Friday 30 January 2009

The Vintage Clothing Epidemic!

Vintage clothing, by it's very definition, is by no means new. But the concept of vintage fashion is fast gathering momentum and settling nicely into it's guilded place on the high street and internet. So what is it that we love so much about vintage clothes? What are the reasons behind the worldwide vintage epidemic?

1) Celebrity Culture

Whether we like to admit it or not, we are living in a world where celebrities are king, with more influence and status than most royals! Be it actors, singers, models or TV personalities, our screens and the magazines we read are filled with our icon's latest look. In the past few years our favourite celebrities have been turning to vintage clothes more and more and boy oh boy have we been following suit... Whether it's vintage dresses, vintage knitwear, vintage jackets, vintage shoes, vintage skirts, vintage tops or vintage accessories, if we see it in the glossies then we will do our best to find something similar. It's also made vintage clothing more accessible, more mainstream and more acceptable than it ever has been before.

2) Individuality

You know the feeling. You've spent weeks preparing for the party of the year. Carefully and lovingly choosing what to wear, how to style your hair, what make up and scent to wear... The night finally arrives and feeling a million dollars you arrive – only to find your worst nightmare. Another girl is wearing exactly the same dress as you! It's a horrible feeling and one we all dread, but a perfectly realistic side effect of 'fast fashion' on the high street. So how can you assure you will be the only girl in THAT outfit – vintage clothing of course! When you buy a piece of vintage clothing you are buying an item that has one very important factor – individuality. Sure you can buy pieces that follow key trends but it's highly unlikely that any other girl will have the same vintage item as you. Your vintage clothing can come from any corner of the globe and from any era of time so it's bound to be super special.

3) Global Awareness

From the way we power our homes to the way in which our rubbish is collected, we have all become much more environmentally aware in recent years. We've managed to adapt to splitting our rubbish into different boxes and invested in energy saving light bulbs. We've even stopped leaving our TV's on standby when we go to bed! But being greener doesn't end there... vintage clothing is a fantastic way to recycle. Image how much quality vintage clothing is out there, thousands and thousands of pieces just waiting for new homes. You can even sell your own collection on – whether it's your too-short sixties minis or your dodgy eighties batwings, vintage clothing companies love to hear from you. We can all do our bit to help each other and the planet!

4) Money Matters

You know the old saying – look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves! If you're financially savvy then you are probably buying vintage already. To buy good quality fashion on the high street can cost enough, but designer labels can really break the bank. Buying vintage clothing is an excellent way to get the look you want at the fraction of the normal price. Not only that, but you actually making an investment. Like a fine wine or piece of antique furniture, as your vintage clothing grows older it increases in value.

So there we have it – save money, look super stylish AND individual, keep the planet happy and follow as many trends as your heart desires – it may sound too good to be true but vintage clothes really can offer the perfect fashion and lifestyle solution. So the only question is – if you're not buying vintage clothing already – why not?!

My Vintage are a leading online vintage & retro clothing retailer. Visit www.myvintage.co.uk for a wide range of vintage & retro clothing for men & women.

Copyright 2009, My Vintage. May be reprinted in its entirety with full credit given to
My Vintage and a link to www.myvintage.co.uk.