Ask any vintage store owner what’s the hardest thing to display, and we bet they’ll say purses and hats. Unless you have a neverending supply of mannequins, there are very few places to perch a hat that look natural. And those darling purses that you can imagine a 50s starlet carrying to a premiere tend to fall flat (literally and figuratively) when laid on a shelf.
But we love to show off our accessories—a hat can add instant vintage flair to an outfit, and unlike those frustratingly tiny vintage shoes, purses are one-size-fits-all. What to do?
One answer is this funky-looking contraption at the front of the store. Each hat sits on a spring, so all you have to do is pull the corresponding string, and the desired hat will bounce right into your hand.
And if you make your way to the back of the store, you’ll notice that what used to be empty wall space has been turned into vertical displays of purses and hats:
Unlike creeping vines, which can ruin a garden, creeping purses should be encouraged to climb all the way to the ceiling.
Pluck a hat off our hat wall and make it the cherry on top of your outfit!
With a little three-dimensional thinking, we’ve lifted–literally!–some of our best accessories out of boringness and into the spotlight where they belong.