Vintage fashion: What, Who, Why and Where!!

What it is- Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 20 years before the present day is considered vintage.Most vintage clothing has been previously worn, but a small percentage of pieces have not. These are often old warehouse stock, and more valuable than those that have been worn, especially if they have their original tags.
(Source- Wikipedia)
And while we are at it, it might make sense to explain what it isn't!
Vintage is not the same as retro, pre-owned/consignment or thrifting.
The difference between Vintage and Retro clothing: Retro, short for retrospective, or "vintage style" usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era and doesn't actually belong to it!
Now, we already told you Vintage could be pre-owned/consignment and vice-versa, but Vintage always belongs to a certain fashion-era.
Thrift- you could find vintage items in a thrift store, or thrift at a vintage store, but thrifting essentially refers to bargain hunting.

Who wears Vintage?: Well, let's just say the "who's who" of A-list celebrities...
Alexa Chung, Rachel Zoe (!!), Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts ,Kirsten Dunst, Kate Moss, Mila Jovovich, Nicole Kidman...convinced yet?
Please note- the fans are a mix of some really young as well as mature ladies of style!

Why?: It's obvious isn't it? Most genuinely stylish women hate to look like everyone else, even if they are wearing a $3K top, so they seek out unique cuts and styles from a certain era and mix it up with their modern buys to create unique looks.So- the answer is "for the uniqueness factor".
It's also a way to show off your knowledge of fashion history, your eclectic and irreverent taste and your
 " sharp eye" for classic Chanel,Givenchy and Dior.

Where do they get Vintage?: It's true that celebrities can afford extremely knowledgeable and connected stylists who are always on the hunt for them, across a network of Online and Offline vintage boutiques spread around US and Europe, but online Vintage is accessible to all.

Here is a list of some the top online Vintage destinations (to suit all pockets ) that style gurus swear by, but unfortunately they aren't in India yet!!
Maybe the market needs to mature a little, after all we still have plenty of people who turn up their noses at Vintage and think it's just a euphemism for old and cheap...
 :-(
But fret not, some of them do ship to India, in case you are really desperate!

Ritual Vintage: http://www.ritualvintage.com/

eBay store - Maki Maki Vintage: http://stores.ebay.com/MakiMaki-Vintage

Farfetch.com Vintage Section:
 http://www.farfetch.com/in/shopping/women/vintage-archive-1/items.aspx
PS- They ship to India

ASOS Vintage: https://marketplace.asos.com/boutiques/vintage
Note- We would classify these as "Vintage inspired" more than actual Vintage...or maybe they are lesser/unknown brands and that is why we feel so!

Etsy Shop- TanakaVintage : http://www.etsy.com/in-en/shop/TanakaVintage
Same here- More Retro and Vintage inspired than vintage, but again that may not be the case and it might just be that these are relatively less known brands of clothing.











So, here's hoping that some really good online vintage boutiques make an appearance in India!

A few more resources to discover some great vintage stores (online and  brick & mortar) are shared below, hope you enjoy them. Don't forget to check out http://colletteconsignment.com/ though they don't sell online their merchandise is simple amazing.

Do write and let us know if you shop vintage and what styles you buy.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/11/23/consignment-shop-treasures-where-to-go-and-what-to-buy/

http://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion/where-to-buy-vintage-online

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/541102/the-eight-best-online-vintage-stores.html

http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/activities/shopping/specialist-shop/vintage-fashions

http://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/melbournes-best-vintage-fashion-stores

http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2013/03/vintage-shopping-guide-paris-france