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Thank you!
I think wearing vintage has to be one of the best things I ever could have done for myself. It helped me find the confidence I already had, and it gave me a new and exciting hobby. Looking back on my early days of sourcing vintage, it was so much fun, but I wish I had known a few things first that would have helped me not only find items but save money as well.
When it comes to wearing vintage for the first time, it can be really daunting especially if your goal is to have a totally vintage wardrobe head to toe, from the undergarments to the outer layers. If you are just getting into it or are already into it but are looking for additional guidance, here is what I recommend: start with a written plan. Seriously, write down on paper why you want to wear vintage, what your personal preferences are style wise, your budget, what looks are you aiming for, and pieces do you need or want. Write it down on paper! Make a mood board filled with inspiration. This is something I wish I had done because it would have led to a more organized wardrobe right away with put together looks. It also would have saved me a lot of money too.
Start with a Plan
Why do you want to wear vintage? To attend a party or reenactment? To explore a new look? To embrace slow fashion over fast fashion? Why?? For me, I chose to wear vintage because I simply really liked the look of the 1940s and figured why not wear it all the time? So that's what I did, chose to wear it all the time.
What do you like? What would you consider your style to be? Are you all for authentic vintage? Rockabilly? For me, I prefer a more authentic look and strive for it. What decade do you like? What decade suits your body type the best? I bring this up because if you take a look at the history of fashion, the 20th century had many different silhouettes for each decade. The 20s and 30s was lean and slender, favoring a flat chest. The 40s was more angular, the 50s favoring a more hourglass shape. We all have a different body shape and I have found that each decade seems to favor one body shape over another. If you happen to like a 1920s silhouette but have more of an hourglass shape, you can do what the original cast did, use shape wear to get the silhouette you need.
In the same vein, what do you prefer, a more conservative look or sexy? Vintage clothes can cater to both preferences. Bottom line, start with a plan that includes your preferences and goals, it will help a lot when you start shopping.
Make a mood board! When you are making your plan, make a mood board with your favorite film stars, dream dresses, favorite colors, etc. Put your dreams on paper and watch them take shape.
Start with a Good Foundation
Start with a good foundation . . . What I mean is invest in good underwear. One thing that makes vintage different from modern clothes is that vintage clothes really need to have a good foundation to sit on the body like they were intended. I love the 1940s and early 1950s so I'm going to use that as my example here. . . These clothes were meant to be worn over firm girdles, garter belts, and bullet bras. These pieces of underwear shape the body and do change the way clothes sit on you. If you want an authentic shape and want the clothes to look right, then invest in some good foundation wear appropriate for the decade of your preference. You will see a difference.
Wear a slip!! Of for all that is holy, please wear a slip! If you think vintage dresses are not see through, I can tell you that many are! Even ones that do not look like it! Not only does a slip keep your undies from being seen but a slip can help your clothes glide over the body better. Slips can really make a huge improvement in making a dress look like it belongs on you.
Build a Capsule Wardrobe
When you start shopping, look for a few good key pieces that can be dressed up or down. Look for pieces that can be worn together with ease. Choose a simple dress that can be worn with a suit blazer or a sweater equally well. Choose a good skirt suit, a blazer and skirt that matches or else is coordinated, A good skirt suit can be worn together as intended or break apart the pieces and wear the skirt with another blazer or the blazer with a dress or another skirt. Separates are your friend!
Choose a basic color palate. Find a neutral that you enjoy and then a vibrant color to pair with it. I personally prefer black but navy or brown or even beige can work too. Add variety and interest with texture. Pair a straw hat with a wool suit. Pair a smooth rayon dress with a wool blazer. Be creative and most important have fun with it.
Need ideas for a capsule wardrobe?? Then check out how I built a mini capsule wardrobe using black as my foundation and then adding fuchsia as my pop of color here. Do you love texture and something unusual? Then build a capsule wardrobe using a slightly broader color palate and lots of texture, you can see how I did it right here.
The beauty of a capsule wardrobe is that it is a WARDROBE! Although they take a lot of planning and shopping for the just right pieces, once they are made, they offer outfits that require minimal effort to wear. Why? Because you already did the hard part, the planning and the shopping.
Dress for the Seasons
Depending on where you live, you may need a coat! I know I need one where I live. A winter coat will be a big investment if you are lucky to find one. Looking online may be your best bet but check out local second hand and thrift shops, you never know what you may find. Look for modern coats with vintage styling and lines. My first vintage style coats were from Macy's. They served me so well until I was able to find true vintage options. Before shopping, do lots of research, know what to look for before you go looking. Magazines, movies, catalogs all offer great resources to learn about your favorite decade and make you are more informed shopper.
For more on dressing for the seasons, check out these posts:
Be Confident!
(and a bit of a warning too)
Wearing vintage is fun, exciting and is the best thing that I ever could have done for myself. However, there were some rough spots in the road. When I started to wear vintage, it was not always well received. I was made fun of, a lot, I received some really rude comments and gestures. Wearing vintage, authentic vintage, is not mainstream. You will stand out. You will be different. You are wearing who you are on your sleeve. You are not hiding from the world. You are not blending in. I will tell you that some people are really, really offended by that. And they made it known. I was called ugly to my face more than once so much so that I called my first blog "The Ugly Dame"**. I decided to embrace it.
If you choose to wear vintage, you need to ask yourself how much do you want to embrace your own style? Do the opinions of others mean more to you than your own personal preferences? Do you value blending in with the rest of the crowd or are you o.k. being a true one of a kind? Not everyone can handle sticking out and NOT blending in. Ask yourself these questions and it can save a lot of heart ache in the future.
I guess what I am getting at is if you choose to wear vintage, wear it with CONFIDENCE! You are choosing to be you in a world that likes conformity. That takes courage! Seriously! Wear your favorite hat or coat or dress with confidence and you will look much better for it. Confidence in the face of adversity is your best accessory.
** Long story short the old blog has been taken down because it was just time to move on to a new and exciting chapter. Hence this new blog.
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