Tips For Vintage Style In A Modern World

In a world where rare vintage clothing is often accompanied by a hefty price tag, it can sometimes be difficult to achieve your desired style on a cash-conscious budget. Sure, I often find great pieces at thrift stores, but there are times that I need to broaden my search to include adorable antique shops and other boutiques. Although I would obviously rather purchase true vintage clothes from these specialty shops, sometimes the “specialty” prices just don’t work for me. If you’re looking to pull off glamorous vintage style but want to watch your spending, not to worry! With the right eye, you can find retro-inspired pieces at modern, “trendy” stores with lower prices. You just need to know what to look for.

Here are a few vintage style tips to keep in mind when you are out looking for unique, old-fashioned pieces in the contemporary stores of 2015:

Sink the Skirt Length
When searching the racks, stick to full, pleated skirts and dresses, and keep inseam length in mind as well. The A-line style was very popular in the ‘50s and ’60s. Fashion around this time period was glam but also conservative, so set your eyes on hems hitting just below the knee.

Watch the Waist
One of the biggest elements of successful vintage style (besides beauty tricks, of course!) is the waistline. As employed by Christian Dior in 1951, the waistline lifted, allowing women to accentuate their curves in a classy, feminine fashion. To achieve this classic style, find high-waisted pieces that you can belt above the hips, right below the ribs at your smallest width.

Pay Attention to Prints
To pair with your flirty skirts, printed tops add a fun pop when mixing and matching your pieces. Print-wise, polka dots, floral fabrics and stripes are big hits for retro style. Today’s brick-and-mortar stores are saturated with current trends, so it can help to look online instead, where you can easily browse and filter choices by colour, style, etc. You’ll save a ton of time, rather than raiding the racks without any results.

Finding vintage fashion in a sea of contemporary clothing can sound like an impossible task. But the key to making the most of your search is to know what to look for. When you keep a cheat sheet of tips (like this one!) in your purse to reference for retro elements, you can train your eye for style. With enough practice, you might even be able to spot a vintage-inspired piece from a mile away. OK, maybe not a mile, but you’ll definitely have an attuned searching technique.

It just goes to show that to have a unique vintage wardrobe, not everything in your closet has to carry the price tag of an antique! Simply remember some of the key style elements for a retro look, like hemline, waistline and vintage prints. Everything irrelevant will soon fade out when you become a pro at looking for these specifics, and you’ll be able to mix “modern” clothing with your valued thrift store finds.