I'll never forget the wistful look on the elderly woman's face as she
remembered her fashionable past as a young woman in New York City.

She'd stack bakelite bangles up each arm to the elbow as she readied for a night on the town, then finished her look with a sheer, long-sleeve blouse.
Her husband, she confided, always threatened to leave her home if she wouldn't remove a few.

Of course - stylish lady that she was - she never did.

I met her at the flea market in Arundel a few years back as I scoured tables
and boxes for vintage treasures. She understood my passion for colorful bakelite in shades of reds, golds and greens, carved or marbled.

After all, we were in good company. In the Twenties, Coco Chanel included
bakelite accessories in her haute couture collection. In the Eighties, Sotheby's made a killing on Andy Warhol's
collection. In recent years it's made a comeback on the arms of models in fashion magazines.

Today you'll find vintage bakelite in antique stores and flea markets if you're lucky. Ebay is another good source, but buyers should learn the difference between the real thing and knockoffs and how to test for real bakelite. Some enterprising designers like Ron and Ester Shultz also create high-end new pieces from old bakelite.

A less expensive and fun alternative to bakelite is lucite, which was first created in the 1930s. Vintage lucite is easier to find than bakelite and can range from sparkly "confetti" styles to beetles embedded in the plastic. Many online sites are fun to check for an idea of what's available.

One of the most popular new lucite designers is New York designer Alexis Bittar, who often is inspired by vintage jewelry. Each piece is carved from from translucent Lucite, then painted and backed with a gold-leaf wash to give a glowing look. It's available at Foundry Lane in Portland.

Material Objects in Portland also carries plastic bracelets, many of which are made from molds of old bakelite pieces. And at $6.50 to $20, you can afford to pile them on!

Plastic bangles at Material Objects

Alexis Bittar earrings and cuffs at Foundry Lane

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