This guide provides tips and tricks for creating stunning vintage outfits by blending vintage finds with modern styles. To achieve a balanced look that’s both unique and current, one can mix and match vintage clothing and accessories. One way to do this is by layering vintage blouses under contemporary blazers or pairing a vintage skirt with a trendy graphic tee. By mixing and matching, you can create a unique and current look.
To go full vintage with a garment, consider three outfits you could wear with more modern styling. For example, you can throw on a denim jacket over a vintage dress or wear a vintage sweater with jeans with a modern cut. Remember the rule of three when going full vintage with a garment.
To style a vintage “everyday” dress for work, date night, or going out with the girls, start with small vintage accessories like a scarf, brooch, or handbag. Look for classic vintage pieces that can be easily incorporated into your outfit. You can also take a sewing/alteration class and get a machine to alter your clothes on your own and dabble in vintage.
Investing in a statement layer that can dress up or down, getting out of your comfort zone, and having fun with accessories are essential steps to achieving a vintage look. Mixing vintage items with contemporary basics can elevate any outfit, and it’s important to recognize that it’s OK to be different and want to be different.
In summary, incorporating vintage style into everyday outfits can be achieved by blending vintage finds with modern styles. By experimenting with different combinations and investing in staples, you can create a unique and current look that showcases your vintage style.
📹 What It’s Like to Wear Vintage vs. Historical Fashion Daily ft. @KarolinaZebrowskax
Vintage fashion versus historical fashion; where does the line get drawn, and can we all even decide on a definitive point where …
📹 Surprising Benefits of Wearing Historical Fashion Every Day
I’ve been wearing historical fashion daily for a number of years now, and throughout this time, I’ve thought of a number of …
Thanks for perusal and a big thanks to Karolina! If you would like to support my art, and have the means to, please consider joining my Patreon for lots of fun additional perks: patreon.com/vbirchwood Additionally, I misspoke when I said rayon was marketed as a “wrinkle-free fabric,” that was nylon! 😂 Rayon was, however, often seen as “easier care.”
Whenever I’ve thought about it, I’ve always defined the “eras” of fashion as: Retro: up to 50 years ago (so I’d consider clothing from 1970s to today as ‘retro’); Vintage: 50-100 years ago (1920 – 1970); Historical: 100+ years ago (dawn of time 😅 to 1920). When I asked my brother put it, he said “retro is what was fashionable when we were kids, vintage is what was fashionable when our parents were kids, and historical is what was fashionable when our grandparents and older were kids.”.
I totally get the isolation that you experience when wearing “different” clothing (from your friends). I still tried it, and funnily enough it encouraged 3 of my friends to also wear vintage/history-bounding clothes. We all have totally different styles, but we encourage each other and when we out together, it’s viewed as one style of “fancy clothes” by others anyway. It’s really been fun to explore different styles and clothes together in spite we all ended up in a different style 😀
I feel like the biggest difference has to do with how much of a shift in thinking you have to do. With vintage, we share the basic layering concepts with a few differences, but generally a modern person (if handed all the items for one outfit) could figure out how to get dressed in vintage… Whereas with historical clothing you almost have to re-learn how to get dressed, how you are suppose to layer your clothing. Personally I’m caught between preferring the ease/convenience of modern garments and the utility of how clothes use to be layered. Every skirt just looks better with a petticoat of some kind (either flat or fluffy).
You’ll see with a lot of the Black women who were vintage, and especially historical, dress that we’ll receive a lot of comments that either liken us to colonisers, or people feel they must remind us that we would’ve been slaves or have no civil rights in that era, or (my personal favourite) that Black people wouldn’t have had access to those things. All of which is obviously very upsetting and unnecessary. Not just because I’m obviously aware of the history, and clearly my style of dress doesn’t actually imply a longing for colonisation, slavery, or apartheid, but just very frustrating that people can’t/wont imagine Black women outside of their oppression. Like, damn, it is literally just a pretty 1890s dress and I feel good wearing it. Isn’t that enough? Also it’s very cheeky when these comments come from white people because it’s notoriously difficult to find the same wealth of African fashion history as you see in Europe, and saying things like that any Black person is historical dress feels like an own-goal. Like I would love to wear precolonial Tsonga attire but your ancestors made sure to steal that information from me.
I think we often forget or underestimate just how big of a change the war meant on every aspect of society. The 1920’s is a mark for SO many things, it really feels like an obvious divide for the way people see the world. I think what’s also a factor is how a lot of the modern conveniences that are part of our everyday lives were either created, popularized or cemented then; phones, cinema, radio, and loads of others, so it doesn’t feel as distant to us, especially when lots of us have/had relatives, grandparents who were alive then and who lived it. There’s a certain proximity there. There’s a reason why it’s called “the brief 20th century” AND why it’s seen as having effectively started in 1914, not 1901. I don’t know what we’re going to think of it 50 years from now, but today it certainly feels relevant to the distinction of vintage vs. historical.
As a goth who also loves historical fashion, when we go out on the street we also attrat a lot of attention, however it can be negative attention, since people don’t realy see us as classy or elegant. And yes, most of us are actually cheerful people 😂 And despite the clothing not being the focus of the gothic subculture (the music is), some section of it is really inspired by historical fashion, mostly victorian. I’m saving up money to have a 1880s ensemble made for me. Love the article ❤️
I’m so glad you’re showing talking to others in this community. I wear a lot of Medieval clothing, but the skirts are mid-calf, so everyone wants to know where I got them. I get away with wearing Viking smocks and shifts with tabards and aprons because they are mid-calf. I did have a good friend who dressed in 50’s nerd clothes because he was REBELLING against the hippie look. People just thought he was a nerd, but it was actually a form of rebellion. 😀 I have the same problem with people wanting to chose rayon and polyester because they don’t like wrinkles. I love the wrinkles! When I was a child we wore girdles. I always wore stockings because I had back issues and couldn’t wear panty hose. Fun article!!
The “letting people what they wear and have nothing to do with any personal views” hits rather close to home. I’ve adopted quite a bit of 1890’s – 1900’s historybounding in my daily wardrobe with the skirt(s) and underlayers being reconstructed regional folkwear. I love it, the swooshy skirts make me happy! Child-me would’ve thought I was the most beautiful princess ever. Plus having massive pockets means I don’t need to take a bag with me most of the time, a tie-on pocket, is all that I need! * __ * Sneaking snacks in my pockets whilst at work (museum) is awesome XD Whilst I’ve gotten used to the looks and whatnot, I do get, (semi-often) named slurs when walking down the street. Those slurs are mostly used as reference to those who are christian reformed (and VERY religious). I’m agnostic at best and don’t believe in a god despite growing up in a small catholic town. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I live in a rural area with lots of small villages, which includes the mindset of “what people don’t know they don’t always want to be around/associate with.” As sad as it is. Things are slowly changing but it will probably take another 10 years before dressing-outside-the-norm is somewhat accepted 🙁
This conversation brings up great points! I love how you mention how the community tends to prefer posh clothing instead of the working class clothing — which is more representative of how historic people actually dressed. Taking a look at antique working-class clothing tells such a human story! Thank you for sharing, V!
Ladies, this was excellent! As someone who started collecting/wearing vintage (mainly 1940 to 1960) at age 14, around 1974, this really was a pleasure to watch as to why and how we do this. I had many, many fabulous “old” pieces (many gifted to me from family and now gifted to others) that I wore for decades, some for 40 years! OMG, the construction of ’40s and ’50s gaberdine suits, to die for! And the cashmere and beaded sweaters were some of my favs as well. I also had gobs of jewelry, hats, a couple of furs. I would dress “my mood.” I don’t think I ever really got a negative response to my get-ups. I didn’t always wear vintage but I generally wore at least a piece. People often asked if I was a model. LOL, at 5′-4″. I had an indescribable affinity to a certain time in the past and a general love of fashion and self-adornment that I satisfied with my wardrobe in “everyday life.” Admittedly, the ’40s and ’50s were not as far back yonder then as they are now. No matter. I adore seeing you young women continuing this. It truly is a historical endeavor outside of fashion. It speaks to how we lived as a people at a certain place in time. It’s also fun and life enrichening. And what could possibly be wrong with that? Go, girls!
I think of natural fiber as more of a luxury because it’s hard to find 100% cotton or 100% linen (even to find linen is awesome) and wool! I mean it’s all acrylic or has a small percentage of wool. The few items I have made in cotton (linen on the way and hopefully wool and silk in next year) I prefer now because it is so breathable and I dislike wearing my other fast fashion. I made these wide leg pants a few years ago out of muslin cotton (that’s what JoAnn’s called it) and I wore them outside in the heat wave and was hot but comfortable
I think the shift between historical and vintage, for me, is also around the 1920s-1930s, and it’s due to a few factors: First, especially in women’s clothing, the underpinnings go through a significant change towards what we still consider “modern” underwear. Second, the 20s-30s era is one of the very significant shifts in dress, where I still can barely believe that 1910s and 1920s dresses are only one decade apart! And third there’s a shift in materials around the 30s (or shortly after), where non-natural fabrics and blends came into use (though I’ll admit I think the actual “broad use” of poly fabrics came a bit later still)
This was such an interesting conversation! A fair few years ago now, I got two Edwardian-inspired tops (as in, they were more slim-lined & in polyester with poly lace) – & I then decided to remake them in natural fabrics, when they got a little snug- & like Bernadette’s tea-dress adventures, it’s quite the rabbit-hole to go down…
I typically prefer corsets over girdles. I’ve found being a bigger woman that the corset really helps with keeping a structured look without displaying rolls, bumps exc. I also like how corsets help with my bad posture from sewing and reading 😅. With girdles it always seems to roll down when bending or doesn’t smooth out the shape as well as the corset, but that’s just my experience. 😊 Thank you for this collab, it’s so neat to hear you guys on the topic❤
Loved the point on looking at working-class fashion. I’m very guilty of being drawn towards making the ball gowns and fancy dresses, but I’m also realising it’s not super sustainable for my everyday life as I incorporate historical fashion more and more into my wardrobe. I definitely want to find a middle ground between what’s working appropriate (so no trains and movement restricting off-shoulder stuff, or perhaps less) but also just those Victorian sensibilities towards trim, embellishment, and excess. Great article as usual!
My wardrobe is very mid-1960s inspired which is definitely easier to wear on an every day basis. Every now and then, a Sixties revival will happen in fashion and I will be totally on trend 😁 The difference is mostly in the hair. If I wear a beehive, people will comment on my fancy hairdo. I have stopped following random trends and will only buy clothes that fit my esthetic or just simply make them myself. Thankfully, A-line dresses are very easy to sew 😉
A great article! As someone who dresses 1940s inspired every day and frequently historical (Regency), comparing the similarities and differences was very interesting. Anything that isn’t jeans and trainers tends to attract attention. Then you do your hair, add a nice hat and people are amazed! Why would you bother dressing smartly if you don’t have to?? What you wear does affect how you feel. Sometimes when I’m feeling particularly down, I’ll dress extra smart and it does boost your mood.
I’ve arbitrarily decided that I’ll refer to everything post 1980 as “retro” and not “vintage.” I think 1920 will remain as a division point even if the terminology changes- at least until what we wear in the “modern” era is different enough from jeans and t-shirts that we need a new term for what we’re wearing now.
Yes to all of this. When I was in high school ages ago (1998-2002), I got really into vintage fashion. I bought vintage sewing patterns on eBay (back when you could find them for $2!), and made my own clothes. I bought vintage hats and wore them as well. But I was literally the ONLY person I knew who did this. Without the internet communities (this was the MySpace only era 😅) and as an introvert, the constant commentary from strangers wore me down. I finally gave up vintage dressing in college because I was just so tired of being alone. It was always a really discouraging memory. In the last year or so, I’ve discovered the amazing communities on YouTube and Instagram of folks who do what I always wanted to do. It’s been incredibly reaffirming of my own history and I’m very slowly starting to sew for my (extremely different) body from vintage patterns again. I don’t know if I can reclaim the courage of youth to go all in again, but I’m enjoying even the little baby steps. 💕
Heyy this was cool! It reminded me that I still have a lot to learn about seasonal clothing. The isolation aspect definitely scares me though. How exactly do people make friends in the historical costume community? Where do they meet? It’s not like you’re going just happen to see someone walking around wearing the same decade as you
Imo, everyone dresses so sloppily these days wearing even the slightest structured or neat outfit makes people think there has to be a special occasion. Any time I wear a dress, especially a well fitted one with some lipstick and flats will have people asking me where the party is.. Unfortunately, this also extends to bonnets and hats, heck even wearing a head scarf will bring harsh or weird judgments. It’s a shame because they are really useful during summer times here at blocking out the sun and dirt.
This was really interesting, I too have wondered whether the line between vintage and historical will move forward as time passes. I really think we need better vocabulary to express ages and time periods. I find a similar thing when I sometimes hear (usually American) people use the word “ancient” in reference to something from like the 17th century. To me, “ancient” means from a time before widespread records – maybe up to about 500CE. It’s strange how terms can feel as if they have a very clear definition to one person, and yet be totally different for other people. There is no “right” or “wrong”, but sometimes I wish there was. But then I remember that the vast, vast majority of people we meet just call anything with a full length skirt “victorian”, and assume you must be in a cult of some kind if you wear any sort of headwear, and… I give up, lol. 😫
Thank you for this conversation! I learned so many new insights and perspectives. I’m glad people are asking these kind of questions, it’s so interesting! What I love about “historical” fashion is the investment that goes into a garment, from the attention to detail to the quality of the textiles (natural fibers!) and finishing. It’s almost like a different mindset towards life in itself, ei: valuing durability, taking care of our body and our belongings, being eager to learn from our ancestors,… And I can also see why wearing historical fashion in our modern context has its cons. Ps. I really hope you get your monetisation back because you totally deserve it! ❤️🥰
i’ve never really been ‘normally dressed’ in any situation and while I’ve never been a specific or historical fashion I was considered ‘fancy’ or ‘eclectic’ to a point where I’d put on literally a nice dress and be asked what the occasion was or why I was in heels. I couldn’t even understand why at some points but anything I wore was fancy and a reason to be stared at. Like sure I had some beautiful vintage pieces. This gray pinstripe dress from the 20s was a pride and joy along with a fair number of things but all of it was old and often worn to death. It became this whole thing of constantly having to be on in terms of fashion and just playing up a character of the upbeat fun go lucky lolita/vintage/goth/kimono girl that I didn’t even realize until quarantine happened and I had nowhere to go how much a relief it was to not have people ask if I was ‘ok’ for wearing sweatpants for once. I’ve been legit picked up in thrown into a mall kiosk chair and demanded to buy $80 makeup for wearing mildly nice vintage dresses and shirts. For some reason vintage or nice clothing even bought used and cheap makes you have money so you get stopped by everyone. I feel both the exhaustion of having to explain what your deal is all the time and the entire mood of wanting to wear my bonnet in peace. I can’t post 2020 go out in my new standard garb of strange vintage wizard professor who owns too many vests because I get these looks. There’s just so much exhaustion in having something that for you is not only normal and simple being called formal and eccentric all the time that just really reflects on what ‘standard clothing’ even is.
I always think 90s -60s are retro, 50s – 20s vintage, 1910s backwards historical. And I think it’s to do with the convenience of acquiring and wearing them. 1910s backwards fashion is very difficult to acquire and takes a lot longer to get into and restricts movement. (Yes I know corsets aren’t the devil, buy its not the same as yoga pants and a tank top. 20s-50s are easier to wear but heavily gendered, 60s onwards are visually distinctive but no more complicated to wear than modern clothes. I love 1930s clothes day to day, if I had the patience to deal with people’s questions I’d wear more 1890-1920
I would have to say that my own love of vintage wear (to say nothing of historical) began with seeing some of my maternal grandfather’s old things. He was born in 1913 in what was then Congress-Poland, lived out the latter half of his twenties and the first half of his thirties in the shadow of World War II, and witnessed the rest of the century from the safety of St. Louis, Missouri. He had, as I recall, a certain audacity, a willingness to cultivate tastes above his social class. One hat I remember he had was a trilby done up in a charcoal grey gun club check–if I had to guess, I’d say he bought it in the late 1940s shortly after arriving in the States. (He never lost his affinity for flannels, tweeds, leathers–the sort of thing considered smart and dashing in the days of his youth.) Needless to say, I retain a love for garments made in or inspired by the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s. Sometimes the 1960s, although I have my doubts about the fads and trends from that decade. Especially if I see a crisp tweed or a scalpel-cut suit, I smile, because it reminds me of my grandfather.
I have such a love hate relationship with rayon, but the 90’s are my favorite era so there’s not a really a way around it 🥲 But at least it’s much more durable than modern viscose which piles pretty much straight away. I now see people talking about “vintage” Forever 21, from the early 00’s, and it just makes me feel old.
This was an amazing collab, really boosted my confidence as I’ve only been wearing vintage for nearly two years. Finding your joy is real I started during the first lockdown and it’s brought me so much happiness and compliments. I experience the odd funny look but I don’t care I’m not dressed in boring office attire and can dress vintage whilst working in a museum. I love how you talked about those of us who wear these styles rejecting the values of the times and being quite forward thinking, as a queer woman I’m very open and political and dressing how I want has helped me be my true self and speak up about important matters. My ramblings aside thank you for making such great content
I’ve actually always thought of anything up until the 1950s as historical fashion and from the 50s onwards to the 90s or I guess now the early 2000s (which I can’t even believe since I was born in 2002 lol) as vintage. I really like this article as someone who is interested in both. It’s very fascinating indeed 😊❤
As a modern woman who lived t-shirts and leggings or jeans going into historical and vintage inspired clothing feels like I’m overly fancy for occasions. Sometimes it is nice but other times it feels like I’m wearing a costume. It takes a few wears and integrating different eras, ex: 1950s does 1860s. Even my cottagecore-ish outfits I want to wear for yard work I hesitate bc they are my “nice clothes”. Speaking of cottagecore, I know I became interested in historical fashion from that aesthetic taking loose inspiration from working class clothing. Idk how much of a factor aesthetics like cottagecore or academia played into interest of vintage and historical clothing or how common this experience is. EDIT: The point about clothing being connected with your views hits home. I live in a rural area that is slowly becoming more progressive (my town had our first pride this year), but the people that hold more puritanical views are louder and nastier rn. My views are NOT Puritan I’d like to borrow their clothing lol. I’m torn between not being seen as someone who behaves like that and wearing clothing that expresses me.
A very interesting discussion. Might I suggest carrying small cards – like traditional visiting cards – so that when you’re in too much of a hurry or disinclined to stop and explain to an interested member of the public, that you quickly apologise for not having time and then give them a card which directs them to your YouTube website?
Damn, y’all are killing it! I dress almost exclusively for comfort but admire other folks’ drip. A lot of my clothes are a decade old, as my preferences haven’t really changed. The main difference recently is that I haven’t worn pants in a couple of years 😂 I don’t get cold enough to need them indoors, and most of my outdoor activities are running (okay, I guess that involves pants, but not jeans lol) or skiing (and ski pants are not pants pants). I have yet to donate my pants in the slim hope that I may yet need them in the future; I don’t want to have to buy more and alter them to fit my hip-to-waist ratio and have functional pockets.
I love my long, natural fiber dresses. I wear a very boho look – not historical – but a lot of the core components are the same. Ankle length, lots of volume, natural fibers. So comfy and honestly so incredibly practical! It also doesn’t really change with trends – since bohemian style is just it’s own separate counter-cultural thing. Which is great! Since you’re able to truly wear pieces to death.
I jumped off the wagon of fashion very early – actually I only barely tried to follow it during teenage (early 2000s) and it wasn’t my thing, so I just started dressing like what I like, no matter when/where it comes from. On the way I learned to sew because I could never find clothes that fit me and my weird measurements. I can proudly announce that I’ve pieced together (literally) the most comfortable and practical trousers ever to grace the earth (according to me), for example. And there are actually a lot of people around me who are like that. They will wear practical, nice clothes that don’t really fit into something, only their personal taste, and will possibly pick up one trend here and one trend there when there’s something they like, but that’s it. It’s a very relaxed approach to clothing – and it doesn’t mean lack of personality, mind you !
I think it’s interesting to think about how I used to be really into goth fashion (still am, just less so) and how one of the things I loved about it was that any older goth sub style of fashion wouldn’t become unfashionable to wear. Like you could total see a group of goth friends and one look like they walked out of an 80s club, the other from the 90s, and the last from 2000s and that wouldn’t be weird. Now here I am taking that further by being interested in historical fashion.
Well-made clothing crafted out of natural fiber cloth is my preferred “fashion” of dressing. Regardless of any specific era or sewing technique, I crave comfort and practicality. People rarely stop me in the street to ask about my clothing option, but if they do… “This is my version of a sweat suit” (as I stand there in my pleated wool floor length skirt with my chemise, knit cashmere sweater and shawl and leather gloves; or in warmer months a simple sleeveless linen dress). This usually stops people from further discussion. Those who want more info are informed that I am always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than those who opt for the fast fashion trends that are often skin tight and made of synthetic fibers. I am all for spreading the trend of comfort and practicality regardless of any era of fashion. Thanks for the article!
i heard that vintage is 30 years back or more but then as i search for vintage items on the internet i find “VINTAGE 2006 nike hoodie” so i think the conversation about terminology is VERY important. also about dressing down, I literally wore the simplest 1950s dress with simple 50s curls to prom and i looked fancy but it would be everyday clothes back then. the fancy thing was black gloves past the elbow and thats it. I plan on getting more 50s fashion, especially “new look” style things. And the pin curls is the easiest hairstyle for me (besides just straight hair when i do nothing). I love vintage and historical fashion and i wish to learn how to sew so i can make whatever i want. Also for some reason bullet bra is the most suportive thing that has no bonning things in it for my chest, so it fits with my desired decade. so i would recommend getting one if you looking for something fun. I strongly belive people should wear whatever they want and if its vintage/historical then good for them, because its cool!
I prefer the 50s styles- particularly the fitted bodice with full skirts, and I’ve found that I feel better about myself when I’m wearing a dress or skirt, rather than leggings and a sloppy shirt. Maybe it’s age- I’m 57- but I feel like I’m dressing like an adult. I do have several dresses that I think of as ‘house’ dresses, simple, just at home or maybe to the grocery. If I’m going ‘out’, I try to be ‘dressed’. And I always wear a hat if I’m going out- anymore, I don’t feel right. and a quick slick of lipstick, even if I don’t have other makeup on. My only complaint about my current wardrobe is the amount of ironing! But I also get a lot of compliments, which is nice. The 50s styles I wear are maybe more formal than modern stuff, but not quite foreign enough to disrupt other people and make a spectacle of myself. :-/
For me, since I’m a British history nut I call some era clothing by the name of the monarch. Victorian. Elizabethan, Georgian, Edwardian. Now, anything after the Edwardian I refer to it by the decade & anything 1920’s-1970 I will call vintage also. I just can’t call 80’s- 2000’s vintage. I think people understand me for The most part.
I have to wear vaguely Edwardian era clothes for work. People notice, I’m in a lot of tourist photos, but nobody treats me like these women are alluding to. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Probably because I’m not trying to emulate fancy dress. And I don’t get defensive when someone does say something. It’s disingenuous to act surprised when someone comments on your period clothes while you are standing in line for a mocha and you’re the only one in there in a walking skirt and waistcoat.
I’ve entered a stage in my life where I want clothes that are comfortable, versatile, durable and allow for personal expression. I’m thoroughly fed up with modern fashion, especially the fiber and size choices and have decided to start making my own clothing. As a knitter, I’ve started with knitwear, but have plans to begin sewing this spring. I’m looking forward to seeing how things progress. First big challenge is can I knit a bra/bralette I will actually wear? Linen camisoles and shifts are also in my future plans. Wish me luck!
Thank you so much for this article! I’d like to write down my own fashion story, mostly for myself, but I feel like maybe some people here can relate:) When I was little, I was the kind of girl who wore the same t-shirt or turtleneck every single day, because I truly wasn’t interested in fashion. I hated how people judged eachother based on how they looked like and what they wore, including make-up, so I guess I just made a silent vow to myself to never wear fancy clothes or makeup because I didn’t want to be seen or judged by people. At the same time, my adamancy to dress so unassumingly sometimes made me a target for the other girls in school, but I was quite a confident kid and my utter nonchalance towards mockery from an early age made me a difficult target. I also always got along great with the boys in class as I was a tomboy and boys didn’t care about what they wore as much. From a very young age, I always wanted to be the prince and didn’t really care much about the princesses. In my teens, that confidence, like with so many, started to erode away and I began to cringe looking back at how messily I used to walk around and tried much more to fit in at least with my clothing because I had enough on my plate. I started wearing alot of skirts and dresses in summer because I loved the way they felt. But the problem was, they had to be long because of my growing anxiety over how my legs looked (I have really light skin and naturally extremely dark hair on my legs, and shaving’s only made it worse).
This was awesome V! I was thinking neo-vintage when you said it! lol When I wear long skirts, yes, it seems like people look ad think I’m weird, oh well. 😁 But this is how it is nowadays when almost everyone is wearing ugly clothes! If I could afford my wardrobe would consist of late Victorian and Edwardian (including 19teens) clothes! 😍
Elastic/stretch fabrics, material construction methods, and fastenings. Apply these questions to the “average” clothing of the time period, especially the day to day dress of working class people. 1) Seams curved or straight? If only straight, then archaic. If curved/both, continue to… 2) Which garments use elastic or elasticated fabric? If none, historical. If primarily only undergarments and accessories, vintage. If everything, modern.
I don’t see anything difficult in deciding what’s vintage and what historical. Vintage fashion starts in around the 20s because that’s when fashion became very close to what we wear today – it became more practical, women’s clothing in particular changed significantly and we can say that’s where modern fashion started. This conversation was quite uninformed and too much about overcomplicating.
I’m struggling deciding what I want to wear. I love the 90’s-2000’s with a bit of 60’s as more modern fashion. But I also love historical Fashion and even like 1950’s. But I’m not sure how to go about finding which makes me the happiest and what I feel most confident and comfortable in. Currently, I’ve been wearing 90’s-2000’s inspired but I also love the idea of going more historical
Thank you for that talk. 🙂 I would love to wear working class historical cloths. 😀 (I already tried to sew something like that as a kid for my Barbies, lately found it, not even that bad, I still kind of like it.) But I don’t know, where to get it from or how to make it, so it not only depents on confidence, but also other ressources, like money, knowledge, ability. But also on confidence.. Without anyone of my friends and family waring things like that, I don’t even have the confidence to wear my metal band shirts, haha. I like to be part of a group/my peers even more that I would ever like to admit. (Such a loner.. 🤪 not.)
I am not into fashion, but this was recommended. I am also 39, so I am not old but not young at the same time 😁. But I really enjoyed this article. It also amazes me to see how creative and open minded people younger than me are. As I get older, I feel like I am losing that open minded attitude and spark of creativity….. Thank you for your article!
From what I understand, anything considered “Antique” is 100+ years old. Anything considered “Vintage” is 30+ years old. I think “Historical” and “Antique” are almost synonymous – think about how much society and culture can change in 100 years! Those are the widely accepted “guidelines” when dealing with objects from the past.
For me, the divide between historical versus vintage is whether I can get away with wearing something as regular daily wear without looking costumey. For that reason, I think of 1920s as vintage. If my cutoff was whether I could responsibly wear actual clothing from the period, I would consider 1920s as historical. My original 1920s dress, which I wore a few times a decade ago, is way too delicate to wear now. I like what one commenter said about historical is what your grandparents (or greats) wore, vintage is what your parents wore, and retro is what you once wore. Lately, I have been having fun rocking the retro 1970s vibes of Gunne Sax and 1980s vibes of my aunt’s power suits.
I consider the historic to vintage fashion dividing line to be WW2. The social, scientific, medical, and economic changes profoundly changed the lives of people around the world. I was born in the late 1950s, my parents were born in the early 1930s, grandparents from the early to mid 1910s, and great-grandparents in the late 1880s. Most of my ancestors lived to be at least in their 80s. I have a photo of my daughter as a newborn that includes 5 generations of family on my side. So I’ve been able to not only look at family photos from long ago, but also ask them some questions about what people were doing and wearing in them. Another fashion era descriptor to consider is “retro”. From my perspective, retro is the fashions I remember from my youth, so the mid-1960s until about the mid-1990s. My favorite little fashion span is 1915 to about 1921, and I’m just now starting a wardrobe for myself to represent those years. Fortunately, I’ll be able to construct the garments on a number of antique sewing machines in my collection that could have been used in those years. Thank you both so much on your scholarship and practice in this area.
I would say for historical clothing it is only up to the 1920s. But between the 1920s and the 1950s is vintage. Retro is between the 1960s and 1980s. And possibly the word throwback referring to anything from the 1880s to today. But as for any definition of historical, vintage, retro and throwback the clothing past the last 5 years will completely change definition in the next hundred years. But even my definitions as stated here have changed slightly in the last 15 years. I used to believe vintage was from the turn of the last century till the 1940s. Retro was the 1950s to the 1970s. And anything we’re in the 1980s to today was just old or today’s stuff. And I applied this from everything from clothing, jewelry to even furniture. This is my viewpoint since the the ’90s when I was in grade school.
For historical vs vintage, I immediately thought of 1920s too due to the visible number of layers in the clothing. After 1920s, it visually seems that many of the layers were dropped, compared to petticoats, bustles, crinolines, clothing silhouette became a lot more simple. I know this isn’t actually accurate, and people still wore layers like that in 30s, 50s, etc, but just visually it seems to me the distinction is the obvious layers. I only know because I’m comfortable wearing post 1920s clothing outside, and it just feels “vintage”, but only wear a bustle at home, since I know it’s too far removed from the modern silhoutte of clothing that it will attract too much attention. Therefore it seems to be more “historic” If it’s a pre-1920s style, but “vintage” If it’s an older style, but still close to modern
I follow modern fashion… I know what is trendy or sometimes going to be. I just don´t buy it often 🙂 As any moder person, I hate wrinkling, cause it makes you look messy. In my country we even have a saying for that: “Looks like you took it yout of cows mouth”. I do own a lot of “plastic” garments. I just make sure, they are versatile and looks good on me. Then I wear them for 10-15 years. Only donwside is I have to make sure not to put too much weight on.(if they are not strechy) But I still love to learn about history/vintage fashion. There is a lot of things I have learned from it! ♥ I adore walking skirts. Made a few out of bedsheet. Will sew one from nice wool one day for winter.
I like the idea of neo-vintage vs post-vintage. But then the question becomes, not when does vintage become historical, but also when does neo-vintage become post-vintage. How about at 30 years it’s neo-vintage, then post-vintage until the style is 100 years old, then it’s historical (although, as was said in the article, all clothing is historical)
the point Karolina brought up about the hem length made me think a bit, because a lot of the dresses I own are lolita dresses that are historically inspired. Some of them would, if they weren’t knee length but rather floor length, look quite similar to the eras they are inspired by because of their cut and fabric choices. It feels like, at least when I talk to other people, that if one chooses to wear clothes that aren’t the fast-fashion of-the-rack it is often seen as a subculture thing. So many times when I’ve explained that most of the clothes I own aren’t ready-made but made-to-order or things I’ve sewn myself the first reaction is “but isn’t that expensive? how do you know if they will even fit”.
The same comments around fashion happen when you wear something that is unusual for the society that you live in, such as religious garb or even more conservative dress, like long skirts in Western countries. As a Muslim, I usually wore long gowns and headscarves in Canada, and the most common comment that I got was of course, “Aren’t you hot in that???” But what people are really saying is “I’m uncomfortable with this” and they are using a passive aggressive comment to express that discomfort.
I really love 20s style long dresses/skirts but also more 50s style fit and flair. While I have not really expanded into historybounding I have begun to wear more dresses in the last few years including a few button downs that are stongly 50s inspired though that wasn’t my intent when I bought them lol. I am building my wardrobe at the moment and though I am focusing on things that are business casual appropriate, I always have the thought of “is this the style I am aiming for” which I guess everyone does but it is more significant when doing vintage inspired. My friends did question me when I started wearing dresses as an everyday thing (even super basic tshirt dresses), and my mom thinks it is weird I have a dress designated as my lounge/cleaning dress, but after a few years it settled and now is just what I wear. Though if I ever get to the point I am wearing dresses 80%+ of the time rather than 50%ish I may get questions again lol.
I would say that the basic difference between vintage and historical is that you can still wear vintage on the street and be accepted by the people around you. You might garner admiring comment or a bit more notice if you’re wearing a suit from the 40s, but generally speaking the style is not too out of place in 2023. However, when you got back before the 1920s you suddenly get the floor length skirts, large amounts of fabric, petticoats, fitted jackets, etc, and all of these things together are extremely noticeable and look more like a costume than daily wear. At this point most people would definitely be taken aback, and I think that this is what crosses the line into historical. That’s why it’s difficult to determine if what we wear now will be considered vintage or historical in a hundred years, because we don’t yet know how much fashion will change.
based off my first impression of the title, my instinct would be to say that vintage garments are garments that still exist (i.e. from the 1920s) and can be worn. I have a 1950s style skirt that was made recently but I wouldn’t call that ‘vintage’ as its not actually from the 1950s and it doesnt have the history behind it. I would call historical garments (i.e. pre 1920s) as those that the authentic pieces from the time period can no longer really be worn. It’s my belief that most people who wear historical fashion to be wearing reproductions of extant garments and not the ‘real thing’, which is where the divide is for me. It’s historical because it’s following the rules, fabrics and patterns of those original garments, but it’s not vintage as it was made in the 21st century with modern fabrics and is ever so slightly different from those authentic garments. I also think that there is a big shift in the 1920s as it was around the time of off the rack clothing becoming a big thing. Obviously there are nuances and exceptions to my whole argument but this is just based off my first impressions.
You’re right. Just put yourself in a vintage dress or suit, do your hair….and tell people how you feel. That could be a you tube idea: invite someone at random to come over, chat with them for a few minutes to show the before and after. Then “dress” and then let them walk and talk and drink tea ask them how they feel. I would like to hear their expressions. I’ll bet you anything that viewers will even see how they are feeling just by their body language. I actually feel sad when I think my body type and my head/face was meant for “age of innocence” dresses and hats. I cried during high school because the style was Levi’s….and they weren’t made for women’s bodies yet. They were so tight at my hips but I could fit another person in at the waist. Jeans weren’t meant for me but it was jeans or bust. To this day I rarely wear jeans and do not wear them at all spring through summer. Dresses and skirts for me.
Yes, crossover, yes CROSSOVER! Love learning about fashion history~. And yes sis, it’s so hard to pick something to wear, so much nuance. I’m currently trying to design a dress to wear to a cousin’s wedding, I feel like I both know what I want be also not because I love details from so many eras. All I know is I want it to be a fitted summer dress but so much that can be. Lol
Vasi, I really enjoyed and appreciated your thoughts and idea’s in this discussion. Although, I didn’t dress in clothing from a different era. I have said since I was very young, that I would dress in clothing from the Victorian era every day if I had the clothing available. I was very serious. Unfortunately, I had to wear a certain type of clothing for work. So my style was only worn during off work hours. I also did not have the time or finances to create my own Victorian clothing. Or I totally would have! I did dress in a dresses, or skirts and blouses on a daily basis. That is a style I truly love. I received a definite type of reaction towards me and assumptions were constantly being made about me, even though my clothing was not vintage or historical. It was different enough to others my age. It was thought that I would be a very strict, religious person. Or that I was against anything outgoing, etcetera. The funny thing is, although I am a very spiritual person, I was not a part of a religious community. I also was incredibly outgoing, I had 2 boy’s and was a young mom. So I would skateboard with my kids, jump on the trampoline, dig in my garden, climb trees, etcetera. The truth is my values toward making thing’s, like food from fresh ingredients, including from my garden, and ” homemade ” food was economical and important to me. I didn’t do box meals and such. I aso made some clothing myself ( to my best abilities ) unfortunately, I did buy fast fashion back then ( 1980-1990’s) now I am so much more skilled and use 90 % all natural materials when making things myself, or purchasing for my household or others.
I hope you don’t consider it an offense or anything like that, but I think that everything that is old is vintage, what is made today is retro, and that’s probably why they don’t usually call older pieces vintage since not many of them must have survived for there; If you see people wearing clothes that look like they were from such distant times, they were probably made today, so it’s retro and not vintage (unless the piece is probably falling apart and you stole it from a museum); A historical piece is what is seen in museums and what is in history (which may be relative in some matters for some people), and what is talked about a lot is about historical sewing, and that is literally a historical method of sewing that you might be able to learn and do the same, which does not make your piece historic or vintage*, it will continue to be retro. The sewing method is historic and not your hand or your creation (at least not yet), so you can consider it historic for you (since it will be part of the your history), but it will not be considered historical, unless you are considered historical in the future which is difficult and the only relative thing is whether you will be historical to the point of being in history books or whether it will be from a great-great-grandson who heard some poorly told story about you, and no one else will know about it, or even consider it historical (only that great-great-grandson).
This was a wonderful article! I personally really like wearing vintage and would love to venture more into the historical styles but making proper foundation undergarments is quite daunting and buying quality replicas is unfortunately out of my budget… Hopefully I’ll find the courage soon though. Also, I am really curious – did you make the red head scarf yourself? And if so, would you mind sharing the name of the pattern (or at least proper name of the garment), please? It is really lovely!
Something similar to what Karolina said happens in the seed world as well. Open polinated is the term for any seed that will breed true, that will follow a set description generation after generation. But we have a second term that gets confused with it, which is heirloom. Officially, and by most seed company standards, anything over 50 years of production is an heirloom. But not everyone agrees with that standard. Some, mainly new gardeners, confuse open polinated with heirloom, thinking it is a synonym. And while, like all vintage clothes are historical but not all historical clothes would be called vintage, all heirlooms are open polinated, not all open polinated plants are heirlooms. Then on the other side are those who draw a specific line, normally between 1930 and 1950, where even though a plant may be over 50 years old, it is after x or y development in plant science, thus not a true heirloom, in their minds. For clothes, many would put a similar line, where the pre-bra era is almost always going to be called historical, while even 100 year old fashion from the late teens or early twenties will still be called vintage because it still fits into a “modern” closet.
I feel like the dividing line is in the rate of change, not the specific decades. If some form of it that would be recognizable if weird to that generation is still widely worn today in some context, then it’s vintage, where something that is completely out of the zeitgeist is historical. So a relatively modern business suit from, say, 1900 is vintage whereas a cycling dress from the 1910s is historical.
Does the 1920s shift from historical to vintage have anything to do with the more mainstream industrialization of clothing happening around that time? This is the era where mass-produced items for sale in stores became a thing. Prior to that you or family were sewing clothes or you were rich enough to hire professionals. Just curious if that contributes to the point in history where this verbal distinction happens? In a way, vintage refers to an era of production, where historical refers to any fashion of the past.
Late to this conversation but to me 1920s onwards but not current is vintage because those are clothes we could wear and not look like we are stepping out of a time machine or a history book. Vintage clothes are those that fit into the industrial age or modern age. When I think of historical I think of pre industrial fashion.
Another term is antique we know we literally think of furniture and other objects as antiques but it also applies to clothing antiquities things really of a past time if we get to I think beginning with the Edwardian period coming to the very late 1800s let’s say 1880s forward we’re bustle downs really began coming forward we can use the Termanology garments of antiquity coming to the 20s the 1920s into a new century where everything really altered in terms of the way we lived electricity became prevalent running water bathroom facilities greatly altered in termAnything possibilities and flushable commodes kitchen the way we lived in R kitchen having ice the possibilities of ice in the average home all of those things brought us to a different perspective of living and then coming to where the garments actually were shortened and women wore garments at their knees in the 1920s I think the term vintage really steps to the for the farther away we get we think of antiquity don’t do we not in a period time vintage it is really an apropos
I think reputable ‘vintage’ and antique shops actually DO have a set definition for the terms – I always learned that vintage is at least 20 years old and at most 50, retro is 50 years old or older, and antique is 100 years or older. This is for referring to individual objects (in this case items of clothing), so when you want to describe a way of dressing, the terms vintage and historical actually pose a false dichotomy. They have nothing to do with each other. You can dress vintage ànd historical in the same outfit, for example when you lived in the 2000’s and you dressed in 1960’s style, you would be dressing in vintage if you were wearing actual pieces of the time, and you would be dressing historical if you were copying a look from a fashion magazine as closely as possible (with silhouette, tailoring and materials all being as close to the original as possible). You can do either one of them, or you can do both! The same goes for the words retro and antique: you would be dressing retro if you were wearing pieces that were older than 50 years, but this does not automatically mean you dress historical.
I don`t think people consider you as their possession (like Karolina mentioned), but it is just something so eye-catching and I sincerely feel it does speak to people`s souls in a very beautiful way. We have lost a lot of the beauty and love for details in our modern life, all is about functionality and getting things done quickly… but when you see someone dressing up so elegantly and special like you do, I actually think people crave what can be sensed from it
Let me say something to you ladies about retirement because I am retired and I’ve been sewing since I was a very young girl when you get older and your time is your own soda speak and you have been sewing is some ladies do this this Birchwood of handsewing this it’s this couture really it’s what it is you can let your artistry overflow I wear artistic garments I make artistic garments I create some patterns and limited form in terms of what I wanna wear simple shaping and yet I feel like a retired person can knock it out of the park for style you become approved to be with your needle in your thread and your sewing machine for some and whatever you wanna wear you wear it and women who do you know YouTube shows UsOlder women are making and wearing and enjoying and it’s not a time to stop enjoying or looking gorgeous in your garments it’s the time to become more so in my opinion
Think it’s so interesting about the length of garment starting in the 1920s were women went it was shocking because women didn’t show their ankles for hundreds of years it wasn’t acceptable and then we go from in a post-war with World War I we go to putting our skirt up to our knees the alteration the power of what was in the air obviously and yet women always have a connection to a long dress because in the 30s the dresses went back down to the ankles you know the tea length gown so to speak coming through shorter skirts can you be in the 40s wartime 50s we wanted elegance and women started were very full skirts yet usually calf length skirts were the were apropos in that period of timeHappens on late the girls put their skirts up with if you knew and I’m a baby boomer that generation how short some of those skirts were I never wore them if you bend over you can see the coup de grace so to speak I never wore them I was a young girl at that time and I didn’t wear it but right from that time we went into the 70s and the maxi skirt came to be which is a little essentially for some ankle length or lower skirts and from that time on women have chosen to wear if they wanna wear a long skirt they wear it it’s not out of place anymore you could wear any length skirt that you choose and people don’t look at it is all as an oddity it’s refreshing to know that because I’ve been covered so to speak is always been a part of culture for some for the majority of people
I don’t dress vintage as in a specifical time period, but I wear mostly secondhand clothes or historically inspired garments I make. It took me some time but I am now comfortable wearing things that look very “dressed-up” in my daily life, and I don’t give a fluff about looks anymore. Also, I recently took to wear headscarves and warious head covering to hide my ugly hair-growth, and I feel a bit self-conscious because, as a friend said “I look like I stepped out of a 19th century novel” But I can’t find to care. If I dont’ look like I stepped out of a historical/fantasy novel or I could read your future in tea leaves, I don’t like how I am dressed, simple as that.
I was taught by my grandfather who collected antique china that Antiques are 100 years old. That was in 1950 and was the standard for reputable antiquarians. According to Karolinas definition I often wear vintage but that’s because I’m old and have clothes from long ago which I inherited from aunts. Othertimes I can look somewhere between Bronze Age and PreRaphaelite just because I wear second hand full length Per Una skirts and fitted jackets with home made shawls and petticoats and laced ankle boots that are not hiking style. That’s not an unusual style in the Welsh mountains though. I only make a few garments these days because it feels more ethical to use second hand, ready made quality clothes from natural fibers which wash well and are ideal for country work wear and save wasting resources and are bought in charity shops. However I do have some traditional Welsh woolen textiles stashed for winter projects. Happy to dress authenticly for Medaevil events though.
Wearing vintage (80s) has taught me…. they were very, very, very unprepared for how hot the future was going to be. I can’t wear one of my favourite dresses or blouses unless it’s a cold day because they’re made out of thicker polyester than today, I live in Australia and it’s currently summer so you can guess I don’t have many opportunities to wear them unless I want to sweat myself to death
Two of my favorite people! Not sure how I missed this one earlier but I’m glad to see it. I was alive in the early 50s. I know what my mother wore & her mother wore, the line between vintage & historical, by today’s standards are, is seriously blurred. Some pieces I am buying mimic more of what my great grandmother & her mother might have worn. Eventually I will pull a whole look from these that suit me. Much like whatever it is I choose for the day. lol
I’m a dress and skirt wearer – currently I’m wearing a full Edwardian outfit, it has many ruffles, so I know when I go shopping later I will be stared at. But I feel like I’m setting a good example, not necessarily for just for modesty but when people ask about my clothes I inform them about how my clothes sit the way they do is in no small part due to the foundation garments that I’m wearing. And no I’m not uncomfortable, and yes I can breathe, etc 😂. I’m 38 now and during my lifetime I would like to see people take more pride in their appearance even if they’re just running out to the grocery store, and to see people reuse and learn to repair the clothing that they have rather than just throwing it out and buying something new. I would also like to see more dresses but that may be wishful thinking on my part.
My sister is a beautiful girl and she dresses modern, but even if she goes out in a black skater skirt and a white top people are still gonna have their heads turned when she walks by, so It absolutely doesn’t matter what I dress, I’m always gonna feel normal (or at least underwhelming) by her side. And I mean… I could get away with floor length skirt and a blouse. But then again, my sister could feel overdressed in a floor sack. She is ofthen stopped because children think she is a fairy or a princess (her everchanging hair color helps) and adults thinks she is like a model of some sort.
I think the reason people tend to see the 1920’s fashion as different from historical is because it is related to modern clothing. Although the cuts and fabrics may be different it is a fashion difference rather than a garment difference. Where as historical clothing no longer has much relation. You don’t tend to see people wearing a petticoat. But you may see people seeing a suit dress. I wonder how fashion is evolving. With new construction techniques and environmental concerns I wonder what people will view a button down shirt as in 100 years ❤
Maybe call it “classic” every 20-30 yrs, there was the psychedelic in the 60’s and came back in the 80’s, the 70’s people think of the disco era, lol, the 50’s were called wholesome. And so on I don’t know, but I love this discussion, you and Karolina are awesome I watch you both, and here you both are in one package! Yay!! 😍
I’d just plump for the antique definition of anything over 100 years old is historical fashion, the rest is vintage, although there’s a sense of post modern irony in calling stuff from the 90’s forwards as vintage – I’d probably just describe that as ‘tasteless’ 😊 I finished the Viking shield, breaking a hook awl in the process; about 15 metres of 1mm thread to go around the circumference four times. I don’t want to tell you how many years it had sat in the garage half finished. Looking for some heavy fabric for a new baker boy hat, always tempted to go eye catching but I’ll probably settle for slate blue and tweedy.
It may be too late to catch you still checking comments but just in case I’m not I wanted to offer an entirely different suggestion for distinguishing between vintage and not-vintage/historical fashion. The definition I grew up with has nothing to do with the era of fashion the garment belongs to – or which the pattern would come from – rather it is based upon when an individual garment was made. It’s the same concept we all use for furniture: a piece is only vintage (or antique) if it was made in the historical era, anything else is reproduction or a replica. For context, I’m 49 and my grandmother (1921 – 1986) taught me to sew, and to be proud of being a 6th generation seamstress (she had no issue with the word) and embroiderer. Granny taught me that anything you can pick up in an opp-shop (Australian for a seconds shop run by a charity) or is handed down, is vintage (and so not to be ashamed of, but to cherish as a treasure). I have no memory of her using the term historical fiction, but she had old pattern magazines, or dresses that could be used as patterns, going way back (no, they were not passed down 😢) for garments she’d made for herself, then her girls, and then for me (though usually for plays or costume) they were not vintage because they were newly made. Anyway, just thought I’d put it up here because it wasn’t something either of you seemed to consider. Thanks for all the wonderful articles!
The previously set wording that I’ve come across that doesn’t seem to work as well anymore is: “antique” (or “historical”) is 100+ years old, “vintage” is everything 20-100 years old, and the sub-category “retro” is 20-40 years old. A problem with that is that some of those words got kind of stuck at particular times. For example, the 1960s as “retro” when, by that rule, approximately 1980-2000 should be considered retro now.
1. Never met a Goth person who wasn’t nice ☺ 2. We have so much freedom in the 21st century. Imagine someone from 1840 wanting to dress like someone from 1740? 🤯🤣 They just didn’t have the choice, and it honestly sounds like from 19th century literature that people actually took their fashion even more seriously than we do. A lot of people these days just wear something plain that is difficult to say which era it’s from. Or wear the same clothes for 20 years and don’t care. 3. This was so fascinating and enjoyable to listen to. You guys are super lovely, intelligent and kind 💕
I think it all boils down to a lack of education, that’s where ignorant comments come from. I was talking to a coworker a while ago now about textiles and he didn’t know what polyester was. I think it’s partly related to capitalism/consumerism, you’re not taught to think about what the materials are or their durability, you’re taught to buy so you can cultivate an image. Most people are used to thinking of clothing on a more superficial level and don’t know anything about fashion outside of the modern construct, where fashion is more performative instead of personal. Great discussion, lots of interesting tidbits that are getting me thinking on my own sense of style and wardrobe.
Happy New Year <(^.^)> The catcalling thing is so true and winters are so much more comfortable I actually can add two more things: 1. I’m seen as older. I’m training to become a teacher for children between the age of 11 and 18 and I’m often mistaken for 18 or under, which is a littlebit unpleasant. And even just a highwaisted skirt kinda stops that. 2. I really hope that by wearing “abnormal” clothing, I inspire a few students to experiment with their clothing and style. That by seeing an authority figure feel comfortable and confident in their style, the students at least think about their relationship with themself and their own clothing. I wish you a happy year with lots of love, laugh and new experiences🍀