In the sunroom of my great-aunt Mimi’s Chicago bungalow hung an image of a Christmas tree made entirely from broken brooches, discarded earrings, and other assorted bits of costume jewelry–a creation of her sister, my great-aunt Alice. I used to stare at it for hours, entranced by the glittering rhinestones and glass gems.

I thought of Alice’s jewelry tree when I saw Broad Street, Chicagoan Sara Bradstreet’s line of jewelry, and decided to include some of her pieces in the Chicago Reader gift guide last month. She trolls vintage stores for old costume jewelry and melds pieces together to form arresting new pieces, especially chunky cluster necklaces that are like exquisite bouquets.

I decided I wanted one for myself and stopped by her north-side studio to pick it up. One room is filled with trinkets and chains, which cover every surface and fill several jewelry boxes. It’s like pirates’ booty–if pirates were interested in fake gold, silver, and jewels.

There are monogrammed lockets, flowers studded with faux pearls, giant glass “rubies.”

Sarah says that occasionally she has an idea in mind, but that she usually “lets the piece tell me what it wants to be.” Indeed, looking at some of the jewelry, you start to wonder where it came from and the bosoms it might have been perched on. No wonder the pieces seem to have definite opinions about where they want to be.

She’ll also do custom pieces and will work in pieces that you already have. It’s a great way to give renewed life to those old broken pins and mismatched earrings a lot of us have lurking in our jewelry collections.

The designer herself.

I planned on buying “Marina,” a necklace featuring a swirling snail’s shell and a scallop shell, but I ended up preferring one with a flower motif. It features a gold butterfly on top with delicate wings that stand up and wave gently with movement–just like a real one. I love the way it is slightly asymmetrical too.

My birthday present to myself.

Broad Street jewelry is available in Chicago at Wolfbait & B-girls, 3131 W. Logan Boulevard, and Salon Blonde, 1643 W. North, and online at Etsy. Please note that if you see something you like, you should grab it–they tend to sell quickly.

Not long ago I had the pleasure of meeting Jeanne Steen, the owner of Figaro Antiques. A big part of her business involves finding and selling vintage fashion illustrations. Many are actual pencil sketches made in the 40s and 50s by illustrators for New York fashion houses, complete with scrawled notes and the occasional coffee stain!

Jeanne worked for ELLE and ELLEgirl magazines for about 20 years and was one of those lucky souls who attended the fashion week shows in Europe every season. For fun she’d trawl flea markets and antique shops, picking up art and making valuable connections–which came in handy when she moved back to Chicago and got into her current business.

The illustrations range from turn-of-the-century pochoirs, or hand-colored engravings, to lavish drawings by Rene Gruau, an artist who worked with such legendary couturiers as Dior, Balmain, and Balenciaga. There are even illustrations for movie costumes that Jeanne picked up during visits to California. Prices start at $100 (occasionally less) for an unframed sketch to up to about $1650 for a framed piece by a well-known illustrator (most are priced around $200-$300). I have my eye on a couple myself…hint, hint!

photo courtesy Tate Gunnerson Photography

photo courtesy Tate Gunnerson Photography

photo courtesy Tate Gunnerson Photography

Figaro has two locations: inside the Andersonville Galleria, 5247 N. Clark, and at Vintage Pine, 904 W. Blackhawk, both in Chicago. Call 773-835-0821 or go to figaroantiques.com.

Think couture is beyond your budget? Not if you go the vintage route. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is holding an auction of vintage couture next week and has estimated prices for some pieces are as low as $200. LHA was kind enough to send me a catalogue (thanks Alice!) that I am drooling over. To wit: A slinky yet elegant Yves Saint Laurent black jersey evening gown from 1979 with a triangular open back and an apron front. A 1950 pocket watch with a neon chartreuse face by Schiaparelli. A glam black wool coat by Pauline Trigere from the 1970s with a round fur collar and cuffs. Want want want. The auction takes place on Wednesday, December 3, but if you want to check out the pieces before that (or just want to be a looky-loo) there are previews starting this Sunday, November 30. You can also look at the catalogue online.

If you just can’t get enough couture, head over to the Chicago History Museum for the Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures From the Chicago History Museum exhibit. The show–which features only a small amount of the museum’s collection–includes couture pieces dating all the way back to 1863, all worn by actual Chicagoans. See a slide show here (click on the image for information about the item). Or listen to a story I did for Chicago Public Radio on the exhibit.