If you are looking to express your personal fashion style with an eco-conscious edge, then vintage clothing is the perfect way to “update” your wardrobe. Well-crafted vintage garments have a nostalgic allure and unique charm that not only engage with culture on various levels but also offer a fresh way to stand out on the contemporary catwalk. It is all about mixing and matching classic styles from different eras to tell an individualised fashion story. 

To authentically earn the label “vintage,” an item of clothing needs to be between 20 and 100 years old with distinctive style features that clearly represent the era in which it was produced – be that haute couture or mainline fashion labels. This is very fluid as every decade will redefine vintage garments.

Vintage era fashion finds

Fashion has always defined culture and social context. Each historical decade shone a light on certain fashion styles that were unique to that era but also offered a moment of expression that has lingered over time and captured society’s curiosity. 

Find a vintage gem by browsing and shopping for vintage clothes online.  

Great Gatsby – If the daring romance and avant garde lifestyle of the 1920’s and 1930’s holds an appeal, then collectable vintage clothing finds would be heeled Mary Janes, flapper dressers and long beads. 

Utilitarian Feminism – The post-war 1940s were not exempt from a distinct fashion statement that offered strong classic silhouettes and flattering styles that are still desirable today. Highlights are snake or crocodile skin shoes and purses, tweed jackets, platform shoes, brooches and the much-loved wicker handbag.

Danny and Sandy – You cannot talk about 1950’s fashion without giving a nod to the pop culture movie, Grease, and the music and clothing it gave us. Find your inner Sandy with full skirts, twin sweater sets, strings of pearls, kitten heels, capri pants and Wayfarer sunglasses. Modern Fashions designers still take inspiration from this era. 

Woodstock – Although the 1960’s passed in a haze of “making love and not war,”  vintage clothing statements from that era continue to capture our imagination – bell bottom jeans, flowing bohemian tops, anything with a polka dot and all things “Jackie Kennedy.” (A box jacket and pillbox hat need to find their way into your wardrobe).

Gilmore Girls – An iconic 1970’s vintage find even found its way into an episode of the Gilmore girls when Logan presented Rory with a Birkin bag. Other vintage clothing gems from this decade would include flared jeans, thigh high boots, block heels, khaki “military surplus” clothing and the maxi dress. 

Don’t skip the 80’s – Although there is not much to commend the 80’s when it comes to hair and interior design, vintage fashion from this decade is hot; the unisex golf shirt, blazers with shoulder pads and stilettos. And of course there was Lady Di and her much loved fashion narrative. 

So much more than grunge – Yes, the 1990’s will go down in the fashion history books as the decade of grunge, but it was also a trendsetting time for designers. Baggy flannel shirts, ripped jeans, leggings and chokers are going nowhere. It is so easy to create an edgy but contemporary aesthetic with 1990’s vintage clothing finds. 

Vintage era fashion consciousness

No matter what your vintage inspiration, or which fashion decade speaks your love language, the motivation for shopping for vintage clothes is also about mindful consumerism. When you prioritise vintage and pre-loved pieces over mass-produced fashion, you are making a bold fashion statement beyond the look. 

Vintage clothes already exist, so no new resources or energy are used to create the garments. In the realm of fashion, shopping for vintage clothing is the ultimate form of upcycling and reusing. When you invest in a vintage item, you’re giving it a longer life and allowing it to tell a new story. It is fashion that keeps on giving and sustainable high street fashion with a conscience. 

The fun part about vintage clothes shopping is that it is unlikely that anyone else will have your look. Vintage fashion allows you to be uniquely you and to curate your own personalised collection. And don’t be surprised when strangers ask, “Where did you get that?”

 “Upstyling” your seasonal wardrobe with vintage clothes and accessories becomes a fashion re-retelling – allowing an item of clothing from a bygone era to evolve its narrative in an individualised and unique way. 

Vintage era fashion online

Bidorbuy is where you can shop your way and where your vintage shopping journey starts. Our online rails are an eclectic mix of vintage pieces giving you the opportunity to create a bespoke vintage wardrobe. 
If you are ready to express your fashion individuality then start by shopping your vintage clothing collection at bidorbuy where you will have access to a variety of merchants and unique vintage finds.