We've all heard the fashion forecasts: "The '40s are back," "The '50s are back
It's true that designers are often inspired by the past. But what if you could just take your pick of any of these trends all in one place? Enter the vintage vibe. Whether you discover a treasure trove of oldies but goodies at a local boutique or troll the internet for a rare find, wearing vintage clothes does take some moxie. But it can pay off big time in the style department if you do your homework.
"Because wearing vintage clothes not only makes you look more individual, it also gives you a 'green glow,'" according to Anna Johnson, author of several books including "Savvy Chic: The Art of More for Less."(Avon, 18, 99) "I can think of no better way to recycle and also dress like a totally original minx," she admits. "All this said, there are many ways to get vintage right. You can't just throw on any old thing. Here are some of Johnson's tips on finding your best era:
—Do your research. "Different eras had very different body shapes," she says. A 1930 dress called for a flattened bust-line worn very natural and loose within a silk slip. A 1950 dress required a high and pointed breast encased in a heavily stitched, often underwired, conical bra in the shape of a waffle cone. And a 1960 dress re-created a high, childish rounded line with the use of darts and a heavily padded push-up bra. "So, wearing a modern, bosomy, foamy bra from Victoria's Secret with an art deco-era tea gown will look as if some cad has dropped two large oranges down your frock." Not a good thing.
—Know your body shape. "Pining after a look is useless if you can't carry it off," admits Johnson. "I will never have miniskirt knees. That said, tailoring and adjusting a vintage piece to your body is wise." Pear-shaped women look best in clothes from the mid-forties, late sixties, and early seventies, she says. These were the eras of A-line skirts, narrow waists, and tailored upper body embellishments were at their prime. Silhouettes from the sixties and thirties look best on narrow hips and great legs. Tall women can pull off the androgynous looks from the seventies. Edwardian nightgowns can be cropped to make blouses for figures with fuller busts.
—Reinterpret the style. "It's too literal to expect a hem length or neckline to fit with current fashions," she says. Johnson admits that vintage clothes rarely fit her off the rack. "I cut them up freely," she says, "grafting on different sleeves, stripping off bows or ugly buttons, adding my own cuffs, or using the fabric for something else. I love sewing 1940s appliques usually seen on evening dresses onto American Apparel T-shirts. Risk is always cool."
—Mix it up. Make vintage modern by deliberately adding mismatched pieces and accessories from different eras. Layer a masculine black waistcoat over a bias cut dress. Cinch a '40s dress with an '80s belt. Add '30s buttons to '70s dresses. But Johnson urges vintage fans to resist the urge to wear more than two items from one decade at a time. "Vintage chic is never literal," she says, "otherwise it just becomes costume."
—Buy what you love. Designer labels in vintage clothing has become a big business in recent years, according to Johnson. "The point of buying vintage is to bypass snobbery and to find instead what really suits you," she says. "I have a Christian Dior dress that makes me look like a human brick, so I'm not wearing it ever, and I have a Missoni scarf from the seventies I wear every day. Choose your investment pieces in vintage as you would your modern things. Style trumps status every time."
To find out more about Sharon Mosley, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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