Friday 3 September 2010

That's the risk I'll have to take




Don’t you just love it whena topic sparks debate. From serious matters like politics and global warming to flippant questions like ‘what should I have for dinner?’ (Falafal or Quorn) and ‘which boy shall I fancy this week? (that would be telling), its great to have an opinion and discuss said opinion.

Since purchasing The Jacket (see below) a few weeks ago, I’ve had some very varied conversations regarding vintage. So let’s consider it shall we?

I’ll admit myself that it took me a while to be persuaded to ‘like’ what I commonly thought of as someone else’s cast-off’s, but I soon came round to the idea of wearing something with a rich history behind it, thinking up the stories it’s heard and the places it must have seen over the years. Vintage is generally regarded as a piece of clothing or jewellery, a pair of shoes or an accessory made between 1930 and 1980. Anything before then is antique and anything after then is retro.

There are so many reasons as to why vintage has suddenly become a trend is its own right though. Firstly, the environment and economy go hand in hand with the advantages of investing in vintage. It’s promoting the recycling and the reuse of something that is almost certainly now a one off. You can pretty much guarantee it has not been made by a five year old sitting in a dark basement for eighteen hours a day and who has ten thousand more to finish off by the end of the week either. The quality and craftsmanship is usually exquisitely executed and pronounced and you’re probably not going to bump into anyone wearing the same thing in your local on a Friday night.

I think you get the picture? I’m obviously pro-vintage. I’m not obsessed by any means though; you’ll never catch me in something that resembles my Grandmothers nightdress just because it’s vintage. Those that I buy blend into my wardrobe in the form of a jacket, cardigan or bag, shining out as happy and as beautiful as the first day I hung them in there. My friend agrees, “I love the thrill of finding something completely unique”. Me too. I also love the compliments perfect strangers pay me when I flaunt my latest find.

However, I also have friends who utterly oppose the idea of wearing something not ‘new’: “what if someone has died in it though?” Well, that’s the risk I’ll have to take.