Vintage versatility

Gone are the days of matching shoes and handbags.

No need to worry about whether casual pants go with an elegant shawl.

Today the rule is to mix and match clothing and accessories of different patterns and time periods — with a focus on gems and baubles from decades and even centuries past. Top designers along with many retailers, such as Anthropologie, are currently promoting “vintage mix-ups” in clothing but especially jewelry, said Monica McMurry, a fashion professor at Stephens College.

Almost anything goes when combining styles from the 19th century to the 1950s. Chandelier earrings, cameos from the 1800s and huge rhinestone rings are gracing storefront windows and magazine pages and can be paired with everything from formal gowns to faded jeans.

Designer labels such as Chanel and Marc Jacobs have been sampling vintage styles for about five years, according to McMurry. Chanel, for instance, has consistently presented styles with elements from the 1920s to the 1950s.

McMurry described how this season the styles have become popular with stores of all price ranges, from Prada to Wal-Mart.

“Usually, when it’s at that point, it’s going to die,” McMurry said about fashion trends in general. She noted that even though the style has reached lower-priced markets, fashion reports say the look will not cease to be popular anytime soon.

“I don’t really see it as an overnight trend,” she said.

In a Sept. 10 article at msnbc.com, Judy Gordon, a style consultant and style editor for the “Today” show, said a vintage pin or brooch is an easy and inexpensive way to achieve the look.

“For the money, the brooch is the most newsworthy and transforming accessory a gal can have,” she said.

“It’s easy, simple and very visual because of all the facets and jewels,” she said. “It catches light right by your face.”

One can be pinned on anything from a jean jacket to a nice winter coat or vest.

“Your lapel is just a start,” Gordon suggested. “Brooches are equally chic studding waistbands, handbags, hats and even shoes.”

While there are several retail stores selling jewelry inspired by the older styles — Famous Barr, Banana Republic and J.C. Penney to name a few — both McMurry and Gordon noted the appeal of genuine vintage pieces.

McMurry said estate sales are good places to look, and antique stores, such as the Ice Chalet in Columbia, have a wide variety at reasonable prices.

The Vintage Shop employee Megan Braman said she has noticed more customers coming to the store in search of older costume jewelry. “A lot of people have come in looking for brooches,” she said.

Revé Wilmoth of the Ice Chalet also has seen increased interest in the vintage brooches.

“We’ve sold a lot of them,” she said. “There was a run on them.”

The jewelry ranges greatly in price, with some pieces as inexpensive as $10 or less at Wal-Mart or between $10 and $20 at antique or consignment shops. Estate sales and higher-end department or designer stores offer much more expensive options.

Along with the possibilities at antique and retail stores, Gordon mentioned another convenient place to begin the search for authentic, personalized accessories.

“Grandmother’s attic for starters,” she said. “Almost any vintage gems your family has tucked away are good to go this season.”