More and more Ladies wearing Vintage?

[Lady Day]

Hello all,

Is it just me, or am I seeing more and more gals decking out in vintage wear?

Maybe its just San Francisco, but Im running into them more and more often. Today, for instance, I was walking my dog down the street and I passed this lady who looked like she stepped right from church in the 1950s; navy long coat, calf length skirt, basic pumps, gloves, hat, handbag, broach. To the nines I tell you, and she couldnt have been more than 25!

Is this catching on?
Is this a welcome backlash to all the gut showing, low rise undie peeking, too tight wearing 'fashions' that are in today?

If so, do ya'll think this means the return of some class, faux or other wise, and do you see clothing being made of quality again?

I know, a lot to cover, but these coincidences Ive been noticing are too much to be just that.

Your thoughts?

LD

 

[LizzieMaine]

I *hope* it's going to catch on. I see the occasional vintage-wearing gal around here, but as far as I've noticed I'm the only one who does it head-to-foot on a daily basis. Most of those I see are either emo-type kids or neo-hippies, and they tend to throw vintage pieces together without much regard to period or whether the outfit looks pulled together or not. The idea seems to be to throw as many random pieces from as many different periods as possible -- a classy 50's pencil skirt with dirty Chuck Taylors, a Kool-Aid-orange novelty T-shirt from the 70s and a WW2 Army overcoat on top of it all. Vintage, but alas, not too classy.

But we can hope. For a while my teenage niece was wearing forties suits to school, to the amazement of her "Abercrombie-zombie" classmates.

As far as quality clothes coming back, I tend to think that's a function of economics. As long as manufacturers can farm out the work to cheap overseas labor and keep profits high, they're going to do it -- knowing that Willie and Winnie Walmartshopper will buy the stuff regardless of how cheesy it is.

Of course, the solution to that is simple -- if we insist on quality clothes in vintage styles, we can make 'em ourselves!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

In L.A., the height of vintage-wearing for ladies (or girls at least) was the early to mid '80s.

Cindy Lauper and Madonna were big influences. Girls and women saw Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan, trying to sell "Jimi Hendrix's" jacket to a vintage clothing store. They said, "Gotta have it!" and started pouring money into Melrose Avenue's vintage coffers.

Today, I don't see anywhere near as many women wearing vintage as I did back then.

.

 

[Feraud]

Sadly I do not see it in NY.

 

[magneto]

...
they tend to throw vintage pieces together without much regard to period or whether the outfit looks pulled together or not. The idea seems to be to throw as many random pieces from as many different periods as possible -- a classy 50's pencil skirt with dirty Chuck Taylors, a Kool-Aid-orange novelty T-shirt from the 70s and a WW2 Army overcoat on top of it all.
...

Ah, you must have seen "The Sartorialist" also
Periodically (well, according to what I've been reading, since "la mode retro" of the early 1970s, before which "vintage" and "fashion" were mutually exclusive) it goes in and out of trend...more conservative times seem to be linked to revivals of earlier styles (the early 80s as Mr. Chevalier noted). But I also am seeing lots of vintage- or inspired pieces, but not too many whole outfits . It's a start!

 

[Rosie]

Sadly I do not see it in NY.

Neither do I. but as Magneto pointed out, there are a lot of vintage inspired pieces being sold. It's seems to be a chic '50s throw back. I've seen a lot of circle skirts (but not how I wear them) and pencil skirts, but not done with true '50s flair.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Nothing in this neck of the woods

outside of the Swing/Rockabilly scene. In Sydney, street 'fashion' is stuck firmly in 1968-1973, the same as the indie music scene here. Nine out of ten young ladies sport jeans with flared ankles (hideous enough the first time around) and hippie shirts.

Of course, it doesn't bode well for those who want to comment that us hepsters and vintage afficionados look 'old-fashioned.' The offenders quickly turn a bright shade of red when you point out that they're stuck just as firmly in 'the past' as we are, only our choice of era has more class!

It'd be great to see more women wearing classy vintage wear.

 

[Legal Concepts]

I find vintage women attractive, LOL today it's pants that hang down, I rather look at a girl and let my imagination go wild, hehe less show more dreaming.

 

[LolitaHaze]

I've noticed in a lot of the celebrity rags that also deal with fashion, the cut of women's fashions are very vintage inspired. Although they still don't raise the waist above the belly button. I like high waisted clothes.

 

[Feraud]

Neither do I. but as Magneto pointed out, there are a lot of vintage inspired pieces being sold. It's seems to be a chic '50s throw back. I've seen a lot of circle skirts (but not how I wear them) and pencil skirts, but not done with true '50s flair.

I agree there are designers making vintage inspired pieces. It is the "inspired" part that sometimes worries me. This reminds me of a piece I read in Sunday's NYTimes.

LATELY it seems that the intervals separating the eras and styles designers relentlessly recycle have shrunk to the point where nobody makes reference anymore to real time. Rather, the collective fashion mind whips up whole-cloth fantasies of, say, the 1980's based not on the period so much as on whatever delirious interpretation of it was retailed six months ago, or maybe six months before that.

The article goes on to comment on who is doing it right, who needs a reality check, and how the excessive cost of quality clothes are out of reach of regular folk.

 

[herringbonekid]

with the amount of vintage clothing for sale on ebay and at vintage fairs you'd expect to see at least one lady in vintage every day. alas even in a big city like London (where i work) this is not the case. who is buying all that stuff ?

 

[Lady Day]

I've noticed in a lot of the celebrity rags that also deal with fashion, the cut of women's fashions are very vintage inspired. Although they still don't raise the waist above the belly button. I like high waisted clothes.

SO DO I! :eusa_clap

People look at me strange when I have my skirt at my natural waist which is slightly above by belly button. Totally creates that hourglass look. So so cool!

Gee, you guys are bummin' me out. I thought MAYBE there was this grass roots thang going on and we spearheaded the revolution!

Viva la vintage perhaps?

Aw well, a girl can dream. Next time I spot that 50's throwback queen, ima ask her where she got her coat. Supercute!

LD

 

[Lady Day]

I agree there are designers making vintage inspired pieces. It is the "inspired" part that sometimes worries me. This reminds me of a piece I read in Sunday's NYTimes.

The article goes on to comment on who is doing it right, who needs a reality check, and how the excessive cost of quality clothes are out of reach of regular folk.

That NYC times article makes me feel so bad for men's fashion. More so than before.

LD

 

[matei]

Last Sunday I was sitting next to the ladies' fitting room in Karen Millen, and I heard the saleswoman ask a customer where she got her shirt and hair comb.

The customer said that they are vintage, that they belonged to her grandmother. The two gals then went into a conversation about finding vintage, how hard it is to find and how it is better made that what is available today.

Lots of the High Street shops here have vintage-inspired woman's collections. Sadly, the material is awful. (not that I tried it on - this is according to my wife)

 

[Absinthe_1900]

That NYC times article makes me feel so bad for men's fashion. More so than before. LD

Yikes!,........Not good.lol

 

[Matthew Dalton]

I caught an episode of teen super-soap "The OC" last year, wearing vintage was briefly praised by one female character. Often I've seen items somewhat fitting into Golden Era fashion listed as "EMO" on E-bay.

I'm not sure how much younger ladies are actually doing it, but many do seem to like the idea of wearing vintage. I think it has been adopted as one of the latest ways to conform to a "non-conformist" lifestyle.

I haven't however seen any real direction to these efforts, as previously mentioned the idea seems to be to mix any clothes older than you yourself are and that makes you vintage.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I don't know if anyone has seen "Superman Returns" yet (it's so-so, just a dressed-up love story) - in it Parker Posey has a great wardrobe, vintage wise. Everyone else is sort of vintage-y, but she is over the top, with parasols and furs.

I love Parker Posey.

 

[Paisley]

The book Women's Dress for Success, written in the 70s or early 80s, noted that women's clothes weren't as well made as men's. The idea is that women's fashion changes more rapidly than men's, so the clothes don't have to last as long.

I'm not handy with a sewing machine, and I'm not made of money, so I usually wait until there's a sale at Talbot's to buy clothes. Their clothes really last a long time for me, and to my untrained eye, some of them could almost pass for vintage.

 

[Lady Day]

Lots of the High Street shops here have vintage-inspired woman's collections. Sadly, the material is awful. (not that I tried it on - this is according to my wife)

I am a big material snob, and you (or rather your wife) is one hundred percent correct. Fabric used in todays womens clothing is beyond awful. BEYOND!

Alright, Im back. :rage:

LD

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The idea is that women's fashion changes more rapidly than men's, so the clothes don't have to last as long.

Women's shoes are a case in point. It's the philosophy behind PAYLESS shoe stores. (Their slogan: "You could pay more ... but why?")

.