Goldfingers

Early civilizations equated gold with gods and rulers and, as a result, we almost intuitively place a high value on gold - equating it with power, beauty, and the cultural elite. From the ancient Egyptians to James Bond, gold has shone out as something of special significance.

The pre-Incan Moche civilization in Peru, for instance, sculpted extraordinary items from gold – jewellery, ceremonial vessels and memorial pieces like these gold votive burial hands. Gold was later considered by the Incas to be the ‘sweat of the sun’ that reflected the glory of their sun god and was handcrafted into all manner of stunning adornments for tombs and temples.





More recent evidence of our fascination with gold: Ian Fleming used gold as a theme throughout his Bond novels. Shirley Eaton’s gold makeup in the Goldfinger film apparently took two hours to apply for only five minutes of filming. A doctor was on set at all times in case of possible skin suffocation.







A much safer and quicker means of gilding your fingers (and perhaps your arms too) is with a pair of these gorgeously glamorous vintage gold gloves from ShopCurious. We can’t guarantee that our gold opera gloves will give you the Midas touch, but you’ll look like a movie star without being painted – and with no need for Turkish baths to sweat out the gold from all those pesky little nooks and crannies.



If you’re a fan of unique accessories, you might also like to adorn your fingers with some stylish gold rings, like the ones designed by Sarah Bond for Saretta. These days, you don’t have to blow up Fort Knox for gold, it’s fairly affordable - plus it makes the ultimate romantic gift and can be a great investment too. Hope you’re taking notes Miss Moneypenny.

Are you?

Vintage Valentine kimonos

If you're looking for something authentic and different to buy as a unique and unusual Valentine gift, a vintage Japanese kimono might be just the thing.

To us Westerners, kimonos are exotic and alluring enough for all manner of occasions and can serve as anything from original evening dress through to seductive nightwear - they are ideal as a romantic gift and have timeless appeal.



The funniest thing is that in Japan - a country of great tradition, where apparently the majority of marriages are still arranged - many Japanese brides are choosing to wear a modern Western-style wedding dress rather than the conventional kimono. Is this just a fashion fad? Surely the traditional silk kimono is far more steeped in history and romance than your average Berketex bridal number ... and is likely to be handcrafted from natural fibres too?







Take a look at the selection of stylish vintage silk kimonos at ShopCurious - if you're feeling really soppy, there's even one that's fittingly called 'bloom of love'.






And we've some delightfully quirky obi-style belts as well: truly unique accessories and curiously useful for kimono and non-kimono wearers alike.

According to my nose, there's been more than a hint of the Orient in international style trends so far this decade, but I wonder if the strongest whiff of the East is yet to come...

Do you?