VINTAGE STYLE IN NEW CLOTHES
While I love vintage style I am not a person who enjoys wearing actual old clothing. Since darling’s I know that I am not the only person who feels this way, what is the alternative? Certainly the option is to find new clothing inspired by vintage style. Furthermore you may love the look of the flappers from the 1920’s or adore the mod vintage style of the 1960’s. However wearing or searching for actual vintage clothes has no appeal !
Therefore my dears I’m here to help those who would like a vintage style but don’t want secondhand . First I’ve come up with a couple of tips that will help you succeed in this endeavor.
VINTAGE STYLE TIPS
VINTAGE STYLE ; SILHOUETTE
First you need to know the basic’s of fashion history. For example the best way to identify the vintage style you like is through the silhouette. Therefore to help you , I’ve chosen a selection of vintage style silhouettes by historic period and popularity. Certainly this guide will help you select the period that you would most like to emulate.
VINTAGE STYLE ; WEAR CLOTHES NOT COSTUMES
While you may enjoy a fabulous look from the 1950’s, however you probably want to adapt that for today. Therefore your circle skirt dress says 1950’s , but you have current hair and make-up . Moreover you may juxtapose vintage style with current accessories . Likewise you may create your look based on a vintage silhouette but in current colors and fabric. Since I studied costume and worked as a costume designer I can easily recognize the difference between a costume and a vintage inspired look . Therefore the main difference is in a costume all the small details must be historically accurate. However feel free to mix-up vintage style and modern details.
The above image shows historically accurate 1950’s fashion . However you may choose a 1950’s silhouette and drop the gloves, hat and other historic details to modernize your look .In order to do this add modern boots or fugly sneakers and a current designer bag or backpack. Get the idea my dears .
VINTAGE STYLE – 1920’S
Fashion in the 1920s officially entered a more contemporary era of fashion
design. Women continued to liberate themselves from the constricting clothes
they had worn earlier in the decade and openly embraced more comfortable
styles, like the shorts and pants put into style by Coco Chanel.Moreover the 1920’s were opulant and the defining look of the 1920s was the flapper.Moreover the 1920’s were opulant and the defining look of the 1920s was the flapper.However the stock market crash ended all that.
Dress The Population
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Ultra-long sequined fringes add movement and pizzazz to this fun cocktail frock. While we could see this dress tearing up the dance floor in the 1920’s, we could easily see it doing the same thing today.
Richard Quinn Floral-Print Dress
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Inspired by styles of the 1920’s Richard Quinn’s dress is cut from a bright floral-print chiffon.
Marchesa
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VINTAGE STYLE- 1930’S
Once the Depression ended, trends slowly moved back towards a more
feminine look. Starlets in Hollywood became the source of inspiration for women
seeking style. Late 1930s fashion was fueled by Hollywood star’s glamour. Gucci
scarves and sunglasses gained popularity for wealthy women. Elegant fabrics
made their debut, as dresses were most often crafted of silk or satin and made to
move with the body and hug its curves. These elaborately cut dresses epitomized
the glamorous design of the era.
While evening wear became more chic, day wear became sporty. Sport
dressing gained popularity in the mid ‘30s. The decade was the first to see a true
distinction between day and evening styles.
Maison Margiela
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Certainty this dress has a 1930’s flair. Moreover the neck and shoulder are a perfect vintage style detail.
Marc Jacobs
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Inspired by 1930s night gowns, this ruffled dress strikes the right balance between day and night.
Black Iris The Daisy Dress
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Inspired by the evening dresses of the 1930s, the Daisy is adorned with delicate details.
VINTAGE STYLE-1940’S
Women’s fashion changed dramatically from the silk gowns of the ‘30s to
practical pants for the working woman in the ‘40s. Women were now full-fledged
members of the work force, and designers came out with the ultimate practical
clothing to accommodate this shift in occupation. Women began wearing pants or
overalls, and tying their hair up in scarves for work.
By the late 1940s, designers had grown tired of the utilitarian minimalist
clothing of the wartime era. Women were longing for the luxuries that had been
suppressed during the years of the war, and they began to creep back out in
fashion during the late ‘40s. Styles featured rounded shoulders, full skirts, and
narrow waists. The garments were lined with expensive fabrics, and ornate
accessories became necessary items to make an outfit complete and fashionable.
Unique Vintage
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1940s Style Camilla Midi Dress.
Molly Goddard
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A 1940’s silhouette with short sleeves which are gathered on the shoulders – a detail lifted from 1940s style dresses. Molly Goddard is a designer that that lots of risks and is someone to keep our eyes on.
Mary Katrantzou
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Especially feminine and vintage, the Belote Silk Dress by Mary Katrantzou pays tribute to the sophisticated elegance of the 1940s.
Topshop
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VINTAGE STYLE-1950’S
This retro decade’s fashion exploded for women in terms of fabrics. In
1950, following the end of World War II, rations on all items used to make
clothing were lifted, so clothing was able to be produced more freely, which
sparked a frenzy of newly produced items in a more broad style range.
1950s fashion is one of the styles that had the biggest comeback in the
new millennium. Retro looks are a big part of fashion today for celebrities as well
as the everyday woman.
Vika Gazinskaya
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Here this feminine shape takes inspiration from classic 1950s dresses. I love this 1950’s silhouette. However darling’s the 1950’s had several silhouettes that have contributed to it’s favor in vintage style.
Teri Jon
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Equally important as the circular skirt to the 1950’s is the above fitted silhouette . With this in mind have a look at my post How to channel the timeless style of Grace Kelly.
Basix Black Label
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Whenever I think of the 1950’s , I think of the glamorous evening wear of this period. Certainly this strapless sweetheart gown gives us another silhouette of the 1950’s.
Dolce & Gabbana
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Darling’s I’m a huge fan of Dolce & Gabbana and this beautiful floral skirt is more proof why. Whenever I think of 1950’s fashion a patterned circle is one of the things I see. Therefore this skirt is a great addition to any wardrobe.
VINTAGE STYLE- 1960’S
The 1960s were a time of transformation in every aspect of American life.
The move was from conservative Jacqueline Kennedy dress suits to mini skirts, psychedelic patterns and ending with dirty blue jeans. These volatile changes in taste and fashion, of course, mirrored what was happening in society as a whole, as it always seems to do.
No.21
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Certainly the 1960’s had many silhouettes , this dress is one of those looks that is often recreated today. Crafted from a sheer PVC, it features a white floral lace underlay, contrast topstitching and a 1960s-inspired shift silhouette.
Brooks Brothers
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In fact the A-line dress is a staple look for the 1960’s . To demonstrate this slightly A-line skirt lends a mod-chic vibe to this pure wool twill dress, cast in a timeless tartan pattern.
Lisa Perry
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Since there are so many looks from the 1960’s , I am concentrating on those dresses that are the most popular recreations . Thus this a-line shape by Lisa Perry’s is a perfect example with these appliquéd multicolored flowers.
David Meister
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To demonstrate another look from the 1960’s , is this Jackie Kennedy style sheath dress. Moreover this floral-print dress with three-quarter trumpet sleeves show some great 1960’s details.
MANGO
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While considering the 1960’s vintage style this knit pant and matching top are certainly on point. Whether I like this look or not is a matter of personal taste, but it is a look to illustrate a 60’s look that is available today.
VINTAGE STYLE- 1970’S
Fashion in the 1970s went through an experimental phase after the
psychedelic-style clothing from the ‘60s carried over. Much of the hippie style
had been integrated into the mainstream American society by the early ‘70s.
However, by the mid ‘70s, with the end of the draft and the Vietnam War, the
media lost interest in the hippie counterculture. Instead, there was a revival of the
mod subculture, DISCO and then emergence of new youth cultures like skinhead and punk
styles gained popularity.
Diane Von Furstenberg
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The legendary Diane von Furstenberg spent the better part of the ’70s partying in Studio 54, often in jumpsuits just like this ‘Alexis’ style.
Melissa Odabash
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To illustrate fashion of the 1970’s you can’t ignore one of the major forces in style the peasant dress . Moreover this look has never really gone away and often is seen in collection of today.
Frame
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Frame Denim takes its inspiration from a French concept of dressed up casual encapsulated by the style icons of the 70s. Furthermore denim took off in the 1970’s and has never looked back.
Veronica Beard
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Veronica Beard’s Samara dress comes from the label’s Spring/Summer ’18 collection and has been inspired by Acapulco in the ’70s.
Halpern – Ruffled Sequined “Disco” Dress
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This halterneck dress has an impact all on its own, for all-out ’70s glamour.
Alice + Olivia
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Whenever you need a good look at the Street Style of the 1970’s, watch some old episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore show. In fact this chevron dress was all the rage in the mid .
Isa Arfen
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Here Isa Arfen created a punk-inspired aesthetic with this patchwork tartan mini-dress.Whether much of the original punk clothing was available as new is up for debate , as this was an anti-fashion movement. The legendary designer Vivienne Westwood had her origins in the punk movement.
VINTAGE STYLE-1980’S
When 1980s fashion is thought of, many different styles come to mind:
fashion in the ‘80s was a melting pot of personal styles; multiple trends were
combined in different ways to form one’s own look. Of all the decades in the past
century, ‘80s fashion is remembered with the most outrageous styles. Subtlety in
fashion was never practiced—everything was the bigger the better. Big hair,heavy makeup, pounds of metal jewelry and pearls, and mixed bright colors are trademark styles of ‘80s fashion.
While high fashion greatly declined in the ‘60s and ‘70s, designer trends
were back in the ‘80s. New York boutiques and Paris runway shows were flooded
with American women looking to get their hands on the most sought after
fashions straight from designer lines. Money dominated much of the style in the
‘80s, with mass producers replicating high-end clothing for the middle and lower
classes. Similarly to present time, fashion was centered on top designer clothes
and accessories, while everything else seemed to just be a duplicate of that.
Isabel Marant
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While looking at this dress I recall Dynasty an 80’s prime-time soap opera about oppulence , power and greed. All characteristics that summed up the decade. Here this 1980s-inspired dress has puffed sleeves, and a ruched front.
Alessandra Rich
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Whenever I see these huge shoulder pads the 1980’s come to mind. Alessandra Rich merges her signature 1980’s sensibility with modern accents and this red silk gown is the result.
Stella McCartney
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Again 1980’s glamour is on display with this retro-inspired blue cotton peplum blouse from Stella McCartney. In fact the peplum was huge in 8o’s fashion.
Area
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Inspired by the bold dressing of the ’80s nightclub era, this playful piece is made from purple lame .
VINTAGE STYLE – CONCLUSION
Darling’s I ended my trip through the fashion of the 20th century with the 1980’s , I refuse to see the 90’s as vintage . Furthermore I hope you all have learned something or saw something that was of value. Moreover my dear’s try and introduce some vintage style into your own personal style. What is so great about vintage style it is alive forever ! In conclusion shop my post early as many of these pieces will sell out and please send me a comment .
CIAO FOR NOW JANDREW
