What's Black and White and Cool All Over?

I have a such a weakness for shoes that are mirror images of each other: left, meet right, ooh you're getting along so well!

In terms of vintage history, these most typically source from the Mod era of the early 60s, when the graphic geometries of circle, square, triangle and rectangle found their ultimate expression in the similarly absolute hues of black and white.

Throw in a matching bag, and the deal is sealed, no? If the shoe fits, and you've got a hip wedding to go to, you could build the entire outfit around this very ensemble; white sheath for day, black for night.

Dim Bulbs

The Dutch still-life masters handled tulips beautifully, for the obvious reason that they were masters.

More recent attempts by fabric designers haven't fared nearly as well. In fact, this is an understatement. Because if 17th-century Holland had treated its bulbs with anywhere near the cackhandedness of many, more recent printmakers, the tulip boom would have been a bust before it even got off the ground.

I'm not going to post any pictures of wretched tulip prints on dresses, blouses, and scarves, because they are so easy to find, and because they hurt my eyes. It is interesting to consider though, why so many are so very bad. Possibly because simplicity of form--and tulips are among the most austerely elegant of floral forms--is difficult to render accurately, while complexity is a lot easier to fudge.

For this reason, it seems to me that the fabric designers who have had the greatest success in treating tulips have emphasized their geometry while downplaying their organic idiosynchrasies. And there is no mode of fashion that worked geometry better than Mod, and its groovy follow-on Op.

That's why these scarves, by Geoffrey Beene up top, and this one recently sold on Etsy.com below, could be stretched and framed and do a good imitation of a mid-century fine art print.And even the humble housedress below, whose tulips look to be straight out of a mid-sixties cartoon, lends the flower more simple dignity than countless other renditions in finer fabrics and more intricate designs. It may not be a masterpiece, but as good design goes, it is very easy on the eye.



(Still Life, 1669 by Maria Oosterwijck, Cincinnati Art Museum)

Just Extraordinary: Ponyskin Gloves

A bit unfair, isn't it, how Rihanna makes it look so easy to get bichrome just right.

Of course, those of us who have ever given it a try know that striking just the right balance between Mod whites and blacks is the difference between a great Mondrian and a nightmare Rorschach.

For those of us without the killer attitude and cheekbones, it's far simpler to wear all (or mostly) black and leave the chess game to the accessories. For example, these vintage gloves from the 40s. Teamed up with a basic black overcoat or suit, they are thunder and lightning.

One Bag's Story: How to Restore Patent

Notice how I didn't say "patent leather." Because this bag, which I'm guessing dates to the late 60s-early 70s, is plastic all the way, making it "pleather," which is so much fun to say I just did, out loud.

I hadn't really thought about the difference before starting this entry, but of course all patent, while similarly glossy, is not created equal. Patent leather was created for the first time in 1818 in Newark, NJ by one Seth Boyden, who thought it would be a good idea to apply several coats of linseed oil-based lacquer to leather to improve its finish. This proved a hugely popular fashion invention. Men's formal shoes, military dress boots, and all manner of ladies' accessories took a shine to the new treatment. Patent was not only pretty, it was practical. The coating (now a thin plastic film) made the leather impervious to rain: all that was needed to remove watermarks was a quick buff with a soft cloth.

Which brings us to my wonderful Mod bag. Of pleather. Either the purely synthetic PVC, or the older Corfam, which is plastic-coated cloth.

The bag was a bargain at a fiver ($8) at my favorite local retro vendor, Jackie of Flask Walk. It was inexpensive because a bit of vintage gunge (for lack of a better term) marred the shine of the left side of the bag (see above). (Dried gunk on patent sounds repulsive but it shouldn't be a deal-killer, for it's likely to come off. Scratches, however, are difficult to impossible to erase).

To remove dried stains, a gentle swipe with some mild soap (dish soap, baby shampoo, Woolite) will clean without messing with the coating's molecules (as an alcohol- or solvent- containing product might).

Now, on to the style part. If you're buying any sort of retro bag, by all means buy cheap, as long as the bag meets the following criteria, which this one did splendidly.


1) A great shape, meaning the proportions of bag/handle/flap or clasp (if visible) work some magic on the right side of your brain.

2) Nice details (like this bag's faux tortoise handles and fab Dalíesque lips clasp)

3) A nice lining--clean (and in this case, flashy red)

So, in a nutshell. Restore your patent with a damp cloth, using mild soap if necessary, and wipe dry. If you insist on falling in love with old patent (leather or plastic) that's scuffed rather than simply dirty, you will bring back some of the gleam with a thin dab of petroleum jelly, but the results will never be quite like new.

Finally: keep any patent accessory well away from prolonged contact with heat, as this may crack the coating.

Stealth Designer: Oliver Goldsmith

Do you consider your sunglasses a fashion accessory? If so, thank Oliver Goldsmith. This British manufacturer isn't a household name, yet they singlehandedly created the idea of sunglasses as a style statement.

While the company still creates its handcrafted styles by special commission, the authentically vintage versions are just as smashing, and typically far more affordable. Check out this awesome pair above, for sale on eBay . . . which can be worn equally well upside down as rightside up . . .

Small works of wearable art, pairs like these look equally good atop the head as across the face. Oliver Goldsmith. The epitome of vintage cool.