My Prized Possession

a few of my favorite things

 We who fancy the lovelies of eras past do not have a wardrobe — we have a collection, a mini museum. We are not slaves to fashion but curators of style. Whether we pursue vintage for business, pleasure or both, there is no doubt one piece with which we’d be never part. I know I have my own — and having reached out to other vintage aficionados I’ve found them to be in agreement. Read on for our prize possessions — and please do comment back with a treasure and photo of your own!

Write about a favorite piece? That's like admitting you favor one child over another! A paragraph could easily turn into a memoir. Yet two aspects I truly adore about vintage clothes are print and color. I was never an "all black" kind of girl—I express my style with crazy colors and bold prints—so vintage became my partner for life.

That’s why I choose this bright orange sweater as my prized possession. Mother of pearl buttons and massive collar; no tag and clearly handmade; year unknown but I’m leaning towards the Sixties.  I got it at a Salvation Army for $4! Paired with this Fifties I Love Lucy print dress, it’s a one-two combo that knocks out any style from today. All hail vintage! — Bridgett Artise, author of Born Again Vintage: 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent, and Recycle Your Wardrobe and proprietress of Born Again Vintage “The Collective” in Montclair, NJ

Everyone in my family says I got my style and love of fashion from my glamorous Grandma Ann. She would work hard and save her money and as a reward buy herself a special piece of clothing. Sadly, not a lot of her things remain, but she did give me the gown she wore to walk down the aisle in 1937.

How lucky am I that neither of my sisters have the vintage gene! It’s long sleeved and made of cut velvet, simple yet very fitted—pretty sexy for the time. I couldn’t possibly wear it (Grandma Ann was tiny!) and she’d tossed it into a crate in her attic; she didn’t have much of an attachment to it, maybe because it was the first of three wedding dresses she’d wear. But it will almost be one of my most precious treasures — Maria Demme, stylist, Los Angeles

A collector of vintage clothing and jewelry for many years, I have several pieces I would prefer never to part with. Yet what comes to mind as my prize possession was a gift from my Grandma Anna when I was 14. Grandma Anna had style, glamorous to be sure, so imagine my delight when she presented me with this beautiful 1940’s parure (that’s French for a set of matching jewelry). The wonderful red paste and rhinestone necklace and earrings turn anything I wear into something special—be it a little black dress or jeans and a blouse, I am well done. Whenever I put them on, I imagine Grandma dancing at the Cotton Club or flying to a casino in Cuba, her energy and enthusiasm, her signature joi de vivre filling me. I can almost see her right by my side, sipping an Old Fashioned! — Bambi DeVille Engeran, actress, author of WWII Bakelite Jewelry: Love and Victory and proprietor of The Bakelite Lady/Bambi Deville's Vintage Clothing New Orleans

Though I have several vintage furs, I will always carefully preserve and treasure my Canadian marten. Technically, the marten is a weasel, closely related to the sable, but I call it my honey. The cream blond and tan pelts are streaked with smoky black and feels so incredibly soft. Incredibly warm as well—I break it out in the fall and have been known to wear it into May. Hey, I don’t like to be chilly. And in my job I don’t get to doll up, so when I’m off the clock you might see me and my marten with the addition of a fat white fox collar and a rabbit fur hat with a large, sparkly rhinestone brooch pinned on the front. I feel elegant and cozy, and while some may find the look ostentatious, my motto is, “Go big or go home!” — Rosemary Stolzenberg, special education teacher, Harlem

As for me (who also had a Grandma Ann!), my prize possession is a jersey dress by the Emilio Pucci, the designer favored by countless icons of style, including two who had a profound influence on me: Marilyn Monroe (who was buried in Pucci) and Agnes Moorehead (best known as Endora in Bewitched).  

My Pucci is blue, floor length with a scoop neck, one of those unmistakable, unparalleled prints, with Emilio in tiny script worked into the pattern. Judging by the label, it’s Seventies vintage. I found it at a yard sale in Los Angeles 20 years ago, and it still fits me perfectly. Not that I wear it, of course (it's stored away, practically entombed). I haven't got a photo, and while searching online for something similar I had to be careful—I don’t want to know what it’s “worth” because I’d never sell such a beautiful, authentic piece of fashion history. To me, it's priceless! 

How about you? Share your prized possession and make us all chartreuse with envy!