When Old Vintage Becomes New Vintage
The vintage look is here to stay: why pop stars wear vintage-inspired designer, and what Vivienne Westwood, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent took from the past.
Fans of vintage clothing will be pleased to hear that the vintage look is here to stay. This is a style that doesn’t want to go away. It means they can keep recycling their clothing and playing around with different looks and eras.
Creating different vintage looks is a little like playing with a dress-up box as an adult. Do 80s shoulder pads suit you? How about a 50s circle skirt or a 30s gown? Piecing together a vintage outfit is a very creative process. Do you stick to original designs, or reproductions? And do you keep the look purely vintage, or bring it up to date with modern-day accessories?
Vintage goods like Laura Ashley, Kookai and 1990s clothing seem to be highly popular amongst Generation Z.
Everything tough glamour has also made a huge comeback.
Pop stars
Pop stars such as Rihanna and Katy Perry pull off the retro look perfectly. But don’t think that what they wear is 100% vintage. Unlike us, they haven’t been scouring charity shops for one-off bargains. Oh no. Their outfits are vintage-inspired and designer all the way. Just take a look at Adele right now.
Everything is cleavage and glamour.
There is a wealth of vintage-inspired clothing on the catwalks, and you only have to look at the high street to see the trickle-down effect. But when it comes to true vintage-inspired clothing, look to the classic designers for the best inspiration.
Vivienne Westwood was heavily inspired by vintage fashion, something you can clearly see in her designs. She is known for structured clothing with strong shapes, as well as full skirts and soft drapery. Her creations always seem to offer a nod to the elegant Victorian and Edwardian eras. Even her edgy punk pieces show this vintage-inspired tailoring. Jumping ahead to a different era, her Anglomania collection featured ready-to-wear pieces inspired by the 50s.
A 50s-inspired polka dot dress by Vivienne Westwood would look amazing worn with a pair of black patent heels and a structured updo.
Chanel
When you picture designer vintage clothing, the name Coco Chanel is more than likely to spring to mind. She is renowned for elegant 20s designs that favoured a loose shape over tight corsetry. Her structured business suits in masculine colours and her quilted handbags are sought-after items to this day.
The Spring/Summer 2012 collection featured feminine shapes inspired by the 40s and 50s: demure knee-length designs topped with structured jackets, and combined with modern metallics to bring the look up to date.
Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent is known for strong masculine shapes and daring haute couture. In the 70s the designer paid homage to the 40s with a collection that shocked the fashion world for its lack of decorum and its overtly seductive style. Nowadays the collections are a little more subdued.
