Vintage and Thrift Shopping for Valentine’s Day Accessories

Thrift shopping is not for everyone. And neither is Valentine’s Day, for that matter. But if you’re craving the thrill of finding that golden nugget, that special piece, ripe with uniqueness, I recommend vintage accessories for Valentine’s Day. It or they will add a kind of romance and nostalgia to your outfit. Trust me, you will not look mainstream when you throw on a preowned piece or two, from a different time and place.

Approach with caution, however. You’re not in costume. Unless you want to be, of course. But I prefer to save that for the bedroom and use discretion, at least a little, in this area, sometimes anyways, lol.

And, finally, like Steve Jobs said: “Think different.” It sometimes takes a little imagination to breathe life back into an older piece, but often, there is something so remarkable about it that really renders it a necessity.

Poring through little antique stores and vintage shops, brimming with old jewelry, can be really fun and satisfying. It always reminds me of my childhood, when I would stare in wonder at my mother’s giant jewelry collection, a box heavy with treasures that I would dream of wearing. Just look at all the goodies, above, that I found in one of my local haunts. And just like an interesting woman, they all have a past.

Nowadays of course you can shop endlessly online for the most beautiful pieces and get some great bargains if you know what to look for, but I still love an actual brick and mortar establishment for a more intimate experience. You never know what you’ll find. It truly is a treasure hunt!

Some of my favorite things? I adore the charm of authentic vintage gloves. Look for lace or dainty hand-crocheted gloves, or little white cotton gloves from the 1950s, adorned, perhaps, with little slits or buttons or decorative embroidery. They are so Audrey Hepburn! I also like lambskin gloves with contrasting stitching. There’s a dizzying array of options, but whatever you fancy, gloves always make you look like a lady…even if you are not!

You’ll also find sparkly old brooches, ropes of pearls, vintage hats and handbags–like the frame purse pictured above–made of gilded mesh, circa 1920s! How fab would that look for date night? It’s really rare to see a purse like this being worn nowadays, although you can find these precious little gems in abundance in the shops, trust me! Their novelty and nostalgia combined evoke romance. Plus you must admit, many pieces from “back then” just seem better, somehow. There’s a permanence to them that’s refreshing in our disposable society. They were made to last.

You can thrift together for Valentine’s. It’s a fun activity for couples. If you’re lucky enough to have a partner who enjoys that with you, perhaps you’ll find a little something together on your adventure, like the crystal perfume bottle pictured above in the center of the case. Imagine that sitting stately on a dresser. It’s decidedly different and a bit more sophisticated than a giant stuffed teddy bear, for example.

Plus, the upside of thrifting: it’s also a boon for the environment to recycle, repurpose and reuse! So, the next time you go thrifting and you make a purchase (or a donation), you can feel good about what you’re doing, which still matters to some of us.

Peace. Love. Beauty.