Vintage is back in fashion. But the question is, what would vintage mean? Must something belong to the eighteenth century to be called vintage? Well. When it comes to cars, they have to go back 50 years to be called vintage. A fashion guide would insist that anything over 15 years can be termed vintage. The truth? It lies, just like everything else, in the eye of the beholder. Or maybe, something that would be a collectible, a brand name, or designer clothing from another era. It could also be an unusual fashion that marked a certain decade, clothing that is interesting, may be of a designer who is no more. Some designers also create certain lines from another time and call it their vintage collection.
One characteristic of vintage clothing that makes it worthwhile would always be quality. Just because something is old, does not make it desirable. One needs to know if it is wearable, or even if parts of it could be salvaged to make or use in another piece of clothing.
The 1960’s and 1970’s are considered retro. Definitely not true vintage but very popular with the young. Even polyester had made a comeback, thanks to the 70”s. Recreating vintage would mean recreating the fabric of that period as well.
Talking of retro would also mean everything that was popular during that period not just the clothes. That 70’s Show has brought back a whole lifestyle of that decade and made it extremely appealing to the highly pressured youth. Hairstyles that remind us of a different generation that were only till recently seen on Television are all around us now. The hippie look also seems to be gaining popularity.
The great shoes of the 80s were electro stilettos. The shoes of the 70s were mules and wedges while the 60s saw modette shoes with pop art on them. The baby doll shoes of the 40s and the painfully high heels on satin pumps in the 50s too are worth mentioning while talking about vintage shoes. In the seventies, stacked heels were very popular. The normal height of the heels was normally seven to eight inches. These heels were decorated with rhinestones, jewels, and other embellishments.
Bags were as radical as the clothes. Pop art was seen on them. The prints were wild and the bags were big. Not only women, but men too were showcasing their creativity through their bags. The messenger style sling bags were very popular among the kids. The peace sign as printed on practically all bags along with other ‘Save the Earth’ signs since this was the time when the world was worried about global issues.
Caps and hats were not normally worn but a straw hat on the other hand was a fad. These depicted the rural look of the countryside. It is tough to say what really is vintage. Styles come and go very easily. What was popular in the 60s has actually made a return. Going retro might actually mean showing off your individual creativity since there are ages of years before us from which we can gain inspiration.
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