Fresh Type

The Most Expensive Purse in the World

On Tuesday, Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, sold a red Hermes Birkin handbag to an anonymous bidder for $203,150, including the buyer’s premium. This price dwarfs the previous record for most expensive handbag—last year in England, a Birkin went for the equivalent of $77,000. At the auction Tuesday, not one, but four, Birkins busted this record, the cheapest selling for $80,663.

Handmade from start to finish … (continue reading)

The 12 All-Time Ugliest Christmas Sweaters

Every December, people of all stripes make the rounds of their neighborhood Christmas parties decked in their ugliest Christmas sweaters. Prizes are often offered at these seasonal soirees for the tackiest v-neck or wool knit, sparking fierce competition among family and friends.

If you haven’t snagged your piece of atrocious holiday outerwear yet, we know where you can glory in the gaudy, revel in the revolting, and win that coveted prize: … (continue reading)

Why the ‘Native’ Fashion Trend Is Pissing Off Real Native Americans

Tis the season for buying presents. As you peruse your local mall, you might find yourself drawn to beautiful geometric patterns in vibrant colors, long associated with Navajo rugs, Pendleton “Indian trade” blankets, and Southwest Native American pottery. They’ll be everywhere you look, on sneakers, pricey handbags, home decor, and high-fashion … (continue reading)

Unlocking the Riddle of Skeleton Key Necklaces

Keys have always been endowed with a certain sort of magic. They have the power to reveal things that were unknown or obscured before. Even the word “key” means a tool that opens physical, intellectual, or spiritual barriers. A key can give access to riches and treasure, or it might keep safe closely guarded secrets, as in the legend of Pandora’s Box…. (continue reading)

Lucite in the Sky with Diamonds

Of all the fashion accessories of the 1950s—Ray-Ban sunglasses, Pucci scarves, Eisenberg cocktail rings—none were more dazzling than Lucite handbags. These geometric gems, which in retrospect seem to anticipate the exuberance of the 1960s, were like portable jewel boxes turned inside out, in hues that ranged from basic black to pretty pastels to clear. Some purses were … (continue reading)

Modern Metallics: Monet Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry is worn to make a statement, a shorthand way to convey both one’s mood and sense of style. Former secretary of state Madeleine Albright famously chose her brooches to send signals to the world’s heads of states. But long before Albright was using costume jewelry to deliver subtle messages to adversaries and allies alike, women in … (continue reading)

Be a Bombshell at the Beach, Go Vintage

Good news: The hottest look on the beach this summer is vintage. Retro pin-up style swimsuits that cover more flesh and flatter the figure have been seen on everyone from Megan Fox, Ke$ha, and Taylor Swift to Lindsay Lohan, Meg Ryan, and Marisa Tomei.

At last, we can all breath a sigh of relief after sucking in our … (continue reading)

Mary Tyler Moore, ’70s Style for Strong Women

Toronto blogger Veronica Cizmar runs Some Like It Vintage, an online boutique selling vintage, modern, and reproductions.

Although I was in my tween years when “The Mary Tyler Moore” aired on TV (1970-1977), I could identify with this strong, independent woman, even then. Today, watching it in reruns, the hairstyles and clothing seem outrageous at times, … (continue reading)

The Bee’s Knees: The Lingo of Flapper Fashion

Picture, if you will, a Roaring Twenties nightclub, a live jazz band in full swing, everyone dressed to the nines. A young woman stands by the pillar in a sleek little black dress, her hair in Louise Brooks bob, her slender arms piled with bangles. She smokes through a quellazaire, while checking her makeup with a jeweled compact. What’s going through her mind? … (continue reading)

Label Sleuth: My Globetrotting Argyle Sweater

Today’s guest writer is Shauna Thomas, The Flea Market Fashionista, whose blog can be read here. An avid thrift-store shopper, Shauna has hunted for vintage fashion gems all over the world working as a TV writer, reporter, and producer of series such as “Launch My Line,” “The Dr. Phil Show,” and “The Bachelor.”

I love labels. In fact, I … (continue reading)

Trendspotting: Turquoise Makes a Comeback

Today’s guest blogger is Tamara Bradshaw, a jewelry collector and regular contributor to Show & Tell.

Pantone, an authority on color forecasting, released these as some of the hottest colors for spring: regatta (a color like the blue sky in Colorado), blue curacau (like turquoise ocean waters), coral rose (a sophisticated orange). and beeswax (a warm honey yellow).

In February, I also started seeing ads for turquoise jewelry, which inspired me to dig out my vintage Native American pieces … (continue reading)