Do's and dont's of vintage

shiny

Since many of us are cutting back on our clothing budgets and looking for other ways to economize, this is worth the 10 minutes to view -

http://www.glamour.com/fashion.....ge?slide=1

There are some really creative ideas here about how to take old thrift shop finds, or perhaps items still lingering in your closet, and make them look new and fashionable. I thought what they did with the shoulder-padded, 80s dress was quite creative in particular!

Enjoy!

17 years ago

General

11 replies

Latest reply was from bella

Maya

Veteran

I think the 80's dress was actually one of my least favorites. I appreciate the idea, but I think the advice to lop off 6 inches so it hits above the knee was a bad decision. That woman is very tall and the dress just looks too short on her. I don't find it flattering at all--she looks like she is trying too hard. The length was so much better before. I would've probably taken off only 2" or so. Just because something is shorter doesn't make it more modern.

I also didn't like the office appropriate version of the orange dress. The sweater actually made it look much more casual to me and the gray color is deadening. As for the denim dress, I didn't find it any more appealing after the buttons were switched out and the belt was added than before. Denim dresses will always seem dated to me, unless they're so dark that you can't really tell.

I liked the leopard coat, MO jacket with the frilly white dress, and loved the little cropped red jacket with the white shirt, necklace, and skinnies. I almost liked the one with the miniskirt, but I think the skirt is way too short and I am NOT a particularly conservative person. I also loved the orange dress WITHOUT the drab cardigan and belt. I think it looks gorgeous on its own and would have been perfectly fine for the office just as it is, with a cropped cardi or jacket over it. I would wear that in a heartbeat if the neckline was more flattering for me.

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Totally agree about the miniskirt, but of course Glamour is going after a younger crowd that can get away with it. I am also not that into denim dresses but again, for someone younger it had an appeal.

I really liked the orange dress with the gray cardigan. Not that I can wear that color orange, but I liked the spirit of the idea - a bright cheery color toned down with the neutrals.

Mainly, that was what I liked - not so much the outfits, but the creative spirit behind it. It's like those people who can look at a piece of trash and then transform it into treasure. I have never been able to think that creatively, unfortunately!

17 years ago

Maya

Veteran

For me it would be frustrating to get a heap of clothes that I can't work with. You never know how an idea will play out until you try it.

I'm young and I just don't care for those styles. I like miniskirts, but that one is super short and somehow looks disproportionate.

I don't mind a bright cheery color toned down by a neutral, but that neutral is not what I would have in mind. I know I won't be in the majority here, but I find that newspaper gray shade to be universally unflattering. I like a deep charcoal gray, or a light gray. I also just don't like the shape of it. It kind of ruins the structure of the dress for me. I'm also just not sure how it helps to make the dress more office appropriate. It makes it look very casual to me. I actually think it looks dressier in the first picture.

17 years ago

marianne

Active Member

It is an interesting slideshow, however for me it reaffirmed 2 points:

- vintage pieces seem to work only in combination with other very current and modern clothes, e.g. skinny jeans, and you can't have more than one vintage piece per outfit

- they tend to work better on young people anyway, and really, anything looks good on them

I agree that they show some interesting ideas, although I really didn't care for the disco dress.

17 years ago

Antje

Veteran

Thanks for sharing, Shiny, I enjoyed the creative looks (except the disco dress, which I don't like in either of the before/after pics) and find them inspiring. I love finding good vintage pieces and coming up with new ways of wearing them.

And, even at the risk of you all thinking I'm nuts, but I LOOOVE that cheetah coat. I want it NOW!

17 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I agree with you Antje! I love that coat and I don't even usually like animal print. I think it would look fabulous on you and totally work with your style. I found your last batch of pictures especially inspiring and was thinking of printing a few and bringing them with me to the YLF convention for reference

17 years ago

Antje

Veteran

Wow, Maya, I am SO flattered! That is really sweet of you to say. I'm so sad I can't be in NYC with you gals. You'll have a blast. Angie is soooo excited about meeting you in person!

17 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

Thanks for posting this, Shiny. It was pretty good. I actually just thrifted a black secretary blouse like the one they showed and was trying to decide how to wear it. I hadn't thought of a denim skirt and I like that idea.

My favourite outfit they made was the one with the ruffled dress and Members Only jacket. I also liked the skirt suit jacket with white top, chunky necklace, and skinnies (I didn't care for the suit skirt outfit). I thought the leopard coat was fab (I can so see it on Maya, Antje, Angie, or you Shiny). I thought the disco and denim dresses were awful both ways, alhtough the idea of turning the dress around and removing the shoulder pads was excellent.

I agree with Maya about the orange dress with the grey cardi. I liked the turquoise belt with it, but I'd prefer a fitted jacket or cropped cardi. I was under the impression that bare shoulders are never appropriate for the office, so I see how the grey cardi helps in that respect.

I definitely agree with Marianne that vintage pieces look best when worked into a modern outfit.

17 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

That’s a great article, Shiny. I think Marianne is SPOT ON. How astute.

I think you should look out for a vintage animal print coat Antje

17 years ago

marianne

Active Member

Hee Angie, it's very possible I've read something like that on your site and it got ingrained in my subconsciousness. Sorry if that's the case! I thought the pictures illustrated it well, and the point I was trying to make is that you still need to own a whole lot of modern pieces to pull something like this off, so the money saving aspect is deceiving.

I wore quite a few "vintage" pieces when I was in high school and college and altered them myself, and I just don't miss that

17 years ago

bella

(website)

Veteran

Thanks Shiny, this is a great article. I don't really buy vintage but I see a lot of people on street style websites (like wardrobe remix on flickr), who pile on second hand clothes. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against thrifting or second hand shopping but I don't think those outfits are necessarily attractive just because they are "vintage." I wish some of those people would read this. At least, I am glad to see that my aesthetic worries about this look were well-grounded.

17 years ago

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