Lunch views from 20th Century Cafe, my favorite place for pastries and pierogis.
Behind the Cartier Love Bracelet
The Cartier LOVE bracelet is an iconic staple today, but you might not know the story behind the most sought after piece of jewelry. In 1970, Cartier designer Aldo Cipullo partnered with Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon Cosmetics, to create a special edition LOVE bracelet. This early version was 18K gold plated while today's bracelets are solid gold. The company gifted bracelets to famous couples of the time like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, creating an early celebrity culture around the LOVE bracelet.
After Jillian and I decided we wanted to start offering the LOVE bracelet from the 1970's in our Vintage Designer Jewelry collection, we began the task of tracking down a few styles from estates and refurbishing them. These pretties photographed above sold fast, but we are busy finding more!
S H O P T H E L O O K
Blushing Blooms
Taking a moment to stop and smell the roses.
My Favorite Denim Styles from Levi's
I have tried out all the trendy denim brands over the years (I'm looking at you True Religion for all those adolescent years spent wearing low-waisted flares), and when it comes to fit, timelessness and price point... I always come back to Levi's. My loyalty to the all-American brand began with a budding thrift store shopping habit during my late teens. One weekend I found the perfect fitting, perfectly distressed Levi's 501 cut off shorts. I was obsessed. I wore them with vintage band shirts tucked in and vintage Ferragamo Vara pumps just like Alexa Chung.
Now in my late 20s, I still find myself in a pair of Levi's jeans just about everyday, but now I usually wear them with a cashmere sweater tucked in and sneakers. I'm rounding up my 3 go-to styles of Levi's below, all of which have that structured, high waisted fit I cannot get enough of.
O R A N G E T A B 5 0 5 C
This style was a recent discovery from my "work wife" Jillian at Sweet & Spark. I love the snug fit around the waist and their straight, cropped leg. I actually thought they were vintage, but to my surprise she told me I could pick up a pair for myself too! We are twins when it comes to everything else, so we might as well have the same jeans. I ended up sizing up for a more relaxed fit and had them taken in at the waist.
W E D G I E F I T
I fell in love with these jeans this Summer while trying on pairs at the store. This high waisted style literally fits like a glove and makes your behind look like a peach emoji. They're not kidding when they say "wedgie" fit. I also love the straight, cropped leg with a raw edge. This style is so good I own both a light and medium wash.
V I N T A G E 5 0 1 C U T O F F S
The style where it all began for me. As I mentioned above, a vintage pair of 501 shorts were my very first Levi's purchase. After that, I would spend hours online at eBay and Etsy looking for another pair, just one more pair! I finally found a great distressed medium wash on Etsy during college and they fit beautifully. Still today, I take both pairs of light and medium wash shorts with me to every beach vacation.
S H O P T H E L O O K
Levi's Orange Tab 505C Jeans // Levi's Wedgie Fit Jeans // Levi's Vintage 501 Cutoffs
How to Authenticate Vintage Chanel Jewelry
When buying Chanel from a consignment shop or vintage store, there are a few details you can spot to make sure the jewelry piece you are looking at is authentic. After sifting through many estates for my personal collection and talking with shop owners who handle vintage Chanel often it is pretty easy for me to spot a fake immediately, but at first it can be intimidating. First thing I look at is the overall quality and feel, pieces from the 1980s through the 1990s are all gold plated, sometimes featuring faux pearl accents. They have a pretty substantial weight to them, and even if they are authentic I double check to make sure the gold plating has not chipped off anywhere as this significantly decreases the value.
The second thing I look for is the Chanel stamp on the back, usually inside an oval shape. Jewelry made between 1986 and 1989 were stamped with "CHANEL" and "Made in France" while pieces after this time frame are also stamped with the season and year the collection was from. Seasonal letters like "P" stand for Printemps which means Spring or "A" for Automne which means Autumn or Fall in French. Chanel jewelry in the early 2000s began playing around with colorful plastic and resins, these styles are still stamped with the season and year. Not all jewelry styles feature the iconic double C logo front and center, so be sure to also look out for popular Chanel motifs like hearts, straw hats, clovers, quilted bags, perfume bottles and the camellia flower. Happy shopping!
S H O P T H E L O O K