2012年4月27日星期五

Vintage chic is red hot for 2012

hat's a girl to do with Great Aunt Margaret's dresses, hats, and shoes from the 1940s? Try them on for size because vintage clothing styles are hot.

Whether you opt for authentic vintage or new fashions that replicate vintage style, you'll be in vogue this season, says Megan Paul, owner of Modern Dame Boutique, located at 107 Third Avenue North in downtown Saskatoon.

This season's hottest vintage trends include circle skirts, dresses or skirts with crinolines, says Paul. Modern Dame's vintage-inspired fashion lines include Bettie Page, Trashy Diva, and Pinup Girl. "We just picked up a new plus-sized line called Cherry Velvet Vintage," says Paul.

You may have vintage clothing hanging in the back of your own closet, says Nicola Tabb, owner of Better Off Duds, a vintage boutique which just opened its doors at 510A - 33rd Street West.

"Technically, we're looking at the '90s as vintage," says Tabb. "This year, a lot of the '80s is coming back into fashion." Remember acid washed jeans, shoulder pads, peplums (a short overskirt that is attached to the bottom of a blouse)? What's old is new again, as the saying goes.

Better off Duds offers a mix of authentic and secondsourced 1960s to 1980s wear. "Authentic 1950s clothing is quite hard to find these days," says Tabb. "My shop is half vintage and half new styles."

Shannon Bowers, owner of Flashback Collective, in the downtown Drinkle Building on Third Avenue North, says she sells a mix of 90 per cent vintage to five per cent new clothes.

"I'm not a purist per se. I like the edginess of mixing old and new," says Bowers. She also sells contemporary second-sourced designer clothes, such as Dior, Burbury, and Oscar de la Renta, and other popular labels like Banana Republic and Bench.

Flashback Collective sells vintage accessories like jewelry, shoes, bags and hats to complement their clothing lines that range from party wear, to separates, to coats.

The fashion selection spans six decades, from the 1930s to the 1980. The huge collection of 1970s hippy wear is particularly impressive. "We have a comfortable collection of 1960s wear, a modest collection of 1950s, and even some swing dresses from 1930s," says Bowers.

Vintage chic was first embraced by young fashionistas seeking to stand out from the crowd. Now it's a look that women of all ages are seeking, adds Bowers.

"When I started out, my typical client was in the 16 to 25 range, but since I opened my store in the Drinkle Building,Search for waffen ss uniforms in Jewellery for Lucknow. I find a lot of women who work downtown are coming in to shop." Now Bowers' clientele's ages range from 16 to 45. "It came as a total and complete surprise to me. They are probably coming in out of curiosity but then they pick up a couple of things and they come back."

Bowers obtains much of her clothing privately and admits that vintage clothes in good condition are getting harder to find. "There's a big moth problem in Saskatoon," says Bowers. Vintage clothes can also be affected by dry rot from the heat/cold cycle of a garage or basement, so purchasers have to be careful when selecting what to buy.

Retired nurse, Brenda Bright, owns another local vintage store called Tikittyboo Vintage, located at 419 - 33rd Street West. Bright started out as a vintage clothing collector but her passion for vintage soon blossomed into a career change.

Bright began collecting vintage wear by going to garage and estate sales. After she decided to make a business of retailing vintage clothing, Bright realized that she would need more inventory and she had difficulty obtaining it locally. "I went on eBay for a while, but now with a store, I have a lot of people coming in and bringing me clothes."

Vintage dresses are especially in demand during graduation and wedding season, adds Bright. "There is an increased popularity in vintage prom dresses for grade eight and grade 12 grads, and a lot of people are using vintage in their weddings - not just the wedding party but the guests as well."

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