This is a better time than most to take advantage of vintage clothing. The London and New York fashion weeks recently revealed the trends for this winter and next. There is a distinctive flavor from past eras. The most important look for the coming months is that of the Hitchcock heroine. Vintage pieces will provide wearers with this exact style.
Some of the easiest and most important items to seek out for the season are Chanel’s fifties handbags. Cream, camel and oatmeal leather with a slight gloss are fashionable. Find tinier sizes that are carried with handles. Design houses have begun to make these items available but less costly shops offer them at a far lower price.
The ideal way to begin building this kind of wardrobe is with a handbag range. It’s also the ideal way to locate the most fashionable bags at decreased prices. Chanel and Gucci can be found if one looks hard enough. The advent of online shops has made this even easier. Haute couture bags from other decades can be purchased for a lower price than that of a restaurant meal.
Wool and tweed pencil skirts are another part of the fifties trend. They end at the knee and taper downwards to follow the leg line. These kinds of garments often come with faded care tags that are impossible to read. It’s important to dry clean wool. Just one washing machine cycle will cause shrinkage.
The blouse to wear in the fifties style is fitted, feminine and delicate. It isn’t extremely detailed. On the contrary, this era was personified by the controlled, refined, collected woman. Blouses are oatmeal, cream or camel. The girlish, feminine A-line skirts that were popular for summer are now gone.
There is a slight touch of the Eighties to be seen in recent collections but it’s extremely subtle. Women need only a hint of it so careful shopping is in order. A simple belt, bag or pair of trousers is sufficient for an outfit. These should preferably have a futuristic style. Blue is the hottest shade here, as long as it’s not powder blue.
The fifties glamor look was not without surprises. There was a touch of Sixties chic added to it. Beehive chignons were worn with high heeled platforms. Keep a look out for neutral, well heeled platforms. They can be as wild as one wishes because the collections were as bold as they have been in previous months. However, platforms themselves are slightly lower than those of the summer months.
Vintage and thrift are not the same things. The former is privately owned and managed like a boutique. A specialist buyer will carefully select the inventory according to trends. The condition of garments will be carefully analyzed and restoration is usually done to give items a new look.
Thrift stores rely on donated garments. People aren’t as likely to leave their Guccis at such stores because their value is unlikely to be appreciated. It’s best to seek out those high fashion brands at a vintage clothing boutique.