How to Add Vintage To Your Wardrobe

If you’ve ever been in a vintage store, you might have seen the vast collection of rich textiles, unusual silhouettes and styles not seen since your grandma wore them to fancy outings. While vintage may reflect trends of bygone eras, it’s also a fun way to inject some character into your wardrobe. Take a moment to appreciate the fabrics and craftsmanship of vintage. They’re high-quality pieces or they wouldn’t have lasted for decades. Many were custom-made for each person. The decades before the mid-1960s were before ready-to-wear, mass-produced clothing filled the racks of department stores.

If you love the look and quality of vintage but don’t know how you would wear it. I’m here to provide your gateway on how to add vintage to your wardrobe. Take a look:

Add a Vintage Hat

Hats are a fun way to add just a touch of vintage to your wardrobe. And they’ll get you noticed. Hats fell out of fashion in the mid-1960s when women started wearing big, teased hairdos and didn’t want to smash it under a hat. Now they serve as a statement-making accessory. There are many vintage hat styles to choose from. Take a look at the sculpted pieces of the 1940s, platter hats of the 1950s or pillboxes of the early 1960s. Pick one in a fun color or basic, go-with-everything black and try topping off a modern outfit. You can juxtapose a fancy hat with a casual outfit or add sophistication to eveningwear. Maybe try something playful to add a quirky touch to your weekend outfits.

Add Vintage Jewelry

Oh shiny things, how we love you! Vintage jewelry is a simple way to add styles of the past to your wardrobe. Clip-on earrings and brooches speak volumes for a vintage touch since ladies don’t wear these items so much in modern times. Also look for bracelets, rings and unique pieces of the past such as dress clips or fur clips that can be worn on pockets or on collars.

Add a Vintage Purse

A vintage handbag is another easy way to add some vintage charm to your wardrobe without feeling like you’re putting on a costume. Vintage purses come in all shapes and sizes. One thing you might notice is many of them are small in size. Ladies just didn’t carry around as much as they do today since it was before their lives opened up to work and other opportunities. And they also didn’t have cell phones! So before you purchase that sparkly new vintage bag, do a quick check that your phone and other items you need will fit.

Add a Vintage Top or Skirt

Separates are a great way to try a little vintage style without putting on a full-on vintage outfit, which may make you feel like you walked off the set of a period film. Try a casual top or skirt such as this ‘60s floral top or ‘70s midi wrap skirt. Both have distinct vintage looks to add a touch of interest to your outfit without overwhelming it. Look for separates with unique details or tailored cuts that represent the era they were made.

So now that you know how to add vintage to your wardrobe, which one will you try first?

See more of my looks on the Stiletto City blog and Instagram page.

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