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Thursday, May 24, 2012

FASHION

Reinvented: Vintage Shoe Buckles

These days, shoe buckles have gone the way of spats and button hooks. (At best, you might spot them in a period costume drama.) But these small but often spectacular pieces, which women in the Victorian and Deco eras used to attach to their footwear as a way to change up their looks, have found new life in modern jewelry.

Just ask Lisa Salzer, the jewelry designer behind the sparkly, vintage-inflected jewelry line Lulu Frost. Her original (and now perennially popular) collection, called “Classics,” is known for modern jewelry designs that incorporate real antique shoe buckles. “I love to find these beautiful buckles and then rework them,” said jewelry designer Lisa Salzer, who started her seven-year-old business by hunting in flea markets and estate sales. Mainly, she uses the antique shoe buckles in one-of-a-kind bracelets like her Victorian Cuff, which draws on buckles made from cut steel. “I love the material,” she explained. “You’re working with steel, which is such an industrial metal, but it’s so beautifully sculpted that it has a feminine look.”

Lulu Frost Jewelry Created from Vintage Shoe Buckles

  • Photo Credit: all images courtesy of Lulu Frost

Lisa Salzer’s personal favorite buckles may come from the 19th century, but she also features crystal styles from the Deco period. And even though she believes the shapes of the antique shoe buckles lend themselves to bracelets, she says she can imagine them as napkin rings, belts and even hair clips. “It’s really a beautiful base to start from,” she said.

In the meantime, plenty of other top jewelry designers have caught on and now combine antique buckles (and copies) in various styles and with different materials. But Lisa Salzer says she’s not worried about running out of originals any time soon. “There’s still so much out there, which is a testament to their beauty.”

Below, a look at the most intriguing vintage shoe buckles currently for sale on eBay auctions from over 600 online listings. (Tip from Lisa Salzer when searching for yourself: To make sure you’re getting an original, check the backs for individual rivets—as opposed to copies, which have been cast.)

Vintage Shoe Buckles on eBay


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