Have you seen the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris? Owen Wilson is transported back in time. He’s always dreamt of experiencing 1920’s France. At first, he is enchanted by the glitz and glamour only to discover that everything is far from perfect like the fact penicillin is yet to be discovered. Have you ever longed to live in another decade or even century? If so which one would you choose and why?
Although until someone invents that elusive time machine we can only dream about what it was like 50, 60 or even a 100 years ago. I love looking at paintings and photos from the past and especially seeing how the fashion has changed. If I was to choose a different decade simply based on the style of clothing I would go for the 1970’s. Hippie chic meets Farrah Fawcett’s angle delight. Charlie, I’m ready for my mission!
VINTAGE CLOTHING IN LONDON AND ONLINE
Even if I can’t go live in 1970’s London I can still bring a bit of that particular style into my wardrobe. When I lived in North London during my drama school years I loved exploring Camden Market and all the vintage shops there. I once found the most exquisite silk gown in a light pink colour with lots of beading dating back to the 1950’s. It was beautiful and would have been perfect for a ball. Unfortunately, this Cinderella never got to go and after using it as a costume for an off-West End play I was in a couple of years later, the delicate fabric, unfortunately, didn’t survive.
These days there are many great vintage shops around London with Rokit being one of the biggest. Starting out in Camden Market back in 1986 they now have several shops across the capital with one in Brick Lane and another in Covent Garden. If you are not based near here you can still browse their vast selection of unique pieces online.
In my opinion, it is always worth investing in quality and great materials whether that be a leather handbag, a designer trench coat, great denim or gold jewellery. One thing to be aware of with vintage clothing is that sizing often comes up smaller so it’s worth keeping that in mind when shopping for these pieces, especially those from pre-1950. Do you mix and match modern with vintage finds?
Please note this is a collaborative post. All words and opinions are my own.
