adminTrish Carmen Fashion
Throughout history fashion has served as a mark of class and wealth. In the past determining a person’s standing at a glance was easy. Garments people wore reflected their social standing, it was an easy way to tell who was worth speaking to. Some dressing trends have lasted for a long time and never seem to go out of fashion. Today, I want to discuss one such trend — vintage wear, which is ever so classic.
Vintage wear is clothing inspired by the 1920s, which were definitely the good old days of prosperity and fun for the average Joe and Jane. The obsession for vintage wear clothing amongst young people is huge at the moment especially when newer is better in most industries, but in the case of fashion it’s the other way round.
The obsession for vintage wear clothing amongst young people is huge at the moment especially when newer is better in most industries, but in the case of fashion it’s the other way round. Although vintage wear is not everyone’s cup of tea, it has sufficient following to merit a style guide.
But first let us take a quick backward trip to the history of the vintage outfit. A lot of silhouettes on the runways today are vintage-inspired for example the round skirts, the cup sleeved tops, and the shift dress. All these designs were created in the 1920s by designers such as Coco Chanel and were popularised by the famous actress Audrey Hepburn.
Vintage wear demands creativity and can be an excellent way to express your individuality. Vintage wear is glamorous and chic and is for that individual who is not afraid to show off their unique side. Achieving a chic vintage fashion style consists of adding the right amount of old, contemporary basics and trends.Vintage has its special charm but too much of it can break your look.
My number one rule when wearing vintage is to know your body shape, what looks good on one person may not necessarily look good on another. It’s so important especially with vintage that you wear what you know looks good on you.
For women with small waists, be sure to choose pieces that highlight this. The same advice goes to men with broad chests; wearing a shirt that highlights this too will give you the right vintage look appeal. Get to know your body and your best assets and it will make styling vintage clothing a whole lot easier.
Buying or wearing vintage for the first time can be daunting. Where do I start? What do I buy? My second rule when wearing vintage is to start with one vintage piece at a time. Start by building your vintage collection with perhaps a vintage denim shirt, a pretty floral dress, a printed silk shirt, a vintage blazer, pants or a cool vintage T-shirt.
These basics will help you familiarise yourself with wearing vintage and help build a really great wardrobe that can easily be styled with other pieces. So if you are new at the vintage game wear one piece at a time. If you want to wear vintage but are worried about looking like you stepped out of your grandmother’s closet, my third rule of thumb is mix vintage with your latest contemporary pieces.
For guys if you have a nice 60s vintage jacket pair it up with your trendy chinos, or a pair of denims. Women if you have found a beautiful 70s maxi dress, update it with a denim jacket and sandals. The key is to mix it up with basics pieces like shorts, T-shirts or denims. Don’t go overboard in the one outfit if you are not used to wearing vintage. If wearing an insanely printed 80s jacket or a fully sequinned dress is too much to handle then stick to the basics.
Another good rule when wearing vintage clothing is to make sure it styles with great accessories, and this can mean using new or vintage accessories. I cannot begin to describe how much a simple belt can update a look, so try adding a bit of character to your ensemble. Many simple tweaks can be done to keep your whole look interesting and new.
Finally after all is said and done the one thing remains, and that is to stay true to your style.
We all have our own sense of style and unique taste, which should reflect in your choice of vintage clothing as well. Keep in mind shapes, cuts and colours and stay true to what you are most comfortable in and what look best suits you.
Remember to style your vintage with confidence, be proud that you have chosen to wear something unique and different as opposed to what everyone is wearing, I guarantee you’ll get the most compliments and comments!
Trish Carmen is a Zimbabwean Fashion designer and hostess of The Front Page on Star FM. Her fashion Brand Trish Carmen has been showcased at SAFW, Durban Fashion Fair, Durban Designer show case, HIFA, Harare Jazz festival & KZN Fashion Council Fashion Showcase. Feedback: [email protected]
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