If you are like me and love to wear unique clothing and accessories, if you enjoy standing apart from the crowd with your own individualized style and enjoy find one-of-kind clothing that no one else will be wearing, then you might very well be on your way to becoming a passionate collector of vintage. Buying antique clothing is one way of owning a piece of history and learning how vintage fashion is defined in the process.
The beauty of finding that rare treasured dress or skirt or blouse could be extravagant as it being adorned with beads, sequins or embroidery. Or, it may be unadorned but made with a special fabric that you would not find on contemporary styles of today.
When you buy vintage, you are actually purchasing a piece of history. Think about it. Who wore that garment that you now own? For what occasion was it worn? What did the wearer look like? Perhaps she was sneaking off to a private rendezvous in the dress you now own. Your imagination can really run wild!
I think that if collecting vintage clothing has become a passion of yours then you need to think about the overall history of clothing. Understand where an item originated from, who the designer was and the era it was created, is born a connoisseur of style and this works for vintage inspired clothing as well.
You cannot begin to understand how special a vintage item is until you can comprehend the quality of the fabric itself. During the 17th and 18th century, upper class society women used expensive fabrics to tailor their dresses, more elaborate textiles were used for evening wear. A great sign of wealth was luxurious fabrics, often imported they were incredibly expensive for the time and as desirable as semi precious stones. Today, most garments are mass produced for department stores and the quality has been compromised to clothe the majority.
Most fabrics, between the 17th and early 19th century, were made of fine silk, parchment lace, white muslin, usually adorned with flowers and leaves, and a fabric known as silver tissue or gold tissue, a fine cream silk woven with silver or gold threads.
While these delicate fabrics dictated a woman's social status, the color of those fabrics also played a major role. Brilliant colors in reds, greens or blues were worn by married women were expected to wear pale colors. Black was worn when a widow as in mourning and she was expected to wear black for at least a year.
The lavish standard of dress was echoed across Europe as aristocrats lived life to the hilt. Masquerade balls, gala events, formal dances, rising and hunting parties, etc. all require several outfit changes per day. Conservative high necked dresses by day were often replaced for evening, with very elaborate low cut dresses adorned extravagantly with either lace, flowers, jet beading, embroidery, silk tulle, and even feathers.
At the turn of the 20th Century, fashions begin to change dramatically, as were the lifestyles of women. With the new breed of liberated and working woman, clothing was mass produced more cheaply. Of course, women with money could afford more expensive fabrics and handmade, couture dresses.
Next week I will discuss What to look for When Vintage Shopping. Until then visit my vintage and contemporary clothing collections at https://poshmark.com/closet/sasyscloset or in my Etsy Shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SasysCloset. Till we meet again...
Sasy's Closet
The beauty of finding that rare treasured dress or skirt or blouse could be extravagant as it being adorned with beads, sequins or embroidery. Or, it may be unadorned but made with a special fabric that you would not find on contemporary styles of today.
When you buy vintage, you are actually purchasing a piece of history. Think about it. Who wore that garment that you now own? For what occasion was it worn? What did the wearer look like? Perhaps she was sneaking off to a private rendezvous in the dress you now own. Your imagination can really run wild!
I think that if collecting vintage clothing has become a passion of yours then you need to think about the overall history of clothing. Understand where an item originated from, who the designer was and the era it was created, is born a connoisseur of style and this works for vintage inspired clothing as well.
You cannot begin to understand how special a vintage item is until you can comprehend the quality of the fabric itself. During the 17th and 18th century, upper class society women used expensive fabrics to tailor their dresses, more elaborate textiles were used for evening wear. A great sign of wealth was luxurious fabrics, often imported they were incredibly expensive for the time and as desirable as semi precious stones. Today, most garments are mass produced for department stores and the quality has been compromised to clothe the majority.
Most fabrics, between the 17th and early 19th century, were made of fine silk, parchment lace, white muslin, usually adorned with flowers and leaves, and a fabric known as silver tissue or gold tissue, a fine cream silk woven with silver or gold threads.
While these delicate fabrics dictated a woman's social status, the color of those fabrics also played a major role. Brilliant colors in reds, greens or blues were worn by married women were expected to wear pale colors. Black was worn when a widow as in mourning and she was expected to wear black for at least a year.
The lavish standard of dress was echoed across Europe as aristocrats lived life to the hilt. Masquerade balls, gala events, formal dances, rising and hunting parties, etc. all require several outfit changes per day. Conservative high necked dresses by day were often replaced for evening, with very elaborate low cut dresses adorned extravagantly with either lace, flowers, jet beading, embroidery, silk tulle, and even feathers.
At the turn of the 20th Century, fashions begin to change dramatically, as were the lifestyles of women. With the new breed of liberated and working woman, clothing was mass produced more cheaply. Of course, women with money could afford more expensive fabrics and handmade, couture dresses.
Next week I will discuss What to look for When Vintage Shopping. Until then visit my vintage and contemporary clothing collections at https://poshmark.com/closet/sasyscloset or in my Etsy Shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SasysCloset. Till we meet again...
Sasy's Closet
Hey I was wondering if you're going to buy these pants or are they just in your cart?
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