WHAT IS VINTAGE?: THE REBIRTH OF THE OLD

Anna Wintour | Source: Buro 247

Unique and timeless ... Vintage . In this article, we are going on a journey with you: Our journey starts from the literal meaning of "vintage" and extends to when and how it appeared in history. We explain what makes a piece 'vintage' and more. Let's start.

We take a little time travel to define 'Vintage' and take a look at the sentences said by Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in 2017 : "The word 'Vintage' can be used for pieces with a history of at least 20 and at most 99 years, " says Wintour. and adds, “However, this is not enough; it is also necessary for the pieces to have characteristic features of their period.” Wintour expands her statement with the following example: “For example, sunglasses made in 1985 that look exactly the same as sunglasses made in 2020 could technically be considered 'vintage.' However, if these sunglasses do not have any features that reflect the design concept of the 80s, it would not be correct to say that they are vintage 80s.” Let's continue: Wikipedia defines 'vintage' as "old clothing styles" . When we look at the origin of the word, we see that it comes from the French word 'vendange', which means "vintage" and is actually identified with aging and nostalgia, and is therefore often used when talking about old, gentle wines.

Source: Foter.com | Hemeroteca Municipal de Lisboa (Portugal)

To summarize the information so far, vintage fashion refers to pieces that belong to a certain period (with a history of at least 20 years and at most 99 years) and bear traces of the period in which they were produced. So how was this movement born? We go even further back in time… The years of the First World War. These are the years when the seeds of vintage clothing were sown. Due to the problems in the textile industry, the idea of ​​repurposing clothes is widespread; Therefore, these are the years when clothes were frequently repaired, re-sewn to fit other family members, and sometimes reused as pieces of cloth. Manufacturers are gradually trying to reduce the size, color and pattern diversity of the pieces; They even try to get designers to design pieces that require less fabric.

After many such restrictions brought about by the war, industrialization and its accompanying rapid consumption enter the scene. This is a place where economic growth depends on marketing new products and discarding old ones. It is a place where old pieces are viewed as 'used' and 'worn out'; Everyone is after what's new.

Jimmi Hendrix | Source: Foter.com | sniggle

Then we come to the 1960s . The years when young people began to stand against materialism. An attitude against alienation from nature and mechanization stands out in this period. American guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix has a big role: He is the name who popularized the wearing of old military uniforms in order to draw attention to the fact that the war era is now behind us. Young people are increasingly starting to embrace the experience of old pieces and the uniqueness and specificity that this experience brings; Thus , headbands, capes, frock coats, kaftans, velvet trousers and cowboy boots are becoming very popular.

Source: Foter.com | Brizzle Born and Bred

“Britain's young people flock down Portobello Road to buy old military jackets, handmade Edwardian dresses and more, so they can wear them in public,” the New York Times fashion issue reported in 1967 . We see that the influence of the vintage fashion trend has increased rapidly since the mid-1980s.

Source: Foter.com | post406

The styles of the popular figures of the music world of the period, especially the music group Nirvana and especially Kurt Cobain , stand out as a major factor in this spread reaching its peak in the 1990s. When we come to the 2000s, we see that vintage fashion was widely adopted by people in their 20s and 30s, especially those with styles that oppose mainstream trends. Today, vintage pieces are one of the ways of expressing oneself. Most of the pieces feature handmade details that are hard to find today. They have tremendous cuts and most importantly, they are unique. As we said at the beginning: Unique and timeless... Vintage.