Objects of Affection: Vintage Cartier Leather Goods
An ode to signs of life and beloved everyday objects.
Age, in both human years and leather goods years, is to be revered.
While, culturally, we may feel the urge, or the pressure, to prevent and conceal signs of the aging process out of fear that it may decrease our value, or our beauty (especially in the curious land of North America), as humans, I find that these very qualities add character and intrigue. And I feel similarly about various coveted or treasured pieces: their appeal and sentimental value increase as time marches on. And the funny thing is, the more I come to cherish these so-called “flawed” possessions, the more I come to tolerate, if not appreciate, my own perceived imperfections.
Additionally, I’ve always loved beautiful, everyday objects–a really lovely hair brush, a nice cardholder, or an engraved pocket mirror–and I also tend to find a lot of beauty in everyday objects. I think if you’re going to be using, or wearing, something a lot, it might as well enhance your life in some sort of artful way, and feel personal. (And yes, while I’m painfully aware that a luxury good, as described below, is neither necessary nor necessarily an “everyday” object, I still strongly believe in using them all the same. A wardrobe is not meant to be overly precious; it is not a museum.)
Much like my appreciation for an old Hermès Kelly or Birkin that appears to have been run over by an 18-wheeler heading west on Route 80 (those trucks be wildin!), with its slouchiness, worn corners, and scratched hardware, lately I’ve been fixating on Cartier’s fine leather goods. And particularly those that have been worn and loved and offered up for a second (or third life). Objects of affection, relics of a life well-lived. Leather goods that, at some point, became leather ghosts. (Let them know they’re welcome to haunt my home any day of the week.)
Thanks to the House’s association with Princess Diana and Catherine Deneuve–two women whose style and spirit have long influenced my own–Cartier, as a brand, has always felt extra special to me. And my admiration for vintage Cartier leather only intensified upon seeing an older man sitting inside at Café de Flore in Paris, in February, writing pen to paper (what a concept!). His graph paper was bound by a weathered, clearly beloved, Cartier notebook cover–leather armor for his innermost thoughts.
I don’t know what it is–maybe contrast?–but there’s something about that patinated Bordeaux leather and worn double-C logo that tugs at my heart strings. Each nick and scratch tells a story, much like scar tissue or stretch marks. Whether those are held with admiration or contempt is a matter of wisdom and perspective, things that, like the signs of life of the below items, come with time and experience.
Here, I’ve shared a couple of favorite vintage Cartier finds (the passport cover might be my favorite, because imagine the places it’s seen!)
this is why i love buying vintage, the patina of something used/loved always looks much more interesting and chic than something box fresh imo! a great example is the Louis Vuitton Noe bag with the monogram; brand new they look a bit passe but the battered vintage ones where the leather is a bit stained, sooo covetable