"Reconstructing" Vintage

amandainvermont

amandainvermont

VFG Member
\"Reconstructing\" Vintage

I’m not a purist about the possibility of shortening a 70’s maxi (haven’t done it yet - but oh the temptation...).

I was looking at vintage fashion blogs (so many good ones by VFG members) and I came across Glamour Magazine’s blog praising the book - “Born Again Vintage”. Basically it talks about refiguring vintage to fit your style and here is one of the examples.

Oh dear oh dear. That dress WAS kind of nice.

0304vintage-plaid-dress-before_fa-1.jpg


0304vintage-plaid-dress-after_fa-1.jpg
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Thats what a whole bunch of teens been doing for a while but better. They did a tranformation that a bit mainstream. The premakeover dress looks new. Wonder what the ensemble looks like with the girl not posing.

-Chris
 
Looked at the Glamour Blog seems like they are a step behind what they have been doing on the street already.

-Chris
 
Hacking off the top of that perfectly wearable, adorable dress is far, far, far worse than shortening a maxi dress to make it wearable, IMHO. Lots of vintie lovers would have paid good money for the dress in "as was" condition....

I'm not an inflexible purist when it comes to making a vintage piece of appparel suitable for everyday wear, but this makeover is a sin!
 
The thing that I find disconcerting is the competition it creates for us to find good, wearable vintage when its becoming so trendy for these young "designers" to hunt for it too, to then tear it apart.

I have a gorgeous white cotton 40s sundress with bolero that has cute ric rac and handpainted roses on it, done by the original owner when it was made. Had a girl in a week ago go crazy over it and exclaim "imagine what the girls next door (my neighboring hack artists) could do with this fabric!!!"

Its in great shape and priced above buying to use as supply textile, but it made me ill that she couldn't see or respect the original design for what it was. Thats what pains me about this in general. The disrespect I'm seeing from self-proclaimed "designers" who refuse to acknowledge and respect the work of designers before them.

Its a tough area. I can see all the sides. But it still worries me that we're losing great pieces for people to make something not nearly as timeless or made nearly as well that will not age well and end up garbage in the short run, you know?

Ang
 
Its funny to actually create the look would be finantially impractical. Probally the cost of the so called vintage dress you could have bought a simular dress in a retail store....

-Chris
 
I am pretty much a vintage purist and agree with Anne that hacking off the top of the dress was Destruction with a big "D". I worked on a fund-raiser a few years ago called Act II. We collected and sold "gently used clothing and accessories". Some were old enough to be called vintage but most were only 10 years to a season or two old. One of the committee members was a younger gal who collects and wears vintage. She told us that many younger collectors "Frankenstein" the pieces - which I guess translates to reconstruct. I tend to wear my vintage as "straight" as possible including the correct accessories and jewelry (vintage of course), but I do see the fun in combining the old and the quirky - it just isn't me.

I would never alter any vintage pieces except for fit and would only shorten something if it conformed to the period or if I was tripping on the hem. I didn't touch the hem of the gown I'm wearing in my avatar photo because I didn't want to touch it. I do have one slightly too small late '70's wrap dress that I shortened in the '90's. Now, I wish I'd left it. (I also wish it fit...)

Linn
 
Deconstructing is not the correct term for this but reconstruction----

Deconstruction is a unstructured design.

Recontruction is taking prexisting designed items and changing them from their original form.

I am currently reconstructing a 1930's dress which had been shortened way too short. When Iam done it will retain the 30's look to it but there will be a slight modern edge to it when I am done.

-Chris
 
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