11 January 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.
Sources:
- Ruffle scarf: Nepali by TDM Designs
- Plaid shirt/jacket: made by my grandmother for my mother in college
- Black belt: Target
- Black shirt: thrifted
- Denim pencil skirt: Banana Republic Outlet
- Black tights: Target
- Boots: Banana Republic
End Notes:
Even though temperatures are below freezing and snow is on the ground, I’m still wearing something from Hawaii today. This toasty wool plaid jacket — line with bright red fabric and sporting pockets and little metal buttons — was my mom’s when she attended college in Michigan. It’s a special piece to her since her mom, my grandmother, who died when I was four, sewed it for her. I found it one of the closets back in Hawaii and begged my mom to let me bring it back to the Midwest. Not only is it warm, it is also on trend for the season and it makes a playful pairing with a ruffled scarf and sleek skirt and boots.
11 January 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.
Snagging this treasure from my mom made me wonder what garments — if any — I own now that I will keep for thirty-odd years. Will it be a timeless piece, like my favorite black wool shift dress? Or a trendier piece, like the cashmere dolman sleeve sweater I’ve been loving, that will come back into a style a few decades later? Or something special and rarely worn, like my black lace overlay skirt?
Do you have a “heritage” garment? One that you’ve adopted from a mother or grandmother’s closets? Or one that you’re planning on keeping forever?
11 January 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.
Cute! I love a dark demin skirt with a tall boot. So chic!
I have plenty of my mum’s stuff from the 1960s and 1970s. Some of it doesn’t even fit me any more, but I’ll never get rid of it. I may have a daughter one day who can wear it. My absolute favourite is a tshirt with mickey mouse kissing minnie mouse that says ‘Schmatz!’ in giant letters (that’s German for a sort of kissy noise – smack?). I used to wear it all the time, but it’s become faded there’s a hole in it, so now I only wear it occassionally to preserve its amazingness.
great outfit by the way!
Yes! I just inherited a beautiful cashmere trench with a fur collar (I don’t buy fur, but this is passed down from the 20s!!!) from my MIL. It belonged to my husband’s grandmother before she passed away. it’s not quite cold enough here for me to wear it very often, and the fur makes it very dressy, so I don’t wear it that often, which is a shame since it’s so gorgeous!
What a great piece to have in your collection! I truly have no idea which pieces of mine will endure. I have some necklaces that belonged to my gran and great-gran and I’ll hold onto those for dear life!
Cute jacket! But no, no heritage pieces for me. I’m much taller than my mom. She’s 5’2″, I’m 5’10″. And I’m smaller than my grandma. Wonder if my daughter will be able to enjoy any of my (or my mother’s) pieces??
I don’t have any heritage clothing pieces, as all the woman in my family are hysterically different sizes (I’m 6′ and my grandmothers are both just 5′), but we’re a family of women who know how to accessorize and all my favorite pieces came from them. Sometimes they’re really heirlooms, and sometimes they’re just costume pieces, but the history makes them all priceless.
i have a great purple/blue square scarf with silver thread woven through that i got from my mom. it’s definitely older than me, and it is starting to show it’s age. i think my mom used to have a lot of cool items, but unfortunately we are completely different sizes, so i just keep an eye on her scarves and jewellery!
i love your plaid shirt and the way you’ve dressed it up.
Such a cute outfit!
I love this outfit on you. I have a ball gown that was my grandmother’s. She sewed it herself for the military balls she used to attend when my grandfather was in the Navy. It fits me perfectly and is still in really great shape. I have worn it once or twice.
That is a fabulous plaid!!! Lucky you. I have a “heritage brooch”–a tortoise with a tiger’s eye “shell” that my mother bought with proceeds from her first job in the early 60s.
Nice look. The plaid looks like an interesting mix of colors.
What a coincidence: I just begged my mother to let me keep a maroon and black plaid shirt that she wore when she went to college… in Michigan. It’s all wool, though, no liner and thus is more comfortable when layered over something. Thus, I think I’m going to have to give the old academichic belting trick a try.
That really is a cute shirt! I like that particular plaid pattern. I wish my mother or grandmother had kept some of their old clothes to hand down to me!
Very cute outfit! But aren’t you cold?:-)
Cute scarf! My mom gave me a green one just like that for Xmas! :)
Your grandma was one cool lady if she made that shirt and it was handed down through your mom in order for you to rock in it!
My grandma’s cream coloured cashmere turtleneck is my heritage item. It’s the first thing I go to on the coldest of days!
So cute! I adore plaid!
This is such a fun outfit. All the pieces work so well together. Family heirloom pieces are so wonderful. I just inherited a fabulous suede/faux fur winter coat from my grandmother, and I hope I can pass it to my own kids or grandkids someday.
My mother’s Bass Weejuns ca: 1975 or so, way before her pregnancies, so her feet were smaller and narrower than they are now by about 2 sizes. They fit me like a glove and are the loveliest leather, the color now falling somewhere between oxblood and auburn. They have been re-soled three times and are a bit too loved to be worn formally for an interview or presentation, but i often wear them to work or with a pair of leggings.
My dad still has his old Burberry Trench, also circa the late 70′s. The epaulets remain crisp, and the removable wool lining (it buttons in and out with horn buttons!) looks great. One day, I will get it tailored for me and never stop wearing it.
Great plaid! I love that it’s handmade by your grandmother.
Sometimes I justify buying things by telling myself that it will become a heritage piece. I mostly do this for ridiculously unwearable but amzing vintage… silks, sequins, hats…. I’m awful.
Beautifully constructed shirt. I adore it. I have a vintage jacket that was my fathers in his early 20s. I haven’t worn it in years. But I try it on every once in awhile.
Love the purple scarf. I haven’t seen anything like this before! Where can I find one?
I actually have several heritage pieces of clothing! My grandmother made my mom a lovely brown wool A-line skirt that I adore (though is sadly a smidge too small for me right now). My mom had a penchant for kind of shapeless collared shirts (which I share!), so I have a couple of those now. My dad lived for a few months in the Northwest Territories and I have a giant, hand woven wool sweater that was made for him by one of the people he lived with. It’s awkward to wear because it’s so warm and so bulky, but I love it.
I wore almost the same exact outfit yesterday!