My Vintage Living Room

Last week I was honoured to join the renowned fashion writer Maggie Alderson and my local vintage clothing guru Nicole Jenkins, in a panel discussion on Paul Barclay’s show Australia Talks on ABC Radio National. While for many of you, like me, we are so immersed in vintage culture that we often forget that for the mainstream consumer, this influence is only a recent development.

Having been a treasure hunter and collector for the most part of my life, I’m one of the fortunate few who have amassed a collection of vintage paraphernalia before this recent trend took hold, pushing many pieces out of our reach financially.  But before the advent of this wonderful thing we like to call the World Wide Web, finding others who shared the passion only really occurred when at swap meets, or when I got chatting to antique store owners and ladies at the CWA.  Now, we’ve become a world wide community of crazy people obsessed with beautiful old things. Their collection, display, restoration and all consuming pursuit. What a wonderful thing it is.

It is because of this amazing community that we have the chance to share our stories, to have someone who understands the rush of finding that missing coffee canister to your Nallyware set. (N.B: I’m still looking for one of those…) It is this community that opens up a whole new world of treasure hunting possibilities as we trade 1930′s girdles across the Pacific, and trade those heartbreaking stories of love and loss.

While there is indeed a strong commercial element to the new ‘Vintage’ craze, (the bastardisation of the term simply for profiteering boils my blood) there is a silver lining. You won’t find me in high end vintage furniture stores eyeing off labels and forking over a months salary for something that is, at present, the height of chic. But you will find me, tape measure in hand, rummaging through boxes at a car boot sale in the country. You’ll find me with a dust mask and bug spray at the clearing of an old warehouse. And you’ll most certainly find me always up for a cup of tea and a chat to discuss the merits of a little old hand knit.

And that is why, oceans apart, Maggie, Nicole and myself all knew a kindred spirit when we heard one. Just as I recall dressing in my grandmothers knee high, hook and eye red suede boots as a 12 year old girl; I could imagine Maggie doing just the same and knew at that moment, exactly the measure of her passion.

It is these moments when you talk with someone, or when you leave me comments to tell me the stories of your finds and treasures, that bring to light that special warmth that is to be found in marvellous vintage. A pleasure shared in a pleasured double, and even though we now compete with many more for our special finds, I like to look at it as if our neighbourhood is growing. Fancy popping over for that cup of tea now?

To listen to Candice DeVille, Maggie Alderson and Nicole Jenkins on ABC Radio National talking vintage, just follow the link to the official podcast. Or you can download the podcast to listen to later here.

Sunday, we braved the chilly morning and headed in to Camberwell Market with Jimmy America and Violet Le Beaux for a day of treasure hunting. It was one of those days though, where you find yourself too short on cash for all the amazing finds. I must have found half of the things on my lust list in one morning! So to satiate my desire, I photographed some of my favourite things to share…

Just you wait Camberwell Markets… I’ll be saving my pennies and I’ll be back!

I tried to put myself on a shopping ban, but who am I kidding?! With a new friend in town it is my duty to show her the lay of the land and suss out all the local op shops and my favorite vintage stores.  With a little bit of cash in our pockets and our eco-friendly carry bags, we set off to make a day of it and a number of gems have been found.

Lovely white woven and beaded handbag circa 1959-1960, made in Japan.

I adore the handle details on this one and it also fits a surprising amount of contents – even my small parasol! A brilliant find for $14 at my Salvo’s store.

I can’t believe you can still buy these! Little plastic rain bonnets that fit in your handbag and save the set from the elements. 3 for $1 at the same Salvo’s.  To be worn with red lipstick, dark glasses and a devil may care attitude.

I like to call these gloves Persian Blue as they remind me of the colour of the Persian kitten I once had.  A spur of the moment purchase at Circa Vintage Clothing as the perfectly matched the dress I was wearing even better than the short navy ones I came in with. Not at all possible to leave them behind.

This could quite possibly be my Holy Grail of patterns (we’ll know when I’ve made them). Also from the enviable collection at Circa Vintage Clothing.  I have loved coulottes for as long as I can remember but can never find a single pair that can hold a candle to the originals.  I had a pair I wore to death in the 1980′s, but even they weren’t as jazzy as these.  Now seeking a suitably fine wool tweed to sew these up.

It may be polyester, but it is also bloody fabulous! I simply COULD NOT go past this late 1960′s skirt suit.  Firstly the jacket called to me from the rack at Lost & Found Market in Smith Street, Fitzroy. But even though it was cute, it had no skirt so the impact just wasn’t the same.  I put it back on the rack and moved on.  Half and hour of browsing later and I uncovered it’s bottom half!  I will never understand why people seperate these things (unless it is to sell individually in the hope of making more money like these were), but I was so very glad that they could be put back together.  She has just come fresh out of the laundry and will be making a debut later this week. Sheild your eyes!

Last, but possibly most especially wonderful was this great find. A pair of ladies shoes from what appears to be the early 1960′s given the style and font used on the insole.  They are a perfect fit and only needed a little TLC to bring the leather back to life.  Finding vintage shoes in my size has never really worked for me, having only one other pair in my closet.  But these are just too cute as well as being practical and comfortable.

For $8, I think they have to win the title of Find of the Month!

Well, this is how clothing karma seems to come back to me. I had some errands to run this morning; the bank, the op shop, the post office. Along my way I got distracted by a little store I had seen a few times, but had never been open when I was there.  A small, unassuming little second hand shop. So I gave myself a ten minute detour and popped in to see what was on offer.  Most of the stock was all simply second hand, but hidden in amongst it all, were a few vintage gems with my name written all over them.  So a few pennies later I was out the door with my loot, feeling like the universe had seen all the work I’ve been doing to par down – and rewarded me with more things to bring home! Ironic…

Way back in 1996, on one of my regular Op Shop scouting trips, I came across this little beauty. Upon first glance she seems to be a garden variety beauty case. Nothing too special about her off white palour and fly specks on the lid.  But I am always on the hunt for something special and it turns out that is just what she is. Back in those days, it was still legal to sell electrical goods at the Op Shop.  They had to be tested and tagged, and it is the tag still adhered to the front of the case that reminds me when I purchased her. It also reminds me that I paid the princely sum of $10 for her, which at the time when I was earning a mere $15k a year, was not throw away cash.  Anyway… when I opened her lid it was like opening Aladdin’s chest, so full of treasure it was to my eyes.

Just goes to show, it pays to be a “quick and alert Australian woman!”