How I Styled The Oldest Piece of Clothing In My Closet

So, this black, 1950's beaded vintage sweater is the oldest item of clothing in my closet that I routinely wear. I have to specify "routinely wear" because I'm not counting my prom dress, the very short '90s cocktail dress that hubby got me when we were dating, or my christening gown. As you can tell, I do not subscribe to the "if it doesn't give you joy, get rid of it" method. Some things I hang onto purely because they are sentimental. That's it. Do they still bring me joy? Define joy? Maybe not, but I can't part with them. Leave me alone.

On to the sweater. I got this in high school when I was an avid vintage shopper. I wasn't exactly Molly Ringwald in "Pretty In Pink," but she is one of my style heroes. Back then, vintage shopping wasn't really hipster. It was what you did because you were a broke-ass kid. Again, Molly in "Pretty in Pink." But, oh, the treasures. Plenty of stuff still around from the 50's, 60's and 70's. When I think about the cropped black band jacket I got rid of I feel sick. (A moment of silence please.)

But for some reason, I hung onto this sweater and managed not to lose it through numerous moves. I've paired it with jeans. I've paired it with overalls. I've paired it with dress pants. But this was all before digital cameras, and I don't have the energy to search through the shoebox of prints.

Sometimes, the sad part about blogging is that you always have to have the latest and greatest and you forget about what you really love in your closet. Even stuff from ages ago. So on a recent photo shoot, I decided this sweater deserved some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I paired it with one of the prettiest skirts I own, a black bodysuit, some killer leopard pumps, giant gold hoops, and another (more recent) vintage find -- a gold tassel necklace.

After all this time, does this sweater still bring me joy? Heck, yes.

All photos by Kayte Demont of Mass Musings.

Outfit details

Sweater: vintage

Skirt & bodysuit: Forever 21

Necklace: vintage

Leopard heels: BCBG Paris

Seriously, though, this dress.