My grandmother had a collection of bakelite jewelry from the 1930s, and as a little girl I loved the brightly colored pins and earrings. It was always amazing to me that something that was plastic could be so vibrant and beautiful. Imagine my joy to discover Retrolite, Classic Hardware's new collection, an homage to the Bakelite I so loved of my grandmother's. The Afternoon carries a number of Retrolite products online (
necklaces with flowers and anchors,
earrings shaped like roses and cherries) but it's the pins (especially
the swallow and
the horse!) that I find most delightful.
Maybe it's the double hit of vintage campiness of both the retro material and the long forgotten, strangely shaped brooch; maybe it's the fact that they'd look dynamite on a cardigan (of which I have many); or maybe it is because the shapes and colors, while calling back to those historically associated with bakelite, are currently some of the biggest trends in jewelry! Whatever the reason, expect to see me sporting some Retrolite accessories in the very near future, and making my grandmother proud!
My grandmother had a collection of bakelite jewelry from the 1930s, and as a little girl I loved the brightly colored pins and earrings. It was always amazing to me that something that was plastic could be so vibrant and beautiful. Imagine my joy to discover Retrolite, Classic Hardware's new collection, an homage to the Bakelite I so loved of my grandmother's. The Afternoon carries a number of Retrolite products online (necklaces with flowers and anchors, earrings shaped like roses and cherries) but it's the pins (especially the swallow and the horse!) that I find most delightful. 
Maybe it's the double hit of vintage campiness of both the retro material and the long forgotten, strangely shaped brooch; maybe it's the fact that they'd look dynamite on a cardigan (of which I have many); or maybe it is because the shapes and colors, while calling back to those historically associated with bakelite, are currently some of the biggest trends in jewelry! Whatever the reason, expect to see me sporting some Retrolite accessories in the very near future, and making my grandmother proud!