Fashion as old as the world: what and why to look for in vintage markets

What is vintage and how does it differ from secondhand or secondhand?

I love vintage shops and markets for several reasons:

This is a real time machine! You see, touch, try things that were created for another time, other people and another life, many of them have become “sources of inspiration” for modern designers and big fashion houses. A couple of years ago I came across a genuine orange Andre Courège faux leather jacket in a London vintage shop! This is a landmark of the time not only for the brand, but for the entire world of fashion: the use of artificial materials and space design is a reference to the uniform of American astronauts. And what do you think? A few months later, a new collection of the renewed Andre Courreges brand was released, and the locomotive of the collection was this jacket model in today’s colors (pastel candy)!

This is Pandora’s box. You never know what you will find there and if you will find anything valuable for yourself. But some finds will change your life! A Crispline pantsuit that my grandmother had when I was 3-4 years old, late 1970s. Early 1980s YSL High Waist Floor Length Floral Dress – The dress my singer/songwriter aunt wore to concerts. A crocodile handbag a la Jackie Kennedy-Onassis… Without buying these things, but just seeing them REALLY, and not in a photo of people dear to you, I dive into my memories and emotions.

This is the best place to study the history of fashion and style.. If I had a fashion school – I would teach 20th century fashion history classes in places like this – with theory and practical tasks for students.

If you love shopping as an art, like finding unique treasures, then vintage shops and markets are for you! At a mass market price, you can get the trendiest things of the current season, but with history and obvious authenticity. For example, at the last market there was a huge selection of high-waisted, skinny and cropped jeans – the best solution!

If your budget for new clothes is very limited – especially here! What’s important: antiques are always processed to meet hygiene standards before being sold and repaired if necessary.

Separate topic – jewelry and accessories! I am a fan of vintage bags. I already have 3, they are all actively living and being used, and each always arouses the interest of others – style, material, color, design. They somehow stopped me on the street to clarify whether I have a copper closing mechanism on the bag, and upon my positive answer, they offered to buy it (along with the bag) right there for the amount of 100 (one hundred!) Several times more than the price I paid for this bag! In this category, not even fakes occur most often, but inaccuracies in the indication of the age and material of the product. But that’s where Google comes in – and that’s the point about the history of fashion and technology.

Last but not least, inspiration for new collections. I still can’t decide on the style of the SS’18 collection, although the fabrics are already chosen and the deadlines are burning: I have the theme, but the style and the main silhouette of the collection are not determined. And what do you think? Yes! I saw this blouse peeking out from behind a cloud of thick jackets around the corner of a silk cuff – it was sewn by a tailor in the 1960s and it was she who became the impulse and prototype of my future new collection.

Photo: Getty Images