Getting Your Fashion Groove Back

As we start to get back to life as we knew it, let’s take a look at some little things to help you get your office style back and better than ever.

“Put your money into accessories. You could create a million different looks.”

— Iris Apfel

Iris Apfel is an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion icon. Together in business with her husband Carl, from 1950 to 1992 Apfel had a career in textiles, including a contract with the White House that spanned nine presidencies.

Accessories: inspiration, products and ideas to motivate you…..

First up…..The Vintage Silk Scarf

Head scarves, neck scarves, purse scarves & belt scarves. Adding a touch of color & design to anything your wearing or carrying.

The Lapel Pin & Brooch…..vintage detail with history

Products from our Etsy stores: Modern Renaissance Man & Woman’s Renaissance

We offer premium vintage scarves, antique & upcycled brooches. Our exclusive creation: Magnetic tie tacks, lapel pins & glamour brooches…AKA… Mag TAKS.

Stop by and take a look ….we would love to add you to our list of happy & dapper customers!

Tracy & Mike

Just how bad was 1970's fashion?

you decide……….

25 game-changing looks from the 1960s that we’re still into today

CAROLINE LEAPERJANUARY 7, 2019 3:05 PM

Pandemic TV Playlist

How to Wash and Iron Embroidery on Clothes and Accessories

Great article I stumbled across: By Mary Marlowe Leverette

Free Earbud case! Hand embroidered and bead embellished denim festival jean jacket with plush teal & brown tapestry back yoke tassel.

Happy Denim clients":

“My experience with Tracy was outstanding. She made sure we were on the same page entirely with this custom design before she began. My jacket was beautifully done, and can't wait to wear it.”

“We can’t thank you enough for this beautiful custom jacket ! Eila is over the moon for it. The attention to detail is on point, as well as your customer service! Thank you!”

“Love these jeans! I’m very into embroidery and they are very well adorned. Can’t wait to wear them!❤️🌸”

“I absolutely love my jean jacket! Tracy created exactly what I was looking for, and in a timely fashion. I will definitely repurchase from this shop!”

“Such beautiful embroidery: bold design, bright colors, and lovely beads: I got compliments right off the bat when I wore my jeans to work today. Great personalized service too! Thank you! 🌸😊”

“Beautiful embroidery and fabulous, personal customer service! ❤️”

“This is an amazing work of art. I am thrilled! Collector’s item! Thank you!!!”

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Magnetic brooch scarf pin Mag TAK. Yellow center surrounded by clear, iridescent & fushia crystals. Silk covered back button.

Happy MAG TAK Clients:

“Renaissance hits another home run. Three awesome MagTAK creations in a lovely box. Quality is excellent, customer service is impeccable - Tracy is rather fun to deal with - and the custom gift packaging is fantastic.”

Karen Lyddane on Jan 23, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

“Wonderful purchase! Looks very nice and is a great size, beautiful color in the rhinestones and metal, thoughtful backing that won't destroy my silk scarf. The presentation box that this brooch came is is simply gorgeous. Thank you for offering this brooch for sale.’

Karen Lyddane on Jan 23, 2020

5 out of 5 stars    

“Beautifully made, looks like an antique in great condition, unusual, thoughtful magnetic attachment. Presentation box is stunning! This brooch is perfect for my expensive silk scarf! Thank you for your ingenuity, craftsmanship, and special touches”

“

Beautiful vintage piece, love that it is fit with a mag TAK backing so it won't put holes in my scarves. But the BEST part is that a cocktail ring magnetic piece (purchased separately from the same shop) allows me to wear it as a ring as well as a brooch. Wonderful find, super packaging and crazy-fast shipping.”

“Gorgeous leather flower but the BEST part is the magnetic backing, no more holes in my clothes/scarves. Great communication from the owner, incredible packaging when we bought several items: the vintage box custom fit with inserts to hold the mag taks was AMAZING, will definitely be purchasing more from this shop!”

“Absolutely love this pin/magnet!”

Magnetic tie tack "Flowers & pebbled stripes" relief design in brass. Antique Victorian piece of art. Original Mag TAK. 

Happy clients: Modern Renaissance Man

“My best Etsy experience yet! Seems I'm a bit of a sucker for these mid-century cufflinks, there are so many cool ones out there I can't buy just one - I bought four. Tracy asked if I wanted them gift wrapped separately, I replied no, they were part of my mission to get my rag-a-muffin townsmen to dress up a little. Tracy replied, " LOL excellent mission! We'll find something special." She did. My four new fabulous SWANK and Alson cufflinks I bought arrived in this fabulous book box/jewelry box.”

“The perfect size, my husband loves his magnetic tie tac. Incredibly fast shipping and great communication from the seller.”

“The tie is in great shape and the colors are as in the photo!”

“Very beautiful pocket square! Was shipped quickly.. I like it a lot and will wear it often. Thank you.”

“Outstanding product and beautiful unexpected packaging promptly received. This company is a cut above- I’d definitely shop here again”

“Very nice tie delivered in a vintage cigar box!”

“Wonderful addition to my suit collection accessories. Already used it and the magnet holds strong, even through a necktie and shirt. Thanks so much. Will order again.”

“Love the tie! Quick ship & easy transaction! A+ Seller!”

“Splendid tie! Wore it with a windowpane Polo shirt in a perfect match that very evening I received it! This shop owner has an excellent eye for such Ferrell Reed accessories.”

“This Eagle, which is a part of history, is going to an Eagle collector and know it will be appreciate. Love the Mag TAK. Very fast shipping and good communication with the artists. The gift box it came in is very unique and cool !! Great store !!”

“Love this unique, dainty, very feminine dangle to wear and love there are no pins to ruin clothes. Very fast shipping and good communication with the artists. Love the box it came in. Thank you.”

“Love the mag pin. It’s tiny, but strong. I use it for silk scarves.”

“Perfect pocket square shipped very quickly. Beautifully made and looks great! Thanks’

“Lovely item. It's nice to wear a bit of history. Quick delivery too. Thank you'‘

 “I like antique jewelry and this clip is fabulous. It has amazing detail and the stone is gorgeous. The store is full of great, interesting items, and great communication with the artist/owner. I love to browse through their store, seemingly through the endless array of jewelry. Very good shipping time. Thank-you.”

“Anther great tie tack just as described. Nice color and design. It will be a gift and I am sure appreciated. Thanks for the good communication and fast shipping. A truly neat box the two tie tacks were packaged in.”

“Love this magnetic button - looks great and doesn’t destroy cloth with pin holes from brooches.”

Circular Fashion: Vintage, Recycled & Upcycled

The industry’s buzziest new idea could finally be an authentic way of reconciling a love of fashion with sustainability

By Ella Alexander

Apr 22, 2019

The rise of ethical and eco-friendly brands is impossible to ignore, but how do we reconcile a love of fashion and clothes with sustainability? A relatively unknown term is currently being bandied around the industry claiming to be the answer – circular fashion. An off-shoot of the circular economy concept - an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources - it challenges fashion’s linear production line that ends with clothes being discarded in landfill.

"The future of fashion is circular. It has to be," says Stella McCartney

Once the piece has become tired, it should be repaired or redesigned, then – rather than being binned – rented, swapped or sold at second-hand. All this means less will be bought and less will left ruining our planet.

Ready-to-Waste: America’s Clothing Crisis

No one sets out to dump half their body weight in clothing into landfills each year, presumably, but somehow it still happens. Rubber, leather, and textiles make up more than 9 percent of municipal solid waste in the U.S. according to EPA estimates. That means the average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing every year.

“That’s a lot,” says Jackie King, the executive director of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles international trade association. She says this is unfortunate: while 95 percent of used textiles can be recycled, 85 percent land in the trash. One reason for this disparity could be public perception of waste and recycling. Though American recycling rates have more than tripled in the last 30 years, textile recycling has not enjoyed the same popularity as glass, plastics, and paper. “So much of the time, people aren’t aware, they think no one would want something because it’s out of date or has a rip or is broken. They don’t realize it could be recycled,” King says.

 As Elizabeth Cline explains in her book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, there are far more textile donations to charities than can be resold in-house, and clothing donation should instead be thought of as recycling. According to the Council for Textile Recycling, 80 to 90 percent of donations to charities are sold to recyclers. From there, 45 percent is exported for reuse — mainly in Africa and Asia — and about 50 percent is recycled.

To live a sustainable life, clothing options opposite to the "throw away" attitude encouraged by fast fashion are needed. Upcycling can help with this, as it puts into practice a more circular economy model. A Circular Economy is where resources are used for as long as possible, getting the most value out of them while in use, then restored and repurposed when their use is over.

Upcycled bits and pieces of jewelry upcycled and reinvented as magnetic pins ….Mag TAKs. Worn as a scarf pin or a brooch without putting holes in your clothing and silk scarves. .

Wear a bit of history! Mag TAKs.

We hope you can take the time to browse our shops, take a look around and make sure you check out our reviews. We are a husband and wife homegrown business: From curating our vintage accessories and clothing to designing and creating our line of His & Hers Mag TAKs ( our own little invention ).

Enjoying a creative quality of life, one client at a time!

1960s Swinging London Fashion

What an interesting time in history of fashion & style. I ran across these sites and had to share. London was the best place in the world in the 1960s. Youth culture flourished and post-war austerity finally gave place to a decade of optimism and exploration – of everything. Rock music was instrumental in youth culture and teenagers and young people were crazy about The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who. Psychedelic rock also grew more popular every day with bands such as Pink Floyd and The Jimmy Hendrix Experience setting a psychedelic underground scene in London. Culture was at its peak and Art schools developed what we know as the 60s.

Fashion icons in the 60s London were Twiggy, Mary Quant, Pattie Boyd, Jane Asher, Jean Shrimpton, members of The Beatles, Pete Townshend of The Who and Brian Jones. First half of the decade was characterized by Mod styles but around 1967. the Mod fashion started to blend heavily with hippie fashions. George Harrison and Pattie Boyd were typical Mod-turned-hippie couple.

Mod fashion became extremely popular among females and Mary Quant encouraged not only this style, but also young people to play with fashion. Post-war generation were the first to have money to buy records, new clothes and makeup. That was ideal because there were dozens of new styles being invented every day, especially in Carnaby Street in London.

Mary Quant invented mini-skirt and this is where all begins in the 1960s fashion. Dresses were becoming shorter and shorter every day until they were covering the legs only ten centimeters. Pop art brought geometric patterns and two-coloured (mostly black-white) dresses. Mini-dresses were often worn with long tight boots. Stripes, dots and other geometrical patterns were everywhere; they decorated the skirts, dresses, blouses… PVC raincoats and bobbed hair were IT for women. Twiggy was known as ”the queen of Mod” and she was ”the face of 1966”

Twiggy wore the shortest dresses ever, but with no neckline. Combined with skin-coloured or white stockings and flats she looked gorgeous with long, skinny legs, bobbed blonde hair and blue eyes with extremely long (false) eyelashes. These kind of dresses were rather simple, high waisted, short-sleeved and in baby doll style. Another look that I find was quite popular was a mini skirt combined with a turtle-neck pullover.

Psychedelic scene developed in London half way through the decade. Syd Barrett was, along with Pink Floyd and The Jimmy Hendrix Experience, instrumental in creating the style. Syd was very fashionable and often wore velvet trousers, bandana knotted like a tie around his neck, blouses with psychedelic prints, waistcoats and colourful shirts. Sunglasses in different shapes and colours were also popular.

At around 1967. Mod fashion started to alter to a new, laid back hippie style. The following year was known as the summer of love, and many festivals helped to promote hippie style. As I already said, George Harrison and Pattie Boyd were fashion icons, mainly representing Mod fashion, but around this time they embraced the new flower power style. Pattie begun wearing paisley printed trousers, waistcoats, lots of jewellery, mini dresses with floral prints, wooden bracelets, wide sleeved blouses, crazy patterns and sandals.

Then there was BIBA”…….what a trip! Great article

It all started in 1964, when a small-time mail order business called Biba’s Postal Boutique advertised a pink gingham dress in the Daily Mirror that was similar to one worn by Brigitte Bardot. Over 4,000 orders were in the next day and went up to 17,000 in total.

The Biba boutique only sold one type of dress in one size, but that didn’t stop young fashionistas from coming. The store was sold out of within an hour on the first day.

But Biba’s real imprint on fashion history however, came with the Big Biba store, which opened in 1973 in a seven-story building, formerly Derry & Toms department store, on Kensington High Street.

A Willy Wonka factory for fashion, the Big Biba store was an extravaganza of crazy interior design and clever marketing. As soon as it opened its doors it was the place to be, attracting up to a million visitors a week, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the city.

Suit up & Load up on Accessories

Details make the difference. Shop now and save! Build up your unique accessories stash.

Queen of the Desert

A 2015 American epic biographical drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog and is based on the life of British traveller, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer and political officer Gertrude Bell.The film follows Bell's life chronologically, from her early twenties till her death.

Love the fabric and shape of her suit with all of those buttons. Timeless white blouse with a beautiful brooch detail, not to mention the suede gloves.

Gathered waist linen shirt withe a layered strap wide leather belt. Long loose braided ponytail.

Long wrap sweater with layered metal linked belts. Scroll botanical embroidered sleeve cuff detail.

Cashmere pashmina scarf wrap over a lacy high neck blouse. Tone on tone charcoal suit and waistcoat.

Egg shell blue pashmina wrap with an extremely cool belt. Kind of digging his sweater vest & tie.

Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE (14 July 1868 – 12 July 1926) was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her knowledge and contacts, built up through extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along with T. E. Lawrence, Bell helped support the Hashemite dynasties in what is today Jordan as well as in Iraq.

She played a major role in establishing and helping administer the modern state of Iraq, utilizing her unique perspective from her travels and relations with tribal leaders throughout the Middle East. During her lifetime she was highly esteemed and trusted by British officials and exerted an immense amount of power. She has been described as "one of the few representatives of His Majesty's Government remembered by the Arabs with anything resembling affection".

Items show are from our Etsy stores: Woman’s Renaissance & Modern Renaissance Man

The Birth Of The Suit & Fashion History

There is a fascinating new show on Acorn TV “A Stitch In Time” BBC. A historical look at fashion & fabric

The 2018 BBC series is presented by fashion historian Amber Butchart who examines figures from the past through the clothes they chose to wear in their portraits or effigies, including Marie Antoinette and King Charles II. Butchart looks for clues within the portraits, outlining the significance of the sitter and what the costume reveals about that person and the times in which they lived. Working alongside Amber is historical costumier Ninya Mikhaila who, together with her team, recreates the garments for Amber using the tailoring techniques of the given period.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l2qzs/episodes/guide

A look at the Restoration king, Charles II, and how he used fashion as propaganda with an outfit that foreshadowed the three piece suit.

Green was an uncommon color for textiles, denoting high finance and banking – it was practice for a green cloth to be placed down when making a trade

In each episode Amber looked at what these items of clothing tell us about the people who wore them and the historical time periods they came from. Now showing on BBC 4, the new series A Stitch in Time presented by fashion historian Amber Butchart takes us on an eye-opening journey through clothing worn by historical figures in politically significant paintings. Historical tailor Ninya Mikhaila and her team recreate the outfits using the methods that would have been employed at each point in history, transporting us to a bygone world of fashion.

We are also invited to explore some of the garments stored in the V&A’s collection of over 75,000 objects, giving us insight into how the fabrics appear in the paintings, and how they would have felt to the wearer. Butchart herself introduces each episode by positing that 'clothes are the ultimate form of visual communication – by looking at the way people dress we can learn not only about them as individuals, but about the society they lived in… in the words of Louis XIV, I believe that fashion is the mirror of history.'

“the King hath yesterday in council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know not well how”

The most frequently discussed innovation in dress that Charles II has been associated with was his decision to reject French fashion and to create a specifically English style – the vest – a fashion that Charles II stated he would ‘never alter. Pepys described how the king adopted this style in 1666 when he noted in his diary on 17 October that ‘The Court is all full of vests ; only, my Lord St. Albans not pinked, but plain black – and they say the King says the pinking upon white makes them look too much like magpyes, and therefore hath bespoke one of plain velvet’. Pinking comprised small cuts or holes, often in geometric patterns, cut in the top fabric of outer garments. More detail was supplied by the writer and diarist John Evelyn (1620–1706) who noted on 18 October : https://journals.openedition.org/apparences/1320

In the early 19th century, British dandy Beau Brummell redefined, adapted, and popularized the style of the British court, leading European men to wearing well-cut, tailored clothes, adorned with carefully knotted neckties. The simplicity of the new clothes and their somber colors contrasted strongly with the extravagant, foppish styles just before. Brummell's influence introduced the modern era of men's clothing which now includes the modern suit and necktie. Moreover, he introduced a whole new era of grooming and style, including regular (daily) bathing as part of a man's toilette. However, paintings of French men from 1794 onwards reveal that Brummel might only have adopted and popularized post-revolutionary French suits, which included tail coat, double-breasted waistcoat and full-length trousers with either Hessian boots or regular-size shoes. There is no 18th-century painting of Brummel to establish his innovation. The modern suit design seems to be inspired by the utilitarian dressing of hunters and military officers. Paintings of the decade 1760 reveal how the modern coat design with lapels emerged. It can be seen in the hunting scene with Count Carl Emil Ulrich von Donop as subject by an unknown artist and Frederick William Ernest, Count von Schaumburg-Lippe in Hanoverian Field Marshall uniform painted by Joshua Reynolds.

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/beau-brummell-the-original/

https://www.permanentstyle.com/2009/04/how-charles-ii-invented-the-three-piece-suit.html

October 7 1666 Charles issued a declaration that his court would no longer wear ‘French fashions’. Instead, it would adopt what was known at the time as the Persian vest. A long waistcoat to be worn with a knee-length coat and similar-length shirt, it was made of English wool, not French silk. The emphasis was on cloth and cut, not ruffles and accessories.

Indeed, you could argue that the English suiting tradition began here – concentrating on silhouette and quality of wool rather than color or decoration – systematised by the plain propriety of Beau Brummel a century later.

The outfit was finished off with a sash, stockings and buckled shoes. Over time the waistcoat became shorter and shorter, until by around 1790 it reached the length we recognise today. It had been sleeveless since the 1750s.

The first version was modelled by the King himself outside Westminster Hall and, as described by diarist Samuel Pepys, was “of black cloth and pinked with white silk under it”.

Over time it became an excuse for extravagance, with some in the 18th century wearing them with up to 20 buttons and in patterns of spots, stripes and flora. But the version worn by Beau, in white or black is the one known to us today as part of a three-piece suit.

Men's Suit Details: Do's & Don't's

Just my take on pocket squares, lapel pins, ties & tie bars

Fashion forward merlot suit with floral lapel pin and poof fold pocket square. Beautiful colors that compliment each other, formal slant with lapel detail, lends itself to a poof pocket square style.

Tie Bar

Nice choice on the clean line, modern tie bar. Pocket square color choice is good but a straight edge would have been a more modern look.

Tie & pocket square match up

The blue tones in the pocket square and tie are not from the same blue family, and the flouncy pocket square is a bit much and looks messy.

Two tone, suit & tie

Cool green suit with a same cool feel pop of color tie.

Thin ties are more flattering than wide on shorter men

Color scheme good, tie choice bad. Thick woven ties that are wide do not work and the length is too short. It should touch your belt buckle.

Casual

suits

Without a tie, just an open collar shirt and suit. Informal cotton straight edge pocket square works.

Summer light suits

With light colored suits, a subtle pocket square is a good choice, having interesting details, draws in the eye.

Don’t shy away from colors & prints

Especially if you are going with a solid color suit….go for it.

Never, never, never wear a wrinkled tie.

not to mention the blue jamboree here is killing me.

Timeless Denim

Upcycled denim. Vintage denim with one of a kind embellished designs. From toddler boho overalls to teen & women’s jackets and jeans. Custom order options available. Woman’s Renaissance & Toddlers 2 Teens on Etsy.

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Botanical & Embroidery Art

Custom hand stitched denim jackets offered by Woman’s Renaissance & children’s embroidered denim by Toddlers2Teens on Etsy

Inspiration.

Holiday His & Hers Gifting

Feel free to contact us to put together some unique packaged gifts for your special someone.

Downton Abbey & Peaky Blinders - Shop the look

If you are a fan of these shows and like the look, there is a creative way to bring some of these style elements into your every day look.

Faux fur wrap

Sterling forged horse tie bar & cufflink set

Bauble extra long strand necklace. Metal mesh covered beads in silver and gold

Downton Abbey inspired Vintage screw back dangle earrings with pearls and rich golden yellow crystals with dangle chain detail

Peaky Blinders Herringbone cap

Vintage black & cream profile cameo with rose magnetic brooch set in an open gold floral frame

Antique bean swivel green crystal cufflinks

Vintage Halston paisley silk necktie

Black seed beaded purse zipper pouch with beautiful embroidered needlepoint antique rose detail

Silver chain tassel & bell multi strand necklace

pink baguette crystal, antique gold prong setting. Mag TAK™

Vintage Anson tangerine glass & gold domed cufflinks

Made in England, braces/suspenders ribbed silk in sage green

Magnetic antique upcycled brass design with enamel inlay

Vintage gold angled collar bar

Antiqued silver pheasant on a branch lapel pin or brooch

Vintage Ferrell Reed for Nordstrom caramel textured silk, details in burgundy, dark gold & blue abstract floral design

Antique Magnetic scarf pin. Extra strong magnet for thicker fabrics. Raised floral bloom brass design

Made in Ireland, handwoven tweed rich deep gold and brown plaid tie by GCTC Crock of gold

Peaky Blinder Style. Horse tie bar. Raw brass slip style loop tie bar

Large square silk scarf in peach and bronze old world rose and bud design

His or hers dark brown leather ivy, drivers, newsboy cap

Hand sewn in Italy for Nordstrom beautiful floral and berry silk tie in sage, gold and cranberry

Magnetic "Wizard Magic Girl" relief design brass Antique Victorian magnetic button

Hand sewn by Robert Talbott for Nordstrom. Thick woven silk tie

Black and cream open gold frame with rhinestone detail magnetic brooch

5 Ways to Channel Lauren Bacall’s Unforgettable, All-American Style

Great article from Vogue. 

Certainly the crisp white shirt had one of its finest moments ever when Bacall wore it with a circle skirt in Key Largo. And who else but she could have given the beret an American accent, redefining it with a houndstooth suit in The Big Sleep? There was, alas, only one Lauren Bacall, but here are five ways to channel her unforgettable style.

DESIGNING WOMAN

LAUREN BACALL'S GREATEST ROLES

Yousuf Karsh, master photographer of the 20th century. Lauren Bacall made here film debut at age 19 opposite her future husband, Humphrey Bogart, and her success continued in both film and on the stage, including two Tony Awards and a National Book Award for her autobiography.

Lauren Becall & the Power Suit