Photos: The Social Shopper: Family Heirlooms November 16 2013

In many a mother’s closet, a forgotten treasure can be unearthed. Maybe it’s a monogrammed Louis Vuitton Speedy bag, long out of use, or an Hermès silk scarf she received as a birthday gift. Maybe it’s a piece of passed-down jewelry, like a strand of pearls or an heirloom Rolex. Whatever it is, don’t let it languish any longer because, nowadays, even the most high-status item can be transformed into an unpretentious everyday accessory—pending you pair it with the right pieces. Behold Carlotta Oddi in this photograph on Collage Vintage. She’s toting the ultimate in high-society handbag—the Kelly bag—but making it look like the completely down-to-earth item that should be in every modern, busy girl’s grasp. Are your mom’s vintage pieces a little worse for the wear? Perfect—the more banged up the better, we say, and with that in mind, here are some of our favorite new twists on old classics.