Defining Vintage

When I tell people that I love antiques, no one asks me to define ‘antique’; yet when I say I love vintage, I am often asked “what exactly IS vintage?”

At a wedding in the vintage dress my grandmother wore
to my mother's wedding, with my daughter Lindsay.

This is actually a very good question with many good answers. Most of the answers are somewhat subjective as even vintage collectors and sellers don’t always agree on what vintage is. Most sellers of vintage say that anything at least 20 years old qualifies; sometimes (though less and less often) I hear 15. But to me, vintage is more than that. It’s about style and craftsmanship. It’s sometimes timeless and other times firmly anchored to one moment in fashion history. In my ‘vintage closet’ is the dress my grandmother wore to my mother’s wedding. It has a peach lace bodice and a skirt made of tiers of lace in deepening hues. I wore it to a few special weddings and events. In that same closet is the Gunne Sax dress that I wore to my high school graduation. One is timeless, the other immediately reminiscent of the 1970s when feminine dressing seemed to combine Victorian romanticism with hippie chic. (In case you’re wondering, I no longer wear either of these dresses but my daughters borrow them on occasion!)

Because vintage is a fashion term and I am a stickler for language, I believe that vintage should be fashionable. That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘in fashion,’ but rather a fashion statement—ideally about both the period that the item dates from and, when talking clothing, the wearer.

Think about fashion over the past 10 years. It’s pretty much anything goes. There are long maxi skirts and pencil skirts, bubble skirts and baby doll dresses. How can you make a fashion statement in any of these when everyone else is wearing the same? Vintage! Celebrities know this, that’s why they’re proudly touting vintage designers on the red carpet. Fashion publications often include vintage pieces in their pages; many tell you where to shop for items as well.

In my blog, I will talk about vintage style, vintage clothing and vintage shopping. I’ll also share with you items from both my etsy shop,    http://www.etsy.com/shop/storiedvintage2  and my personal vintage closet. I hope you will read along!