What's in a name?

[MrBern]

Well for that matter, the Flea Markets arent really that anymore. Theyre more Antiques Fairs now....
Which just means the old junk is pricier.

Legally, isnt there a time frame for which an object might be called 'antique' as opposed to vintage or 'used' ?

 

[Fletch]

I think it's 100 years (1907) for furniture and 75 (1932) for cars. Otherwise...?????

ANTIQUE. OK, I can agree with that.

ANTIQUE? Somehow this just seems so wrong...

 

[Benny Holiday]

Vintage, Retro, Classic, Reproduction….

Vintage = actual old item of clothing. Sewn and assembled in the past.

Reproduction = item of clothing made following a vintage pattern, using either new or even vintage fabric.

Retro or Classic= items made to somehow emulate the style of the past, without strictly adhering to a pattern from that period.

There is nothing wrong with wearing any of these…I just like calling something by its accurate name.

Those are the definitions as I see them, too, Miss Neecerie. It'd be easier for all of us if everyone in the general clothing marketplace had a better understanding of what the terms meant, too!

 

[John in Covina]

Yes! Words have meaning!

For all of those that have searched for Fedoras on Ebay and found numerous listings for a crummy new hat using the term "New Vintage" it is infuriating. It comes off as the hat worlds oxymoron. It maybe be new in a recreation of a vintage style. Or is is New Old Stock Vintage, a piece that was squirreled away in un-used condition? No, it is a new crummy hat that someone has used the word vintage to scue your search.:eusa_doh:

It is one thing to be inaccurate, it is another to be misleading.

 

[pigeon toe]

Antique is 75 yrs old and vintage is 50, no? I try to stick with the correct words for things whenever possible. I absolutely hate the word retro! To me it just conjures up images of polyester bell-bottoms from the 70's. And those horrible 70's fro wigs.

 

[MrBern]

Oh and the difference bewtween an Antique car & a ClassicCar.

Wikipedia shoudl have soem definitions, but this article was handy


http://www.newsobserver.com/686/story/521952.html
snippet:
How old is old?

Antique: The legal standard is if an object is more than 100 years old. But is it more complicated than that. Purists feel that an antique is not just old but also handmade. Thus, for furniture, it will probably have been made before the Industrial Revolution (before 1830 is usually a safe bet). However, the standard varies for different categories. North Carolina art pottery may be antique at only 70 years old.

Reproduction: A predominantly machine-made piece that mimics the look or style of genuine antiques. Some reproductions are very historically accurate and more expensive than the originals. Reproductions are even auctioned at Christie's.

Vintage: A piece that is old, but not as old as the legal definition of "antique."

Fake: Reproduction isn't a dirty word, but fake is. A fake is intentionally made to fool the buyer. It may be distressed, stained or chipped to look older than it is.

http://www.newsobserver.com/686/story/521952.html

 

[Lauren]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Yay.

I understand that vintage is 20 years or older and antique is 100 years or older in clothing, but I may be mistaken. Guess it doesn't matter. Old is old lol

 

[The Wingnut]

'Retro' to me sounds like an insult. It conjures up images of cheap imitations instead of the real thing or a faithful reproduction. 'Retro' tries too hard.

Case in point:

There's nothing wrong with 'classic' - it has withstood the test of time and is now a standard...so long as it's done right. There's a thin line between 'retro' and 'classic', though.

Vintage...there's nothing like the real thing. This phrase is becoming a little frayed 'round the edges, though. While 1982 may have been 25 years ago, I personally don't consider items from that era vintage....nor could much of anything I remember from that time really be considered 'classic'. Look around though, and many 'vintage' dealers are selling '80s items. Maybe 'collectable' is a better word.

Ahhh, that's better.

 

[Naama]

In german, we don't really have so many words... I don't think that there is an equivalent word to vintage!


Naama

 

[Elaina]

See, Lauren, here is the problem. I was taught that clothing went by eras: vintage is from the late Edwardian to 1970 and Antique is everything early Edwardian, back.

I think part of the problem is nobody is agreeing on the same terms, either here or in the fashion industry.

According to the definiton supplied here, I wear reproduction, although I never call it that. I use patterns from the 30-50's, fabric from the same time, often even thread and notions (yeah, I know, you're not supposed to. But show me modern thread that can withstand boiling) and even the same machine they used back then. For that matter, I don't even call it vintage.

So what happens if you have someone like me, or Lauren, that is so period correct that it's nearly impossible to tell if it's made a week ago, or 100 years ago? Does that term then change, or do we throw in "Historically accurate"?

I'm one of those, in conversation, I say vintage when discussing a garment I made. It's meant as a descriptive word, for using "retro" brings to mind the 60's, and ugliness. Classic is what I describe outfits that are classicly tailored, for it's the lines, drape and fit, not the garment itself that's "classic", and reproduction generally screams inferior quality, construction or design. At least in my opinion. So..I kind of fall into the I should quit discussing my clothing category until I can create a new word.