It seems that lately our culture is returning to a sense of cheerful optimism and old-fashioned values and reveling in a moment of lady-like feminine nostalgia. With TV shows such as Mad Men, movies like My Week With Marilyn, and popular singers such as Lana Del Rey and Esperanza Spalding, we are having a certain neo-retro moment. And with the current cultural shift towards everything homegrown, hand made and recycled, now more than ever is a great time to start adding vintage fashions to your wardrobe. For me, the best thing about wearing something vintage is you can somehow manage to be both on trend and chic while almost always pulling off a very one-of-a-kind look.
Over this past weekend, I visited the Vintage Fashion Expo at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco, held on March 17 and 18. Now in its third decade, this show features the best of the best in vintage clothing, accessories and textiles from over 85 dealers and collectors. The Vintage Fashion Expo runs five times a year in Santa Monica and San Francisco. These shows have become an integral part of the California fashion scene and here you may find yourself bumping into celebrities, fashion designers, movie costumers, costume designers, and many other shoppers who appreciate the unique quality of vintage fashions, some decked out in gorgeous head to toe retro looks.
Vintage styles continue to inspire many fashion designers and every season the designer runways seem to be filled with nostalgic references to the past. The ’60s, the ’70s, the ’80s…the list goes on and on. Considering all the retro influences on our current fashion trends, one might think, why not just get the real thing and start wearing vintage? Instead of shopping the malls for the latest looks, you can be unique and ahead of the curve by heading to the source to buy the originals.
Here are some of the most popular spring 2012 trends that you can find in your local vintage stores right now:
The 1950s
