection.  To archive it for myself, and to help other collectors by showing the range of patterns she made.  So for the first, we're starting with my plaid Vera scarves!

Silk Poncho

Acetate Sash

Chiffon Scarf

Acetate scarf

Acetate Scarf

Chiffon Scarf

Chiffon Sash

Silk Scarf