Treasure Trove No. 11
Mid century Burberry, 1940s coats, and leather accessories.
Hello friends and welcome to another edition of Treasure Trove! This past week I’ve been working like a busy little elf, searching high and low all over these mountains to bring you as much spectacular vintage as I can this holiday season.
With that being said, the next month or so is gonna be light on the essays, heavy on the treasures as I stuff the shop full. Supporting small businesses in the face of late stage capitalism is as important as ever, and if you choose to shop with me, you’re supporting a queer Appalachian dreamer who loves nothing more than creating, learning, and digging around in the dust — and I tip my hat to you.
As a reminder, I do have a booth you can peruse IRL in downtown Asheville, which offers the selections you’ll find in my online shop, as well as an array of pieces $50 and under that I choose exclusively for locals and visitors to enjoy. I’ve recently been stocking vintage denim and cashmere sweaters.
Alright enough chatter!
Let’s see what treasures time has left us,
<3 Kari
Treasure Trove is a weekly catalogue featuring freshly unearthed vintage offered through the Passage Keeper shop. Items previewed are available online and in person at my booth.
1950s Burberry Wool Plaid and Gaberdine Reversible Cape with Hat - In 1879, Thomas Burberry invents gaberdine - a woven fabric that boasts breathability, is lightweight, tear proof, and weather proof - and the outerwear industry changes forever.
1970s Mother’s Finest Funk Band Tee Shirt - “Formed in 1970, Mother’s Finest is a boldly unique multi-racial sextet that broke the barriers as the fiercest band in the land comprised of two of the baddest white cats ever to sling some funk, and four of the hardest rockin’ black musicians and singers ever to do the damn thing. No other band can claim sharing bills with The Who, AC/DC and Black Sabbath as comfortably as with Parliament, Funkadelic, and The Commodores.” - From the liner notes of Mother’s Finest: Love Changes
1940s Black Wool Tuxedo Pants Pleated - A classic pair tuxedo pants in a soft black wool with a grosgrain ribbon piping down the leg.
1940s Cotton Plaid Makeup Bag - An adorable cotton canvas makeup bag with a padded interior from “Celebrity Inc.”
1940s Pink Boucle Wool Jacket by Zelinka-Matlick and Forstmann - Zelinka-Matlick is credited as one of the great suit and coat houses of the mid century. Located in NYC on Seventh Avenue, they produced tailored suits that rivaled those seen on the Paris runways.
1940s Gray Corduroy Chore Coat - Four pockets and a patch make up this wide whaled corduroy jacket lined in gray satin.
1940s Blue Llama Wool Swing Coat - Ever heard of a llama hair coat? This teal number is an example of classic late 1940s, early 1950s tailoring and has an interesting sloped cuff — you’ll have to click through to take a peak!
1980s Icelandic Lopapeysa Hand Knit Mohair Wool Sweater - Popularized during the early 20th century, the Icelandic lopapeysa became a symbol of national identity and an example of an “invented tradition” — or a cultural practice that is perceived as traditional but is only found in relatively modern history — as older and traditional Icelandic clothing fell out of favor.
1980s Black Lambswool Cropped Turtleneck Scotland - Cropped with a thick, tall turtleneck and cozy soft!
1990s Black Merino Wool Trench Coat - Divinely soft 100% merino wool! A winter staple!
1980s Nina Ricci Tan Double Breasted Wool Peacoat - Known for it’s classic high quality designs, Nina Ricci was founded in Paris in 1932.
2000s Marc Jacobs Blondie Debbie Harry Tee - A collaboration from the two artists in support of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum — which was founded in 1914 by a group of artists and townspeople to build a permanent collection of works by artists of outer Cape Cod.
1960s Pink Wool Mini Skirt - A cure for frosty doldrums, Salmon pink!
1960s Purple Velvet Embroidered Mini Dress by Rag Dolls - A late 1960s, early 1970s hippy dream from the aptly named label “Rag Dolls”.
1950s Air Force Tan Tropical Jacket - Part of the summer uniform of the Air Force, and commonly referred to as a “bush jacket”, it was traditionally paired with khaki pants…..
2000s Abercrombie & Fitch Wool Micro Mini Skirt - ….at it’s inception surely no one imagined it could be paired with this micro mini from the days of Abercrombie’s mall domination… but I vote yes!
1970s Brass and Brown Leather Belt - Love the oversized belt holes on this.
1980s Brown Leather Riding Boots - I believe these boots were custom made for the original owner, as they lack any labeling and are very finely constructed.
1990s Cirque Du Soleil Patchwork Baby Tee - Cirque meets club kid!
1970s Black Indian Cotton and Lurex Shirt - The sweetest label is sewn in the side of this gauzy shirt from San Francisco Shirt Works, it reads… “PS. I Love You” in a little red heart. Click through to get the warm fuzzies!
Previous Treasure Trove editions…
I've never understood why anyone would buy a new coat, when there are so many gorgeous vintage wool (llama? get out!) ones out there! Kari, you have curated a fabulous collection here - that Burberry cape? My heart!
Also, I can totally see a modern person rocking that beautiful vintage velvet mini-dress! Your prices are VERY good!
I love looking through your treasure troves and reading the stories behind each item—stunning pieces as always!!