Dodie Thayer Lettuce Ware is back in vogue. With a contemporary twist that is. It is now accessible and available to the everywoman thanks to American fashion designer Tory Burch.  While this newfound attainability seems fitting thanks to worldwide globalization and fast consumerism, in my mind there is something lacking that also comes with this convenience. There is a quality that is in short supply. The original Dodie Thayer pottery was all, each and every piece, (only originals are pictured here) crafted from the hands of Thayer herself.  Each leaf’s vein was shaped by her solely and fired from Thayer’s kiln in Jupiter, Florida.  The caliber and grade of Burch’s collection doesn’t even touch the originals. But then again, the price for the Burch collection costs peanuts by comparison.

In Palm Beach society, during the 1960s through the 1980s, Dodie Thayer was all the rage.  It was at that time, a contemporary spin on Victorian lettuce ware produced in England during the 18th and 19th centuries and also Majolica from Portugal and Spain.  The Duchess of Windsor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Brooke Astor were all collectors. Today the originals are only available via the occasional Sotheby’s sale or online listings.  They will be signed on the underside. And they will come at a price. Unfortunately, the modern spin just doesn’t offer the comparable ability to stun.  The excellence and character cannot be reproduced by a machine. It is impossible.

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.“

Attribution to Brassscale Antiques, Pigtown Design Blog, Town and Country, Tory Burch, Dodie Thayer