In My Clickety Clack Era

Delicious jewelry you shouldn't wear to the movie theater

My Bakelite stack, approved by the sweetest Chinatown grocery cat

Last week, I attended a packed screening at an old theater in the Upper West Side. My husband and I somehow managed to accidentally buy seats in the very last row. Our backs were literally against the wall, the seats on the stage so far away they looked like dollhouse furniture. When the theater fell dark for the start of the movie, I realized there was actually something even more embarrassing than our comical seating choice. As someone in a perpetual state of wondering if I’m bothering people, nothing could have prepared me for the humiliating cacophony I made reaching into a crinkly bag of Life Savers Gummies while wearing five giant plastic bangles.

Now you may be wondering why I wore very loud jewelry to sit in a dark theater. I asked myself the same question as I ate my gummies with stiff T-Rex arms. The answer? I’m obsessed. Every outfit suddenly feels incomplete without my bangles!

At a recent pop up in my go-to Canadian tuxedo, made complete by my bangles

I’ve gone through so many jewelry phases in my life. Earrings, necklaces, and rings are my constants. My interest in bracelets has come in waves. I wore tons of plastic beads when I was in my rave girl era (yes, really), as a teenager I sported a stack of Alex and Ani bangles my mom got for a discount at work. In an unexpected (to me) move, I wore two bracelets at our wedding, and no necklaces. It’s been years since bracelets have been a staple in my look, but 2025 is officially my Summer of Bangles.

While putting together this piece, I realized I’ve been saving photos of plastic bangles for well over a year now. I’ve felt really compelled by silver this year, and for a while, that made me think that I wanted a silver cuff. I’ve come across a few but have since sold them all, they just didn’t feel me.

Two of my long saved pins

When I was in Hawai’i last month visiting my sister, I found a set of translucent brown bangles in an antique shop in Hilo. On my flight home, I came across someone selling a trio of Bakelite bracelets in another Substacker’s subscriber chat. I sent a total stranger money and my home address at 5:40 AM from my Sea-Tac layover, and the rest is history.

I’ve barely gone a day without clickety-clacking around New York since I ripped that box open.

(Clarification: I did not actually rip the box open, I opened it very carefully with a box cutter as I do with all my vintage packages. Ripping just sounds more fun.)

Why Am I So Obsessed?

Most of my day-to-day jewelry could be described as sleek. My pile of gold chains and charms are sentimental and sweet and often tangled, but they’re all relatively small. My earrings are tiny and rarely ever change (or come out). My rings are beautiful, and meaningful, but low profile.

There’s something about the jolt of color, the literal noise of plastic bangles that feels like a much-needed dose of whimsy and chaos. I’m a pretty orderly person. I like schedules, and drafts, and notes. Wearing bangles feels like a little hit of the opposite.

Bakelite was at its peak popularity from the 1920’s to the 40’s, while Lucite reigned supreme throughout the 1940’s and 50’s. Plastic jewelry remained on trend into the 60’s and 70’s, pretty much covering the bases for all of my favorite vintage eras.

A guide to Bakelite plastics via 1941 from the Hagley Museum Library

The other reason I’m so drawn to vintage plastic, the translucent kinds in particular, are for its deliciousness. Colorful plastic has this juicy, edible quality to it that’s always drawn me in. I think there’s a sense of nostalgia for the many translucent plastics of my 90’s and 2000’s adolescence - inflatable furniture, see-through N64 controllers, Swedish Fish. Maybe my bangles are also acting as a tiny portal to my childhood.

My summer vibe

There are particularly tasty names for a lot of the colorways for Lucite and Bakelite. Feast your eyes and tell me you aren’t at least a little bit hungry. Or thirsty.

• Apple Juice

• Butterscotch

• Candy Apple

• Root Beer

• Cherry

• Creamed Corn

• Cranberry

• Tangerine

  

  

  Girl dinner

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For the first time ever, I’m doing a giveaway! I just bought this set of 10 cranberry and pink lucite bangles. I’ll be keeping a few, selling a few, and the rest are yours!

The first three paid subscribers to 1-800-VINTAGE to comment on this post will get their choice of one pink or red bangle sent to you :) Yes, you can subscribe right now for a single month for a free bangle. Yes, you could unsubscribe next month and I won’t come to your house and demand your bracelet back - but I really hope that you’ll stick around!

For those of you that don’t manage to snag one, don’t worry - I’ve rounded up a bunch of links below for you to create your own not-actually-edible dream stack, below.