Costume Trinkets Trade Prospers In America

Lake County Mail, Issue 11, 6 August 1947, Page 10

Costume Trinkets Trade Prospers In America

Women Bedecked with “ Baubles ”

Post-war ambition of the average American woman to “ shine like a tree covered Avith ice crystals ” has lifted the wearing of costume jewellery from comparative obscurity to a very high and socially acceptable pedestal, according to Elsie McCormick, in the Saturday Evening Post.

At the same time business is boom

iug for the manufacture or the “ice” —rhinestone, silver. laboratory

ruby and sapphire dress ornaments- —■ and some of them were able last year to till only 50 per cent, of orders for the flittering- baubles with which American womanhood is decking itself. A few decades ago the costume jewellery business was limited to making hair ornaments, beauty pins for babies, and fancy hatpins, If a woman

hadn’t much pride she might wear a brooch glassy with “ diamonds ” of which the common criticism was “fake”; most .contented themselves with modest gold lockets or plain little gold bars which they wore with everything. , . BOXFUL’S OF PIECES To-day there are few American women who don’t own a boxful, of > costume pieces, which far from belopging to the dime store category’

when hair was swept up over the ears, they peppered the public with button ear-rings.

Once pieces of costume. jewellery were anonymous and un-advertised, found in bargain trays, bought by the ignorant and “ arty.” Now stores like the famous Saks of Fifth Avenue display cases of costume piece arranged on black velvet under brilliant lights. All is not gold that glitters is very true of costume jewellery. But you don’t need gold to glitter, coloured glass will do; and these days to be in the fashion you have to shine like a Christmas tree.

It is unnecessary as yet, however, to

jingle as you walk