vintage everything!

You all know of my immense love for thrifting and buying used. I’ve been thinking so much lately about the impact that our consuming patterns have on the planet and on the way we structure our lives. For me, thrifting helps me buy things without the guilt of the environmental and ethical impact (and it keeps some extra cash in my wallet too!) I believe so strongly in thrifting and have only gotten more excited about it over the course of 2019. So today I thought I’d share some of the ways that I incorporate vintage pieces into my wardrobe.

I know so many people that are really hesitant of buying used because it doesn’t feel “on trend” (which I totally understand! The pieces are usually older so they aren’t made with today’s trends in mind). It’s hard to make something from the 70’s look like it’s not a costume. A dress that is almost 50 years old is never going to look brand new, but what you pair it with will make all of the difference. I picked some pieces that I thrifted to sell and decided to style them up for you!

The first is this vintage green dress. This bad boy is legit. Like there were shoulder pads and the whole nine yards when I bought it, but it’s so beautifully made! It’s 100% silk and was made before fast fashion pushed the quality of so many clothes right out the window. A dress like that today would cost easily cost around $100 at the same quality level. Sometimes all these vintage options need is a little imagination. The first thing I did was cut out the shoulder pads. Honestly, as a general rule of thumb, always cut out the shoulder pads. This is super easy to do if there is no lining holding them in. Usually they are only held in by a few stitches. After cutting them out, immediately the dress felt way less like a costume. Next, I picked some shoes! Back in the day this type of dress probably would’ve been paired with Mary Jane’s. I wanted to stay away from this looking like a costume, so I chose shoes that had 0 Mary Jane vibes. I decided on my white Stan Smith sneakers (which I also thrifted for just $20!) Given that this dress is knee length, it could easily look a little stuffy, so I wanted to pair it with some sneakers to try to update the look a little bit and give it a little more tomboy-ish feel. But also, hello! Who wouldn’t be comfy in sneakers all day?! Last I knew that in order for the dress to feel really casual and modern it needed some kind of denim. I chose this jean jacket (I thrifted it a few weeks back for only $6!) It fits oversized which balances out the more fitted dress. The baggy jacket makes the look feel a little less frilly. BAM! 50s dress, meet 2019.

This next blouse was one that could easily draw some skeptics from it’s hanger appeal. It sort of does give off old-man-bowling vibes. So in order to make it feel more modern and feminine I wanted to size up a bit so that I could tie the front. Its a great classic color so it really could pair with quite a bit. I decided to pair it with some funky Madewell jeans and a vintage neck scarf (since these have come back in trend I’ve been wearing them frequently and I don’t really plan on stopping anytime soon). Because I’m sort of a maximalist when it comes to fashion, I decided to add in some fun, chunky jewelry (I’m pretty sure the bracelet is vintage bakelite) You could totally part it with gold jewelry and a sleek ponytail to give it a whole different vibe.

SO, I think the main takeaway from all of this should be that vintage pieces can totally still work in your closet!! They might need a little extra love and attention, and they require you to look at them with a curious eye. But look!! They are a fraction of the cost, they stay out of a landfill, and most likely your money went to a charity thrift store instead of a big box store! I find that when I’ve hunted a piece down and taken the time to alter or repair it, I feel a greater sense of ownership over it. I want to take better care of it. Another note: one of a kind pieces don’t come easy! There is just no way you can have a completely unique closet from Macy’s. But you totally can with vintage pieces! I’m sure I won't find anyone else with that same green dress around town. There is something so fun about having something completely unique and special to you. I hope you feel inspired to go shop vintage!