Ever heard that a woman should look in the mirror before leaving the house and take off one accessory? The opposite was true for fashionable women of the 1950s and 1960s! Jewelry was often sold as a set, which could include earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, and a brooch – all meant to be worn at the same time. Additionally, no well-dressed woman of the era would be without gloves, a hat, and a purse. Lucite (a type of hard clear plastic) was used in the 1950s to produce box purses in all shapes and sizes. The feature picture for this month shows a Lucite purse embedded with gold glitter. Sparkle was a must-have for evening, as the two pictures below illustrate.
Jennifer Arch (left), and Tracy Mathia (right) both wear 1950s evening looks featuring rhinestone jewelry and tiaras, which were considered evening accessories for everyone, not just royalty. They both modeled in Taste of Vintage 2012.
Matching from head to toe was a huge trend of the time. Though it seems odd to our modern tastes, a woman often had a hat, shoes, and purse made of the same fabric as her coat. The paisley patterned purse and shoes pictured below almost certainly included a hat when originally purchased. Our model in red illustrates how stylish a monochromatic look can be. Even though she has on many accessories, it all blends wonderfully.
Two sets of coordinated mid-century accessories.
Jessica Zuschin, shown here at Taste of Vintage 2012, wears an early 1960s look featuring matching monochromatic accessories, a popular trend of the era.
Next month: 1980s prom dresses – big hair and bigger sleeves! All items pictured in the blog are a part of Goodwill Industries of Akron’s Vintage Collection. For more information about renting or donating items to the vintage collection, please contact:
Tracy Keenan, Development and Events Manager
Email: tkeenan@goodwillakron.org Phone: 330-786-2573