Fashion shopping the vintage way!
Five years ago I remember reading in the Daily Mail that the British passion for vintage had run it’s course and that ‘retro’ was about to fall out of favour. In reality there are some very compelling reasons why owning and wearing vintage is probably with us to stay!
If you’re new to vintage fashion I hope the following tips will inspire you to visit a vintage fair or two before heading off for the shopping malls next time you fancy a new outfit!
Choice: We’ve all done it – wandered around the shops for hours on end looking for inspiration, trying to find something a bit different. But it can be really hard when all the shops are offering the same thing and in the same colours because that’s what the fashion industry forecasts dictate. And even harder when current fashions simply don’t suit you, your lifestyle or that inner you that’s dying to show off!
Vintage fashion offers an eclectic range of styles to suit every taste – from mid-century classic cuts and 1960s pop art minis, to early 1900s glitz, glamour and elegance. An hour or two at a vintage fair could take you back in time to fashion eras that are completely you – styles that you love to wear and feel totally gorgeous in!
You don’t have to embrace a whole look – you can wear a vintage brooch or necklace with jeans and a T shirt or simply accessorise a modern classic with a vintage hat, bag or shoes. Chaps can dress up a favourite suit or smart casual outfit with Art Deco cufflinks and a stylish waistcoat or a designer vintage silk tie or cravat for extra flair!
Quality: It’s fair to say that, for the most part, vintage goods of all kinds have a quality about them that’s hard to find in today’s high street stores. Clothes were beautifully tailored, tea cups were invariably made of fine bone china, furniture never came in flat packs, toys were made of anything but plastic, and nearly everything was finished by hand.
Vintage clothes were made with ‘proper’ seams so that you could let them out or take them in, and proper hems so you could let them down! It also meant that they didn’t come apart after a few wears! Makers rarely skimped on the cut of a garment just to keep the price down, so clothes draped and pleated and tailored and flared with panache! Fabrics were varied and interesting too. Tweed, seersucker, cotton lawn, crepe, satin, brocade, georgette, taffeta, velvet, Broderie Anglaise … all so hard to find amongst the jersey, cotton and polyesters that dominate today.
And then there’s the detail – tactile leather, Bakelite and glass buttons, metal zips that don’t get stuck, luxurious trims and embellishments …
Enduring styles and charisma: So many of today’s fashions and accessories are “must have” for a short while but a year later they’re obsolete or fuddy-duddy. Vintage, on the other hand, has already been through the ‘fashionable’ experience once and survived. It no longer matters that it was trendy in 1950 and passé by 1960 – it’s now an iconic statement piece with its own personality and story, proudly flaunting its bygone style.
If I asked you to name three of the most famous fashion designers of all time your list would probably include names like Dior, Calvin Klein, Coco Channel, Versace, Givenchy, Mary Quant, Prada, Pierre Cardin, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood or Yves Saint Laurent. These great and enduring names were stealing the limelight as long ago as the 1920s and it seems we still love everything about them. Their innovative styles are enduring – still treasured, still fresh, and still inspirational.
And the best thing? You might not have been able to afford a “Westwood” or a “Versace” at the time, but I can absolutely promise that every vintage fair you browse will offer up at least one iconic and enduring design which you’ll fall in love with – and this time you’ll be able to afford it! What could be more satisfying and rewarding?
What to look for: Anything that catches your eye! Whether it’s functional, wearable, decorative or simply for fun, it’s really quite difficult not to connect with fashions from a bygone age. Wearing a little piece of the past is mesmerising – even a £5 vintage brooch can quickly become a fascinating and treasured possession!
Don’t feel you need to look for designer labels or famous make marks – the charm, character and appeal of the item is all that counts. A little stain or a little bit of wear doesn’t matter either. Just enjoy the journey it’s been on, and the reaction it’ll get the next time you put it on life’s catwalk!
