Classic Vintage Clothing Everyone Can Wear
Karen Richards
What do denim, a white shirt and the "little black dress" have
in common? Each is easy to wear and can be worn by everyone.
Classic material and designs make these pieces essential in the
wardrobes of young and old. If you are lucky enough to discover
a well-made vintage example, don't pass it up.
Denim
The word Denim originated from, "de Nimes", a little town in the
south of France, where the cloth was originally woven and dyed
indigo. In 1850, Levi Strauss started supplying gold miners with
pants made of denim. The waist overalls Strauss created were so
strong and durable they were nearly indestructible. These
garments were nicknamed jeans.
The 1930's saw an explosion of western movies, with Cowboys clad
in jeans. During WWII, soldiers had sported jeans in their off
duty time, taking the fad worldwide. After the war, new
manufacturers of denim clothing entered the market, with Lee and
Wrangler competing with Levi for popularity. The youth of the
1950's loved jeans but the older crowd felt that it was a symbol
of the rebel. This fuss assured the popularity of denim.
By the 1960's, the free to wear what you want decade, most
everyone liked them. In the 1970's designers came out with the
slim cut, boot cut, tight jean, baggy jean, hip-hugger, Capri
length... the list goes on. Women established the denim jean as
an essential and diverse garment. Adding a pair of heels
transformed jeans into ultra feminine and sexy attire. And denim
wasn't just used for pants - skirts, dresses, jumpsuits,
jackets, coats, vests and shirts became popular in the 1980's.
The youth of the 1990's rebelled. Not to be caught dead in
something their parents were wearing, they turned to other
fabrics and styles - cargo pants, khakis and branded sportswear.
During this time, it wasn't fashionable to shop in conventional
jeans stores. The contradictory youth of the time, didn't give
up jeans altogether. They found aged, authentic, vintage jeans,
discovered in markets, and second-hand stores as acceptable
attire. Most likely something their parents once wore, years
ago.
In the year 2000, denim jeans made a comeback with designers
like Chanel, Chloe, Dior and Versace. Denim has been making an
appearance for more than 150 years. With every return, it
demonstrates its enduring and incredible versatility. Denim is
genuine, straightforward and pure - it shows that "we are not
trying to look good, we just do".
The White Shirt
The modern white collared cotton shirt was born in the 1920's
when the Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor) was seen
everywhere in a shirt with soft turned down collars. The
previous decades of stated stiff, high, detachable collars were
gone for good. It was much better to appear to be able to afford
a fresh clean shirt everyday rather than just a fresh clean
collar. At this time, the white shirt went with business suits,
not casual wear.
In the 1950's the white shirt made its appearance as a button
down style collared shirt. Women began wearing oversized men's
white shirts with pedal pusher jeans and saddle back shoes. Even
though trendsetters like Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn
sported their crisp white shirts, women still tended to chose
more feminine, fancy and printed blouses. In the 1970's the
white collared shirt, which went well with the preppy skirts and
pantsuits of the era, became a necessity in everyone's wardrobe.
With an abundance of styles to choose from, the white shirt
remains a wardrobe staple, you can wear with just about
anything. Like denim, the plain white collared shirt says, "you
don't have to look good, you just do."
The Little Black Dress
Always simple, elegant, sexy and of course black - the little
black dress is an essential item for all ladies. A must have in
every closet.
The debut of the term "the little black dress" was by Coco
Chanel, in a 1920's Vogue magazine. Black was previously
reserved for funerals and periods of mourning. Truly simple and
sexy, Chanel's design was a sleeveless sheath cut just above the
knee. Chanel summed up the fashion of the little black dress
when she stated, "Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is
not luxury."
The little black dress endured through the 1940's becoming the
little wasp waist dresses of the 1950's. The famous knew a
little black dress could be perfect for most occasions. Audrey
Hepburn in the 1961 film, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" wore a
sleeveless Givenchy shift. She continued wearing the same shift
to cocktails parties and even on a visit to Sing Sing... looking
perfect on every occasion. The little black dress is always
sexy, whether it is a simple sleeveless satin sheath or a slip
dress. Usually slimming, when selecting your little black dress,
do choose the silhouettes that most flatter your body type. It
can be a chemise from the 1920's or a sheath from the 1960's.
Look for simple tailoring with fine details and luxurious
fabrics. Again, "The Little Black Dress" says, "you don't have
to look good, you just do."
About the author:
Karen Richards grew up surrounded by collections of all kinds.
She inherited her love of anything with a history from her
parents who have collected and dealt in antiques for over half a
century. Her passion is vintage fashions, textiles and
catalogues. She owns The Cats Meow- Classics in Vintage Clothing
and Accessories a great place to find that one of a kind quality
garment. Visit her online at www.catsmeowclassics.com .
What do denim, a white shirt and the "little black dress" have
in common? Each is easy to wear and can be worn by everyone.
Classic material and designs make these pieces essential in the
wardrobes of young and old. If you are lucky enough to discover
a well-made vintage example, don't pass it up.
Denim
The word Denim originated from, "de Nimes", a little town in the
south of France, where the cloth was originally woven and dyed
indigo. In 1850, Levi Strauss started supplying gold miners with
pants made of denim. The waist overalls Strauss created were so
strong and durable they were nearly indestructible. These
garments were nicknamed jeans.
The 1930's saw an explosion of western movies, with Cowboys clad
in jeans. During WWII, soldiers had sported jeans in their off
duty time, taking the fad worldwide. After the war, new
manufacturers of denim clothing entered the market, with Lee and
Wrangler competing with Levi for popularity. The youth of the
1950's loved jeans but the older crowd felt that it was a symbol
of the rebel. This fuss assured the popularity of denim.
By the 1960's, the free to wear what you want decade, most
everyone liked them. In the 1970's designers came out with the
slim cut, boot cut, tight jean, baggy jean, hip-hugger, Capri
length... the list goes on. Women established the denim jean as
an essential and diverse garment. Adding a pair of heels
transformed jeans into ultra feminine and sexy attire. And denim
wasn't just used for pants - skirts, dresses, jumpsuits,
jackets, coats, vests and shirts became popular in the 1980's.
The youth of the 1990's rebelled. Not to be caught dead in
something their parents were wearing, they turned to other
fabrics and styles - cargo pants, khakis and branded sportswear.
During this time, it wasn't fashionable to shop in conventional
jeans stores. The contradictory youth of the time, didn't give
up jeans altogether. They found aged, authentic, vintage jeans,
discovered in markets, and second-hand stores as acceptable
attire. Most likely something their parents once wore, years
ago.
In the year 2000, denim jeans made a comeback with designers
like Chanel, Chloe, Dior and Versace. Denim has been making an
appearance for more than 150 years. With every return, it
demonstrates its enduring and incredible versatility. Denim is
genuine, straightforward and pure - it shows that "we are not
trying to look good, we just do".
The White Shirt
The modern white collared cotton shirt was born in the 1920's
when the Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor) was seen
everywhere in a shirt with soft turned down collars. The
previous decades of stated stiff, high, detachable collars were
gone for good. It was much better to appear to be able to afford
a fresh clean shirt everyday rather than just a fresh clean
collar. At this time, the white shirt went with business suits,
not casual wear.
In the 1950's the white shirt made its appearance as a button
down style collared shirt. Women began wearing oversized men's
white shirts with pedal pusher jeans and saddle back shoes. Even
though trendsetters like Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn
sported their crisp white shirts, women still tended to chose
more feminine, fancy and printed blouses. In the 1970's the
white collared shirt, which went well with the preppy skirts and
pantsuits of the era, became a necessity in everyone's wardrobe.
With an abundance of styles to choose from, the white shirt
remains a wardrobe staple, you can wear with just about
anything. Like denim, the plain white collared shirt says, "you
don't have to look good, you just do."
The Little Black Dress
Always simple, elegant, sexy and of course black - the little
black dress is an essential item for all ladies. A must have in
every closet.
The debut of the term "the little black dress" was by Coco
Chanel, in a 1920's Vogue magazine. Black was previously
reserved for funerals and periods of mourning. Truly simple and
sexy, Chanel's design was a sleeveless sheath cut just above the
knee. Chanel summed up the fashion of the little black dress
when she stated, "Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is
not luxury."
The little black dress endured through the 1940's becoming the
little wasp waist dresses of the 1950's. The famous knew a
little black dress could be perfect for most occasions. Audrey
Hepburn in the 1961 film, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" wore a
sleeveless Givenchy shift. She continued wearing the same shift
to cocktails parties and even on a visit to Sing Sing... looking
perfect on every occasion. The little black dress is always
sexy, whether it is a simple sleeveless satin sheath or a slip
dress. Usually slimming, when selecting your little black dress,
do choose the silhouettes that most flatter your body type. It
can be a chemise from the 1920's or a sheath from the 1960's.
Look for simple tailoring with fine details and luxurious
fabrics. Again, "The Little Black Dress" says, "you don't have
to look good, you just do."
About the author:
Karen Richards grew up surrounded by collections of all kinds.
She inherited her love of anything with a history from her
parents who have collected and dealt in antiques for over half a
century. Her passion is vintage fashions, textiles and
catalogues. She owns The Cats Meow- Classics in Vintage Clothing
and Accessories a great place to find that one of a kind quality
garment. Visit her online at www.catsmeowclassics.com .
posted by The Editor at
7:01 AM
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