The V Word

Ok, so what exactly is this vintage malarkey?

The v word seems to resist definition while encompassing a wide range of meanings. Talking specifically about fashion (after all it is our raison d’être) what were ‘vintage’ clothes called before the word vintage was lassoed and tamed to indicate clothes of a certain style? And when the trend loses its current popular fascination will the word vintage still apply; has it found a home? Let’s a take a saunter through some definitions and see if we can’t clear up a conundrum fit for the Krypton Factor.

Old Tat

For some, labelling something as vintage means sellers have a license to sell ‘old tat’. This philosophical ideology believes clothes from certain eras have little value because they are not modern, not hip and with it and because someone else (if not several) has worn them. For these people all non-contemporary clothes are lumped together as simply old and should all be consigned to the scrap-heap of history. It is believed ‘old’ clothes have a whiff of mild desperation and an air of dirty second-hand, scavenging-scruffiness.

Clothes Consigned to the Pit of the Past

Historical Interest

Vintage lovers see the world through a different kaleidoscope. Old is not worthless but has value precisely because of its age. The very fact that only a fraction of 50’s prom dresses have survived the bulldozers of time gives value and reverence.

For those of us interested in vintage, it is generally accepted that whatever vintage is, it is found in clothes over 20 years old but no more than 100 years old (over 100 years old and we’re into antique territory). So already there is a parameter being carved out of the raw materials to give the term a shape.

Perhaps we’re just a bunch of hopeless romantics but knowing a hand-knitted 40’s cardigan or a 70’s maxi dress came from a particular era is intriguing. Who made it? Who wore it? How was their life alien from ours and in what ways was it warmly familiar? What was it made for? Why was a design or look popular? What was the cultural and economic context? What’s the story? The evocation of a time and a direct physical link to that time is compelling. 

Pages of History

Different Strokes 

Perhaps vintage means being a rebel and going against the flow. Vintage appears to mean, and represent, a desire for the different and unique. This allows a vintage fan to give free reign to their creativity. Yes, some of us feel such a pull to a particular era or look that it is a lifestyle, but for most of us we love to dip in through the range of years and mix it up like a delicious speakeasy cocktail. This means our look is truly a one-off and original.

Mix it Up

The quality of vintage design, materials, prints and patterns, attention to detail, style and production are all deemed to be a cut above the equivalent found on the high street and adds a sense of discernment.

Personal style has always been used to express who we are (or aspire to be) and vintage style creates identity as it is loaded with historical significance.  Wearing 40’s may symbolise an affinity with that period and can align the adorner with a certain ethos, such as the 40’s make do and mend resourcefulness.

On Trend

The v word for some is just a temporary trend dreamt up by the marketing department. It’s an already over-worked and tired empty phrase that is meaningless beyond an insignificant yet annoying buzz. For others it’s a feeling of being part of a movement and an important telescopic look to the best of the past for inspiration.

I Am Not A Number

Ethically, vintage buyers find satisfaction in recycling clothes and from the thought that the focus on pre-loved means some clothes are saved from land-fill.

Friends and customers of Frock&Roll often comment on the difference in the actual experience of shopping for vintage rather than the high street norm. People talk about the relaxed atmosphere. Shopping for vintage fulfils more than the functional. There’s the simple thrill of seeking out a bargain. People reminisce shaking their head, people laugh, people ooh and aah and even squeal in vintage shops.  Vintage shops are not filled with rows of the same bland, mass-produced items.

A Modern Selection

The joy of finding that one-off piece, that quickens the pulse and only happens to be in your size, is fate isn’t it? Surely! It’s magic. Vintage shopping is dressing up for all – irrespective of age and gender we all have that Mr Benn gene. There also seems to be camaraderie between buyers and sellers not found in a chain. There is an implicit understanding that people care about the clothes and take a deeper pleasure in dealing with them. Sellers feel happy that their pieces are going to a good home.

Hhhmmm, aahhh, oh dear - well we seem to have only managed to make more of a Mr Tickle style tangle out of the vintage question. It seems the meaning of the v word still remains elusive - it has a certain je ne sais quoi. Heck, perhaps it is this indefinable quality that makes it unique to each person, adaptable and is the nub of its appeal to us vintage-istas.

Let us know your thoughts ... how do you define vintage and why is it special to you.

Love Frock&Roll