Category Archives: Leather

Lovin’ It: Recycled Fortune Cookie Coin Purses


recycled fortune cookie coin purse

I’m lovin’ these recycled scrap leather coin purses designed in the shape of fortune cookies by New York designer Diane Eng. And yes, they come with your very own fortune tucked inside!

What’s more interesting, though, is that each purse has a unique laser etched ID number which allows you to track its origin as remnant leather from the garment district, for instance, or as rescued upholstery samples or preconsumer scraps.

They’re a fun little find for eco-conscious vintage fashionistas!

Price: $45 | Available at Diane Eng.

VPOD: Vintage 1980s Pirate Boots and Johnny Depp on Vanity Fair


johnny depp on vanity fair cover

vintage 1980s pirate boots

Talented acting hunk Johnny Depp will grace the cover of January’s Vanity Fair magazine and chat with Patti Smith in a candid interview. One of his admissions is that while his flamboyant portrayal of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean may have won him an Oscar, it didn’t thrill the the executives at Disney.

Now I believe Johnny’s lack of compromise to his creative instincts is admirable and certainly has contributed to his amazing success. But while it sounds like the right thing to do and it might look easy, but just try it sometime when your job is on the line! Even with a multi-million dollar bank account to back you up, it still takes courage to stand up for what you believe.

And while I certainly don’t want to condone the criminal shenanigans of pirates, I would like to acknowledge their influence on fashion. From Vivienne Westwood’s Pirate Collection to Seinfeld’s amusing puffy pirate shirt, these dastardly robbers of the high seas have found their way into our wardrobes.

Sure, no one’s planning to walk the plank these days, but you can still enjoy today’s VPOD.

These vintage 1980s boots with criss-cross straps are perfect with skinny jeans or leggings.

They’re a perfect pirate-inspired find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Violetville Vintage. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

VPOD: Vintage 1980s Leather Jacket with Sequin Panels


vintage 1980s sequin leather jacket

I was paging through the August edition of a fashion magazine yesterday (from back to front as I have a habit of doing), when I stopped on a page that told me that color-block handbags were OUT. And we all know, because Heidi Klum reminds us each week on Project Runway, that when it comes to fashion, “You’re either in, or you’re out!”

So imagine my surprise when just two pages further back, errr…make that two pages further forward due to my backwards reading style, I spy a full-page editorial spread with two color-block pieces by two major designers.

So are they in? Or are they out? No wonder women find fashion confusing!

And I guess this is where Heidi and I have a slight difference of opinion, because my feeling is that great style is always IN whether it’s on the leading edge of a trend or at the end of a trend that is fading into oblivion. And great style can be on its way OUT here in LA while it’s just coming IN to some other parts of the country.

That’s why it’s so important to work on developing your own personal sense of style. Become one of the world’s best-dressed women by looking at fashion magazines for inspiration, not for rules. Because, someplace, somewhere, someone is breaking their fashion rules, looking great, and possibly even starting the next trend.

So when you spy something wonderful like today’s VPOD but vaguely remember reading about how sequins are now OUT, you can follow your own inner fashion sense and snatch it up anyway. Then you can take this vintage 1980s razzle-dazzle leather jacket on a play date with all the other items in your closet and mix up some outfits that make you feel great and start the trend that brings sequins back IN.

Then the cycle of fashion can begin again…

…with a kickstart from this great little find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Nasty Gal. | Discovered at TheFind.com.

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VPOD: Vintage 1980s Coach Drawstring Bucket Handbag


vintage 1980s coach drawstring bucket handbag 1

vintage 1980s coach drawstring bucket handbag

As drawstring bucket bags come back into style and take their place on plenty of magazine editorial spreads for fall, I see it as a perfect opportunity to talk about women who carry a different kind of bucket everyday—a bucket full of water.

Just in South Africa alone, it is estimated that 16 million people have no operating water supply and it is the women who primarily trek the average one kilometer each way to fetch water for their villages twice a day.

So as you gaze at the admittedly beautiful selection of drawstring bucket bags in the August edition of Harper’s Bazaar, for instance, all priced from $825 to a whopping $3200, keep in mind that it’s just as easy to pick up a beautiful vintage version like today’s VPOD.

This vintage 1980s Coach bag is in great condition with plenty of fashionable days left to live. And, with a price tag of only $79, it leaves plenty of opportunity to indulge your desire for a fashion fix with your desire to show solidarity with the women of Africa. Just write out a check to CharityWater with your purchase, send it in and think of the African women carrying water buckets every time you carry your bag.

It’s a lovely little fashion reminder for a vintage fashionista.

Available at Oiseau Vintage.

(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

VPOD: Vintage 1970s Leather Tote Handbag


vintage 1970s minimalist leather tote handbag

When I’m acquiring vintage pieces for myself or for my business, I am usually searching for the very iconic or the extremely distinctive. I have often returned a piece to the rack simply because it wasn’t special enough.

But sometimes, the plain ol’ ordinary can rise to a level of extraordinary and make my cut. A piece like today’s VPOD, for instance.

The stark minimalism of this utilitarian vintage 1970s leather tote handbag creates a simplistic beauty that promises not to compete with, but only to complement, whatever outfit it’s paired with.

It’s a simple but chic find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Ply Vintage.

(To receive the VPOD via email with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)


© Mary Kincaid 2006-2009
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