Vintage Is Back – Why Designers Are Recreating The Best Vintage Looks

In the last few years, we’ve seen a huge rise in the popularity of vintage fashion, especially with the youth of today. They’re often seen scouring the op shops, markets and garage sales for one-off vintage finds. As a result, it’s becoming harder and more costly to find genuine vintage pieces so today’s designers are designing vintage inspired clothing for the modern fashionista.

 

So what makes a vintage garment so desirable? As well as the excellent quality, people love vintage fashion because they represent a certain era in our history. For example, 1950’s fashion was characterized by the ‘pin up’ look, and full dresses and skirts with cinched waists and polka dots. Fashion in the 1960’s was significantly influenced by the ‘hippie’ movement, so bright patterns and prints, paisley, flared jeans and tie-dye garments were very popular. It was a revolutionary time socially and politically, and fashion reflected that with the introduction of the bikini and the mini skirt.

 

Vintage fashion is so highly sought after, especially from designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, that it is becoming difficult (and expensive) to find genuine vintage fashion that pre-dates the 1950’s. As a result, vintage inspired clothing is now extremely popular, and many new fashion houses have been established that purely specialise in vintage inspired looks. Some of the styles that continue to make a resurgence include full, highwaisted skirts, one-piece bathing suits, flapper dresses and rockabilly styles.

 

Throughout history, the fashion world has always looked to previous eras and designers for their next collection; you’ll always see elements of the 20’s or 70’s in any fashion week show. Today, however, vintage looks are particularly popular, and perhaps this is in part due to the rejection of sweat shops that produce our clothes and the demand for high quality products. While today’s vintage inspired clothing may not be hand-stitched and made individually, many designers are choosing to take much more care with their designs and manufacturing when creating vintage inspired clothing. Many vintage pieces only ran in smaller sizes than people are wearing today, so some people choose to wear vintage inspired clothing rather than the real thing as they find it suits the shape of their body better.

 

Still, there are certain cuts, lines and silhouettes that remain timeless and flattering for almost all figures. Many fashion designers recognise this and continue to use the styles in their vintage inspired clothing designs today. Gucci, Prada, and Dolce & Gabanna are just some of the many high profile fashion houses that have drawn on eras like the 30’s or the 60’s for their collections, and fresh new designers are always popping up on the scene with their vintage inspired clothing.

 

Hugely popular brands like Free People and Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 are great examples of how the trend for vintage inspired clothing is penetrating modern and celebrity culture. The brand Everly is also very popular for the way it brings back floaty tops, flares, and mini dresses inspired by icons of the era like Edie Sedgewick.

 

Vintage clothing is also much-loved for its sustainability and environmental friendliness; buying second hand clothing is the ultimate in recycling. Because of this, many up and coming designers are incorporating ‘green’ elements into their designs, choosing to purchase their fabrics and other materials from second hand stores and markets as opposed to expensive fabric and haberdashery stores.

 

If you don’t have the time, or often the money, required to trawl through second hand and consignment stores, vintage inspired clothing is a great way to wear the looks you love from bygone eras, without the hassle of hunting down those vintage pieces yourself.

 

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