Continuing with my "no-outfit" posts. I'm in a week-long training with my job and everyday I've been wearing jeans and workboots, nothing to take a picture of and blog about! So in the interim, I've decided to post on a few topics instead. Today I want to blog about vintage clothing. If you follow as many blogs as I do,which now is over 70, the term vintage comes up in 95% of the posts I read daily. This got me thinking...What is really meant by vintage clothing? Are people using the term vintage correctly? I'm not a vintage shopper so I decided to research it's definition.
Dictionary.Com Definition
Vintage (n) - the class of a dated object with reference to era of production or use: a hat of last year's vintage.
Vintage (adj) - representing the high quality of a past time: vintage cars; vintage movies. old-fashioned or obsolete: vintage jokes.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English (noun) < Anglo-French, equivalent to vint ( er ) vintner + -age -age; replacing Middle English vindage, vendage < Anglo-French; Old French vendange < Latin vīndēmia grape-gathering, equivalent to vīn ( um ) grape, wine + -dēmia a taking away ( dēm ( ere ) to take from ( see redeem) + -ia -y3 )
Wikipedia Definition
Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era. The phrase is also used in connection with a retail outlet, e.g. "vintage clothing store." It can also be used as an adjective: "This dress is vintage."
The word vintage is copied from its use in wine terminology, as a more elegant-seeming euphemism for "old" clothes.
Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 1980s is considered vintage. Retro, short for retrospective, or "vintage style" usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era. Reproduction, or repro, clothing is a newly-made but faithful copy of an older garment. Clothing produced more recently is usually called modern or contemporary fashion. Opinions vary on these definitions.
Most vintage clothing has been previously worn, but a small percentage of pieces have not. These are often old warehouse stock, and more valuable than those that have been worn, especially if they have their original tags. Referred to as deadstock, they nevertheless sometimes have flaws.
I'm glad that Wikipedia called out a timeframe. Because I honestly do not know what timeframes are considered vintage? As in, do vintage pieces include items from the 90s, since we are now in the 21st century? Could it be as recent as an item that was popular in 2010 but not this year? According to wikipedia it appears to currently end at the end of the 80s. I'm sure as more years are accumulated in the 21st century that the 90s will soon become a vintage decade.
Like I said, I don't really vintage shop. I like modern, trendy, & classic pieces. However I do like stores like modcloth where they create "vintage inspired" pieces, and I have ordered a few items from there. I also don't do a lot of thrift shopping, though I'm sure I should to save money!!
If you read this post, I'd be interested in your opinion and your answers to the following questions.
1. Do you like to wear Vintage clothing
2. If so, what is your favorite decade between 1920s and 1980s for vintage pieces?
3. Where do you shop for your vintage clothing?
4. Do you like to incorporate vintage pieces with modern items? Or dress full vintage?
Love,
