When you step into a store, flick through the pages of a fashion magazine or stroll through the weekend markets you are observing reinventions pieces of the past. It is extremely rare to find something so new that has never been created before, at least some inspiration has been taken from the decades before us to create such a captivating piece of fashion. This is the way of the fashion world, the cycle in which styles repeat themselves. This creates a whole other level in the many genres of fashion – we call it ‘Vintage’.
The popularity of vintage fashion has increased with the fashion focused twenty-somethings of today. There is something appealing about purchasing a piece of vintage; something that has a history, a long gone owner and a story attached to it. With so many of us taking a liking to vintage fashion it is no surprise that there are trends focused around the ‘look’ of vintage. This look usually features colours that look faded, distressed pieces, classic designer items, quirky accessories or add-ons as well as pieces that are iconic of particular times. Celebrities like fashion stylist Rachel Zoe is known for her excessive amount of vintage accessories and clothing whereas model Kate Moss and actress Siena Miller may not be wearing all that many vintage pieces, they still project this vibe and pull off this look.
With the increased popularity vintage stores with low, mid and high end clothing as well as accessories and even home deco items are showing up everywhere. There are designer, antique, vintage and retro clothing, millinery, boots and shoes, lingerie, linen and lace, vintage women’s magazines, boudoir items, buttons, patterns, original fashion art, men’s wear, scarves and ties and just about anything else they may be of interest available. All of this is easily found at a number of boutiques dedicated to vintage fashion, op-shops, online stores like www.beautvintage.com.au where you are guaranteed to find the perfect vintage dress, finders keepers markets and fashion focused markets which are catered specifically to vintage fashion are also ideal to helping you find your perfect vintage piece. There are also vintage fashion blogs dedicated to vintage fashion, ‘Liebemarlene Vintage’ http://liebemarlene.blogspot.com and also ‘From Betsy with Love’ http://www.frombetsywithlove.com/ are both great blogs.
Vintage fashion is the most creative way to recycle fashion from the past. It’s good for the environment; we are not destroying anything at all for the making of our much loved vintage pieces. Instead, we are reworking them into our current wardrobes to add some flair to our style. We are re-wearing the clothes that are like glorified hand-me-downs, though these pieces just happen to be a little more fashionable.
