My parents’ friends are always saying that the gear for babies has never been better. Countless times I’ve heard, “We never had these options!” But in one realm at least, I’ve wished there was a vintage baby supply shop to visit. The world of baby backpacks is bafflingly gearified and feminized. Hunting online for something for my husband to wear around Boston, they all either looked like we were hiking the Appalachian trail or trimmed with gingham and owl cartoons. Then last month while on Nantucket we visited the take-it-or-leave-it at the island’s dump, which is open to the public. I couldn’t believe the luck when I saw one of the classic Gerry backpacks there! Someone must have just cleaned out an attic, dropped it off and there it sat, looking at exactly like dozens of photos from the ’80s with my dad carrying one of us around. It’s definitely got less buckles than our modern one and the safety strap is a much smaller operation, but to have my husband be delighted to wear it is fantastic.
What about you? Is there vintage gear you treasure, or something you’ve spotted in an old photo and wished hadn’t been given away?