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."
