Vintage Clothing

The idea of 'Vintage Shops' fascinates me. On the one hand I love them, the whole experience feels like you could come across something that isn't just an item of clothing but a real treasure; something that will feel like a comfortable friend as soon as you put it on and look stunning. Then again I see a lot of crap stock, things that clearly aren't either old or special. Things that just fill the space; floor fillers. They look old, maybe because they're dirty, but take a closer look and you'll see its brand new, maybe made to look old or maybe just second hand. In the book Shopping for Vintage, Funmi Odulate states that ' vintage fashion is clothing that is at least 25 years old', which if you look in a lot of stores claiming they sell 'vintage' clothing, simply isn't the case. I see a lot of clothing from the 90's coming in and first of all I think was this item really that nice in the first place and secondly I look at the price tag and think that I have seen something very similar in a charity shop for 70% less.

Having said that I do think that the fashion for vintage clothing is brilliant. Its recycling, which is ethically sound and it causes people to be more creative with their dress. Fashion is so diverse and I think this is a lot to do with people buying vintage clothing. It lends itself so well to creativity because there's no one way to wear it. You can make it look modern by mixing it with skinny jeans or you can look like your straight out of a period drama. You can make it grungy, geeky, elegant, sophisticated just by choosing your pieces carefully and mixing it appropriately.

Also, vintage has helped abolish bad stereotypes around charity shops. I remember when I was young in the 90's sportswear brands were the hight of fashion and I was so ashamed that my mum used to take me into charity shops. In primary school one of my most vivid memories is of being in the school hall for assembly and the head mistress saying that she heard track suits were going out of fashion. She made a joke with a teacher saying maybe in a few years time old fashioned school uniform will be what everyone is wearing. At this point my friend turned round to me and said 'even if that is in fashion I will never wear it, I love Nike'.

The head mistress wasn't far wrong though! Alexa Chung is often inspired by vintage school wear and I cant go to Brick lane without seeing old fashioned school shoes worn with little socks and bear legs. People now appreciate the worn, old fashioned look and one of the cheapest ways to get it is from charity shops. Unfortunately living in London you dont really see many amazing charity shops but I went to Tenteton in Kent and the charity shops there had a really good selection of clothes. Some of the things I found would definitely have been sold in vintage shops. The fashion for Vintage must have helped charity shop's trade improve.

In my opinion Vintage has helped charity shops (which can only be a good thing), improved fashion and allowed people to be more expressive with clothing and it is recycling the old, so it is green. Some vintage shops are mildly taking the piss with prices and the things they try to pass off but what else do you expect from clothing?? Most high street shops make a horrifically massive profit in comparison! So, in conclusion, hurrah for Vintage and all the joy it can bring!