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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

FASHION WITH ERICA -- WEAR YOUR HOBBY


Vintage clothing is all the rage. If you’re a collector, fashion editor Erica Milano says wear that collection. Don’t hide it away. -- AP

What’s more environmentally friendly than recycling? Why should we limit our recycling to paper, cardboard, glass, and plastic? I wear mine. No, not like the Recycled Runway couture I showed you a few weeks ago. I’m talking about wearing items I find in places other than your typical dress shops and department stores. Do you have any idea the bargains you can find in second-hand shops?

Vintage clothing is generally considered any garment from the 1920’s through the 1980’s. Anything before the 1920’s is considered antique.

Don’t think of vintage clothing as used clothing. Think of vintage clothing as a timeless fashion collection.

Given the variety of trends that appeared over between the 1920’s through the 1980’s -- everything from flapper dresses to leisure suits -- there’s a vintage style for everyone, no matter your taste.

Right now fashions of the 1950’s and early 1960’s are popular, thanks in part to TV shows like Mad Men and Pam Am. You can find their influence in many new garments, but why not go for the originals? Finding such gems might be a bit difficult right now, thanks in part to the revival of everything from this period, but you might strike gold by trolling through closets at estate sales. Or ask your elderly relatives if they’ve kept any of their clothes from that period. They may be thrilled that someone is interested in wearing them.

Thanks, Erica. I’m waiting to see you come to the office dressed like Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot. -- AP

2 comments:

Kathy said...

There's a second hand chain store called Unique that actually has a rack of clothes labeled vintage. They have some nice things if you can find your size and you're brave enough to wear them.

Jane R said...

We used to have a babysitter who loved vintage clothing. We never knew what to expect.... Marilyn Monroe was only one of her costumes and it was always so much fun to see what she came up with. To top it off, she was only 16.... I'm sure she's a designer by now.