Hurray for Fools

(yes, the pictures are huge, just wanted you to appreciate the details! And they do still need to be cleaned...)

My parents came over last week after garage saling with a surprise for me... I love those surprises, please feel free to come over when ever you want, Mom and Dad. If you could, please bring that fabulous oversized, vintage clutch with the Lucite closure. That would be great. Yup, thanks! Anyways, they didn't bring me the clutch but they brought a whole basket full of advertising etchings/prints (?) from Grafton's. These would be used to print advertisements, notice how they look backwards and how they left room for wording, so that the base of the ad was the same but the message could be different?

So many reason's to love them... I love that each etching has a fashion illustration (I have about 15-20 assorted etchings!). I enjoyed illustration class in university immensely and while the camera rules the industry now, I still love the glamour evoked by fashion illustration.

I love that these were probably used over and over again. They are definitely from a time when the fashion trend was slow and silhouettes stayed similar for a few years. Sometimes, I think that trends come and go too quick, it's a constant 100 metre dash to stay currant. I love studs (preferably unmarried and in firefighter garb..) but then Forever 21 loved studs and now I'm already sick of them. That's tiring.

I love that I feel like I have a part of local history. As far as I know, it's a Canadian company and now is affiliated with Tip Top Tailors (that right, Linda?). Back in the day, lots of people probably got these ads and now I have the originals.

I mostly love the foolish lady who sold the whole basket of these for $10. Sometimes, you find something while thrifting, and you pity the fool who let that fabulousness slide through their fingers. I hope she spends her $10 wisely, perhaps a Subway lunch or downtown parking? I know I'm going to hang on to these babies, so no, don't expect them up on eBay anytime soon. Oh ya, and I have to remember to pay back my parents $10...