Holiday Wishes

We wish all of you a happy and healthy Christmas. We have met so many new and interesting people who share our passion for vintage costume jewelry this year! We thank you all for stopping by, for shopping on our site and for sharing your thoughts.
May all your dreams come true in 2011!! We're looking forward to an exciting year here at CTVC.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Stay Fabulous!
Carole

Holiday Showstoppers

These WOW factor showstoppers will greatly enhance any collection, or make you the belle of your holiday bash. Walk into a room with any of these and prepare to hear glasses drop! Master designers, beautiful craftsmanship, and rare one-of-a-kind pieces are what we're showcasing here, so prepare to feast your eyes!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

For The Men in Our Lives

When people think of vintage costume, mens' accessories do not always come to mind. However, the integrity and history of vintage costume jewelry carries over into mens' as well and can make a great distinguished statement or gift for that special fellow. See our Mens' Selection here.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Miriam Haskell: Timeless Elegance

Miriam Haskell's jewels were meticulously hand-made, each bead and pearl carefully selected for quality, hand-wired to an intricate brass filigree backing, and ultimately backed to a second filigree, concealing any trace of its construction. These treasures are extremely collectible today and a marvel to look at. In its most popular time notable women such as Coco Chanel, Joan Crawford, Lucille Ball, and the Dutchess of Windsor were among Haskell's greatest patrons. Enjoy these beauties and take a piece of history for yourself!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Guest Blogger

Collector’s weekly is a resource for people who love antique and vintage things. A great place to explore, learn and experience the passion and knowledge of collectors everywhere. Recently I was a guest blogger about my favourite designer, Henry Schreiner. Have a look!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Fit for a Princess

What little girl didn't dream of marrying a handsome prince? Kate Middleton was lucky enough to experience just that recently. She was proposed to with Princess Diana's gorgeous sapphire engagement ring, making this future marriage truly special. A vintage or heirloom ring stands the test of time, making it a perfect token of marriage.
While we may not all have a royal prince, we can have a ring like Kate's! Our 1960s Sarah Coventry rhinestone ring is a great way to treat yourself like the true princess you are!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Hattie Carnegie in Office

At a Miami Public School, the First Lady donned her fabulous 1960s Hattie Carnegie brooch! We have a selection of them here. These are rarely found in good condition, and are highly collectible!

Enjoy and Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Splendour of India's Royal Courts

The Maharaja exhibit opened at the Art Gallery of Ontario this past Saturday to an overwhelming, and enthusiastic crowd. Socialites and fashionista were dressed to the nines at the opening gala, and dripping with bijoux! The wonderful creative director, Project Runway guest judge, and fashion designer TU LY was adorned in CTVC jewels to make a class statement . We wanted to share his vision with you. We thought he looked terrific.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Holiday Jewels

We are always excited when the Holiday season comes around. It's a time that we can all dress up as much as we want and have a ball. We always showcase true 50s glitz and glamour during this time. Please look at our New Additions to be ahead of the game in finding that special jewel for your upcoming events.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Beckerman Bite Plate

The Beckerman fashion designers were tres elegante for the British Invasion celebration at the Bay Toronto last Thursday. They honoured crowns from our collection that were fit for a queen, designed by Robert Sorrell. Sorrell, one of our favourite contemporary designers, works on each piece individually. His jewels are museum quality. I personally have many in my private collection.
Bravo to Caillianne and Samantha Beckerman for their style and delight in dressing! They are great. Please check out their blog for a unique take on contemporary style. They continue to delight us.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Toronto Bead Society

I lectured to a wonderful, talented group of beaders last night. They loved the slides of Coppola e Toppo, Haskell and the other Greats. I am sure the designs and the bead work will inspire them to create masterpieces of their own! They are having a Fall Fair on November 6th (10am-5pm) and 7th (11am-5pm):
Location: CNIB, 1929 Bayview (at Kilgour)
Admission: $5 per day, $8 for two.

It should be fun! There are demos, classes, shopping, and so much more.

Check out some wonderful beaded jewels on our site.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Lea Stein Brooches

Lea Stein is one of the most notable and innovative costume jewelry designers of the 20th century with a signature geometric look. With sculpted laminated celluloid she created stunning shapes, figurals and colour combinations which are highly coveted collectors' items today. Even though 2 pieces may look identical, there are sure to be small differences, making each person's Lea Stein a one of a kind treasure. Take a look at some of our favourite brooches by her today!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Beckerman Sisters and CTVC

We LOVE the Beckerman sisters! They have great style, spirit and a daring nature! They are creative fashionistas and we enjoy our new association with them. It's when you see girls like this that you remember fashion can definitely be an art form!!

And today on their blog we have a HUGE feature!



Go HERE to see!



Stay Fabulous,
Carole

SeleCT : Fimo

It's the first of the month again, which means we've gathered a special grouping of treasures from CT SeleCT. This month, we're featuring Fimo brooches from the 80s. These stunning works of art just go to show that jewelry does not need to be made from precious materials in order to be fabulous! Rather, it is about how the craftsperson uses the media on hand. These worked out fantastically!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

High End Brooch Clusters

Our in-house stylist has been "fooling around" with close clusters of brooches for some invites we are creating for upcoming events. Of course, he used some of our most exquisite pieces. Check out these assemblages, they are terrific!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

CTVC SELECT: Must- Have Earrings!

I never feel completely dressed without wearing a pair of earrings, they complete an outfit. So, take a look at out First Friday SELECT choices at truly affordable prices! It's a great way to finish off your outfits with fabulous one-of-a-kind vintage.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Up Close and Personal with CTVC

We will be at Holt Renfrew on Bloor St W for their special evening preview of what's hot for the Fall. Come visit us at our display on the main floor, this Wednesday, August 11 from 6-9 pm.
CTVC staff will be available to personally educate those interested in vintage and help them find that perfect fall piece.
This is going to be a hot, hot fall season for Vintage! We look forward to talking with you.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

CTVC Select: Crystal Ball!

Crystals are often overlooked when searching for vintage costume jewelry. However, when you think of the intricacy of the cuts, we should all pay more attention to the great workmanship in these beauties!
They can also be worn with everything, for both day and evening. As a single statement, or a light-catching group, crystal necklaces are the perfect choice for any jewelry lover!
See our crystal necklaces here

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Classic, Elegant, Perfect: Pearls!

In Vintage there has always been a wide variety of simulated pearls available. These range from plastic, to ceramic and every media available. The highest quality ones to look for are glass, which are then coated with many layers of a pearlized finish. They are often individually knotted, which shows the piece is painstakingly handmade. The added benefit is that the pearls don't slide around! The lustre resembles the real thing, as does the weight. I bought a 50s collection of these beauties and am offering their timeless elegance to you!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

The Creative Bride

Every bride wants that special look for her wedding. I was blown away by the great stylist work of Charlotte Carson (left image) for EWedding and Kurt Salt (center and right images) for Wedluxe. They created these wonderful, elegant and contemporary ensembles for brides who want to step outside the box and be truly unique. Vintage is always a great choice for brides, as the history and integrity adds such a rich element to one's wedding. It answers the old adage that a bride should wear 'something old' on her wedding day! These vintage treasures can also be passed down to the next generation, invoking even more meaning. All pieces in these editorials are available for sale at CTVC upon request.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

CTVC Select: Irregular Stones!

There are many vintage jewels that go unrecognized. Often, they can be more interesting than many signed pieces.
Today we start off with a peak of our brand new line: CTVC Select, an affordable collection of vintage!
One example is unsigned jewelry made with fancy cut stones. Whenever we see a piece that has irregular shaped stones: heart, kite, teardrop shaped- we know that they are not high production pieces, as these cuts were not mass produced.
I am attracted to these unfoiled beauties! Their design strengths lie in the irregular cut stones. Take a look at our examples. This selection is great for grouping. Keep on the look-out for these unsung heroes!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Select

We all know that vintage collecting is all about the hunt! I am constantly asked what areas of collecting are not yet discovered; what is affordable?

So... On the first Friday of every month, I will select an area I feel has merit and integrity! I will point out what to look for in a great piece, and offer them at affordable prices to start off your collections. I want everyone out there to share our passion for collecting! I promise that this will be fun, interesting , and exciting!!!

Our first sneak peak of CTVC Select will go live on Friday, July 2nd.

Stay Tuned and Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Adorned in Chanel

Coco Chanel changed the way women dress forever. She freed women from corsets and heavy piles of lace, instead choosing to dress the body under the clothes rather than change it. Chanel coined the term "costume jewelry", specially designing fun accessories of pot metal and other materials to complete her "simple modern" look.
This technique of adorning women with beautiful jewelry was suited to her vision, where modern women were able to accessorize themselves without having to fight extra layers or constricting shoulder pads.

Today we feature Chanel earrings from the 1950s-1990s, all of which exemplify her timeless look! As the original lover of costume jewels, Ms. Chanel put it best:
"Jewelry isn't meant to make you look rich, it's meant to adorn you, and that's not the same thing."

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Everything Old Is New Again..

...Like dress clips! Dress clips were extremely popular from the 1900s-1940s, and now we see them casually placed on this model for Oscar De La Renta's Autumn 2010 runway show!

Dress Clips are the most versatile accessory one can own. They look beautiful adorning hats, sweaters, shoes, purses, skirts, tops, lapelles, and of course, dresses. The clip on the back means no holes! The look is even better when they are placed casually, as we see in this photo.

Keep up to date with runway style but with the truly historical, original 1940s pieces, click Here!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Lovely Lucite

Carole literally gets stopped on the street when she wears one of her fabulous 1950s lucite purses from her vast collection. They are fun, functional, creative, quirky and are guaranteed to make heads turn! These are highly collectible treasures which are equally as beautiful on display as they are on the street!

See a selection of these treasures here!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Women's Post Online

I was thrilled with the wonderful honour of being Woman of The Week in Toronto Women's Post Online. Their well written article and interview presents a clear idea of my vision and where I'm coming from. One thing is for certain... I love vintage and have dedicated over 20 years to encourage others to share in my passion!

For the wonderful article, click here .

And to listen to the radio interview podcast, click here!


Stay Fabulous,
Carole

We Love Lagerfeld!

Karl Lagerfeld is a household name in fashion. A young prodigy, he started designing clothing with Pierre Balmain at just 17 years of age. Throughout his career he has worked for Krizia, Charles Jourdan, Valentino, Fendi and Chanel. With his own line of couture, Lagerfeld brings a new, bold feminity to whatever he does, and classifies his style as "intelligent chic".

Here we have our recent collection of vintage Lagerfeld, living up to his Vogue crowning as the “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment”.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Celluloid Bangles

Rhinestone-covered deco celluloid bangles are a beautiful and elegant addition to any look. From black tie to the backyard it seems these pieces are the perfect showstopper in vintage. Created in the 1930s, they are very hard to find and some of the designs are breath-taking. They have a certain integrity that is very special and unique to them. I've shown one of my dear friends wearing her grouping, and she is in love! Mix and match to show off your own tastes and personality.

If you're interested in a grouping, please contact us, as the rarity and different designs dictate the pricing.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

The Bead Goes On!

One of the best kept secrets in vintage costume jewelry are the beautiful, original glass bead multi-strand necklaces. Each one has some surprising element - whether it be the selection of unusual beads or the colour combinations. They are incredibly easy to wear, elegant, fun and creative!

Peruse our latest selection of these treasures here!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Diamantes are a Girl's Best Friend

All the buzz is on what SJP was wearing for Tokyo's Sex and The City 2 Premiere! As we found out, the true metropolitan fashionista herself chose one of our necklaces to accent her Vivienne Westwood dress. True to form, she casually layered a Fred Leighton gold necklace and a Stephen Russell heart necklace on top of it.

Get this look for yourself with our new clear rhinestone bib necklaces here.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

The Secret....

... Is casual, creative placement! We love how SJP can layer so many treasures together and make them look informally beautiful. This image is from the Japanese premiere of Sex and The City 2, where our It Girl wore a diamante bib necklace of ours, which was of course layered with multiple other items. What a fashion inspiration!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Women of Baycrest and CTVC

Last night was the exclusive pre-screening of Sex and The City 2 to all supporters of Women of Baycrest, a fantastic women-run organization working all hours to raise money for reasearch into womens' brain health and dementia.

We were thrilled when such positive attention was paid to this bracelet, a door prize we donated for the night! SJP wears the same one in pink very prominently, for a full scene in the film!

Stay Fabulous (and brain-healthy!),
Carole

Why SJP is Our "it" Girl

We just love the simplicity of this dress SJP wore to a recent event. She paired it with a bold heart necklace which compliments the flowy silhouette.

We love her daring, out-of-the-box sense of fashion. The key is confidence! When she wears it, we all fall in love with it! It is the effortless way she works her style and bends fashion boundaries to set the trend for a new fabulous and fearless breed of fashionista!
Check out this amazing Chanel heart necklace to complete your look.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Nelly Furtado Wears CTVC to Latin Billboard Awards!

Nelly Furtado, looking fresh and splendid in CTVC for the red carpet at the Latin Billboard Awards!

Welcome Back Colette Harmon!

A favorite designer of ours, Colette Harmon, is back after a year's travel. Her unique designs are better than ever! She is a one man operation from designing to constructing her intricate and stunning pieces.
This is the good news and the bad news. The good news is that each piece is a work of art; the bad news is that she has a small oeuvre - hard to get and rarely available on the secondary market. Feast your eyes on some of our new Harmon acquisitions. She is also featured in Fabulous Fakes as a genius contemporary designer. Stay tuned for some exciting future events of hers!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Wedding Day, Any Day, Every Day Pearls!

What woman doesn't want some form of pearl jewelry? It's been a
tradition since the beginning of time! Styles are versatile. There
are simple strands, and there are funky and over the top styles. Click here to see a variety of pearl pieces.
Stay Fabulous,
Carole

SJP Wears CTVC In SATC

Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing several jewels from Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection in Sex And The City once again! Note the pink bracelet from this scene, for one, which is visible in the trailer! Stay tuned for more.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Make Mother's Day gifting easy this year by presenting your mom with an autographed Fabulous Fakes book. I don't know any woman who wouldn't love to feast their eyes on jewels of the past. It's great eye candy for any age. This book was sold out, however I have a limited number of copies.
Please click here to secure your copy.
Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Oh Oh Mrs. O!

Look at the beautiful Schreiner brooch Mrs O is wearing! I am especially thrilled as it is from our collection!!! What I always love about the First Lady's style is that she wears her brooches in the most unconventional way, yet they always look elegant and playful. Mrs. Obama is comfortable in her skin and it shows in the way she dresses. Please click here to see our Schreiner selection. To view the Mrs. O blog, click here.
Stay Fabulous,
Carole

New Flower Pins

Mrs O always looks fabulous, especially when she's wearing those stunning flower pins. Have a look at our new additions, which feature two gorgeous black flower pins.
Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Cocktail (Rings), Anyone?

What woman can resist a fabulous large cocktail ring (or two, or three)? They always cause a stir!
"Is it real darling?" and "What does your partner do ?"
Seriously, they always draw the crowds! And, better yet, they make us feel elegant. Here are some examples for your delight!

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

What is it with purple?

Perhaps the most sought after color in vintage costume jewelry this year is purple. I'm happy, because I have always been a purple freak! Some of the most beautiful jewels to pass through my hands have been in beatiful tones of purple. I just can't keep them in. Click here for some exciting choices.
Stay Fabulous,
Carole

We Heart You!

As Valentine's day approaches, we at CTVC send you some beautiful hearts to celebrate. We also have included what we consider a Valentine themed jewels and vanities. Please click here to have a look. Wear them with love!
Stay Fabulous,
Carole

Save the Dates!

In April, I will be lecturing at the Royal Ontario Museum on three of my favorite designers from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. They are Henry Schreiner, Coppolo e Toppo and Hobe. I chose these designers because they exemplify what is exciting in Vintage Costume Jewelry.
Each one, like all great artists, have recognizable styles and unique design elements. It will be fun, interesting and a feast for your eyes!!! Sign up soon, as there is limited space!

Enroll here.

Stay Fabulous,
Carole

And Then There's Green

I have always loved the variations in the Green color family. Chartreuse, peridot, sea foam, emerald. We would love to see a renewed popularity in this accent color. Whenever I see a great piece of VCJ (Vintage Costume Jewelry) in a beautiful shade of green, I grab it! Vogue, schmogue, it's a statement color!
Click here to view a selection of our gorgeous greens.
Stay Fabulous,
Carole