October | 2013 | crashing nightingale

photography by Crashing Nightingale

Phillips General Store & Antiques Vintage catalogue that was showcased in the store’s earlier years.

One of the things I love is anything unique. What I love even more is if those things that are unique carry history behind it as well. This is what one can find at Phillips General Store & Antiques. The store carries an array of vintage items and rare antiques.

Nestled in the cozy town of Bell Buckle, Tenn, the Phillips General Store & Antiques building comes with it’s own history. The business is owned by Billy Phillips who purchased it from his antique dealer mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Phillips after he graduated high school. The store began its career as a dry goods business in the 1890s. The store operated until the mid-1950s and was closed up until Mr. and Mrs. Albert Phillips purchased it in 1971.

“We bought the building and it’s contents for $750 in 1971. When we opened it back up, it had all the clothing from the original stock. The showcases, rolling ladders and counters are all original to the building,” explains Mr. A. Phillips as he points out the antique clothing displayed around the store.

The “apothecary corner”

As a shopper makes their way around the store, one can tell a lot of thought and work is put in displaying all the antiques. Different sections of the store are decorated with similar items or colors. For example, many sections are dedicated to the various holidays. It is easy to find exactly what a buyer would need for any holiday setting or special occasion. Some areas are decorated according to the color of the item. As you maneuver in and out of the different settings you can find yourself admiring antiques that are dedicated to individual colors such as green, red, black or white.

“Billy decorates, no one else is involved. He has travelled around the country working on set designs for gift shows,” states Mr. A. Phillips.

Vintage photos and that have found a new home in the store.

Currently the store is showcasing many items celebrating Halloween. Antique witches, devils, pumpkins, black cats and goblins are the main attraction upon entering the building. It is a Halloween lover’s dream as there are so many vintage and rare items for the spooky holiday. 19th century photographs are mischievously adorned with construction paper cut-out witches hats. Vintage Halloween costumes hang above the displays and show a time when yellow and black were the traditional Halloween colors.

Spooky décor for that perfect Halloween party.

Phillips General Store & Antiques is the kind of place you could lose time in while exploring all the rarities and oddities. Every inch of the store showcases another very cool item that you suddenly find hard to live without. It’s the place where items from long ago have found a new resting place and are waiting to be discovered by you.

http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/phillips_general_store_antiques/
http://bellbucklechamber.com/

Let’s all say this together: Bow ties are badass. Don’t you agree? Now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about how bad these little pieces of fabric are.

Bow ties have come a long way since their inception. The dawn of the bow tie rose from the 17th century when Croat mercenaries during the Prussian war tied a scarf around their necks to hold together the top opening of their shirts. Pretty clever. Little did they know they were starting a fashion trend that would span into the future centuries. And we thank them for their practical discovery that spawned our love of this little accessory. This practicality was picked up by the upper classes of the French and then took off in the 18th and 19th century as a fashion accessory.

Pictures of bow ties can be seen throughout the centuries. They have been worn by leaders of our country, magicians, and entertainers. Bow ties have not been strangers to any walk of life. The evolution of the bow tie has tied it’s pretty little self around the necks of all ages, genders and species.

And the bow tie doesn’t associate itself with just those of society prestige. A bow tie can be worn by anyone. From presidents to your neighbor next door, the bow tie doesn’t discriminate. It also doesn’t discriminate against what it is paired with. It is most famous for it’s pairing with the tuxedo but has broken it’s barriers and been a style statement with jeans.

As stated earlier, you can pretty much sum up bowties in one word: badass. They were a more common clothing accessory in early decades and centuries. However, like a watch or pair of earrings, I claim that more people start making this part of their everyday wear. After all, who can resist feeling happy when you see a bow tie? Now for some bow tie eye candy.