Fresh from my first visit to Santa Cruz, California, I had to share my vintage finds with you, including a tee from the skateboard brand Palace and a rare Schiaparelli hat. The Palace piece was exactly what I hoped to find from the surfing city’s vintage shops, but a 1950s accessory from Schiaparelli’s couture house was delightfully unexpected.
vintage finds from Santa Cruz
Detail of buttons from my visit to the Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art exhibition at the V&A
Having recently visited the Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, followed by a good amount of web surfing, I came to appreciate how rare original vintage Schiaparelli pieces truly are. Even when you find something it is often extremely expensive, and with eyes for Schiaparelli sharpened while London hosts this major exhibition, it serves as a reminder that some of the best discoveries are still made in person, often while travelling, when unexpected treasures appear where you least expect them.
Brian and Marcus of vintage homeware brand, Opto, just shared this sentiment on Instagram about a recent sourcing trip. I loved their way of putting it, so I asked if I could share it:
“The best finds are rarely where you’re supposed to look.
A shelf in the back room. The bottom drawer. Under a table. Behind a stack of things nobody else noticed.”
If you find yourself in Santa Cruz, visit Artifact Vintage, where I bought my oversized ’00s tee, and check the small display of vintage hats at Cognito, which mainly specialises in size inclusive vintage-inspired prints and silhouettes, with a collection of women’s and men’s fashion by independent designers. When I bought my hat, the owner, Janis, asked me if I’d seen Elsa Schiaparelli’s quote on her board outside. It read:
“In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous” – Elsa Schiaparelli
Everyone has their own idea of what counts as outrageous dressing, but I’m currently enjoying casual cotton clothing paired with dressier, elegant antique and vintage accessories. As the brooch enjoys a well deserved revival, perhaps it’s time to reconsider the hat?
Felt ourageously good in my Schiaparelli hat – giving drama to cotton dresses
Here’s an edit of vintage and pre-loved finds for inspiration, alongside interior pieces chosen to complement your headwear. Regrettably, I wasn’t able to find a comparable hat close to the price I paid, but spot the Schiaparelli design. The mood comes courtesy of ‘90s skateboard zines.
vintage Schiaparelli hat | Victorian table mirror | Victorian hatpin | ‘90s baseball cap | vintage silk turban
pre-loved bucket hat | 30s hat stand | vintage Basque beret | pre-loved striped sun hat
Victorian hair fork | antique shaving (or hat) stands | 60s flower hat | vintage bonnet
If you liked Brian and Marcus’ way with words, listen to my conversation with Opto on the Reclaimed Woman podcast. Here on Apple Podcasts, and here on Spotify, or wherever you like to listen.
©Photographs Reclaimed Woman