Why do you collect what you collect?

what i collect is easy, but 'why'? hmm. i have no decent excuse!!

i suppose i particularly like formal and bridal wear as a lot of the time it will be purchased from a family member that can tell you a little about who it belonged to - and you can just imagine the excitement and romance that must have surrounded it.

i have a particular fondness for 40's fairisle too.. years ago i had a cardigan (can't find it now for the life of me!) that was so completely multicoloured, and so heavily but meticulously darned that it just shouted of 'make do and mend', and i could almost see the owner sat there in the evening painstakingly repairing it as it meant getting at least one more months wear out of it. and that was why i loved that, because of the historical element but on a personal level.

i don't exactly have one single large collection, more like hundreds of small ones (vintage clothing of course but 1930 - 70 mainly, 40's suits in particular, 30's brentleigh ware vases and assorted 1930's teasets, art deco anything).

the other thing is that i am basically steptoe (will members outside of the uk get that?). i am reknowned for 'giving old things a home' and am constantly being donated items, usually by people of similar tendencies whose partners have had enough and are forcing them to part with their junk.

"i'm supposed to take this XXXX to the tip but thought i'd see if you wanted it first as i don't really want to throw it away". or my mum will phone and say "so and so has asked your dad if maybe harriet would want their old aunty mabel's wardrobe, and the clothes too?" :)

i pretty much always say yes, occasionally it really is a load of junk but sometimes i really feel as if i've succeeded in saving something that i would consider important or interesting. and if i can't give it house room i usually find someone that would be more than happy to!!

i think the real reason 'why' is growing up in a household where i saw it as perfectly normal to have outbuildings full of random 'acquisitions' from the past. the majority of these in my dads case would be vintage car parts, cars, bicycles - all pre war. this obsession came down in turn from his father, and for years my grandad and dad used to race vintage cars every spare minute, and when i was little every weekend was club meets, race meets and other stuff. and unsurprisingly vintage costume came into it, as they did tend to get dressed up for special events; which is where i first got interested in vintage clothes! and of course i was never discouraged..

now i get to join in, i've driven the austin 7 tourer in muddy winter trials/hill climbs (although i daren't go in any of the race cars on a circuit!)..and occasionally supply the costumes for my father's friends! :D

the root cause of my fascination with the past! (borrowed this image as i have no digital pics of ours, exactly the same model but dad's tourer is brown and black - and not always so shiny):

 
This is a facinating thread.

My story is a little different so I thought I would share. I grew up as the oldest, a girl with 5 brothers. My dad left us when I was 8 and to say we were poor was an understatement. I lived in hand-me-downs for most of my childhood and HATED it. When I reached High School age my mom was making a little more money and would give us each $100 for school shopping. Even in the 80's that didn't go very far...but I soon discoverd "thrift stores" We didn't have them near me but as I would drive to the city after I turned 16 and spend hours going from store to store buying bags of the most gorgeous clothes I had ever seen.

I have always been a "unique" individual. And vintage clothes gave me an avenue to express myself. I have always been drawn to the 50's. Lucille Ball type clothes and heels. I love to wear them. Sophisticated, Glamourous, Figure flattering. I would wear them and wonder about the glamorous women who wore them before me.

As the years went by I graduated college, got married and started my career. I was finally able to buy trendy clothes from the better stores...and I did for a while, but as I looked around, I felt I lost my uniquness. Shopping wasn't as much fun. The clothes were boring. So except for some staples, I have been buying vintage clothes almost exclusively for the last 10 years. I love finding beautiful peices that no one else seems to have and I love the compliments that I am always recieving.

A few weeks ago I was at a thrift store and I came across a Vintage Halston beaded jacket for $5. I knew it was worth something but it wasn't my style or size. I sold it on ebay for $100...So now I am hooked. I can collect these wonderful pieces (which is half the fun) and then sell the peices I don't want to pay for the ones I do!
 
We have something in common. We didn't have a heckuva lot of money when I was little. My parents were just starting out and my dad was laid off when i was born. I ended up getting a lot of hand me downs from my cousins, but it was cool because it wasn't "last year's clothes". My older cousins were 7-10 years older than I so it seemed like a whole other era. We still got certain items new, socks, etc, but the coats and sweaters and jackets we got we thought were just so incredibly funky. We had no clue we were not the wealthiest family in school and even when my parents climbed up the ladder a bit we didn't like the new stuff nearly as well. My parents were much, much better off when my sister was born (10 years my junior), and she got all the brand new stuff and a few "kids boutique" type of things, but my brother and I agree she really missed out on something good.
 
Terrific thread Chris!

Like Connie, I have always been fascinated with the way people lived and
over the years, the items I have collected (which like Lizzie seem to
be ever-changing) reflects this. I also have a love of embellished textiles
and handmade lace - again, thinking of the person who worked on the piece and wondering what they were like.

When I started out collecting vintage it was to salvage antique laces and trims off of sickly, dying garments - a lot of these I would recycle and
use on my fantasy pieces. This led to a fascination with how the
lace, trim, embroidery, etc was done and a deep appreciation for the attention to detail not only on the trimmings, but on the garments.

I started collecting as much antique clothing that I could, and had no
discrimination - as long as it was authentically "old". (not the best
way to collect). I have to correct myself here - I had a passion for
antique Christening gowns (pre 1900s) and almost did bankrupt myself
over a period of 3 years purchasing only the best I could find - 90% of them came from England and France. Of all the clothing I have
acquired, the Christening gowns are the most poignant and to me
evoke the biggest emotional response.

From Victorian/Edwardian garments, I went onto the 20s - still love the
dresses from this era, but as we all know, they are sooooo expensive
to find in good condition. Several years ago, I purchased my first
Suzy Perette and became mad about collecting this label. I still like
Suzys and for the last couple of years, my main collecting era has been the
50s. Why? I love the femininity of the clothing. Big, full skirts or tight
wiggle ones, the tulle, the taffetas, the accessories....the whole picture. To me it was a gentler time. Granted, there were not the conveniences we
have today (although there were definitely more than during the
early 1900s), but there did not seem to be the terrific pressures and
stresses that we have now. Manners and consideration seemed much
more evident. The family unit seemed different in that everyone seemed
to know their 'place'. Could I live like this now? I doubt it, but this time period does bring out a strong sense of nostalgia in me.

At the moment, this obsession with nostalgia of the 'way things were'
has developed into a passion at collecting books and magazines dealing with fashion and lifestyles of the 40s and 50s.

Sue
 
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