That Finishing Touch

[Daisy Buchanan]

We have threads talking about our vintage clothes, vintage inspired clothes, and vintage and vintage inspired shoes.
I think putting the finishing touches on an outfit is one of the fun parts of dressing vintage. So, how do you finish off your outfit, be it a day dress, a glamorous evening gown, or a play suit. Show off those finishing touches. Be it an antique watch, vintage costume jewelery, or vintage inspired costume. Whatever it is, I'd love to know how you ladies complete your outfits. Even shawls, scarves and hats are good to see. It's also nice to know where you are finding your vintage accessories.
I don't have any pictures yet of the accessories I have, but I will start off by putting a link to a site my mom passed on to me. They have great costume jewelery in which a lot is made with Swarovski crystal. I have really liked all the things I have ordered from them, and they ship fast. Right now they have quite a few vintage inspired necklaces and earrings.
I look forward to seeing what you how you gal's accessorize, and finding new fun places to shop for pretty vintage and vintage-y accessories.
Check out the Artisan Gem Boutique.

 

[DancingSweetie]

I have a beautiful vintage Bulova watch that johnnydnh gave to me 4 Christmases ago. It is from 1924 and it is my favorite accessory. Unfortunately I do not have a digital camera so I don't have a picture for you right now. Next month when I go back East I will have him take a picture of it.

 

[maisie]

Earrings!
I have a box just full of period earrings, that i have got from charity shops, vintage shows and just collected. I also bought a big lot of about 24 earring a couple of years ago of 40s earring for about $10, and in it were earrings to go with every outfit , i also got off the same seller a lot of 6 evening, rhinestone, earrings which are stunning!
I do have a few favorite pairs, like a pair of multi-coloured clip-ons and a pair of daffodils. I just think these finish off a outfit perfectly!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I have a beautiful vintage Bulova watch that johnnydnh gave to me 4 Christmases ago. It is from 1924 and it is my favorite accessory. Unfortunately I do not have a digital camera so I don't have a picture for you right now. Next month when I go back East I will have him take a picture of it.

Wow, that sounds beautiful. My mom keeps telling me that she's gonna give me my great grandmothers vintage watch. She took it out of the safety deposit box to get it fixed up for me, and then decided she liked it and didn't want to pass it on just yet!!!

Earrings!
I have a box just full of period earrings, that i have got from charity shops, vintage shows and just collected. I also bought a big lot of about 24 earring a couple of years ago of 40s earring for about $10, and in it were earrings to go with every outfit , i also got off the same seller a lot of 6 evening, rhinestone, earrings which are stunning!
I do have a few favorite pairs, like a pair of multi-coloured clip-ons and a pair of daffodils. I just think these finish off a outfit perfectly!

Those all sound great. Earrings are one of the accessories I'm lacking. My very good friend started making jewelery as a hobby. She found some pictures of vintage earrings and necklaces and is gonna make me something vintage-y for my birthday. Can't wait to see them, she is really good and I'm glad she's going with more of the vintage inspired stuff.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Earrings, brooches, necklaces, and the occasional bracelet. I am obsessed with bakelite, celluloid, and lucite, so most of my pieces are vintage plastics (I happen to be wearing a chartreuse rhinestone brooch and earring set today, though)I also have two watches--a1930s-40s sterling silver marcasite watch (I wear this one nearly every day) and a deadstock 1940s watch with a black cord band (still has the original paper tag on the bag, which is why I wear it less.)

I also count stockings and hair flowers as everyday finishing touches

 

[Rosie]

I have some pieces that belonged to my gram. A few brooches, a few necklaces. I have a watch of hers that I daren't wear just because I'm afraid I'll lose it. It's a very delicate looking bracelet watch. I have a few pins I've purchased, my favorite is a vintage rotary phone pin. I have sweater guards. I'm slowly building my accessories wardrobe as I have more vintage and vintage-esque clothes than I do accessories. Since I've been wearing hair flowers almost everyday, I've purchased a few hair clips for the fall and winter months.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My "signature piece," I guess, would be my watch -- a 1940 Bulova "Goddess of Time" model that I inherited from my grandmother.

It needed a cleaning and a new winding stem about a year ago, and I had to replace the band with a NOS one earlier this year, but otherwise it's been running trouble-free for many many years.

I wear it with everything -- and it goes with everything. What more could you want?

 

[maisie]

I think the finishing touches MAKE an outfit! I mean anyone can throw on a 40s dress or suit, but it it takes time to acessories! lol! Like the hair, make up, jewellery. Then you gotta have the stockings then a hat/flower then the shoes have gotta be just right! Then there is blouses to go under the suits and brooches to go on them AND this has all gotta match!!!
This is far more difficult than i thought!!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Lizzie, that is a beautiful watch. You are lucky to have such a lovely piece that you know the history of.
Yes Maisie I never thought of it before, but it is a hard thing to do. So many options, what to do what to do!!
I did a search on "vintage inspired watch" on yahoo and a lot came up. I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the prices too. Some really beautiful timepieces. But, I can't post the link to the search because a lot of the items I found were links to live auctions. But if anyone is interested, just do the search, very very pretty little trinkets to be had

 

[Lady Day]

Brooches and flowers and scarves. I dont do rings or watches or earings. I got a bunch from my mother when she passed, and a have a few my Granny gave me.

I have tons of scarves, and put flowers in my hair whenever I can
I also have a few sweater guards that I like to polish off an outfit with.

LD

 

[Naama]

I don't know, but I think I'm an anti-accecoir girl. I don't like too much stuff, I prefer a more simple style. THe only thing I have is my pearl neklace, which just adds this special 20's style to almost everything

Naama

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I just got two vintage style watches on ebay. There are a lot of sellers on ebay that have great vintage looking watches, at really good prices. I couldn't decide between the two, but they were such good prices, so I got them both. Now I just have to make the big decision of when to wear each one. The one with the closed cover is actually a watch, I just don't have a picture of what it looks like when the cover is open. I think they will add a nice vintage touch to my dressier outfits. Now I just have to find one for more casual wear. The one I was supposed to get from my mom is platinum and diamonds surrounding the face but it has black cord straps which make it a little less dressy. I was pleasantly surprised by all of the vintage watch sellers I found on line. I just couldn't believe the prices. I actually found a vintage Elgin made of all platinum and had 6 carats of diamonds for the bargain price of $18,000!! It certainly was beautiful but I'll stick with my platinum looking fake vintage watches, at least until I get a job.....hehe

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I was pleasantly surprised by all of the vintage watch sellers I found on line. I just couldn't believe the prices.

If you search around a bit, you can find nice vintage watches for decent prices. Both of mine work great and cost less then $50 (the sterling silver marcasite watch was only $30 )

 

[Caledonia]

I love the incidentals. A few of my bags came with original mirrors and coin purses (30s-50s), and they really make the look. Also, I've found old rail tickets, cinema tickets, stamps, etc in the bags. Also very cool to use. I bought a few vintage wallets and coin purses to transfer between other bags. It's these things that I love including. I'm not a big jewellery fan, but I have a pair of earrings from each of my favourite decades, and a victorian ring to go with that period. And hats! Always hats! (Just ordered a 30s percher, 40s fedora style, and 40s straw sun hat, and got today a load of patterns for crochet and knitted versions - including a 30s one complete with the pack of crepe paper!). And gloves. Not the wee white ones, the leather colours, black evening, and of course the patterns for knitting 40s styles. And not forgetting as Jitterbug says - authentic stockings!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I love authentic stockings. There is a big vintage dealer here in Boston and the first time I went into his shoppe I opened some drawers in a very old wall unit he had. To my glee the drawers were packed with vintage stockings, all different types, still in the boxes, which most had never been opened. Each box had between 3 and 5 pairs, and he only wanted $3 a box!! Definitely one of my best vintage finds. I also like gloves, but only have 2 pairs. Surprisingly in a place where one needs gloves for most of the year, the vintage ones are incredibly hard to find.
Jitterbug thanks for the info. I really like the repro's I got, but I am trying to find an actual vintage dressy and casual watch. I'll keep searching, still have a lot of sites to visit.

 

[Honey Doll]

Vintage watch

i have a very sweet little watch. It is rose gold and looks like a pocket watch. It still ticks, but is running a bit sluggy. I got it for only $25 on ebay.

Has anyone had a watch cleaned-- I think mine needs it. I inquired at a jewler for the cost and he quoted me $60-- I thought that a bit high. Can anyone comment on what it should cost to clean and oil a vintage watch.

Honey Doll

 

[mysterygal]

The finishing touch for me is always jewelry. The only problem is, finding which one to choose from!:eusa_doh:

 

[LizzieMaine]

i have a very sweet little watch. It is rose gold and looks like a pocket watch. It still ticks, but is running a bit sluggy. I got it for only $25 on ebay.

Has anyone had a watch cleaned-- I think mine needs it. I inquired at a jewler for the cost and he quoted me $60-- I thought that a bit high. Can anyone comment on what it should cost to clean and oil a vintage watch.

Honey Doll

$60 is actually pretty good nowadays -- there's fewer and fewer jewelers able to handle real watch repair work, and the prices are going up. When I had mine overhauled last year, it came to about $110 total.

Too many jewelers these days, when you hand them a vintage watch to fix, will give you a puzzled look and ask where the battery goes. So those that are still qualified to do the work can pretty much name their prices.

 

[Caledonia]

Honey Doll. Hi and welcome. Your avatar is very sweet!.

I agree with the lack of good watch repairers. They're in the same line as clock repairers. I've been trying to get a mantle clock repaired for about two years. It has a glorious wind up chime (various London chimes), and until last week I couldn't get anybody to look at it. At last I found somebody who will, but it will take months to turn it around. I figure it's 60 years old, what's another 6 months! [huh]

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Too many jewelers these days, when you hand them a vintage watch to fix, will give you a puzzled look and ask where the battery goes. So those that are still qualified to do the work can pretty much name their prices.

One of mine has had the stem replaced but currently works well; the jeweler that sold me my sapphire ring really wanted to 'convert' this watch though. Of course, I rather vehemently refused