Why I Wear Vintage

When I saw Charlotte of Tuppence Ha’penny’s post on “Why I Wear Vintage” I knew I had to do the same thing.  She said that she was “Inspired by a recent post on Already Pretty in which three guest contributors answered a few questions about their chosen wardrobe aesthetic, I decided to pose myself the same questions.”

And I thought “Hey, what a great idea!”  So I went back to the original post {which features Casey from Elegant Musings} and pulled out the questions so I could try to answer them myself.  Plus, now I have a perfect excuse to go back and find pictures of some of my favourite vintage outfits to show you.  > U <

What made you decide to dedicate your wardrobe to a single, defined aesthetic?

I guess I’ve been searching for the ‘right’ style for me for a long time.  I never really liked to dress like everyone else ~ I sort of followed the fashion pack but always insisted on putting my own twist into it.  As I got older I realised how vitally important it is for me to express my personality through the way I dress.  I am a very visual person and I love that my clothing finally reflects how I feel inside ~ artsy, feminine, and very individual!  ; )

How long have you stuck to it?

I really only discovered the vintage aesthetic half way through 2010, so I’ve probably been dressing in a 1940s – 1950s style for about a year or so.  However, the more I do it, the more I love it.  This is something I can see lasting my whole life. 

What do you love about it?

I think the biggest thing that I love about vintage wear is how feminine it feels.  I tend to think that nowadays designers are focused on creating clothes that look good on minus zero models, a sort of androgynous look that it neither designed for a feminine or masculine figure, but rather for a unrealistic, impossible figure that only exists in the world of high fashion.   

Whereas I feel that even though vintage wear still had is ‘impossible’ figures in the high fashion ~ models with generous curves and tiny waists, the clothing itself was still designed with real women in mind.  You may not be able to look completely like a fashion model, but the clothes still look good on your “normal” figure. 

Because of that, I think vintage feels like it was made for me, not just the impossible woman, and who doesn’t love clothes that feel perfectly suited to you?  Oh yeah, plus vintage wear is so cute with all the little details that you just don’t find in mass produced fashions. Each piece of vintage is different, and no one has the same dress {unless it’s a repo}, so of course that appeals to my very independent streak.  

What’s frustrating?

Availability.  Don’t get me wrong, I love that there is a huge appreciation for the vintage look at the moment; vintage being on trend is a big bonus in fleshing out my wardrobe with some cheaper ready to wear items.  It’s helpful in that respect, but not so great when you are paying between $50-$100.00 for simple cotton day dresses.  And of course, the really nice stuff is going for $180 + these days! 

The high demand means that you have to really treasure the vintage pieces you own{which I already do} and treat them really carefully.  This can get quite wearisome when you have young children and need to be able to get dirty, clean the house, be rumpled, pulled on, snot nose wiped on, and etc. That is the hardest obstacle I face when dressing in my vintage clothes.  Sometimes I just can’t do the things I would like to in it, so sometimes I can’t dress the way I want to. 

What would you say to someone considering a similar sartorial path?

Dress the way you want to, wear what makes you feel pretty.  I know there can be some hesitation and concern about others judging you on your clothes, or maybe feeling like you’ll draw too much attention to yourself, but really ~ if it makes you happy go for it!  The last thing you are going to do when your life is nearing it’s end is wish that you had stayed at home and hid yourself away.  Life is for enjoying, so enjoy it and good luck.  ^ ω ^ ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~  Outfit photos from Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, and Here.  : )