In a font size usually reserved for the death of terrorists like Osama bin Laden or what one might assume will be used to declare a cure for cancer, yesterday’s LA Times Image section proclaimed Vintage as the niche trend that has gone mainstream.
The first clue? That large retailers are appropriating the trend for their own commercial advantage.
Lucky Jeans and J. Crew were singled out as just two of the retailers who are capitalizing on the rising popularity of vintage clothes. But good luck finding any actual vintage clothes in either of their stores!
With Urban Outfitters mixing a few authentic vintage pieces among their new stock, and thrift stores like Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange being called vintage when they’re really resale shops, the move of vintage onto Main Street has just blurred the definition of vintage more than ever.
Now I’m all for choosing secondhand, consigned, used, vintage, or antique clothes whenever possible. It’s the responsible green choice and it will often leave you with more dollar bills in your pocketbook (or a larger credit limit remaining on your Visa or Mastercard).
But I must say I particularly liked this proposition put forth by Jennifer Oldham in her LA Times article Old, New or Both?:
With the “vintage” label becoming more ubiquitous, designers, clothing dealers and retailers may find they need a new term to describe clothing that truly is several decades old and made with fabrics, handwork, and other processes that are now too expensive to replicate.
Please join me in a collective “Amen!”
Yes, yes, YES, we need a new term for authentic vintage but what shall this new term be? Any ideas ladies? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, or on Facebook or Twitter.
Because responding to a compliment on your dress and saying “It’s vintage” when it’s actually vintage-inspired or five years old just doesn’t measure up to responding “It’s vintage” when you’re wearing an authentic treasure like today’s VPOD.
This honest-to-goodness vintage 1970s dress by Ossie Clark for Radley is oh-so-lovely and features the outstanding fabric and craftsmanship that drew us early-adopting Vintage Crusaders to the wide and wonderful world of vintage to begin with.
It hails from Lily Allen and Sarah Owen’s website which also offers lovely vintage-inspired dresses for when you want a vintage look but just can’t find the right piece in your size to fit the occasion. But these vintage-inspired pieces are clearly offered in a separate section of the website just to make sure there’s no confusion with the authentic vintage goods, like today’s little Ossie.
Make no mistake. This baby is a real-deal find for a vintage fashionista!
Available at Lucy in Disguise.
(To receive the VPOD via email along with detailed size, price and purchase information, sign up for my growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)
