Confession time!
Though I’m sure you have already guessed from the title what I am going to say, here it is.
Only one item in this entire outfit is vintage.
*le gasp!*
Can you guess which piece it is? And no peeking at the outfit details! (⌒ ▽⌒)
I hadn’t realized when I was putting together this outfit that most of it consisted of retail items ~ in fact, one third of the clothing is quite new, as in I bought it this season!
I think this makes an excellent point however ~ you don’t have to buy vintage to dress vintage.
I started with a simple A-line skirt, then channelled my inner Dita and popped a cropped t-shirt on to keep the outfit more ‘casual’ and less ‘business’ looking. I added a pastel pink cardigan to soften the effect of the black and white monochrome {a styling decision influenced by Briar Rose from this post.}, a carved clasp belt for interest, and gold sweater clips for sparkle. Then I tossed my faux fur swing coat on top for some extra warmth and texture.
What I really liked about the whole ensemble is that any of these items could pass for vintage, and by styling them in an era appropriate manner, you really can’t tell that they are new. Unless you happen to see the labels!
And that’s the great thing about vintage. So much of it is about the way you style it, not what you are actually wearing. It’s so easy to personalize ~ less vintage can be more with the addition of classic retail pieces, and it can be mixed up so that you look modern or like you stepped out of a photograph ~ you can really wear it any way you’d like too!
So tell me, do you have any favourite retail clothing that is “I can’t believe it’s not vintage!”? Which classic items do you buy from the shops rather than buying vintage? Mine are cardigans. I hardly ever buy vintage cardigans, and I have a box stuffed full, and overflowing, of cardigans of every shape and color. It seems to work well for me. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ
xox,
bonita
Fun note: I wore this outfit when going out for breakfast with friends and happened to have the most perfect hair day ever ~ right before I had to go get it cut at the hairdressers! ( ゜-゜)… Isn’t that always the way?!
P.S. ~ It was the faux fur swing jacket. I bought it at a Canberra vintage fair, and though I don’t know the exact era, I peg it as late 1950’s to early 1960’s.
༺ ♡ ༻
Tortoise Shell Bow Barrett | Chemist Warehouse
1950s Swinging Fluff Faux Fur Jacket | Vintage Fair, 2012
Cotton Candy Cardigan | Kmart, Current
Pop of Black Crop Tee | Kmart, Current
Pearl Starburst Sweater Pins | eBay
Butterfly Buckle Belt | New Look, Old
Houndstooth Fever Skirt | Kmart, Current
Mimi Mary Jane Heels | New Look, Old
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