Hello lovely,
I spent a long time loving vintage fashion before I actually had the confidence to properly wear it.
I adored the clothes of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. I would happily look at old photographs, watch old films and gaze at fashion illustrations for hours. Wearing those clothes myself, somewhere other than a vintage event, felt rather different.
Would people stare? Would I look as though I was wearing fancy dress? Did everything need to be original vintage? And what if my hair wasn’t right?
Eventually I realised I was making something I loved unnecessarily complicated.
You don’t need to wake up one morning and emerge from the house perfectly dressed as though it’s 1954. You can start with a cardigan, lipstick, a pair of trousers. Maybe even a particularly fabulous handbag. And you definitely don’t need anyone’s permission.
If you’re wondering how to dress vintage without feeling like you’re wearing a costume, these are the things I’ve learned along the way.
Forget about doing vintage the “right” way
One of the first things you’ll encounter in vintage fashion is the question of authenticity. Are your clothes genuine vintage? Reproduction? Modern clothes that happen to have a vintage shape?
Personally, I think this matters far less than people sometimes make it seem.
There is enormous pleasure (for me anyway) in researching a particular period and recreating an outfit accurately. I love that side of vintage fashion. If historical accuracy is your thing, dive right in.
But everyday dressing is different.
My own preference is to mix things. Genuine vintage where I find something I love, vintage inspired pieces where they make sense, and perfectly ordinary modern clothes where they happen towork.
A modern pair of trousers does not somehow cancel out your 1940s blouse.
You’re getting dressed, not sitting a fashion history exam.
Dress for your personality first
It’s very easy to become so focused on “looking vintage” that you forget whether you actually like the outfit.
Start out with the way you actually enjoy dressing.
Perhaps you’re quite tailored and understated. Maybe you’re romantic and love florals. Perhaps you’re happiest in trousers, loafers and shirts, or you love colour, jewellery and anything that attracts attention.
There will almost certainly be something in vintage fashion that feels like you.
And remember that people within any decade didn’t all dress alike either.
Rather than searching for just polished fashion photography, look at pics of ordinary people too. Street scenes, family photographs and candid pictures are wonderful for seeing clothes as they were actually worn.
You’ll notice combinations that feel very familiar.
Cardigans with skirts. Shirts tucked into trousers. Sensible shoes. Coats worn over and over. Favourite handbags appearing again and again.
Real wardrobes.
That’s where I find some of my best inspiration.
Don’t wear every detail all at once
This might be slightly controversial…
You don’t need the victory rolls, red lipstick, seamed stockings, gloves, brooch, handbag, hat and matching shoes every time you leave the house.
Unless you want to, obviously. In which case, go for it babe.
But if you’re worried about feeling costumey, try removing something rather than adding something.
Let one or two details do the work.
A simple outfit with a beautiful vintage handbag can look wonderful. So can a modern knit with high waisted trousers and vintage jewellery. A very ordinary dress feels more special with waved hair and scarlet lipstick.
I love a head to toe vintage look as much as the next girl, but for the majority of the time I prefer an outfit where your eye has one thing to settle on. Sometimes holding back on your outfit helps you to be the chicest in the room.
Decide what the star of your outfit is
When I’m getting dressed, I often think about what I actually want people to notice.
Perhaps it’s the print on the dress.
Maybe it’s an enormous brooch. A fabulous coat. A beautiful hat. Or even just a really good red lipstick.
Once you’ve decided, let everything else support it.
If I’m wearing a colourful printed dress, I probably don’t need to wear lots of accessories to compete with it. If I’m wearing a fairly simple outfit, then that’s when an unusual handbag or piece of jewellery gets its moment to shine.
Of course, if you’re a maximalist you might disagree with me here.
And that’s okay, there’s room in vintage fashion for all of us.
Make vintage work with your actual life
This is one of my biggest vintage style rules.
Dress for the life you have.
I know it’s tempting, but not all of us are spending our mornings drinking coffee at a Parisian cafe before taking a leisurely stroll to the dressmaker. At least, not yet any way. Sadly.
If you commute to work, have a think about coats, shoes and layers.
If you spend all day on your feet, perhaps the four inch vintage heels aren’t going to become your everyday shoe.
And pay attention to the things that annoy you.
I rarely enjoy wearing anything strapless because I spend the entire day fiddling with it and pulling it up.
It doesn’t matter how lovely something looks in the mirror. If I’m tugging, adjusting and checking it every five minutes, I’m not going to enjoy wearing it.
Vintage clothes should be enjoyable to wear and fit into your life. You don’t want to turn getting dressed into some weird sort of endurance event, do you?
Find a vintage hairstyle you can actually do
Vintage hairstyling can become a rabbit hole very quickly.
Finger waves. Pin curls. Victory rolls. Roller sets. Backcombing. Setting patterns. It can get overwhelming, very quickly.
Suddenly, what started as a desire for slightly nicer hair has become a technical qualification.
But, guess what. You don’t have to master everything.
Find one or two styles that work with your hair and get comfortable doing them.
Perhaps that’s a soft brushed out curl. A simple roll at the front. A ponytail with a scarf. A neat bun. Or even your natural hair with a vintage clip.
And don’t compare your Tuesday morning hair with a carefully styled photograph of a Hollywood actress.
Look at photographs of ordinary women from the period and you’ll soon see plenty of flyaways, imperfect curls and hairstyles that have clearly survived an actual, real life day.
I find that much more inspirational – and reassuring.
Your makeup doesn’t have to shout “vintage”
I love classic vintage makeup. Give me a beautiful lipstick and a little eyeliner and I’m very happy.
But you don’t need a perfect cat eye and bright red lipstick every day to make an outfit feel vintage.
Sometimes I prefer one recognisable element.
A soft red or rose lipstick with fairly simple eyes. A little liner with a more natural lip. Powder and blush with barely anything else.
And if red lipstick isn’t your thing, don’t wear it.
I promise you, there is no secret vintage committee waiting to confiscate your handbag. Even if some people within the “vintage community” would like you to think that.
The same goes for modern makeup products. I am happy to admire historical beauty routines while taking full advantage of products that are easier and more comfortable to wear today.
You can be inspired by the past while using items made today. That’s kind of the point.
Fit matters more than the label
Ignore the number written inside the label.
Especially with vintage. What matters more is how it sits on your body.
If the fabric is straining, seams are pulling and you’re struggling to move comfortably, the garment probably isn’t fitting as it should.
Likewise, something being oversized doesn’t automatically make it flattering simply because you can technically fit into it.
This is where tailoring can completely change an outfit.
A slightly large jacket could become wonderful once the waist and sleeves are adjusted. A skirt may only need the hem taking up.
And if you sew, vintage patterns open up another entire world. You can find real vintage patterns online or at second-hand shops so you can create your entire wardrobe in your favourite colours, prints and fabrics.
Personally, I would rather wear something from the “wrong” decade that fits beautifully than something historically accurate that looks and feels uncomfortable.
For me, fit wins every time.
Wear what you love about yourself
I would actually change the old advice to “hide your flaws”.
I’m not terribly fond of dressing as though our bodies are a collection of problems waiting to be disguised.
Instead, start with what you enjoy.
Do you love your waist? Try fitted jackets, tucked blouses or dresses with waist definition.
Love your legs? Perhaps cigarette trousers or a skirt to show those pins off.
If your neckline or shoulders are your favourite, experiment with boat necks, sweetheart necklines, off the shoulder looks and interesting collars.
Maybe your favourite feature isn’t even part of your body.
Perhaps you love your hair, so wear that fabulous hat.
Maybe red lipstick draws attention to your luscious lips.
Maybe you wear glasses and decide to get a fabulous pair to make them part of your look instead of apologising for them.
Clothing becomes way more fun once the question changes from “What should I hide today?” to “What would I like to celebrate today?”
Stop saving everything for best
This is probably one of the biggest changes I’ve made in the way I think about clothes.
I used to feel very aware of being “dressed up”.
Sometimes people would ask why I was so dressed up, which immediately made me feel self-conscious and wondering if I looked silly. Thanks, anxiety.
Eventually, I started answering.
Because I wanted to.
That’s really enough for anyone.
One of the things I love about vintage clothing is that it’s encouraged me to enjoy my wardrobe rather than constantly saving it for some mysterious future occasion.
So, wear the dress to lunch. Wear the brooch to work. Take the nice handbag shopping.
Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend wearing a super fragile museum worthy 1930s gown to Tesco, but most clothes deserve a life outside the wardrobe.
And yes, sometimes people might notice what you’re wearing.
They might love it. They might think it’s unusual. They might not think about it for more than three seconds.
You really can’t control that part.
What you can control is whether you’re wearing something that makes you happy.
The best vintage style feels like you
If there’s one thing I hope you take from this, it’s that dressing vintage shouldn’t make you feel as though you are playing as somebody else.
Quite the opposite.
Take the bits you love and ignore the bits you don’t.
Learn about the history, because that makes vintage fashion infinitely more interesting, but don’t let your knowledge become a collection of rules that stops you wearing anything.
Some days you may want the dress, curls, lipstick and fabulous handbag.
Other days, you might just want to wear the jeans and vintage blouse.
Both count.
And the more you wear what you truly love, the less remarkable it begins to feel. Eventually you stop thinking “I’m dressed vintage today”.
You’re simply dressed like yourself.