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Vintage chic never goes out of fashion
Feature
Charity-shop chic and vintage dressing has never been more acceptable. Even the Hollywood A-listers treat the red carpet to pre-loved frocks every now and again.
The paparazzi have snapped celebrities including Julia Roberts in vintage Valentino or Dior at prestigious awards ceremonies, often with thousands of pounds worth of diamond jewellery to set off the effect.
Vintage fashion has even hit the high street. In London’s Oxford Street, Selfridges has two departments devoted to vintage clothes, Top Shop sells sixties and seventies originals and John Lewis stocks vintage costume jewellery.
All ladies have a favourite fashion era, be it the beaded flapper frocks of the 1920s which suit the petite and lithe among us, to the classic elegance of the 1940s with its straight skirts and nipped-in waists; the 1950s with its hugely billowing skirts; retro geometric designs and teeny mini skirts of the Swinging Sixties or the crazy 1970s with its psychedelic overkill.
Vintage clothes can be surprisingly cheap. Charity shops are a good place to start looking. Most towns have shops devoted to vintage fashion, while many antique centres include a small clothing section.
You can also go hunting at specialist vintage fashion fairs and auctions, which is where you will find your classic pieces.
Prices depend on age, beauty, condition and maker. Big antiques markets are a good place to shop. One of the most famous is Portobello Market in London, where you might well run into designers, models and journalists from Vogue and other fashion magazines, all seeking a bit of vintage inspiration.
Whether it’s a fifties Dior dress or a 1970s Vivienne Westwood T-shirt, period pieces by famous designers are very sought after as are beautiful, hand made clothes – particularly evening wear – from before World War II.
An original 1960s Pucci silk shirt printed with a brilliant psychedelic pattern might cost you £400; a finely beaded 1920s’ flapper dress could set you back £700 to 800, along with £400 to 500 for a fur-collared, satin lined opera coat from the same period. Handbags are very popular in the current market, especially novelty designs from the 1950s, such as Lucite – hard plastic – box bags, which often sell for £100 to 300, depending on the design.
Clothes are often not labelled for size and over the decades, thanks to improved nutrition, women have grown bigger and taller. With vintage clothes, as with modern fashion, comfortable fit is all-important, so do try them on.
Antique clothing is often beautifully made, but all second-hand garments have, by definition, been worn before. You should always check particular stress points: under the arms, zips, fastenings and look out for tears, moth holes etc. Some damage is easily repairable but, if the material is too worn, it will eventually disintegrate.
The marvellous thing about vintage dressing is that by being a second-hand Rose you are never going to arrive at a party or important event wearing the same dress as someone else. And most of us have experienced the embarrassment of that at some time or another. The stars certainly know how it feels and get their photographs in the magazines to show their displeasure.
Having a century of styles to choose from is a liberating experience. Rather than slavishly following the latest look, you can wear whatever you like and, paradoxically, if you dress from the past, you are not going to go out of fashion.
An antique dress or even just a vintage handbag, can be a great icebreaker at a party. The best thing about collecting vintage fashion is the pleasure of wearing it and pleasure is what collecting and fashion should be all about.
Tips to remember
When buying vintage fashion items:
- Search markets, jumble sales and charity shops for bargain finds.
- Internet auctions are also a good source of vintage clothes and accessories.
- Visit related museums and read fashion books to give you inspiration and designers to look out for.
- Price depends on age, beauty, condition and maker.
- Consider the condition, size and age of the dress, if you’re going to wear it.
- Choose a period suitable to your style and body shape.
Picture caption: Vintage clothes and accessories are no longer a thing of the past.
MyVillage 03rd April
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