One man’s trash could also be one other man’s treasure — however typically that treasure seems to be a robe designed by none apart from Jacqueline Kennedy’s private dressmaker.
Kansas Michalke, a content material creator and mother of two in Austin, Texas, mentioned she all the time had a knack for locating hidden gems whereas thrifting.
“[My family] was not properly off in any capability,” she informed Fox Information Digital. “My mother was a single mother, my dad was a single dad, and we might do storage gross sales … and this was one thing I grew up with.”
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“We by no means actually cared about designers or model names or something like that,” she mentioned.
“We had been simply easy little nation individuals who [would] go straight to the clearance part or thrift outlets. It wasn’t something that I used to be ever ashamed of. And I all the time preferred having issues that had been completely different.”
Kansas Michalke mentioned she’s all the time liked thrifting and may discover precisely what she is searching for, however this time she could have discovered one thing extra: a classic Oleg Cassini robe. (Kansas Michalke)
Michalke was nearing the top of her purchasing tour when she got here throughout a vivid, shiny night robe.
“I did my final lap and I noticed the twinkle of the gown and I assumed, ‘Oh my gosh, this shall be so enjoyable to play gown up with,’ and I simply tossed it within the cart,” Michalke recalled.
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“I did not take a look at the label. I did not take a look at something. I used to be like, ‘My daughters will love this. I hope it matches.’”
It wasn’t till Michalke bought into the passenger seat along with her husband on the wheel that she realized she’d discovered one thing particular.
Michalke of Texas was taking her final lap round her native Goodwill store when a pink, sparkly night robe caught her eye. (Kansas Michalke)
“After I typed in [the designer’s] title, Jackie Kennedy popped up and I assumed, ‘No manner, that is loopy.’ After which that is after I did begin doing full analysis on Oleg Cassini, and [discovered] simply how iconic he was,” Michalke mentioned.
Michalke had bought a classic Oleg Cassini-designed gown.
The ticket worth was $15.
Whereas the preliminary glitz and glam of the garment first caught Michalke’s consideration, she additionally seen the craftsmanship of the robe — particularly, the sequin work and the two-sized pearl element.
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She continued to dig extra into the work and lifetime of Oleg Cassini, discovering his connection to the starlets of Previous Hollywood akin to Grace Kelly.
However it was Cassini’s relationship with Jackie Kennedy that basically solidified his place within the historical past of style.
The Austin-based content material creator mentioned she did not learn the robe’s label till she’d gotten within the automotive to depart the Goodwill retailer the place she bought the garment. She wound up feeling blown away by what she had found. (Kansas Michalke)
The trendy former first girl even referred to him as her “secretary of fashion,” in keeping with L’Officiel, a French style journal.
Cassini was Jackie Kennedy’s principal dressmaker. He even designed the robe she wore throughout her husband John Kennedy’s presidential inauguration in 1961, in keeping with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Cassini died in 2006, and was “the oldest dwelling dressmaker within the historical past of American design,” in keeping with this biography within the museum’s digital archives.
On Jan. 20, 1961, the date of the inauguration of John F. Kennedy because the thirty fifth president of america in Washington, D.C., President and Mrs. Kennedy are photographed as they go away the White Home to attend a sequence of inaugural balls. 5 places had been booked to carry the great crowd that wished to attend. The primary girl’s gown was designed by Oleg Cassini. (Getty Photographs)
Michalke shared her Cassini discover on social media, the place many customers informed her about their very own Cassini-branded clothes — however the Texas mother’s robe was a bit completely different.
“What I discovered is completely different as a result of mine wasn’t a mass-produced merchandise. I can not discover the gown wherever on-line,” she mentioned.
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“It is positively ’80s or earlier due to how the tag [is] hand-sewn in, they usually did not use machine stitching till the ‘90s, so I do know that it is both ’80s or earlier than, however there’s nothing else I can discover on it.”
What gave away the date of the gown was the tag that appeared to have been hand-sewn in, main Michalke to imagine the gown was designed within the late ‘70s or early ’80s, she mentioned. (Kansas Michalke)
She began to do analysis on the tag and located that the gown could have been part of Cassini’s “Black Tie Assortment.”
Michalke has tried to seek out different kinds just like her gown by Cassini, however mentioned she can’t discover something that resembles her glistening robe.
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“I can not discover something prefer it, and so I am considering that is what makes it much more particular. Is it doubtlessly like a one-off piece? Perhaps a runway piece. I simply do not know,” she added.
Whereas Michalke hopes to at some point be taught extra concerning the gown and determine its precise value, she largely cares about sporting it whereas enjoying dress-up along with her women.
Michalke loves enjoying dress-up in her new robe with ther two daughters, but in addition hopes to cross it alongside to them at some point. (Kansas Michalke)
“My four-year-old Memphis is obsessive about style, and her precise phrases had been, ‘Mother, that is iconic,'” Michalke mentioned with amusing.
What made the $15 discover much more thrilling was that the second Michalke tried on the gown, it match like a glove.
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Michalke mentioned she lives by the phrase, “Boycott being boring” — and this gem is arguably something however boring.
Her love of thrifting and discovering nice items at Goodwill has impressed her to write down a thrifting information for others crammed with suggestions and tips on how you can discover precisely what you need whereas hitting the clearance rack.
The Texas mother paid solely $15 for this classic couture robe designed by Oleg Cassini, a favourite designer of Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy. (Kansas Michalke)
“I am satisfied that there is not a nasty thrift retailer. I’ve by no means met one, and I’m going thrift purchasing [at] second-hand property gross sales, at the least 4 occasions every week,” she mentioned.
A consultant at Goodwill Industries Worldwide informed Fox Information Digital that its employees loves listening to when Goodwill clients discover “thrilling and uncommon items like this.”
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“It simply goes to indicate the fantastic thing about thrifting and that yow will discover absolutely anything at Goodwill. It truly is a treasure hunt in each retailer,” the rep mentioned.
“One of many cool issues about purchasing right here is every bit has a previous life, typically with a fairly nice story behind it. We hope she loves this iconic discover!”
Fox Information Digital reached out to the Oleg Cassini model for remark as properly.
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