Vintage and the new old

Reading a lovely post for The Raspberry Branch yesterday made me think further about vintage….

The trend for ‘new’ shabby chic style and ‘old’ vintage items has never been so popular. 

The Laura Ashley style of an aged white piece of furniture is ubiquitous, and the trend has also been prominent is fashion. 

This winter will see a new trend arise, that of a dark yet glamorous movement. Ruffles, pleats and bows took to the catwalks in some of the most luxurious materials such as lace, chiffon and silk. Drawing upon the 50′s feminine looks after the WW2, the trend will project depression-era glamour, to focus on an ever present nostalgia.

Of course, this trend can and will be adapted to today’s consumers, but it fails to explain why it draws upon so much on nostalgia of a past long gone.

Nostalgia is often an understatement for a greater lack of ideas, and a constant fear to lose the feeling of warmth and safety which comes with re-enacting past trends.

The mistake commonly made is the belief that supporting the shabby chic ethos will bring you as much comfort as the true ‘vintage’ original found in your grandmother’s closet or attic. It is where Laura Ashley fails to bring truly new ideas, and where the glamour of this winter’s trend will subtly blend inspirations from both a nostalgic past and contemporary individuality.

Vintage is good in that it recycles ideas, re-uses garments and creates new looks. Vintage should form an integral part of one’s home and one’s wardrobe and be adapted and mixed with newer items; it should not be a trend, and it should certainly not become a consumerist activity.

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