Womens vintage fashion

Do you dream in technicolour fashion extravaganzas? I do.Last night I dreamed I was tap dancing down a mirrored staircase, possibly starring in a Busby Berkeley extravaganza, wearing an orange terry towelling hot pants with a bib and oversized buttons, white tights and flat, silver round toe Mary Janes. My hair was in a perfect finger-wave and my lips, of course, were red. Sort of a 20s-meets-60s-meets-70s vibe in a Womens vintage fashion mash-up.I’ve been pondering all day about whether I should recreate the outfit and go dancing down the street in it.

Mash up Vintage Womens fashion

I think that this is what happens when you’re a fan of womens vintage fashion. You eat, drink and sleep it. Vintage clothing is your sustenance. And not just clothing: you have decorated your bedroom as a 70s bachelor pad, all deep white shag pile carpets and a big round bed, while your sitting room, by contrast, is mid-century modern, with spindly legged sofas in mustard and grey.

You scan the autumn-winter trends with a sigh: “Well, if it’s all 70s this season, why not go proper 70s?” Rummaging through your inevitably vast wardrobe, you pull out some Bri-Nylon flares that make your friend’s eyes pop. And add a matching chiffon blouse and some cowboy boots to go with them.

Fashion magpies

Although in Womens vintage fashion, some people are devotees of a certain era or restrain themselves just to shoes, I’ve always been a fashion magpie, dreamily donning 40s fitted jackets one day, and 70s tank tops the next.And magpie might be the best word for it; the fitted 40s jackets are a sober black wool but most of my finds relate to the shimmer-shine-sparkle spectrum: diamante brooches which I use as hair accents, 70s dresses, tops and trousers crackling with Lurex, any kind of shiny shoes.

The latest High Street revival of lurex polo necks has made my day, as I’m not above adding new copies of womens vintage fashion favourites to my wardrobe.

Womens fashion inspiration

Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Jonathan Saunders, and Anna Sui all did the 70s this season, while Roksanda, Chanel, Max Mara, and Marc Jacobs did a massively ladylike 40s look, one of my other favourites.

It’s always fun to see how the major labels pick and choose their inspirations, and you’ll notice how when designers “Do” a decade, they will always update it and change details: a more exaggerated collar is added, or perhaps it is smaller; a skinny belt is added. And of course they are always made in updated fabrics – wool today is softer and often has a little added stretch – when you look at an original tweed suit from a celebrated label like Aquascutum for example you might be surprised to find how rough and scratchy it seems.

Fabulous, original womens fashion

However, an original vintage designer creation, if it’s been cared for, will almost always be made of better quality fabric than its modern day high street copy, and you will usually pay the same price for the womens vintage fashion version, but find yourself with both a designer label and a piece of history.

The 70s look – AW15 Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Jonathan Saunders, Anna Sui
Oh Joy, Glitter!
AW15 Rodarte, Sonia Rykiel, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors
Ladylike AW 15 – Roksanda, Chanel, Max Mara, Marc Jacobs