Tiffany Owens – Clips & Samples

Past Perfect: A Decade-By-Decade Guide to Wearing Vintage

Publication:  Wine@MSN.com | August 2005

Date Published: 11/5/2006

Photographs: No

Content

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By Tiffany Owens

There’s something compelling about a person in vintage clothing that goes far beyond the mere fashion statement. Instead, I believe that it denotes a sense of distinctiveness and daring – stylish, but above the fickle whims of fashion.

To be sure, most people (like myself) find their way to vintage apparel out of a growing aversion to modern “cookie-cutter” mall clothes, or perhaps what’s all the rage this season just doesn’t flatter your body type so well. For those looking to give their wardrobe a boost of versatility and individuality, vintage apparel is the ultimate remedy.

Another notable reason to shop vintage is simply for the clothes’ superior quality and value, usually constructed in styles or fabrics no longer available, but still highly wearable or collectible. The average vintage item from 50 years ago is amazingly well-made compared to its modern equivalent. Beautiful, first-class styling and workmanship – especially for suits and evening wear – is quickly becoming a lost art. A custom-tailored suit can now run thousands of dollars, but a fine vintage suit can be had for a small fraction of the cost.

Vintage goes mainstream

Even a mere twenty years ago, vintage was still commonly viewed as the low-budget, funky uniform of the starving artist. But since around 1985, the popularity of vintage has grown exponentially as individual taste and comfort have become more important to the consumer than the latest fashion fad or trend.

Hollywood is no exception. Celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts and Renee Zellweger regularly wear vintage evening dresses on the red carpet and more and more contemporary designers are looking to decades past for inspiration. The savviest designers know that everything good in fashion always comes around again anyway; in fact, the most flattering styles from each period never really go away at all.

Shopping for vintage

I recommend starting out at a vintage clothes shop. Not only will the clothes be labeled accordingly, but you can try on a myriad of fashions across several decades to determine the best fit for your body. Once you’ve trained your eye to recognize your era of choice, then you’re ready to brave secondhand shops, flea markets, antique malls, thrift stores, estate sales or the vast number of online retailers to unearth your own vintage gems.

So what should you be looking for? I consulted some of the Web’s best vintage retailers – Don and Michelle Myers (rustyzipper.com), April Ainsworth (vintagevixen.com) and Carol Baker (dandelionvintage.com) – to give us a decade-by-decade scoop on what’s hot (and what’s not) in vintage apparel.

1950s

For him: rayon Hawaiian shirts; gabardine zip and leisure jackets; unusual mid-century print sport shirts; denim, jackets and workwear (‘50s or earlier) by Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler; and dress hats, especially high-quality felts and Panama or porkpie-style.

For her: cocktail and sun dresses; “wiggle” and bombshell halter dresses; full and flared skirts in crisp silks and taffetas; haute-quality business wear; peasant blouses and sequined Mexican fiesta skirts for the “Lolita” look; cashmere and beaded sweaters; svelte millinery or vintage gloves; classic, tailored peplum jackets by Lilli Ann and Irene; narrow pencil skirts; and structured leather handbags, especially reptile or alligator.

Avoid: poodle skirts, neck scarves, saddle shoes.

Hot ‘50s labels: Dior, Worth, Chanel, Lilli Ann, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Givenchy.

1960s

For him: leather bomber and motorcycle jackets (think Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones); Nehru, mohair or Rat Pack sharkskin suits; tailored, embroidered cowboy shirts, especially N. Turk, Nudie and Manuel; vintage western boots and hats.

For her: chic chemise, shift or sheat