Why Vintage Rocks

I get asked three questions pretty much every day: 1) Where did I get that? 2) What is vintage? 3) How do I know so much about vintage jewelry?

I love love LOVE answering these questions.

So what is vintage jewelry? It’s jewelry that is at least 20 years old, was never mass-produced, and isn’t readily available today. Vintage rocks.

And why is vintage awesome? What makes it more than just a dusty old treasure from grandma's attic?

Well, we all love unique things. And if vintage has something going for it, it isuniqueness. Because vintage is rare. Don't we all love to feel special and one of a kind? While we are swimming in a sea bombarded daily with products, styles, fast fashion, slow fashion, and no fashion, it's nice to be connected to something that stands the test of time, something that is truly special. Like vintage jewelry.

Vintage is well-made. The adage, "they don't make ‘em like they used to" is 100% correct: they don't. Nothing disappoints me more than buying something that breaks after just one use. Who has felt this way before? You have a big date this weekend, and you have selected a gorgeous dress plus some sparkly bangles to accent to your look. On the date, you look amazing, you have a smashing time, you hit off. But at the end of the night you pull the bangles off, only to watch them bend and to see the rhinestones fall out. FAIL! Vintage items are made better than this. There’s a reason why you replace your $9.99 toaster every few years while that shiny chrome one your grandmother used was nearly as old as she was. Vintage items were created to last, and they were meant to bepassed:passed down, or even given away.

Which actually leads me to another point as to why vintage rocks: Shopping vintage is environmentally friendly. Cool, right? Who knew that saving something from a landfill and reducing our carbon footprint could be stylish chic! Even if your personal tastes change over time, hold on to that vintage jewelry, as it can be passed from generation to generation.

Now, one last point about why vintage rocks. “Where did you get that?” Vintage tells a great story. Sometimes the story is in the jewelry piece itself. A piece may represent an important moment in design history. Fashionably speaking, from clothing to jewelry to accessories, if you own something vintage, it tells a great historical tale. The story is what makes vintage really wonderful and worth listening to or telling. I challenge you, even if you are not a "thing keeper", to think about something you’ve saved all these years and to think about the reasons why you saved it. I am pretty sure it will bring a smile to your face, and if it doesn't make you smile, it will emotionally move you in a powerful way, the way that makes us feel alive.

We want to feel alive and to feel special. I am dawning upon 20 years of working in the fashion and retail industry - meaning my experience will be "vintage" - but I wouldn't have it any other way. Styling jewelry and accessories have brought great joy to my life and to those of my family, friends, and clients. Who knew that jewelry could make so many people happy? Well, I guess I always have. So in many ways, not only has my jewelry box grown, the Vintage Meet Modern Jewelry Bureau grows too.

I am constantly adding to "my style story". Thank you for listening to mine, and I would love the chance to hear about yours. Do you have any vintage in your closet? Do you have any vintage in your home?

Image Credit: Wishes & Reality