Fashion has a curious way of turning around and biting you in the butt. Just when you are done with a hard day's closet cleaning and even begin to feel good with yourself for donating some bundles of clothes to charity, the newest trends waltz in and guess what, they look exactly like some of the pieces you just threw out. But nowadays, these pieces are all pimped out and called "vintage".
So what is vintage? The best thing about this term, as for most terms that made tons of money in one time or another in the history of human consumerism, is that it can mean everything and nothing. It can be the grubby old t-shirt you pulled out from underneath your mattress wondering how long it's been there and whether it now sports life forms of its own; it can be your boyfriend's long baggy shirt with a belt; it can be your mum's 70s high waist skirt with an indeffinite length. Hell, I know some of my best earrings and accessories were scavenged from my mum's 80s closet after she threw out everything, died her hair red and joined a cult.
In the past years vintage clothes have been gathering momentum, so much that today, the mere mention of the word already means something out of the ordinary, something unusual and often creative. And every idea which brings such associations should be exploited to the fullest.
Years ago, when vintage/thrift shops started sprouting around, they shared some common characteristics. Most were out of the main shopping areas, comfortably hidden in an alley or side street to encourage the customer to actually WANT to find it, not just bump into it. Most of these are second hand; most have a friendly shopkeeper who is often the owner too, one who actually cares how many people come in and more importantly, how many people come out with a full shopping bag. Many times these spots were a pull for artists, musicians and people just hanging around drinking beers, smoking and generally having a nice free time.
Nowadays however, more and more people are discovering that by rummaging some old relatives' closets (and asking friends to do the same), and setting up an "alternative" shop, they can sell second hand clothes on upper high-street prices without batting an eyelid, with only a slight cosmetic makeover and a fancy sign. A thrift/vintage store nowadays is not that unique bundle of stuff and creativity anymore, but sporting some common characteristics. As if in order to set one up, it's enough to put up a creative name, add a funky chandelier, sprinkle with Rockabilly glam and scatter useless artefacts from years past and voila, there you have it.
As a result, prices are rising all the time. Of course, uniqueness and creativity are valued. But not if they abdicate from their own initial meaning and concept - providing a space for individuality and supplying the public with unique pieces of clothing, while at the same time recycling old, but still good pieces. Not to make tons of money by selling second-hand clothes scavenged from heaps of 10-for-a-penny from charity stores and down scale second hand shops.
So what is vintage? The best thing about this term, as for most terms that made tons of money in one time or another in the history of human consumerism, is that it can mean everything and nothing. It can be the grubby old t-shirt you pulled out from underneath your mattress wondering how long it's been there and whether it now sports life forms of its own; it can be your boyfriend's long baggy shirt with a belt; it can be your mum's 70s high waist skirt with an indeffinite length. Hell, I know some of my best earrings and accessories were scavenged from my mum's 80s closet after she threw out everything, died her hair red and joined a cult.
In the past years vintage clothes have been gathering momentum, so much that today, the mere mention of the word already means something out of the ordinary, something unusual and often creative. And every idea which brings such associations should be exploited to the fullest.
Years ago, when vintage/thrift shops started sprouting around, they shared some common characteristics. Most were out of the main shopping areas, comfortably hidden in an alley or side street to encourage the customer to actually WANT to find it, not just bump into it. Most of these are second hand; most have a friendly shopkeeper who is often the owner too, one who actually cares how many people come in and more importantly, how many people come out with a full shopping bag. Many times these spots were a pull for artists, musicians and people just hanging around drinking beers, smoking and generally having a nice free time.
Nowadays however, more and more people are discovering that by rummaging some old relatives' closets (and asking friends to do the same), and setting up an "alternative" shop, they can sell second hand clothes on upper high-street prices without batting an eyelid, with only a slight cosmetic makeover and a fancy sign. A thrift/vintage store nowadays is not that unique bundle of stuff and creativity anymore, but sporting some common characteristics. As if in order to set one up, it's enough to put up a creative name, add a funky chandelier, sprinkle with Rockabilly glam and scatter useless artefacts from years past and voila, there you have it.
As a result, prices are rising all the time. Of course, uniqueness and creativity are valued. But not if they abdicate from their own initial meaning and concept - providing a space for individuality and supplying the public with unique pieces of clothing, while at the same time recycling old, but still good pieces. Not to make tons of money by selling second-hand clothes scavenged from heaps of 10-for-a-penny from charity stores and down scale second hand shops.