R. G. Harris.

Love this illustration by R. G. Harris for Good Housekeeping (circa 1940’s?)…

recycling gold.

i posted these pictures on Instagram a little while ago, but never got around to elaborating about them.

i recently purchased two separate, unrelated vintage 14k yellow gold wedding bands: a plain thin one i planned to use as a stacking ring and this heavy (6 grams) man’s wedding ring. i intended to resize the latter and completely smooth out the exterior design. there was a date inside the band, which is very close to when my parents were married. it was my jeweler who noticed the ring was actually two-toned; he also convinced me to keep the original design.

i know there are a lot of new options, new designers and aesthetics for jewelry available now,  but i find older pieces to have so much character. there’s a story – and if you don’t know the story, there’s mystery. i like to try and save pieces from being melted down when i can, and really admire the artisans and designers who either restore or re-work these old treasures to give them a new life.

while antique or vintage wedding bands aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, i’ve noticed an increasing trend. there’s certainly an appropriate irony when an antique wedding band, a circle symbolizing eternity and never-ending love, is worn again and again, carrying that same message, instead of being melted into scrap…

*all images property of gloria c. and imunlisted.wordpress.com

60’s illustrations.

since i had to be alive in the 1960‘s for this to be “nostalgia” for me, i’m not quite sure how to define my admiration for these stylish vintage illustrations by andy virgil and robert mcginnis…

virgil1

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rmcginnis1

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 *images from multiple sources.

nokia should have boldly gone…

i cannot believe i only just discovered the existence of Nokia‘s attempt at a Star Trek Communicator cell phone!

i’m aware of apps (or attempts at apps) that turn your existing cell phone interface into something communicator-reminiscent, but this is so much better; it’s a shame Nokia never put these into production…

*image property of techeblog.com.

 

all-american.

another old photo from my collection.

all you need is your best friend, your dog, your front stoop… and your chucks.

all-american.

*photo property of g.cheng & imunlisted.wordpress.com; photo was purchased and this source must be cited if image(s) are re-posted or used.

“…and i still love you.”

bought some more old photos to add to my collection.

thought i’d start sharing some with everyone.

front.

back.

*photo property of g.cheng & imunlisted.wordpress.com; photo was purchased and this source must be cited if image(s) are re-posted or used.

givenchy deposit.

slowly but surely, i’m amassing a little vintage givenchy collection.

recent purchases…

vintage leather givenchy purse, gray linen pinstripe perry ellis trousers, and gray nail polish.

*photo property of g.cheng & imunlisted.wordpress.com

seriously, more shoes.

my good friends and frequent readers most likely know that i have somewhere around 100 pairs of shoes… and maybe more.

(honestly, i stopped counting after 100, so i suppose that’s a safe assumption.)

however, this fact has done little to deter me from continuing to acquire shoes. it does make me a more selective customer, but it hasn’t stopped me completely – i mean, i do almost exclusively (90%+) buy vintage! in any case, here are my two most recent shoe buys…

pink leather charles david mules & vintage leopard print pumps.

know how you can tell when someone drives a stick shift? yup.

dead giveaway.

*images property of g.cheng & imunlisted.wordpress.com.

nouveau mais vieux Dior.

latest wardrobe deposit: vintage christian dior.

i just bought this vintage aqua christian dior dress coat last week – the tags from the shop read, “dress”… but i don’t think so. i realize “robes du soir” means “evening dresses”, but i’ll be wearing it as a coat, thankyouverymuch. the buttons are domed lucite, with what looks to be blue and green sequins or some other sort of reflective metallic material inside. yes, i did have second (and third) thoughts about buying it, but i think if i wear something very simple under it, and one piece of or no jewelery, i should be able to pull it off… fingers crossed!

vintage christian dior coat.

the coat is in pristine condition - the only "repair" i had to do was re-attach the right upper corner of the label.

button detail.

*images property of g.cheng & imunlisted.wordpress.com.

dark winter days.

what is it about winter?

maybe it’s just me, but ever since the weather turned truly “wintry“, i’ve found myself wearing and buying a lot of black and other darkish accessories.

i recently bought a sterling skull ring and vintage celtic sterling armor ring. according to the seller of the latter, she’d bought it herself in scotland 10 years ago – while the mysterious past that accompanies most vintage items accounts for much of their charm, to know the history of one is just as charming. i also happened upon a pair of cut-out black suede lace-up wedges by deena & ozzy.

sterling skull ring & vintage celtic sterling armor ring.

deena & ozzy black suede wedge.

a few days ago, mandy and i were at the houston galleria, where we found ourselves ogling a girl’s accessories in neiman marcus – mandy had her eye on the girl’s black yves saint laurent “y” tote, and i was entranced by (and very jealous of) her asymetrically cut, distressed leather jacket. it reminded me immediately of rick owens‘ leather jacket from this f/w 2009 season. it retails for around $3,300.00 USD; the one pictured below [which is not mine] is currently for sale on ebay for $1,999.00 USD.

rick owens f/w 2009 leather jacket.

*center photo property of g.cheng & imunlisted.wordpress.com; all other photos property of their respective sellers.