Vintage Sterling Silver Marcasites Fancy Cross Pendant

This is a beautiful vintage 1960s large tall fancy solid sterling silver sitting up poodle charm or pendant. Marked Sterling. Size is 1 3/16" tall by almost 1/2" wide across the center of the body. It is very well made of 1 chunk of solid sterling silver. It also very fancy and highly detailed. Beautiful condition. No damage. No tears, dents, or deep scratches to the sterling. Great item for anyone who enjoys poodles and vintage 1960s poodle jewelry. Just add a chain and you will have a gorgeous dangle necklace or add to your favorite charm bracelet. It's ornate and quite showy.

ABOUT 1950s POODLE FASHION:

The 1950s poodle skirt was a ‘50s favorite, often in white, standing at the hem of the skirt, complete with a curly embroidered or sequin leash. Even more decorations came in the form of the large applique cats, squirrels, guitars, or catchy phrases like “See You Later Alligator.” The poodle skirt became a lasting icon of the 1950s especially for teenagers but women wore them too with more mature appliques such as the Eiffel tower, telephone, and martinis.

ORIGIN:

You have heard of Poodle skirts and their association with 1950’s fashion, but you may not know how they originated or the profound influence they have had on women’s fashions since that time. The phenomenon started in 1947 when 25-year-old Juli Charlot needed a skirt to wear to a holiday party in Los Angeles. Because she couldn’t sew, she cut a big circle of felt with a hole in the middle to fit her waist and appliquéd Christmas trees to it. Felt was the only material available that was wide enough to cut a complete circle skirt without any seams. The skirt was a huge hit. A week after the party she sold the skirt to raise money to go to design school and learn how to sew. Eventually as demand for her skirts grew, she opened her own factory. Although she continued to get orders, money was tight. Then a New York designer visited her factory, found her in tears, and invested enough money for the business to take off.

TYPES:

Although many appliqué designs were used on the skirts, it was the elegant, well groomed Poodle  with a swirly leash that proved to be the most popular. In fact circular skirts with other designs were often called Poodle skirts. The full skirt was a welcome change from the straight or pleated below the knee skirts that were worn by young girls and women of the day. Poodle skirts were worn with flirty petticoats and a wide cinch belt. The skirt looked cute on young girls, but pretty silly on their mothers and grandmothers. In other words Poodle skirts were one of the first “too young for you” fashions. From that time on, seeing a youth market with money to spend, many designers worked exclusively on clothing geared to the young.

References:

(http://thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com) (http://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-fashion-history-skirts/)