The Vintage Advantage

“It’s a feminine look with a lot more grace and style than a hoodie sweatshirt and Ugg boots," said Erin Ogg to the New York Times.  Is she talking about this season's newest styles?  No, in fact she is talking about the trends from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.  The "new vintage".

Too many times, good clothing made today is hard to find.  Clothing from those days doesn't have the same, to put it politely, "evening" look.  It wasn't too short or too tight.  The dresses were additionally made from good material and sewn by expert tailors, not poor workers in a sweatshop somewhere half way across the world.  Additionally, the articles of clothing were simple.  The designers did not go out of their way to make sure that the outfit would stand out, making it much more flattering and not tawdry.

The likes of Celine, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Dior and many others declared the classic looks of the '50s and '60s to be "in" last year.  But to quote Coco Chanel, "Fashion passes, style remains."  Even though, one might not open Vogue or Marie Claire and find a vintage outfit, the style is still being worn.

I say style because because vintage clothing from this time period is becoming exceedingly rare.  And even the times when it is found, how could is the condition of an outfit from five decades ago?  It is not the actual vintage clothing people are wearing, they are wearing replicas and designs based on this time period.

Many designers focus solely on this Mad Men-esque style such as Milly, Kate Spade and other boutique workers.  Online stores such as Etsy, Stop Staring!, and EnokiWorld sell clothing with some maodern updates while still being true to former era. 

In the same way a young child never ceases to love her grandmother's clothing from "the olden days", the fashion world will never get over their love for the vintage-style.