Hi Everyone! I'm brand new to the vintage scene so I have much to learn... I wanted to know everyone's story and how they ended up here. Anyone is welcome to answer and I look forward to all of the stories and answers. A. What got you into vintage clothing? B. How long have you been interested in vintage clothing? C. Are you a designer or a lover/wearer of vintage clothing? Thanks in advance, have a great day!
Hi La'nae: what a great question! I love hearing people's stories. I was born into vintage: my mum loved old things, and we lived in old houses with old furniture, cars, the lot. I have a good sense of fabric and colour, and grew up with a love of fashion and it made sense to focus on history because that's what my life was about. Aged five I wanted to be a costume designer and that's what I studied when I got old enough, but really it's the history of dress that I love. I've collected and restored since I was fifteen but up until recently I wore it almost every day too, even when I was doing mainstream jobs. I've had my vintage shop for eleven years and also write about fashion now. Nowadays I mix my vintage with modern but I can't imagine my life will ever be without vintage as it's where my heart is.
Hi! Thank you so much for the response and sharing your story. Wow, that's a very cool life! Not many people figure out what they want - let alone go for it. Super props to you. I'm feeling inspired. Pardon me for all the questions: I'm a curious one. Where did you find vintage clothing, and how did you learn how to restore them?
Hi, La'nae. I wrote all about my lifelong love of vintage here: http://betterdressesvintage.com/blogs/from-my-closet/3491272-ive-always-been-like-this Nowadays I do as Nicole does, mixing vintage with modern on a daily basis. I wear vintage for most "dressy" events, but with modern accessories and styling. Or I'll wear modern clothes with vintage accessories. Never all at once, unless I'm working as an extra in a period movie and am supposed to look as if I'm from a certain era. As for where we get our vintage, I can tell you that the bulk of my stock comes directly from individuals. I've written about some of my buying trips in my blog, as well. Here's are three examples: http://betterdressesvintage.com/blo...for-the-clothes-do-you-want-to-see-my-donkeys http://betterdressesvintage.com/blogs/from-my-closet/6216344-queen-of-the-60s-shift-dress http://betterdressesvintage.com/blogs/from-my-closet/13041469-the-lady-with-400-long-sleeved-blouses Thanks for visiting the VFG site. Welcome to the Forum.
I've always admired Vintage clothing. But my collecting really only started semi-recently. I always thought I couldn't afford it or that it wouldn't fit me. But I've been presently surprised. My whole life I've loved old things. I don't know if it's because I always spent time with my Grandparents who's home is chucked full of old things or if it's because I spent a lot of time with my Great Gran (she was a seamstress herself) who lived through the Great Depression, I've just always appreciated old things that have survived beautifully through the years. Only just have I began wearing Vintage clothing items. I don't wear all Vintage but I think that would be kind of hard. I mix old peices with new. I have no particular era that I only wear from. I'll wear a 1940s sweater and then a fabulous military style 1970s coat the next day. I used to be afraid to wear what I wanted due to fear of being made fun of. But not anymore, I've decided not to care what other people think. Wear what you love and what you look good in!
Good work Emily-Jewel: I feel for people who let fear of others' opinions stop them from enjoying their life or exploring their creativity. Some people never figure this out, and they miss out on a lot of fun and satisfaction.
Thank you for the replies and the welcome everyone. All of your stories were a great read! Thank you for the link to your blog post Liza, I'm just getting started with vintage because I am mainly an artist (I draw fashion dolls). but I definitely related to your story Liza. I adore getting dressed up and I hate just 'throwing' on clothes even if it's just a quick trip to the store.
I was the youngest of 6 children that are all at least 10 years older than me. My hand me downs were dated to say the least. My sisters were dancers so in addition to dated hand me downs they were all garish. I learned to like shiny, sequins and bright colors. I can remember in about first grade all I wanted was white fur trimmed boots and I never wore pants only dresses. Pretty much frilly party dresses with accessories. My mom never said anything about what I wore to school so I really did wear whatever I wanted. Dancer accessories and party dresses. I never cared that I was different than the other kids I just wore what I liked. I was born liking vintage clothing even before I knew it was vintage but have been selling vintage for 12 years. I wear and collect vintage.
I got into vintage in my late teens, when I finally grew into some of the vintage deadstock my mom held on for me. She used to be a salesgirl at a department store before she became a housewife, so she used to save her pennies + employee discount for her purchases. Unfortunately, she was tiny pre-pregnancy, so I only had a very limited amount of time to take advantage of her hand-me-downs before I outgrew them myself, so once I did, I started selling the items that I couldn't fit anymore (with her permission, of course). So it's been nearly 20 years; and the vintage items my mother passed down to me predate my older brother and I. Once I started wearing vintage that of course piqued my interest about fashion history, so I started researching styles and designers that I liked. When I started that, I became a collector, but not of specific designers but more of styles that work organically into my existing wardrobe. I also like looking at current designer collections and researching those inspirations, and then seeking out the originals for my collection if they happen to be my style. I love the research aspect of the hunt; it's educational and I love history, and the act of doing it has helped me figure out my personal style.
Hello I am new to this forum and I am writing from Australia...I only started collecting vintage maybe two to three years ago. Suddenly the craze hit Australia! with so many op shops opening up....many of them are just over priced! as it is with a lot of things here in Australia, we pay top dollar :( Anyway, then I began to find many stall and sellers from fairs and markets selling vintage. I don't have a huge collection but I collect only clothing and designer bags. I am currently on the hunt for fur coats, stoles ...and leather goods. Not too much into the furniture or collectible items. My sisters are big into the crockery and furniture. ...and furs as well. I wear vintage clothing mixed in with modern clothing. the stuff that catch my eye is usually expensive, which is not good for my wallet!
